SafeKiddo Blog

It’s very late. Often when it’s late, I sit and think about myself as a mother. I think back on the day, and mostly I ponder what I could have done differently in certain frustrating situations. Tonight my thought was that I really need to focus on more quality time, which is the inspiration for this page. Story telling and reading aloud to our children is such a special gift for both us and our children. On so many levels, it is healthy.

This is purely speculation of course, but I think that maybe if storytelling was more prevalent, every group within society, and even across countries and cultures, would have a better way of communicating, and more importantly a better understanding of our connection and similarities such as, survival and endurance, family values, love and life. Stories really are a window to the world, which we can share with our children, guiding them into a life knowing, relating, and loving.

As I write this, I am thinking about all the silly entertaining stories I tell my son, which include characters like Elmo, Dora and Diego, Mickey Mouse, Kermit the Frog, Cookie Monster, and too many more to name, all surprising us at our house in Costa Rica. I think that although we both benefit as we snuggle up together and laugh and get excited about who could possibly come knock on our door next, joining our imaginary friend party, he may benefit far more in the long run if I tell him stories with more meaning about life. These could be memories of experiences as a child, of others experiences, or stories past down, folktales, legends, fairy tales, those that give a clear message, and paint a picture about real emotions, values, and morals.

One time I told him the story of the day I was over at my best friend’s house feeling nauseous. I was around 7 or 8 years old. The day most likely would have gone okay had her mom not have told me that I had to eat 3 more bites of my tuna fish, with crunchy celery, sandwich. I couldn’t get out of eating those bites, and out of respect for her, I did as I was told. But, indeed I was REALLY sick, and upon my last bite, ran to the bathroom. I’ll spare you the details of what happened next, but I didn’t spare my son those details, as I knew that was going to be the best part for him. I’m sure you can imagine what happened next.  My son thought this story was hysterical, and he asked to hear it multiple times after. There is something fascinating to a child that we were once children too, vulnerable and imperfect. Like them, we had to follow rules. Like them, we were learning about the world, and still are.

Okay, I think I’ve babbled on enough.  But one more thing, the other day I was doing some research on the benefits of story telling, and I came across a beautiful story about learning to be humble. I wanted to share it. It will be the first one added to this page. Oh, and PLEASE add your thoughts and stories. It’s my wish to gain as much insite on this subject as possible, and as many of your stories as possible as well!

Kittu the Fisherman, translated by P.R. Ramachander

In the town of Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu there was a fisherman named Kittu. He was a very nice man who was satisfied with whatever he had. His wife Muniamma was not like that. Kittu daily used to go to the sea to catch fish. One day, when the sky was clear and the wind was gentle, he put his net in the water and he did not catch any fish. At last he got a big turtle. He was terribly disappointed and was about to throw it on the beach when  turtle spoke to him. “I am actually a Deva but I have been cursed by a sage to become a turtle. Please put me back in the sea.” Kittu immediately released the turtle in the water. Then the turtle told him, “ You know I am a deva; can I give you something?” Kittu replied, “Poor deva, already you are in trouble, for I do not want anything.”

When he went home without any fish, his wife Muniamma shouted at him. Then Kittu told her the story of the turtle deva. Muniamma became very angry and told him, “Go back to the sea and call the turtle. Ask from him a good house for us because we are living in a hut.” Kittu went back to the sea and sang, “Oh deva, who is a turtle, Please do come to the shore, for I want to ask you something.” As soon as he sang, the turtle came, and asked him, “Kittu, what do you want?” Then Kittu told the turtle, “I really do not want anything but my wife Muniamma wants to live in a good house. We are now living in a hut.” The turtle replied, “Go back to your wife. She is already in a good house.” Kittu went back and was surprised to see that their house was now very good.

Next day morning, even before the Sun rose, Muniamma woke up Kittu and told him, “This house is OK but I feel I should live in a Bungalow and I should become the mayor of this town. Go and ask your turtle.”  Kittu did not like this at all, but his wife started crying and howling. So he went to the sea. This time the sky was black and the wind was howling. Kittu sang, “Oh deva, who is a turtle, Please do come to the shore, For I want to ask you something.” The turtle deva came and asked Kittu, “Why have you come. Don’t you like your new house?” Kittu replied, “I am extremely happy but my wife is not. She wants to live in a Bungalow and she wants to be the mayor of this town.” Then the turtle replied, “Go back home. She is all ready the mayor of the town.”  Kittu went back and saw that his house was now very big. There were lots of servants in his house, and his wife had also a car. He was extremely happy.

