--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Are you a storyteller, Thomas Covenant?\"…" description: "\"Are you a storyteller, Thomas Covenant?\" Absently he replied, \"I was, once.\" \"And you gave it up? Ah, that is as sad a tale in three words as any you m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/577/stephen-r-donaldson-9552_covenant_are-you-a-storyteller-thomas-covenant-ab_1303837.jpg" --- # Are you a storyteller, Thomas Covenant?" Absently he… ![“Are you a storyteller, Thomas Covenant?" Absently he replied, "I was, once." "And you gave it up? Ah, that is as sad a tale in three words as any you might have told me. But a life without a tale is like a sea without salt. How do you live?" "I live." "Another?" Foamfollower returned. "In two…” quote by Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/577/stephen-r-donaldson-9552_covenant_are-you-a-storyteller-thomas-covenant-ab_1303837.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/577/stephen-r-donaldson-9552_covenant_are-you-a-storyteller-thomas-covenant-ab_1303837.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/577/stephen-r-donaldson-9552_covenant_are-you-a-storyteller-thomas-covenant-ab_1303837.jpg) > “Are you a storyteller, Thomas Covenant?" Absently he replied, "I was, once." "And you gave it up? Ah, that is as sad a tale in three words as any you might have told me. But a life without a tale is like a sea without salt. How do you live?" "I live." "Another?" Foamfollower returned. "In two words, a story sadder than the first. Say no more - with one word you will make me weep.” [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories give meaning; without them life feels empty, urging us to seek purpose through narrative. **In simple terms:** Stories give life meaning. Key Takeaway Find and cherish your personal narrative. Themes storytelling purpose existence loneliness Mood contemplative melancholic hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - Personal crisis - creative writing - therapy sessions Key Concepts Narrative identity existential meaning human connection Questions to Reflect On - What story defines you? - Can a single word convey deep emotion? A Different Perspective A life without story feels barren. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Covenant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/covenant/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Fists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fists/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [One word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-word/) [Rings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rings/) [Sadder Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadder-say-1706638/) [Salt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salt/) [Sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story Sadder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-sadder-1706637/) [Storyteller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storyteller/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Tale Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tale-words-1706639/) [Tales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tales/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Three Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three-word/) [Three words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three-words/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Two Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-words/) [Words Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-story-432444/) [Words Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-told-526226/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Are you a storyteller, Thomas Covenant?" Absently he replied, "I was, once." "And you gave it up? Ah, that is as sad a tale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/are-you-a-storyteller-thomas-covenant-absently-he-replied-i-was-once-2/) [Stephen R. 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This was about words, and she knew about words. ‘Here is a story to believe,’ she said. ‘Once we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/tiffany-took-a-deep-breath-this-was-about-words-and-she-knew-about/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“A great book does not have to be a literary masterpiece with complicated sentences and words no one has heard of. It has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-mackey/a-great-book-does-not-have-to-be-a-literary-masterpiece-with/) [Amanda Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-mackey/) > [“It is easy to arrange the words in a story born out of a dream; for a story without a dream, a story itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/it-is-easy-to-arrange-the-words-in-a-story-born-out-of-a-dream-for-a/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [To make films, it always begins with two words: what and how. First of all, you have to find a story, or what are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/to-make-films-it-always-begins-with-two-words-what-and-how-first-of/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [“There's something delicious about writing those first few words of a story. You can never quite tell where they will take you. Mine took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beatrix-potter/there-s-something-delicious-about-writing-those-first-few-words-of-a/) [Beatrix Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beatrix-potter/) > [We read novels. We read hundreds of pages of words, when the story is good because we're willing to stay there. I hope the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veena-sud/we-read-novels-we-read-hundreds-of-pages-of-words-when-the-story-is/) [Veena Sud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veena-sud/) > [“To live is to change, to acquire the words of a story, and that is the only celebration we mortals really know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/to-live-is-to-change-to-acquire-the-words-of-a-story-and-that-is-the/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“A picture is worth a thousand words. A story is worth a thousand images”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-m-kin/a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-a-story-is-worth-a-thousand-images/) [M.M. Kin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-m-kin/) > [There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they'll take you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beatrix-potter/there-is-something-delicious-about-writing-the-first-words-of-a-story/) [Beatrix Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beatrix-potter/) > [He made a story for all of them, a story to give them strength. The words of the story poured out of his mouth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/he-made-a-story-for-all-of-them-a-story-to-give-them-strength-the/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) > [It is infinitely more useful for a child to hear a story told by a person than by computer. Because the greatest part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-smith/it-is-infinitely-more-useful-for-a-child-to-hear-a-story-told-by-a/) [Frank Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-smith/) ## More by Stephen R. Donaldson > [“A real man—real in all the ways that we recognize as real—finds himself suddenly abstracted from the world and deposited in a physical situation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/a-real-man-real-in-all-the-ways-that-we-recognize-as-real-finds/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) > [Any belief that puts itself beyond doubt nurtures its own collapse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/any-belief-that-puts-itself-beyond-doubt-nurtures-its-own-collapse/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) > [“But he was dreaming. The way to endure a dream was to flow with it until it ended.