I first started capturing her storytelling using the video mode on our digital camera, around about April, but she soon refused to let me film her. So I tried writing her stories while she told them, using pen and paper. That lasted for only a few stories too, before she caught on. Since then, I've been recording her using a mini MP3 recorder, which is pretty unobtrusive, and transcribing the audio later. She then objected strongly to this as well... Nowadays I use a combo of MP3 and video to record her before transcribing. I only manage to record a fraction of the stories she tells. I always have a backlog of stories on the recorder that still need transcribing, as it's impossible for me to keep up with her. To help new readers, I've marked my favourite stories with a star (*), so at least you have somewhere to start if you don't know where to begin. Don't forget to check the older archives too - there are some gems in there as well!

Sunday 26 August 2007

Another short story, 2007-08-09

She also uses the "story within a story" technique here, but to a lesser degree


There was a princess whose name was Bethany

Then her mother came and was so angry... she gone somewhere else

“Yes, my dear,” said Bethany, “what do you want?”

“Never mind..”

“YES!!” (indecipherable phrase) Bethany’s mommy

Daddy, “DON’T.. GET.. THAT.. STUFF...IN..SIDE...THAT...PIG!” he shouted out

“Mommy, my dear,” said Bethany, “you want something for me...”

“Of course!” said Mommy, “I will just get something for you! What do you want?” Mommy said

“Some sugar please”

“But I don’t have any sugar!” said Mommy

“Hmm.. please get me some, some sucrose then”

“Yes! I have that! Do you want some?”

“That is snow,” said Daddy, “I just want some English... get me a English book”

“One of my English books? Alright!”

She took and went to Daddy. “Do you want this book? Yes?”

“I want this book, I’m reading this book”

“Alright!.... Yeees or no,” I said

("Reading the book")

“Aladar! May (indecipherable phrase) she saw!”

A dinosaur long ago that (indecipherable)

“Aladaaar!” said Corythosaurus

“I’m ok.. I got a scare inside there”

“What?” said daddy... said her daddy

“Uh-hm.. YES?” said baby Bethany, “What do you want? What do you want?”

“(Chanting, to the tune of “Are You Sleeping”) My dear, my dear... very kind, very kind... shall we shall we shine now, shall we shall we shine now... shall we shine”

Baby was always pride to see that thing

(Chants again) “Where will shine again”, baby singed, in another place... of a place...

SHE EXIT AAAAA for a while...

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