I have personally loved Mythology and Folklore almost even more than I did Indian Epics. Between both of these classes, I got to read amazing stories and even stretch my creativity muscle a little bit. After completing this class I had one fun thought. It may be somewhat hard to execute but it could reach out to a different group of students who may be taking this class.
A Unit where we get to make up stories behind famous pieces of art work. It could be a sunday afternoon in the park, or the Mona Lisa, or maybe get wacky and create a story for Picaso. This just seems to have endless opportunities to be creative. With a picture of the painting maybe there could be a short history behind its conception and creation below the picture. This could help spark the imagination of anyone struggling to think of a story.
I know this post is short but this idea just struck me as I was reading through mythology and seeing all those amazing statues and pieces of art. Just something to consider!
Monday, December 5, 2016
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Portfolio Guide
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| Simba Strays from the pride |
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| The Brothers, the Fish, and the Lost Fishhook |
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| The recovery of the magical fish hook |
The tale of the hunter retrieving his brother's lost, magical fish hook continues. Our narrator, the fish, continues on with his journey to see if the hunter will recover the fish hook and in the process, he gets involved in the adventure.
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| A Game of Cat and Mouse |
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| The Determined Boy Scout |
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| The Hard Working Interns |
Storytelling: The Determined Boy Scout
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| Harold the boy scout |
Harold always wanted to grow up and be an accomplished Eagle Scout like his dad and older brother. He joined the Boy Scouts when he was really young so he could start learning early all the ins and outs. Every meeting, every event and every chance he was hungry to learn more or practice his skills he took advantage of. Harold convinced his dad to take him to the store and buy him anything he could possibly ever need while he was out on his boy scout adventures. He had rope, flares, first aid kits, water, snacks, extra clothes, fishing lures, Swiss Army knife and even more things.
Fall was the time of year that the Boy Scouts were put to the test to see if they had what it takes to move on to the next level and possibly become Eagle Scouts. Harold spent as much time as he could practice things like how to build a fire or how to make a tent. While he was out in the woods one day practicing his knotting skills, he heard footsteps crunching the dead leaves that the trees had shed. He stayed very still because he was not sure who would be out in the woods with him.
A little girl came into view and she jumped back startled when she saw Harold. It was obvious she had not anticipated running into anyone either.
"Hi, I'm Clara, and boy am I'm glad to see you!" she said.
"Hi Clara, I'm Harold. Why are you roaming around in the woods?" Harold asked her.
"Well, I just moved here and I was at the store getting some candy when these bullies pushed me down and then started chasing me! I couldn't get away but eventually I lost them in the woods. It was fine until I realized I had no idea where I was and I've just been roaming around since," she confused.
Harold felt bad and as much as he wanted to practice more skills for his eagle scout test, he knew he could not leave the poor girl high and dry.
"Well, how about I see if I can get you back home?" Harold offered.
After she told him her street, he realized they were neighbors and he set off taking her there. Harold told Clara all about what he was doing in the woods and how much be wanted to be an eagle scout.
She gave him a puzzled look and asked, "You practiced so much, so why don't you have any patches on your shirt?"
Harold told her, "Well, I may not be the most skilled Boy Scout YET, but if I stop trying then I'll never get better or even have a chance at being an Eagle Scout!"
Clara smiled at him and said nothing else. Harold got her home and her parents were so thrilled to see her. They thanked Harold repeatedly for making sure that she got home safe and sound. Clara wished him the best of luck on his Eagle Scout exam and promised she would come by his house tomorrow to help him practice pitching a tent. Harold was excited to have someone to help him keep practicing his skills and also was happy he had made a new, unexpected friend.
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| Alice and the White Knight |
Author's Note:
I took this story from my reading of "Through the Looking Glass" specifically the story series called "My Own Invention." I really liked how when the two knights fought and the White Knight won, he didn't hold Alice as his prisoner and instead agreed to help her get to the other side of the woods. Throughout the story of their journey, it becomes blatantly obvious that the knight is not the best. He has too many items on his horse that are not necessary and he keeps falling off of his horse. Alice continuously helps him back on and he tells her it is all about practice. I chose to write this story as a story you would tell a small child to help them learn a lesson. It is a lesson about perseverance for the things you love and are passionate about, which in Harold's case, was being a good Boy Scout and eventually becoming an Eagle Scout. Harold helps Clara through the woods just like the knight did for Alice. Clara encourages Harold just as Alice did even though neither Harold or the White Knight were that good at what they were doing it. It is a fun, simple lesson that giving up won't get you to your goal so it is best to keep trying!
Bibliography: Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (1871).
Storytelling: Buried in wealth
Scrooge was the richest man in town, and he made sure everyone knew it. When he walked through the streets, he always wore his nicest coat and made sure to carry his gold plated cane. He would stroll up and down the streets of town, paying no mind to the beggars that lined the streets and that were on every corner. Even though he ignored their very existence, some of them would still ask him to donate to them, which he always declined with a scoff and hearty laugh.
One day, when he was walking home from the bank, he passed by a new beggar who sat on the curb looking cold and down trodden. He walked by her like all the rest until he heard a man behind him speaking. He turned around and saw the man hand the homeless women a single coin. Although it was a humble contribution and foolish in Scrooge's opinion, Scrooge felt guilty and began walking back towards the two.
"Excuse me sir," said Scrooge. "Could I trouble you for a coin to give to this poor woman? I would give of my own money but I only have large bills due to my immense wealth."
Un-phased by his bragging, the man lent Scrooge a coin to give to the woman. When Scrooge came back, the man asked "so when can I reclaim the coin that you owe to me?"
"Come tomorrow and I promise I will have small enough change to pay you," instructed Scrooge.
And with those instructions, the man and Scrooge parted ways. The next day, the man came to Scrooge's place of business to collect his money. Scrooge turned him away however, declaring that his wealth was still far too large to break into smaller change. The man stated that he would return the next day to claim his repayment.
The next day, Scrooge was hard at work balancing his books when he saw the man coming down the street towards his Savings & Loans business. Fed up and exhausted with the constant visits, Scrooge decided the only way to get rid of the persistent man was to fake his own death. Right as the man knocked on the door and came in, Scrooge keeled over and pretended to die. The man saw through this trick immediately because he had seen Scrooge spying on him through the window. However, the man decided to go with the shenanigans and beat Scrooge at his own game.
"Oh woe poor Ebenezer Scrooge! Deceased far before his time!" cried out the man. "He deserves the proper burial of a righteous man."
With that declaration, the man began making arrangements for a proper funeral. He called a florist, a concert pianist, a funeral home, a coffin maker, and a priest. He considered making invitations to the funeral for family and friends before he realized this was Ebenezer Scrooge and he obviously would not have anyone attending.
He hosted the ceremony that afternoon at the grave yard behind the town church. Together, he and the priest put Scrooge to rest and as they were lowering his coffin into the ground, Scrooge finally broke character and jumped out of the hole.
"Wait! Wait! Please don't bury me for I am still very much alive," pleaded Scrooge.
"Oh what great work of magic! I am quite glad you are awake after all," teased the man. "In that case I believe you owe me a coin plus the cost of all the funeral arrangements."
