1. Let’s tell a story. It could be scary, it could be heroic, it could be funny, it could be about love, it could be sad, it could be about you, it could be about people around you, it could be about animals/birds/fish, it could be about cars/trains/planes/ships, it could be about mountains, about being lost and found, it could be historical, about the future, in space, about monsters, about food, about secrets, about telling lies and telling the truth, about teachers, about crime, about saving someone, about making something, about holidays.. ABOUT ANYTHING IN THE WORLD.... AND BEYOND IT! This is Aesop the famous writer of fables. He lived over two and a half thousand years ago and all his stories – his fables – had a message to tell – something to learn and enrich our lives.

2. This is an Aesop fable Now you must know that a Town Mouse once upon a time went on a visit to his cousin in the country. He was rough and ready, this cousin, but he loved his town friend and made him heartily welcome. Beans and bacon, cheese and bread, were all he had to offer, but he offered them freely. The Town Mouse rather turned up his long nose at this country fare, and said: "I cannot understand, Cousin, how you can put up with such poor food as this, but of course you cannot expect anything better in the country; come you with me and I will show you how to live. When you have been in town a week you will wonder how you could ever have stood a country life." No sooner said than done: the two mice set off for the town and arrived at the Town Mouse's residence late at night. "You will want some refreshment after our long journey," said the polite Town Mouse, and took his friend into the grand dining-room. There they found the remains of a fine feast, and soon the two mice were eating up jellies and cakes and all that was nice. Suddenly they heard growling and barking. "What is that?" said the Country Mouse. "It is only the dogs of the house," answered the other. "Only!" said the Country Mouse. "I do not like that music at my dinner." Just at that moment the door flew open, in came two huge mastiffs, and the two mice had to scamper down and run off. "Good-bye, Cousin," said the Country Mouse, "What! going so soon?" said the other. "Yes," he replied; Better beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear This is Aesop the famous writer of fables. He lived over two and a half thousand years ago and all his stories – his fables – had a message to tell – something to learn and enrich our lives.

3. This is one of Nesreddin Hodja’s stories. The Smell of Soup and the Sound of Money A beggar was given a piece of bread, but nothing to put on it. Hoping to get something to go with his bread, he went to a nearby inn and asked for a handout. The innkeeper turned him away with nothing, but the beggar sneaked into the kitchen where he saw a large pot of soup cooking over the fire. He held his piece of bread over the steaming pot, hoping to thus capture a bit of flavor from the good- smelling vapor. Suddenly the innkeeper seized him by the arm and accused him of stealing soup. "I took no soup," said the beggar. "I was only smelling the vapor." "Then you must pay for the smell," answered the innkeeper. The poor beggar had no money, so the angry innkeeper dragged him before the qadi. Now Nasreddin Hodja was at that time serving as qadi, and he heard the innkeeper's complaint and the beggar's explanation. "So you demand payment for the smell of your soup?" summarized the Hodja after the hearing. "Yes!" insisted the innkeeper. "Then I myself will pay you," said the Hodja, "and I will pay for the smell of your soup with the sound of money." Thus saying, the Hodja drew two coins from his pocket, rang them together loudly, put them back into his pocket, and sent the beggar and the innkeeper each on his own way. This is Nesreddin Hodja a very famous Turkish story teller. Like Aesop he told fables and there was always something to learn but his stories were about tricks and trickery whereas Aesop told stories of animals. He was born in 1208 and died in 1284

4. Now let us see if we can find some pictures to start your stories. They are not great scenes of battle or spaceships; they are not great love scenes or heroism but you can make the stories like that from just a small start – such as a picture.

5. Just a few patient vultures! Or patient zebras? Or an even more patient alligator – or is it crocodile? How do you tell?

6. Who is she really and why the mask? Aaaah, what happened, they were real people yesterday???? Who are these plaster soldiers and were they ever real?

7. The cat whose home vanished. The magic hotdog The tree with golden leaves

8. That does not look good!” The day the moon turned orange All was quiet on the sleepy River Tyne – or was it?

9. Those are just a few pictures to start if you want to use them. Words are just as good as starting points especially if you put two or three words together that may not seem right – even silly - perhaps at first glance sugar ships, bright red tree, talking tortoise, giant biro, glass front door Go on try a few yourself – its fun