The Sage's Gift

This was one of the first stories I learned at a storytelling conference. It is an open source story, as so many traditional folk tales are, so you can tweak it to make it your own, but don't stray from what I call the basic "story skeleton" You can tweak it by coloring the descriptions or the dialogue with your branding, but keep the truth of the story.

I'm taking this story and placing it in a "storytelling frame" to show a basic formula for what really works when you begin to create your own stories or adapt those you've heard.

First, you start at something normal, something that is identifiable for your listeners.

Once upon a time, long ago in the city of Baghdad, (Once upon a time is very normal for all of us-it says to the listener..oh..this is a make believe tale, a fairy tale, a fable) there lived a caliph (king) who ruled over his subjects to the best of his abilities, and yet it kingdom did not flourish. His people were poor and down-trodden and without hope. And worst of all, the caliph had no heir to replace him when he died and he was very old indeed. (You set up a problem to be solved in your store, something goes wrong, we need a hero)

And then like a miracle, his wife conceived and a son was born. In jubilant celebration, the caliph ordered a great feast to be held and he invited all the notable and worthy people of his kingdom.

In the day of the feast all the guests arrived at the palace, bringing their gifts for the child. They had searched wide and far for the perfect gift to please their caliph and to honor the child. Each person passed before the throne and placed their gift at the caliph's feet and admired the newborn king. There were golden cups, beautiful weavings, the finest silks, and jewel studded toys. Each gift was finely crafted and more beautiful than the one before. Everyone had brought a gift--except the young sage Meheld Abi. When he approached the throne, he held nothing in his hand, nothing. (story builds tension and suspense, what will the caliph do?)

The caliph was sorely insulted and he demanded, "How dare you come before my child with no gift to honor him."

Calmly, the young sage approached the caliph and the child and spreading open his hands before him (add action with your movements) and said, "Sire, your many guests have indeed honored you with the finest of finery and jewels, the wealth of our poor land. But my gift is of immeasurable, invisible wealth. When the young king is old enough to hear and begin to understand, I will visit him each day. I will bring him the gift of a story every day of his young life. And I promise you, great Caliph, that when he is grown, he will be both wise and compassionate." (Aha..the hero comes in the form of the caliph to train up a new hero. The storyteller arrives to be the teacher.)

Meheld Abi fulfilled his promise. Each day he came to the palace and he told his stories to the young caliph to be. He told stories of wise men and of fools, of tricksters and pranksters, of rich and of poor, of faith and belief, of adventure and love. The boy grew hearing all the stories of his land and when he had grown to manhood, the old caliph died, and the young man took his place upon the throne.

And just as Meheled Abi has promised, the new caliph was both compassionate and wise--ruling with a wisdom that had never been seen before in any ruler. His kingdom grew rich and prosperous, his people were satisfied and wealthy, no hunger in the land and he was loved by all. His children were taught the same stories by Meheled Abi who became an old man and eventually passed on to the afterworld. But the stories he had shared lived on and were told by everyone in the land.

And when it came time for the Caliph to join Meheled Abi and his father, his children and heirs gathered around his bed in love and mourning and they asked him what they could do for him. He asked that these words be inscribed upon his tomb for all to read: IF I AM WISE, IT IS BECAUSE OF THE SEED SOWN BY THE TALES.

(All good stories take our listeners on a journey from ignorance to truth. They live a common normal place and embark upon a journey with their teller, who shows them a new place, a new truth, a new thought, a new wisdom. In the words of the Sage's Gift, we hear echoes of great tales, of Solomon, of Hiawatha, of the Gift of the Magi to a newborn King. And at the end of all stories, we become wiser because of the seed sown by the tale.)

The Power of Story in Homeschooling

My favorite part of Sunday School and church as a child was always the powerful stories of the Bible, especially those in the Old Testament. I base my strong faith now on the beauty and magic, yes, MAGIC of those ancient words. Even as a progressive Christian thinker these days, who believes that most of those ancient stories are just that, stories, I still see and feel the power of them to tell truth to the listener.

It is no surprise that as a homeschool mother, heavily invested in story forms, would develop a learning curriculum for her child and friends that is essentially centered in story and it's power to teach everything under the sun. Because I believe that it can do just that very thing.

What stories have acquired a life force of their own, that transcends varying belief systems to still hold value as a learning tool for all children and adults? The list is truly endless. We will never run out of stories that speak to us, that inform and enlighten us.

Yesterday we (Americans and Irish) shared a story of living, the story that celebrates the life of an ancient teacher who transformed an entire culture. We can argue about the merit of his transformation as we see recent incidents of non-secular violence arise again in Ireland, or as we question the validity of religions to come in and "take over" a culture. Pros and cons everywhere in that tale. But we can't argue with the power of the stories of gaelic superstitions, leprachaun and fairy folk, adventures of St. Patrick's missionary travels, and the lilt and voice of Irish legend spilling across the globe to our shores from that emerald Isle.

What stories are you choosing to use in your homeschool and if you're not, why not? Perhaps you have decided that a proscribed list of stories (curriculum) is needed and you have abandoned the role of storyteller in your children's life. I challenge you to rethink the power of story and how you use it in your homeschool environment.

Some stories reach across millinium and generations and hold true to their core. Some stories, however, are yours to share. They tell your child about your experience, your parent's experience, their grandparents and great grandparents. They bring history home in a way that a prescribed curriculum can never do.

It is no wonder that in nearly every culture the storyteller also plays the role of teacher. That role has been granted them by the instinctive understanding that real learning takes place when both our minds and hearts are engaged in the process. We remember those things that affect us deeply and nothing can be more powerful than a true story.

Storytelling has the power to teach us all to feel deeply and think clearly. Oral stories pass on our family's values, our culture's traditions and social mores. Hearing such stories allows the listener to focus their attention, to gain critical skills in thinking and processing information.

I remember reading or hearing this thought. In an African village, a wise and venerable teacher/storyteller came into a village and the children gathered around with noise, much talking, laughing and delight in his presence. They knew that he had a story to tell them. He stood and looked around at them and said..You are not ready yet. I will return when you are ready to listen to my story. This process repeated several times over several days, until finally as the storyteller came into the village, the children quickly came to him and gathering quietly around, they sat upon the ground before him, silent and waiting. And he said. "Ahh..I see now that you are ready" and he proceeded to share his tales.

Your child might not know that he is ready, but in fact, if you take the time to sit and share a story, of your own or one from the vast library of cultural tales available to all of us, he will listen. And he/she will learn. There is another ancient myth called the Sage's Gift from Baghdad. I shall write of this story in my next post for you to share with your student or for your own enjoyment.

You too can be a sage. It isn't as hard as you might think. The stories are all around you, they are your unique gift to your child. Those stories about your first time swimming in the ocean, or grandpa's gift to grandma on their wedding day, or what happened the first day you brought your child home from the hospital as a newborn baby. Remember your stories, and tell them to your child. Turn off the television and sit cuddled together on the comfy couch of storytelling. Gather them in your arms and let the stories begin!

Your child will find the language of words. Words that will spark their imaginations, clarify their thinking, remember their history, and engage their hearts. An engaged student is one who is ready to listen, ready to learn, and eager to be active in those processes. Tell a story..today.