In a previous article on microphones , I recommended a wireless clip-on mike for most storytellers. If you tell sitting down, however, you might not mind the trailing cord of a wired clip-on. Of course, some tellers prefer hand-held mikes or mikes on stands. In all cases, you should probably get a uni-directional element, to reduce feedback. Mikes in this price range are also low-impedance, which guarantees that you can use long cables without adding hum.
Most musicians use two speakers for sound reinforcement, one placed to each side of the performer.
Put it to one side of you, angled to be heard by the whole audience. A good speaker is about the size of two stacked apple-crates, and weighs about 50 pounds. When you set up your system in a new place, experiment with speaker placement. You want it in front of you, not behind you. Typically, you'll angle it toward the center of your audience, but in a gym or other boomy room you may do better to bounce the sound off a side wall.