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Why I Am a Storyteller

When asked why I tell stories, it is easy to quip that I must; the stories within me must be told. That answer has a much deeper meaning. Our world is losing its grip on the oral tradition. If stories are not told to teach lessons and entertain, we will begin to lose our “ear” for story structure as well as our connection to our heritage through story.

 
Stories teach universal lessons. One example from Iraq shows how a woman used her wit to trick her husband out of his bad temper each day.
 
The Sign of the Tassel (abridged)
One day a new bride began to realize her husband was returning home from work in a terrible mood each day. She longed to enjoy one evening meal together without his constant complaining.
 
The next day, the woman watched as he returned from work. “The tassel from his cap bounces as a tail on the rump of an elephant,” she thought. “How arrogant and cantankerous he will be at dinner tonight.” And she was right. During the meal she listened politely then explained in her gentle way that she had experienced a frightful day and she would like an opportunity to tell him of it, but she would not burden him due to his bad temper. 
 
Instead she had a plan to allow each an opportunity to share their bad tempers fairly. She asked him to place the tassel of his cap to the front if in a bad mood and she would greet him wearing a white apron if she were in a terrible fit.
 
As you can guess, the wife waited to see the position of the tassel wearing the apron if indeed the tassel was in the front position. The husband realized he had been tricked learning his lesson to leave his troubles at work.
 
This story connects the reader to the Iraqi oral tradition and has a woman teach her husband a lesson.  Stories teach universal lessons and entertain at the same time.
 
Ragan, Kathleen. Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters.