There are tales told many tims. There are many children who listen to tales. There are many children who love tales, stories, short, long, true, false, about natura, about the universe, about fantastic worlds, about life.
In "Tales in the Sand", the most tender act between a young person and an old man is described: the art of telling a tale from the old to the young knowing that the tale will live forever, in the heart and mind of the young and the ones who come after him. The tale will always remain a tale, it will be told from old to young, as it was before and will be for years to come.
The tradition of passing stories, anecdotes, tales from the old ones to the young has been part of mankind since the beginning of times. In Ancient Greece and Rome, miths and legends were told to the youngest in the village to explain the ways of nature, the ways of man, to teach values. They were passed on from one to another, with little differences in details, but the plot remained the same. Indian tribes would organize bonfires and the children would sit around their chief, the oldest and wisest man in the tribe, and they would spend hours listening to stories. There were no books at the time, traditions were passed from generation to generation orally, being the oldest the one in charge of filling the minds and hearts of the children with teachings, experiences, but most of all tales about everuthing that surrounded them.
In modern times, the art of telling stories was fulfilled by grandparents when taking care of their grandchildren. Tales about the sky, God, Nature, fantastic heroes and animals, all were told patiently, gently, filling the air with so many details that children were taken into the world of tales without realizing they were not moving. This act created a bound so strong between grandpas and grandchildren that it was usually represented in literature, films, cartoons. Examples of this are "Lord of the Ring" (the story of the power of the ring is told by Frodo´s grandfather); "Heidi" (she learns everything from her grandpa); "Little Red Riding Hood" (the plot takes place at grandma´s house); "Land of Bears" (the grandma is the one the boys listen to, who they turn to).
In my personal experience, the greatest stories were told by my grandmother; she had books about myths, maps to explain the creation of the universe, stories about how she grew up, how she started working as a teacher in the countryside. She always said that the best stories were the ones you could keep in your mind, picturing the scenes inside you. My children always ask for tales. They love real life stories. And it is their grandpa the one who fills them with love, tenderness and tales.
