Wit & Wisdom

Roger Jenkins
 storyteller

© Roger Jenkins 2011    Made With Serif WebPlus.

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Title
Origin
Descripter
Don't Eat Your Little Sister
Malaysia
Crocodile learns to accept chicken as her sister. Just because someone don't look like you, talk like you, believe in the same god as you - doesn't mean you're not related!
The Bear Hunt
English
My take on this tale is to make it a totally interactive chorussing/miming celebration
The Wooden Sword
Afghanistan
I started telling this shortly after 9/11to present a positive picture of Afghanistan. It's a powerful story of the importance of faith - with a marvellous comic 'save' at the end
The Fourth Question
China
A journey to find out how to become happy and rich - and the hero finds the answer by solving other people's problems before his own.
Planting Seeds
Thailand
This chain story with a growing refrain sees a boy trying to retrieve some magic seeds from a bird high in a tree with the help of a mosquit, elephant, rock, ponfd, fire, dog, cat, rat and hunter! A little bit of magic gives a lovely ending.
Baby Frog / Baby Snake
?
Such a simple tale that starts off laughing but ends with a powerful reminder about the importance of sharing positivestories, not stereotypes or gossip.  
El Conejito
Ecuador
My Spanish-speaking twin brother (!) tells this story and often gets his Spanish and English confused! But the audience is always helpful in correcting his mistakes. There’s a sung refrain and the tale ends with everyone singing and dancing as we celebrate little rabbit (el conejito) having a safe return home.
Anansi
& The First Night Of Sleep
   West Africa
Unusual Anansi story in that he’s the hero. Told with action/sound participation throughout (watch my left arm/right arm signals!) and a lovely poetic ending as the world’s first sunset falls.
The Uwabami
Japan
A young Noh actor confronts a shape-changing snake - and uses his own masks and costumes to save the day.  Features 3 beautiful Noh-inpsired masks.
10 My top tales