February 2025 Newsletter
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Dear SAS Members,
Our 19th Annual General Meeting is happening on the 22nd of February 2025. ?
Time: 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Venue: 133 North Bridge Road, Chinatown Point #21-06, Room M2 & M3 (Nearest MRT: Chinatown)
All members are welcome! However, only Professional Members (PMs) and Voting Associate Members (VAMs)have voting rights.
Registration is mandatory—don’t forget to sign up!
Stay after the AGM for Storytelling Games!
Please check your email for details and documents. For queries please email SAS at storytellingsingapore@gmail.com.
Free Online Oral Storytelling event via Zoom hosted by Storytelling Association (Singapore).
The theme of World Storytelling Day 2025 is Deep Water. This theme can have many meanings: stories in which a character is in trouble, stories about magical waters, or stories connected to deep waters like the sea, a lake, or a river.
If you would like to tell a prepared story in 9 minutes or less, please let us know via the registration link to be put on the list to tell a short story that must include ‘Water’. in part of the story.
Please note:
- The stories are told, not read.
- The stories can be aimed at any age-group.
- Come as a listener or teller. All welcome.
- Zoom link will be sent when you register for the session.
Events in Singapore & Around the World
Click here to find out more and to register for the course.
SAS is an institutional member of FEAST and SAS members can avail of the special institutional member rate.
FEAST has numerous events (some free and some for a small fee) every month. To find out more or to become a member go to their website here.
The sun rises, sets, hides, blazes, and sometimes disappears—at least in stories. The tales will explore the many faces of the sun in myths, folktales, and personal narratives. From ancient legends of stolen sunlight to stories of golden dawns and fiery tempers, these stories illuminate the ways the sun shapes our world and our imaginations. Join us as storytellers weave tales of warmth, wonder, and mystery—where the sun is lost, found, chased, and cherished. Whether shining bright or slipping away, the sun is never just a source of light; it’s a symbol, a force, and a character in its own right
If you would like to tell a prepared story of 5-6 minutes email Christine Carlton at storyaus@gmail.com to be put on the list to tell a short story that must include the words “they all saw it”. The stories are told, not read.
This is a free online event organised by the Australian Storytelling Guild (NSW) Come as a listener or teller. All welcome.
Wednesday, 19th January 2025 – 4.20 pm SGT
Register on Humanitix for your free link.
This interactive workshop explores the power of imagination. Through lecture, demonstration, and playful verbal improvisation, participants will examine how the use of imagination can bring a storyteller’s tales to life by inspiring expressiveness in words, the sound of words, facial expression, body language, and gesture .
About Heather Forest : Heather Forest is an award-winning storyteller, author, and musician. Please visit her website to find out more www.heatherforest.com
Please note that SAS is an institutional member of FEAST and SAS members can avail of the special institutional member rate. Contact feaststory@gmail.com for this special rate.
Join Patchwork Stories on Zoom to share a traditional favourite. All are warmly welcome. Registration required.
Friday, February 14, 2025 8:00 AM Singapore time
Wednesday, February 26th, 9 am Singapore
Click here for the website and zoom link
Thursday, February 13th 2025, 8 am Singapore time
Slithering Snakes
Singapore ushered in the year of the wood snake as per the Chinese zodiac calendar. The Wood Snake is also known as the Year of the Green Snake because wood is associated with green in the Chinese Five Elements theory.
The Year of the Green Snake conjures up images of green snakes in Singapore. Oriental whip snakes, Wagler’s pit vipers, and red-tailed racers to name some.
Do snakes evoke fear in me? A little bit, yes. But snakes have slithered around Mother Earth for over 100 million years.
Like many in Singapore, I have had several encounters with snakes. Luckily all of them crawled away from me.
I have lost an uncle to a cobra bite. Did that cobra premeditate and perpetrate the bite with an intention of causing death? I don’t think so. It was a hot summer’s day, she saw no one around the kitchen and decided to take a siesta, coiled up contentedly on the header jamb of the kitchen door.
