Inside Early Stages Storytelling Program

Teaching Artist, Julia M. Morris set the stage for her 3rd grade Special Education students with telling the Japanese fairytale, “Urashima Taro,” – a story which travels magically from land to below the sea. The students developed their own “setting portraits” of where the main character, Taro, journeys. In the process, Taro (and the students who imagine his voyage) encounter a royal kingdom filled with lively creatures and play mates.  Here are some students’ stories and illustrations:

When I was there, there was a dolphin, four fish, a mermaid, and the boy called Taro. The castle was So Big and one flag was sticking all the way out of the ocean! There were four hearts on the door and the castle had heart windows too. - Alexis

The setting for the fairy tale is under the ocean.  It showed a princess and a guy diving on a board!  There is another guy there eating a banana in the water.  But that’s impossible! There are soldiers helping the castle. It was cool! - Donald

When I imagined this underground world, I saw the sea shell castle first.  Then there was a turtle, a fish, seaweed, eels, and a oyster.  Urashima Taro is in the water too.  You can see that Urashima Taro is a famous fairy tale from Japan. - Eleanor

The setting is under the sea and it is dark and cold down there! It is cool to be there because you can play in a cave.  You can also ride on the fish of course and it is is fun.  If you want, you can go in the princess’s bedroom and jump on her bed. – Jessen

The castle under there is made of glass and wood.  So if you hit it, the whole thing might fall down. It is fun to live here forever because there are all the fish in the world to play with!  And you can go in the castle and ride on the flying car. But it might run out of gas so be careful.  And be careful not to open the magic box.  Then you cannot come back to this setting.      -Michelle