stories for children

My research into stories in the past few years have uncovered a number of stories that go well beyond a clever plot to amuse my listeners. Call it a message, or perhaps a hint of direction. They might even include a moral. The name of this elusive quality is not all that important. To me, the significance is that the stories I tell have it. I call them inspirational stories. jaystetzer.com

A listener can chew on the messages of inspirational stories. They can mull it over long after they heard the story. As a result, their internal compass points a bit closer to “true north.”

Go to the “Listen” page of my website. Click any one of the story samples and you are likely to find a message worth your time. And you are likely to find the inspirational stories sticking in your mind. In fact, the inspirational stories I tell even inspire me! Storyteller.

As we travel along the highway of life in this fast moving, complex world, we can all use a little “inner” direction. We can be confounded and dizzy by all its twists and turns. Inspirational stories help keep us on the road. It is like having your very own GPS. There is a wealth of inspirational stories available on all of my recordings. Check them out! Priceless humor.

When I was a kid, I often heard the word “nifty” in reference to things like fancy cars and outrageous fashion. It alluded to the uniqueness and stylishness of the subject being described. As I grew older I heard the word being used in a wider range of topics: a nifty song, a nifty concert, a nifty evening out. Even later, the word took on a more cultured definition in reference to poems, books, and, of course, nifty stories.

The word seemed allusively defined, yet attractively so. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The Merriam/Webster Dictionary definition states: “very good, very attractive,” etymology unknown, originally used in 1865. The standard reference Compact Oxford Dictionary states: “particularly good, effective, or stylish.”

What makes nifty stories nifty? The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. You could say that my idea of nifty stories is stories that enlighten as well as entertain. I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.

For example, a story with a moral is one that provides a clear message. It teaches by example. On the other hand, many stories are not so obvious in the lessons they offer. The characters may act out the meaning of the story. It is up to the listener to decipher the message. And there may be a different message for each listener. Stories such as these are inclined to be more widely popular. The subtler lessons tend to come from longer tales. Epic stories have many layered lessons Just compare a tale from the Arabian Nights to a fable by Aesop to see the difference. Which one gives you more freedom to choose your own message? Personally, I like to find my own message when listening to a story. Check out my World Full of Stories and Fables in Four Minutes CDs for some examples of nifty stories with more subtle lessons.

Nifty stories edify. Nifty stories are memorable. Nifty stories carry a message that applies to all people. Nifty stories are always stylish, regardless of the era that spawned them. These stories are naturally very attractive. Nifty stories are a treasure!