I am both a parent and a grandparent. And I am always on the lookout for a unique gift children could enjoy. Something that is memorable long after the gift is given. One great gift I have found is a memorable story. And it is appropriate for all ages, children included. A CD full of stories will provide hours of pleasure. Imagine the trip around the world your progeny can take on the wings of a story! Nifty stories.

My “Recordings” page on this website lists three story CDs. Fables in Four Minutes is a collection of ten stories, each one representing a different storytelling genre. World Full of Stories has a dozen stories that will take the listeners on a trip around the world. My latest project is Parking in Manhattan, and it contains a compendium of urban folktales that will tickle the funny bone. To purchase my CDs, just follow the directions on the “Recordings” page to place your order. Humor stories

Looking for a unique gift children will value and cherish? A unique gift children can grow with? A unique gift children can enjoy sharing with their friends and family? Give them the gift of story. It is a unique gift children will cherish for the rest of their lives! Sites.

Laughter lightens the heart. Laughter takes the sting out of life. And everyone loves to laugh at the foibles of our own species (as long as it happens at the expense of another). This is priceless humor.

What makes priceless humor? There is a simple answer to this question. Priceless humor revolves about common everyday experiences. The lost keys. The misunderstood comment. The consequences that follow are generally laughable.

The world of urban folktales is a rich source of priceless humor. My CD Parking in Manhattan illustrates many humorous circumstances. These hilarious comedies involve characters everybody can relate to and empathasize with. Priceless situations create priceless humor. Humor stories

World stories also capitalize on priceless humor. These stories always bring gales of laughter when they are told. Two good examples from my CD Fables in Four Minutes are “Rock Soup” and “Herschel in the Woods” My CD World Full of Stories has many examples a listener can enjoy. These are just a few examples of priceless humor. These stories will stick with you long after you heard them.

Virtually every storytelling genre contains examples of priceless humor. Why? Another simple answer. Laughter makes learning easier. There is often a lesson to be learned through a story with priceless humor. It just goes to show that priceless humor is a treasure. Stories for children

I am now a grandparent. And I am constantly seeking a unique gift children would treasure. Something that will last far beyond the moment of giving. One great gift I have found is a memorable story. And it is suitable for children of all ages. Think of all the pleasurable hours an entire CD of stories can provide. Think of the glimpse it can give into cultures and customs from countries around the world.

You can find three CDs listed on the “Recordings” page of my website. Fables in Four Minutes is a collection of ten stories, each one representing a different storytelling genre. World Full of Stories has a dozen stories that will take the listeners on a trip around the world. Parking in Manhattan, my latest project, represents a compendium of hilarious urban folktales, all of them sounding as though they really happened! If you wish to make a purchase of one or more CDs, the directions on the “Recordings” page will assist you.

Looking for a unique gift children will value and cherish? A unique gift children will never get tired of? A unique gift children can share with their parents and friends? Give them the gift of story. It is a unique gift children will cherish for the rest of their lives!

Whenever I heard the word I assumed it meant something good, something attractive. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The Merriam/Webster Dictionary definition states: “very good, very attractive,” etymology unknown, originally used in 1865. A thesaurus gives synonyms such as “peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy,” all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!”

What was my listener describing when he called my stories “nifty?” The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. You could say that my idea of nifty stories is stories that enlighten as well as entertain. I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.

Any story with a moral at the end sends the listener a clear message. It teaches by example. On the other hand, many stories are not so obvious in the lessons they offer. The meaning is hidden in the actions of the characters. Listeners are left to figure out the message for themselves. And different listeners will carry away different messages. Stories such as these are inclined to be more widely popular. Longer stories are likely to be more subtle in the lessons that result. Epic stories have many layered lessons Just compare a tale from the Arabian Nights to a fable by Aesop to see the difference. Which one appeals to you? Personally, I like to find my own message when listening to a story. Check out my World Full of Stories and Fables in Four Minutes CDs for some examples of nifty stories with more subtle lessons.

Nifty stories are stories that teach. Nifty stories appeal to a broad audience. Nifty stories carry a message that applies to all people. Nifty stories are always in vogue. These stories are naturally very attractive. Stories that are nifty are stories that are priceless!

As a child I found deep meaning in inspirational stories. I heard similar stories from my mother and my grandfather. Occasionally a teacher would tell a story that meant a great deal to me. I noticed that stories with a message stuck in my memory. To this day I still remember and follow those messages. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Honesty is the best policy. Slow down and notice the things around you. Community giving is part of community living. Messages that made me who I am today.

Today I tell many of the stories I heard as a child. They have an ageless quality. The messages of long ago still have merit in the world today.

What’s so important about inspirational stories? First, consider the barrage of daily news and information. Second, the lives we live give us no breathing space to reflect. And without time to reflect, how can we develop insight into the affairs of the day? Here is the place for inspirational stories. Inspirational stories give listeners something to chew on. They give us something to consider. Something that helps us to find our personal “true north. Something that offers a little perspective to life.

Looking for inspiration? At www.jaystetzer.com you can find memorable inspirational stories. On the “Listen” page of my website, click any one of the story samples and you are likely to find a message worth your time. Two good examples of inspirational stories are “The Egg Seller” and “Herschel and the Wedding” from my CD World Full of Stories. “Service with a Smile” on my Parking in Manhattan CD offers the listener a great hidden lesson. Long after they are told, inspirational stories stay in the memory. I am even inspired by the inspirational stories I tell!

