• Story Type:  Mythology
• Source: Reinhold, M. ed. (1971). Classic Greek and Roman. Woodbury: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. pp.79-84.
• Culture: Greek
• Audience: Teen-Adult
• Running Time: 8 min, 24 sec
• Characters: God, Girl, Mother, Doctors
• Scenes: Palace, Delphi, Thebes, Road, Desert, Cornith,
• Synopsis: Laius and Jocasta, king and queen of Thebes were warned by an oracle at Delphi that a son to be born would kill his father, Laius and marry his mother, Jocasta. When the child was born it was given to a shepard to be killed. This shepard first pierced the child’s feet, but pitying the baby he gave it to another shepard from Corinth. The child was adopted by the king and queen of Cornith and names him Oedipus (swollen foot). Many years later, Oedipus is told by a drunk that his adopted father is not his real father, but when he asks his parents, they deny it. Oedipus, unsure, seeks counsel from the  Oracle of Apollo. The Oracle does not tell him the identity of his true parents but instead tells him that he is destined to marry his mother and kill his father (though not specifying in which order). In his attempt to avoid the fate predicted by the Oracle, he decides to flee from Corinth back to Thebes. As Oedipus travels he comes to the place where three roads meet. Here he encounters a chariot, driven by his birth father Laius. The two men fight over who has the right to go first and Oedipus kills Laius in self defense, unwittingly fulfilling part of the prophecy. Continuing on his journey to Thebes, Oedipus encounters the Sphinx who would stop all those who traveled to Thebes and ask them a riddle. If the travelers were unable to answer correctly, they were eaten by the Sphinx; if they were successful, they would be able to continue their journey. The riddle was: “What walks on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon and three at night?”. Oedipus answers: “Man; as an infant, he crawls on all fours, as an adult, he walks on two legs and, in old age, he relies on a walking stick”.  Having heard Oedipus’ answer, the Sphinx is astounded and throws herself to her death from a clifftop. Grateful, the people of Thebes appoint Oedipus as their king and give him the recently widowed Queen Jocasta’s hand in marriage fulfilling the rest of the prophecy. Oedipus and Jocasta have four children. Many years after the marriage of Oedipus and Jocasta, a plague  strikes the city of Thebes. Oedipus, in his pride, asserts that he will end the pestilence. He sends Jocasta’s brother, to the Oracle at Delphi, seeking guidance. When he returns, Oedipus hears that the murderer of the former King Laius must be found and either be killed or exiled. In a search for the identity of the killer, Oedipus sends for the blind prophet,  who warns him not to try to find the killer, for he is the killer, and he has been living in shame because he does not know who his true parents are. Jocasta tries to calm her husband. She tries to comfort him by telling him about her old husband and his supposed death. Oedipus becomes unnerved as he begins to think that he might have killed Laius and  brought about the plague. Suddenly, a messenger arrives from Corinth with the news that King Polybus (Oedipus’ adopted father) has died and that the people of Corinth would have Oedipus as their king. Oedipus is relieved concerning the prophecy, for it could no longer be fulfilled if Polybus, whom he thinks is his father, is now dead. Nonetheless, he is wary while his mother lives and does not wish to go. To ease the stress of the matter, the messenger reveals that Oedipus was, in fact, adopted. Jocasta, finally realizing Oedipus’ true identity, begs him to abandon his search for Laius’ murderer. Oedipus misunderstands the motivation of her pleas, thinking that she was ashamed of him because he might have been the son of a slave. She then goes into the palace where she hangs herself. Oedipus learns from the herdman who saved him, that the infant raised as the adopted son of Polybus and Merope was the son of Laius and Jocasta. Thus, Oedipus finally realizes, at the place where three roads meet, he had killed his own father, King Laius, and as consequence, married his mother, Jocasta. Oedipus goes in search of Jocasta and finds she has killed herself. Taking two pins from her dress Oedipus gouges his eyes out.
• Important things:  Adopted, Three Roads, Sphinx, Chariot, Delphi
• First Line: Laius and Jocasta, king and queen of Thebes were wanred by an oracle at Delphi that a son to be born would kill his father, Laius and marry his mother, Jocasta.
