Storytelling for Week 7: The Tiger and the Frog

Once upon a time, in the rainforest of the amazon, there lived a frog. This frog slept through the day and lived out his nights hopping to and from, eating flies and playing games with his fellow frogs, as did so many other frogs living in the rainforest. Each frog of the forest knew, however, that when daylight approached their games were to end, for the predators that lurked in the rainforest were sure to awaken.

One day, as all the frogs were winding down and preparing for rest, the Frog realized that he had left his glasses out while playing.

"Drats! If I don't go get my glasses now, I may never find them!" said the Frog to himself. "If I hurry I should make it back before daylight."

The Frog quickly dashed into the forest and retrieved his glasses, but he had taken too long; the sun was appearing on the horizon. Just then, the Frog heard rustling from the trees beside him, and soon appeared a large and ferocious tiger. 

(Emerald Glass Frog: Wikimedia Commons)

"Why, hello there little frog. I think you'll make a fine snack on this beautiful morning." said the Tiger, inching his way closer to the Frog.

"Wait!" yelled the frog. "I'm ah.. I'm.. I'm the king of all the frogs! I can do anything and beat anyone!"

"Is that so, little frog?" questioned the Tiger. "Tell me, can you beat me in a race? Can those tiny legs of yours carry you faster than these great haunches of mine?"

"Of course they can!" replied the Frog. "I'll race you straight to the tree trunk down there!"

"Very well." said the Tiger. "On the count of three. One.. Two.. Three!"

On the count of three, the Tiger set off at a rapid speed. The Frog, knowing that he could not beat the Tiger in a flat out sprint, instead jumped and grabbed the Tiger's tail in his mouth.

When the Tiger arrived at the tree trunk, he glanced around and found no sign of the Frog in sight.

"Hah!" laughed the Tiger. "I outpaced him so much he's not even in sight."

"Over here!" said the Frog. "What took you so long?"

The Tiger turned around, startled to see the Frog sitting before him. The Frog spit down in front of the Tiger, cleaning out the fur that had stuck in his mouth from the Tiger's tail.

"That fur, how did you get that in your mouth?" questioned the Tiger.

"That uh.. that's from a Tiger I ate just yesterday!"

Afraid of the Frog's apparent strength and speed, the Tiger ran off into the forest to never be seen by the frog again.

Author's Note: This story is based on The Tiger and the Frog from Tibetan Folk Tales by A.L. Shelton. This story tells of a hungry tiger who one day comes across a small frog. The Tiger's first instinct is to gobble the frog up, but the frog declares that he is king of all frogs, saying that he can jump any distance and do anything. This frog challenges the Tiger to a contest  as to who can jump across a nearby river. The frog bites onto the tigers tail and uses him to jump across the river. When they get to the other side, the frog tricks the tiger by spitting up his own fur and claiming he had eaten a tiger the day before. Scared, the tiger runs away.

Storytelling for Week 6: The Stone Monkey

Once upon a time, on top of mountainous island in the sea, lived a village of monkeys. This island was amongst a treacherous and wild sea, and its constant winds and storms made all of the islands surrounding that of the monkeys uninhabitable.

For all intents and purposes, the island of the monkeys should have been ravaged by these storms as well. However, the monkeys on this island had the blessing of the god Faarus. For each day, when the sun rose in the sky, every monkey in the village would pray upon the stone tablet of Faarus, and every night, when the sun vanished from the sky, each monkey would return to pray with the tablet once more. While many storms would form in the sea, as they approached the island they would veer off course or disappear altogether.

(Stone Tablet: Wikimedia Commons)

One day, an evil spirit came to the island of monkeys and snatched away the tablet, hiding it in a cave behind a raging waterfall. Each of the monkeys tried to pass through the waterfall, but the stream was too strong, and one by one they were washed away.

Without the tablet, the monkeys were no longer able to pray to the god Faarus. The protection from their god was lost, and soon storms ravaged the island as it those around it. Rain poured on the island all day and night, and the homes of the villagers were blown away in the strong winds. As the weeks passed, the monkeys suffered without shelter and had begun to run out of food.

All seemed hopeless, until the fateful day that a stone egg fell from the heavens onto the island. The stone egg hatched as quick as it fell, and out climbed a tiny stone monkey. The stone monkey did not stay tiny for long, for by nightfall he had grown to the size of a full grown ape.

The stone monkey spoke with the village monkeys and learned of the evil spirit who had hidden their tablet. The stone monkey quickly went to the waterfall and, due to his heavy stone exterior, was able to pass through unharmed. The stone monkey retrieved the tablet from the cave and returned to the village monkeys.

