Good stories are like this

I have a friend whose lousy memory is matched by a nose for good stories to tell. Every time I meet him he's got one for me, taken from a repertoire of a dozen or so. I recognize them straight away but I let him talk, when he's about to end I say the final line. "Ah, you already knew it" "Yes, but I haven't had enough of it yet"

Good stories are like this, demanding coquettes. They love who can pamper and take care of them. Never mind memory, style or quantity: a teller needs passion, talent and loyalty. 

Image "Fairy and water babies" By Warwick Goble, from Art.com