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WOSAS : F883 WOSAS/CD265/track2
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Si Djeha and the Robbers

Sound recording, story; Si Djeha and the Robbers, a folk tale, lying tale and trickster tale from the Arab World told by Hugh Lupton, as part of a performance of a Christmas Show by The Company of Storytellers, at The Sterts Centre, later known as Sterts Theatre, Upton Cross, Cornwall, in December 1988

Music played by The Company of Storytellers followed by story told by Hugh Lupton. A man, Si Djeha, is robbed. In revenge he proceeds to trick the robbers into buying from him, a donkey that apparently deficates gold; a hoe of hospitality with which to hoe up food from the ground, and a magical hare. Having found they've been tricked, the robbers try to kill Si Djeha, but he instead tricks them into killing first a shepherd, then their own wives. The robbers attempt to kill Si Djeha again, leaving him tied to a post in the desert, Si Djeha escapes by tricking a rich merchant into taking his place.

This story also exists as a Norwegian story about Peik (R823 and R1121 told by Abbi Patrix) and as an Irish traveller tale (R850, told by Mikeen McCarthy).

audience:- adult
    recording quality
condition:- good; fair
completeness:- complete
duration:- 0 hours, 16 minutes, 5 seconds

The Company of Storytellers at this time comprised Ben Haggarty, Sally Pomme Clayton and Hugh Lupton.

The Company of Storytellers (C.O.S.T) was formed in March/April 1985 with the expressed aim of performing storytelling for adult audiences. C.O.S.T was actually formed during a tour in East Anglia by Sally Pomme Clayton, Hugh Lupton and Ben Haggarty. The official launch of COST was in 1986 at Common Stock Theatre, London. At this point the members of C.O.S.T were Sally Pomme Clayton, TUUP, Ben Haggarty, Daisy Keable, Hugh Lupton. However TUUP and Daisy Keable did not remain in the group and it is as a trio of storytellers, Ben Haggarty, Hugh Lupton and Sally Pomme Clayton, that C.O.S.T is publicly known. C.O.S.T was disbanded in 1999, but periodically reforms to perform the Three Snake Leaves. The two seminal pieces developed and performed by C.O.S.T were The Three Snake Leaves and I Become Part of It.

storytelling:- storytelling group: The Company of Storytellers

storytelling:- storyteller; musician: Hugh Lupton
male / British / English / Welsh

storytelling:- storyteller; musician: Ben Haggarty
male / British / born 30.11.1958

storytelling:- storyteller; musician: Sally Pomme Clayton
female / British

origin:- Middle East
Arab world


storytelling:- Upton Cross, Liskeard, Cornwall, England: The; Sterts Theatre Sterts Centre
Dec 1988
public performance: The Company of Storyteller's Christmas Show


gift from:- storyteller: Sally Pomme Clayton


©  The London Centre for International Storytelling: 2007
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