Begrudgingly, Scrooge paid back the borrowed coin and all the costs that had been spent on his fake funeral. After paying back the man, Scrooge vowed to never borrowed money from anyone again. While Scrooge did not really learn the lesson that was intended, the man was glad that Scrooge would not try to pull the same trick on someone else ever again. And with all the funds he had recovered from the cost of the funeral, he went and donated it to the towns shelter/soup kitchen so that Scrooge's money would end up helping the less fortunate, whether he liked it or not.
Author's Note: I was inspired by the Russian Folktale: The Miser. There is a rich and stingy man who borrows a coin from a poor man to give to a beggar. The poor man happily does so but comes back day after day to be paid back. The Miser never pays him and even fakes his own death. Right before he is buried, the Miser stops faking and together him and the poor man see band of robbers as they run away frighten. Together the Miser and the poor man divided up the robbers riches but the Miser never actually paid the poor man back. In the spirit of the holidays, I wrote my story around Scrooge from a Christmas Carol. He is stingy and rich just like the Miser and neither of them like donating to others. I wanted some justice in the story though, so the poor man gets Scrooge to stop faking his death and pay up plus some. As a bonus kick. the poor man takes Scrooge's money and donates it to organizations designed to help people. I thought it was a nice and snarky thing to do.
Bibliography: Russian Fairy Tales by W. R. S. Ralston (1887). The Miser
One day, when he was walking home from the bank, he passed by a new beggar who sat on the curb looking cold and down trodden. He walked by her like all the rest until he heard a man behind him speaking. He turned around and saw the man hand the homeless women a single coin. Although it was a humble contribution and foolish in Scrooge's opinion, Scrooge felt guilty and began walking back towards the two.
"Excuse me sir," said Scrooge. "Could I trouble you for a coin to give to this poor woman? I would give of my own money but I only have large bills due to my immense wealth."
Un-phased by his bragging, the man lent Scrooge a coin to give to the woman. When Scrooge came back, the man asked "so when can I reclaim the coin that you owe to me?"
"Come tomorrow and I promise I will have small enough change to pay you," instructed Scrooge.
And with those instructions, the man and Scrooge parted ways. The next day, the man came to Scrooge's place of business to collect his money. Scrooge turned him away however, declaring that his wealth was still far too large to break into smaller change. The man stated that he would return the next day to claim his repayment.
The next day, Scrooge was hard at work balancing his books when he saw the man coming down the street towards his Savings & Loans business. Fed up and exhausted with the constant visits, Scrooge decided the only way to get rid of the persistent man was to fake his own death. Right as the man knocked on the door and came in, Scrooge keeled over and pretended to die. The man saw through this trick immediately because he had seen Scrooge spying on him through the window. However, the man decided to go with the shenanigans and beat Scrooge at his own game.
"Oh woe poor Ebenezer Scrooge! Deceased far before his time!" cried out the man. "He deserves the proper burial of a righteous man."
With that declaration, the man began making arrangements for a proper funeral. He called a florist, a concert pianist, a funeral home, a coffin maker, and a priest. He considered making invitations to the funeral for family and friends before he realized this was Ebenezer Scrooge and he obviously would not have anyone attending.
He hosted the ceremony that afternoon at the grave yard behind the town church. Together, he and the priest put Scrooge to rest and as they were lowering his coffin into the ground, Scrooge finally broke character and jumped out of the hole.
"Wait! Wait! Please don't bury me for I am still very much alive," pleaded Scrooge.
"Oh what great work of magic! I am quite glad you are awake after all," teased the man. "In that case I believe you owe me a coin plus the cost of all the funeral arrangements."
Begrudgingly, Scrooge paid back the borrowed coin and all the costs that had been spent on his fake funeral. After paying back the man, Scrooge vowed to never borrowed money from anyone again. While Scrooge did not really learn the lesson that was intended, the man was glad that Scrooge would not try to pull the same trick on someone else ever again. And with all the funds he had recovered from the cost of the funeral, he went and donated it to the towns shelter/soup kitchen so that Scrooge's money would end up helping the less fortunate, whether he liked it or not.
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| Ebenezer Scrooge |
Author's Note: I was inspired by the Russian Folktale: The Miser. There is a rich and stingy man who borrows a coin from a poor man to give to a beggar. The poor man happily does so but comes back day after day to be paid back. The Miser never pays him and even fakes his own death. Right before he is buried, the Miser stops faking and together him and the poor man see band of robbers as they run away frighten. Together the Miser and the poor man divided up the robbers riches but the Miser never actually paid the poor man back. In the spirit of the holidays, I wrote my story around Scrooge from a Christmas Carol. He is stingy and rich just like the Miser and neither of them like donating to others. I wanted some justice in the story though, so the poor man gets Scrooge to stop faking his death and pay up plus some. As a bonus kick. the poor man takes Scrooge's money and donates it to organizations designed to help people. I thought it was a nice and snarky thing to do.
Bibliography: Russian Fairy Tales by W. R. S. Ralston (1887). The Miser
Monday, November 28, 2016
Reading Notes: Russian Fairy Tales Part B
I am continuing my reading of Russian Fairy Tales.
There is this story, The Headless Princess, that I was disturbed by but actually admired too. I like how brave the priest's son was in how he handled the witch princess. He stood with strong resolve even when she was conjuring horrible things all around him. He was brave even at such a young age. I'm glad in the end the king believed the priest's son when he told him what his deceased daughter was capable of doing. It worried me at first that he might not believe that his daughter was capable of such things.
I am noticing throughout all the readings in this second half, there is a lot of stories where the dead come alive in the night to torture the living in one way or another. It always comes down to one person being more clever or more brave than the deceased person. Horrifying but very interesting to think because that is one of the biggest things I'm afraid of. When you have to encounter and evil that is dead or not human, how do you hurt it?
The Fox-Physician made me feel bad for the poor old man. He was trying to be helpful throughout the story and just kept running into issues. When he realized that the cabbage lead to henna where there was abundant food and drink he just wanted to share his discovery with the old woman. Just like in other stories and genres, the fox plays the cunning character as he fools the old man into letting the fox be alone with the old woman so he can eat her. What would have happened if he had opened the door and caught the fox as he was cooking the woman and preparing to eat her? Something to consider.
Bibliography: Russian Fairy Tales by W. R. S. Ralston (1887).
There is this story, The Headless Princess, that I was disturbed by but actually admired too. I like how brave the priest's son was in how he handled the witch princess. He stood with strong resolve even when she was conjuring horrible things all around him. He was brave even at such a young age. I'm glad in the end the king believed the priest's son when he told him what his deceased daughter was capable of doing. It worried me at first that he might not believe that his daughter was capable of such things.
I am noticing throughout all the readings in this second half, there is a lot of stories where the dead come alive in the night to torture the living in one way or another. It always comes down to one person being more clever or more brave than the deceased person. Horrifying but very interesting to think because that is one of the biggest things I'm afraid of. When you have to encounter and evil that is dead or not human, how do you hurt it?
