STORYTELLING TEXT:

THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER

Story: Notes:

Once upon a time, there was an honest shoemaker, who was

very poor. He worked as hard as he could, and still he could not

earn enough to keep himself and his wife. At last, there came a

day when he had nothing left but one piece of leather, big

enough to make one pair of shoes. He cut out the shoes, ready to

stitch, and left them on the bench; then he said his prayers and

went to bed, trusting that he could finish the shoes on the next

day and sell them.

On the next morning, when he went to his working table, he

noticed that the leather was gone! On his working table, there

laid a pair of beautiful shoes. Nobody has entered the place

before. The shoemaker and his wife did not know what had

happened. The customer who came in was very happy to see the

beautiful shoes. He paid the shoemaker a lot of money, so much

that the shoemaker was able to buy another leather to make a

few more pairs of shoes.

    That night, again, the shoemaker cut and left the leather on

his working table out before he went to sleep. On the next

morning, two pairs of beautiful shoes lay on the table. Again,

nobody has entered the room before. The shoemakers and his

wife began to wonder who is the one who has been helping

them all the while.

That day a customer came and bought both pairs, and paid so

much for them that the shoemaker bought leather for four pairs,

with the money.

    Once more he cut out the shoes and left them on the bench.

And in the morning all four pairs were made.

    It went on like this until the shoemaker and his wife became

rich. They felt grateful for what they have and they don’t know

whom should they thank to. So one night, he and his wife

decided to hide themselves behind a curtain to have a look of

what had actually happened in the middle of the night.

    Just as the clock struck twelve, they saw, two tiny elves came

dancing into the room, hopped on to the bench, and began to put

the leather pieces together. They did not wear any clothes and

they had little scissors, hammers and thread in their hands. Tap!

tap! Went the little hammers; stitch, stitch, went the thread.

Soon, they all the shoes were sewn and finished. Then the two

tiny elves took hold of each other's hands and danced round the

shoes on the bench. The shoemaker and his wife watched them

working and tried not to laugh. As the clock struck two, the little

men jumped out of the window, and left the room.

    The shoemaker and his wife looked at each other, and said,

``How can we thank the little elves who have helped us and

made us happy?''

``maybe we should make some clothes for them'' said the wife,

``they are quite naked.''

``I will make the shoes then,'' said her husband.

   That day, both the shoemakers and his wife started to work

and make some clothes and shoes for the two tiny elves. They

decided to give those clothes and shoes to two of them as

Christmas presents.

    The day before Christmas, the shoemaker left the clothes and

shoes that he and his wife have made and went to hide.

    At midnight, when the little elves came in, they saw the little

clothes. Both of them were very happy that they put on the little

coat and began to dance. At 2 o’clock, they jumped out of the

window.

   

From that day onwards, the two little elves never came back

any more. The shoemaker and his wife were happy because they

finally did something to thank the tiny elves who have helped

them a lot when they were poor. They both live happily ever

after without needed any more help.

STORY TELLING SCRIPT

THE TEN FAIRIES

   Once upon a time there was a little girl. Her name was Elsa. Elsa's father and mother worked very hard to became rich. They loved Elsa so much that they did not let her to do any work; they let her play all the time. So when Elsa grew up, she did not know how to do anything; she could not make bread, she could not sweep a room, she could not sew a cloth. The only thing she knows is to laugh and sing. One day, she got married with a man. The man bought her a house for her to take care.

   It’s a nightmare for Elsa! There were so many things to be done in the house, and she did not know how to do any of them! And because she had never worked at all it made her very tired even to try; she was tired before the morning was over, every day. The maid would come and say, ``How shall I do this?'' or ``How shall I do that?'' And Elsa would have to say, ``I don't know.'' Then the maid would pretend that she did not know, either; and when she saw her mistress sitting about doing nothing, she, too, sat about, idle.

   Elsa's husband had a hard time of it; he did not have good things to eat, and they were not ready at the right time, and the house looked all in a clutter. It made him sad, and that made Elsa sad, for she wanted to do everything just right.

