At Tuesday's storytelling class we met in the library and sat in the cushiony area for a while, as the kids talked about how they used story this week. A second-grade girl brought in her drawing from when she heard me telling the Native American story of Jumping Mouse last week. She also made up her own story as she retold it to the other kids talking about her picture. Another girl told me about her dream, a boy told me a joke, and others shared a finger play they learned.

We sat out in the courtyard again to be with the beautiful garden and fall colors of trees. Then we talked about nature and our connection to animals and that there are gifts from befriending these animals. I told the Japanese story of The Grateful Crane. and later on the courtyard classroom deck, we did eagle poses, garudasana. The story is about an old man and old woman who having saved a crane earlier, find a young girl at their door one night. She becomes their daughter and makes strange noises behind her door at night, but made the parents promise never to peek and see what she is doing. Every day she comes out with beautiful cloth, which the parents sell and become wealthy. But one day the old woman can't stand it anymore and peeks in on the girl. She sees the crane weaving its own feathers into a loom to make cloth. Having discovered her secret, the girl leaves forever and as the crane flies out the window and is gone.

Children drew their images after the telling. And wrote down anything they wanted to about the picture. This afternoon I have Spanish storytelling, and I will tell Chumba la Cachumba.

I just finished writing an article entitled "Awakening the Storyteller" for some magazines. It's based on the E-Course Teleconfernece call, and summarizes storytelling and the need for image and how to use it in yoga for children.
Until next time.
Sydney