The Fox-Physician made me feel bad for the poor old man. He was trying to be helpful throughout the story and just kept running into issues. When he realized that the cabbage lead to henna where there was abundant food and drink he just wanted to share his discovery with the old woman. Just like in other stories and genres, the fox plays the cunning character as he fools the old man into letting the fox be alone with the old woman so he can eat her. What would have happened if he had opened the door and caught the fox as he was cooking the woman and preparing to eat her? Something to consider.
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| Russian Fairy Tale |
Bibliography: Russian Fairy Tales by W. R. S. Ralston (1887).
Reading Notes: Russian Folktales Part A
For this week's readings, I will be looking at Russian Folktales.
Right from the start of this section, all of the stories were dark and somber. Not in a Brothers Grimm way, but in a twisted, evil way. Strangely enough I love it! I really enjoyed the story The Treasure mostly because justice was served. The pope was punished for being greedy and deceitful but I wish the old poor man would have gotten his money back or received some sort of compensation after all that the pope and the town had put him through after the loss of his wife. At the end of the story, the authors assumes that the skin of the goat melded with the pope by an act of God, but what if the wife who had died was actually haunting the pope and after seeing how he tricked her husband, she cursed him to live life like that. That could be an interesting re-telling.
The story The Miser honestly had such an odd ending I really didn't have an opinion of it. I was hoping that greedy Marko would get his punishment either by having to pay the copeck to the poor man or that he would tragically die and the wife would pay the poor man. Towards the end I really thought that maybe Marko was dead but instead he and the poor man just divided the loot the robbers left behind. And even after all that, Marko never paid the poor man?! I would tell that story so differently, which is exactly what I may do in my next story telling assignment.
I was intrigued by the story Friday because it seemed to have some biblical background to it. Since the woman was working on Friday instead of resting and, in turn, honoring Mother Friday, she was punished. It reminded me how many different sects of Christianity and other religions emphasize resting on holy days as a tradition. Now they never really punish someone for not doing so, but usually they are social reprimanded. Instead, this woman gets an eye full of saw dust. Even though it was extreme, I just liked the overall simplicity of the story. Most of all, I liked that the woman learned her lesson quickly and didn't have to be punished over and over before getting the point.
Bibliography: Russian Fairy Tales by W. R. S. Ralston (1887).
Right from the start of this section, all of the stories were dark and somber. Not in a Brothers Grimm way, but in a twisted, evil way. Strangely enough I love it! I really enjoyed the story The Treasure mostly because justice was served. The pope was punished for being greedy and deceitful but I wish the old poor man would have gotten his money back or received some sort of compensation after all that the pope and the town had put him through after the loss of his wife. At the end of the story, the authors assumes that the skin of the goat melded with the pope by an act of God, but what if the wife who had died was actually haunting the pope and after seeing how he tricked her husband, she cursed him to live life like that. That could be an interesting re-telling.
The story The Miser honestly had such an odd ending I really didn't have an opinion of it. I was hoping that greedy Marko would get his punishment either by having to pay the copeck to the poor man or that he would tragically die and the wife would pay the poor man. Towards the end I really thought that maybe Marko was dead but instead he and the poor man just divided the loot the robbers left behind. And even after all that, Marko never paid the poor man?! I would tell that story so differently, which is exactly what I may do in my next story telling assignment.
I was intrigued by the story Friday because it seemed to have some biblical background to it. Since the woman was working on Friday instead of resting and, in turn, honoring Mother Friday, she was punished. It reminded me how many different sects of Christianity and other religions emphasize resting on holy days as a tradition. Now they never really punish someone for not doing so, but usually they are social reprimanded. Instead, this woman gets an eye full of saw dust. Even though it was extreme, I just liked the overall simplicity of the story. Most of all, I liked that the woman learned her lesson quickly and didn't have to be punished over and over before getting the point.
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| Russian Fairy Tales |
Bibliography: Russian Fairy Tales by W. R. S. Ralston (1887).
Monday, November 14, 2016
Storytelling: The Hardworking Interns
Interns are always known for being at the bottom of the food chair no matter what company it is. Things were no different for Michelle and Rebecca, but they knew that going in. Their bosses were a sweet tag-team duo, Richard and Stephanie, who owned their own boutique clothing store. Mich and Becca were ready on their first day for anything and everything, whether that was fetching samples, making coffee or running down to wardrobe for extra pieces for inspiration. On their first day though, they realized they were kind of ignore. Sure they were asked to do a casual errand here or there, but for the most part they were left to their own devices.
As the day was winding down, Richard and Stephanie were obviously irritable. They had just started a new project for their fall line and had zero inspiration to get working on the trench coat that would get the look started. They left the office early in a depressed state and told all the employees to just head home early that day. Mich and Becca heard the defeat in their bosses voice and decided to stay and work late. They went over to the mannequins and after circling them a few times, they got to work. By 4 am, both the man and woman trench coats were done. They slept in the conference room until they were awaken by a scream of joy!
They went into the design room to see Richard and Stephanie in awe of the two beautiful trench coats. Neither of the girls mentioned that the work was theirs and neither Richard nor Stephanie asked anyone who had finished the coats.
The rest of the day went as normal and with the trench coats done, Richard and Stephanie had a boost of inspiration and were working in a flurry all day. Towards the end of the day though, they got hung up on the boots that were meant to finish the looks. They were either too tall, too feminine, too bulky or just flat out wrong. Once again, both Richard and Stephanie left in a huff, dismissing their employees early yet again.
Mich and Becca stayed back and brainstormed what the perfect fall boot would look like to finish off this beautiful look for the collection. They worked tirelessly all night, stitching, sewing, measuring until they were beyond thrilled with their work. Know they just hoped their bosses were as please as they were with the trench coats. They made their sleepy trek back to the conference room, but right as they laid down, they heard happy screams of their bosses. The bosses later announced that the line was finished and that there should be a big party the next day. Everyone was to go home and relax in celebration of the completion of the looks.
They next day when Mich and Becca walked in the office, there were decorations everywhere and a big cake in the center of the room. As they got closer they saw there was a banner above it that read "Thanks Mich and Becca." They were stunned and turned around to face their bosses. Apparently, when Richard and Stephanie sent everyone home, they checked security footage and saw Mich and Becca were the one's finishing all the work. They were given full time positions and made heads of the fall men's and women's department. Mich and Becca were thrilled all their handwork had finally been noticed and appreciated.
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| Rebecca and Michelle |
Author's Note:
I wrote this story as inspired from the Grimm Brother's story called The Elves. There are two elves who keep finishing all the shoes that the shoe maker starts but doesn't finish. In the middle of the night, while him and his wife sleep, they come out and make beautiful shoes which the shoe maker sells for a fortune the next day. One night, he and his wife stay up and see the elves working away. The next night they have clothes set out for the elves who are over joyed! I recreated this with the setting of a fashion company but instead of elves, the helpers are too under recognized interns. Eventually though, the bosses realize their hard work and reward them just as the man and his wife did. I wanted to keep the theme of hard work pays off and no good deed goes unnoticed.
Bibliography: The Elves from The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales as translated by D. L. Ashliman (1998-2013).
