Good evening everyone, I’d like to start this evening by quoting a line from fellow teller David Joe - "Mustard moon, so old and bright, come sit by my window sill this starry night. Tell me a story, so sweet and old, that will lull my spirit and soothe my soul."

You can see why I like this quote. Every time I read it, it reminds me of why I love to tell stories and even more so…why I like to listen to stories.

And so we gather once again at the Touhill under the mustard moon to tell and to listen, as stories form in this starry night. Our storytellers gather from the mountains of Japan, down the Amazon River, across the plains of Georgia, through the Mississippi Mud, above the wide open skies of Texas, and, yes, under the St. Louis Arch… to share some stories with you tonight.

Our first storyteller must have heeded the words of Ruth Tooze  “No song lives until it is sung  and heard No story lives until it is told and heard. Whether it is a song or story, Andy Offit Irwin brings it to life.

Thank you Andy for bringing those stories from the fruited plains of Georgia to life.

“Stories live in your blood and bones, follow the seasons and light candles on the darkest night-every storyteller knows she or he is also a teacher...”  Patti Davis knows that but our next storyteller lives that…Diane Williams.

  Merci boucoup, mon cher!

  Our next storyteller believes, like Susan Griffith that A story is told as much by silence as by speech. Ladies and Gentlemen, listen to the silence…listen to the speech…Antonio Haw-shaw.

Oren Lyons said that Life will go on as long as there is someone to sing, to dance, to tell stories and to listen — So, tonight we bring you Kuniko Yamamoto to sing, to dance, to tell stories…and all you need to do…is listen. Kuniko

Break

Jane Yolen said “Without meaning, without metaphor, without reaching out to touch human emotion, a story is a poor thing: a few rags upon a stick masquerading as a living creature. Ah,  but a story with meaning, with metaphor, with reaching out to touch a human emotion, can only mean that it is story by St. Louis’s own…Karen Young.

Thank you Karen for bringing a bit ‘o selkie charm to our circle of stories.

I believe it was the Baal Shem Tov said “Telling the proper stories  as if you were approaching the throne of Heaven in a fiery chariot.” A fiery chariot, indeed! Our next storyteller...Tim Tingle 

Thank you Tim for reminding of the gifts and the stories that our elders can give us.

Well, the mustard moon in low in the western sky and the stars will soon be but a memory. But before the light disappears I’d like for tonight’s storytellers to stand up. See you next year.