The kitchen washcloths were washed, dried, folded and hung across the header jamb for easy access, and uncle did his job on autopilot that afternoon little realizing that a cobra was enjoying her siesta there. Well, the upset cobra was disoriented, one dishcloth, two dishcloths, she had no more patience and felt threatened. She bit my uncle thrice and vanished.
Uncle went and lay down on a huge swing waiting for someone to come around so he could tell them. By the time someone came by it was too late, and his life couldn’t be saved. Did we develop an unhealthy phobia for snakes due to the incident? Definitely not.
The palm trees outside my grandparents’ home boasted of several oriental whip snakes and they are called, “kann kuthi paambu” in Tamil, literally translated as “eye poke snake”
The above is not the only cobra story from our family repertoire of cobra tales. None of the other stories ended up in any kind of human fatality. Many of those close encounters with snakes provided for some entertaining stories. We were told to keep our distance and be careful. Snakes were never vilified, we were told the creature must have come to look for a tasty tidbit, a lizard or perhaps a juicy rat. We coexisted with them, and were told the snakes were farmers’ friends.
Like Jason Baker, vice-president, PETA Asia said, “This Year of the Snake let us try and make it a year for the snake too.
Let us try and use caution and at the same time work towards minimizing our phobia of snakes.
We may not be Champions for the Environment, Nature, & Wildlife like Dr. Jane Goodall and Sir David Attenborough but we can certainly do our little bit of personal championing.
Most stories with snakes show them in a negative light but here is one story of a wise snake. After all, snakes are known for their wisdom.
Interpreter of Dreams
A very long time ago, there lived a king and one night that king had an unusual dream. We commoners put our dreams aside and don’t entertain it, but of course he was a king and wanted his dream interpreted.
He dreamed that a red fox was suspended by its bushy tail from the ceiling above his golden throne, snarling and snapping. His interpretation was perhaps something hazardous would fall on him and injure him. Hence when he woke up, he called his minister and asked him, “What could be the meaning of such a dream?”
The wise minister shook his head and shrugged his shoulders as he did not have an answer and knew how loaded a question it was.
Since the minister did not have an answer, he was tasked to gather every grown man and woman in the kingdom to the palace grounds.
“Surely”, the king thought to himself, “There must be someone in the land who could unriddle my dream.”
Well, people came from east and west, north and south. Now among the many people there was a simple farmer who lived among the mountains far to the north. As he travelled towards the king’s palace, he had to pass a narrow pathway between two mighty mountains and there, curled in the dust of the road was a snake. As the farmer drew close, the snake lifted its triangular head and asked, “Aaaaaah, traveller, stop and tell me, where are you going?”
The alarmed farmer stopped in his tracks and blurted out, “I…I…I’m going to the palace; the king has had a dream and wants it interpreted.”
“And traveller, do you know the meaning of that dream?” asked the snake.
“Me, I can tell stories but cannot interpret dreams.”
“Well, traveller, I can tell you the dream’s meaning, and if you tell the king he will reward you well.”
“Then tell me snake, tell me now!”
“Aaaaaaah, traveller, nothing comes from nothing, I will tell you only if you promise to share half of that reward with me.”
“I promise snake, now tell me.”
The king dreamed of a fox, hanging above his throne, and the meaning of the dream was whispered into the farmer’s ear.
The farmer listened, nodded and continued his journey, and after some days he joined the crowd at the palace grounds. Drums beat, the king’s dream was shared, and a great hush fell on the people. None gathered could unriddle the dream.
Just then from the back of the crowd, came a voice, “Your Majesty! Your Majesty! I can interpret your dream.”
The farmer was brought before the king.
“Your Majesty! The dream is a warning to you. These are times of cunning and deceit, no one is to be trusted, and your kingdom is like a den of foxes.”
The king nodded and smiled, and he thought the dream was well read. The king ordered the royal treasurer to give two bags of gold to the farmer.
The momentarily content farmer set off for home, but he was careful to avoid the path between the mountains where the kind snake lived. He took a longer route around the mountain so he could keep all the gold for himself.