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Reading Notes: The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales Part B
I am continuing my reading of The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales.
The story about the fox and the cat was interesting to me because for once the fox seemed like he was actually going to do a good deed. While he was still fairly cocky when telling the cat that he had a bag of hundreds of tricks while all the cat could do was climb a tree, the fox did offer to teach the cat. However, I was not surprised when that back fired on the fox and the dogs got to him and not the cat. Sometimes we think we are big and bad when in reality we boast too much and ignore what is going on around us. I didn't like how short this story was because it seemed like there should have been more to it. It did seem to get the main point across though. I may rewrite this using humans.
The story of the little brother fish and the little sister dear broke my heart. It had a lot of common parts from fairy tales about princesses in it. There is a wicked stepmother who abuses and dislikes the children and bewitches them in some way. The cook could be compared to the huntsman or any number of subordinates who don't follow the wish of the evil step mother and do something to help the poor child or children instead. The peasant woman could be compared to the prince who does his best to rescue or save the person in trouble and the wise woman could be similar to a fairy god mother who works her magic to make things right again. I really liked all the parallelism in the story. Stories like this one feel like the recipe for a basic chocolate cake. It has the same common ingredients no matter what and the outcome is always the same except for maybe a few fancy details here and there.
Simeli Mountain was a kind of sad, messed up story. It made me think of Aladdin when he enters the cave and finds all those treasures inside it. The poor man shouldn't have become so greedy or have treated his brother so harshly and he would not have gotten stuck inside the cave. Sometimes we need to learn to appreciate good fortune in our lives. Whether its by a stroke of good luck that we gain immense fortune or just being grateful for what we have, greedy of any kind can corrupt and destroy your life. It could be interesting to create my own story about a tale where greedy nearly ruined a man's life, consuming him completely. I could get really creative with this.
Bibliography:The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales translated by D. L. Ashliman (1998-2013).
The story about the fox and the cat was interesting to me because for once the fox seemed like he was actually going to do a good deed. While he was still fairly cocky when telling the cat that he had a bag of hundreds of tricks while all the cat could do was climb a tree, the fox did offer to teach the cat. However, I was not surprised when that back fired on the fox and the dogs got to him and not the cat. Sometimes we think we are big and bad when in reality we boast too much and ignore what is going on around us. I didn't like how short this story was because it seemed like there should have been more to it. It did seem to get the main point across though. I may rewrite this using humans.
The story of the little brother fish and the little sister dear broke my heart. It had a lot of common parts from fairy tales about princesses in it. There is a wicked stepmother who abuses and dislikes the children and bewitches them in some way. The cook could be compared to the huntsman or any number of subordinates who don't follow the wish of the evil step mother and do something to help the poor child or children instead. The peasant woman could be compared to the prince who does his best to rescue or save the person in trouble and the wise woman could be similar to a fairy god mother who works her magic to make things right again. I really liked all the parallelism in the story. Stories like this one feel like the recipe for a basic chocolate cake. It has the same common ingredients no matter what and the outcome is always the same except for maybe a few fancy details here and there.
Simeli Mountain was a kind of sad, messed up story. It made me think of Aladdin when he enters the cave and finds all those treasures inside it. The poor man shouldn't have become so greedy or have treated his brother so harshly and he would not have gotten stuck inside the cave. Sometimes we need to learn to appreciate good fortune in our lives. Whether its by a stroke of good luck that we gain immense fortune or just being grateful for what we have, greedy of any kind can corrupt and destroy your life. It could be interesting to create my own story about a tale where greedy nearly ruined a man's life, consuming him completely. I could get really creative with this.
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| Simeli Mountain |
Bibliography:The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales translated by D. L. Ashliman (1998-2013).
Reading Notes:The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales part A
For this week I am reading The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales.
The first story of the cat and the mouse threw me for a loop in the beginning. It is much more common for the cat and mouse to be enemies or predator and prey but this story depicts them as sharing house together. As the story goes on though the sneaky nature of the cat is revealed and he takes advantage of the poor mouse being so understanding and kind. It reminds me too much of relationships both friend based and romantic, where one person is so willing to bend over backwards to please their friend and the other one abuses that kindness by taking advantage of them. I'd like to retell that story but where the mouse gets some kind of revenge instead on the cat.
Between the story about the mother with the 7 goat kids and Little Red Cap, I must say I liked the story of the goats better. At the end of that story, there was a kind of moral like listen to your parents. A lot of the times, parents tell us what we should or shouldn't do and we always back sass them. As I've gotten older, I've begun to realize a lot of that is because they have either made those mistakes themselves or they have seen someone else do it and they just want to keep us safe. It would be fun to retell this story in a creative way. Maybe not animals or humans, but instead it could be inanimate objects like food or something.
I liked the story The Elves the best. It was about good deeds being repaid and that always makes me happy to read about someone doing good for others. It was an interesting twist that the Elves were the ones to receive presents and they were so deserving of it after all their hard work. This could inspire a story about a kind act being done for someone who does good deeds and asks for no recognition for them. Especially with the holiday season, why not write a story about peace on earth, goodwill towards men and all that jazz right?
Bibliography:
The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales translated by D. L. Ashliman (1998-2013).
The first story of the cat and the mouse threw me for a loop in the beginning. It is much more common for the cat and mouse to be enemies or predator and prey but this story depicts them as sharing house together. As the story goes on though the sneaky nature of the cat is revealed and he takes advantage of the poor mouse being so understanding and kind. It reminds me too much of relationships both friend based and romantic, where one person is so willing to bend over backwards to please their friend and the other one abuses that kindness by taking advantage of them. I'd like to retell that story but where the mouse gets some kind of revenge instead on the cat.
Between the story about the mother with the 7 goat kids and Little Red Cap, I must say I liked the story of the goats better. At the end of that story, there was a kind of moral like listen to your parents. A lot of the times, parents tell us what we should or shouldn't do and we always back sass them. As I've gotten older, I've begun to realize a lot of that is because they have either made those mistakes themselves or they have seen someone else do it and they just want to keep us safe. It would be fun to retell this story in a creative way. Maybe not animals or humans, but instead it could be inanimate objects like food or something.
I liked the story The Elves the best. It was about good deeds being repaid and that always makes me happy to read about someone doing good for others. It was an interesting twist that the Elves were the ones to receive presents and they were so deserving of it after all their hard work. This could inspire a story about a kind act being done for someone who does good deeds and asks for no recognition for them. Especially with the holiday season, why not write a story about peace on earth, goodwill towards men and all that jazz right?
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| The Elves |
Bibliography:
The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales translated by D. L. Ashliman (1998-2013).
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Reading Notes: The Looking Glass Part B
I am now continuing to read The Looking Glass.
The story about the two knights fighting to have Alice as their prisoner was a fun description. I think my favorite part was that the chess pieces act as normal characters (such as knights fighting or how the King and Queen were acting in the first half of the story) but then they realize that they are actually just chess pieces and break character (this is like when the knight said he wouldn't take Alice as a prisoner because his turn was almost over. I also think it was super cute that the knight who won was way over prepared as far as what he had on his horse. It made some sense because that is basically where he lives, so having things like a beehive for honey or a mouse trap somewhat made sense. He strikes me more as an over prepared boy scout though at the fact that he has shark guards around his horse's ankles.
