The 5 rules of storytelling therapy:
1. If you have a son, let the main character be a boy, and if you have a daughter — a girl. But the name of the hero is better to leave it fictitious, so that the child did not have the feeling that this story is directly about him or his friends, because the heroes in these tales do not always do well.
2. Add stories from your child’s life — this will make the story more familiar and understandable to him.
3. Don’t make storytelling therapy an activity. Tell a story when the child wants it: do not press, do not force, do not insist.
4. After telling the story, discuss it with the child. Recall the story again, ask what the child liked or disliked, ask his opinion: who did good and who did bad, why the hero was happy or upset, how he felt, etc., and so on.
5. Invite the child to act out the story with toys or show him a puppet show.
THE TALE OF LOU AND THE MAGIC DAY
In the distant Kingdom of Lumigna, among tall towers and flowering gardens, there lived a prince named Lou. He was born into the family of the king and queen, and his birth was a great event for the whole kingdom.
However, on the very day Lou was born, the evil wizard Mordar, jealous of the royal family’s happiness, put a curse on the boy.
“From now on, this prince will not see any joy in life. He will be darker than night and see only bad things,” said Mordar.
As Lou grew each year, his heart was becoming darker and darker. He saw only the dark sides of life, saw only the bad and did not believe in miracles.
In the kingdom, he was known as the “Prince of darkness”.
Every day for Lou was filled with sadness and disappointment.
He felt like the sun didn’t shine as brightly, the birds didn’t sing as beautifully, and even the happiest moments seemed empty to him.
Lou didn’t understand why his parents were always so cheerful and hopeful. He could not share their joy and often retired to his chambers where he sat alone and pondered why his world was so gloomy. The king and queen tried to help their son, but they could do nothing about the spells of Mordar.
One morning when Lou woke up again in a gloomy mood, he decided to take a walk in the forest to take his mind off his thoughts. In the forest, he met a kind girl named Lilia.
“Hi Lou!” — Lilia called out cheerfully.
“Why are you so gloomy?”
“None of your business ,” replied Lou. “I only see the dark and bad things in life. It’s something wrong with other people, they don’t see the real world.”
Lilia thought for a moment and said with a smile: “Do you think the
the world around you is so dark? Come with me, I’ll show you something.”
They followed the path, and soon came to two farmers working in neighboring fields. Lilia suggested that Lou watch them.
The first farmer, named Oliver, went into the field every day with joy and faith in the future. He watered his beds, talked to the plants, sang songs, and smiled as he looked up at the sunny sky. He always said, “Today will be another great day, and the harvest will be beautiful!”
The second farmer, named Hector, was darker than a cloud.
He did not believe that the harvest would be good and thought that all his efforts were in vain. He rarely watered the plants and constantly grumbled: “There’s no point, there won’t be a harvest anyway.”
“Look, Lou,” said Lilia. “Let’s see what comes of it.”
A few weeks passed, and Lou noticed that Oliver’s field was blooming and thriving. His plants were green and strong, and the beds were full of fruits and vegetables. Hector’s field, on the other hand, looked neglected and dull, with wilted and withered plants.
“Can you see, Lou?” — Lilia asked. “When you believe in good things and work with joy, the world responds. Oliver believed in a wonderful day and put effort into making it so. Hector, on the other hand, put his hands down and only saw the bad.”
Lou was beginning to understand. He remembered Lilia’s words and decided to try and change the way he saw the world. Next day, upon walking up, he pronounced: “Today is going to be another great day.”
Lou decided to see the good and notice the joys around him.
The first thing he did was to help the palace gardener water the flowers. Seeing the flowers bloom, Lou felt warmth in his heart. Then he went to the kitchen and helped the cook prepare dinner, enjoying the aromas and flavors. Afterward, he spent time with the children in the village, playing and laughing with them.
Every day Lou noticed more and more good things. He smiled more often, helped others and believed in miracles. Gradually, the spell of the evil wizard of Mordar began to fade.
One morning when he woke up, Lou felt the darkness inside him dissipate completely. He stood up and said: “Today is going to be another wonderful day.” He realized that the world really is full of miracles, you just have to believe it and notice them every day.
Lou thanked Lilia, “You taught me to see the good things. Thank you, Lilia!”
“You did it yourself, Lou,” — Lilia replied.
“Now you can teach it to others.”
From then on, Lou became known as the “Prince of Light.” He started each day with magic words and helped others see the wonders around them. When he became king, he made sure that everyone in his kingdom could believe in wonderful days and live happily ever after. The Kingdom of Lumigna was filled with joy and happiness, because every inhabitant knew: “Today is going to be a wonderful day”!
Questions to discuss with the children:
✦ Why did Lou see the world as so dark and sad?
✦ How did Lilia help Lou realize that the world could be joyful and bright?
✦ How did Lou’s life change after he began to believe in wonderful days?
✦ What happened to the curse of the evil wizard
✦ Mordar when Lou began to notice good things?
✦ Why is it important to believe that every day will be wonderful?
✦ How can you make your day wonderful?
You should always remember: what your day will be like is up to you.
With care for you and your children,
Anita Vayakanti
