New Stories from Old

For over 30 years, I have been retelling myths, folktales, legends, and fairytales from around the United States and from all over the world. As a child, I loved the German folktales of the Brothers Grimm, the Danish fairytales of Hans Christian Andersen, and the stories Andrew Lang collected from many nations in The Rainbow Fairy Books.

I would retell these stories to my brothers, sister, and friends. The first stories I remember writing were also retellings. Today, much of what I do, is take these timeless stories and tell them in fresh ways, bring them to a new audience - you!

The best books and stories feed the heart and mind. And that is what these old stories do. People have been telling them for hundreds - sometimes thousands - of years because they are exciting, colorful, enchanting narratives. But these tales also contain a kernel or wisdom - a lesson worth remembering. Different stories teach different things, such as

• Good triumphs over evil
• A deep justice guides the universe
• Unselfish love conquers all
• Intelligence wins over brute strength
• Kindness, courage, and hard work bring rewards

These stories remind us that people all around the world have many of the same hopes, fears, and dreams as us. They suggest ways to deal with life as a better person and to solve our own problems or problems that concern all of us. They can also open a window for the reader on a different part of the world or another time in history.

I love these old stories, and do my best to make them interesting, so that more readers and listeners will find just how wonderful they are. When I retell a story, I work to bring the characters to life and to make the settings very real - and true to the culture or part of history where the story takes place. I have the storyteller's duty to keep a tale moving quickly, fully understandable, and to keep the language as lively as possible. I also have an obligation to the story itself to keep its inner truths intact, so this wisdom will continue to reach out to all who read or hear my retelling.

Among the different stories I've retold:

The Hawaiian myth of Haiika tells of the youngest, favorite sister of fire goddess, Pele, who lives in Kiluea volcano. Though she can be fierce, when battling the enemies of the gods, Haiika, is a healer, who, like the Greek muses, inspires creative arts like dance, lei-making, and song. Pele sends her to rescue the human Pele loves, Lohaiu, who has been stolen away by evil spirits. Haiika makes a heroic journey, fighting monsters and worse to save the mortal. But she faces a worse danger when Lohaiu reveals he has fallen in love with his rescuer. Though Haiika remains loyal to her sister, furious Pele causes Kiluea to erupt, killing Lohaiu. Then Haiika, maddened with grief, hurls lightning bolts at the volcano, threatening to break down its walls and let the sea destroy Pele's realm. Realizing the folly of their anger, the sisters forgive each other and restore peace. Then Haiika uses her healing arts to restore Lohaiu to life. With Pele's blessing, the two, now husband and wife, travel to the island of Kauai. To this day, the Hawaiians sing of "Haiika - ka no' iau - i ka polo o Pele": "Haiika, the wise, the darling of Pele."

The Talking Eggs, an old folktale from Louisiana, has roots stretching back to Africa. When two sisters meet a mysterious old woman and visit her farm, they discover magical eggs. The good sister, who is thoughtful, kind, and respectful of the old woman's instructions, chooses her eggs correctly, and finds wonderful rewards inside. The bad sister, who is foolish, selfish, greedy, and disobedient, chooses foolishly, and discovers her eggs have unpleasant surprises inside.

Young Merlin weaves together some of the best-known legends of Merlin's earliest life. It tells how the young magician inherited his magical powers from his father, who was reportedly a visitor from fairyland. As the story unfolds, the boy wizard learns to use his extraordinary gifts for good, such as defending England from invaders, and sets the stage for him to become the friend and teacher of Young King Arthur. (There's more than a touch of the boyish Merlin in the modern hero, Harry Potter.)

Feathertop is an American fairytale by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It tells how a witch, in colonial times, uses her magic to bring a scarecrow to life as a handsome young man, so she can play a trick on someone she dislikes. But she soon learns that she has caused a great deal of sadness when her joke hurts innocent people in unexpected ways. How this prompts her to undo her mischief and replace sorrow with joy, is the heart of this story of love, learning to be kind, and encouraging hope.

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Updated: 2/10/12 11:22 pm
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