For centuries stories have been told and retold throughout the world. How come? For one thing, they are entertaining. Another reason is that they deal with the human condition, one way or another. Even stories using animals as characters reflect the situations and actions of our species.
The struggles of life have been with us for centuries as well. Conflict. Famine. Thorny relationships. All of which beg for some direction, some assistance. A resolution of some sort.
Needless to say, no one cares to listen to preaching. We prefer to take our medicine with a bit of sweetener. That is where laughter comes in. Humor makes a hard message a bit easier to swallow. Priceless humor is filled with wit and wisdom. An awesome blend of entertainment and enlightenment.
As you know, laughter lightens the heart. Laughter enlivens the spirit. And as long as we are laughing at the foibles of others (and not ourselves) we find those situations funny. Call it priceless humor.
Look at the great humorists around us. Dave Barry. Mark Russell. Garrison Kiellor. Look at history and the humorists that litter the pages. Mark Twain Ogden Nash. Storytellers all. Priceless humor their brush.
Priceless humor… what makes it priceless? The answer is simple. Priceless humor involves situations which most of us have experienced. The lost keys. The misunderstood comment. The consequences that follow are generally laughable.
You will find lots of priceless humor in urban folktales. Listeners can readily find many humorous circumstances in my CD Parking in Manhattan. These hilarious comedies involve characters everybody can relate to and empathasize with. Priceless situations create priceless humor.
World stories also capitalize on priceless humor. The retelling of such stories never ceases to bring gales of laughter to listeners. Check out “Rock Soup” or “Herschel in the Woods” from my CD Fables in Four Minutes. Listen to “The Egg Seller” or “Hickory Dock” from World Full of Stories. These are just a few examples of priceless humor. You will find yourself remembering these stories for a very long time. You can find priceless humor and more at www.jaystetzer.com.
When I am out and about, I tune into conversations around me. They are laden with disasters and catastrophes. And the life lessons are generally hidden from view. It is my job as a storyteller to sort out the meaning from all the information I hear. To make the tale palatable, I inject a bit of humor. Making the story priceless with priceless humor!
Virtually every storytelling genre contains examples of priceless humor. Why? Simple answer number two. Laughter makes learning easier. There is often a lesson to be learned through a story with priceless humor. It just goes to show what a treasure priceless humor can be.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:11 pm
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April 23rd, 2009 at 2:12 pm
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April 25th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
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April 28th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
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April 30th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
The stories are ageless. The messages of long ago still have merit in the world today.
Why seek out inspirational stories? For one thing, we experience a deluge of information and news on a daily basis. Second, the lives we live give us no breathing space to reflect. And without time to reflect, how can we develop insight into the affairs of the day? Here is the place for inspirational stories.
May 2nd, 2009 at 7:26 pm
They include creation stories along with other stories that explain the world.
By contrast, folk tales spawn from daily village life. These stories rise out of a rural setting for obvious reasons. Fairy tales also live in the world of folktales. Stories about magic and mystery were apt outlets for questioning minds of preliterate villagers.
May 3rd, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Something that helps us to find our personal “true north. Something that gives us perspective.
Care for some inspiration? At http://www. jaystetzer. com you can find memorable inspirational stories.
May 6th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
A unique combination.
As you know, laughter lightens the heart. Laughter takes the sting out of life. And everyone loves to laugh at the foibles of our own species (as long as it happens at the expense of another). This is priceless humor.
May 13th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
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May 17th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Great info.
May 20th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Birthday gifts. Those occasional gifts rewarding good behavior. I would search high and low for something meaningful, something unique. It was tough going most of the time. It did not take very long to realize that a good gift is rare gift.
May 27th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
I needed this very information a while ago.
May 31st, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Some world stories are humorous. Other world stories are mysterious. Many world stories are full of insight. Often world stories are inscrutable. Generally world stories teach.
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:27 pm
One can learn many lessons from epic stories. Just compare a tale from the Arabian Nights to a fable by Aesop to see the difference. Which one appeals to you? Personally, I like to find my own message when listening to a story. The stories I chose for my Fables in Four Minutes and World Full of Stories CDs are good examples of nifty stories with subtle messages.
Nifty stories are stories that teach.
June 3rd, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Thanks. Great info.
June 17th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
A CD full of stories will provide hours of pleasure. Imagine the trip around the world your progeny can take on the wings of a story!
You can find three CDs listed on the “Recordings” page of my website. Fables in Four Minutes contains ten wonderful stories from ten different storytelling genres. World Full of Stories has a dozen stories that will take the listeners on a trip around the world. My latest project is Parking in Manhattan, and it contains a compendium of urban folktales that will tickle the funny bone.
June 20th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Great post. Thank you.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Community giving is part of community living. I am who I am because of those messages.
I find myself using stories I heard long ago when I perform today. They have an ageless quality. The messages are as relevant now as they were long ago.
July 18th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
And each time I visit another country I have the opportunity to learn a bit about it. Customs and rituals. Geography and daily habits. In turn, that lends substantial meaning to the world stories I hear. In the process, I have discovered how world stories arise out of the cultures from which they are born.
August 9th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
I will bookmark this one.
August 10th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
The meaning is hidden in the actions of the characters. It is up to the listener to decipher the message. And there may be a different message for each listener. This kind of story is generally attractive to a wider audience. The subtler lessons tend to come from longer tales.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:21 pm
The questioning minds of preliterate villagers found apt expression through stories of magic and mystery. Many folktales were cautionary tales with lessons for avoiding catastrophe. Stay out of the dark forest! Keep away from wild animals! Avoid strangers! On the other hand, reward and happy endings comprise many folktales. Good and evil are eternal foes. One can discover the Golden Rule in most plots.
September 5th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Love the post. Thanks.
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November 13th, 2009 at 3:34 am
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December 8th, 2009 at 3:46 am
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December 27th, 2009 at 4:17 am
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January 15th, 2010 at 5:31 am
They include creation stories along with other stories that explain the world.
Folktales, on the other hand, are generated from daily village life. These stories rise out of a rural setting for obvious reasons. The world of folktales is also inhabited by fairy tales. The questioning minds of preliterate villagers found apt expression through stories of magic and mystery.
January 28th, 2010 at 6:18 am
Useful info.