What's Inside?

ABOUT What’sWhat’s THE COVER:

What’s your Inside?Inside? favorite ghost Storytelling: A Way to Share story? Did 2 by Robert D. San Souci you ever tell it around a campfire 6 Meet Hannah Wynne or under the covers? Teen Storyteller by Kathiann M. Kowalski In the best stories, words—or sometimes music or dance or painting—create 9 900 Cinderellas a whole world in our imaginations. by Marcia Amidon Lusted and Judith C. Greenfield In this issue of AppleSeeds you’ll get some good tips for telling stories. 12 Tellabration! And you’ll find out more about by Dorothy Phillips why people have been telling stories Mobilia forever. (Credit: Susan Gilzow) 14 YOUR TURN How to Tell a Really JOIN THE APPLECORPS! Scary Story by Robert D. Want to write an AppleCorps Adventure story? Want to tell us what you’d like San Souci to read about in AppleSeeds? Write to [email protected]

Susan Buckley, Editor Advisory Board Annabel Wildrick, Associate Editor Diane Brooks, Ed.D., Director (retired), Curriculum Susan Gilzow, Designer Frameworks and Instructional Resources Office, Ellen Bingham, Copy Editor/Proofreader California Department of Education Lou Waryncia, Editorial Director P. Ann Kaupp, Anthropology Outreach Office, Ann Dillon, Art Director National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Patricia Silvestro, Rights & Permissions Coordinator Institution Marcia Lusted, Assistant Editor Maryann Manning, Professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham Editorial interns: Jade Zarzeka, R.M. Shuford, Amy MacArthur, Carmelle LaMothe Robert D. San Souci, Children’s Author Find every issue of AppleSeeds at Art Intern: Courtney Garrity Sandra Stotsky, Professor of Education Reform, CobblestoneOnline.net 21st Century Chair in Teacher Quality, University Carus Publishing Company of Arkansas Andre W. Carus, Chairman and Publisher Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, Author, Anthropologist Marianne Carus, Editor in Chief Indexed and/or abstracted in: Jason Patenaude, Chief Operating Officer Phillip J. VanFossen, Ph.D., Director, Ackerman Children’s Magazine Guide, Primary Amy Reisinger, Marketing Manager Center for Democratic Citizenship, Purdue University Search and Middle Search, Readers’ Guide for Young People, Vertical File Karen Dauck, Production Manager Index and at www.CobblestoneOnline.net Customer Service: 800-821-0115

FEBRUARY 16 Tell Us a Story, Carmen! by Sharon Wright 2009 Mitchell 20 Top Ten Taletelling Tips 26 A Picture Is Worth by Katherine Swarts a Thousand Words . . . and So Are a Dance, Inside the Circle: 22 and a Song, and . . . Meet Storyteller by Annabel Wildrick Joseph Bruchac by Aileen From Mouth to Page Easterbrook 28 by Robert D. San Souci 24 The Gift 30 Stories from Home: of a Story Capture the Memories by Susan Kegel by Lynn York 33 CONTEST CORNER Name That Bird!

AppleCorps kids by Annette Cate

“Storytelling Consulting Editor wonder, adventure, mixesand humor. wise tales Around with the stories world of and through the ages, storytellers have handed down these timeless stories. They continue to Robert D. San Souci has written more than provide unending riches to generations of listeners 60 books and countless magazine stories for (and, when adapted to book form, generations of young readers. Many of them are based on readers). The wisdom at the heart of these tales myths, legends, folktales, and fairy tales from remains the same, but every generation needs around the globe. He has won many awards fresh storytellers to keep them vital and alive. for his books. He also wrote the film story They ensure that the legacy and importance for the Disney film Mulan, based on his book of storytelling remain strong to this day.“

Fu Mulan: The Story of a Woman Warrior. —ROBERT D. SAN SOUCI He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

From the earliest times, storytelling has been important. It’s been a way for people to explain to each other how the world began and how it works. Stories help people preserve and celebrate their history and culture. Through stories, people share experience, wisdom, moral teachings. They entertain each other.

