All Souls' Tall Tale Competition
Thursday, November 8, 2007 – Masonic Temple, Cathedral Street
The Official Tall Tale Ten Commandments

1. Every soul interested in taking part in The All Souls' Tall Tale Competition shall place his or her name in The Hat as he or she enters the competition grounds at the St. John’s Masonic Temple. Those without a soul ineligible to participate.

2. The Hat shall accept registrations beginning at 7:30 pm, and shall close at 8:00 pm sharp. Latecomers will be mocked by those who arrived on time.

3. Ten names will be drawn at random from The Hat by The Host, and announced, one at a time, in a suitably dramatic fashion, as the competition unfolds.

4. All Tall Tales shall be under 7 minutes long.

5. The Panel of Esteemed Judges shall give a 5 minute warning sign. Tellers who run over 7 minutes will be stopped and disqualified, much to their eternal shame.

6. Stories will be judged on the believability of their openings and the outrageousness of their endings; the teller's delivery, use of humour, and originality.

7. Stories may be told in any form, be it narration, recitation, ventriloquism, ballad, mime, puppetry or opera, but must be told orally and not read.

8. All performances shall be solo performances and shall be unaccompanied by any musical or non-musical instrument or giant squid, its tentactles, or any part thereof except where such squid is accompanied by its legal guardian and where three days advance notice of said squid has been given to the judges in triplicate.

9. Judges shall attempt to act in a reasonably sober manner, and at the end of the night shall wax lyrical about the winning tale and grant the fabulous $200 cash prize (courtesy of the St. John's Storytelling Circle) to the winner.

10. The winner is granted full bragging rights as the 2007 Newfoundland and Labrador Champion Tall Tale Teller, with all honours, reverence and glory due such a title.