   At last, one day, Elsa's husband went away quite cross; he said to her, as he went out the door, ``It is no wonder that the house looks so, when you sit all day with your hands in your lap!''

   Little Elsa cried bitterly when he was gone, for she did not want to make her husband unhappy and cross, and she wanted the house to look nice. ``Oh, dear,'' she sobbed, ``I wish I could do things right! I wish I could work! I wish -- I wish I had ten good fairies to work for me! Then I could keep the house!''

   As she said the words, a great gray man stood before her; he was wrapped in a strange gray cloak that covered him from head to foot; and he smiled at Elsa. ``What is the matter, dear?'' he said.

``Why do you cry?''

   ``Oh, I am crying because I do not know how to keep the house,'' said Elsa. ``I cannot make bread, I cannot sweep, I cannot sew a seam; when I was a little girl I never learned to work, and now I cannot do anything right. I wish I had ten good fairies to help me!''

   ``You shall have them, dear,'' said the gray man, and he shook his strange gray cloak. Pouf! Out hopped ten tiny fairies, no bigger than that!   ``These shall be your servants, Elsa,'' said the gray man; ``they are faithful and clever, and they will do everything you want them to, just right. But the neighbors might stare and ask questions if they saw these little chaps running about your house, so I will hide them away for you. Give me your little useless hands.''   Wondering, Elsa stretched out her pretty, little, white hands.   ``Now stretch out your little useless fingers, dear!''   Elsa stretched out her pretty pink fingers.   The gray man touched each one of the ten little fingers, and as he touched them he said their names: ``Little Thumb; Fore-finger; Thimble-finger; Ring-finger; Little Finger; Little Thumb; Forefinger; Thimble-finger; Ring-finger; Little Finger!'' And as he named the fingers, one after another, the tiny fairies bowed their tiny heads; there was a fairy for every name.

   ``Hop! hide yourselves away!'' said the gray man.   Hop, hop! The fairies sprang to Elsa's knee, then to the palms of her hands, and then-whisk! they were all hidden away in her little pink fingers, a fairy in every finger! And the gray man was gone.   Elsa sat and looked with wonder at her little white hands and the ten useless fingers. But suddenly the little fingers began to stir. The tiny fairies who were hidden away there were 't used to staying still, and they were getting restless. They stirred so that Elsa jumped up and ran to the cooking table, and took hold of the bread board. No sooner had she touched the bread board than the little fairies began to work: they measured the flour, mixed the bread, kneaded the loaves, and set them to rise, quicker than you could wink; and when the bread was done,

it was the nicest you could wish. Then the little fairy-fingers seized the broom, and in a twinkling they were making the house clean. And so it went, all day. Elsa flew about from one thing to another, and the ten fairies did it all, just right.

   When the maid saw her mistress working, she began to work, too; and when she saw how beautifully everything was done, she was ashamed to do anything badly herself. In a little while the housework was going smoothly, and Elsa could laugh and sing again.   There was no more crossness in that house. Elsa's husband grew so proud of her that he went about saying to everybody, ``My grandmother was a fine housekeeper, and my mother was a fine housekeeper, but neither of them could hold a candle to my wife. She has only one maid, but, to see the work done, you would think she had as many servants as she has fingers on her hands!''   When Elsa heard that, she used to laugh, but she never, never told.

THE CLOUD

   One hot summer morning a little Cloud rose out of the sea and

floated lightly and happily across the blue sky. Far below lay the earth, brown, dry, and desolate, from drouth. The little Cloud could see the poor people of the earth working and suffering in the hot fields, while she herself floated on the morning breeze, hither and thither, without a care.

   ``Oh, if I could only help the poor people down there!'' she thought. ``If I could but make their work easier, or give the hungry ones food, or the thirsty a drink!''   And as the day passed, and the Cloud became larger, this wish to do something for the people of earth was ever greater in her heart.   On earth it grew hotter and hotter; the sun burned down so fiercely that the people were fainting in its rays; it seemed as if they must die of heat, and yet they were obliged to go on with their work, for they were very poor. Sometimes they stood and looked up at the Cloud, as if they were praying, and saying, ``Ah, if you could help us!''   ``I will help you; I will!'' said the Cloud. And she began to sink softly down toward the earth.   But suddenly, as she floated down, she remembered something which had been told her when she was a tiny Cloud-child, in the lap of Mother Ocean: it had been whispered that if the Clouds go too near the earth they die. When she remembered this she held herself from sinking, and swayed here and there on the breeze, thinking, -- thinking. But at last she stood quite still, and spoke boldly and proudly. She said, ``Men of earth, I will help you, come what may!''

