ABSTRACT
A woman's story about stories, about silences and alternative forms of discourse can be categorised under Her-Meta stories. Women who are silenced by the patriarchal system and other forms of oppression communicate through alternative forms of expression for example, oral tales narrated to children. In order to explore silences, it is necessary to practise conscious listening. The conscious listener of these folktales has the major responsibility of unravelling the implications of the woman's discourse that finds a cure through storytelling. A. K. Ramanujan has delineated the significance of discovering alternative world views that lie hidden in darkness and silence in an oral tale. The identification of Athena's Wit motifs in folktales illuminates the darkness and throws light on the silences. The story Tell It to the Walls with the Her-Meta motif emphasises the importance of speech and listening in the context of aged women.
