FAMOUS
STORYTELLERS
G'day folks,
Welcome to a few tidbits about some famous storytellers.
Long ago,
in primitive times, stories were passed on by word of mouth. Since the
invention of printing, stories have been part of the world's literature. The
fairy tales, legends, and fables we know today have often come from far in the
past. Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,
called stories “love gifts.”
Aesop's Fables
Aesop was
a storyteller who lived in ancient Greece. Animals are the main characters in
his fables, which show how a problem is solved and a moral or lesson is
learned. Aesop's stories include “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” and “The Tortoise and
the Hare.” They were first written down around 300 B.C.
Andersen's Fairy Tales
Hans Christian
Andersen lived in Denmark in the nineteenth century. He was considered an ugly
child and had no friends, so he lived in a dream world, reading about the lives
of famous men who had risen from poverty to fame. At age 14, when his father
died, he moved to Copenhagen and tried to become an actor. When he was still
unsuccessful at 30, he decided to try writing down the tales he had been
telling children as he traveled around the countryside. Some of his stories are
“The Emperor's New Clothes,” “The Ugly Duckling,” and “The Princess and the
Pea.”
Arabian Nights
According
to legend, a queen named Scheherazade told these stories to Sultan Schahriah to
save her life. Each night she told him tales, stopping at the most exciting
part so that he would have to wait until the next night to learn what happened.
After 1,001 nights, the sultan granted Scheherazade her life. She became his
wife, and her stories were recorded for all the world to read. They include
“Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” “Sinbad the Sailor,” and “Aladdin and the
Magic Lamp.”
Grimm's Fairy Tales
Jacob and
Wilhelm Grimm were brothers who lived in Germany. After their parents died, the
brothers traveled about the country and gathered stories. When they published
these tales in the early 19th century, they became famous. Their collection
includes “Hansel and Gretel” and “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”
The Legend of King Arthur
The story
of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table was published by Sir Thomas
Malory in 1469, while he was in a London jail. These tales had delighted
European audiences for centuries before Malory brought them together in one
book.
Perrault's Fairy Tales
Charles
Perrault lived in France in the seventeenth century. When he retired from
government service, he began to take popular folk tales and change them into
children's fairy tales with morals. He was very successful because he was one
of the first French authors to write especially for children. His most famous
fairy tales are “Sleeping Beauty,” “Tom Thumb,” and “Puss in Boots.”
Clancy's comment: I wonder how many books from modern authors will be read in years to come. I guess we won't be around to find out, eh?
I'm ...
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