Trigger Stories

St. Jude, Rajarhat

The next two stories were the result of a “trigger . Rajesh and Laboni were told to close their eyes.  Imagine a door.  Think: Where is the door ? in a house ? on a  cave ?   what material is the door made of ? What colur  is it ?.   Push  the door open. Now  write a story about what you see through the open door.”       

Rajesh Khan’s story. Rajesh is about 11 years old. He comes from

He goes to school .

In a village, was a little mud house. The house had a wooden door.  Two friends lived in the house.  One day an event took place.  The first friend had a brain wave. “Let me frighten my friend.” The next night when it was time to go to bed, when the  friend went to close the door  , the first friend started shouting  “Hein! Hein! Hein! I’ll break your neck . Hein! Hein! Hein!”  

The second started screaming in fear. 

The first  friend scolded him, “Arre, arre! you stupid . I’m your friend. Can’t you recognise your friend ?  You got so frightened that I got scared. My friend, don’t you  know that is this world there is no such thing  as  a ghost.”

St Jude. Rajarhat

 Laboni  Sarkar’s story. Laboni is 11 years old . She goes to school

There was small  house in a village. It had a black door. I opened the door and saw that a small child and an old woman lived there. The house was neat and clean. The little child’s name was Rupa. The old lady worked in a big house.  On some days they got  to eat. On other herbs that grew near their home.

Rupa grew up. She had studied hard and prospered. She  and her    grandmother lived happily. They did not want for anything any more.  

. St.Jude, Rajarhat

Rana, Rajesh, Abhijeet, Rajat, Shivani

Another story which was a result of a “trigger.” 

The “trigger” :    Eight black and white pictures on 21/2” x 2 1//2”     square. (i) Trees, (ii) The sun  (iii) a boy and a girl  (iv) a fish, (v) a box  (vi) a ring (vii) flowers (viii) an icecream cone with icecream). The pictures were placed on the table. The children were told to make a sentence with each picture so that  they could be put together to make up a story.. A picture could be used once only. The storyteller started the game

Storyteller:  There was a jungle (trees)

Rana: The sun was shining in the jungle

Shivani : The jungle was filled with beautiful flowers

Rajat: A girl and a boy went for a  walk in the jungle

Abhijit: The girl was eating an icecream 

Shivani:  They saw a fish in the river

Abhijit: They saw a box inn the jungle

Rajat: There was ring inside the box

Rana: They took the box home.  

…….they woke up and realised that it was only a dream

DISHA ( NGO) 

A group fo boys from the  organisation (8 – 10 years).

Trigger : Same pictures as above.

• Ek bhai aur bahen the.
• Unhe bhookh lagi thi. Voh ped ke nichey baith kar macchli pakad rahe the
• Nadi ke kinare sunda phool the.
• Veh phool ke paas ek anguthi paye. 
• Us samaye bahut kada dhoop tha
• Anguthi bechkar  box mein Walls’ icecrem kharide
• Ice cream kha kar ghar gaye
• Ghar jakar machli banakar khaye.

Surodeep. (10.3.16)

Trigger :  You are standing in front of a door.,THINK  about the door. What is it made of ? What colour is it  ? Where is it ?  Now tell us what you thought .

When the child has talked about the door, tell  them to open the door and then tell a sorty about wha they see inside

The door I saw was made of wood. The colour was of wood, too.  The door was on a temple. When I opened  the door a puja was going on. Ram, ayoung boy was sitting at the Puja.  After the Puja was over, Thakurmoshai  said that there would be a “horir loot”. He threw batashas into the air and everyone  made a scramble to collect them.  After this  Thakurmoshai distributed the bhog.  Every one was very  happy.

Extending an existing story

4. The next story developed incidentally from a story which a grandmother  (a friend of mine – Monideepa Mukerjee) told her young grandsons..

The grandmother started her story……..”So,  the puja celebrations had come to an end.  Durga ma packed her bags and prepared to leave for her home at Mount Kailash.  “Come on children“, she called out to her four  children, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesh and Kartick “ the taxi’s here. Get in.  We are going home to Baba today. “

“oh no!” the children chorused.  “back to cold and lonely Mount Kailash. How boring . Can’t  we stay for a few more days? Please Ma.  We’re having so much fun.”

“No,”  said Durga firmly.  Baba and I have a lot of work to do and so have you. Now get into the taxi.”

As the children were getting into the taxi, Ma Durga  heard a baby crying  in a loud, hoarse voice , “Wah! Wah! Wah!    You’ve gone and killed my father.  Now what will happen to me  ?”

Durga turned around and saw a big, chubby little boy…….obviously Mahisasur’s little son.”

The story stopped here. Perhaps Granny had to attend to some urgent work.

This unfinished story was repeated at the St. Jude Centre at Rajarhat.  The children were asked whether they were happy with the ending or whether they would like to end it differently.  Without wasting a moment , Laboni continued the story …… 

 Durga Ma went to the child and said, ”Don’t cry.  What has happened was written in history (itihashey lekha chhilo” .   What is written in history  will definitely come to pass..”itihashey ja lekha thakay , sheta ghotbei”.  Apart from that, your father didn’t do any good for others. He killed so many people. So, I had to kill him.  But I grant you a boon “tomakay bor dicchi.  You will be big and strong.  You will stand by my side and fight bad people.  Your name will be BIr.”  

(Monideepa’s original ending:  Durgama came to the child and put her arms aroud him . “Don’t cry,’ she said, “tell me what you want . I’ll give it to you.”

“ I want to eat an omlette made from  a dinosaur’s egg,” bawled the baby. ) 

This is a translation of Monideepa’s story and Laboni’s extension which we have in writing.

7. 6.9.2015   Anando  -  at  the school at 2, Poddar Nagar. Extending Pratham’s story “The boy and the the Drum” The story  ends

with the boy getting the drum.

The story was told and then dramatised .

9-year old Vshal , who played the boy,to it spontaneously and on his own..  Mein dholak puja mein bajaunga aur paise kamaunga……”

The sotry begins with the fact that the mother couldn’t afor

Very topical. Durga Puja is next month and the “dhakis” beat drums  to usher in the Puja season and during the rituals. This is a source of income  for them. 
 

8. 24.9.15 St.Jude’s , Thakurpukur

A twist in the tale.  Changing stories)

The Little Fir Tree.   In the story the little fir tree grows up, is cut and used as a Christmas tree  in a happy home. He enjoyed that. But when the festivities were over, he was stripped of all the decorations and thrown into a dark, dirty room. The rats chewed his leaves  and eventually he was cut up and used as fire wood.

I commented that this was so sad. He was finally used as fire wood and burnt. 8 year old Amar who comes from Jharkhand   but has learnt Bangla and speaks it fluently said, “Na . dookho  nei” (there’s no sorrow)  “puray jaabar poray o aabar jonmo nebe.”’ ( after being burnt he will be born again.)     

REACH  early 2014. Saat Bhai Champa 

The story ends with Suo rani is being reprimanded by the king and being ordered to leave the kingdom . She stands alone, crying  as Duo rani and the children prepare to return to the palace with the king.  The little girl (about 4 ½ years old) l acting as Duo rani turns back . puts her arm around Suo rani, says, “ Didi, bari cholo”  and takes Suo rani with her.