TALES OF THE McDORWUFFS
by
Avril Rowlands
The McDorwuffs are a clan of small, stout Scottish people whose home is around the shores of Loch Laxford.
The McDorwuffs are rockherds. Just as shepherds look after their sheep, rockherds look after the rocks and hills of the even farthest north.
The McDorwuffs have a special relationship with God, trekking to the top of the mountain called Foinaven to talk over their problems. If, however, the advice God gives is not to their liking they generally ignore it!
The eight moving and often very funny stories in the series try to show something of the way in which God's love works in the world. They tackle themes such as greed, selfishness, pride, making difficult choices and how we treat others. They will appeal to all ages and especially to children aged from 5 to 9.
Background
The idea for the McDorwuffs came
when I was on holiday in my favourite part of Scotland. The north-west
corner, Sutherland, is
an area of mountains, hills, lochs, beaches ... and sheep. It is wild yet
peaceful, a place where it is very easy to feel God's presence. At the
time I
was thinking of stories I could use when taking assembly
at my local village school. I wanted to show something of the way in which God works in the world, always
ready to answer our prayers, although often not in the way we expect or
understand at the time. A God who is always approachable, always willing
to listen and to act. A God with a sense of humour, a God who, above all, shows an infinite capacity to love and care for his creation. The McDorwuff stories were the result.
The books
Eight books containing the stories were
published by Hillside Publishing and beautifully illustrated by John Horton's
atmospheric and sensitive paintings. I later wrote resource material to
assist teachers when using the stories in school assemblies, church groups or
Sunday Schools. Although the books are no longer in print, copies are
available.
The first story, Jamie and
the Best Stone in the World, can be read on this website and there are synopses
of all the other stories.
TV series/videos
Some years later I was
fortunate enough to have the opportunity of turning the books into eight fifteen minute
children's television programmes through the generosity of Jerusalem
Productions. Two omnibus versions each containing four stories are
available for purchase on VHS.
Why a McDorwuff website?
A few years ago, I was asked whether I would give permission for
translations to be made and photocopied for distribution, especially to children
living in countries where there are wars or conflicts. This was done
by volunteers who felt that these stories contained an important message.
Three of the stories have been translated into 17 different languages. It
seemed right to make the McDorwuffs available to a wider audience through the
worldwide web.
I hope you enjoy visiting this site.
Avril Rowlands