A-to-Z stories (also called ABC stories) have been passed down through the generations dating back to the nineteenth century. In an A-to-Z story each sign represents one of the twenty-six handshapes in the manual alphabet, from A to Z. The stories cover a wide range of topics, including an operation, a haunted house, a romantic couple, a car race, and a basketball game. The transition from A to Z must be very smooth, as in a regular story. A-to-Z stories are not easy to translate into English since their meaning depends on the visual effect created by the alphabet handshapes. The following example illustrates a classic A-to-Z story about a car race:

Handshape A B C D E F

Equivalence A driver gripping the steering wheel; the back of the race car being raised, still not moving forward; lights being flashed from top to bottom real fast; the front of the race car being raised up as it is spinning; the sound effect for the screeching tires, EEEEEEEEEE; the audience’s eyes following the race car that zooms off;

And the story continues until it ends with the Z handshape. Some very creative stories can also be told from Z to A!

Numerical Stories

Numerical stories are similar in form to A-to-Z stories. Each sign includes a handshape that represents a number from 1 to 15 or higher. A clever short, sharp, slap story, “Got it?!”, starts with the sign for “hey you” made with a 1 handshape, followed by LOOK-AT-ME with the 2 handshape, TERRIBLY-LOUSY with the 3 hand- shape, and continues up to 11 where it ends with GOT-IT?! After several repetitions, the audience members finally understand what the narrator was trying to tell them about the hidden numbers and they nod, “Got it!” Stories can also be created with A-to-Z handshapes and numerical handshapes together.

Classifier Stories

The classifier story is a very rich, creative art form. The story is told exclusively with classifier predicates (see unit 7 in part 3). One of the many classic classifier predicate stories is about a golf ball. In this story the storyteller’s head becomes a golf ball. It creates a point of view as it is put on a tee and watches a club approach several times before it is hit. After the ball is hit, it flies high over the trees, and then it descends and lands on the ground, bounces, rolls slowly, and finally stops. It is hit again, rolls toward the cup, and circles the rim of the cup before going down into the hole. Many funny visual images are created in this story.

PERCUSSION SIGNING

Percussion signing consists of using only one instrument, such as a bass drum, to beat rhythmic vibrations that Deaf people can feel while a performer signs with the beats. The beats are linked to the movements of the signs. Percussion signing started in the 1940s at Gallaudet University football games when it was performed for the song of the Gallaudet mascot. Now this art form is growing. It also can be done without an instrument, relying on the clapping of hands to create the rhythm for the performer. This kind of percussion signing was seen at the Deaf President Now events at Gallaudet University in 1988.