Time passed and soon the king had a second dream.
He dreamed that a sword was hanging by a hair from the ceiling above his golden throne. A sharpened sword, flashing and spinning, suspended by a fine thread. “Not again”, said the king. “Why are things always suspended above my throne?”
The king’s task seemed easier this time, he ordered his minister to summon that farmer from the north.
When the farmer received the king’s message his heart sank, but then greed for more gold took over and once again he set off along the narrow path between the two mountains.
“Snake, snake!” he called out. There was no answer. “Snake, snake, I need your help again!” he implored.
“Aah, traveller, I am here.”
“The king has had a second dream.”
“I know, and I will tell you its meaning, but only if you truly promise to share half of your reward with me.”
“This time snake, I truly promise.”
The king dreamed of a sword, hanging above his throne, and the snake whispered the meaning of the dream into the farmer’s ear.
The farmer continued his journey, and after some days he was standing before the king.
“Majesty, your dream is a piece of advice, and it is telling you to be circumspect and that these are times of anger and warfare. Your enemies are preparing for battle, and your kingdom is bristling with sharpened swords.”
“The dream is well read,” the king nodded and smiled. This time the farmer was rewarded with four bags of gold.
The king got busy preparing for an impending battle.
As for the emboldened farmer, this time he followed the narrow path between the mountains, but when he saw the snake curled in the dust of the road waiting for him, he was filled with anger and drew his knife.
“Aaaaaa, traveller, you have brought me my share!”
“You’ll have nothing but a toad and some toddy!” He chased the snake away and hacked off its tail with his knife.
And he kept all the gold for himself.
Time passed. Then one night the king dreamed a third dream. He dreamed that the carcass of a sheep was hanging by its legs from the ceiling above his golden throne. A fat, dressed carcass, skinned and split like meat in a butcher’s shop. “Not again! Why is it always above my throne?” thought the king.
Once again, the farmer was called for.
You guessed right. Greed knows no pride nor promises. The farmer set out for the third time along the narrow path between the mountains to ask for help.
He called out, “Snake, snake!” There was no answer. “Snake, please snake, forgive me!” There was no answer.
“Snake, I need you again.”
“Aha, traveller, I am here.”
“Snake, I beg you to forgive me, the king has dreamed again.”
“I know, and I will tell you the meaning, if this time you swear to share your reward with me.”
“I swear, half will be yours.”
The king dreamed of a sheep’s carcass, hanging above his throne, and the snake divulged the meaning of the dream.
The farmer continued his journey and soon reached the palace. “Majesty, your dream is telling you there will be satisfaction amongst your people, and these are times of ease and generosity, there is contentment, your kingdom is like a fat carcass giving peace and plenty to all.”
“The dream is well read.” the king nodded and smiled. The farmer was rewarded with six bags of gold, and he made his way straight back to the path between the mountains.
“Snake, snake!”
The snake came and the farmer knelt beside it with tears in his eyes.
“Snake, now you must take all these six bags of gold, for truly it is half of all that I have won, and I have no words to tell you how ashamed I am at having treated you so badly.”
But the snake lifted its thin head and bobbed it sadly from side to side.
“Traveller, traveller, you have done no wrong, there is no blame. You are just one among many. When the kingdom was like a den of foxes, you too were treacherous and cunning, and you went home the other way. When the kingdom was bristling with sharpened swords, you too were quick to anger, and you cut off my tail. And now that the kingdom is like a fat carcass giving peace and plenty to all, you too are suddenly filled with kindness, and you offer me your gold. But, traveller, what use have I, the oldest of the old and the wisest of the wise, for your paltry gold? Keep it and go in peace.”
With that the snake slid into a crack in a rock and was gone.
And the farmer swung the bags over his shoulders and continued his journey – but suddenly the gold seemed heavy against his back.
Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. Langston Hughes
References
The Snake of Dreams
Rewritten from a Georgian Tale by Hugh Lupton. (© Hugh Lupton 2002).
A similar story is told in The Mahabharata, called, Start of Iron Age.