Story-telling

Henry Maier

With the long fall evenings some of us might be hard up to find new stories to tell or read to our youngsters during their early bedtime hours. Sometimes I have fun trying to think up stories I would like to tell them, and I regret that I have only a few occasions to do so.

In selecting stories I think back to books or chapters that I enjoyed to read in the past when I was around the age of your youngsters. Stories such as Treasure Island, Robinson Crusoe, Peter Pan, Superman or possibly some of the exciting scenes out of the French Revolution with Scarlet Pimpernel as the master spy. This last story always had the line:

"I will seek him here, I will seek him there, where in the hell is Pimpernel?"

The kids will have fun repeating these lines with you. Often I have a hard time recollecting the full story, but I do not let that deter me. I always can recall some of the highlights of those stories and they give me the occasion to make up a new one. When I run out of memories I can possibly make up a chapter for the television show Batman and his wonderboy Robin. What I do sometimes in fantasy you might like to do as an actual creative time with your youngsters.

In making up a scene for Batman and Robin, you will recall that Batman and his right hand man always outwit the villains of Gotham City. I am sure that your youngsters will find pleasure in putting together their own sequel to another hair-raising event in Gotham City. On another occasion the group may have fun in acting out the whole story they have made up. Basic to such an event will be that you have some of the trappings, Batman mask and so on. It also will be important that you weave into your play all the clever innovations that you get from the different group members and employ the clich’s from the original Batman program.

Have lots of fantasy and fun, Hollywood is awaiting you!