The Magic Orange Tree and Other Haitian Folktales

When Diane Wolkstein listened to news reports after the January earthquake in Haiti, she continually heard references to that country’s extreme poverty. She found the descriptions heartbreaking, she said, because in her view Haiti has at least one source of great wealth.

“It’s not poor in culture,” said Ms. Wolkstein, right, an author and a founder of the Storytelling Center of New show more York City. “I want people to know how rich it is.”

Ms. Wolkstein will display some of its treasure on Saturday at a celebration for the release of her CD “The Magic Orange Tree and Other Haitian Folktales” (Roomful of Sky Records). Part of its sales will go toward relief efforts in Haiti, as will raffle proceeds at the event. The recording grew out of her published collection of the same title, which has remained in print for more than 30 years (it’s now available from Schocken Books) and illustrates how a vibrant oral tradition has nourished creativity in a nation where most are illiterate.

“They’re kind of ‘bone’ stories,” Ms. Wolkstein said of the book’s 27 tales, distilled from more than 400 transcribed during her trips to Haiti in the 1970s. “They tell about our inside struggles.” And, she added, “They all have hope in them.” show less

In the 1970s, Wolkstein travelled the Haiti countryside, gleaning a collection of more than 400 traditional tales which she then whittled down to 27. In fact, Wolkstein’s work has proven so relevant to Haitian culture that it has been translated back into the original Creole.

According to Raymond Joseph, the Haitian Ambassador to the U.S., Wolkstein “will go down as someone who made Haiti show more known to children and adults in America and around the world.”

Wolkstein instructs us that when a Haitian storyteller wishes to tell a tale, he or she must say “cric!” to which the audience must respond “crac!” or else the story won’t be told. This invokes the audience’s participation in the story that is about to be regaled, signalling to the listener that a new tale is about to begin.

Songs are embedded in the stories and, along with various phrases, repeated periodically throughout.

It reminds us that perhaps it’s not so bad to go back to the basics every now and then, allowing ourselves to enjoy a good story for entertainment value, without seeking depth or innuendo. show less