By Betty Bennett
Picture to yourself a bright, crisp fall day in a tree-filled park beside a river. Now imagine a path through that park, a path that is sometimes narrow as it passes through a dense woods. Imagine coming upon a castle on a deserted plain and then climbing up a high, rocky hill to the place where a wise old man lives.
On Saturday, several of the Peterborough Storytellers visited such a place for a magical storytelling experience. And some of those things were really there – the park, the river and the castle.
In 2015, Ken Arndt, a local woodworker and artist was commissioned to create something from the large stump of a diseased elm tree that had been cut down in Asphodel Park near Westwood. Ken created a Hobbit-like castle tower that might have come right out of a Tolkien story. When I saw the first pictures of the castle in the park, I knew it would be the perfect prop for a participative, walking storytelling.
The time finally came this fall when the castle became an element in the story of The Foolish Man at a storytelling event sponsored by the Westwood branch of the Asphodel Norwood Library.
On a bright Saturday morning, Foolish Jack (Betty) gathered a group of about twenty children and adults under the picnic shelter. Jack told them that he is industrious, honest and kind, but he just can’t get ahead –it doesn’t seem fair. And so he invited them to join him as he travelled to seek the advice of the Wise Old Man of the Woods to find out where his good fortune lies.
As Jack and his procession made their way, they met a hungry wolf in the woods (Rita in mask), a sad lady at a castle (Angie), and a dying tree beside the river bank before finally arriving at the home of the Wise Old Man (John), seated in the crotch of a massive tree.
Along the way, the party imagined walking single file down a narrow woodland path, climbing (out of breath!) up a steep hill and hurrying -- quickly! quickly! -- homeward with the old man’s advice.
Of course, Foolish Jack is so blinded by the prospect of his good fortune that he doesn’t recognize that solving the problem of the dying tree would make him rich or that staying with the sad lady at the castle would make him happy and even richer. And of course, he might escape being eaten by the wolf if he weren’t so foolishly oblivious!
The children and adults were a wonderful audience, following Jack’s instructions on both the real and the imagined parts of the walk and offering advice to Jack and the Wolf. And when the Wolf decided to ease his hunger by eating Foolish Jack, one youngster obliged with a wonderful shriek!
When we returned to the picnic shelter, Angie played a lovely Celtic tune on the harp and told the story of The Harper’s Gratuity and Rita entertained the little ones with finger plays, a drawing story and the tale of Tiny Mouse.
I’m sure we will return to Asphodel Park for more storytelling, as castles are such frequent elements in folk and fairy tales.
Betty Bennett is an active member of the Peterborough Storytellers and the organizer of the Westwood Park walk sponsored by the local library.
Contact us at peterboroughstorytellers@cogeco.ca
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