• Last Line: Oedipus goes in search of Jocasta and finds she has killed herself. Taking two pins from her dress Oedipus gouges his eyes out.

• Story Type: From a Recording/Ballad
• Source: Burch, M. (2002). Sop Doll & Other Tales of Mystery & Mayhem (CD). Chapel Hill: KindCrone. Tack 2.
• Culture: English/Scottish
• Audience: Teen-Adult
• Running Time: 4 min 45 sec
• Characters: Duke, Daughter (Girl), Clerk, Two Children
• Scenes: Castle, Woods, Field
• Synopsis: The duke prized two things in his daughter, her meekness, and her maiden head. The duke thought them equally valuable, and his daughter would bring him a great alliance with another household. But before that day could come, the duke’s clerk helped himself to one if not the other of girl’s treasures. Enjoying her sighs quieting her sobs. The daughter begged for token of love from the clerk, and he gave her his pen knife. He continued to enjoy her; he stroked her check, and promised that her father would not know of their love. But the girls clothes got tighter and she became more tired. And as she made her way into the wood, stopping momentarily for rest, she loosened her oh so tight clothes and took off her sash. She leaned into the thorn tree and gave birth to two children, a girl and a boy. The girl looked like her and the boy had the cleft chin of his father. She dare not smile and the children didn’t smile, for they would have smiled her dead. She did not soothe their cries or hold them to her breast, but rather bound them tight with her belt, and stuffed mouths their mouth with her sash and stabbed their hearts with the pen knife. Using her petticoats she cleaned herself, wrapped the babes up and buried them at the foot of the thorn tree, shed no tears, put on her dress. Her lover did not learn or know about the event or care, and the world continued. A year past, and as the duke’s daughter was walking the ramparts she spotted two radiant children in meadow playing with a red ball, she ran to see them and saw they were naked expect for ribbon tied around their feet and hands and shreds of lace around their necks. The two children kicked the ball to the girl and she picked it up. She told the children, “how brightly you shine, if you had been my own, I’ would have dressed you in scarlet and silk.” The children responded together, “but we are yours cruel mother, and you did just that. You bound us with silk and dressed us with scarlet with our father’s blade.” The duke’s daughter saw ball was actually a bundle of bloody rags, and dropped to her knees, the children chimed, “cursed mother, hell is deep and you have entered it step by step.” They shook their golden heads and smiled upon her, “alas”, she said but said no more for she died. Hand in hand the two children walked kicking the red ball between them and returned to their cold clay beds.
• Important things:  Pen Knife, Sash, Lace, Red Ball
• First Line: The duke prized two things in his daughter, her meekness, and her maiden head.
• Last Line: The children returned to their cold clay beds.

• Story Type:  From my cultural background, Folklore
• Source:  Yolen, J. ed. (1986). Favorite Folktales From Around the World. New York: Pantheon Books. pp. 161-163
• Culture: French
• Audience: Teen-Adult
• Running Time: 4 min.