What I liked most about the story of the knight was that even though he kept falling off the horse, he never felt dismayed and got right back on. It was meant to be funny or odd I'm sure but I saw it more as encouraging. The knight was determined to keep riding his horse and never give up and I liked that a lot about him. It could make for an interesting story to write about someone who isn't great at something but they keep trying. Maybe they even preserver and end up being the best.
Something that I loved, and possibly over analyzed, was the interaction between the White Queen, Alice and the Red Queen. The Red Queen became upset with something Alice said, and like most of us have done before, she followed it up with saying that she didn't mean to say that. The Red Queen makes a good point saying "'That's just what I complain of! You SHOULD have meant! What do you suppose is the use of a child without any meaning? Even a joke should have some meaning — and a child's more important than a joke, I hope." I took this to mean that people don't give children enough credit when they say something. Children should be listened to because a lot of the time they speak the truth since they are young and not as corrupt. Additionally, children should be taught young that what they say matters and words can really effect people so they should choose their words wisely. Again, I am possibly over analyzing this but it really struck home with me.
Bibliography: Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (1871).
The story about the two knights fighting to have Alice as their prisoner was a fun description. I think my favorite part was that the chess pieces act as normal characters (such as knights fighting or how the King and Queen were acting in the first half of the story) but then they realize that they are actually just chess pieces and break character (this is like when the knight said he wouldn't take Alice as a prisoner because his turn was almost over. I also think it was super cute that the knight who won was way over prepared as far as what he had on his horse. It made some sense because that is basically where he lives, so having things like a beehive for honey or a mouse trap somewhat made sense. He strikes me more as an over prepared boy scout though at the fact that he has shark guards around his horse's ankles.
What I liked most about the story of the knight was that even though he kept falling off the horse, he never felt dismayed and got right back on. It was meant to be funny or odd I'm sure but I saw it more as encouraging. The knight was determined to keep riding his horse and never give up and I liked that a lot about him. It could make for an interesting story to write about someone who isn't great at something but they keep trying. Maybe they even preserver and end up being the best.
Something that I loved, and possibly over analyzed, was the interaction between the White Queen, Alice and the Red Queen. The Red Queen became upset with something Alice said, and like most of us have done before, she followed it up with saying that she didn't mean to say that. The Red Queen makes a good point saying "'That's just what I complain of! You SHOULD have meant! What do you suppose is the use of a child without any meaning? Even a joke should have some meaning — and a child's more important than a joke, I hope." I took this to mean that people don't give children enough credit when they say something. Children should be listened to because a lot of the time they speak the truth since they are young and not as corrupt. Additionally, children should be taught young that what they say matters and words can really effect people so they should choose their words wisely. Again, I am possibly over analyzing this but it really struck home with me.
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| Alice, the Red Queen and the White Queen |
Bibliography: Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (1871).
Reading Notes: Looking Glass Part A
For this week, I will be reading the Looking Glass series.
I specifically chose this section to read because I saw the movie "Alice in Wonderland" by Tim Burton and I also loved the original Disney movie. So reading the very original version by Lewis Carroll seemed like an interesting and fun story to get into this week.
The first story when Alice enters the Looking Glass is about her interaction with the chess pieces, specifically the White King and White Queen. I liked this because it was such a different perspective to have them afraid of her instead of the Disney movie and Tim Burton movie where Alice is fearful of the Queen of Hearts. It is interesting that they cannot see or hear her and yet she can touch and interact with them without her knowing. It's like she is still outside the Looking Glass but somehow found a way to interact with the would inside it. Very cool perspective.
The story about Tweedledum and Tweedledee makes me smile without a doubt. They have manners and emphasize that when they meet her, but at the same time are ignorant of social cues like when Tweedledee decides it is best to tell poor Alice the longer story when she is trying to get on her way. The illogical logic of the two brothers is something really interesting actually. Everything is a contradiction but at the same time is truthful or at least makes some sense. You can tell Alice is really having to stop and think about these things too, which makes what they are saying even more interesting. They have a tendency to point out the obvious but in such a way where you have to reconsider even the most basic of things such as where rain will fall if you are underneath an umbrella.
Humpty Dumpty was a rather annoying character in my opinion the way that he was always giving Alice a hard time. He kept correcting her and even confusing her when he would try to tell her what she was saying, doing or thinking was wrong. Honestly, it got kind of annoying. What I did like out of that story was that unlike the remake or the Disney version, Humpty Dumpty was the one who introduced Alice to unbirthdays instead of the Tweedle brothers.
Bibliography:
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (1871).
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Storytelling: The Merry Men vs. The Strangers
It was a beautiful mid-October afternoon and the sun could not be brighter. Robin and his band of merry men were calming walking around the playground as they always did during recess. They surveyed the perimeters to make sure all was well and everyone was having fun during this break in the day. It was custom that they patrol the edges of the playground to keep things in order when the teachers were inside having their daily meeting. Robin was pleased with the peace of the day until out of nowhere, he heard one of his mean yell at the top of his lungs.
"What is wrong Little John?" Robin anxiously asked his best friends.
"Something just hit me in my back!" Little John stated while rubbing his now sore back.
As Robin and the men looked around for the culprit, another one of the merry men yelled claiming to have been struck by a rock in the back of his head! A few more of the men were hit before Robin heard a low soft chuckling up in the top of the jungle gym.
"Who are you?" asked Robin, "And why do you keep throwing rocks at us?!"
The lad in the jungle gym said nothing, but pocked his head out a little more so his face was visible. Right next to him, two more heads popped up and snickered at Robin and his confused companions.
"You all think you are such hot shots!" yelled the one boy. "Who decided that you were the only ones who could rule the playground? Maybe we would be better at it then you all! I mean we are obviously way better fighters."
Robin and his men all gasped at such a bold claim. Who did these three boys think they were coming onto the playground that Robin and his men had defended and maintained order on all year? Little John, who had been standing next to Robin fuming at what the boys said lost his cool and charged to the front of the group.
"OH YEAH!? Well if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you will get!" declared Little John.
Without hesitation, Robin and his men picked up pebbles and wood chips and using the slingshots they always kept with them, began launching the debris up at the three boys. They were too slow though and the three boys ducked behind the wall of the jungle gym before any of the pebble or wood chips could hit them.
"Spread out!" declared Robin to his men and they all scattered, surrounding the jungle gym on all sides. They continued a relentless fire onto the jungle gym even though they could not see the boys. Eventually, they ceased firing when they heard what they thought was one of the boys yelling "We surrender." They all stopped dead and waited to see what would happen next. Then all three of the boys popped up with their own slingshots and fired away at Robin and the merry men.
"Retreat!" yelled Robin and they all tried to take cover behind a row of benches where they thought they would be out of range of the three boys slingshots. Robin grabbed a white towel and started waiving it in the air until the boys stopped shoot pebbles at them. Robin declared that he and his men surrounded and the boys came down from the top of the jungle gym to shake hands with all the merry men. They conceded that each had put up a good battle and to keep the peace, their groups would take turns guarding the playground and keeping order.
