Re: Chris Handley's suggested parlour game

[Bob Slaughter <cbmvax!uunet!MATH.UFL.EDU!bss>]

>[....]
>By making the length be at the writers' options, we can get people like Nick,
>who could probably write a good, longer story, but also maybe encourage
>Chris, who has never posted longer than words and sentences, to contribute
>something.  The advantage of having a common context for the stories, is that
>it is possible in such a context to tell a little anecdote in as little as a
>paragraph or two that can form part of the compendium as well as a
>longer story.

Maybe we are all sitting around a table, or just campfire, telling
stories.  I am reminded of an interesting anecdote, or an
anthropologist studying a tribe in Africa.  She was sitting with the
villagers one evening as they were taking turns telling stories.
Eventually, they insisted she tell one of hers to them.  She chose
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," which, of course, they had never
heard of.  She was still a little green in dealing with their
language, so the translation suffered.  The villagers were very
perplexed at the end of the story (which took quite a while, as they
constantly interuppted and asked questions), as they thought almost
everyone acted shamefully or bizarrely.  While the witch got what she
deserved, they were puzzled at how simply she was dispatched, she
witches in their culture can only be killed in an untimely fashion by
a complex set of rituals; Snow White should've suffered, because she
abandoned her people rather than stay with them, regardless of the
circumstances.  Prince Charming was a fool, for marrying such a
faithless woman, etc.  But the article was very enjoyable, and points
out some interesting cross-cultural situations in story-telling.

BTW, I am finding the inclusions with JL16 very helpful. Thanks Colin!

--
*     Bob Slaughter                           *  Model Railroading is fun  *
*     InterNet#1:  bss@math.ufl.edu           *    Call 1-800-FOR-RENT     *
*     InterNet#2:  Haldane@Pine.Circa.Ufl.Edu *   Vampire RPG list admin   *
*     see also: haldane@nerix.nerdc.ufl.edu, haldane@ufpine.bitnet         *