Telling Tales with Clayton and Grace

The past two days I've had some sub-contractors telling stories with me--my grandchildren Clayton (11) and Grace (9). This is a paying gig for them--$10 a day to help me load, unload, set up, take pictures etc.

Clayton has learned to tell a story with me and performed it at each place we've been--even at his sister's birthday party, in front of 30 or more family members. Any storyteller knows that those who know you well can be the toughest audience of all, but Clayton did a great job.

What's the story? Many storytellers know it as No News, made popular by the storytelling duo the Folktellers in the 70's and 80's. Here's a short version of the way Clayton and I tell it.

Clayton is returning from vacation and I pick him up at the airport. He asks about the news from home.

"What's the news from Grant County?"

"Oh, it's been real quiet. No news at all."

"No news at all? Nothing."

"Nope. It's been real quiet. Say, on our way home would you like to look at a new pickup truck. We can just stop at the Ford garage..."

"Why? I've got a good truck, just bought it last year."

"Yes, but your truck is all burned up."

"What? What happened to my truck?"

"Well, you left it in your garage, and your garage burned down and your truck was in there so it burned too."

"My garage burned down? How on earth did that happen?"

"Oh, that was a spark from the house. It was a real windy day and a spark blew over and lit on your garage. Burned it completely to the ground and your truck was in there so...do you want to stop at the Ford garage or not?"

"Wait. A spark from my house? Did my house burn too?"

"Yep. Burned completely up."

"But how did that happen?"

"Well, that was on account of the candles. It was a windy day like I told you and the wind blew the curtains into the candles and caught them on fire, and then the curtains caught the house on fire and that spark blew over to the garage...that's how your truck got burned up you see, it was actually on account of the candles."

"Candles? I don't even like candles! I never have them in my house! Why were there candles in my house?"

"Oh, that was on account of the coffin. We had the candles all around the coffin..."

"Coffin? You're telling me someone died? Who died?"

"Now that was your mother-in-law. She passed away while you were gone."

"My mother-in-law? But she was fine when I left! What happened to her?"

"Well, I don't know for certain, but folks say it was on account of she had a heart attack when she found out that she had burned up your winning 6 million dollar lottery ticket. But other than that, there's been no news.

So, you want to see about that truck?"

Grace had a role in the stories, too, playing the drum and helping set up props and puppets and taking pictures when Clayton was busy. We've made a good tea, and I'll be sorry to lose their help after today. I'll also be sad to lose their company. These two are great listeners who asked for stories and songs as we drove from place to place. It was a magical time, driving through the beautiful mountains, singing and talking about stories.

Today it's off to Hardy County to stay with my sister Judy, maybe stop at her stables, Hidden Trails Stables, at Lost River State Park, and stroke a few horses. Then tomorrow I'll leave early in the morning to drive to Fauquier County, Virginia, to tell more stories, sing more songs, and meet some wonderful library people in person. So far, they've been email friends, and it will be lovely to put faces to the names.