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/but-he-was-dreaming-the-way-to-endure-a-dream-was-to-flow-with-it/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) > [This you have to understand. There's only one way to hurt a man who's lost everything. Give him back something broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/this-you-have-to-understand-there-s-only-one-way-to-hurt-a-man-who-s/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) > [Everything dies, from the smallest blade of grass to the biggest galaxy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/everything-dies-from-the-smallest-blade-of-grass-to-the-biggest-galaxy/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) > [“this library is another desert. A wasteland of words instead of sand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/this-library-is-another-desert-a-wasteland-of-words-instead-of-sand/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) > [“...are you a person - with volition and maybe some stubborness and at least the capacity if not the actual determination to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/are-you-a-person-with-volition-and-maybe-some-stubborness-and-at/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) > [“The speed felt tremendous. And the bottom of the ravine was treacherous. She ought to control her mount somehow - slow it; steer it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/the-speed-felt-tremendous-and-the-bottom-of-the-ravine-was/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) > [Whatever the explanation, it's perfectly obvious that our educational system has nothing to do with education: it's a babysitting service designed to replicate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/whatever-the-explanation-it-s-perfectly-obvious-that-our-educational/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) > [I had no intention of pursuing either the characters or the setting further.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/i-had-no-intention-of-pursuing-either-the-characters-or-the-setting/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) > [I respect my limitations, but I don't use them as an excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/i-respect-my-limitations-but-i-don-t-use-them-as-an-excuse/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) > [For a variety of reasons, my books struck the marketplace like a thunderclap; and one of those reasons was that there were so few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/for-a-variety-of-reasons-my-books-struck-the-marketplace-like-a/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) > [“But then a bubbling tenor voice said kindly, "Do not fear. It is a dream." The reassurance spread over him like a blanket. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/but-then-a-bubbling-tenor-voice-said-kindly-do-not-fear-it-is-a-dream/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) > [The heart cherishes secrets not worth the telling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/the-heart-cherishes-secrets-not-worth-the-telling/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) > ["And you require no answers", Foamfollower was laughing in his gladness, "You are sufficient to every question".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/and-you-require-no-answers-foamfollower-was-laughing-in-his-gladness/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) [Explore all 72 Stephen R. Donaldson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) ## More Covenant quotes > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [God will keep His promises to you as you honor your covenants with Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-m-stephens/god-will-keep-his-promises-to-you-as-you-honor-your-covenants-with-him/) [Carole M. Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-m-stephens/) > [“God is worming out His and our adversaries, which He will do by little and little, till they be consumed. The covenant is seasonable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/various/god-is-worming-out-his-and-our-adversaries-which-he-will-do-by-little/) [Various](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/various/) > [There is no more blessed way of living, than the life of faith based upon a covenant-keepin g God - to know that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/there-is-no-more-blessed-way-of-living-than-the-life-of-faith-based/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [White and shining virgin of all human virtues, ark of the covenant between earth and heaven, tender and strong companion partaking of the lion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/white-and-shining-virgin-of-all-human-virtues-ark-of-the-covenant/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [The average citizen expresses pride in the American Bill of Rights and then seeks to protect his real estate by restrictive covenants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-allen-overstreet/the-average-citizen-expresses-pride-in-the-american-bill-of-rights/) [Harry Allen Overstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-allen-overstreet/) > [The only compensation, gained through the influence of nongovernmental organizations, consisted in slightly broadening for private individuals the possibility of access and appeal to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-cassin/the-only-compensation-gained-through-the-influence-of-nongovernmental/) [Rene Cassin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-cassin/) > [Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins is an essential covenant to make with the Lord. Faith and repentance precede this ordinance. Confirmation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-theodore-tuttle/baptism-by-immersion-for-the-remission-of-sins-is-an-essential/) [A. Theodore Tuttle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-theodore-tuttle/) > [Peace does not rest in the charters and covenants alone. It lies in the hearts and minds of all people. So let us not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/peace-does-not-rest-in-the-charters-and-covenants-alone-it-lies-in/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Modern societies accepted the treasures and the power offered them by science. But they have not accepted - they have scarcely even heard -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/modern-societies-accepted-the-treasures-and-the-power-offered-them-by/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [A covenant is an agreement between God and man, an accord whose terms are set by God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-todd-christofferson/a-covenant-is-an-agreement-between-god-and-man-an-accord-whose-terms/) [D. Todd Christofferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-todd-christofferson/) > [A group is as healthy as its 'social contract' is clear; a congregation as faithful as its covenant is mutually understood; a pastor as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-group-is-as-healthy-as-its-social-contract-is-clear-a-congregation/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is no exception to this rule: "All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant." They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/there-is-no-exception-to-this-rule-all-the-paths-of-the-lord-are/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [What I am trying to teach is that when we keep the temple covenants we have made and when we live righteously in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-scott/what-i-am-trying-to-teach-is-that-when-we-keep-the-temple-covenants/) [Richard G. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-scott/) > [No love can be bound by oath or covenant to secure it against a higher love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/no-love-can-be-bound-by-oath-or-covenant-to-secure-it-against-a/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Browse all 421 Covenant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/covenant/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Are you a storyteller, Thomas Covenant?\" Absently he replied, \"I was, once.\" \"And you gave it up? Ah, that is as sad a tale in three words as any you might have told me. But a life without a tale is like a sea without salt. How do you live?\" \"I live.\" \"Another?\" Foamfollower returned. \"In two words, a story sadder than the first. Say no more - with one word you will make me weep.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen R. 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