"Okay kids, recess is over!" one of the teachers announced just as the bell began to ring. Robin, his men and the three boys all went their separate ways back to class.
"Until we meet again," Robin said under his breath.
Author's Note: I chose to model this story after a reading from the story Robin Hood: Robin Hood's Delight. I guess what drew me most to this story was that unlike some of the other battles that take place in the story, Robin and his friends lose here. Even more interesting is that the entire scene takes place sort of like a game. It reminded me a lot of how young boys play on the playground. They all get really into it and take it super seriously until recess ends of the game is over with winners and losers. They still hold somewhat of a grudge but they overall know it was just a game and they will resume playing later on. This concept was very similar because Robin, Little John and Will continue to fight the strangers even after they initially lose to them. I wanted to tell the story from one point of view of the battle being very intense and real to the two groups of boys. To them this was a very serious fight and the winner mattered a lot. However, I also wanted to keep it lighthearted just like it was in the original telling, which is why I made the setting during recess at a playground. I didn't specify an age because I wanted to the reader to have some freedom.
Bibliography: The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child (1882-1898).
"What is wrong Little John?" Robin anxiously asked his best friends.
"Something just hit me in my back!" Little John stated while rubbing his now sore back.
As Robin and the men looked around for the culprit, another one of the merry men yelled claiming to have been struck by a rock in the back of his head! A few more of the men were hit before Robin heard a low soft chuckling up in the top of the jungle gym.
"Who are you?" asked Robin, "And why do you keep throwing rocks at us?!"
The lad in the jungle gym said nothing, but pocked his head out a little more so his face was visible. Right next to him, two more heads popped up and snickered at Robin and his confused companions.
"You all think you are such hot shots!" yelled the one boy. "Who decided that you were the only ones who could rule the playground? Maybe we would be better at it then you all! I mean we are obviously way better fighters."
Robin and his men all gasped at such a bold claim. Who did these three boys think they were coming onto the playground that Robin and his men had defended and maintained order on all year? Little John, who had been standing next to Robin fuming at what the boys said lost his cool and charged to the front of the group.
"OH YEAH!? Well if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you will get!" declared Little John.
Without hesitation, Robin and his men picked up pebbles and wood chips and using the slingshots they always kept with them, began launching the debris up at the three boys. They were too slow though and the three boys ducked behind the wall of the jungle gym before any of the pebble or wood chips could hit them.
"Spread out!" declared Robin to his men and they all scattered, surrounding the jungle gym on all sides. They continued a relentless fire onto the jungle gym even though they could not see the boys. Eventually, they ceased firing when they heard what they thought was one of the boys yelling "We surrender." They all stopped dead and waited to see what would happen next. Then all three of the boys popped up with their own slingshots and fired away at Robin and the merry men.
"Retreat!" yelled Robin and they all tried to take cover behind a row of benches where they thought they would be out of range of the three boys slingshots. Robin grabbed a white towel and started waiving it in the air until the boys stopped shoot pebbles at them. Robin declared that he and his men surrounded and the boys came down from the top of the jungle gym to shake hands with all the merry men. They conceded that each had put up a good battle and to keep the peace, their groups would take turns guarding the playground and keeping order.
"Okay kids, recess is over!" one of the teachers announced just as the bell began to ring. Robin, his men and the three boys all went their separate ways back to class.
"Until we meet again," Robin said under his breath.
Author's Note: I chose to model this story after a reading from the story Robin Hood: Robin Hood's Delight. I guess what drew me most to this story was that unlike some of the other battles that take place in the story, Robin and his friends lose here. Even more interesting is that the entire scene takes place sort of like a game. It reminded me a lot of how young boys play on the playground. They all get really into it and take it super seriously until recess ends of the game is over with winners and losers. They still hold somewhat of a grudge but they overall know it was just a game and they will resume playing later on. This concept was very similar because Robin, Little John and Will continue to fight the strangers even after they initially lose to them. I wanted to tell the story from one point of view of the battle being very intense and real to the two groups of boys. To them this was a very serious fight and the winner mattered a lot. However, I also wanted to keep it lighthearted just like it was in the original telling, which is why I made the setting during recess at a playground. I didn't specify an age because I wanted to the reader to have some freedom.
Bibliography: The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child (1882-1898).
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Reading Notes: Robin Hood part B
I will continue reading Robin Hood for this week's reading notes.
The story where Little John went begging had me somewhat confused. It sounded like he went and begged and then robbed from other beggars which sounds totally uncharacteristic for Robin Hood and his band of merry men. I've been having some trouble understanding these stories and occasionally have to re-read some of them. But then other passages within this story I understand completely. Hopefully soon I'll be able to understand this type of writing well enough to only read the stories once and maybe even write in that fashion for upcoming stories.
As much as Robin Hood can be a scoundrel when he outsmarts other officials, I like that he helped that poor widow woman and in return she hid him from the Bishop. This idea that all of the underdogs in the series of stories all look out for one another is more in line with the Robin Hood cartoon and movies that I am used to watching.
I thought it was very funny and in common Robin Hood fashion that when he and Little John captured the Bishop, they not only took his money but bound him and his horse to a tree in the woods. To Robin, it is not just enough to steal from him but he wants to embarrass him too.
By far my favorite story out of this section was Robin Hood's Golden Prize. I thought it was sad and ironic that Robin had to make the friars promise things that they should already be following. Things such as not sleeping with men's wives or even just being generous to the poor. I do side with the fryers though when they lied to Robin about having money. For all they know, Robin could have been a thief dressed as a friar and they didn't want to give him their money. I do believe Robin was right in how he judged their character since they likely were planning to keep the money for themselves. This is one of those stories that shows the decent side of Robin compared to other stories where he just seems to be a petty thief who wants to fight and cause mischief.
Bibliography: The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child (1882-1898).
The story where Little John went begging had me somewhat confused. It sounded like he went and begged and then robbed from other beggars which sounds totally uncharacteristic for Robin Hood and his band of merry men. I've been having some trouble understanding these stories and occasionally have to re-read some of them. But then other passages within this story I understand completely. Hopefully soon I'll be able to understand this type of writing well enough to only read the stories once and maybe even write in that fashion for upcoming stories.
As much as Robin Hood can be a scoundrel when he outsmarts other officials, I like that he helped that poor widow woman and in return she hid him from the Bishop. This idea that all of the underdogs in the series of stories all look out for one another is more in line with the Robin Hood cartoon and movies that I am used to watching.
I thought it was very funny and in common Robin Hood fashion that when he and Little John captured the Bishop, they not only took his money but bound him and his horse to a tree in the woods. To Robin, it is not just enough to steal from him but he wants to embarrass him too.
By far my favorite story out of this section was Robin Hood's Golden Prize. I thought it was sad and ironic that Robin had to make the friars promise things that they should already be following. Things such as not sleeping with men's wives or even just being generous to the poor. I do side with the fryers though when they lied to Robin about having money. For all they know, Robin could have been a thief dressed as a friar and they didn't want to give him their money. I do believe Robin was right in how he judged their character since they likely were planning to keep the money for themselves. This is one of those stories that shows the decent side of Robin compared to other stories where he just seems to be a petty thief who wants to fight and cause mischief.