The monkeys prayed upon the tablet, and the storm dissipated from the island. Thankful for the stone monkeys help, they made him king of all the monkeys.



Author's Note: This story is based on Handsome King of the Apes in the section The Monkey King from The Chinese Fairy Book by R. Wilhelm. This story tells of a  stone monkey who is born from a stone egg. He slowly grows up, learning to walk and climb trees, until one day he becomes king of the apes by walking though a waterfall unharmed and finding a stone tablet. I added the storms and prayers to this tale to make it a little more dramatic.

Storytelling for Week 5: The Two Thieves

Once upon a time, in an ancient kingdom, there lived two thieves. These thieves mostly spent their days pickpocketing in the market square, or stealing candlesticks and jewelry from the houses of the wealthy while they were away. However, the two thieves were not picky about how they made their living; if they saw an opportunity, they would almost certainly seize it.

One day, the thieves saw a wealthy looking man from a foreign kingdom enter the marketplace. The thieves were certain they had spotted an easy target, and they closed in on the man to steal his belongings. While one thief distracted the man by pretending to be a beggar, the other swooped in from behind and surreptitiously lifted the man's coin purse. When the thieves opened the coin purse, they found not gold, but instead a map. Examining the map, the two thieves saw that it outlined the surrounding area. Looking closer, they noticed an "X" scrawled onto the map as well as a single word: "treasure."

Never missing an opportunity for monetary gain, the thieves set out to the location marked on the map. When they arrived, they found a small crypt containing a single stone casket and a series of levers on the back wall.

"Surely if we put these levers in the correct position, the treasure will reveal itself to us." said one thief to the other. "If only this man was alive to tell us what he knows."

"I may have an idea." replied the other thief. "Grab the skeleton from the casket and let us return to the kingdom."

The two thieves took the skeleton to a wise scientist in the kingdom.

"We need to speak to the man to whom this skeleton belonged." said one of the thieves to the scientist. "Is there anything you can do for us?"

"I can add flesh to this skeleton, but I cannot add skin or hair." replied the scientist. "For that you will have seek a colleague of mine."

The scientist added flesh to the skeleton, and the thieves quickly left to seek out the scientist's colleague. The next scientist they found added skin and hair to the flesh covered skeleton, but he was unable to add organs. The thieves sought out a final scientist, who completed their corpse with all the organs needed for life, but the corpse still did not breathe.

The thieves lastly sought out a mystic who lived in a tall tower in the kingdom. The thieves brought the corpse to the mystic and asked him to return life to this long dead man.

"I can provide you a potion that does what you ask," said the mystic. "But beware, life is not so easily returned."

(Potion Bottles. Wikimedia Commons)

Eagerly, the two thieves poured the potion into the mouth of the corpse. Instantly, the corpse sprung to life. The newly resurrected man began yelling in a language that the thieves could not comprehend, and immediately grabbed the two of them. The thieves were not weak by any mans standards, but despite their struggling, they could not overcome the seemingly supernatural strength of this resurrected monster. The man lifted the two thieves off their feet and threw them out of the mystic's tower. As they plummeted to their demise, the thieves forsook their greed.


Author's Note: This story is based on The Four Brothers from Twenty-Two Goblins by Arthur Ryder. This story tells of four brothers who each know a different type of "science." One brother can add flesh to bones, the second can add skin and hair to flesh, the third can add eyes and organs and the final brother can bring the organs to life. The four brothers bring a lion to life, which kills them all!

Storytelling for Week 4: The Man Who Hid a Tiger

Once upon a time, in a small house amongst the mountains, there lived a man. This man kept to himself mostly, tending to his plants and and livestock, only visiting the nearby town on rare occasion for flour, sweets, and other such things that he could not make himself. However, to call this man a hermit, as did many of the children in the nearby town, would be inaccurate. Indeed, he was self reliant, and it was a fact that he mistrusted the governments of men and their ever encroaching townships and cities, but the man appreciated company as much as any other man, and was not unknown to chat with the store clerk in town.

One day, while the man was working in his garden, he heard a series of footsteps behind him. When the man turned around, he was shocked to see not a person behind him, but a tiger who seemed just as frightened as the man.

"Please!" said the tiger to the man. "You must help me. There are men following me; they are trying to kill me! Will you please hide me in your house until they pass?"

"Now wait a minute," said the man to the tiger. "Why are these men pursuing you? Surely you must have offended them in some way."

