A Note from the President

Hello my friends,

Last week I was listening to a friend of mine discuss icons past and present.

We are familiar with the icons on our phones. They symbolize things like time and place, news and weather, Facebook and Zoom. She spoke of the icons of the past, like those found in churches. They were paintings that conveyed a message for those who did not have access to the printed word or were unable to read. In Latin this is known as Visio Divina. The creators of these icons were known as authors not painters because of the purpose of the paintings. It was so important to the people of the day. They could easily understand the stories of the Gospels. The same is true of modern-day icons.

We immediately understand the meaning of the icons on our phones and computers. It made me think how important storytelling is and was.

Storytelling was the way to communicate to everyone. There were no books to read in the beginning. There were stories. Stories helped people understand their history and traditions. Stories entertained and lulled children to sleep. Stories communicated understanding of nature both on the earth and in the skies.

Stories still do this especially important job. They create the pictures in our minds, our own special and very personal icons.

We all have stories. We are so fortunate to have people who share them.

Thank you for sharing yours.

Keep your stories alive,

Joyce Slater

“The world isn’t just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding something, we bring something to it, no? Doesn’t that make life a story?”

Life of Pi

novel by Yann Martel

Story of the Month: The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage

Once upon a time, a mouse, a bird, and a sausage, entered into partnership and set up house together. For a long time all went well; they lived in great comfort, and prospered so far as to be able to add considerably to their stores. The bird’s duty was to fly daily into the wood and bring in fuel; the mouse fetched the water, and the sausage saw to the cooking.

When people are too well off they always begin to long for something new. And so it came to pass, that the bird, while out one day, met a fellow bird, to whom he boastfully expatiated on the excellence of his household arrangements. But the other bird sneered at him for being a poor simpleton, who did all the hard work, while the other two stayed at home and had a good time of it. For, when the mouse had made the fire and fetched in the water, she could retire into her little room and rest until it was time to set the table. The sausage had only to watch the pot to see that the food was properly cooked, and when it was near dinner-time, he just threw himself into the broth, or rolled in and out among the vegetables three or four times, and there they were, buttered, and salted, and ready to be served. Then, when the bird came home and had laid aside his burden, they sat down to table, and when they had finished their meal, they could sleep their fill till the following morning: and that was really a very delightful life.

Influenced by those remarks, the bird next morning refused to bring in the wood, telling the others that he had been their servant long enough, and had been a fool into the bargain, and that it was now time to make a change, and to try some other way of arranging the work. Beg and pray as the mouse and the sausage might, it was of no use; the bird remained master of the situation, and the venture had to be made. They therefore drew lots, and it fell to the sausage to bring in the wood, to the mouse to cook, and to the bird to fetch the water.

And now what happened? The sausage started in search of wood, the bird made the fire, and the mouse put on the pot, and then these two waited till the sausage returned with the fuel for the following day. But the sausage remained so long away, that they became uneasy, and the bird flew out to meet him. He had not flown far, however, when he came across a dog who, having met the sausage, had regarded him as his legitimate booty, and so seized and swallowed him. The bird complained to the dog of this bare-faced robbery, but nothing he said was of any avail, for the dog answered that he found false credentials on the sausage, and that was the reason his life had been forfeited.

He picked up the wood, and flew sadly home, and told the mouse all he had seen and heard. They were both very unhappy, but agreed to make the best of things and to remain with one another. So now the bird set the table, and the mouse looked after the food and, wishing to prepare it in the same way as the sausage, by rolling in and out among the vegetables to salt and butter them, she jumped into the pot; but she stopped short long before she reached the bottom, having already parted not only with her skin and hair, but also with life. Presently the bird came in and wanted to serve up the dinner, but he could nowhere see the cook.

In his alarm and flurry, he threw the wood here and there about the floor, called and searched, but no cook was to be found. Then some of the wood that had been carelessly thrown down, caught fire and began to blaze. The bird hastened to fetch some water, but his pail fell into the well, and he after it, and as he was unable to recover himself, he was drowned.

A Note from the President

Hello, my friends,

MO-TELL continues to bring you stories online. In February we offered a program with three wonderful storytellers, Patricia Coffie, Connor McMullen and Beth Horner. We called it “What’s Love Got to Do with It?! Part III.” It was so popular a year ago in February and again in June of last year, we brought it back.

There will be another virtual program on April 5. Watch for the announcement next month.

July will bring the in-person Liars Contest. Bring your best lie. If you win you will receive a prize. The prizes are First Prize-$150, Second Prize-$100, Third Prize-$50 in each category. Entry deadline is June 1.

(See the website, www.mo-tell.org)

I hope to see you March 4 at 7 pm. NSN and the Irish Center of KC are collaborating with a storytelling and music event. The storytellers and musicians are Mike and Nancee Walker Micham, Rosie Cutrer and me.

We are so lucky to be a part of a group that connects through storytelling. Keep your stories alive, sometimes that is all we have. I think of the people in Ukraine and Afghanistan and wonder what their stories will be. Will their stories help them survive?

Keep telling your tales,

Joyce Slater

President of MO-TELL

“Storytelling is the essential human activity. The harder the situation, the more essential it is.”

- Tim O'Brien