Once upon a time in a far-off country in the dim and distant past, a warrior was returning home after years of trouble and anguish. The wind was fair, his boat sound, and his helmsman a master at catching the right wave at the right moment and surfing across the last miles that lay between boat and home. Each day brought him closer; each night the stars became more familiar. The journey was almost done.

If you watch yourself begin to listen and begin to put yourself in the hands of a storyteller, I think you will become aware of a host of familiar feelings. I am offering to take you by the hand and lead you through the twists and turns of a familiar tale, some of which you remember well and others of which you have probably forgotten. As I speak, some parts will come back with a shock of recognition and familiarity while others will seem altogether new. If I were a true storyteller, I could keep you interested for a thousand and one nights. What gives me that power?