Rindercella and the Prandsome Hince
at the
Weber State University Storytelling Festival
November, 2004

and

Remember! At the last _moke of stridnight all the magic will sipaddear!

Word Play!

Spoonerisms

Substitutions

Omissions

Children like to get comfortable when they listen to stories!

Fairy Tales...not just Fairy Tales!

Carol doesn't just tell "fairy tales."
They might be more appropriately called "Tairy Fales!"

She typically tells her versions of well-known tales in a "Spoonerized" style that will keep even the youngest listeners "in stitches!"

Carol prefaces her "tickled tales" with an enticing introduction featuring the Reverend W.A. Spooner (1844-1930), an actual person who make speech errors just like the errors that "tickle" an ordinary tale.

That's why the reversing and rearranging of sounds and syllables is called "Spoonerisms."

When the Mairy Fodgother warns Rindercella to be home before the "last _smoke of stridnight," the audience begins to realize that the magic will "sipadear.

Spoonerisms are just one way to "tickle" a fairy tale.

The latest! Hot off the Press! July 14, 2007

Loldigocks and the Bee Threars -- This story debuted at Thanksgiving Point Children's Gardens.

Loldigocks will be pasting torridge and chocking in rairs before the Bee Threars even know she's there!

Tickled Tales Use Many Different Word Play Strategies!

Using word play strategies, a humorous twist can be applied to familiar tales to create original and entertaining versions!

1. Spoonerisms
Rindercella and the PrandsomeHince or The Slass Glipper
Gransel and Hettle (The Brail of Tread Crumbs)

The Three Pittle Ligs (Not by the chair on my hinny hin hin)
Licken Chittle (The fy is skalling!)
Beeping Sleauty (Everyone sell afleep!)
(performed at the 1st annual Kanab Storytelling Festival 2007)

Loldigocks and the Bee Threars

Once uton a pime...gong, gong alo

(Once upon a time...long long ago)

Download a free (pdf) copy of Beeping Sleauty script now!

Let me know how you liked it! Contact Carol

Audiences enjoyed Beeping Sleauty with Carol at these events:

Timpanogos Storytelling Festival Swappin' Grounds 2006

The audience at the 1st Annual Kanab Storytelling Festival 2007 were "in stitches."

Butterfield Canyon and Heartland Elementary students in the Jordan School District experienced the novel "twists" of this continuously popular story in January, 2009.

Good friends and experienced storytellers have suggested that Carol tell the story from the point of view of the 12th good fairy.Yes...she did this at the 3rd annual Tantalizing Tales event at the lovely new Salt Lake City Library outdoor amphitheater!

2. Substitutions
Using SCAMPER "substitutions" strategies, reinvented tales sound almost as though they are being spoken in a foreign language--and yet they are strangely familiar!

Simply change key words throughout the story.
Substitute the next nearest actual English word for each of the chosen key words. Remember to use this substitution sparingly for the comic effect so as to make it easy for your audience to still grasp the story!

See how easily you recognize these:

Ladle Rat Rotten Hoof
This was a major "hit" at Storyfest 2006 held in March at This is the Place Heritage Park. The "Lunch Bunch" performance at the outdoor Gallivan Center included music (with permission) by Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs--"Hey! Little Red Riding Hood!"

(Stay on the path to Grandma's house and you will be safe.)

The Tree Ladle Pits (different from Three Piddle Ligs)
Goldilots and the Tree Pears

3. Omissions

The literary device is called a "lipogram." A "target sound" is entirely excluded from the story. The SCAMPER Strategy is called "eliminate."

Imagine telling the story of Snow White with no [s], [z], or "soft c."
That would be the Tale of Winter White (and the male child of a king)!

The latest story...soon to be available as a free downloadable pdf is Gold Spinning Guy--the tale of Rumplestiltskin with no [R] sounds at all!

Gold Spinning Guy spun flax into glistening gold coins. (Rumpelstiltskin spun straw into glistening gold coins.)

So....ask for more than just a Fairy Tale....
ask Carol to play with the words too!

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The First Annual Storytelling Festival

At this event sponsored by the Farmington, Utah Arts Council, Carol treated a group of children and their parents to a raucous give-and-take version of the Three Piddle Ligs!

The children seated comfortably on blankets and the storyteller seated nearby in the rocking chair provided by the festival organizers enjoyed mending the "Spoonerized" version together.

The children corrected the storyteller and taught her how to say "three little pigs" and "big bad wolf" the right way!

Would you like to get your own copy of The Three Piddle Ligs? It's ready to tell and to improvise in your own creative way!

Be sure to enter "The Three Piddle Ligs" on the subject line when you connect with
Carol's email address.

Request here: The Three Piddle Ligs

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Contact Carol My email is caesterreicher@earthlink.net
Disclaimer: The availability of information from other organizations indirectly via this page does not constitute an endorsement by Carol Esterreicher. If you are concerned about the accuracy or appropriateness of any information, it is recommended that you contact the original publisher or distributor of that information.
Updated: June 20, 2010.