Tweaking the story

Strategy :    The story teller tweaks the story before telling it.

Location: Jewish Girls School 

Date: 16.10. 15

Tweaking the story so that a discussion may emerge:

My experience at St Sebastian was one that I learnt from.  Its difficult tor children to discuss a story  unless there are some  points (in the story) which prompt a discussion. So I tweaked the story.  Given below are the changes I made.

1.    The rich man wanted a fine pair of trews  (or a suit) and he wanted them stitched well in neat small stitches.

2.    The tailor was frightened by the ghost so he used big  stitches to finish the work quickly and run away from the haunted house

3.    When the tailor presented the  trews to the rich man, he wondered if the rich man would pay him. His stitching was not what the rich man had wanted. “Is the stitching all right . Sir ?”

“Oh! Perfect” answered the rich man. What lovely neat stitches!. Thank you . Here is your money” 

4.    The tailor wondered aloud….”how did that happen?  My stitches were big and  ugly . How did they become so small and neat?  Who could have done this ? And why did he do it ? Was it done to help me ?

I told the story with this small change. The girls did find different reasons for the favourable change in the stitches. “The thread got pulled so the stitches became small”.

“the tailor quickly changed the stitches…”

“the ghost helped the tailor because he was poor”

ST: …. Only because he was poor ?

 and finally …..the ghost helped the tailor because he was brave and he finished his work.