Introduction

A German Folktale adapted by Allison Cox from the story - "Bundles of Troubles, Bundles of Blessings" in the book - A Piece Of The Wind, by Ruthilde Kronberg and Patricia McKissack, Harper, San Francisco, 1990.

Bundles

There once was a woman who had so many problems, so many worries, so many troubles... that at times she felt she had more troubles than anyone else in the world!

Well... there was one friend she knew who had quite a large share of troubles herself. But this friend seemed to be able to move through her troubles and come out the other side with her head still held high. The more the woman thought about her friend, the more she began to think "I could ask her to tell me how she deals with her problems and then I would know how to deal with mine."

The woman became convinced that this was the answer - so one day she knocked on her friend's door. The friend invited her in, they sat down and chatted together while they shared tea. By and by the visitor told the friend why she had come to visit.

"Oh, but I can't tell you how to deal with your own problems" the friend told her, "only you know what are the right choices for yourself." The visitor's face looked so crestfallen that the friend added "But I could tell you some advice that someone once gave me that helped..."

"Oh would you? Could you?" the visitor encouraged her.

"Alright" the friend answered. "Why don't you let that part of yourself (gesture to self) that is connected to all that is (gesture to above and beyond) take over caring for your troubles."

"Well... alright."

It wasn't the kind of advice that she had expected. The visitor stayed a bit longer, chatting and catching up, then she said goodbye to her friend and began walking home. On the way home she thought "I really have tried everything else I can think of - what do I have to lose?"

So that night, when everyone else was asleep, she shut her door, got into bed, sat there and said "That part of me (gesture to self) that is connected to all that is (gesture to above and beyond)... please - help me with my troubles. I don't know what else to do..."

Then she figured she must be done, so she turned out her light, pulled up the covers and fell asleep... and that night she dreamed a dream...

She found herself in a vast candlelit cavern, surrounded by gray bundles of all shapes and sizes, as far as she could see. Walking toward her was a woman with flowing long white hair and dressed in a long dark cape.

"Who are you?" asked the dreamer "and what is this place?"

"This is the cave of the bundles of troubles and I am the Keeper of the cave."

"Bundles of troubles?"

"Yes," the Keeper explained, "each person who walks the earth carries a bundle of trouble on their left shoulder." The dreamer turned to look and there was a gray bundle on her left shoulder - it had been there all this time and she never noticed! "If you wish," the keeper continued, "you can take your bundle down and exchange it for another."

"Really? I can?" The woman lowered the bundle from her left shoulder. Oh it felt so good to put it down. Then she began picking up different bundles, feeling their weight, trying them on for size... She did this for hours until finally she said "Can I take this one? This one feels just right."

"Certainly you may" the Keeper told her, "but first, why don't you open it up and look inside."

So the woman put the bag down and pulled on the gray drawstrings and looked inside... "But these are the same troubles I brought in here!"

The Keeper of the cave smiled softly and nodded. "That's usually what happens, but do not despair, for there is another bundle on your right shoulder that should help lighten your load."

The woman turned and saw another bundle on her right shoulder. It had been there all this time and she never noticed! Only this bundle was woven of silver and gold threads and it sparkled like a diamond in the sunlight.

The Keeper spoke - "Why don't you take down that bundle, and look inside."

So the woman did. The bundle was light as down. She pulled the silver and gold strings and looked inside. And there were... all of her experiences and all that she had learned. There were her talents, her gifts, her hopes and opportunities yet to come. The woman felt her heart fill with joy and she looked up to thank the Keeper of the cave. But the Keeper of the cave was gone. All the gray bundles were gone. The cave was gone. And she found herself sitting up in her own bed with the morning sun streaming through the window, shining in her face.

Notes on the story from Allison Cox:

I have told this story to women's substance abuse recovery groups, parenting support classes, caregivers retreats, and for various women's issues.

I have consistently received positive feedback from my listeners about this tale. The most obvious follow-up exercise is to simply allow each of the listeners to take a moment to imagine what would be in their bundle of blessings and take turns sharing whatever they feel comfortable to tell is in their bag. If people list only other persons in their life, I might invite them to look again for a moment and notice the personal attributes and possibilities that are in their bag as well. One listener responded that she didn't have any. "What would they be if you did?" I asked her and this brought a flood of possibilities. We agreed that she had "hope" in that bundle and that these potentials were budding inside her. If the group has any kind of history - members of the audience sometimes remind each other of qualities that they had not mentioned, so this becomes a form of gifting each other with recognition as well.

