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!

Saturday 20 October 2007

The Healer and the Germs, 2007-09-12

Although this story is not as coherent as it could be, it is nonetheless very interesting for the dual perspective it introduces. The first part is obviously influenced by Bible stories of Jesus as a Healer and Friend. Then in the second part she switches perspective and approaches it from a whole different angle – that of the germs!

“We will help you,” said the boy, coming and looking at one of the sick, “Go fetch! You too.”

So he fetched, and fetched and fetched and fetched. For a second.... for a second there was a loud BANG!! He looked up and saw it’s a knocking something there over and over and over. He knocked over and over and over till he as though no can do anything else without.

“This not a summer end,” he said, “talking by me,” he said. “There will be something at the same time, and nothing will be with me too. I will be cheap (indecipherable). I will love everyone, and I will love you too. I will love everyone in the whole wide world,” he said. (Reflects Bible’s influence).

“Got my leave, looking in the phone now.” (not sure this is transcribed correctly!)

“I will love everyone,” said the man too. “He was their friend, and I will be their friend too. And I will be their friend, Chin and Pip.” Pin and Pip have demanded to the other one, “And we will be there.”

And then he moved the whole world bad guy. He made the whole world bad guy. For a second he makes up his (indecipherable). (Her own inference on God’s role as Creator?)

The next section of the story is told from the perspective of the germs that cause illness.

“Find the dessert!!” They have found it, the dessert. They have found the dessert, where the dessert went. “I will find it for you,” said the hermit. “It’s under a big red dish, that led to the bottom and it goes ALACK... doom. And sometimes has been chewed. I’ll find it for you.”

So he looked and looked, up and up and up and up, up up... for his need of... that could wander out with his... with his brother. “I CAN!!! Do that... pinch his nose.”

“Pinching a nose is very fine, you can do all sorts of things with it like that, or a nose or a shin or a needle. I will always spread disease... germs. (Soft singsong) germs germsy germs, germs germsy germs, germs germs germsy germs, germs germs germsy germs, germs germs germsy germs.... are we the bad guy? Meet the bad guy!” (In an undertone) This is the bad guy... he’s coming.

The doctor spied him.

Sounds how you do it. Up and up they went! Up the stairs, then down the stairs, then down and down and down. Down the stairs they went, feeling... and be feeling by the (indecipherable). They went down and goed upstairs again, and goed down the stairs by his BISH! Bish down bish down, bish one way up. They bished down. Then they bished up. Then they used (indecipherable). They settled by noon, and after they have finished they got a lovely bunch of coconuts... they lied. (Mumbled phrase of a song).

Came nearer... they walked deeper into the big big house, but nothing was there. Only some mills and some miles, some mills and some miles... and villagers. There were (indecipherable) villagers to read. To read, they went up and up the stairs, how they could. There was there’s a big room. He scampered up into the... scampered up... scampered up. He scampered up into the big (indecipherable) that growed there. There was no escape. “There was no escape,” she said, he said.

Up and up the hill they went. Up, up and up the stairs, they were finding one of the blue man. It was him. And one day they walked up and up the stairs, and softly tread. Then she go down the stairs again. And go up the stairs and down the stairs and up the stairs and... “I’m... I’m too tired...”

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