• Characters: Castle Owner, Lady, 3 Humpback Minstrels, Peasants
• Scenes: Castle, River, Room
• Synopsis: There once was a master of a castle who was humpbacked, he had an imense head, thick hair, a short neck and a horrible face. Despite his deformity he fell in love with a beautiful girl, a daughter of a poor peasant, and seeing is that the humpbakc was very wealthy he married the girl.  After their marriage he was just as sad as his bride, for he was possessed by jealousy and had no rest day or night, and allowed no strangers into his castle. THen one day during the Christmas festival, three humpbacked minstrels came upon the castle. They asked for refreshment, and he led them to his kitchen where he fed them and gave them money.  He told them never to return or they would be disposed of, by being thrown into the river, and the humpback went walking through his fields. The humpback’s wife saw the minstrels and begged them to return to entertain her. Her husband  returned from his journey and knocked upon the gate. The minstrels were alarmed and the lady placed the three musicians into three coffers. After the humpbacked checked on his wife (which hedid often out of jealousy), she let the minstrels out of their hiding places, however all three of them had suffocated! She paniced. The lady looked outside and saw a peasant boy, she asked him for his help for she would pay him to rid her of the bodies. He let the man in and showed him the one of the coffers, and told the peasant he had to throw the body intp the river.  He asked for a sack, put the body into it and pitched it over the bridge into the stream. The Peasant demanded his money, but the lady said the task was not complete, and she showed him the second coffer. At the sight of the second coffer, the peasant exclaimed, “How the devil! Come Back! A Sorcerer!” He then stuffed the body into a sack and threw it over the bridge, and made sure the body sank. Meanwhile the lady changed the position of the coffers so that the third was now in the place which had been successivel occupied by the two others. When the peasant returned, she showed him the remaing body. “You’re right,” said the lady, “he must be a magician, for there he is again!” The peasant tied a stone around the third humpbacks neck and threw him into the middle of the current. The peasant was on his way back to the castle and the lady when he saw the owner of the castle coming back from his walk, “Dog of a hunchback, are you there again?” And saying this the peasant sprang on the castle owner stuffed him into a sack, and threw him headlong into the river after the minstrels.  “I believe you had not seen him this last time.” The lady said no, “Yet you were not far from the event,” said the peasant, ” the sorcerer was already at the gate, but I have taken care of him. Be at your ease, he will not come back now.” The lady understood what had happened, and paid the peasant to his satisfaction.
• Important things: 3 Coffers, 3 Minstrels, Ugly Castle Owner, Men would not die
• First Line:  Gentlemen if you choose to listen.
• Last Line: The lady instantly understood what had happened and repaid the peasnt to his satisfaction.

• Story Type: Folklore/Scary
• Source: When the Lights Go Out: Twenty Scary Tales to Tell. By Maragaet Read MacDonald. Illustrations by Roxane Murphy. H.W. Wilson Company, 1988. pg. 109-113.
• Culture: Anglo-British
• Audience: 10-Adult
• Running Time: 2 minuets, 50 seconds
• Characters: Ghosts, Samuel (Sam’l), Great Worm
• Scenes: House, Graveyard
• Synopsis: Samuel (Sam’l) was killed in a fire, and he discovered he was a GHOST! He started walking around the world and he saw all sorts of creepy things around him, bogels and slimy things. The bogels and ghosts told him to see the Great Worm to be eaten for then would he truly be at peace. So he went to the graveyard and found the worm all coiled up. The worm uncoiled its self as he saw Sam’l. “EAT ME!” said Sam’l, the worm snuffled around an told him, “I can’t eat you, you  have no body!” “It was burned in the fire,” replied Sam’l. “Well, go back and get the ashes” said the worm. So Sam’l went and got his ashes. “EAT ME!” Said Sam’l, but the worm said that there was still an arm missing,  Sam’l had lost it in an accident and  Sam’l scoured the Earth looking for his buried arm. He found it and brought it to the worm, but Sam’l was still missing a thumbnail. Sam’l lost his thumbnail and it never grew back. Well the worm could not eat Sam’l unless he was all there.  Sam’l never did find his thumbnail, sometimes he will see a thumbnail before him and grab for it, then find it’s fastened onto someone else’s hand. So if you ever feel something tugging away at your thumbnail, say No Sam’l No! It’s not thine. Go look somewhere else!, and he”ll go away.
• Rhymes: “Eat Me! ” ” I can’t eat thee without everything is here.” The worm stuck out its ugly head and snuffled…
• First Line: There was a fellow named Samuel.
• Last Line: And Sam’l will go away.

