Naomi Baltuck

The Ripple Effect

Last April my daughter Elly and I told Heather Forest’s story, “The Woman Who Flummoxed the Fairies,” at a Girl Scout tea, where scones and tea cakes baked by our girls were served to moms and aunties and grandmas, to help raise funds to get our troop to England. Our friend and troop patroness, Frieda, attended our Tea and Tales event. She enjoyed the story so much that she went out and bought Heather’s book.

Tonight, after our Girl Scout meeting, we let the kids hang out, while we grownups chatted. Frieda was there, and she told a story that I think you should hear.

Frieda is an emergency room nurse. She told us that last week an elderly man, a cancer patient, was brought to the emergency room. There wasn’t a bed available for him in the hospital, so his gurney was wheeled into a corner of the emergency room and he was left there, quite frankly, to die. It was very sad, as there was no hope, and there was little that could be done, and his family could not be reached. Frieda felt sorry for him, yet she hardly knew what to say. She took his hand and asked, “Do you want to hear a story?”

He nodded, and she began to tell him “The Woman Who Flummoxed the Fairies.” The old man held onto her hand for dear life, and listened. Before she could finish, Frieda was reluctantly called away to care for another patient. As soon as she was free, Frieda returned to the old man. He was so weak he could hardly speak, but he was moving his lips. Frieda put her ear close to his mouth, to better hear his words.

He whispered, “What happened next?”

Frieda concluded the story, and the old man gave her hand a little squeeze and shut his eyes. Later that night he died. Frieda felt that the story had transported him, at least for a little while, into a timeless world, far away from care.

Long after the storyteller’s voice is silent, her words will resonate and travel, like ripples spreading out across the surface of a pond. I wrote Heather and told her, and I wanted to remind you, too: many more people than you can ever know are touched by your work.

November Story Stretches

NOVEMBER STORY STRETCHES

Any time is a good time to count our blessings, but in November , thanks giving seems especially appropriate. When my daughters were little, at tucking-in time, we used to take a few minutes to look back at our day and think of all the good things that had happened to us. They were often very simple things, like a play date with a friend, ice cream for dessert, a bubble bath, or a sunny afternoon. Both girls are teenagers now, and very busy, but even now, when we sit down to dinner together, sometimes we still go around the table and each share one thing that made us happy that day, something that made us laugh out loud, or stop to think. Thanksgiving is a frame of mind, and I believe that it can become a healthy habit.

The following song, with words and music by Raffi, can be found on his recording, "Baby Beluga." Adults will appreciate it as much as children. Begin by asking your audience to be your echo each time you sing “Thanks a lot.”

THANKS A LOT

Thanks a lot (thanks a lot).
Thanks for the sun in the sky.
Thanks a lot (thanks a lot).
Thanks for the clouds so high.

Thanks a lot (thanks a lot).
Thanks for the moonlit night.
Thanks a lot (thanks a lot).
Thanks for the stars so bright.

Thanks a lot (thanks a lot).
Thanks for the whispering wind.
Thanks a lot (thanks a lot).
Thanks for the birds in spring.

Thanks a lot (thanks a lot).
Thanks for the wonder in me.
Thanks a lot (thanks a lot).
Thanks for the way I feel.

Thanks for the animals, thanks for the land,
Thanks for the people everywhere.
Thanks a lot (thanks a lot)
Thanks for all I’ve got.
Thanks a lot (thanks a lot)
Thanks for all I’ve got.

THINGS COULD ALWAYS BE WORSE by Margot Zemach.
There are many versions of this story, but this one is my favorite. It is a story about a poor man who feels that his little house is too noisy and too crowded. A wise rabbi shows him that things could always be worse. In the end, the man realizes that he is not poor at all, and he is very thankful to have things just the way they were when the story started. Your audience can join in on verbal refrains, and you can assign them wonderfully noisy parts as they imitate chickens, goats, cows, and crying babies.

This finger play is your chance to give a turkey a surprise happy ending.

FIVE LITTLE TURKEYS

Five fat turkeys sitting on a fence
First one said, "I'm so immense!"
Second one said, "Watch me waddle."
Third one said, "Gobble, gobble, gobble."
Fourth one said, "Thanksgiving day is coming."
Fifth one said, "Let's start running!"

The turkeys could not be found on
Thanksgiving Day.
And the old turkey farmer had this to say:
"I guess we'll have to send out for pizza."

From THE COMPLETE BOOK OF RHYMES, SONGS, POEMS, FINGERPLAYS, AND CHANTS, byJackie Silberg and Pam Schiller.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Naomi