(BLACK PR WIRE) -- “Once upon a time there was a…,” sounds familiar? Well, this is how most, if not all folktales begin. This is how one knows that a story is about to be told. This is also the time to be quiet and listen to the incredible tale. Whether it is a prince kissing a dead princess and bringing her back to life, a princess turning a frog into a prince, or a witch being banished from earth, storytelling is a magical thing for children. It expands their minds and forces them to imagine things out of the ordinary and think out of the box. Children love the fantasy world where they get to travel on a magic carpet and be invincible when facing things that might ordinarily scare them.

The mythical world of storytelling is ancient. Every culture has its own form of storytelling. In some places, this is how citizens of a country learn about their history and culture. In my neighborhood in Haiti, storytelling is a daily tradition before we go to sleep. It is very educational and popular. Every night, youths gather around their grandmothers, aunts, or any older relative to listen the stories about “Bouki ak Ti Malice,” Bouki and Ti Malice, the most popular stories, “Ti Soufri,” The Sufferer and many other tales. No matter how many times we hear the stories, we always want to hear them again as if they are different every time. Before the storytellers start their story, they yell, “Krik, Se Twouve Se Twouva.” The listeners or audience scream “Krak, Vava A La Bèl Istwa.” 

I could not tell you even if I wanted to what those words mean. The first set of words serves as a notice to let the listeners know that a story is about to begin. The second set is to assure the tellers that they have the full attention of the audience. It gets quiet and serious. The only person speaking is the storyteller while the listeners focus and follow every move, every sound effect made by the storyteller.

Nowadays, stories are not told as often. Those beautiful stories are instead written. The stories are just as magical and fun. However, there is something about the oral feature of telling a story that gives the children an instant rush to get lost in their imaginary world and fantasize.