• Story Type: Folklore
• Source: Favorite Folktales from Around the World. Edited by Jane Yolen. New York: Pantheon Books, 1986. pg. 49
• Culture: American Indian (Algonquian)
• Audience:  7-Adult
• Running Time: 1 minuet 40 seconds
• Characters: Glooscap (God),  Kewawkqu (Giants) Medecolin (Sorceress) Pamola (Night Spirit), Woman, Wasis (Baby)
• Scenes: Hut, out side of hut
• Synopsis: Glooscap, having conquered the Kewawkqu’, a race of giants and magicians, and the Medecolin,  cunning sorcerers, and Pamola, a wicked spirit of the night, he felt himself great, and boasted to a woman that there was nothing left for him to subdue. But the woman laughed and said: “Are you quite sure, Master? There is still one who remains unconquered, and nothing can overcome him.” In some surprise Glooscap inquired the name of this mighty one. “He is called Wasis,” replied the woman, “but I strongly advise you to have no dealings with him.” Wasis was only a baby, who sat on the floor sucking a piece of maple sugar and crooning. Glooscap had never married and was ignorant of how children are managed, but with perfect confidence he smiled at the baby and asked it to come to him. The baby smiled back but never moved, whereupon Glooscap imitated a beautiful bird song. Wasis, however, paid no attention and went on sucking his maple sugar. Unaccustomed to such treatment, Glooscap lashed himself into a rage and in terrible and threatening accents ordered Wasis to come to him at once. But Wasis burst into dire howls, which drowned the god’s thundering, and would not budge for any threats. Glooscap, thoroughly angry summoned all of his magical resources. He recited the most terrible spells, the most dreadful incantations. He sang the songs which raise the dead, and those which send the devil scurrying to the nethermost depths. But Wasis merely smiled and looked  bored. At last Glooscap rushed from the hut in despair, while Wasis, sitting on the floor, cried: “Goo, goo!”And to this day the Indians say that when a baby says “Goo,” he remembers the time when he conquered the mighty God Glooscap.
• Rhymes/Important Phrases:  “Are you quite sure, Master? There is still one who remains unconquered, and nothing can overcome him.” Come to me at once! Goo, goo!
• First Line:Glooscap, having conquered the Kewawkqu’, a race of giants and magicians, and the Medecolin, who were cunning sorcerers, and Pamola, a wicked spirit of the night, besides hosts of fiends, goblins, cannibals, and witches, felt himself great indeed, and boasted to a woman that there was nothing left for him to subdue.
• Last Line:And to this day the Indians say that when a baby says “Goo,” he remembers the time when he conquered the mighty Glooscap.

• Story Type: From a newer collection.
• Source: Grimm’s Grimmest. Illustrated by Tracy Arah Dockray. San Fransisco: Chronicle Books, 1997.  pg 44.
• Culture: German
• Audience: Teen-Adult
• Running Time: 40 seconds
• Characters: God, Girl, Mother, Doctors
• Scenes: Bedroom, Cemetery
• Synopsis: Once upon a time there was a child who was willful and would not do what her mother wished. For this reason, God had no pleasure in her, and let her become ill. No doctor could do her any good, and in a short time the child lay on her deathbed. When she had been lowered into her grave, and the earth was spread over her, all at once her little arm came out again and reached upward. And when they had pushed it back in the ground and spread fresh earth over it, it was all to no purpose, for the arm always came out again. Then the mother herself was obliged to go to the grave and strike the arm with a rod. When she had done that, the arm was drawn in, and at last the child had lain to rest.
• Important things: Spoiled children, illness, rod, arm
• First Line: Once upon a time…
• Last Line: When she had done that, the arm was drawn in, and at last the child had to rest beneath the ground.
• Lesson: Do not spoil your children, for it is not good for them in the present or afterlife.

• Source: Gershon’s Monster. Told by Erica A. Kimmel, Illustrated by Jon J Muth. New York: Scholastic Press, 2000.
