The Palace of Stories » Latest Stories

The Girl Who Longed For A Grandmother

Alli Brook — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:55:46 +0000

I told this story to a gathering of friends one evening at our house. It was way past my kids’ bedtime and Lara soon nodded off (her snoring becomes part of the story at one point!). There were a couple of 11 year old girls there too, and I think this story might have been for them, so I’m putting it in the 10-12 category.

The story speaks of the pain of not being heard, of not having connection to others, and boy who becomes a man by learning the art of listening.

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Mr and Mrs Star

Alli Brook — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:36:33 +0000

The boy in this story makes a huge effort to realise his dreams. He reaches beyond his current potential to discover a whole new world of possibility. I like the image of Mr and Mrs Star all wrapped up in warm hats and coats and drinking tea with the boy at the top of the tree!

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The Glasses-Maker and the Giant

Alli Brook — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:08:51 +0000

I like the Giant in this story, especially when he says “I’ve been working on these a long time…” when handing the Glasses-Maker the glasses that enable the wearer to see only the beauty and perfection in the world.

I’d like a pair of those myself, to be able to see everything in my life as perfect. Even the problems I struggle with, the obstacles I face and the ugliness that I see. I’m touched by the thought that it’s possible to see the world in this way. The way we experienced the world is shaped by the way we see it, and this itself can change, as the glasses maker discovers…

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The Magic Tin

Alli Brook — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:06:10 +0000

This story just kept on travelling. It starts out as a tale of a man selling a rather mysterious, apparently magical, rusty little tin in the market… and developes into a story about a princess and how she uses the tin throughout her life.

The story winds up a long way from where it started, with the Princess, now an old woman, finding her fading memories in that same tin. In the end she uses it as a bridge between this world and the next, so that her favourite grandson can feel her presence when he needs her.

I find that last section quite magical, drawing the listener into the mystery of what happens when we die. I’ve made it a “7 to 9 year olds” story, as there might be some 4 year olds out there who haven’t even wondered about such things, and I’d like to leave then to do so in their own good time!

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To Command The Clouds

Alli Brook — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:44:18 +0000

There’s something in this latest story that I like about embracing whatever comes in our lives, trusting that even dark clouds have silver linings, and that everything is unfolding for our highest good, even if it doesn’t immediately appear to be so.

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Jim and the Colourful Coat

Alli Brook — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:10:59 +0000

I knew this story was special as soon as I told it, back in the summer of 2010, but it’s taken me a while to record it. I love Jim’s dilemma, he has this huge urge to buy the outrageously colourful coat he’s just found, even though he can’t possibly see himself ever wearing it. Then he absolutely has to wear it, even though he’s dying of embarrasment to think of anyone spotting him in it. And one thing leads to the next…

I’m reminded of the many times when I’ve felt a strong impulse to follow my heart, even though I know that doing so will make me look a fool, even if only to myself. It’s by taking these kinds of leaps of faith that we can live into our full potential, which is what this story is really about.

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Surrounded by Kin

Alli Brook — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:23:08 +0000

The old woman in this story overcomes her loneliness by seeing bushes, flowers and trees as “kin”. Soon her sense of connection with all life has become infectious, and her once empty house is full of guests!

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Magic Donkey Grain

Alli Brook — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:43:49 +0000

This story surprised me. Right until the end I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. Why is the poor donkey getting whacked so often? But it makes sense in the end, and I love how the heavy sacks the donkey has been carrying are full of what will in the end magically renew him.

Needless to say Luke liked this story, and for days after was talking about the donkey getting WHACKED! Stella wasn’t so sure, and to be honest it’s quite rare that the stories I tell have any sort of violence in them. But there’s a deeper message to this story, about how the tougher experiences of life can turn out to be blessings by driving us on to discover the gifts that we carried but knew nothing about.

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Full of Stories

Alli Brook — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:28:27 +0000

I like how the boy in this story learns something from the old man that helps him when he is as old himself. I also like the idea that slowing down is essential to remembering all the stories you carry inside, something that older folks know better than young ones, I guess…

For me, the listening to and telling of stories here stands for a choice that we can take to nourish our inner life, and connect to what is most meaningful and beautiful in life. The boy in this tale spends a lifetime gathering stories and the harvesting them in his dotage, but I like to think that he’s harvesting a lifetime of moments when he took care of his inner world and savoured the beauty that’s there, which of course is what stories do.

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Above the Sea

Alli Brook — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 21:29:33 +0000

This is the first story I’ve recorded after a long and busy summer of new discoveries and adventures. The story speaks of discovering new worlds, of stepping out of one familiar world and into another, completely new world. The fish in the story has never even dreamed that there could be a world above the sea, but soon learns all about it. I like that the way she learns is through being told stories….

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