   The thought made her suddenly marvelously big and strong and powerful. Never had she dreamed that she could be so big. Like a mighty angel of blessing she stood above the earth, and lifted her head and spread her wings far over the fields and woods. She was so great, so majestic, that men and animals were awe-struck at the sight; the trees and the grasses bowed before her; yet all the earth-creatures felt that she meant them well.   ``Yes, I will help you,'' cried the Cloud once more. ``Take me to yourselves; I will give my life for you!''   As she said the words a wonderful light glowed from her heart, the sound of thunder rolled through the sky, and a love greater than

words can tell filled the Cloud; down, down, close to the earth she swept, and gave up her life in a blessed, healing shower of rain.

   That rain was the Cloud's great deed; it was her death, too; but it was also her glory. Over the whole country-side, as far as the rain fell, a lovely rainbow sprang its arch, and all the brightest rays of heaven made its colors; it was the last greeting of a love so great that it sacrificed itself.   Soon that, too, was gone, but long, long afterward the men and animals who were saved by the Cloud kept her blessing in their hearts.

[2] Adapted from the German of Robert Reinick's Mäarchen,

Lieder-und Geschichtenbuch (Velhagen und Klasing, Bielefeld and

Leipsic).

THE ADVENTURES OF THE LITTLE FIELD MOUSE

   Once upon a time, there was a little brown Field Mouse; and one day he was out in the fields to see what he could see. He was running along in the grass, poking his nose into everything and looking with his two eyes all about, when he saw a smooth, shiny acorn, lying in the grass. It was such a fine shiny little acorn that he thought he would take it home with him; so he put out his paw to touch it, but the little acorn rolled away from him. He ran after it, but it kept rolling on, just ahead of him, till it came to a place where a big oak-tree had its roots spread all over the ground. Then it rolled under a big round root.

   Little Mr. Field Mouse ran to the root and poked his nose under after the acorn, and there he saw a small round hole in the ground. He slipped through and saw some stairs going down into the earth. The acorn was rolling down, with a soft tapping sound, ahead of him, so down he went too. Down, down, down, rolled the acorn, and down, down, down, went the Field Mouse, until suddenly he saw a tiny door at the foot of the stairs.   The shiny acorn rolled to the door and struck against it with a tap. Quickly the little door opened and the acorn rolled inside. The Field Mouse hurried as fast as he could down the last stairs, and pushed through just as the door was closing. It shut behind him, and he was in a little room. And there, before him, stood a queer little Red Man! He had a little red cap, and a little red jacket, and odd little red shoes with points at the toes.   ``You are my prisoner,'' he said to the Field Mouse.

   ``What for?'' said the Field Mouse.

   ``Because you tried to steal my acorn,'' said the little Red Man.

   ``It is my acorn,'' said the Field Mouse; ``I found it.''

   ``No, it is 't,'' said the little Red Man, ``I have it; you will never see it again.''

   The little Field Mouse looked all about the room as fast as he could, but he could not see any acorn. Then he thought he would

go back up the tiny stairs to his own home. But the little door was locked, and the little Red Man had the key. And he said to the poor mouse, --

   ``You shall be my servant; you shall make my bed and sweep my room and cook my broth.''

   So the little brown Mouse was the little Red Man's servant, and every day he made the little Red Man's bed and swept the little Red Man's room and cooked the little Red Man's broth. And every day the little Red Man went away through the tiny door, and did not come back till afternoon. But he always locked the door after him, and carried away the key.

   At last, one day he was in such a hurry that he turned the key before the door was quite latched, which, of course, did 't lock it at all. He went away without noticing, -- he was in such a hurry.