• Culture: Jewish
• Audience: Early-Adult
• Running Time: 6 min 40 seconds
• Characters: Gershon, Wife, Tzaddik (Mystical Rabbi), Sarah, Joesph, Monster(s)
• Scenes: Gershon’s house/basement, Sea/beach, Tzaddik’s home
• Synopsis: Gershon was a baker, and he was not always the best person who could be, he never regretted what he did and every Friday he swept his mistakes and wrong doings into the cellar. Then once a year on Rosh Hashanah, he stuffed them into a sack and tossed it in the the ocean, but selfish deeds and thoughtlessness is never disposed of so easily.  He and his wife were childless so Gershon decided to go to the tzaddik to see if he would give them a child.  The journey took many days and Gershon asked for directions, and did not say thank you. He got to the rabbi’s home and demanded the man give his wife and him children. Gershon said he would pay, but one does not buy children as one buys chickens, and the rabbi meditated on the request. A long while passed, and the tzaddik said o Gershon to be thankful for what he had, and do not ask for more. God was angry at Gershon for polluting the ocean with his misdeeds, and his reklessness will bring his children more sorrow than Gershon could imagine. The tzaddik gave Gershon a piece of paper for his wife to wear around his neck and in one year she will give birth to twins, a boy and a girl. But they will not live past their fifth year. Gershon demands to know what will happen. The rabbi said the day Gershon puts two stockings on one foot and storm around the house looking for the missing sock will the children go down into the sea. The tzaddik said that Gershon would forget this forwarning before he got home to his wife, and he did. Gershon’s wife wore the piece of paper around her neck and in one year she gave birth to Sarah and Joesph twins. However, Gershon still acted recklessly and rude and for the next five years brought his deeds to the sea to be disposed of. The children spent most of their time by the same tainted sea. Five years later Gershon woke up one morning and without thinking placed his right stocking and placed in over the left sock on his left foot. He soon stormed through the house looking for his missing sock. His wife told him that he was wearing two socks. Gershon soon remembered the warning proclaimed by the tzaddik and asked his wife where the children were, they were of course by the sea. Gershon ran to the sea where out of the water there came a monster with all of Gershons misdeeds written on its scales. Gershon ran to protect his children and it was then that he felt truly sorry for his deeds, and demanded the creature take him instead of his children, for they were innocent.The moster evaporated into air turning into raindrops cleansing the sea, for it knew that Gershon was truly heatbroken.  He and his living twins walked home where he scrubbed his cellar clean of all his misdoings, and never again did he through his sins into the sea. Joesph and Sarah made sure to pass this story on at every Rosh Hashanah.
• First Line: The city of Constanta stands on the shores of the Black Sea.
• Last Line: When Joesph and Sarah grew up, they made sure to tell this story to their children every Rosh Hashanah, as I am not telling it to you. Remember it.
• Lesson: For if you keep your soull clean, your best self will always shine though as surely as raindrops cleanse the sea.

• Source: Norwegian Folk Tales 3rd Edition. From the Collection of Peter Christen Asbjorsen and Jorgen Moe. Oslo: Dreyers Forlag, 1960. pg. 81-83.
• Culture: Norwegian.
• Audience: Intermediate.
• Running Time: 3min, 30 seconds.
• Characters: Farmer, Oldest Son, Middle Son, Youngest Son (Ash Lad^), Mother, Troll
• Scenes: Home, Forest, Troll’s Home
• Synopsis: An old farmer had three sons, and he was in much debt. The sons were lazy but finally they began to help around the farm. The farmer suggested that the older boy to chop wood to pay off debt. In the forest the two oldest sons met a troll and ran home. The farmer was surprised at this because the Troll had never threatened the farmer before.  The youngest son asked his mother for a large lunch of curdled cheese. He went into the forest and began chopping down a fir tree. The Troll confronted the boy, and Ash grabbed his lunch and squeezed it, claiming it was a rock he had expelled water from. The Troll was frightened and became submissive to the boy and helped him chop down fir trees in the forest. The two retire to the Troll’s house where the  Troll suggests they cook porridge. The boy tricks the Troll a second time by telling the Troll that the kettles are too light for the boy to carry and that he could bring the entire well instead, so the Troll fetches the water and the boy tends to the Fire. Here Ash places his knap sack on backwards. While eating, the boy challenges the Troll to an eating contest where he tricks the beast into slitting his own gut open.
• Rhymes/Line: If you’re chopping in my forest, I’m going to kill you! [for each of the boys]  I’ll squeeze you the way I’m squeezing the water out of this rock!”
• Important Props: Axe, Cheese, Knapsack, Fire, Water, Porridge, Knife
• First Line: There once was a farmer who had three sons…
• Last Line: But the boy took all the silver and gold to be found in the mountain and went home with it. With that he could at least pay off some of the debt.

^The Ash Lad is the main character in many Norwegian folk tales. He is also known as Askeladden and is usually the youngest of three sons.