My
career as a storyteller began back in the 1970's when
I could no longer see well enough to read to my son.
I began making up tales of my own, at first out of desperation,
and then I discovered that I seemed to have a knack
for it-and that it was fun. So a necessity became a
hobby; then the hobby became a business. Now I get the
chance to share five of my favorite yarns with you.
Sam Samson's Simulated
Sheep owes its inspiration to an ad in a coupon book
that featured "genuine simulated sheepskin seatcovers."
My son and I wondered where such things would come from,
and finally decided they must originate with simulated
sheep, who would have to be looked after by a simulated
sheepherder. And thereby hangs a (simulated) tale.
Vladimir Boots is descended,
on one side, from an article I read about the Russian
distance runner Vladimir Kuts (rhymes with Boots, I
think), and, on the other, from my own perverse imagination
and generally low opinion of czars in particular and
people in authority in general. Were all the czars dumb?
Were all the dinosaurs dumb? Well, they're both extinct,
aren't they?
The Great Chicken Stampede
is one of several Wilbur the Wrangler stories that I
developed with and for my son. However, it is probably
the only one that can be told on a c.d. designed for
a general audience. A ten-year-old boy and his dad can
get kind of raunchy at times. However, Wilbur deserves
at least once chance to tell his tale, and I'm glad
to give it to him.
The Fox and the Squirre-l
came from a dream I had one night. Naturally, three
minutes after I awoke, all memory of the dream itself
was gone. All I retained was a vivid image of a weeping
fox. So why was it crying? I began playing around with
the image and the story developed. I decided there could
be two possible endings, so I give you both of them
and let you choose the one you want.
The Plain Princess Question:
why are all kings' daughters beautiful in the traditional
stories? Have you ever seen a picture of Ivan the Terrible?
Do you believe in the laws of genetics? Smart kings
succeeded. Dumb kings went the way of the dinosaurs
and czars (see above). A perfect smile and a bouffant
hairdo are no match for a genius I.Q. and a certain
amount of guile. Princess Penelope Persephone had the
latter, which is why her descendants are still around
today.
These five stories (and
seventeen others) are available in print form in my
book The Ballad of Big Ben's Boots & Other Tales
for Telling. This can be ordered by just about any bookstore
in your area, or you can order it directly from me at
1932 Chemeketa N.E. Salem, OR 97301. For more in1ormation
or questions about bookings, call (503) 364-5825 (alternatively
- Order Online!).
This c.d. was recorded
and the music written by Cory Knowland at the studios
of Alpha Music Group in Salem, OR. I would like to thank
them for doing a nice job and not charging me an arm
and a leg for it. I would also like to thank a fine
artist, Sheila Somerville, for the portrait on the cover.
It makes me look a little better than I actually do,
but it doesn't stretch the truth too much..
But most of all I want
to thank my son, Braden Evan Dashney, for being my favorite
audience and most perceptive critic. ("Naw, Dad,
that one's boring!") You'll probaby soon have kids
of your own who will say that to you. That will be payback
enough for the old man. |
