Storytelling for the Classroom 1

8/9/2019 Storytelling for the Classroom 1

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Storytelling for the Classroom 1by Michael Berman

The Burden BasketIn the Native American tradition, the Burden Basket was hung outside the Tipi as areminder to guests to leave their personal complaints or problems outside beforeentering. The custom was honoured or the visitor was permanently barred from

returning again because entering another person's home with a black cloud of worryor neediness was considered to be very bad manners.

Being in the present moment and being willing to be a welcome guest requiresstrength of character. If everyone considered the Sacred Space of others before

speaking or acting, balance would more easily be maintained in all communal livingconditions.

Having compassion for the burdens of others and yet not taking those burdens on as

our own, requires strength too. Inner strength is created through trusting our own

personal knowledge and only seeking help when we have exhausted all other paths.The symbol of the Burden Basket teaches us not to dump our problems on others

and this is what the tales in this section are intended to deal with.

As we get older we moan and groan about becoming more forgetful. Sometimes,

however, having a selective memory can be something positive as in the traditionalChinese tale that follows:

Loss of Memory

Hua Tzu of the state of Sung suffered from a loss ofmemory in his middle years. Whatever he took in the

morning was forgotten b y the evening and whatever hegave in the evening was forgotten by the morning. On theroad he would forget to move ahead and indoors he would

forget to sit down. Here and now, he has forgotten then andlater he will not remember the here and now.

He consulted an astrologer, but divination provided no

answer. Then he sought the help of a medium, but prayercould not control the problem either. Finally he visited a

doctor, but once again the treatment brought no relief.

In the state of Lu there was a Confucian scholar who

claimed that he could cure the disease, and Hua Tzu's wifepaid him half their estate to do it. "No sign or omen," said

the Confucian, "can solve this. No prayer can preserve himand no medicine will work. I must try to transform his mind,

alter his way of thinking, and then there may be hope." Thescholar stripped Hua Tzu, and the naked man demanded

clothes. The scholar starved Hua Tzu, and he demandedfood. He locked Hua Tzu in a dark room, and he demanded


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light.

"This illness can be cured," the Confucian advised Hua Tzu'sson. "But my remedy is a secret handed down for

generations, a secret that has never been revealed to

anyone outside our family. I must ask you to dismiss allyour father's attendants so that he can live alone with mefor seven days." The son agreed.

Nobody knows what methods the scholar used, but HuaTzu's ailment of many years miraculously cleared up. When

Hua Tzu realized that he was cured, he went into atremendous rage. He chastised his wife, punished his son,

and drove off the Confucian with weapons. People seizedHua Tzu and asked him the reason for his strange

behaviour.

"In my forgetfulness I was a free man, unaware if heavenand earth even existed or not," said Hua Tzu. "But now I

remember all that has passed, all that remains or has

perished, all that was gained or lost, all that brought sorrowor joy, all that was loved or hated - the ten thousand

problems that have plagued my life. And I fear that thesesame things will disturb my mind no less in times to come.

Where shall I find another moment's peace? That's thereason why."

Notes for teachers

Pre-listening: The story is about a man who suffers from loss of memory Who do

you thinks succeeds in helping him overcome the problem - an astrologer, amedium, a doctor or a Confucian scholar? Now listen to the story to find out if yourpredictions were correct or not.

Now for a contemporary tale. Our fast-paced daily lives make it difficult to be fully

present at any one moment. We are always thinking about what is going to happen

next and there is no time for quiet or reflection. But sometimes we need to stepoutside this web we weave ourselves into and to reconnect with our inner resources

and that is what The Clock is all about:

The Clock

It had been his grandfather's - a battered old travellingalarm-clock that had to be wound up every twenty four

hours and always lost time, a regular ten minutes a day.And although modern replacements were available cheaply

that were clearly much more convenient to operate, therewas no way he could bring himself to part with it. The clock

was the one possession his grandfather had left him thatDaniel felt he could make use of and that's why, despite its


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obvious limitations, he chose to hang on to it.

So whatever time he set the clock for, the bell would ringten minutes earlier. The problem was exacerbated by his

own in-built clock, which conditioned him to wake up ten

minutes before the bell actually went off. However, thissuited Daniel just fine as he had a fixation with time.

