Resources

Faire Tales: Folktales, Fables & Fairy tales Containing the Wit & Wisdom of the Ages for All Ages (audio cassette) retold by Angela Cay Klinger. Self-produced, 1996. ISBN 0-9650232-1¬4 45 mills. $10

CD available 2006

A note on the j-card of Angela's tape describes this as "a listening adventure for the imagjnation for home, carpool, commute or classroom." I'll buy that. There are six stories on the tape: two Grimm's tales, a story based on a Greek myth, one based on a Jewish folktale, a fable from India, and an Asian folktale. I considered how the tales would be heard/used in each of the places suggested in the note and it was not difficult to see how listeners in any of those situations could hear and learn from the stories. That's the beauty of tales which have survived, and been honed by, the test of time. There are truths in them which have helped them to live for generations, and speak to generations not to mention entertain generations.

Turtle on a Stick is a familiar tale found in many cultures, including Native North American. It is, of course, the story of turtle flying south, and it has an explanation of why turtle's shell is cracked as well as the caution that sometimes it is better to bite your tongue than to speak in anger. It, and A Drop of Honey, are helpful stories for teaching conflict resolution. The Oak and the Linden is a story of love, generosity and devotion rewarded. The Archer is a tale for many audiences, including those in the business world and board room and The Golden Key can not only shorten long car rides, it is also tailor made for classroom and workshop use.

I feel uncomfortable stressing the messages and use of the stories on the tape because first and foremost it is an entertaining collection. Klinger has retold the stories, some of which are old friends, in a way which puts her own personal stamp on them. Her voice in the studio setting has an intimate quality, and she makes the most of its expressive range. Pacing and vocal characterization are good and there is a nice use of Renaissance music in the interludes behveen stories. There are sound effects added in some stories: a creaking door, the sound of an arrow. I didn't feel they were necessary but most of them worked. The only ones which didn't were those which had crowd sounds behind the teller's voice. These I found quite distracting, and in one case, too loud. However, these are minor considerations when you look at the overall quality of the tape.

Listed as available on Angela's website June 2014

Order from Angela Cay Klingler

P.O. Box 530, Salem, NH 03079

Phone/Fax: (603) 898-0537

http://www.angelaklingler.com/audio.htm

email: AKFairTale@aol.com