Q. Where can I find good stories to tell?
A. Traditional Tales (folktales, myths, & legends) are abundant and available in many formats.
Teachers appreciate these tales to satisfy state standards, students appreciate them for a
satisfying story experience, and tellers appreciate them for being easy to remember and retell.
1. LOOK in your local library or access library catalogs online. Dewey Classification for
folktales is 398.2; tall tales & fables – 398.20-398.25; mythology – 200’s. Library of
Congress Classification for folklore is GR, mythology is BL. Request books through
prospector loans or inter-library loan service. Find old books at library sales, thrift
stores, or sites such as betterworldbooks, abebooks, amazonsmile, etc.
2. LISTEN to storytellers on CD’s, cassette tapes, radio programs, and podcasts, etc. Examples:
Story Story Podcast www.storystorypodcast.com
Joe Hayes, Storyteller www.youtube.com/user/joehayesstoryteller
3. LIVE – listen to other storytellers in live performances. Attend your Spellbinder meetings
and visit nearby groups to hear other Spellbinders telling stories. Go to a Story Circle
in your community or when visiting a nearby town. Attend festivals, conferences, and
other events where professional tellers are performing.
4. LINKS – Here are some links to online story sources that you may find useful:
www.margaretreadmacdonald.com -Dr. Margaret Read MacDnald’s website
www.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html by Professor D. L. Ashliman
www.aaronshep.com -Aaron Shepard’s page
http://www.storyarts.org/classroom/retelling/ -by Heather Forest
5. LAW – Respect copyright laws and always give credit to your source.
6. LISTS – These sample lists refer you to some traditional tale sources.
Click here for a list of collections with storytelling tips/coaching suggestions
Click here for a list of authors/editors with numerous traditional tale collections