T here was once a boy who was very rich and clever. He had practically everything a boy could ever want, so he was only interested in the most rare and curious of objects. This happened to him in relation to a very old mirror, and he convinced his parents to buy it from a mysterious old man. When the mirror arrived home, the boy went to see his reflection in it. His face looked very sad indeed. He tried smiling and making funny faces, but his reflection continued with its sad expression. Surprised, the boy went off to buy sweets. He came home as happy as can be, to look in the mirror, but his image was still sad-looking. He bought all kinds of toys and old junk, but forever looked sad in that mirror. Fed up, the boy stuck the mirror off in a corner. "Crikey, what a terrible mirror! It's the first time I've seen a mirror that didn't work properly!" That same afternoon he went into the street to play and to buy a few toys, but on his way to the park he saw...
As a learning tool, storytelling can encourage us to explore their unique expressiveness and can heighten our ability to communicate thoughts and feelings in an articulate, lucid manner. These benefits transcend the art experience to support daily life skills. In our fast-paced, media-driven world, storytelling can be a nurturing way to remind us that spoken words are powerful, that listening is important, and that clear communication between people is an art.