Humor stories

It doesn’t really matter what name you give to this elusive quality; it is more important that the stories I tell possess it.

Even when I was growing up, I found myself deeply touched by inspirational stories. I heard similar stories from my mother and my grandfather. Occasionally a teacher would tell a story that meant a great deal to me. I was surprised to find how memorable those stories were.

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The name one might give to this ephemeral quality is not as important as the fact that the stories I tell actually possess it.

As a child I found deep meaning in inspirational stories. Both my mother and my grandfather told similar stories. Occasionally a teacher would tell a story that meant a great deal to me. I noticed that stories with a message stuck in my memory.

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Think of all the pleasurable hours an entire CD of stories can provide. Imagine the trip around the world your progeny can take on the wings of a story!

My “Recordings” page on this website lists three story CDs. Fables in Four Minutes is a collection of ten stories, each one representing a different storytelling genre. World Full of Stories has a dozen stories that will take the listeners on a trip around the world. My latest project is Parking in Manhattan, and it contains a compendium of urban folktales that will tickle the funny bone.

In the process, I have discovered how world stories arise out of the cultures from which they are born. My firsthand experience of a given culture heightens my appreciation of their stories. My travels have taken me to Southeast Asia, Central and South America, around the United States, Canada, and Europe. I find myself amazed at both the differences and similarities of the various countries.

All cultures regard certain notions as sacred.

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The questioning minds of preliterate villagers found apt expression through stories of magic and mystery. Cautionary tales abound, all of them containing messages to avert disaster. Stay out of the dark forest! Steer clear of wild beasts! Do not talk to strangers! On the other hand, reward and happy endings comprise many folktales. Good and evil are eternal foes. One can discover the Golden Rule in most plots.

And whenever I succeeded in finding a gift that I regarded as special, I treasured it. And I hoped my children would do the same.

I am now a grandparent. And I am constantly seeking a unique gift children would treasure. Something that is memorable long after the gift is given.

Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The Merriam/Webster Dictionary definition states: “very good, very attractive,” etymology unknown, originally used in 1865. The standard reference Compact Oxford Dictionary states: “particularly good, effective, or stylish. ”

So how do I define nifty stories? The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. To me, nifty stories are a blend of entertainment and education, or what some call “edutainment.

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Birthday gifts. Gifts rewarding good behavior. I spent some serious hours searching for something unique, something meaningful. It was tough going most of the time. It did not take very long to realize that a good gift is rare gift.

By contrast, folk tales spawn from daily village life. These stories rise out of a rural setting for obvious reasons. Fairy tales also live in the world of folktales. The questioning minds of preliterate villagers found apt expression through stories of magic and mystery. Cautionary tales abound, all of them containing messages to avert disaster.

And whenever I succeeded in finding a gift that I regarded as special, I treasured it. And I anticipated that my children would do the same.

I am now a grandparent. And I am constantly seeking a unique gift children would treasure. Something that is memorable long after the gift is given.

Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The current Wiktionary defines the word as “good; a general term for anything that is good, useful or beneficial. ” The standard reference Compact Oxford Dictionary states: “particularly good, effective, or stylish. ”

What was my listener describing when he called my stories “nifty?” The stories I choose to tell are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making a point, a lesson, a message, a bit of perspective. You could say that my idea of nifty stories is stories that enlighten as well as entertain.

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Gifts rewarding good behavior. I would search high and low for something meaningful, something unique. Most of the time it was rough going. It did not take very long to realize that a good gift is rare gift. A meaningful gift is even rarer.

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Birthday gifts. Those occasional gifts rewarding good behavior. I would search high and low for something meaningful, something unique. Most of the time it was rough going. It did not take very long to realize that a good gift is rare gift.

To this day I still remember and follow those messages. The Golden Rule. There is no substitute for honesty. Take time to smell the flowers. Community giving is part of community living.

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And different listeners will carry away different messages. This kind of story is generally attractive to a wider audience. Longer stories are likely to be more subtle in the lessons that result. One can learn many lessons from epic stories. Just compare a tale from the Arabian Nights to a fable by Aesop to see the difference.

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Gifts for birthdays. Gifts rewarding good behavior. I would search high and low for something meaningful, something unique. It was tough going most of the time. It did not take very long to realize that a good gift is rare gift.

It is up to the listener to decipher the message. And different listeners will carry away different messages. This kind of story is generally attractive to a wider audience. The subtler lessons tend to come from longer tales. Epic stories have many layered lessons Just compare a tale from the Arabian Nights to a fable by Aesop to see the difference.

And that brings us to storytelling today. Contemporary society is far removed from rural villages of old, but the old stories still remain pertinent.

Some world stories are humorous. Other world stories are mysterious. Many world stories are full of insight.

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Take time to smell the flowers. Community giving is part of community living. Messages that made me who I am today.

Today I tell many of the stories I heard as a child. The stories are ageless.

“Service with a Smile” on my Parking in Manhattan CD offers the listener a great hidden lesson. Long after they are told, inspirational stories stay in the memory. In fact, the inspirational stories I tell even inspire me!

We live in a complex, fast moving world. As we head on down the highway of life, we can all use a little direction to guide us. Inspirational stories can help us in our travels.

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It alluded to the uniqueness and stylishness of the subject being described. As I grew older I heard the word being used in a wider range of topics: a nifty song, a nifty concert, a nifty evening out. Later still, it cropped up in conversations about more “cultural” experiences: nifty books, nifty poems, and nifty stories.

The word seemed allusively defined, yet attractively so. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings.

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I am who I am because of those messages.

Today I tell many of the stories I heard as a child. They have an ageless quality. The messages are as relevant now as they were long ago.

Why seek out inspirational stories? For one thing, we experience a deluge of information and news on a daily basis.

They include creation stories along with other stories that explain the world.

By contrast, folk tales spawn from daily village life. These stories rise out of a rural setting for obvious reasons. The world of folktales is also inhabited by fairy tales. Stories about magic and mystery were apt outlets for questioning minds of preliterate villagers.

Henry Fielding Storytellers all. Priceless humor their brush.

Priceless humor. what makes it priceless? The answer is simple. Priceless humor revolves about common everyday experiences.

Two good examples of inspirational stories are “The Egg Seller” and “Herschel and the Wedding” from my CD World Full of Stories. “Service with a Smile” on my Parking in Manhattan CD offers the listener a great hidden lesson. Long after they are told, inspirational stories stay in the memory. In fact, the inspirational stories I tell even inspire me!

The world of today is a fast moving, complex world. As we head on down the highway of life, we can all use a little direction to guide us.

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