HIT: ELEM, "Salty yarns" for storytellers

["Hynes, Andrea" <hynes@POP.SEANET.COM>]

Ahoy, LM_Netters!

Here are the responses for some "salty yarns" suitable for telling to an audience of
4th, 5th and 6th graders at our annual sleepover:

The is always the tale of the Seal Maiden. I believe it's used in
several cultures. Can't remember the name of the creature, but it's
like skelpie, kelpie? Anyhow, the theme is that a human sailor or
fisherman follows a seal and sees a lovely woman (or handsome man,
depending on the sex of the human) climbing out of the seal skin. The
sailor then captures this exquisite creature, who is helpless while
not in the skin, and takes her home to marry. The sailor hides the
seal skin in a safe place that the enchanted one does not know of.
After some years of marriage and the birth of a child or children, the
enchanted being happens across the skin and recalls the former life,
longed for but barely remembered after many years. Putting on the
skin, she/he escapes into the sea and is only ever seen again by the
children, as a seal at the shore's edge who looks at them lovingly,
but never returns.

You could also tell any shipwreck stories, such as the history of the
Edmund Fitzgerald, or use Ballard's Ghost Liners as a basis for
telling several famous shipwrecks.

Gayle Hodur                             Snail Mail:
District Librarian                      Main Street Middle School
Soledad Unified School District         441 Main Street
(408) 678-3923                          Soledad, CA  93960
ghodur@redshift.com
***************

This is not a yarn, but a neat story with a twisty feel:   The Wreck
of the Zephyr by Chris Van Allsburg. Also, Pippi Longstocking is
always a fun nautical story.

"Joy Hendrickson" <joymicah@4ez.com>
***************

What about the Scottish selkie stories?  Jane Yolen has a wonderful
one called "Greyling."

Cris Riedel
librarian/storyteller
Ellis B. Hyde Elementary School
Dansville, NY
criedel@gvmail.dansville.k12.ny.us
***************

Salty Dog by Ted and Gloria Rand
Arabella (about a crippled boy who goes out alone in a storm to rescue
his grandfather's special model of a ship that was whisked away with
the wind)

"Barbara McElfish" <3mcelfish@integrityol.com>
***************

Check out the website for The Salty Dog Cafe:
www.saltydogcafe.com
The legend of "Jake", the dog who saved his master from drowning is
there, plus lots of neat photos and also items for sale (door
prizes?--some in the $1.00-$5.00 range--their service is great). No, I
am not affiliated with them in any way--just a dog lover who is fond
of their products! Julia Steger         ** A Lap Is A Terrible Thing
To Waste-- Clifton Forge VA          Adopt a Pet From Your Local
    jsteger@pen.k12.va.us        Animal Shelter **    ***************

Has anyone else recommended SUKEY AND THE MERMAID by Robert San Souci?
 I dearly love reading this aloud to upper grade kids.  Make sure that
you have a tune for the singing part and of course use lots of drama!!
 They become spellbound. I also loved reading his research notes about
African American mermaids.

Carolyn Vanderbilt
Library Media Specialist
Meadow Homes Elementary
Concord, CA  94520
***************

Sukey and the Mermaid by SanSouci if they don't already know it.

I also like Burt Dow, Deep Water Man by Robert McCloskey but it may be
a bit young for your students.

Paula Neale, LMS
Ingels Elementary School
Kansas City, MO  64134
816-761-4343
plneale@aol.com
***************

Kids like Keep the Lights Burning Abby By Peter Roop.

Carol Palumbo, Library Media Specialist
Central Avenue School
Lancaster, NY
Georol@aol.com
***************

How about singing a song that tells a story? My first graders study
the ocean and I do pirates and mermaids with them. I have a video and
an audio cassette of nautical tunes (same man and woman group--same
songs--just different formats) that I picked up at the Illinois
storytelling festival this past July.Can't recall the title of them (I
think it's called See the Sea)or the name of the group but if you want
more info email me at school and I'll send the particulars. The song
of the Mermaid on the tape is one I learned at camp (over 40 years
ago!)and the video teaches the hand movements. The "Popeye" theme
music is also piped on the recordings as are two other great salty
sailing songs.

Try stories from The Book of Mermaids by Ruth Mannings-Sanders, it has
mermaid stories from many cultures.Your grade level will love "The
Mermaid's Revenge" followed or introduced by this tune you can teach
them to sing. I had a mother who recently did a Girl Scout camp out
and used these Mermaid stories with great success at this same gade
level. Of course Andresen's Little Mermaid should be included and the
story of Nicholas Pipe by Robert San Souci(a merman) would work too.
The words to the Mermaid song are: Chorus: Oh the ocean waves do roll
(roll your hands) And the stormy winds do blow (sway extended arms
above head and/or cup hands around mouth as you sing "blow" for an
echo effect) But we poor sailors (salute) Go skipping to the tops
(move hands from waist level to high above head                 finishing on tip
toe) While the landlubbers (alternately cross hands, first right over
left,    then left over right) Lie (bring hands together in prayeer
fashion and rest cheek on them   while tilting head to one side) While
the landlubbers (repeat action) Lie (repeat action) Down below (repeat
action)

Verse One
T'was friday morn, when we set sail,
And we were not far frm land,
When the Captain spied a lovely mermaid,
With a comb and a glass in her hand (mimic combing hair while holding
         mirror) Chorus

Verse Two
The up spoke the Capitain of our gallant ship,
And a might fine lady was she.
That fishy mermaid has warned us of our doom,
We shall sink to the bottum of the sea. (point to the bottom of the
sea)

Chorus

Verse Three
Next spoke the first mate of our gallant ship,
And a mighty fine man was he.
I have me a wife in Salem-by-the-sea,(point to left ring finger)
And tonight a widow she'll be.

Chorus

Verse Four

Then up spoke the cabin boy of our gallant ship,
And a very fine lad was he.
I have me a sweetheart in Salem-by-the-sea,
And tonight she'll be weepin' for me. (rub eyes as if crying)

Chorus

Verse Five
Then up spoke the cook of our gallant ship,
An a crazy old vcook was he. (rotate index finger in a circle while
pointing at your head) I care much more for my pottles and my kets
Than I do for the bottom of the sea.

Chorus

Verse Six  (Sing slowly until last line)
Then three times around went our gallant ship (move index finger
around in a circular motion, one revolution for each line) And three
times around went she. Then Three times around went our gallant ship,
And sank to the bottom of the sea. (sing (point to the bottom of the
sea)

Chorus
Sing the first two lines lines up to "blow" quietly, the last two
lines at regular voice. Repeat the last two lines, trying for a bass
"below, below, below" as you end.

Nancy Lieber
Lower School Library/Media Specialist, University School of Milwaukee,
Milwaukee, WI Nlieber@execpc.com  or Nlieber@usm.k12.wi.us

**********

Thanks to all my "mates" who replied, our storytellers have a great selection of
stories to share.

Andrea

*************

Andrea Hynes, Librarian
KidsConnect Volunteer
Graham Elementary School
10026 204th Street East
Graham, WA 98338
e-mail: hynes@seanet.com

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