Activity For Adults and Children

Sometimes telling a story with a prop, even a very small one, gives you the self confidence that you need for a good performance. It helps you to get in the spirit of your story. A prop can be a craft you make, a puppet, or some other item you are talking about in your story. If your story is about football, hold a football in your hand. If your story is about a model rocket, hold one while you tell the tale. What better prop could you use for one of your first stories than this tiny Leprechaun's Magic Box. It will work the same for you as it did for Billy O'Neil if you remember to say these same magic words and believe.

"The Secret of the Leprechaun's Magic Box"

Pattern for The Leprechaun's Magic Box

Instructions for Making The Leprechaun's Magic Box

To make the Leprechaun's Magic Box, photocopy pattern. Use white or colored copy paper, or lightweight card stock.

1. Cut on all the solid edges.

2. Fold on all dotted lines

3. Fold toward inside of box.

4. Glue inside of Tab B.

5. Fold Tab B's over Tab A's.

6. Fold cover over top and insert tab C into box.

7. The finished box is a 1-1/4 inch cube.

Telling the Story

You can tell the story of the Leprechaun's Magic Box to a large audience in an auditorium, a medium-sized group in a classroom, or to a few friends at a club meeting or party. Pretend you are Billy and you are telling about something that happened to you. Act out the story as you tell it. For example, when you talk about kicking a stone, kick your foot. When you talk about stooping or sitting, do so. It makes the story more real. You can exaggerate body movements for a large audience, but don't use motions that make you feel uncomfortable. Let your voice help tell the story, too. When it's time to jump up and holler, "Yeah," yell loudly. When you are supposed to be sad or afraid, make your voice sound that way. Don't memorize the story, and don't worry about forgetting parts. Tell it as if it's your story and have fun with it. Make extra photocopies of the box for handouts at the end of your telling so each person in the audience can have a magic box.

Create Your Own Stories

Change parts of this story to make it your own. What sports do you enjoy? What subjects in school do you dislike instead of math? You can also create a new and different story. Remember, the leprechaun told Billy he could fill this box with many other unseen things, such as love, responsibility, or leadership. Can you think of more unseen things? Could you make another box, maybe a heart-shaped one, and fill it with love for Valentine's Day? Reprinted with permission from Storytelling Adventures: Stories Kids Can Tell, by Vivian Dubrovin, Storycraft Publishing, 1997. This book was named a Storytelling World magazine Honor Book. What Reviewers Said About This Book: "Imaginative, entertaining, and exceptionally well written, Storytelling Adventures: Stories Kids Can Tell is ideal for the classroom, home schooling, rainy day activities, summertime fun, or just for fun year round." The Children's Bookwatch

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