Nationally-known storytellers and authors Richard and Judy Dockrey Young appear personally in clothing of the 1803-4 Early National Period and tell the stories that Lewis and Clark's men might have heard and told around the campfires, in the Indian lodges, and along the Missouri River as they trekked west across the continent.

French, English, American and Native American folk- tales that were popularly told in 1803 are presented as they might have been recounted by the Indians and the soldier-explorers.

Storytelling, along with singing, and playing musical instruments, were the evening passtimes of European and Native Americans alike, and the tradition of telling tales was certainly vital to every evening's camp.

Relive one small facet of the great adventure of the Corps of discovery with Richard and Judy Dockrey Young's program Tales from the Trail.

Richard said: "Of course, we do not represent ourselves as anyone who went on the Corps of Discovery, especially since no European women went, but rather as people living in that time who, in an omniscient-narrator way know the stories that might have been told. While we can answer many questions about life in 1803-1804, living history itself is not our objective. Instead of saying, "Look, here's how we napped our flints for our flintlocks" we say "Listen: here's an Arikara Indian animal story that was told to Lieutenant Clark by the Arikara Chief on October 17, 1803."