My experience of story telling competition in school
Here I am sharing the experience of a story telling competition that was held in my school. I really enjoyed so much that I was absorbed telling a story on the stage and at the same time I secured second prize for the competition. My experience was really delightful by learning many points that are essential for a story teller.
Every year in my school competitions for drawing , singing, elocution and writing was held. But this year our principal decided that one interesting event should be held in our school so that every student and teacher becomes engaged in an activity and also enjoys the day. So in the morning during the assembly, our principal announced that every student should narrate a short story in the class on the following Saturday. Then four students from every class should be selected and a final competition will be held in the school auditorium. Every student was excited to narrate a short story that they always liked. Some loved stories of Aesop's Fables while some students loved stories of Panchatantra. I always liked the short stories and was always fond of the story 'Little Red Riding Hood' since two years. My grandmother always narrated me this story with enthusiasm. So I chose to narrate this story for the story competition.
Story-telling competition in my school during semi-finals
I began reading the story first on the previous day of the semi-finals. Then I learnt to structure proper sentences and use appropriate words while telling the story. I began practicing at home to orally chant the story. Next day the interested students were invited to the school hall and we assembled in line and reached the large hall on the second floor. Then we were instructed to sit down in our places until we were called on the stage. After few students narrated the story, our literature teacher called out my name and I went to the stage with great excitement. I felt enthusiastic to tell the story and my language also flowed smoothly. I remembered the sweet little face of "Little Red Riding Hood' and began describing her actions. Then I ended the story by mentioning the morale. All the teachers and students who were present in the hall seemed to like the story. After this four students from every class were selected and my name was also announced for selection.Story-telling competition for the final
I rigorously prepared for eight days by narrating the story once in a day. As I chanted this story several times, I really developed interest in it day-by-day. I also viewed the beautiful pictures of the story so that I can feel enthusiasm. On the day of story-telling competition, I was really excited to tell the story. I only recalled the pictures that I viewed from the book and the words that I read from the book. I began telling the story with great vigor. Visualizing the sweet innocent face of 'Little Red Riding Hood', I began describing various scenes of the story. Then with flow of expression, I began expressingAmong 20 participants, I was instructed to sit down in the first row to appear on the stage. Three judges sat down on their chairs before me. They were provided with a large printed sheet that comprised on names of the participants and basis for evaluation. Just before the competition, I viewed the large sheet and read the basis for evaluation. The participants were rewarded with marks on the basis of their choice for story, facial expressions, language, body language and confidence. So I tried my best to look confident and performed five-minute breathing exercise as taught by my mother. I looked around me and saw that the other participants were nervous. They were reading the book to prepare for the story competition. The principal announced on the stage about the story-telling competition and wished the participants good luck. Then the literature teacher came on the stage to announce the names of the participants. The first participant was my friend who was preparing his best for the story. He began chanting his story " The Shepard boy and the Wolf" with great vigor and vivid voice. Then he ended up the story by narrating the morale of the story. Consequently participants were announced and they began chanting stories such as 'Lion and the Mouse', ' The wind and the wizard', " Hare and the tortoise" and so on. Now my name was announced on the stage and I felt anxious and also enthusiastic to enter the stage.
I entered the stage and viewed several students looking at me with great contempt. Few students were simply giggling and tried to make funny comments. I was determined to ignore students who were not interested and looked at the students with great confidence.
I began visualizing the beautiful pictures from the book and the sweet innocent face of "Little Red Riding Hood' and began describing the scenes. With flow of expression, I started narrating about the girl and how she entered the jungles to visit her granny. And also explained enthusiastically, how the wolf entrapped her by speaking to her in a fruity way. Then with continuous rhythm flowing from my heart, I began chanting the latter part of the story about the wolf that swallows her granny. Also boldly I mentioned that because the girl did not listen to the words of her mother and spoke to her stranger, she fell in trouble. Then finally I explained the last scene of the story mentioning how the woodcutter threatened the wolf by showing an axes to release the grandmother from his body.
In this way I ended up the story by mentioning the moral of the story. 'Always obey the words of the elders, because they are experienced'.
Conclusion
Everybody applauded me and the name of the next participants were announced consequently. At the end of the session, the names of the winners were announced. My friend won the first prize and I won the second prize. The third prize was also won by my friend who chanted the story of 'Lion and the Mouse'. I was delighted to win the second prize, but yet I approached a judge and asked that I was expecting first prize. Then the judge patiently said that my friend who won the first prize had a clear voice and tone than me. But the judge said that my overall performance was really commendable.I went home and told my family members that I secured second position and they were all delighted.