1. Digital Narrative – Folk tales.
The Story That Never Ends.
Characters: The Sheppard, Sheep, Children, Narrator.
Locations. Field, footbridge. Classroom.
Visual Style. Handrawn, Comicbook, Rotoscoping
Synopsis
Once upon a time there was a shepherd who had a great flock of
sheep. He usedto pasture them in a meadow on the other side of a
brook. One day the sun had already set before he started home.
Recent rains had swollen the brook so that he and the sheep had to
cross on a little footbridge. The bridge was so narrow that the sheep
had to pass over one by one.
Now we’ll wait until he drives them all over. Then I’ll go on with my
story.
(When the children grow impatient and beg for a continuation of
the story, they are told that there are many sheep and that up to this
time only a few have crossed. A little later when their impatience
again breaks out, they are told that the sheep are still crossing. And
so on indefinitely. In conclusion:)
In fact there were so many sheep that when morning came they
were still crossing, and then it was time for the shepherd to turn
around and drive them back again to pasture!
It would be very simple to adapt this story in to a book as the story is
very simple and has no more than 2 locations and it has a simplistic
but amusing message those younger children can identify yourself. IE
Patience.
2. The Cat and the Mouse.
Characters. Cat, Mouse, Cow, Baker, Butcher,
Farmer, Baker
Locations. Malt-House
Synopsis.
Visual Style.
The cat and the mouse
Play'd in the malt-house:
The cat bit the mouse's tail off. "Pray, puss, give me my tail." "No,"
says the cat, "I'll not give you your tail, till you go to the cow, and
fetch me some milk."
First she leapt and then she ran,
Till she came to the cow, and thus began:
Pray, Farmer, give me hay, that I may give cow hay, that cow may
give me milk, that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my own
tail again." "No," says the farmer, "I'll give you no hay, till you go to
the butcherand fetch me some meat."
First she leapt, and then she ran,
Till she came to the butcher, and thus began:
Pray, Butcher, give me meat, that I may give farmer meat, that farmer
may give me hay, that I may give cow hay, that cow may give me milk,
that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my own tail again."
"No," says the butcher, "I'll give you no meat, till you go to the baker
and fetch me some bread."
3. First she leapt and then she ran,
Till she came to the baker, and thus began:
"Pray, Baker, give me bread, that I may give butcher bread, that
butcher may give me meat, that I may give farmer meat, that farmer
may give me hay, that I may give cow hay, that cow may give me milk,
that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my own tail again."
"Yes," says the baker, "I'll give you some bread,
But if you eat my meal, I'll cut off yourhead."
Then the baker gave mouse bread, and mouse gave butcher bread,
and butcher gave mouse meat, and mouse gave farmer meat, and
farmer gave mouse hay, and mouse gave cow hay, and cow gave
mouse milk, and mouse gave cat milk, and cat gave mouse her own
tail again!
This is a very basic story and one that has a similar structure to
other children’s books. What gives this story appeal though is its use
of rhyming which is very catchy and that aspect can often help
children follow the story very nicely. The story is also very short
which can help because young kids have short attention spans.
4. The Three BillyGoats Gruff.
Characters. Three Billy Goats, Troll.
Synopsis.
Once upon on a time there were three Billy-goats, who were to go up
to the hill-side to make themselves fat, and the name of all three was
“Gruff.”
On the way up was a bridge over a burn they had to cross; and under
the bridge lived a great ugly Troll, with eyes as big as saucers, and a
nose as long as a poker.
So first of all came the youngest billy-goat Gruff to cross the bridge.
“Trip, trap! trip, trap!” went the bridge.
“Who’s that tripping over my bridge?” roared the Troll.
“Oh! it is only I, the tiniest billy-goat Gruff; and I’m going up to the
hill-side to make myself fat,” said the billy-goat, with such a small
voice.
“Now, I’m coming to gobble you up,” said the Troll.
“Oh, no! pray don’t take me. I’m too little, that I am,” said the billy-
goat; “wait a bit till the second billy-goat Gruff comes, he’s much
bigger.”
“Well! be off with you,”said the Troll.
A little while after came the second billy-goat Gruff to cross the
bridge.
“Trip, trap! trip, trap! trip, trap!” went the bridge.
5. “WHO’S THAT tripping over my bridge?” roared the Troll.
“Oh! It’s the second billy-goat Gruff, and I’m going up to the hill-
side to make myself fat,” said the billy-goat, who hadn’t such a small
voice.
“Now, I’m coming to gobble you up,” said the Troll.
“Oh, no! don’t take me, wait a little till the big billy-
goat Gruff comes, he’s much bigger.”
“Very well! be off with you,” said the Troll. But just then up came
the big billy-goat Gruff.
“TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP!” went the bridge, for the
billy-goat was so heavy that the bridge creaked and groaned under
him.
“WHO’S THAT tramping over my bridge?” roared the Troll.
“IT’S I! THE BIG BILLY-GOAT GRUFF,” said the billy-goat, who
had an ugly hoarse voice of his own.
“Now, I’m coming to gobble you up,” roared the Troll.
“Well, come along! I’ve got two spears,
And I’ll poke your eyeballs out at your ears;
I’ve got besides two curling-stones,
And I’ll crush you to bits, body and bones.”
That was what the big billy-goat said; and so he flew at
the Troll and poked his eyes out with his horns, and crushed him to
bits, body and bones, and tossed him out into the burn, and after that
he went up to the hill-side. There the billy-goats got so fat they were
scarce able to walk home again; and if the fat hasn’t fallen off them,
why they’re still fat; and so:
Snip,snap,
snout,
This tale’s told out.
