Background
'Mossycoat' is a very old story, with obvious links to the well-known tale of Cinderella. It is taken from an English Gypsy Traveller version, one of several that have been collected, with many of them written in dialect.
There has always been a very strong oral storytelling tradition in the Traveller community, and this story was first written down in 1915.
'Traveller' is an umbrella term, used to describe Romani Gypsy Travellers and Travellers of Irish Heritage, who are recognised as minority ethnic groups, under the Race Relations Act. It also includes showmen and circus people, as well as New Travellers.
The Cinderella story is found in many cultures, and children in the West are generally most familiar with the Charles Perrault version, originating in France. In all the versions, shoes and clothes are important motifs.
These stories, along with other familiar fairy tales, have a long, possibly ancient history, and have their roots in oral tradition. They were probably not created for children, but as powerful allegories of human problems.
Far from being a simplistic 'happy-ever-after' story with a negative view of women, it speaks to all children and has a strong female at the centre of the story.
It was only in the mid to late 20th century, when the stories were 'watered down' for children, that they lost most of their emotional impact, and instead reinforced the stereotypes and attitudes of the time.
Look critically at the texts you have available in your setting, and build up a library of good quality, well-illustrated fairy tale books and collections. Better still, familiarise yourself with a few different versions and practise your storytelling skills.
Sharing the story
* Remind the children that this is a very old story and that there are several different versions of it.
* Become familiar with the story yourself, and retell it in your own words.
* Extend the children's clothes vocabulary. Explain that the names of some items of clothing have changed over time, for example, a slipper in the story means a dancing shoe. Discuss different words to describe the same item of clothing, for example, a jumper and pullover.
* Share vocabulary for clothes in different languages.
Sharing the message
* There is an important message in the story about not judging people by the appearance of their clothes, but that may not be the only one, as stories can work on many different levels for children.
* Talk to them about what we mean when we talk about 'the message' of a story, and how it may mean different things to different people.
* Ask the children what they think is the message of Mossycoat. Respond positively to each suggestion and, if appropriate, ask them to elaborate on their reasons.
* Tell them what you consider to be the message of the story.
Creative and imaginative play
* Encourage the children to talk about how they imagine the mossycoat looks and feels. Find some moss to look at and explore its texture.
* Think about the many different shades of green and how they are named, for example, 'moss', 'leaf', 'apple', 'emerald'.
* Collect lots of colour charts from DIY shops, look closely at them and talk about the different shades. Encourage the children to mix their own examples and think of different names for them.
* Go for a walk, look for examples of green, and encourage the children to compare shades, again using their own words to describe the variation in colour.
* Make a collection of greens - natural and manufactured - that feature strongly in photos, pictures and paintings.
* Have a 'green day', when everyone can wear green clothes, paint their faces green and eat green fruit and vegetables!
* Use natural materials, such as leaves and grass, to create collages.
'Varnish' with PVA glue to preserve.
* Talk about the dress that was 'the colour of all the birds in the air'.
The children may be less familiar with brilliantly coloured birds, so find some pictures and paintings of birds such as kingfishers, parrots and budgerigars. Encourage the children to picture the dress in their minds before talking about what they see. Some children will want to paint or draw their images.
* Make a collection of slippers and party or dancing shoes. Talk about their different designs and uses.
Role play
* Make a mossycoat for role play. Cut out strips of green fabric in a variety of textures, such as plastic, wool and felt, and attach them loosely to an old jacket, shirt or waistcoat.
* Provide some glamorous party clothes, including bow ties, waistcoats, frilly frocks and lengths of attractive fabric that can be adapted into a variety of styles. Don't forget the dancing shoes.
* Use the story as a starting point for drama activities. Dramatise the whole story or develop aspects of it, such as making wishes, dancing at a party, doing the housework or making clothes.
Wish you were here
* The mossycoat can take its wearer to wherever they want to go. Encourage the children (as well as practitioners and parents) to think of where they would wish to go to and why. The responses may be local, far away or imaginary. Locate the destinations on local maps, globes or atlases, and look at postcards of the places.
* Make a display of the destinations chosen in people's wish lists. Include drawings, postcards, maps and photographs, and encourage the children to write (or scribe for them) a postcard from their fantasy destination.
* Wish fulfilment is a feature of many traditional stories, and plays a part in most children's magical thinking. Talk about what it might feel like to have a wish come true. Look out for other stories that revolve around wishes (for example, 'The Magic Fish', Nursery Topics May 2001).
CINDERELLAS AROUND THE WORLD
These are just a few of the many versions of this powerful story that has relevance in all cultures.
* Yeh Shen (China)
* Rashen-coatie (Scotland)
* Fair, Brown and Trembling (Ireland)
* Cenerentola (Italy)
* Pepelyouga (Serbia)
* Story of Tam and Cam (Vietnam)
* Katie Wooden Cloak (Denmark)
* Maria Cinderella (Chile)
* Cendrillon (France)
* Ashpet (Appalachian) FURTHER INFORMATION
* Mossycoat by Philip Pullman (Scholastic Hippo) is now out of print but may be available in libraries.
* Fireside Tales of the Traveller Children by Duncan Williamson (Canongate Publishers) is also out of print but may be available in libraries, and used copies can be bought from Amazon (visit www.amazon.co.uk).
* Dictionary of British Folk Tales by Katherine Briggs (Routledge, 50) and British Folk Tales & Legends by Katherine Briggs (Routledge, Pounds 9.95)
* Virago Book of Fairy Tales Vol I & II edited by Angela Carter (Virago, Pounds 7.99 each)
* The Uses of Enchantment - the meaning and importance of fairy tales By Bruno Bettelheim (Penguin, 10.99) Useful websites
* http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/cinderella/other.htmlNoNoraggirl
* http://www.ucalgary.ca/dkbrown/cinderella.html
* http://www.devon.gov.uk/eal/traveller/resources/annotatedbooklist.pdf
