All about money
Deepa Kiran
Stories are fun and engaging and a wonderful tool for language learning in a joyful manner. However stories can also be used to share concepts, trigger interest and reflection in other areas. The idea is to either ‘storyize’ the concept or find parallel stories that serve as analogies to the issue/concept we are addressing. In this article let us see how economic concepts can come alive through stories.
Story
There lived in the kingdom of King Swarabhayudu, a lady named Subbamma. Subbamma was a simple hard working old woman. After many years of waiting she finally got the opportunity to fulfill her dream of visiting Kashi. She was poor and therefore wanted to ensure the safety of her life’s savings in her absence. So before leaving for Kashi, she hid all the money she had in a pot and took it to her neighbour, Kumari, who was also poor like her. “Could you please take care of this pot while I am away?” Subbamma asked. “Most certainly,” Kumari said.
Assured of the safety of her earnings, Subbamma travelled to Kashi. When she came back she went to meet Kumari. “Welcome back Subbamma. So how was the journey?” Kumari asked. “Thank you. It was a memorable one,” replied Subbamma. “And now I’d like to collect my pot please,” she added. “Here it is my dear,” said Kumari handing over the pot. Subbamma got back home and opened the lid of the pot… to her dismay she found the pot empty! She rushed to Kumari’s house and demanded, “Return my money, you have taken it away in my absence. I trusted you with it.” Kumari asked, “What money are you talking about? I have no idea,” she added, “You gave me a pot and I kept it carefully.”
Subbamma was left with no option but to go and complain to the King. Both women were called to the court. Subamma explained her side of the story, how despite being poor she had saved up and eventually lost all her money. Kumari claimed that she had safely kept and returned Subbamma’s pot but had not taken any money. She claimed that she too had savings of her own. She too had saved up despite being poor. Now who was telling the truth? What would the king do?
The King listened to both women and asked them to come again the next morning. He instructed them to come to the court crossing the small bridge across the river. They did as instructed and found that their feet were dirty with all the wet mud on the bridge. When they reached the court, a pot full of water awaited them at the entrance. “Wash your feet and come in,” said the man at the door.
Kumari quickly poured mugs and mugs of water on her feet, finishing half a pot as she cleaned her feet. Subbamma on the other hand, first looked around for some leaves. She wiped off the wet mud with the leaves as well as she could. Then she took half a mug of water and with a lot of care and mindfulness, slowly cleaned her feet. With just another half mug she cleaned both her feet.
Now both women entered the court with clean feet and the King said, “Kumari return Subbamma’s money to her.” The women were shocked!
Even before they could ask anything the King told Kumari, “Subbamma took so much care in using the water sparingly and saving as much as possible. Saving is a way of life. If you did not care for the water in the pot outside and did not bother to save while cleaning your feet, then there is no way you would have saved from your life’s earnings either.”
Ask
- Students can be asked to write down their reflections of the story. What did they think of Subbamma, Kumari, and the King?
- Initiate a discussion and sharing based on the reflective writing task.
- Chances are quite high that children will bring up the concept of finance and savings and one can connect it with the larger concepts of economics and how we can contribute through small things that matter.
- Initiate discussions on food and water wastage and its consequences in the larger scheme of things.
- This is as good a time to bring up the question of the BIG STORY of our times.
- It is worth questioning the child whether she/he questions the BIG STORY. By BIG STORY I mean the stories that the media projects as truths and which we believe. Links such as ‘Story of Stuff’ talk to us about the larger realities which are hidden from us.
- Are we aware what a large role mindless and insensitive consumerism can play in upsetting the economy?
- Are we aware that developed nations often pass the buck onto developing nations when it comes to taking responsibility for global concerns such as the Great Depression or climate change?
- Are we questioning these? Are we trying to explore the various ‘smaller stories’ that are unheard and that need to be voiced?
A simple story such as this one can serve to create analogies, open mindsets, initiating a new curiosity about the underlying stories and their consequences.
Telling tips
- This story might find a better response from children 12 years and above. However, one must never underestimate the wisdom of children. Often they are very perceptive and sensitive beyond our imagination and expectation. There could be younger children as well who respond sensitively to this story.
- Take your time and enjoy the telling.
- Make sure you create the ‘financial’ situation of Subbamma with clarity in the minds of the listener. Emphasize it.
- Help them appreciate her efforts in saving up and consequently take them through her anxiety of ensuring the safety of her money when she is away.
- Kumari can be shown as haughty, or cunning, or even insensitive.
- Take a moment to also establish the King’s dilemma.
- Pauses are very useful in storytelling. Pause at critical moments to build curiosity. For example, just before Subbamma opens her pot after she brings it home from Kumari, or before the King announces his judgement.
Poster making
- Begin with group discussions, debates.
- Identifying issues and communicating about them through a story can be a powerful combination of visual and verbal communication.
- Encourage children to take up an issue that comes to mind after reflecting on the story and make a poster about it.
With about 60 percent visual and 40 percent textual content, the poster must effectively and powerfully communicate an idea. It must ‘tell a story’. - The students can then prepare and tell the ‘poster story’ with supportive ‘poster visuals’ in five minutes.
These are some of the ways in which the story can come alive and find relevance for the students.
The author is a storyteller, educationist, writer and voice-over artist. She holds storytelling performances with music and dance woven in. She conducts training workshops for teachers on the art of storytelling and using it in the classroom. She is also the founder of Story Arts India (www.storyartsindia.com), an organization that offers storytelling shows and training programs for children, teachers, parents and all storytelling enthusiasts. She can be reached at over2deepakiran@gmail.com. You can also visit her facebook page storyartsindiaofficial or view her storytelling videos on YouTube.
