Tag: storytelling

Found this at James Randi’s website:

I would like to tell the fellow who found a device which enabled him to speak to the dead, that he’s wasting his time with the device. No device is necessary — all a person has to do is to just speak out loud to the dead. The trick is getting them to reply.
Kind of reminds me of the story of the gravedigger who lost track of time and found it was the end of the day and he had dug the grave so deep he could not get out. His co-workers had gone home so he settled down in a corner and went to sleep. A man who cut through the graveyard each night on his way home from work, fell into the new grave. He tried desperately to get out a few times until he heard the voice of the awakened gravedigger, off in a corner: “You can’t get out of here.” Well, he did!

So I got a haircut today. Fourteen dollars took away five months worth of growth. I no longer look like a lumberjack. Of course, if I take off the plaid shirt it might help that impression too.

Yesterday I told “We Can Get Them for you Wholesale” in Storytelling. I cant remember the lst time I was so nervous. I sat down in front of the class and just started talking, started telling the story. I relaxed after a couple minutes, after I realized other people thought this was funny too.
We had an interesting discussion afterwards. Several people could tell exactly when I relaxed, when I started to enjoy telling the story. And the fact that I loved this particular story really showed as well. And Betsy pointed out something to me that I never knew before. At several points in the story, to keep myselft form laughing with the rest of the class, I actually stuck my tongue in my cheek. I never knew I did that, and Betsy never knew there was a reason to the expression tongue in cheek humor.

I’m almost done with hours. By next Monday, I’ll start earning money. Yay!!!!

Thinking about the story I’m telling in class today, I remember the story of the Bell Witch that I told for the final Caileadh back in England. I remember finding many sources about the Bell Witch then, lots of different version of the tale. Most of them were the same, but there was one that particulary grabbed my attention: the story of the love between the ghost and the daughter.
Last year for a project I tried finding that version of the story again. It’s gone. I can only find the version about the disgruntled neighbor, not about the murdered field man. I’d like to tell the story again some day, but I’d like to re-check some things.

Finally got this book from the library. I had it when I was a kid, nad I think I got rid of it five or six years ago, before my interest in storytelling really took off. It’s a collection of short stories, riddles, jokes, and anecdotes about the fool. There’s a bit in the middle about the Wise Men of Gotham, a bunch of fools from 13th century England. There’s also a bibliography and a notes section in the back I found interesting now. I don’t think I ever paid it any attention when I was a kid, but now I’m fascinated by that section.