From 1999 to 2004-ish, I was one of the contributing writers for Garrison Keillor's renowned radio show "A Prairie Home Companion." I learned a lot of things there, mostly how to spell 'prairie." It was a solid gig and I'm proud of my work there. But, like any other job, there were...things...
This is a sketch I wrote as therapy. I had some amazingly bad co-workers to deal with over the years and this one guy was the worse. I wrote this out of revenge. I wanted to mock him and I wanted people to hear it and laugh. I mean the guy never shut up and just kept repeating himself over and over. He was also represented in my rhubarb pie bit, too. Alas, it was not used and I had to carry on in silence.
Creativity, I'm not sure why it's not linked in anyway to the old Story-teller, although that guy was such a western-type, and I was going for a more gentile soul here, as a misdirect to how insipid the tale was. I may have been undone by the size of the cast, as well. I would really just churn these things out to my liking and not take the production necessities into consideration. And that was stupid. I mean, I wasn't a little kid here. But, as I whined about earlier, I was in a bubble. No one was pointing out obvious things like that to me. I had no mentoring, no direction no notes. I was treating it like a hobby; a hobby that kept disappointing me.
Creativity, I'm not sure why it's not linked in anyway to the old Story-teller, although that guy was such a western-type, and I was going for a more gentile soul here, as a misdirect to how insipid the tale was. I may have been undone by the size of the cast, as well. I would really just churn these things out to my liking and not take the production necessities into consideration. And that was stupid. I mean, I wasn't a little kid here. But, as I whined about earlier, I was in a bubble. No one was pointing out obvious things like that to me. I had no mentoring, no direction no notes. I was treating it like a hobby; a hobby that kept disappointing me.
The Tale-Teller: "The Boy Who Whined 'Wolf'"
(GK, TT: Tale Teller, FR: Father, BY: Boy, SH: Shepherd)
GK: And now, let's go over to the Story Corner with the Tale-Teller and hear today's story.
TT: Hello, everyone and welcome to the Story Corner. We have a wonderful tale for you today. It's called "The Boy Who Whined 'Wolf'."
GK: Whined?
TT: Once there was a shepherd boy, who was told by his father--
FR: Go watch the flock.
TT: So the boy took his crook and went to tend his father's sheep. While watching the flock, the boy began to whine a and complain,
BY: Oh, man, this stinks. The wolf's out there, eating sheep and I'm supposed to fend him off with this stupid pole? C'mon. That's just dumb. Am I right or am I wrong? This stinks. This is the worst day ever!
TT: And went his shift ended, the boy went home. The next evening the boy was told to go watch the sheep. So he headed out to the pasture. While he watched over the herd he'd say,
BY: This is the worst day ever! Dumb sheep. You got that wolf out there and he's all set to carry off a sheep and I'm supposed to stop him? Think again. What am I suddenly Mr. Wolf expert? I gotta get out of this job. I really do.
TT: And another shepherd nearby said to him,
SH: Get another job? What? You don't do anything but stand around and complain to your heart's content. Who's got it better than you? There hasn't been a wolf in these parts for ages!
TT: And the boy said,
BY: Oh, I didn't know that. How am I supposed to know that? They just sent me out here and told me to watch out for wolves. I didn't know.
TT: And the night ended and the boy went home. The next evening the boy was told to again tend the flock. Once he got into the field he said,
BY: This is the worst day ever. This wolf is really starting to bug me. And look at those stupid sheep---
TT: Just then, a wolf came out of the forest and ate the boy. And the townspeople rejoiced. The moral is: Nobody likes a whiny boy. The End. Wasn't that a great story?
GK: What's not to like? It had a moral and everything. Thank you, Tale-Teller.
TT: You're welcome.
GK: Eats the boy.
TT: Gobbles him right up.
GK: I see.
TT: I can't wait until next time when I tell you story of "The Frog Prince and the Gullible Maiden."
GK: Can't wait.
end
GK: And now, let's go over to the Story Corner with the Tale-Teller and hear today's story.
TT: Hello, everyone and welcome to the Story Corner. We have a wonderful tale for you today. It's called "The Boy Who Whined 'Wolf'."
GK: Whined?
TT: Once there was a shepherd boy, who was told by his father--
FR: Go watch the flock.
TT: So the boy took his crook and went to tend his father's sheep. While watching the flock, the boy began to whine a and complain,
BY: Oh, man, this stinks. The wolf's out there, eating sheep and I'm supposed to fend him off with this stupid pole? C'mon. That's just dumb. Am I right or am I wrong? This stinks. This is the worst day ever!
TT: And went his shift ended, the boy went home. The next evening the boy was told to go watch the sheep. So he headed out to the pasture. While he watched over the herd he'd say,
BY: This is the worst day ever! Dumb sheep. You got that wolf out there and he's all set to carry off a sheep and I'm supposed to stop him? Think again. What am I suddenly Mr. Wolf expert? I gotta get out of this job. I really do.
TT: And another shepherd nearby said to him,
SH: Get another job? What? You don't do anything but stand around and complain to your heart's content. Who's got it better than you? There hasn't been a wolf in these parts for ages!
TT: And the boy said,
BY: Oh, I didn't know that. How am I supposed to know that? They just sent me out here and told me to watch out for wolves. I didn't know.
TT: And the night ended and the boy went home. The next evening the boy was told to again tend the flock. Once he got into the field he said,
BY: This is the worst day ever. This wolf is really starting to bug me. And look at those stupid sheep---
TT: Just then, a wolf came out of the forest and ate the boy. And the townspeople rejoiced. The moral is: Nobody likes a whiny boy. The End. Wasn't that a great story?
GK: What's not to like? It had a moral and everything. Thank you, Tale-Teller.
TT: You're welcome.
GK: Eats the boy.
TT: Gobbles him right up.
GK: I see.
TT: I can't wait until next time when I tell you story of "The Frog Prince and the Gullible Maiden."
GK: Can't wait.
end