Myth, folktale, legend, or fairy tale: What’s the difference? The oldest kind of story is the myth. These stories explain natural processes, customs, or beliefs. Myths often involve supernatural beings, such as gods. Who they are, what they do, and how they interact with humans and nature is the subject of many myths. Many ideas from myths ended up in epic poems. These are long poems that tell the story of a hero and his or her companions. Epic poems were told— often over several nights—by bards, who might play a musical instrument to accompany themselves. (A bard was a poet and singer who told stories.) The oldest surviving epic poem is about 4,000

ONCE by Robert D. San Souci years old. It is called Gilgamesh and tells the story UPON A TIME... illustrated by Janet Montecalvo of King Gilgamesh and his search for immortality— living forever.) As story sharing continued, folktales spread. These stories are meant to be shared orally. Folktales are often based on the beliefs of a group of people. A folktale is passed down from generation to generation and has no known author—it belongs to “the folk.” Storytellers would delight and amaze groups of listeners with tales of heroes and heroines, daring quests, magical lands, and clever or funny characters. Sometimes, storytellers would thrill their audiences with tales of ghosts and nightmares.

A legend, like a folktale, is handed down from one generation to the next. It usually tells about a famous person’s mighty deeds and adventures. Legends are generally based in truth but often become greatly exaggerated. Many are so tangled up in stretched truths that it is impossible to separate what really happened from what is made up. For example, many historians believe there was a real person called King Arthur. In his time, he was a popular hero, and stories were told about him. Over time, the stories grew into legends. Eventually, the legends became so fantastic that the real person they were based on was no longer recognizable. But legends aren’t always about people and their deeds. There are place-name legends, for example. These might tell how “Lover’s Leap” or “Headless Woman Rock” got their names. The possibility

that the story just could be true is what separates legends from folktales, fairy tales, and myths. Fairy tales are first cousins to folktales. Sometimes, it is hard to distinguish between the two, because many fairy tales began as folktales. Fairy tales often contain lessons. Like folktales, many fairy tales have no known author. But the author of some fairy tales is known. For example, The Ugly Duckling and The Little Mermaid are both by Hans Christian Andersen. Storytelling in its purest form—spoken, not read— remains an important part of many cultures today. In some African societies, it is the job of storytellers to keep their people’s history and culture alive. In our country, we can see the rediscovery and blossoming of a new storytelling tradition. Every year, in every state, there are gatherings of storytellers. These are the people who keep old stories alive. And they tell new tales too. They nurture the river of stories and keep THE it flowing forever. END

MEET Hannah Wynne Teen Storyteller

Like most kids, Hannah Wynne has always loved

ONCE hearing stories. But UPON A by Kathiann TIME... M. Kowalski Hannah doesn’t just listen. At age 18, Hannah is already a professional storyteller. As a little girl, Hannah told stories to family members in Valley City, Ohio. Later, she shared stories with friends during school recess. “I loved giving oral book reports,” adds Hannah. Often Hannah dressed as a book character to tell her books’ stories to the class. When Hannah was 15, a professional storyteller named 6

Hannah’s tips for Janelle Reardon performed at a cousin’s birthday party. Hannah knew then that she wanted to become being a good a storyteller, too. Soon afterward, Janelle began storyteller: coaching Hannah. Then Hannah began performing. “All my stories right now are personal stories,” ☺ Find a story you says Hannah. “Most of them are funny.” Most of love. Make one up. Hannah’s stories are about eight minutes long. Adapt a folktale. Start with something And most come from things that happened when short: one or two Hannah was around 6 years old. But the stories aren’t minutes long. just memories, she says. “Our lives aren’t like movies or books. We’re not moving toward one goal.” ☺ Listen! You’re going Instead, starting with real events, Hannah makes to learn a lot from up stories with a beginning, middle, and end. Even her listening to other funny stories often have a lesson. In “The Revenge of storytellers. Dr. Seuss,” young Hannah wanted to hear Fox in Socks ☺ Slow down. People over and over. But her mom was tired of that book. can’t understand She had already read it many times for Hannah’s your words if you older brother and sisters. rush. Hannah told that story at the National Youth ☺ Don’t just talk Storytelling Showcase in Pigeon through the story, Forge, Tennessee, in 2007. With share it. A good it, she won the title of High storyteller invites you School Division Torchbearer. to come in and share the story. Hannah used to tell stories to her classmates. She still ☺ Even if tells stories at school today— you’re but as an invited speaker. nervous, try to act confident. Remember, people want to hear your story. ☺ Most important, have fun!