If you have more time - you can try this exercise I developed from suggestions in Alida Gersie's books (see the Bibliography web page for sources). After the story, invite the audience to imagine the contents of their bundle of blessing and have the audience draw a symbol of what was inside. Post the drawings on the wall while each group member pastes (with sticky notes) one word on each drawing that comes to mind. Group comes back to share whatever they want about that experience ("This is my favorite word...", "They wrote exactly what I was thinking!", "Here's what my symbol represents..."). Listeners are invited to write a short poem with these words later or right away (depending on time) and then those that are willing can share the poems with the rest of the group. This process has generated some beautiful responses and by expanding the various modalities for sharing (talking, drawing, writing,...), I have found that listeners who never responded before are able to find a method that best suits their needs and talents - in this way they feel included and often share their experience.

Allison's website: www.dancingleaves.com/allison

Posted by Hilary Craig on July 04, 2004

I retold the "Bundles" story at a gathering of Unitarian women from western Canada. After I told the story I asked the women to make individual lists of their joys. When they had done that I encouraged them to share their lists with four or five other women, and finally, to write their revised list on the back of a shiny piece of paper (shaped like a bundle), which they decorated. I suggested that the women might want to take their bundles home and keep them in a place where they would see them regularly, e.g. on the fridge.

A couple of responses:

The opportunity for listening reflectively, sharing and remembering can't be beat. I loved this workshop and will continue to reflect and enjoy long after. Thank you!

The story was so easy to listen to; but the small group sharing was so revealing everybody s list is inspiring and enlarges our own.

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Posted by Karen Chace on June 14, 2001 at 21:07:44:

Dear Allison,
What a wonderful, life affirming story. I recognize the tale and I love your adaptation. I especially like the addition of the bundle that was sewn with threads of silver and gold.

This is such a hope-filled tale. I can certainly understand why it has such a powerful impact on the women in the settings you describe. Everyone has something to offer, however humble, and this tale will bring their strengths to the surface, no matter how deeply they are buried. By asking the women to share what is in their bundles of blessings, you give the the power to imagine a brighter future. A powerful gift indeed. Thank you for sharing this touching and joyful story.
Karen Chace

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Posted by Mary Garrett on June 15, 2001 at 00:02:45:

I have always loved this story, and I love what you are doing with it. Have you let Ruthilde know your success stories? She would probably love to know it.

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Posted by Allison Cox on June 15, 2001 at 17:28:29:

In Reply to: Bundles posted by Mary Garrett on June 15, 2001 at 00:02:45:

I have shared this writeup with both Ruthilde Kronberg and Pat McKissack - both were glad to hear that Bundles was still being told.

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Posted by Fran Yardley on June 15, 2001 at 08:20:30:

Dear Alison, What a thought provoking, evocative tale! I work with women with cancer and chronic illnesses and I can see this as a powerful, affirming story for them. I love your ideas for follow up. I am interested in knowing how you would feel about my using both the story and some form of the exercises with my group. Thank you so much for sharing! Fran Yardley

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Posted by Allison Cox on June 15, 2001 at 17:30:33:

In Reply to: Bundles posted by Fran Yardley on June 15, 2001 at 08:20:30:

Go for it Fran! That's what posting these stories and exercises is all about as far as I'm concerned... to support each other in doing healing work.

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Posted by Judy H. Wright on June 15, 2001 at 17:14:19:

Dear Friends: Thank you for the wonderful story. This is one I would like to share with Camp-Mak-s-dream located here in Montana and for children, adults and family who are living through cancer.

I am also interested in joining your group. How does one go about that? I am a writer, teacher, personal historian etc. etc. who works with the healing art of stories, specifically at the end of life. I am going to be speaking on that subject at the Association of Personal Historian Conference in November.

Please send me information on joining. Thanks, Judy H. wright, 2400 West Central, Missoula, MT 59801 judywright@in-tch.com

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Posted by Allison Cox on June 15, 2001 at 17:37:47:

In Reply to: Storyof Bundles posted by Judy H. Wright on June 15, 2001 at 17:14:19:

Dear Judy, Glad to hear that you are already thinking of some good places to tell this story. To Join the Healing Story Alliance (our new name) go to the Join page on this web site at:
Join
for all the information you need to join (look at bottom of page). Also - go to the newsletters page to read in the most recent issue about how to join the healingstory list serve.

