Children at the Well

Letter to tellers from Marni after a great rehearsal with members of the Story Circle of the Capital Region as audience at the Colonie Town Library:

Bravo to you brave storytellers for coming out to strut your stuff before the local story circle. I am bursting with pride.

You are working so hard on your tales, to make your characters clear and unique. You are dealing with EMOTIONS in your tales that will move us, the listeners, to feel our emotions. This is NO SMALL TASK! Thank you for coming out to tell and to learn even more.

After tonight I can feel the emotions in a king who has no heir and wants to find THE right child to come and begin to learn to help him rule.I can feel a shy and discouraged boy AMAZED that HE of all people could be CHOSEN!!!! And perhaps a little in awe of what his simple honesty has brought into his future and even to the future of the people he will rule.

I see a girl who is shy too, but kind, wanting to bring a gift to the Christ Child and amazed that she hears his instructions and witnesses (and hears) a breathtaking sound from the bird she dared to try to heal.

I see a strong and loving teacher affect a boy (who has a little bit of arrogance now that he is top dog in his school). She changes him as does his friendships, those who judge him, and especially his experience of wanting to be a winner, but fearing being a loser. In this end, it is not so much a story of HIM as of pride in his community and the fact that he has represented it well.

I see a young archer brothers wanting to learn, but something gets in their way – except for ONE brother who is both talented, a good student, and perhaps somehow DESTINED to be the greatest archer of his kingdom. And we all come away wanting to FOCUS and CONCENTRATE more in our lives.

And I see a greedy and hardened old rich man transformed first by the hardship of no water and then softened even more by the plight of a poor thristy dog who somehow breaks his hardened heart and teaches him a little generosity.

One woman said as she was leaving – WOW they are so good!!! I have a conflict on 12/13 but I’m going to go try and rearrange my life so I can hear them tell again.
Well done!

OH! And Best of luck, tomorrow night, Khalafalla, as you accept the award for CAW and speak proudly on our behalf. You will be the top of the heap that night. Prep your words, calm your heart, and claim that spotlight as if Sr. Sharifa herself were looking on. And thanks for doing so on behalf of us all.
Marni