Daniel had an answer for just about everything except the

one question he always dreaded - when people asked him ifhe was happy. How can anyone truly say they're happy

given the state the world is in? This would be his stockreply. However, in reality, the concept of happiness was

beyond his comprehension. For Daniel's only concern in lifewas not to waste any precious time and nothing else really

mattered.

Being a born worrier, he was in constant fear of being lateand not making the most of the time he had. Even at

weekends he could never manage to lie in like other people

seemed to do. On Friday nights, to please his long-sufferingwife, he would break his weekday habit of setting the clock.

However, he knew that only too well, his in-built clockwould never fail him and that he would still wake up the

same time as usual.

In reality, the policy was counter-productive as most of the

time he was so overtired that he was unable to produce anywork of value or to appreciate the extra time that he did

have. In fact, the problem got worse and worse, untileventually his nerves became totally frayed and it was

apparent to all around him, and even Daniel himself, that hewas in desperate need of help.

That's when the clock decided to take over. One morningdespite the usual preparations Daniel had made to wind up

the clock and set the alarm the night before, it chose not to

go off. Moreover, his in-built clock chose not to operate too.It was as if the two clocks were in league with each other.

And so Daniel slept blissfully on until lunchtime. And instead

of waking up guilt-ridden and in a panic, he woke uprefreshed and revitalised.

As far as Daniel was concerned, it was the first morning ofspring. And the first thing he did once he'd got dressed was

to go outside into the garden and to dig a hole. There heburied the clock, which had served its purpose, and from

that moment on he never looked back. For Daniel hadrediscovered his birthright - how to truly enjoy the life he'd

been blessed with. And from that day on Daniel had notrouble answering the question that had previously so


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perplexed him. For the sound of the ticking that had so

plagued him had finally stopped.

Notes for teachersPre-Listening: The story you're going to hear is about a clock. What sort of clock do

you suppose it is and what's special about it? Now listen to the tale to find outwhether your predictions were accurate or not.

The story deals with a person who suffers from stress. As a follow-up activity youmight like to make use of the questionnaire below.

How stressed out are you?

1. How do you react when something upsets you or winds

you up?

a. You think about it for a day or two.b. You can't get it out of your head for a week or more.

c. Your thoughts quickly turn to other things.2. How do you feel when you think about all the jobs you

have to do during the day?a. You usually feel you can cope well despite the pressures.

b. You feel wound up but expect to get through it.c. You feel overwhelmed and think you'll never be able to do

them.3. How does your body feel on a typical day?

a. Tense across the neck and shoulders.b. Relaxed. Your breathing is always easy and slow.

c. Very stiff in the neck and shoulders and you're prone tofrequent headaches.

4. How do you react to the situations you find yourself infeel during the course of an average day?

a. You tend to lose your temper over unimportant things.b. You get more irritated by things going wrong then you

would like.c. You cope calmly with life's usual setbacks.

5. What's your sleeping pattern like?a. You have no problems sleeping.

b. You wake up frequently during the night and often feeltired the next day.

c. You get odd nights of bad sleep but can usually make up

for them.6. How do you react when you think of what other people

expect from you in life?a. You panic and feel inadequate.b. You can keep a sense of perspective. You know there are

lots of things you can't do, and that's fine.c. You take their opinions seriously but you don't lose any

sleep over them.

Check your


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scores

1 a-2 b-3 c-1

2 a-1 b-2 c-33 a-2 b-1 c-3

4 a-3 b-2 c-1

5 a-1 b-3 c-26 a-3 b-1 c-2

What your score means:

11 - 18 You clearly feel stressed out and need to

do something about it. Make sure you do someregular exercise or take up meditation or yoga..

Reduce your intake of stimulants such as nicotineand caffeine. Eat non-fatty, wholesome starchy

foods and avoid sugars. And, most important ofall, learn how to say no.

10 - 14 Your stress levels are about average, butyou should do what you can to lower them so read

the tips above.

6 - 9 You're doing well and have nothing to worry

about. We live in a stressful world but it's obviousyou can cope. You can set a good example for

those around you to follow so they can learn how

to keep their stress levels under control too.

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Storytelling for the Classroom 1