WHITEHALL — A small group of kids spread out on the floor to listen to stories last Thursday at the White Lake Community Library. That much is common; the library often hosts gatherings for stories to be displayed through books or movies.
This, though, wasn't a gathering to watch a story on film or being read - it was to watch one being performed and told orally, courtesy of the Muskegon Yarnspinners.
The Yarnspinners are a group that's been around for some time, and they believe in the art of oral storytelling.
"We want to keep storytelling alive," group member Sally Hyma, one of the storytellers at the library, said. "it's one of those arts that has been fading, with technology replacing it. There's something about the traditional art of storytelling we'd like to see continue."
The group isn't large, with five current members. Many former members have passed away, moved on to other pursuits or moved to other places, and events like last week's haven't been as common since the COVID-19 pandemic. But it is devoted to its belief in storytelling. A larger group in Grand Rapids, the Story Spinners, has partnered with the Yarnspinners for events in the past.
Several stories were shared with the young audience, including one inspired by the Korean folk tale The Story Bag. In the tale, which Hyma told, the protagonist's stories become cramped in their bag while it is hung on the wall, with the moral being that stories are meant to be told and shared, not kept to oneself.
Another story, called The Fox and the Crane, recounts the two animals becoming stuck in an underground den. The fox claims to have 1,000 ideas to escape the den, but is unable to put any of them into practice. Eventually, the crane is able to escape the den as the overwhelmed fox remains stuck; the moral of the story is that it's better to have one good idea than 1,000 bad ones.
Hyma said the Yarnspinners are happy to tell stories to all - pre-pandemic, it hosted events called Tellebrations in honor of International Storytelling Day each November. Due to the nature of their stories, they usually prefer audiences 12 years and older, but are able to tailor them to younger ones if need be, as it was last Thursday.
"There's a whole range of stories we can tell," Hyma said. "It helps to know what age we're talking to. Obviously infants won't get the story, but the younger ones can follow along and understand the beginning, middle and end and what's happening."
Hyma joined the Yarnspinners, she said, some 15 years ago. While teaching English in Whitehall, Hyma learned about the group from a tutor whose wife was part of it. She's been a Yarnspinner ever since.
The Yarnspinners meet monthly at Hope Reformed Church in Muskegon on the third Wednesday of the month from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Much of the monthly meetings are devoted to practicing group members' storytelling, with a theme often guiding which stories are told each month.
"We try to look at different types of stories," Hyma said. "We are willing to share and ask for critiques, and we can share with each other the things we see as storytellers. Maybe there are too many 'ums' or 'and-thens.' Hand gestures, voices, those are the kinds of things we use to work to improve our techniques."
For those interested in the art of oral storytelling, Hyma said the Yarnspinners are happy to offer advice and help to anyone who wants to get started. They also welcome those who simply want to listen to them tell stories.
