THE STORYCRAFTING VIDEO

Monika Riihelä 2001 Stakes Filminova Finland

The children are telling their stories in finish in an ordinary institution for Early Childhood Education. These stories on the video have been collected as part of the Storyride project. The stories in this video have been later translated into English. Translations are never like the original products. In every language the words have certain sounds and variations that are impossible to translate without problems. This is particularly the case with children's own expressions in their stories.

In part one, a boy Aleksi and a girl Carita told seven stories spontaneously. They probably would have continued, but the adults around them were already a bit tired. These 4-years-old children do not only create stories together in a very co-operative manner, but they also make up a choreography with their hands to combine the words with a beautiful dance. And everything happens spontaneously, with joy and marvellous co-operation.

In part two Jussi and Ville, two 4-years-old boys are drawing their stories on the paper. And after a while, the separate stories begin to communicate and a group story emerges. The teacher is documenting the narratives the boys are creating. But something seems to be disturbing Ville. He begins to repeat: No entry to my world! This expression reveals something about the situation. There was a big camera and three adults who were listening to the boys' combined drawing, telling and playing.

In part three Roosa and Oona, 4-years-old girls, can't make up any story to tell. They put their hands on their mouths with smile in their eyes. Even when the teacher tries to give them ideas, they won't tell anything. At the end, the girls leave the room. After a while Roosa is back in front of the camera with two other playmates. And immediately Roosa tells happily, that she has the opportunity to be there already for the second time. And now the story about the bunny begins.
In part four a group of 5- to 6-years-old children had homework to tell stories to their parents and the parents had to write them down to their notebooks. You can see how exciting it is for the children to let the other in the group listen to their stories. Anni is especially proud of her story, because she had written it herself. And her story was about true-life experiences, she was making pancakes following her own recipe.

HANDS TALKING: Aleksi (4-year-old boy) and Carita (4-year-old girl) are telling seven stories.

BATMAN
Then he goes down. Then he goes up. Then he goes this way. Then he lands. Then he comes here. He has a cape. Then he bounces. Boing, boing… Then he flies. Into his eye, he didn't see. They couldn't catch him. 'Cos he flew. He didn't die. He goes down again and walks and creeps. Then he walks on Batman's creeping, quietly. Then he flies.I've seen Batman… There was a bird, and the man walked down and then came Batman. Then Batman was with the bird. Yes. Then he just flew. Then he shot full blast, and then he shot some baddies. He's bad.- No he's not, he's good.
- He's not good, he's bad.
- He is good.
Let's tell about something else. About a lion.

About THE LION
The lion was walking in the shop. - Like this. He had sharp claws. He was going on tiptoe. A little lion came. And a big lion. Like this. He didn't know how to walk backwards. He turned like this. Then came such a small lion. Then came such a small one. As small as this.
Now they went to their own home. Now came a giant lion. Now comes a mummy lion, a weightlifter lion, strong.
No it didn't, no. A baby comes now. Where are mummy and daddy? It calls for its sister. The sister comes to the little one.
Sister, sister!
Well, here I am
Good morning sister.
Come and follow us
Then the lion fell down. He fell into a canyon. Then the crocodile ate the lion to death.
Not dead, he didn't die.
- He died.
- The daddy is dead, he fell from heaven.
Then Simba came.
- No he didn't, it was Simba's mummy, quickly jumped there - 'cos Simba has sharp teeth. And the daddy says:
- Simba, why did you come here?
But then the daddy lion says -"Simba let's go home". But he didn't know how to go. No, ‘cos daddy wasn't with him. Yes, 'cos he died.

About THE LITTLE ELEPHANT
The little elephant was walking. Tip tap, tip tap. And then daddy came. Then a man knocked on the door.
- Knock, knock
But nobody answered. Suddenly the phone rang.
- Hello, hi, yeah
Then it put the phone down and suddenly the phone rang again. Then it fell, - look, this split like this. It was bleeding. Yes and then it died. Then suddenly on the ground:
"Simba!"
"Simba! Why did you come into my lap? I'm dead"

About THE GIRAFFE
About a giraffe. About… … a giraffe. The giraffe is walking. The giraffe is walking. On its long legs, up. And the giraffe looks on the roof.- Yes. Let's go onto the roof!
We want to tell about something else, too!

About THE PENGUIN
About the penguin… Crept here into the storeroom. Crept into the cellar. Then it ate some poison… Then it died. Poison…No, me!…of the bush, the thorny bush, - and died. And there were marks like this. It became flat like this.Let's tell about the talking door!

About THE TALKING DOOR
It walked like this. It said: bodibadi… Then it went here under. Help, help! The door opened. A giant kicked it. Now the door shut. Bang bang, the penguin hit the door. Batman hit, bang! Bang! Then it hit it to pieces with its fist. Like this.- Yes
Then it drilled with a drill. Then this hit it. Then it hit it. Then it drilled. Then it sawed. Sawed with a motor machine. Then hit with a car. Then the car drove over it. Then the car stroked it. It drove like this.
- Then it said it was sorry. Sorry granny, sorry finger

About THE TEDDY BEAR
Let's tell about a teddy bear! The teddy bear walks. Walks upstairs. Then it got lost - and fell in a canyon. And walks downstairs. Then, quickly under the table. It came here to hide. And then came a robber. It hid. It didn't find this teddy bear. Not this one either. Then nothing else. Nothing else. Then let's tell about… whisper to me Carita!Finished? Yes!

