The Folk Story
Speech No. 1 in the Toastmasters "Storytelling"
Manual
The objectives of this speech were:
- To tell a folk tale that is entertaining and enjoyable for a
specific age group.
- To use vivid imagery and voice to enhance the tale.
Time 7 to 9 minutes.
Little Claus and Big Claus
This is an old Danish Folk Tale about two neighbours who both had the name
Claus. Claus is a common name in Denmark, but it was the only thing these
two neighbours had in common.
One was full of self-importance because he owned four horses. He was called
Big Claus. The other was poor. He had just one horse, so he was called
little Claus.
Big Claus was mean and greedy, and he had a vile temper. One day, he was so
livid with rage that he picked up a mallet and hit Little Claus' horse on
the head. The poor horse rolled up its eyes and fell down, dead!
Little Claus was devastated. He sat down and wept. "Oh, my horse, my only
horse! Now I have nothing left."
But since there was nothing else to do, he set to and flayed the hide, Then
he put it in a sack and set off to sell it in the market place.
It was a long way, and the winter sky grew dark before Little Claus reached
the town. He was relieved to see light streaming through the shutters of a
farmhouse.
"I'll stop here," he thought, " and ask for shelter for the night."
But the farmer's wife was most inhospitable.
"You'll have to go away," she ordered. "My husband isn't home and I can't
allow a stranger to come in."
Little Claus turned sadly away, clutching the sack with his horsehide in it.
As he passed the farmhouse kitchen, he could see inside, because the
shutters didn't close tightly. In the kitchen he saw an amazing sight.
The large table was covered with a white cloth and on it rested a huge
platter of succulent roast and vegetables. Little Claus licked his lips as
he leaned forward for a closer look.
Seated at the table was a man. Little Claus gasped as he recognised the wart
on the man's nose - it was the local Deacon! And there was the farmer's
wife, coyly tossing her golden curls as she poured wine for the drooling
Deacon.
"Oh," sighed Little Claus. "I wish I had been invited."
But hark! In the distance came the sound of a horse galloping, galloping,
galloping. It was the farmer returning home.
The Deacon turned pale and almost choked on a piece of roast.
"Quick, hide!" cried the farmer's wife. She thrust him into a chest in the
corner, where he crouched trembling. Then the wife snatched up all the
delicious food and hid it in the oven, just as the farmer strode to the
door.
As he wiped his boots on the mat, a rumbling sound made the farmer look
around. It was little Claus. The sight of that wonderful food had made his
stomach rumble.
The farmer invited him in, because he was a kind man, although he hated the
Deacon.
The wife glared at Little Claus, but she greeted him politely enough and
served them both with a large bowl of porridge. Little Claus was so
disappointed. He kept thinking of that delicious food in the oven.
Under the table lay the sack with the horsehide in it. Little Claus rubbed
his foot on it and the horsehide squeaked.
"Shhh!" said Little Claus.
"What have you got in the sack?" asked the farmer.
"Oh, it's only a wizard."said little Claus. "He was telling me there's no
need to eat porridge because he has just conjured up a roast dinner for us.
Look in the oven."
"What!" exclaimed the farmer. He opened the oven door and saw all he food.
His wife silently served it to them, not daring to tell the truth!
Little Claus rubbed the sack again and made it squeak.
"What is he saying now?" asked the farmer.
"He says there are three bottles of wine behind the stove."
The farmer's wife poured wine for them and watched sullenly as they made
many toasts and grew merrier by the minute. In fact, the farmer grew so
merry, he slapped Little Claus on the back and offered him a whole bushel of
money - his life's savings - for the sack.
"Now I have a wizard in a sack," he boasted, "I'm not afraid of anything,
not even the devil himself! I'd just like to see the devil appear, now!"
"Well," said Little Claus, "If you go to that corner and look in the chest,
you'll see the devil."
The farmer wiped his brow and swallowed several Times before he moved slowly
toward the chest and lifted the lid.
"Aaaaaah!" The farmer recoiled in terror as the Deacon sprang out of the
chest and tore outside. Then with a loud bellow, the farmer grabbed his gun
and ran after him.
Quickly Little Claus snatched up the bushel of money and ran all the way
home.
When Big Claus saw all the money Little Claus had received for his horse's
hide, he went out and killed his own four horses. He took their hides to the
market - but when he asked of a bushel of money for each one, the people
laughed at him and chased him out of town.
But Little Claus bought ten fine horses and lived happily ever after.
COMMENTS
I chose this story because there was plenty of action. I enjoyed
presenting it.
MAMALADE
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