The art of Storytelling

According to me, blessed are those who have the extraordinary powers of storytelling. It requires the unique ability to blend emotions, colours, time, and space. A storyteller brings to life the characters, time, and space of a story.

All good writers and orators are good storytellers. I perhaps don't like all writers but do agree that all have unique capabilities of their own. I may not admire all storytellers but the first storyteller I admired was my Grandmother.


Like all children, I also used to insist on hearing stories of rabbits and foxes to take food or go to bed. She used to be patient enough to answer all my stupid doubts and frame up good stories and prolong it till I completed my food. I wondered why rabbits and other animals never spoke to me in everyday life. I did try talking to butterflies and cats. But none cared to answer me. My grandmother - she used to fill my world with colours, the innocence of animals, the beauty of nature, and the greatness of mankind. I still remember few stories she told me as a kid. The best one is of a porcupine who lays an egg in an old tree trunk but is unable to take it out. It goes around to different animals who refuse to help and finally a small ant is ready to help and we see in a sequence how each animal who refused earlier now help the porcupine... :-)

A few years back I asked her how she knew too many stories. She replied saying that she used to frame small stories and mix n match all those she knew of, so that I would complete my food.. :-)


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