REC-Room Activities: Stories

			Activities: Stories

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Stories listed here are original or traditional folk tales that are not found in published format. Published story sources are listed on our REsources: Books page.

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The Story of Little Spirit

Group Size: any
Ages: 4yr-adult
When or where to use activity: Story for Intergenerational Worship, especially good for Thanksgiving. Theme: Spiritual Hunger.
Materials needed:
I have used a thumb harp to accompany this story, but it can be told without, or with soft music of another kind in the background

Description:
The Story of Little Spirit

Once upon a time ago, or maybe not so long ago, Little Spirit was wandering the Earth. Now, Little Spirit was not like you or me, in that she didn't have a body at all, so wandering was a much easier thing for her to do day and night and night and day. Do you think she ever got tired?

Uh UH..... because she didn't have a body!

Do you think she ever got cold?

Uh UH..... because she didn't have a body!

You would think that Little Spirit would have few worries, being without a body to take care of, but that wasn't the way it was. You see, Little Spirit was always HUNGRY. Now you might ask me how a little spirit without a body could be hungry all the time? Well I'll tell you... I don't know! But Little Spirit felt empty. Sometimes she could almost hear her stomach growling.... except of course she didn't have a stomach!!

Now, it so happened that Little Spirit was wandering around about the time of Thanksgiving here in America. She would peek into windows and slide through doors, and listen and watch. And what do you think she saw over and over again in home after home?

Thanksgiving Feasts! People were talking and laughing and eating and gobbling and smiling. "WELL!", thought Little Spirit, "that looks Wonderful!! And I'm sooooo hungry! Why, I'm sure this family wouldn't mind if I joined the celebration."

So Little Spirit reached across the table and helped herself to a great big fistful of mashed potatoes. But being as she had no body, the potatoes slipped right to the floor. "Oh no," she cried, "i'm STILL Hungry!"

Little Spirit slipped quietly into the house nextdoor. There was a party going on there, with a whole buffet of gleaming fruit, carved meats, and a dozen different vegetables. "Oh my! " thought Little Spirit, " that looks WONDERFUL! And I'm sooooo hungry!" Little Spirit managed to lift a drumstick into the air, but when she leaned over to eat it, the whole thing this slid right through her, and fell to the ground."Oh no," she cried, "i'm STILL Hungry!"

From house to house Little Spirit roamed, trying to take part in the Thanksgiving feasts. But at every house it was the same story: she could not eat the food, and she was STILL hungry! Finally, overcome with sadness, Little Spirit began to cry. She cried and she cried and she felt emptier and emptier.

After a while, Little Spirit heard a voice, which seemed to be speaking directly to her. "Are you alright?" the voice asked, and when Little Spirit looked up, she saw a small child, who seemed to be able to see her, which was not SO unusual , because small children can often see things the rest of us can't.

" Why are you crying?" the child asked.

So, Little Spirit told the child about trying to eat and fill herself up. The child nodded. "I've been hungry before too" he said Little Spirit went on to say how discouraged she was feeling, and how sad she was. The child listened and listened, occassionally patting Little Spirit. "I know how you feel" said the child. And the child told Little Spirit about his own life, and how he had felt sad and discouraged at times.

And as the child spoke, Little Spirit suddenly noticed a strange sensation. She wasn't empty anymore. In fact, she was feeling quite full. Little Spirit began to glow, and as the child looked on, she let out a teeny tiny "uurp". The child giggled because the sound was much like the jingling of little silver bells. "What WAS That?", he asked. Little Spirit glowed some more and replied, "I 'm not certain, but I think I've been fed!"

(Monday, July 10, 2000 at 20:26:04 (EDT))

The Wedding Gift: the old story about how pain and sorrow came into the world; and about the HOPE that came along with them. (Adapted from Hawthorne and others.)
From: Elaine K Smith

The Bicker Family (The power of a smile.)
From: Martha Dallas

Story-telling: How to be effective. Specific techniques from an expert.

How can storytelling be used as a vehicle in the classroom to enhance expression, from the standpoint of the students creating their own stories and becomming storytellers in the classroom ?

From Chuck Larkin <Mythteller@aol.com>

"The Little Drummer Boy"

Group Size: any
Ages: 5-adult
When or where to use activity: intergenerational service.
Materials needed: someone who can tap a cadence on the drum

(Wednesday, January 20, 1999 at 13:35:43 (EST))

A revision of "The Miller, His Boy and Their Donkey"

Group Size: any size
Ages: 5-adult
When or where to use activity: intergenerational service on theme of What Do UU's stand for?.
Materials needed: none

(Wednesday, January 20, 1999 at 13:31:54 (EST))

Maggie and Gus

Group Size: any size
Ages: 5-adult
When or where to use activity: intergenerational worship.
Materials needed: none

The Longest Night

Group Size: any size
Ages: 5-adult
When or where to use activity: Intergenerational Service.
Materials needed: none

(Wednesday, January 20, 1999 at 13:21:21 (EST))

Astronomers - UU heroes

by Maria Mitchell, Clyde Tombaugh

Short story designed to celebrate early famous UUs and mystery of the stars.

From: KayeUU LSA <KayeUULSA@aol.com>

"Storytelling World" - info and policies of an advertising-free journal for serious story-tellers.

The Blind Men and the Elephant
Click above to see the full text of a UU reconstruction of this classic
by Carl Strang <Wildlifer@aol.com > from Sufi and Indian Sources:

A Moving True Story about classroom discipline and creative teaching.
by Sister Helen P. Mrosia submitted by Rich Clewell

Submit your own Stories. If you haven't registered yet, go to the registration page first.

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