The world of today is a fast moving, complex world. As we head on down the highway of life, we can all use a little direction to guide us. Inspirational stories can help us in our travels. Like having your own spiritual GPS! My recordings contain a wealth of inspirational stories. Check them out!

One of the great benefits of my travels around the world is the wellspring of world stories I have found in each country I have visited. And each time I visit another country I have the opportunity to learn a bit about it. Rituals and customs. Geography and daily habits. So the world stories I hear have substantial meaning to me. In the process, I have discovered how world stories arise out of the cultures from which they are born. My firsthand experience of a given culture heightens my appreciation of their stories. I have visited countries in Europe, Central and South America, throughout Canada, the United States, and Southeast Asia. I find myself amazed at both the differences and similarities of the various countries.

You can find in every culture notions which they hold as sacred. You can also find things demonic. Their stories regularly exhibit these notions. Their stories grow out of this mythical soil. Many world stories derive from mythology. They include creation stories along with other stories that explain the world.

Folktales, on the other hand, are generated from daily village life. Naturally, stories of the folk world are couched in rural settings. Fairy tales also live in the world of folktales. Stories about magic and mystery were apt outlets for questioning minds of preliterate villagers. Cautionary tales abound, all of them containing messages to avert disaster. Do not go into the deep, dark woods! Steer clear of wild beasts! Do not talk to strangers! Then again, many folktales tell of reward and happy endings. Good and evil are eternal foes. One can discover the Golden Rule in most plots. Regardless of genre, any worthy world story can be applied to contemporary life. And that brings us to storytelling today. Modern society is a far cry from rural villages, yet the stories ring true regardless.

Some world stories are downright funny. Other world stories are mysterious. Many world stories are full of insight. Often world stories are inscrutable. Generally world stories teach. All world stories keep us amused.

No matter what, all world stories maintain a deep bond with the fabric of their culture. People tell of their experiences through world stories. And they have merit in worlds far removed from their origin.

To enjoy the breadth of subject matter found in world stories, listen to my CD entitled “World Full of Stories.” It is an award winning recording that will take you on a delightful trip around the world!

For as long as humans could talk throughout the world stories have been told and retold. In the fabric of culture, they act as vital threads in the weave. In any society they define the roots and significance of the peoples. As a culture grows, so do its world stories.

One of the great benefits of my travels throughout the world is the wellspring of world stories I have found in each country I have visited. And each time I visit another country I have the opportunity to learn a bit about it. In turn, that lends substantial meaning to the world stories I hear. In the process, I have discovered how world stories arise out of the cultures from which they are born. The more I experience a particular culture, the more I appreciate the value of their stories. I have visited countries in Europe, Central and South America, and Southeast Asia. I find myself amazed at both the differences and similarities of the various countries. World stories.

Some world stories are downright funny. Other world stories are mysterious. Many world stories are full of insight. Often world stories are inscrutable. Generally world stories contain lessons. All world stories entertain. Priceless humor

No matter what, all world stories maintain a deep bond with the fabric of their culture. People tell of their experiences through world stories.

To enjoy the breadth of subject matter found in world stories, listen to my CD entitled “World Full of Stories. It is an award winning recording that will take you on a delightful trip around the world! You can find world stories and more at www.jaystetzer.com.

The struggles of life have been with us for centuries as well. Conflict. Famine. Relationship scuffles. Struggles that implore some understanding, some support. Some kind of resolution.

Needless to say, no one cares to listen to preaching. We desire to sweeten our bitter medicines. Enter laughter. It is the honey in the brew. Priceless humor is filled with wit and wisdom. An awesome blend of entertainment and enlightenment.

As you know, everyone loves to laugh. Laughter enlivens the spirit. And as long as we are laughing at the foibles of others (and not ourselves) we find those situations funny. Call it priceless humor.

Look at the great humorists around us. Art Buchwald. George Carlin. Russell Baker. Check out the humorists of history. Moliere. Henry Fielding All of them were storytellers. Priceless humor their brush.

What makes priceless humor? There is a simple answer to this question. Priceless humor involves situations which most of us have experienced. The missed appointment. The misunderstood comment. The laughable consequences generally follow in quick succession.

The world of urban folktales is a rich source of priceless humor. Listeners can readily find many humorous circumstances in my CD Parking in Manhattan. Folks can relate to and empathize with the characters involved in these hilarious comedies. Priceless situations create priceless humor.

You can also find many examples of priceless humor in world stories. These stories always bring gales of laughter when they are told. Two good examples from my CD Fables in Four Minutes are “Rock Soup” and “Herschel in the Woods” Listen to “The Egg Seller” or “Hickory Dock” from World Full of Stories. There are many similar examples of priceless humor from virtually every country on the planet. These stories will stick with you long after you heard them. At www.jaystetzer.com you will find a rich source of priceless humor!

I listen to lots of conversations. They are filled with catastrophes and disasters. The conversants generally cannot see the life lesson they offer. It is my job as a storyteller to sort out the meaning from all the information I hear. To make the tale palatable, I inject a bit of humor. Priceless humor.

There is priceless humor in virtually every genre. Why? Another simple answer. We learn best when we are laughing. There is often a lesson to be learned through a story with priceless humor. It just goes to show what a treasure priceless humor can be.