"Slow Train to Arkansas." in Terrapin’s Pot of Sense, Harold Courlander.
Ethnic Origin
US African American
Running Time
5-6 Minutes
Power Center
Tortoise tricking the rabbit (appearing places before the rabbit)
Characters
Tortoise and the rabbit
Scenes
Tortoise and rabbit under the tree
Tortoise and rabbit at the mid point
Tortoise and rabbit at the creek
Tortoise and rabbit at the mid point
Tortoise and rabbit under the tree
Synopsis
Tortoise challenged rabbit to a race. Unknown to rabbit the tortoise has asked two friends to be at the mid-point and the creek to help him trick the rabbit. The rabbit reaches the midpoint and the creek where the tortoise challenges a race back to the tree. When the rabbit reaches the tree the tortoise is there waiting.
Rhyme/Phrase/Flavor
BAMM (sound effect)
I am here I beat you this far
Audience (why is this story appropriate for the audience? Developmental characteristics?)
Repetition in story, characters that are easy to remember and recognizable to the preschool age
Sources recommending it as good for storytelling?
Storytellers Sourcebook
Bibliographic information
Magic Horns: Folk Tales from Africa, "the hare and the tortoise", Retold by Forbes Stuart
The Ox of the Wonderful Horns and Other African FolkTales, "Tortoise, Hare and the Sweet Potatoes, by Ashley Bryan
Brief comparison of all versions/variants in terms of language, rhythm, tellability, flavor, content.
Bryan -- the language was simple and the tale was tellable, but wouldn’t be appropriate for preschool children.
Stuart – the story did not have a rhythm that would make it easy for telling. It was also longer than the other stories. It make work for a different teller and older audience.
Courlander – the language was simple. The tale was tellable and left room for me to make the story mine, through description and dialogue