Digital narrative – folk tales
- 1. Digital Narrative – Folk tales. The Story That Never Ends. Characters: The Sheppard, Sheep, Children, Narrator. Locations. Field, footbridge. Classroom. Visual Style. Handrawn, Comicbook, Rotoscoping Synopsis Once upon a time there was a shepherd who had a great flock of sheep. He usedto pasture them in a meadow on the other side of a brook. One day the sun had already set before he started home. Recent rains had swollen the brook so that he and the sheep had to cross on a little footbridge. The bridge was so narrow that the sheep had to pass over one by one. Now we’ll wait until he drives them all over. Then I’ll go on with my story. (When the children grow impatient and beg for a continuation of the story, they are told that there are many sheep and that up to this time only a few have crossed. A little later when their impatience again breaks out, they are told that the sheep are still crossing. And so on indefinitely. In conclusion:) In fact there were so many sheep that when morning came they were still crossing, and then it was time for the shepherd to turn around and drive them back again to pasture! It would be very simple to adapt this story in to a book as the story is very simple and has no more than 2 locations and it has a simplistic but amusing message those younger children can identify yourself. IE Patience.
- 2. The Cat and the Mouse. Characters. Cat, Mouse, Cow, Baker, Butcher, Farmer, Baker Locations. Malt-House Synopsis. Visual Style. The cat and the mouse Play'd in the malt-house: The cat bit the mouse's tail off. "Pray, puss, give me my tail." "No," says the cat, "I'll not give you your tail, till you go to the cow, and fetch me some milk." First she leapt and then she ran, Till she came to the cow, and thus began: Pray, Farmer, give me hay, that I may give cow hay, that cow may give me milk, that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my own tail again." "No," says the farmer, "I'll give you no hay, till you go to the butcherand fetch me some meat." First she leapt, and then she ran, Till she came to the butcher, and thus began: Pray, Butcher, give me meat, that I may give farmer meat, that farmer may give me hay, that I may give cow hay, that cow may give me milk, that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my own tail again." "No," says the butcher, "I'll give you no meat, till you go to the baker and fetch me some bread."
- 3. First she leapt and then she ran, Till she came to the baker, and thus began: "Pray, Baker, give me bread, that I may give butcher bread, that butcher may give me meat, that I may give farmer meat, that farmer may give me hay, that I may give cow hay, that cow may give me milk, that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my own tail again." "Yes," says the baker, "I'll give you some bread, But if you eat my meal, I'll cut off yourhead." Then the baker gave mouse bread, and mouse gave butcher bread, and butcher gave mouse meat, and mouse gave farmer meat, and farmer gave mouse hay, and mouse gave cow hay, and cow gave mouse milk, and mouse gave cat milk, and cat gave mouse her own tail again! This is a very basic story and one that has a similar structure to other children’s books. What gives this story appeal though is its use of rhyming which is very catchy and that aspect can often help children follow the story very nicely. The story is also very short which can help because young kids have short attention spans.
- 4. The Three BillyGoats Gruff. Characters. Three Billy Goats, Troll. Synopsis. Once upon on a time there were three Billy-goats, who were to go up to the hill-side to make themselves fat, and the name of all three was “Gruff.” On the way up was a bridge over a burn they had to cross; and under the bridge lived a great ugly Troll, with eyes as big as saucers, and a nose as long as a poker. So first of all came the youngest billy-goat Gruff to cross the bridge. “Trip, trap! trip, trap!” went the bridge. “Who’s that tripping over my bridge?” roared the Troll. “Oh! it is only I, the tiniest billy-goat Gruff; and I’m going up to the hill-side to make myself fat,” said the billy-goat, with such a small voice. “Now, I’m coming to gobble you up,” said the Troll. “Oh, no! pray don’t take me. I’m too little, that I am,” said the billy- goat; “wait a bit till the second billy-goat Gruff comes, he’s much bigger.” “Well! be off with you,”said the Troll. A little while after came the second billy-goat Gruff to cross the bridge. “Trip, trap! trip, trap! trip, trap!” went the bridge.
- 5. “WHO’S THAT tripping over my bridge?” roared the Troll. “Oh! It’s the second billy-goat Gruff, and I’m going up to the hill- side to make myself fat,” said the billy-goat, who hadn’t such a small voice. “Now, I’m coming to gobble you up,” said the Troll. “Oh, no! don’t take me, wait a little till the big billy- goat Gruff comes, he’s much bigger.” “Very well! be off with you,” said the Troll. But just then up came the big billy-goat Gruff. “TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP!” went the bridge, for the billy-goat was so heavy that the bridge creaked and groaned under him. “WHO’S THAT tramping over my bridge?” roared the Troll. “IT’S I! THE BIG BILLY-GOAT GRUFF,” said the billy-goat, who had an ugly hoarse voice of his own. “Now, I’m coming to gobble you up,” roared the Troll. “Well, come along! I’ve got two spears, And I’ll poke your eyeballs out at your ears; I’ve got besides two curling-stones, And I’ll crush you to bits, body and bones.” That was what the big billy-goat said; and so he flew at the Troll and poked his eyes out with his horns, and crushed him to bits, body and bones, and tossed him out into the burn, and after that he went up to the hill-side. There the billy-goats got so fat they were scarce able to walk home again; and if the fat hasn’t fallen off them, why they’re still fat; and so: Snip,snap, snout, This tale’s told out.