Hannah also met other young storytellers from across the nation. “The oldest was 18, and the youngest was 7 that year,” says Hannah. “Everyone was fantastic. And I learned so much from everyone.” Today, Hannah tells stories at schools, libraries, recreation centers, and storytelling festivals. After college, she hopes to be a professional writer and continue storytelling. Storytelling festivals give Hannah especially loves Hannah a chance to meet when people laugh along with other professionals. her. Her stories often remind people about events in their own lives. At its heart, storytelling is about sharing a story or an experience and connecting with the listeners. “The best way to tell people what storytelling is,” Hannah says, “is to tell THE them a story.” END

ONCE UPON A by Marcia Amidon Lusted and TIME... Judith C. Greenfield illustrated by Katrina Damkoehler If someone asked you to name a fairy tale everyone knows, chances are you might say Cinderella. But did you know that the story of Cinderella is found all over the world in many different cultures? In China, she is known as Yeh-Shen. In Appalachia, she is called Ashpet. Some Native Americans know her as Little Burnt Face. No matter what she is called, Cinderella is always beautiful and good. Sadly, other members of her family are jealous of her goodness and beauty. They are cruel to her. She is made to wear rags and do the worst chores in the household. But then a magical person comes to help her. Dressed in beautiful clothes, Cinderella meets a prince or a king who wants to marry her, but she is forced to run away from him and wear her rags again. In the end, he finds Cinderella, after she proves her identity through a special test (remember the glass slipper?). Then they marry and live

happily ever after. Around the world, there are more than 900 different versions of this story, but they all follow this same basic plot. One version of Cinderella was written in China more than a thousand years ago. Beautiful Yeh-Shen lives with her stepmother, who treats her badly. Yeh-Shen’s only friend is a pet fish, but her jealous stepmother kills and cooks the fish. An old man then tells Yeh-Shen to pray to the bones of her fish. The bones grant her a wish. Yeh-Shen is given a beautiful blue dress and tiny golden slippers, which she wears to a festival. But when she flees quickly so she won’t be recognized, Yeh-Shen loses one of her slippers. A man finds the slipper and sells it to the king, who falls in love with the tiny slipper (in China, tiny feet were thought to be beautiful). When Yeh-Shen proves that the slipper is hers, she and the king are married.

A Frenchman, Charles Perrault, wrote the Cinderella story most of us know. But in some parts of our country, Perrault’s story went through some changes. For example, in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, Cinderella is known as Ashpet. Beautiful Ashpet wants to go to a church meeting. But jealousy drives other women to hide her under a washtub. An old witch comes down from the mountains and gives Ashpet a pretty red dress and tiny red slippers, “the littlest ’uns you ever saw.” Ashpet goes to the meeting in her pretty clothes. There, she meets the king’s son. You can probably guess what happens in the end. In another American variation of Perrault’s story, the Micmac people call her Little Burnt Face. Her jealous older sisters throw hot ashes on the beautiful girl, scarring her face. In the end, her purity and honesty are rewarded when Little Burnt Face becomes beautiful again and she marries a great god. The story of Cinderella has found its way all over the world. Why? Probably because the story expresses fears and hopes that most people can understand. In the story of Cinderella, there is something for everyone: magic, romance, and realism. Cruelty is always punished, and goodness is THE always rewarded. END

urn T r Scary stories are always u popular with listeners. o How to Here are some tips Y on how to get the Tell a maximum “Boo!” out of a story.

Really 1. Choose the right tale. A story that is short and Scary builds to a scary climax will jolt the listener or trigger the imagination. Story The listener is left to wonder what really happens at the end. (A good ONCE UPON A by Robert D. San Souci TIME... example of a “gotcha,” or “jump,” story is “The Golden Arm.”) Be sure to match your “scariness level” to your audience. Very young children like mild scares, often mixed with humor. Older listeners prefer more frightening things like urban legends such as “The Hook” or “The Hitchhiker.” These and many other scary stories—from jokey to super-scary—are available in bookstores and libraries. 2. Create a spooky setting. Nighttime is best, but a good scary story will capture listeners anytime. If possible, dim the lights and use candles. Be sure cell phones are off.