   The little Field Mouse knew that his chance had come to run away home. But he did 't want to go without the pretty, shiny acorn. Where it was he did 't know, so he looked everywhere. He opened every little drawer and looked in, but it was 't in any of the drawers; he peeped on every shelf, but it was 't on a shelf; he hunted in every closet, but it was 't in there. Finally, he climbed up on a chair and opened a wee, wee door in the chimney-piece, -- and there it was!

   He took it quickly in his forepaws, and then he took it in his mouth, and then he ran away. He pushed open the little door; he climbed up, up, up the little stairs; he came out through the hole under the root; he ran and ran through the fields; and at last he came to his own house.

   When he was in his own house he set the shiny acorn on the table. I guess he set it down hard, for all at once, with a little snap, it opened! -- exactly like a little box.

   And what do you think! There was a tiny necklace inside! It was a most beautiful tiny necklace, all made of jewels, and it was just big enough for a lady mouse. So the little Field Mouse gave the tiny necklace to his little Mouse-sister. She thought it was perfectly lovely. And when she was 't wearing it she kept it in the shiny acorn box.

   And the little Red Man never knew what had become of it, because he did 't know where the little Field Mouse lived.

Story-telling text: Rumpelstiltskin

Once upon a time there was a man who was poor, but who had a beautiful daughter. He was very proud and love to boost. He used to tell the people around "I have a daughter who can spin straw into gold." News spread very fast, soon, the news about her daughter’s ability to spin the straw into gold reached the king’s ear. The king ordered the miller to come to the palace.

The king said to the miller, "That is an art that I really like. If your daughter is as skillful as you say, then bring her to my castle tomorrow, and I will put her to the test."

When the girl was brought to him he led her into a room that was entirely filled with straw. Giving her a spinning wheel and a reel, he said, "Get to work now. Spin all night, and if by morning you have not spun this straw into gold, then you will have to die." Then he himself locked the room, and she was there all alone.

The poor miller's daughter sat there. She had no idea how to spin straw into gold. She became more and more afraid, and finally began to cry.

She did not know what to do and began to cry. Suddenly, a dwarf came out of nowhere and asked her, “Why are you crying?”

"Oh," answered the girl, "I am supposed to spin straw into gold, and I do not know how to do it."

The little man said, "What will you give me if I spin it for you?"

"My necklace," said the girl.

The little man took the necklace, sat down before the spinning wheel. It went until morning, and then all the straw was spun, and all the spools were filled with gold.

At sunrise the king came, and when he saw the gold he was surprised and happy, but his heart became even greedier for gold. He had the miller's daughter taken to another room filled with straw. It was even larger, and he ordered her to spin it in one night, if she valued her life.

The girl did not know what to do, and she cried. Once again the door opened, and the little man appeared. He said, "What will you give me if I spin the straw into gold for you?"

"The ring from my finger," answered the girl.

The little man took the ring, and began once again to whir with the spinning wheel. By morning he had spun all the straw into glistening gold. The king was happy beyond measure when he saw it, but he still did not have his fill of gold. He had the miller's daughter taken to a still larger room filled with straw, and said, "Tonight you must spin this too. If you succeed you shall become my wife."

When the girl was alone the little man returned for a third time. He said, "What will you give me if I spin the straw this time?"

"I have nothing more that I could give you," answered the girl.

"“Promise me that you will give me your first born child when you become the queen!” The girl agreed to do so, because she was not expecting to become the king’s wife.

When in the morning the king came and found everything just as he desired, he married her, and the beautiful miller's daughter became queen.

Soon, the king and queen had their first baby. The queen thought there’s no more about the little man until one day, he appeared in her room and said, "Now give me that which you promised."

The queen was afraid and offered the little man all the wealth of the kingdom. “ Please, Please, let go the baby. I will give you everything you want. You could have all the wealth and kingdom and do anything you like but not that baby. Please let her go.

Unfortunately the little man said, "No. You have promised me so. I want the baby unless you could guess my name. I will give you three days time. If by then you know my name, then you shall keep the child.