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Posted by Judith Sharon on June 16, 2001 at 00:43:07:

Dear Alison, A wonderful thing about stories is how the same powerful themes repeat in different cultures. This one reminds me of "Market of Miseries" from Grandmother Tales. It is a Jewish story where G'd sends an angel down to earth to "do something" about that woman who is "kvetching" (complaining) so much about her life. The angel changes into a merchant who leads the woman to the marketplace where she has a chance to exchange her own troubles for others being sold at booths. Of course, after comparing, she ends up keeping hers(symbolized by pomegranets) which she takes home and places in her window to remind her of her own blessings. I have had women act this out and they find it so therapeutic, crying, laughing, realizing that this is their life, too! Judith

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Posted by Marco Castro on December 19, 2001 at 19:57:49:

Marco is my name... I am writing you about this "simple" (like the color of the sky about 11:00 AM) Story. My life it is now more "simple" and "clear" (like the color of the sky about 11:00 AM).

I am Mejicano and don't have the best abilities with the vast English language... I want to think that my Spanish it is a lot more eloquent but again, the "bundle" is lighter so I will stick with English at my best.

Thank you for sharing the story about women... Women are such an inspiration to my life! The lady who was dreaming it was me (or should I said I) and the lady at the vast candlelit cavern was my mother... (She died this past June after almost 3 months of agony as a result of a massive "brain stroke")... Since April my life became another life. I spent days and nights by my mom's hospital bedside and hold her hand with conviction the last 30 hrs. of her life as a symbolic "adios" . I came back to the states on August, traveled to Europe for a few weeks and was in Paris on Sep. 11th. -half of my trip became another trip-. Now I am here in San Francisco living day-by-day and reading all I can and watching good cinema. I started writing poems on my native language after 3 years of laziness and apathy and this evening by reading your story (I am trying to make my point but at the same time want to tell you my whole life on a "comment"... I am like this - want to do all at ones)

Ok back to the cove with the "keeper" (my mother). My sac or bundle was full with colors at the end and it is still on my shoulder but not as heavy... in fact, I am "embracing" my bundle of problems and solutions because they are mixed with love provided by all the animals of this planet (especially by the blessing of 3 kittens: Topo Pandemonio (RIP), Lola and Kafka). And finally, the realization that I was able to set long term goals like becoming an elementary art teacher (my mother's profession) Also, I want to learn how to play the Cello so I can go back on the "Day of the Death" to the municipal cementery in Sinaloa, Mejico and play the "Bach Cello Suites" to my mother. Yes!

Love
Marco
And sorry for the nonsense of my writing.

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Posted by Allison Cox on December 20, 2001 at 20:48:19:

In Reply to: Bundles (English) = Manojos (Spanish) posted by Marco Castro on December 19, 2001 at 19:57:49:

Dear Marco,
Thank you for your beautiful note. My mother died from a series of strokes 2 1/2 years ago - and so much of your description of the steps you have taken as you honor her life bring back memories of my own journey. I will send you a copy of the article that I wrote about this and you will see how similar our paths have been. Thank you so much for sharing and I send my best to you.
Allison Cox

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Posted by Shelby Smith December 3, 2003

Well, I have not been able to get back on healingstory listserv since Conference, so if you post this on the list and respond there, I won't see it. Healing story for me is somewhere out there.

I used the whole Bundles activity at a church class. I go to a Science of Mind Church, for what that's worth, it's New Thought. Each person listed their blessings after the story, they chose the one most important to them and drew a picture of it. The class circled around the table, writing one word on small sticky notes to each picture. When they finished that, I illustrated a diamante form poem and we wrote one together, then they each wrote one.

When they had finished their poem, they felt really enlightened and were upset that the whole class was not in attendance that night. Since then, we were assigned a project illustrating in some form what we received from the class. Several said that the Bundles activity helped them focus on what was important, one focused entirely on the symbol (drawing) that she had done. another created her the whole project around her symbol (drawing). They were definitely inspired. I was invited to do it for the whole church sometime!

In case you don't know what a diamante is...1st line-Noun, 2nd-2 adj., 3rd-3 participles (-ing), 4th-4 nouns (1st 2 abt. 1st noun, 2nd 2 abt opposite of 1st noun), 3 participles about opposite of 1st noun, 2 adjectives opposite 1st noun, 1 noun opposite of first noun. EX: night and day, hot and cold, sun and moon. They make lovely transitional poetry

Walk in Sunshine,
Shelby

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From ashok kujur
Thanks for the story.

However, i have heard another version of the with a christian slant. let me share with the readers

A man was carrying the cross of his life and he found it very heavy. So he asked christ to give him a lighter cross. Jesus Christ took him to a place where lots of crosses were piled up. He threw his cross on to the pile and began searching for the lighter one. after much searching he found a cross which was relatively light. And his chose that. But he found that it was the same cross he had thrown.

Each one has got his/her share of sorrows. An attitude of surrender will help in carrying our crooses of life.

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