Funny story

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You will find lots of priceless humor in urban folktales. My CD Parking in Manhattan illustrates many humorous circumstances. Folks can relate to and empathize with the characters involved in these hilarious comedies. Priceless situations create priceless humor.

You can also find many examples of priceless humor in world stories.

When I was a kid, I often heard the word “nifty” in reference to things like fancy cars and outrageous fashion. It alluded to the uniqueness and stylishness of the subject being described. As time passed, I heard the word used in a wider range of conversations, including nifty evenings out, nifty concerts, and nifty songs. Even later, the word took on a more cultured definition in reference to poems, books, and, of course, nifty stories.

Whenever I heard the word I assumed it meant something good, something attractive.

And without time to reflect, how can we develop insight into the affairs of the day? This is where inspirational stories serve us well. Inspirational stories give listeners something to chew on. They give us something to consider. Something that points us a bit closer to our “true north. ” Something that offers a little perspective to life.

One can discover the Golden Rule in most plots. Regardless of genre, any worthy world story can be applied to contemporary life. And that brings us to storytelling today. Modern society is a far cry from rural villages, yet the stories ring true regardless.

Some world stories are downright funny.

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Many world stories are full of insight. Often world stories are enigmatic. Generally world stories teach. All world stories keep us amused.

Regardless of their intent, all world stories express deep bonds with the fabric of a country and culture.

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Looking for inspiration? You can find inspirational stories and more at http://www. jaystetzer. com. Go to the “Listen” page on the site and you will surely discover a number of stories with relevant messages. Two good examples of inspirational stories are “The Egg Seller” and “Herschel and the Wedding” from my CD World Full of Stories.

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The world of folktales is also inhabited by fairy tales. The questioning minds of preliterate villagers found apt expression through stories of magic and mystery. Cautionary tales abound, all of them containing messages to avert disaster. Do not go into the deep, dark woods! Keep away from wild animals! Avoid strangers! Then again, many folktales tell of reward and happy endings. Good and evil are eternal foes.

Often world stories are enigmatic. Generally world stories teach. All world stories entertain.

No matter what, all world stories maintain a deep bond with the fabric of their culture. People tell of their experiences through world stories.

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Something that the listener can relate to. Maybe there is a message. It might give the listener a suggestion of a new direction. It might even state a moral. The name one might give to this ephemeral quality is not as important as the fact that the stories I tell actually possess it.

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Often world stories are inscrutable. Generally world stories teach. All world stories entertain.

No matter what, all world stories maintain a deep bond with the fabric of their culture. The experiences of people are drawn in world stories.

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It was tough going most of the time. It did not take very long to realize that a good gift is rare gift. A meaningful gift is even harder to find. And when I did find a special gift, I regarded it as something of a treasure. And I hoped my children would do the same.

The messages of long ago still have merit in the world today.

Why seek out inspirational stories? For one thing, we experience a deluge of information and news on a daily basis. Next, we live lives that leave no room for reflection. And without time to reflect, how can we develop insight into the affairs of the day? Here is the place for inspirational stories. A listener can mull over inspirational stories.

Glad I found this.

Great info. Thank you.

Garrison Kiellor. Look at history and the humorists that litter the pages. Mark Twain Ogden Nash. All of them were storytellers. Painting scenes with priceless humor.

Which one appeals to you? My personal penchant is for finding my own lessons when I listen to a story. The stories I chose for my Fables in Four Minutes and World Full of Stories CDs are good examples of nifty stories with subtle messages.

Nifty stories edify. Nifty stories appeal to a broad audience. Nifty stories carry a message that applies to all people.

I spent some serious hours searching for something unique, something meaningful. Most of the time it was rough going. It did not take very long to realize that a good gift is rare gift. A meaningful gift is even rarer. And when I did find a special gift, I regarded it as something of a treasure.

Many world stories derive from mythology. Creation stories form the majority of this category, along with other stories help explain the world.