The poor queen spent the entire night thinking of all the names she had ever heard. She she sent a messenger into the country to inquire far and wide what other names there were. On the first day, when the little man returned, she began with Kaspar, Melchior, Balzer, and said in order all the names she knew. However, those were not his real name.

The second day, she sent messengers into the neighborhood again to collect as many unusual names that they could find. That night, the little man appeared. The queen recited all the names to him. “ Perhaps you are Beastrib? Or Muttoncalf? Or Legstring?"Again, those were not his names. to

But he always answered, "That is not my name."

On the third day, one of the messengers returned and reported to

the queesn that he found a little man dancing and singing happily in front

of a fire deep in a forest. He sang, “Today I bake, tomorrow I brew, the

next I’ll have the young queen’s child. Ha, glad am I that no one knew, that

Rumpelstiltskin I am styled!”

That night, when the little man carne to the queen, she was already

prepared. The little man challenged, “So, have you found my name? or

Shall I take your child away?” The queen smiled and replied, “Is your name

Harry? Is it Conrad? Perhaps it is Rumpelstiltskin!” Hearing his name, the

tiny man screamed, "The devil told you that! The devil told you that!"

shouted the little man, and with anger he stomped his right foot so hard

into the ground that he fell in up to his waist. Then with both hands he took

hold of his left foot and ripped himself up the middle in two.

The Red Riding Hood

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived in a village near the forest.  Whenever she went out, she would wear a red riding cloak, so everyone in the village called her Little Red Riding Hood.

One morning, Little Red Riding Hood decided to visit her grandmother as they have not seen each other for a long time.

Before Little Red Riding Hood left her house, her mother packed her a basket full of fruits and warned her about the danger of the path in the forest.

"Remember, go straight to Grandma's house," her mother cautioned.  "Don't dawdle along the way and please don't talk to strangers!  The forest is very dangerous."

"Don't worry, mommy," said Little Red Riding Hood, "I'll be careful."  

So off the Little Red Riding Hood into the forest. Little Red Riding remembered very well of what her mother had warned her. Unfortunately, she totally forgot her promise to her mother when she saw a lot of colourful flowers in the middle of the forest. She picked a few of the flowers, lied on the green grass and started to warm sunny day. She didn't notice a dark shadow approaching out of the forest behind her...

"What are you doing out here, little girl?" the wolf suddenly appeared beside her and asked in a voice as friendly as he could muster.

"Oh, I'm on my way to see my Grandma who lives on the other side after this forest," Little Red Riding Hood replied. Hearing this, the wolf who was very hungry had a plan in his head. He wants to eat the grandma!! “ hmmm.. finally, I will some good food to eat… yummy yummy!” Suddenly, the Little Red Riding hood jumped up, she realized how late she was “ Oh no, I will be late to grandma’s house! I have to go now, sorry!!

So, the little red riding hood began to rush to Grandma's house. 

In the meantime, the wolf who took a shortcut, has arrived at Grandma's house. He knocked lightly at the door, enter the house and gobbled up grandma.

“Burp! Hmmm..I shall wait for my next food” The wolf then wore grandma’s nightgown and put on the sleeping cap, lied down on grandma’s bed to wait for the little Red Riding Hood to come.

A few minutes later, Red Riding Hood knocked on the door.  "Who is it?" he called in a cackly voice.

"It's me, Little Red Riding Hood."

"Oh how lovely!  Do come in, my dear," croaked the wolf.  

When Little Red Riding Hood entered the little cottage, she could scarcely recognize her Grandmother.

"Grandmother!  Your voice sounds so odd.  Is something the matter?" she asked.

"Oh, I just have a cold," squeaked the wolf adding a cough at the end

to prove the point.  

"But Grandmother!  What big ears you have," said Little Red Riding Hood as she edged closer to the bed.

"The better to hear you with, my dear," replied the wolf.

"But Grandmother!  What big eyes you have," said Little Red Riding Hood.

"The better to see you with, my dear," replied the wolf.

"But Grandmother!  What big teeth you have," said Little Red Riding Hood her voice quivering slightly.

"The better to eat you with, my dear," roared the wolf and he leapt out

of the bed and began to chase the little girl.

