an extract from Rama's First Victory (an extract from the Bala Kanda.)

Mangalam writes: Shadow Puppetry is the most ancient form of storytelling from cave man to now which continues to fascinate mankind across various parts of the world. Mankind saw shadows in fear first, then in awe and now in excitement. And the first story done using shadow puppets was Ramayana. 

I come from the southern state of India, Kerala where power-cuts were very common 30years before. Every evening, half an hr, there would be a power-cut. My mom used to light the kerosene lantern and my brother and I used to sit nearby and do our school work. I remember very clearly how as a young girl, of 7-8years, I became fascinated with shadows - of our hands, things around, the insects flying towards the light, the lantern handle, etc. We used to make shadows of various things and creatures on the wall.

And then the fascination grew into admiration on seeing the shadow puppetry of Ramayana staged in the temple during RamaNavami (the birthday of Lord Rama). The play of lights and colors and shadows and the teamwork involved pulled me towards this art. And in the Vedanta period in school in which the book "Kindle Life" was dealt with, we were taught that everything was a maya or an illusion. A minute it is there and the next minute it is not there. It was the same thing on the screen too, a moment has so many things happening on the screen and the next moment they are gone. I drew a parallel to life from shadow puppetry. 

Fast-forward, for the Feast Fest - Oct2021, I decided that it should be shadow puppets that I will do. So along with my husband and daughter, I did the first half of the Bala kanda. Also, legend has it that it was the Ramayana that was first staged using shadow puppets. Did I want more reasons to try my hand at shadow puppetry??? 

SEPTEMBER 2022

August 24th we celebrated our 4th Birthday, so we thought why not keep the party going with a bonus of 4 Stories for September?

Our August story swap featured 10 - or was it 11? - Super Short Stories in the hour (you can watch the full recording here) but we've selected four you to enjoy in 10 minutes! courtesy of Stefania Ganzini, Priti Modyiyer, Alla Lebedeva and Prakrati Agrawal. (There's also a bonus two-minute tale to take you into the 5th Year!)

Enjoy!

SEPTEMBER 2022

HALIM G. TABI, JR.

is a cultural worker and a peace advocate. He is a proud mix of Sangir and Blaan from Balut Island, Municipality of Sarangani Province of Davao Occidental Philippines. He graduated at Mindanao State University, General Santos City with a degree of Bachelor of Elementary Education major in General Education and was awarded the University Distinction on Dramatic Arts and College of Education Award of Distinction for Dance.

He was a member of MSU-GSC Kabpapagariya Ensemble that provided him the opportunity to showcase his indigenous talents and skills. Halim performed with various Mindanaon and national artists and toured the different provinces of the Philippines through the programmess of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

He was lead actor of one of the four episodes of Maharaja Lawana of the First BIMP-EAGA Festival in General Santops, Phipplines in 2017 and took part of the BIMP-EAGA Budayaw Festival 2019 in Kuching Sarawak, Malaysia. Recently, he proved his skills in telling the different tales of his tribe in the Sangir and Blaan communities. At present, Halim is a staff of Cultural History and Arts Museum of MSU General Santos City.

The Wishing Tree 

is a traditional story from Rajasthan, a state in north-west India which, like the story, has its own desert.

The story is about a man who loves to travel but is always in a hurry, he forgets to pack essentials for travelling. One day he was visiting his friend in a far-off village and as usual, he forgets to carry enough food n water to last for his entire journey. In the middle of the desert, he wishes he could have some food and water - and from somewhere a pot filled with cold water pops up and then juicy fresh fruits. His wishes come true, one after the other. Strange isn't it? How is it possible? Watch this colourful Kamishibai story to know what

Urvashi and Pururavas

The earthly King Pururavas rescues the celestial dancer Urvashi from a demon, and thus begins a love story that brings heaven and earth together. To live happily ever after however, Pururavas must make two unbreakable promises to Urvashi . . .

This retelling of an episode from the Rig Veda draws inspiration from Kalidasa’s Sanskrit play Vikramorvasiyam.

MAY 2022

Paman GERY

Paman Gery - or Uncle Gery - is the stage name of Gery Puraatmadja. He started his journey in 1991, as a winner in National Storytelling Competition in Indonesia.

He went into the radio - broadcasting industry as a radio dubber and storyteller for children, and began branding himself as Paman Gery in 2004. He writes and creates stories for radio, live performance, podcast, film, and for corporate clients who require a story tailor-made for a specific event or purpose. He is a popular speaker, introducing storytelling and giving lectures for businesses and educational institutions.

THE STONE-CUTTER



"One of my friends in Bali told me the story around 2010. He is not a storyteller and he told me it was the only story that he likes! I too fell in love with the story - its flow, the story structure, the personification, and of course, what the stonecutter discovers! I hope you will enjoy hearing a story in Bahasa Indonesia! I hope the repetitive structure, some English here and there, and the personification of the many things the Stonecutter becomes, will enable you to follow the story easily!"

April 2022

SHOKO SHIBA

lives in Yokohama. She regularly offers Storytimes for the local people in her own home. She loves to tell children funny folktales., and sometimes tells adults Japanese literary works.

THE TWO SNAKES

is a Japanese folktale, which is not very well known. There is a similar story from northern Japan about a snake that wakes up in winter, and has nothing to eat. He tastes his own tail which he finds delicious! He eventually eats himself all up. I later heard a story from Hiroko Fujita about two snakes that eat each other up. I found it both surreal and fun so I retold it as a participatory story using my fingers and Japanese animal sounds. Please enjoy telling this story using your own country’s animal sounds!

SHOKO SHIBA is a member of the Japanese Association of Storytellers