"They have accused me of murder, but it is a lie!" replied the tiger. "For years I have lived in peace in the forest, but now these men desire to expand their home into my own, and as such have devised a way to get rid of me forever!"

"Very well." said the man. "You can stay in my home until these men pass. It seems the sins of man in the name of expansion have no end."

In short time, the men that the tiger spoke of appeared at the home of the man. The man approached them and asked "Can I help you all find anything? I don't get a lot of visitors around here."

"We're looking for a tiger who killed one of our friends." replied one of the men shortly. "Have you seen it?"

"No, I don't believe I have, but you might try at the next house down the road." replied the man.

Frustrated and annoyed, the men left without another word.

 (Tiger. Wikimedia Commons)

The man returned to the tiger and said: "The men who were hunting you have left, but you are welcome to stay for tea and a snack."

"I really must be going," said the tiger. "But I believe I will take a snack for the road."

Before the man could reply, the tiger leapt up and devoured him whole.

"Only a fool would trust the word of a tiger over his fellow man."

Author's Note: This story is based on The Nobleman who Concealed a Snake in His Sleeve from the The Tooti Nameh or Tales of a Parrot, by Ziya'al-Din Nakhshabi (1801). Web source. This story tells the tale of a nobleman who, one day while hunting, happens across a frightened snake. The snake convinces the nobleman to hide him from another man trying to kill the snake. However, after he helps the snake, the snake calls him a fool for trusting him and says that he will kill the man. The nobleman distracts the snake and crushes his head with a rock.

Storytelling for Week 3: The Cat and the Canary

Once upon a time, in a small neighborhood, there lived a cat. Now this cat was well fed, mind you, but despite his regular helpings of both canned and dry food, his appetite was never quite satiated.

 You see, in this neighborhood there also lived a canary, and despite his many attempts, the Cat always fell short of reaching the Canary's nest far up in the trees. If you would have asked the Cat at the time, he would have told you himself: he would give anything to snatch that little bird up and eat him whole.

This cat was no fool, and he soon realized that if he could not get to the Canary, then his only option was to get the Canary to come to him.

It was a bright Sunday morning when the Cat appeared before the Canary's tree. The Cat rapped twice on the bark of the tree and waited for the Canary to appear. The Canary wobbled from his nest onto a nearby branch and yawned "Who is it?"

"Hello there!" yelled the cat enthusiastically. "I was wonderin' if ya' had a moment to talk about your life insurance policy. If ya'd like to come down and look at this pamphlet, I've got some great offers for ya'"

(Canary. Wikimedia Commons)

The Canary squinted at the creature below him through his tired eyes; this creature wore the attire of a human businessman, and stood on two legs as if it were such. The Canary however, was no fool either.

"Vewy smawt, awen't ya' puddy tat?" said the Canary, and with that statement returned to his nest.

"Thsufferin Thuccotash!" exclaimed the Cat. He had been confident that his plan would work. "Something musta went wrong." he thought to himself. "The disguise! That's it. It woulda worked if he hadn't seen my ears!"

The Cat once again set about creating a disguise. This time however, he would cover his head in a hat. That, he was certain, would be enough to fool the Canary into coming down to greet him.

The next day, the Canary once again woke to the sound of knocking on his tree. "Who is it?" the Canary asked once again.

"Why hello there! I'm here with the Girl Scouts of America and was wanting to see if ya' was interested in purchasing some cookies today." said the Cat.

"Suwe thing, I wouwd wove some cookies. Meet me awound the othew side of the twee." replied the Canary with a smile.

The Cat quickly ran around to the other side of the tree, and what he found was not the Canary waiting for him, but instead the Bulldog, who quickly snatched him up.


Author's Note: This story is an amalgamation of The Cat and the Birds and The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox from the Aesop for Children, illustrated by Milo Winter (1919). Web source. In The Cat and the Birds, a hungry cat attempts to trick a bird into coming out of his home by dressing as a doctor. In The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox, when the Fox attempts to trick the Cock into coming down from his perch, the Cock instead sends him to him to his friend the Dog.

Storytelling for Week 2: The Country Mouse and the City Mouse

Once upon a time, in a large red barn far into the outland, lived a country mouse. He lived a quiet life, keeping to himself, eating what seeds and stems he found and sleeping in a simple bed of hay. One day, the country mouse received a letter from his cousin in the city.

"Dear cousin," the letter read. "It has been far too long since we have seen each other last. I'll be leaving the city tomorrow to visit you! I expect that this letter should arrive a day before myself so that you can make preparations for my arrival."