Little Red Riding Hood realized that the person in the bed was not her Grandmother, but a hungry wolf.

She ran across the room and through the door, shouting, "Help!  Wolf!" as loudly as she could.

A woodscutter who was chopping some logs nearby heard her cry and ran towards the cottage as fast as he could.

He grabbed his axe , hit the wolf and made him spit out the poor

Grandmother who has been swallowed by him, luckily grandma was

still in one piece and did not get killed.

"Oh Grandma, I was so scared!"  sobbed Little Red Riding Hood, "I'll never speak to strangers or dawdle in the forest again.""There, there, child.  You've learned an important lesson.  Thank goodness you shouted loud enough for this kind woodsman to hear you!"The woodsman knocked out the wolf and carried him deep into the forest where he wouldn't bother people any longer.Little Red Riding Hood and her Grandmother had a nice lunch and a

long chat.  

Story-telling text: The Stone Soup

Good morning, honourable judges, teachers and friends. I am going to tell you a story about “ The stone soup”.

Once upon a time, there was an old woman who likes to travel around the country. One day, she ran out of her money and food when she came to a small village. She wanted to find someone that would give her a bit of food to eat. So, she went to knock at every house to ask for a little of food to share. Strange thing happened at all the house she knocked. Not a single person had any food, not even a small bit of bread. How can that be possible? The old woman did not give up. Suddenly, she came up with a plan.

She came to a house, which appeared to be a rich person’s house. An old man opened the door after she knocked at the door. Before she could even ask the old man to spare some food, the old man told her "Sorry, my friend, there is no food in this small village. All the people here in this village are poor and our children are starving. You better go to other village".

“Oh, it’s all right. I have everything I need," The old woman said. " I was thinking of making a big pot of soup by using a special stone and I share with all of you. Do you have a big pot of plain water?

Hearing that somebody was going to make a pot of soup, the old man felt hungry and wanted to taste the pot of stone soup. He faster got her a pot of water and a stirring spoon. He even helped her to build a good fire. The old woman took a big stone from her bag and put it into the pot of water.

“Ahh.. Good. I like tasty stone soup. If we could have a little bit of onions and cabbages in, it will be very tasty.”

Hearing that, the old man remembered that he still had a little bit of onions and cabbages in his house. He quickly ran back to his house and took the onions and cabbages. He then added them into the pot of water.

A neighbour smelled the good smell and stepped outside the house . She became curious and went to ask the old man. She was told about the stone soup. The old woman continued to stir the pot of water and cried “ "Wonderful! You know what? I once had stone soup with onions, cabbages and a bit of meat as well, and gosh…it was fit for a king!" The neighbour thought that she might have some meat in her house so she went into her kitchen and came out with a large chuck of meat. She then added the meat into the kettle.

A young man passed by the man’s house and became curious towards the smell. He came to the house and was told about the pot of soup made from a stone. The old woman stirred the soup and cried “ Ohh… I hope that it can be as delicious as the one that I had it with some carrots in.

That was the most delicious stone soup that I have ever cooked in my life! Sigh.. If only I have some carrots and tomatoes right now.” The young man thought that he might have a little bit of carrots and tomatoes in his house. So he went back to his kitchen and when he returned, he has a whole big bunch of carrots and tomatoes in his hands. He then added the carrots and the tomatoes into the pot.

A little girl came down the street to play and smelled the onions, cabbages, meat, carrots and tomatoes and became curious about the smell. The old woman stirred the pot of soup and said, “ The soup should be ready soon. How I wish I had a few mushrooms and some pepper and salt with me now. I cannot even think of how delicious the soup would be with all those things inside the pot.” The little girl hurried home and asked some mushroom and pepper from her mother. She brought back a big bowl of mushrooms, some salt and pepper. She then added these into the soup.

At last, the soup was done and everyone had a big bowl of the delicious soup. The villagers were amazed of how such a wonderful soup could be made from the magic stone. The old woman smiled and told the villagers that it was not because of the magic stone that makes the soup taste delicious. It was because of the magic that they had performed in cooking the stone soup.