I love today’s story, which comes from Korea. It’s about a boy who always wanted to be told new stories by everyone he met. He kept all the stories in a bag, never letting them out. Eventually, the boy grows up and is about to be married. The stories, tired of being trapped, conspire together to kill the boy, each deciding what they will turn themselves into. One decides to be poisonous berries, another a red-hot iron skewer, a third dangerous snakes. Each would position himself along the trail to the bride’s home or in the bridal bed itself. A loyal servant overhears their plans and saves the young man, telling him what happened only after the last of the threats has been defeated.
That is why when stories are heard they must never be stored away to become mean and spiteful, but must always be shared with other people. In this way they are passed from one person to another so that as many people as possible can enjoy them.
I think, in a way, that is what these Fairy Tale Friday posts are about, sharing the stories I grew up with and stories from other cultures that I never would have heard otherwise. Stories not only entertain, they help us learn more about ourselves, our culture and the world around us.
I’m not much of a storyteller myself, I’m just not that creative, but I am a big believer in reading aloud. To kids always, but I think adults can benefit from hearing stories, too. A good reader, or audiobook narrator, can bring a story to life in a way that’s different from reading it on the page.
Tif, from Tif Talks Books, is the hostess of this great feature, Fairy Tale Fridays. Head over there to see what she has to say and to share your own thoughts. Next week, we’ll be looking at a Danish tale. Later this month is a “Choose Your Own Tale” week, so if you have any suggestions for, let me know. For that matter, if you have a tale that you think should be featured sometime in the future, please leave me a comment or head over to Tif’s and let her know.
[tweetmeme source= “carolsnotebook” only_single=false https://carolsnotebook.com/2010/07/30/the-story-bag/]
Lol, those are some nasty stories, but it does make a good fairytale
I really have been enjoying all these stories you tell!
LOL!! We had a lot of similar things to say this week, including highlighting the last sentences of the tale!!! I really enjoyed this one too! And, I love that you wrote about the importance of adults still be read to! I tell people that I will be reading aloud to my kids until they leave the house . . . they usually just laugh at me!!
sounds good! I always liked reading out loud to my kids, it was our nightly ritual.
We read every night too, unless of course we don’t get home until too late and it’s straight to bed.