[...]... is it an excellent tale that allows the class to get involved in the telling, it is the perfect introduction to explaining what storytelling is When I first heard the bare bones of this tale the ending was different I took the liberty of changing it for the purpose of storytelling in the classroom, and, as I will explain in future chapters, it is part of the role of the storyteller to develop and change... anything unless you truly believe it If you are there in the story, then they will be too, and the connection is made So whether it is ghosts and goblins or giants and dragons, if I’m telling a tale in the classroom I live every second of it in my head I fight the evil witch, I scale the castle wall, I trick the king into giving up his fortune, even if it’s all in my mind It’s amazing the amount of information... necessarily originated personally and find a unique voice The King’s Tailor is the central character The story follows events as the Tailor continues to make items of clothing for the King from the same piece of material (a smelly old kitchen rag) The King is very precious about his clothes and incredibly vain (this is what makes the tale amusing) Each time the Tailor makes something he convinces the King that... if they are looking at a painting in a gallery Begin by saying In my playground there is a gate, and just in front of that gate is a …’ then add in an item It can be anything, from something that you would expect to find in a playground like a football net, or a climbing frame, to something silly like a pink elephant, or a giant ice-cream! Encourage them to use their imaginations; the more absurd the. .. waited on the platform for the train to stop She was waiting for a man,’ we would have the same information, in two sentences, but without the feeling or the impact We are observing the story, rather than being instantly drawn into the plot Remember the key to short stories, whether writing or performing them, is to get straight in there with the action Yes you can set the scene, but don’t labour over... line and write them down (as we did with the idea of the story ladder) The act of writing will help to imprint these words upon your mind Now think about what might come in the middle Are there phrases you can use to move the story along (a little like the lines that connect the story ladder)? Work towards various points in the story, have three or four set lines if it helps, but then improvise in the. .. concept of handing down tales, of using them to pass on information and to record history I could explain this to the class, but I prefer to show rather than tell; the children then come to an understanding by connecting with the tale, and that, in essence, is what storytelling is all about How to use this book In the following chapters you will find information on storytelling, getting started as... The King’s Cloak’ I use the following sentence to draw my tale to a close: ‘For the beauty of tales is that they grow just like the threads in the tailor’s hair They become something new and colourful, something timeless.’ I then ask the class what they think Do they agree that stories are important? What do they think stories might be used for? What kind of stories do they like telling, or listening... something special, so the King wears it over and over, until he wears it out The Tailor then has to make something new (I get the class to interject with things they think he might make for the King) As the story goes on the items of clothing get smaller and smaller until eventually the Tailor is left with a couple of ragged threads The question then is what can the tailor create now? The answer is the. .. items are, the easier they are to picture Get them to think about colour, and expression, this will give the image vitality Once an object or thing has been placed in the picture it cannot be moved This is a painting and everything that appears must stay in the same position, it is static Now go around the circle asking each child to place something new in the picture Before they do this, they must . to explaining what storytelling is. When I first heard the bare bones of this tale the ending was different. I took the liberty of changing it for the purpose of storytelling in the classroom, . he wears it out. The Tailor then has to make something new (I get the class to interject with things they think he might make for the King). As the story goes on the items of clothing get smaller. the children then come to an understanding by connecting with the tale, and that, in essence, is what storytelling is all about. How to use this book In the following chapters you will find information