A week passed this way. One day when poor Kittu was singing happily, his wife sent for him, “ I am getting bored of becoming a mayor. I have now only one car. I want to become the governor of this state. Go and ask your turtle for this.”  Kittu was sad while going to the sea. The sky was jet black, and there was storm outside. He went near the sea and again sang, “Oh deva, who is a turtle, Please do come to the shore, For I want to ask you something.” The turtle deva again came and asked Kittu, “Is your wife not happy being a mayor?” Kittu with a lot of sorrow told him, “Unfortunately, no. She wants to become governor of this state.” Then the turtle replied, “Go back home. Now it is Rajbhavan. Do not forget.” Kittu went back. Now his wife was governor and their house was surrounded by a very big garden and a swimming pool. They had ten cars. Kittu did not bother about all this and went to a small room and slept there.  Another one month passed like this.

One day while Kittu was sleeping soundly, his wife woke him up. And said, “I now want to become president of this country. I want hundred cars and want to have my own plane. Go and ask your turtle deva,” Kittu was very sad. Tears were flowing from his eyes. The sky outside was pitch dark, and there was a cyclone blowing outside. But he manage to go near the sea and sang, “Oh deva, who is a turtle, Please do come to the shore, For I want to ask you something.” The turtle came and asked, “Is your wife unhappy being governor? What does she want now? Then Kittu replied, “ I am really very, very happy. I do not want all these things. But she is not. She wants to be the president of this country.” The turtle deva laughed loud and said, “Ok, your wife is already the president. Go back to your house.” Poor Kittu went back. His home now was Rashtrapathi Bhavan. There were very large numbers of servants. They had a plane to wherever they wanted. But Kittu found the smallest room and slept there on the floor. Things passed on like this for one month. After dinner one night, Kittu was about to sleep when Muniamma sent a servant to relay a message, “I am bored of being the president. I now want to become a god. Go and ask your turtle deva.” Kittu was very, very sad and went all the way to the sea weeping. It was pitch dark outside, and there was a big storm. On the beach there was a Tsu Nami. In spite of all this Kittu went to the beach and sang, “Oh deva, who is a turtle, Please do come to the shore, For I want to ask you something.” The turtle deva came and asked Kittu, “Is there anything big than being a president? What does your wife want now?” Kittu replied, “ I am afraid that she wants to become God.” The turtle laughed loudly and said, “God lives also in a hut. Go back now to your old hut.” Kittu went back and just as the turtle said, they were very poorand lived in their hut once again.

Corbin Harney’s “Bear Story”, from PBS, Circle of Stories

The bear is something that was put here with us. That’s the reason why my people always say, when you meet a bear, if you start singing to him, and talking to him, he’ll sit down and listen to you. I have seen it done, and I met a bear-maybe from here, far as this car, and were walking up that trail toward me and I come up again’ him and then I didn’t know what to do, whether to run from him or what. And I thought, I better start singing a song to him. Then, he stood there for a while, then he stood up. Big bear. Stood up and then, I thought, by God, he’s going to attack me. And then I just started talking to him and singing to him. Then, he sit down. Then I sit down on the trail, and when I done that, I knew he was listening to what I had to say to him. And then after a while, he got up again, on all four feet and then he started going down the trail where he came up. And I stood there for about maybe five minutes. I didn’t know whether to turn around and go back up the hill where I came down. Then I decided I better go follow him a little ways. He went around a big boulder. That’s the way animals are. They’re scared of you. If you talk to ‘em, sing to ‘em, they’re your friends. Just like the trees here. The more you sing to them, the better they grow.

Comments: So I grew up in the northern woods of Wisconsin. My childhood was filled with the outdoors, tents, hammocks, bushing it, etc. We hung our food over high trees, and stayed indoors when a bear was spotted. Now though, as an adult, I find a need to balance teaching my son a healthy fear of danger, while at the same time a complete respect for mother earth and all her children. It is really neat to watch him carry an ant gently from inside our house, in a piece of kleenex, and set him down outside where he will be able to survive and find food. He is determined to be a rescuer, a pure loving human being, and I am so very proud! For me this is a perfect story to tell children, no matter what age. In a personal, natural way, it teaches love and respect for the earth and every life, even those that we are taught to fear.