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| Robin Hood and the Friar |
Reading Notes: Robin Hood Part A
For week 11, I chose to read the ballads of Robin Hood.
The structure of the storytelling is much different than what I am used to reading because it is all in ballad form. I chose this because I like the challenge and I am hoping that by reading it, I will be able to use that form later on when it comes time for me to do my story telling assignment. The first story took me aback because I am used to the more modern portrayal of Robin Hood as a hero to the poor and destitute. In the first story, he is portrayed more as a gangster than as some nobel hero.
The Robin Hood I am more used to comes out more in the story about him and the The Ranger. I like how at first the ranger was against Robin and even stated that he was in the forest to protect it for the king, but in the end he sided with Robin and even joined his following. The quality I like best here is that Robin doesn't just try to kill him but instead battles him and admiring his strength and loyalty, Robin invites him to join the group instead of just killing him. Robin is a very inclusive character and I respect that greatly.
One of my favorite stories from this reading section is how the Shepard beat not just Robin Hood in battle, but went on to defeat Little John when Robin called in for back up. I talked about, in my past reading notes, how much I love reading about the underdog winning a fight. In this case, an underdog beat and underdog since Robin is an outlaw as is Little John. Unlike the other stories where Robin concedes the battle, the Shepard actually beat him in this one!
Lastly, I like how the battle between Robin, Little John and will against the three strange men was depicted almost as lighthearted fighting. They continued the battle and witty banter for three days and all drank together and bonded. It reminds me of little boys who fight and play games on the playground but in the end are all just friends having a fun time. I may take one of these tales and retell it with children as the characters and they are all just playing a game of make believe at recess. It would be fun and light hearted like a kids bedtime story.
Bibliography:
The structure of the storytelling is much different than what I am used to reading because it is all in ballad form. I chose this because I like the challenge and I am hoping that by reading it, I will be able to use that form later on when it comes time for me to do my story telling assignment. The first story took me aback because I am used to the more modern portrayal of Robin Hood as a hero to the poor and destitute. In the first story, he is portrayed more as a gangster than as some nobel hero.
The Robin Hood I am more used to comes out more in the story about him and the The Ranger. I like how at first the ranger was against Robin and even stated that he was in the forest to protect it for the king, but in the end he sided with Robin and even joined his following. The quality I like best here is that Robin doesn't just try to kill him but instead battles him and admiring his strength and loyalty, Robin invites him to join the group instead of just killing him. Robin is a very inclusive character and I respect that greatly.
One of my favorite stories from this reading section is how the Shepard beat not just Robin Hood in battle, but went on to defeat Little John when Robin called in for back up. I talked about, in my past reading notes, how much I love reading about the underdog winning a fight. In this case, an underdog beat and underdog since Robin is an outlaw as is Little John. Unlike the other stories where Robin concedes the battle, the Shepard actually beat him in this one!
Lastly, I like how the battle between Robin, Little John and will against the three strange men was depicted almost as lighthearted fighting. They continued the battle and witty banter for three days and all drank together and bonded. It reminds me of little boys who fight and play games on the playground but in the end are all just friends having a fun time. I may take one of these tales and retell it with children as the characters and they are all just playing a game of make believe at recess. It would be fun and light hearted like a kids bedtime story.
 |
| Robin Hood and Little John |
The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child (1882-1898).
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Storytelling: A Game of Cat and Mouse
Once there lived a cat named Tom and a mouse named Jerry. All the other mice would talk about how intimidating Tom was and whenever he was in the house, all the other mice would run into their hole and stay there until he went back upstairs with his owner. Jerry, however, was never intimidated by Tom and made sure all the other mice knew that he was not scared of some big furry bully.
As it got colder, Tom began to hang out more downstairs by the fire in the living room with his owner. The mice knew this meant they would have to spend more time tucked away in their holes. Jerry refused to stay hidden for almost all of winter and came up with a plan.
"I'm doing to show that nasty old Tom that he isn't the boss of me!" Jerry exclaimed to the rest of the mice.
They all shook their littles heads in dismay, fairly sure that Tom would eat Jerry if he had the chance. Jerry began plotting how he was going to outsmart Tom and make it safe for him and the other mice to roam freely during the winter. Suddenly, he had an idea.
He went up to the attic and searched for a few hours until he found enough metal and rope. After gathering all the materials he needed he ventured back downstairs to his hole to start working on his contraption. On his way, he crossed paths with Tom. As Tom approached him, he chuckled under his breath.
"And just what do you plan to do with all that junk, little mouse?" Tom questioned
"Oh, you'll see, Tom. You think you're so wise and can intimidate all the other mice into hiding. But not me!" Jerry replied.
With one last laugh, Tom pranced off upstairs without another thought or care as to what Jerry was up to. Jerry knew he had the upper hand now that Tom did not see him as a threat. He set to work building the contraption that Tom would not see coming: a bear trap.
A few days later, Tom was curled up near the fire sleeping. Jerry decided this was the perfect time and set the bear trap right outside his hole. He made his way near the fire and within seconds, Tom could smell him.
"Oh how nice," Tom said. "My dinner has delivered itself to me"
Just like that Jerry started to scurry back to his hole with Tom close on his tail. When he got close to the trap, he swerved around it to avoid getting stuck himself. Tom was too preoccupied with catching Jerry and did not notice the bear trap until it was to late. With a loud clamp, the trap shut around Tom's paw and he yelped in pain. Jerry was safe in his house and Tom had no way to reach him. All the other mice peered their heads out of their hole to see what was the commotion and saw that Jerry had outsmarted Tom just as he had said he would. Tom learned to never mess with Jerry and the other mice again and mainly stayed upstairs in his owner's room where he was safe.
Author's Note:
I wanted to try a different story telling technique this week, so I chose to re-write Shin-ge-bis Fools the North Wind as a child's story. I've never used this style before so I decided to write is as a story from the hit cartoon Tom and Jerry. In the original story, Shin-ge-bis, also known as the diver, tells all the fishermen who are scared of Ka-bib-on-okk, the North Wind, that he is not scared of him. Shin-ge-bis tells all the fishermen that he will outsmart the North wind. None of the other patrons believed this and they all retreated just like the mice in my story doubted Jerry and stayed away in their holes. Shin-ge-bis ends up taunting Ka-bib-on-okka enough to where the North Wind enters Shin-ge-bis's home and ends up thawing and nearly melting away. I wrote in my story that Jerry taunted Tom enough that he lured him into the bear trap. In both cases, the antagonist go too sure of himself and his ego lead him right into the hands of the protagonist. I chose to re-write this story because I like the moral that the underdog or good guy can outsmart the bad guy even if nobody else believes that he can. This style of writing was interesting and a lot of fun to try out. I may try to use this style again late in another story I do.
Bibliography:
American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned, with illustrations by John Rae (1921). Shin-ge-bis Fools the North Wind
As it got colder, Tom began to hang out more downstairs by the fire in the living room with his owner. The mice knew this meant they would have to spend more time tucked away in their holes. Jerry refused to stay hidden for almost all of winter and came up with a plan.