The country mouse was ecstatic. He hadn't seen his city cousin in years! He set out gathering seeds, roots, leaves, and stems to prepare a feast for the city mouse.

        (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
 

The next day, the city mouse arrived at his country cousin's home. They exchanged hugs and greetings and soon were chatting like they had never spent time apart. After a time, the country mouse invited his cousin inside to see the feast he had prepared.

"What is this?" asked the city mouse.

"Why it's your feast!" replied his cousin.

"This? This is nothing but twigs and grass! Do you have no cheese or bread? No meats?" questioned the city mouse.

"I've never heard of such things. These seeds are some of the finest in the whole field!" said the country mouse with a frown.

"Oh cousin, how do you eat this trash? Soon I will have you come to visit me and the city and I will show you what real food is."

Soon the city mouse left to return to his city home, and his country cousin followed shortly after. When the country mouse arrived at his cousin's home, he was greeted by a fantastic smell.

"Come in, come in." said the city mouse.

Inside, the country mouse found something like he had never seen before: cakes, cheeses, breads and meats of every type. The two mice began devouring the cuisine before them.

"See cousin! Isn't this better than grass and sticks?" the city mouse asked.

The country mouse was about to agree with the city mouse when a large booming bark interrupted his thoughts.

"What was that?!" the country mouse asked, very startled.

"Ah, it's only the dogs of the house. You'll get used to it."

"Only!" shouted the country mouse.

With the country mouse's shout, the door flew open as two dogs stormed inside. Quickly, the two mice scurried away for safety.

"I'll be going now!" said the country mouse.

"Why? What's the problem cousin?" inquired the city mouse.

"I'd rather have sticks and leaves in peace than meats and cheeses in fear." retorted the country mouse.

Author's Note: This story is based on The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse from the Fables of Aesop by Joesph Jacobs. Web source. In the story the "town mouse" goes to visit his country cousin and is displeased with the food, saying it can't compare to the great food that he eats in town. However, when the "country mouse" goes to visit the town mouse, he discovers that there are loud noises and dangerous animals, and returns to his country home.

Week 1 Storytelling: Mendax the Fox

Mendax struggled and strained to free himself from the jaws of the trap that he now found himself in.

Despite his effort, the jagged teeth of his captor remained unmoved; Mendax now knew he would not leave this trap whole.

"It could have been worse" he thought.

 

 (photo by James B Brown)

It was simply a tail after all, and many foxes had lived before without tails. If it had been his leg in that trap, he would be done for.

However, he also remembered the mocking and ridicule that those tail-less foxes faced from all the other foxes.

With great sorrow, he pulled one last time and freed himself from the clutches of the brutish device, leaving his tail behind in its iron grasp.

Rather than return and face the jeers and taunts from his fellow foxes, Mendax set out into the forest alone.

For several weeks he remained isolated in the forest, until one day an idea struck him.

Mendax soon returned to the other foxes and called a meeting, claiming it was of great importance.

Once all the foxes were gathered, he spoke:

"My fellow foxes, too long have we suffered for our tails. Countless numbers of our brothers have fallen simply because their tails had become lodged in fences and foliage, or because the heavy weight of their tail hindered their ability to run from the hunter's hounds"

"If you value your life, you will join me and be rid of your tail forever."

The other foxes began to ponder what Mendax had said. It was true; only last week Velox had been caught by the tail by a particularly relentless welsh hound.

One by one the foxes began to cut off their tails. As the days passed, it was the foxes who had retained their tails that were subjected to taunting and teasing.

 Mendax felt happy; his guile had turned his fate around on those who would have mocked him.

As winter approached, Mendax found himself once again surrounded by his fellow foxes. However this time, it was they who spoke:

"Liar!" someone shouted from the crowd. "We found your tail in a trap in the woods! You didn't cut it off, you lost it! You tricked us! Now every night we freeze without our tails to wrap around ourselves!"

Mendax looked out at the crowd and noticed that all the foxes now had fallen tree limbs fastened to the remaining stubs of their tails. These replacement tails could not keep the foxes of the forest warm without fur, however.

"Get him!" one of the foxes yelled.

The foxes quickly swarmed Mendax and began ripping out his fur, attaching the abducted pelt to their stick-tails with syrupy tree sap.

Mendax shouted and struggled, but it was too late. The foxes laughed at the now naked Mendax as they walked into the forest with their new tails.


Author's Note: This story is based on the fable "The Fox Without a Tail." by Æsop from The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Æsop for Children. Web Source. The fable tells of a fox who loses his tail and unsuccessfully tries to convince the other foxes to cut their tails off as well.