3. Practice telling your story. This is so you get a real feel for it. Decide when to lower your voice or raise it, when to speak slowly or rapidly, where to pause or shout, and how to sound really scary. When it’s time to tell your story, remember to make eye contact with your audience as much as you can. 4. Keep description to a minimum. Make sure listeners know what they need to know about character, setting, and action—but don’t bore them with too many details. Don’t “overkill” with gory stuff—a little goes a long way. Leave the images to the audience’s imagination. 5. End with a bang. Finish with the strongest part of the story. Don’t drag out the ending with “at least, that was what I heard. . . .” When you’ve finished, give the audience a quiet moment to take in what they’ve just experienced. 6. Have fun! Enjoy yourself as you pull the audience along and watch their reactions. The more storytelling you do, the more relaxed you become. And IT WAS A if you’re having a good time, DARK AND STORMY your audience THE NIGHT . . . will, too. END For some super scary stories, try these Dare to Be Scared books by Consulting Editor Robert D. San Souci. Order them at www.cobblestonepub.com 15

ONCE UPON A by Katherine SwartsTIME... illustrated by Annette Cate TTopop 1010 Taletelling Taletelling TipsTips

Before books were written and long before television was invented, there were storytellers. Besides being fun to listen to, storytellers keep history and folklore alive. Do you wish you could tell stories everyone would love to listen to? Try these top ten tips, and you’ll be on your way to becoming an awesome taleteller: Get to know plenty of stories. Read, read, read: 1 fairy tales, picture books, magazine stories. Remember the ones you like.

Give credit where credit is due. This means 2you should always tell your listeners who wrote the story you’re telling, or what culture it came from.

Don’t memorize word for word. Don’t try 3to tell a story exactly as you read it. If you try to memorize it and then forget a few words halfway through telling, you could get lost. A better way to remember a story comes next . . .

Break it into questions, and memorize the 4answers. For example, ask yourself, Who is this story about? What does she want? How does she try to get it? What does the character do first? Second? What happens at the end? Is it what she wanted? How does she feel?

Practice. Read the story aloud several times 5before you try to tell it. Then tell it to your family or friends. Watch their faces: Are they interested? Puzzled? Bored? Ask for helpful suggestions about how you could tell the story better.

Use your voice wisely. Speak clearly. Try to 6sound like the character who is speaking. You might whisper during scary parts, or shout and speak quickly when things get exciting. If there is an animal in your story, practice making that animal’s noise or making up a special voice for it.

Use your body. Don’t stand stiffly with your arms 7 dangling at your sides. Use your arms and hands to gesture.

Use your face. Be sure your expressions match 8your words. Smile with joy, frown with sadness, widen your eyes with surprise. If your face looks bored while sharing an exciting tale, your audience might think you’re telling a joke, not a story.

Choose your setting. Funny stories are great 9at parties. Family stories are great around a holiday dinner table.

Now, make up your own stories. For ideas, 10write down things you liked about other stories.

THE Happy endings! END

ONCE by Susan Kegel UPON A TIME... illustrated by Ron Bucalo The Gift o

Can a story be a treasure? I don’t just mean something wonderful. I mean TREASURE, as in something valuable, something that is owned by a particular person and that can be kept or given away. Some native people of the Pacific Northwest view stories in just this way. For the Haida and some other Northwest Coast people, some stories equal wealth. They are valuable possessions that are owned by certain people, just like houses or canoes. These stories tell about important themes, such as the origins of a family or the beginnings of humans. The stories are linked to other owned property such as dances, songs, ceremonial privileges, and designs for decorating houses, poles, and feast dishes. The people who own these stories have status in the community. This type of story ownership is governed by certain rules. For example, only those who own a story can tell it. Rule-breakers are ridiculed and shunned for a period of time. (To shun people is to avoid them.)

24 f a Story

Story owners want everyone to know what they own. They hold elaborate parties to show off and share their wealth with as many people as possible. At these parties, called potlatches, story owners tell their stories. They perform the related songs and dances in front of many people. Potlatches are complex social and cultural gatherings at which wealth is displayed and shared by the hosts. Potlatches are held to celebrate important events in the community. At a potlatch, the guests are given many gifts by the hosts. By accepting gifts, guests recognize the wealth of their hosts. One gift that might be given at a potlatch is the right to a story. Across North America, stories have long been highly valued by native people. Whether stories teach lessons to children, ask for spring rains, celebrate a hunt, or express thanks for a harvest, they are THE treasured parts of Native American culture. END

How many ways are there to tell a AA PicturePicture story? Let’s start with two: spoken words and written words. But did you know Is Worth a that stories can also be told through Is Worth a other forms of art? Have you ever heard the expression, “A picture is worth a THOUSANDTHOUSAND thousand words”? In fact, many WWORDSORDS . . . and So Are a paintings, drawings, and photographs tell stories.