NO ENTRY INTO MY WORLD
Two 4 year old boys, Jussi and Ville
I did circles for the snow castle… tyres! I'm going by a car. The way goes from here to there.A roadway. The arrow started flying over there. There's a candle in the snow castle. Who will draw a candle for me here?
I will.
Where?
There.
Here?
Yes
Jussi's just doing a candle for me. Some small bug fired a shot. It was a wasp. The wasp shot straight there. There was the ghost of the snow castle. It scared me, did it scare you?
- Yeah, it was trying to catch me. I ran away so fast, it couldn't catch me. A jail, wow, I'm doing a jail here. Now I'm doing the real snow castle. Why do you do a jail there? There should be one, the jail in the snow castle, that's why I do it.
Now I'm doing the real snow castle, big. With a round tummy. I'm doing another snow castle. I'll draw on the other side. This is going to be such a big castle.
Look, Jussi how big it is!
Here's a door.
Look at the snow castle. I've drawn!
Here's door, quite good. I can't get out! I'd like to live in a snow castle. - Me too. Then I'd be trapped under it when summer came. Yes, when the snow melts. I'd come under ground. I don't want to go into the lava! I want to go up! The head comes out …plut plut plut…Then I wrote that there's no entry into my snow castle. Then I did that giant there. You mean the castle ghost. Yes. No entry into my snow castle, into my house.Here's the giant.
No entry…Look what long legs! Terribly long! I do like that, wow! Copy me, Ville! Now a bit smaller. Here's the giant that waved. Look what kind of hand this is!Ville, that giant waved at me. Didn't you wave at it? Yes, - even though I was scared. Then I left and it waved at me. And me, too. Bye-bye! Then after me, quickly home!
It said "Bye-bye, Jussi!" Then it farted It came… what was it? The snow cas… When I waved at it, it came straight after me. And when I waved, it came after me, I hit it. Did you hit it on the leg? Yes, and I threw it straight guess where at the wasp's nest!Ow, that hurts, ow, ow, ow!
Jussi, look how big, quite a lot of heads! Look what kind of ears this has! Look how many heads this one has! So many. Up till there, wow! Hey, I'll do fires. Fire eyes, too. This one will shoot… I'm doing it all fire, this snow castle ghost. Hey, then it began to fire, at that candle.No entry into my world.
I'm also writing here: "No entry into my world". It says here "No entry into my world"
No entry into my world.
No entry… 'Cos this is my world, and I can't be disturbed. Into my world no……entry.Now that's enough, do do, blockhead. Now I'm writing my own name here

I CAN'T SAY
Two girls, Roosa 4 years and Oona 4 years are going to tell their story, but ….When the girls are sitting quiet, the adult begun to make questions and suggestions:
I'll write down your story. What's the name of the story? You'll get the stories in your own files. Once upon a time… will you start, Roosa? Oona, you start! Once upon a time there was……a dog.Roosa and Oona don’t want to tell any stories, but ….after a little while Roosa is back again and starts telling …)About the bunny!
Tell about the bunny.
"Funny, I could join in twice", says Roosa with a happy voice

STORIES FROM HOME
The adult starts reading from the papers the children brought from home. Children’s parents had used the storycrafting method as an exercise for pre-school children.First I'll read Ilari's story. Once upon a time there was a mean ghost…

THE GHOST CASTLE
Ilari, 6 year old boy
The ghost had a prisoner in the castle. There were ten ghosts, and one was guarding the castle. There was a lot of money and it was a terrifying castle. Two blokes had got lost in the forest. The ghost took them prisoner. The ghosts had a radio, which let them know who was attacking the castle. They take prisoner all who try to attack them. One bloke's tractor had stopped, he was taken prisoner, too. A good ghost had got lost in the forest, but a spooky man caught it but the good ghost beat the spooky man and released all blokes. The mean ghost took them prisoner again, but the spooky man went through the cottage, because it was invisible.
The mean ghosts were taken prisoner. They launched a rocket. Then a vulture arrived. It knocked the good ghost to the ground but the blokes shot the vulture and cured the good ghost. Then came 13 mean blokes, but the good ghost beat them. It was shot, but they cured it again. Then night fell. The mean ghosts went haunting but the spooky man hooted so scarily that they went to the castle to tremble. Another good ghost came and it was taken prisoner. Then came a spooky man who rescued it it was a good spooky man. All good ghosts were released. The mean ghost and its guards stayed in the castle in prison. The blokes and the good ghosts left the castle they took all the money and went to the good spooky man's ghost home.
And that was Ilari's story
My story is the last one!
Anni, do you want to read your story or should I read it?
You read it

THE STORY
Anni, 5 year old girl, reads her own story.
This is called "The Story". It's a true story! This is a true story.
I made my own pancake recipe. Then I made the mixture. P.S. It turned out .
Baaaaaad…Yuuuuuk…Anni has written this story herself. It was great!Now read my story!

THE BUSY DAY
Niko, 6 year old boy
Mökelö was in the forest. He met Bopman there. They started to collect mushrooms into the rucksack. They decided to go skating and aeroplaning and fly to America. It's winter there. They made a snowman…- Don't then laugh at me!Then they went to the swimming pool and to the shop to buy popcorn, sweeties, milk and coffee, and Bopman drank electric coffee. They wanted to go to the florist, too, after which they went aeroplaning to Europe. It was raining in Europe, and they left for home. At home Mökelö had some tea and Bopman electric tea.
The end!"

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