Story Recipe

Something often heard in our house is the question "can you tell me a story?"

Stories told to Jeremy almost always contain the following elements -- trains, spiderman, generally ferocious animals, little boy and little girl, and "deep dark forest." They sometimes incorporate pirates and some form of martial combat (e.g., sword fighting or wrestling). Antagonists are always clearly identified with a prefixed title of "EVIL" (as in "EVIL Train" or "EVIL Pirate"). True to character, Thomas the Tank Engine is never the fastest or biggest train. However, his appeal as a storybook hero is that he overcomes his shortcomings through ernest determination. There is almost certainly some sort of hill over which trains must traverse -- a metaphor for life's inevitable challenges. The "deep dark forest" gains its appeal in representing the general scariness of the unknown. Somehow, the little boy and little girl never seem to learn and are constantly wandering in and getting lost in the forest, whereupon they inevitably run across the different characters in the story.

For Karinna, requests specifically target stories concerning the following -- princesses, flowers, friends, and generally tame animals. Characters tend to resolve relational issues among themselves. Usually, the protagonist is a princess who is blessed with a regal character. The storyline usually develops with the princess experiencing some sort of social slight (not being invited to a party, being made fun of or laughed at, etc.) The climax of the story is achieved as the princess rises above the petty slights of the other characters and demonstrates compassion and forgiveness for them.

It is quite a challenge to keep making enough stories to quench their insatiable imaginations. Luckily, retelling a popular version of a particular story is always ok.