Folktales, on the other hand, are generated from daily village life. Naturally, stories of the folk world are couched in rural settings. Fairy tales also live in the world of folktales.

Groovy.

There could even be an outright moral. It doesn’t really matter what name you give to this elusive quality; it is more important that the stories I tell possess it.

Even when I was growing up, I found myself deeply touched by inspirational stories. Both my mother and my grandfather told similar stories. Once in a while, a teacher would tell a story that held profound meaning to me.

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I have many memories of my life as a young parent. Some of them are downright exasperating! One of them involves purchasing gifts for my children. Gifts for the holidays. Gifts for birthdays. Gifts rewarding good behavior.

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The conversants generally cannot see the life lesson they offer. As a storyteller, my job is to sift through the data and sort out the meaning. Also, I need to inject a bit of humor to make the tale palatable. Priceless humor.

Virtually every storytelling genre contains examples of priceless humor.

I would search high and low for something meaningful, something unique. It was tough going most of the time. I quickly realized that a good gift is hard to find. A meaningful gift is even rarer. And whenever I succeeded in finding a gift that I regarded as special, I treasured it.

You could say that my idea of nifty stories is stories that enlighten as well as entertain. There needs to be a message beyond a witty punch line.

For example, a story with a moral is one that provides a clear message. It teaches using a concrete example. However, the lessons in many other stories may not be as obvious.

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For as long as humans could talk throughout the world stories have been told and retold. In the fabric of a culture, they act as vital threads in the weave. They lend definition, roots, and significance to society. World stories spread as the culture grows.

One of the great benefits of my travels around the world is the wellspring of world stories I have found in each country I have visited.

The current Wiktionary defines the word as “good; a general term for anything that is good, useful or beneficial. ” The standard reference Compact Oxford Dictionary states: “particularly good, effective, or stylish. ”

What makes nifty stories nifty? The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. To me, nifty stories are a blend of entertainment and education, or what some call “edutainment. ” I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.

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On the other hand, many stories are not so obvious in the lessons they offer. The characters may act out the meaning of the story. Listeners are left to figure out the message for themselves. And there may be a different message for each listener. Stories such as these are inclined to be more widely popular.

Another reason is that they deal with the human condition, one way or another. Even stories using animals as characters reflect the situations and actions of our species.

For centuries as well, life has been a struggle. Wars. Pestilence.

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Thanks.

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I have many memories of my life as a young parent. Some of them are downright exasperating! One of them involves purchasing gifts for my children. Holiday gifts. Birthday gifts. Those occasional gifts rewarding good behavior.

The comic situation. The consequences that follow are generally laughable.

You will find lots of priceless humor in urban folktales. My CD Parking in Manhattan illustrates many humorous circumstances. These hilarious comedies involve characters everybody can relate to and empathasize with.

Honesty is the best policy. Take time to smell the flowers. Community giving is part of community living. I am who I am because of those messages.

Today I tell many of the stories I heard as a child.

Listeners are left to figure out the message for themselves. And different listeners will carry away different messages. Stories such as these are inclined to be more widely popular. Longer stories are likely to be more subtle in the lessons that result. One can learn many lessons from epic stories.

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Something that offers a little perspective to life.

Care for some inspiration? At http://www. jaystetzer. com you can find memorable inspirational stories. Go to the “Listen” page on the site and you will surely discover a number of stories with relevant messages.

Awesome post.

Even when I was growing up, I found myself deeply touched by inspirational stories. I heard similar stories from my mother and my grandfather. Occasionally a teacher would tell a story that meant a great deal to me. I was surprised to find how memorable those stories were. The messages stuck in the memory, too.

Longer stories are likely to be more subtle in the lessons that result. One can learn many lessons from epic stories. Just compare a tale from the Arabian Nights to a fable by Aesop to see the difference. Which one gives you more freedom to choose your own message? My personal penchant is for finding my own lessons when I listen to a story. Check out my World Full of Stories and Fables in Four Minutes CDs for some examples of nifty stories with more subtle lessons.

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Good.