ONCE UPON A (Check out the TRY THIS box on the next page.) TIME... by Annabel Wildrick What about dance? Many dancers tell stories Chris Bussey is a member with their bodies. of the Grand Traverse Band As they move, they of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians in Michigan. can express happiness, He tells a story in dance pain, sadness, at a powwow. Powwows excitement, and any are get-togethers where other emotions. Some American Indians share traditional stories stories are told by through dance, music, individual dancers. and storytelling. Other stories are told by pairs or groups of dancers performing together. With dance usually comes music, which can help tell the story. Of course, music often tells a story on its own. Some music—love songs, for example— have words that make the story obvious. Other music is instrumental, which means it has no words. This kind of music can tell stories just as well as music with words can. As you listen, you can feel the story that the music is telling. The fascinating thing about instrumental music is that 26

Charlie Maguire is a folk singer and storyteller. With his guitar he tells stories with the help of some Minnesota fourth graders.

Dance, and a Song, and . . . the story can change depending on how you are feeling when you listen to it. The same song might make you feel scared one day and excited another day. Try making up a story to go with your favorite instrumental song. Write it down. Then listen to the same song on several other days. Read your story and see if it makes sense each time you listen and read. Does the meaning of the song stay the same for you each time? What other kinds of art can tell This dancer tells a story to a local audience on the a story? Do you have a favorite Pacific island of Bali. As the audience takes part in THE the story, the dancers tell of the kidnapping of a way to express your stories? END queen and the battle to free her. TRY THIS: Look at the painting to the right. It is by the artist Norman Rockwell. Think about what you see. In your mind, make up the story you think the painting is telling. Ask a friend to do the same thing. Now, share and compare your stories with each other. Are they similar? What kinds of differences do your stories have? Why are they different?

From Mouth to Page

ONCE UPON A TIME...

*Find this version of Cinderella in your local library or bookstore.

THE END

1 6

MIX AND MATCH Match up these heroes with their TALL TALES. (If you don’t know these stories, find them in your library.) Paul Bunyan Could hammer a railroad spike WWW.COBBLESTONEPUB.COM faster than Johnny a machine Appleseed February 2009 • Volume 11 • Number 5 Rode a mountain 3 lion instead of Pecos Bill a horse Cross-Frame ACROSS: Could pull out John PUZZLE trees by the 1. Joseph Bruchac’s Henry grandfather was 4. Stories passed from roots an ______Indian. one generation to Went barefoot 2. At a ______gathering, another. Tony and wore a tin story owners tell 5. A ______spells out Beaver pot for a hat their stories. a story in little 3. Hannah ______is a drawings. Had a giant teen storyteller. blue ox 4 7 named Babe DOWN: 5. Stories about a famous person’s deeds 2 1. Ashpet is the ______Mountains and adventures. version of Cinderella. 6. Versions of this fairy 2. This is a storytelling tale are found in festival that takes many different Once Upon a Time cultures. 2 place every All Over the World… November. 7. Storyteller Carmen 3. A ___ is the oldest Agra Deedy was “Once upon a time…” In English, storytellers born in _____, Cuba. have begun with these words for hundreds of kind of story. years. How do storytellers in other cultures 4. ______histories are 8. Native Americans share stories at begin their stories? stories told by living people about the past. a ______.

Algeria (in Arabic): “I’ve told you what’s 4

DID YOU KNOW? coming…”

In Tanzania and Kenya (in Iraqw): 8 “I remember something that our father told me and that is this…” BY THE NUMBERS 5 Turkey (in Turkish): “Once there —That’s how many was, once there wasn’t. In old times, 1001stories Scheherazade in a stack of hay…” told! She told them to keep How about “…and they the Sultan (the king) happy. lived happily ever Keeping the Sultan happy after?” In Nigeria, was important: he cut off Goemai storytellers the heads of people who end with “…My tale has finished, made him unhappy! it has returned (Today we know to go and these stories as come home.” The Arabian Nights.)

3 5

Answers on page 33. Text by Marcia Amidon Lusted