Rashmi Rekha Das
Children these days are so enamoured of other gadgets like the laptop and the smartphone that they happen to be unaware of the secret pleasures of listening to stories
“Tell me a story” is the universal appeal of a child. Children love stories. Have you ever heard a kid saying no to a story? Whoever be the storyteller, toddlers get attracted to stories. Be it a fairy tale or a parable, a mythological story, a jack tale, a fable, a legendary story, a picture story, children get naturally drawn towards stories anytime.
Since the dawn of civilisation, stories have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, cultural preservation and a way to instill moral values. And people continue the tradition of telling stories from generation to generation.
The bedtime story is often the most memorable for a child. Among the various forms of stories, fairy tales depicting characters of mermaids, gnomes, trolls, elves, giants, dragons and goblins are all-time favourites of children. So what is it about stories that appeal to children? Orissa POST spoke to a few toddlers about why they love listening to stories.
Sachit Dash, a three-year-old kid from Bhubaneswar, says stammering a bit that he does eat till his mama starts narrating a story. Besides, listening to stories before going to bed is a must for him. “I love listening stories from my uncle and mama because it gives me lots of fun. I play the characters depicted in the story when no one is there to play with me at home”, Sachit adds.
Here is a kid who seems out of place as he never listens to stories. Two-and-a-half-year-old Swayam Mishra says he only listens to rhymes before going to sleep. Although it sounds a bit strange, it is true. His mother explains that he plays games in the tab and cell phone. When she starts telling a story to Swayam the child does not show interest and she stops after a while.
For Anwesh Anshutam Bhanja, a four-year-old kid from Khurda, stories are his favourite pastime. He never thinks of a day sans stories. He loves listening to stories from his mother, as she is a good narrator. “My mama tells me stories especially legendary tales every day. Stories make me aware about the good deeds of legends and their contribution for our motherland,” quips Anwesh.
Dipsha Bisoi, however, feels that stories help children like her to know the difference between right and wrong. “My mother always tells me mythological stories which teach important lessons and moral values. My mother listened to stories during her childhood from her mother. I will tell stories to my baby,” she says.