by Taffy Thomas
They walked all the way up to the cave and stepped inside.
George whispered into the darkness, ‘We’ve come.’
The deep silky voice said, ‘You kept your promise,’ and started to cry with happiness.
As he did so, one great silver tear fell from the dragon’s eyes and landed on LeFleming’s bald head. Feeling it drop, the Lord couldn’t resist lifting his blindfold, and found himself gazing into the golden eyes of the dragon. The servants followed suit.
‘Are YOU the storyteller?’ asked LeFleming in amazement.
So in his deep silky voice, the dragon told them a wonderful tale of a promise kept, and to George’s delight, the grown-ups asked the dragon if he would come and live with them in their village, and be their storyteller.
The dragon said he would be delighted to do just that.
Then the Lord said, ‘Before you do, would you grant us one wish?’
‘And what would that be?’ asked the dragon, to which the Lord of the Manor said, ‘Could we have a ride on your back?’
So George, the Lord of the Manor, and all the servants climbed on the dragon’s back. He spread his leathery wings and soared high in the sky and circled above the beautiful lakes.
Eventually, young George and the Lord whispered in the dragon’s ear that they must return to Rydal as they had a promise to keep. So the dragon landed safely down in the valley and his friends all went on their way.
The dragon lived happily in Rydal Cave for many years, going into the village every now and then to tell his stories. Just as George had hoped, the storyteller attracted visitors and poets from far and wide and Rydal village became famous.
And when the dragon died, he didn’t die alone. He lay resting his head on the knee of a very old man called George, who had once been a little boy called George who had played him tunes in exchange for stories.
AND NOW A POEM
THE STORYTELLER
In the 1980s I had the pleasure of staying at the home of folk singer Mike Jones, his storyteller wife Joan and their daughter Sian. Over five days of schools and folk-club performances, my tales and introductions inspired Mike to put together the words overleaf. He sent me a handwritten copy of the finished version as a gift, hoping that I would like it. I really cherish that first copy and hope that you like it as much as I do.
Although created as a song, it stands as a poem encapsulating many of my thoughts on the art that I love and practise – that of storytelling.
THE STORYTELLER
I’m a teller of tales, a spinner of yarns,
A weaver of dreams and a liar.
I’ll teach you some stories to tell to your friends,
While sitting at home by the fire.
You may not believe everything that I say
But there’s one thing I’ll tell you that’s true,
For my stories were given as presents to me
And now they are my gifts to you.
My stories are as old as the mountains and rivers
That flow through the land they were born in
They were told in the homes of peasants in rags
And kings with fine clothes adorning.
There’s no need for silver or gold in great store
For a tale becomes richer with telling
And as long as each listener has a pair of good ears
It matters not where they are dwelling.
A story well told can lift up your hearts
And help you forget all your sorrows
It can give you the strength and the courage to stand
And face all your troubles tomorrow.
For there’s wisdom and wit, beauty and charm
There’s laughter and sometimes there’s tears
But when the story is over and the spell it is broken
You’ll find that there’s nothing to fear
My stories were learned in my grandparents’ home
Where their grandparents also had heard them
They were given as payment by travelling folk
For a warm place to lay down their burdens
My stories are ageless, they never grow old
With each telling they are born anew
And when my story is ended, I’ll still be alive
In the tales that I’ve given to you.
... AND NOW FINALLY
Remember the riddle you solved to open this book? Now take the key and lock it again so that the stories don’t escape until you next unlock it to visit them again.
The people in the stories are happy,
And so are we.
Let’s put on the kettle,
We’ll have a cup of tea.
Also from The History Press
Since 1993. the Society for Storytelling has championed the art of oral storytelling and the benefits it can provide – such as improving memory more than rote learning, promoting healing by stimulating the release of neuropeptides, or simply great entertainment! Storytellers, enthusiasts and academics support and are supported by this registered charity to ensure the art is nurtured and developed throughout the UK.
Many activities of the Society are available to all, such as locating storytellers on the Society website, taking part in our annual National Storytelling Week at the start of every February, purchasing our quarterly magazine Storylines, or attending our Annual Gathering – a chance to revel in engaging performances, inspiring workshops, and the company of like-minded people.
You can also become a member of the Society to support the work we do. In return, you receive free access to Storylines, discounted tickets to the Annual Gathering and other storytelling events, the opportunity to join our mentorship scheme for new storytellers, and more. Among our great deals for members is a 30% discount off titles in the Folk Tales series from The History Press website.
For more information, including how to join, please visit
www.sfs.org.uk