"I'm doing to show that nasty old Tom that he isn't the boss of me!" Jerry exclaimed to the rest of the mice.
They all shook their littles heads in dismay, fairly sure that Tom would eat Jerry if he had the chance. Jerry began plotting how he was going to outsmart Tom and make it safe for him and the other mice to roam freely during the winter. Suddenly, he had an idea.
He went up to the attic and searched for a few hours until he found enough metal and rope. After gathering all the materials he needed he ventured back downstairs to his hole to start working on his contraption. On his way, he crossed paths with Tom. As Tom approached him, he chuckled under his breath.
"And just what do you plan to do with all that junk, little mouse?" Tom questioned
"Oh, you'll see, Tom. You think you're so wise and can intimidate all the other mice into hiding. But not me!" Jerry replied.
With one last laugh, Tom pranced off upstairs without another thought or care as to what Jerry was up to. Jerry knew he had the upper hand now that Tom did not see him as a threat. He set to work building the contraption that Tom would not see coming: a bear trap.
A few days later, Tom was curled up near the fire sleeping. Jerry decided this was the perfect time and set the bear trap right outside his hole. He made his way near the fire and within seconds, Tom could smell him.
"Oh how nice," Tom said. "My dinner has delivered itself to me"
Just like that Jerry started to scurry back to his hole with Tom close on his tail. When he got close to the trap, he swerved around it to avoid getting stuck himself. Tom was too preoccupied with catching Jerry and did not notice the bear trap until it was to late. With a loud clamp, the trap shut around Tom's paw and he yelped in pain. Jerry was safe in his house and Tom had no way to reach him. All the other mice peered their heads out of their hole to see what was the commotion and saw that Jerry had outsmarted Tom just as he had said he would. Tom learned to never mess with Jerry and the other mice again and mainly stayed upstairs in his owner's room where he was safe.
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| Tom and Jerry |
Author's Note:
I wanted to try a different story telling technique this week, so I chose to re-write Shin-ge-bis Fools the North Wind as a child's story. I've never used this style before so I decided to write is as a story from the hit cartoon Tom and Jerry. In the original story, Shin-ge-bis, also known as the diver, tells all the fishermen who are scared of Ka-bib-on-okk, the North Wind, that he is not scared of him. Shin-ge-bis tells all the fishermen that he will outsmart the North wind. None of the other patrons believed this and they all retreated just like the mice in my story doubted Jerry and stayed away in their holes. Shin-ge-bis ends up taunting Ka-bib-on-okka enough to where the North Wind enters Shin-ge-bis's home and ends up thawing and nearly melting away. I wrote in my story that Jerry taunted Tom enough that he lured him into the bear trap. In both cases, the antagonist go too sure of himself and his ego lead him right into the hands of the protagonist. I chose to re-write this story because I like the moral that the underdog or good guy can outsmart the bad guy even if nobody else believes that he can. This style of writing was interesting and a lot of fun to try out. I may try to use this style again late in another story I do.
Bibliography:
American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned, with illustrations by John Rae (1921). Shin-ge-bis Fools the North Wind
Monday, October 24, 2016
Reading Notes: American Indian Fairy Tails Part B
I will be continuing with my reading of American Indian Fairy Tails.
One thing I found interesting in the story of The Boy Who Snared the Sun was that even when he did a few things on his own, he still resorted to asking his sister to do things for him instead of doing them for himself. She was the one who stitch the skins of the birds together to make him coat after he had killed them all. If she had not done that for him, he would have dead birds but would have been cold. The sister had started out worried that when she left, her brother would not be able to defend or take care of himself. By the end, he was demanding her services and she was compliant! I did not like that she started out as a strong, independent female lead and once again fell into the role of the compliant, quiet female being ordered around by men. I'd like to retell this story with her give him hell and telling him to solve his problems on his own. That would have been a fun plot twist.
Something that is really interesting is that each animal is known for some specific trait whether it is the bear for his strength, the beaver for his laugh, or the coyote for his wit. It explains why we associate those stereotypes with each animal with a fun background story. Background stories are always something fun to play with because you can make up whatever reasoning you want to explain why things are the way they are.
I was shocked in the story "How the Summer Came" with how dedicated the father, O-jeeg, was willing to do whatever he could to make his son happy. This just exemplifies the way parents love their children and it really touched my heart. It would be fun to do a storytelling where the parent maybe goes out of their way or even puts themselves in danger to create a better life for his/her child. Something to consider for later on when I need ideas.
Bibliography:
American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned, with illustrations by John Rae (1921).
One thing I found interesting in the story of The Boy Who Snared the Sun was that even when he did a few things on his own, he still resorted to asking his sister to do things for him instead of doing them for himself. She was the one who stitch the skins of the birds together to make him coat after he had killed them all. If she had not done that for him, he would have dead birds but would have been cold. The sister had started out worried that when she left, her brother would not be able to defend or take care of himself. By the end, he was demanding her services and she was compliant! I did not like that she started out as a strong, independent female lead and once again fell into the role of the compliant, quiet female being ordered around by men. I'd like to retell this story with her give him hell and telling him to solve his problems on his own. That would have been a fun plot twist.
Something that is really interesting is that each animal is known for some specific trait whether it is the bear for his strength, the beaver for his laugh, or the coyote for his wit. It explains why we associate those stereotypes with each animal with a fun background story. Background stories are always something fun to play with because you can make up whatever reasoning you want to explain why things are the way they are.
I was shocked in the story "How the Summer Came" with how dedicated the father, O-jeeg, was willing to do whatever he could to make his son happy. This just exemplifies the way parents love their children and it really touched my heart. It would be fun to do a storytelling where the parent maybe goes out of their way or even puts themselves in danger to create a better life for his/her child. Something to consider for later on when I need ideas.
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| Storytelling from Native Americans |
Bibliography:
American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned, with illustrations by John Rae (1921).
Reading Notes: American Indian Fairy tails Part A
This week I chose to read American Indian Fairy Tails.
I like the cockiness of Shin-ge-bis and how confident he is that he can outsmart the North Wind. He is very clever and knowing how to fish in the winter and being bundled up but I had a feeling from the start that his confidence could be his downfall if he wasn't humble enough. This story had the moral that positive, happy energy can over come even the coldest and darkest of times (i.e., the North wind). This was a cute telling of it because it was not straight away obvious that the lesson would be about positivity winning out over darkness. It made an even great impact that the other fishermen left Shin-ge-bis because they did not believe they or even he could over come to North wind. It goes to show that even when others doubt themselves and you, there is still hope.
Iagoo is such an interesting character. He is old and wise and a story teller and would make for a fun narrator for one of my story telling assignments. One thing that had me curious though is why he seemed so spaced out before Morning Glory came over to snap him out of it so he would tell the children a bed time story. It would have been interesting to hear what his thoughts were at that moment; if they were something deep or if he was pondering what story he wanted to share with the children next.
Honestly, one of the reasons I chose this section to read for the week was because in my portfolio review group from this past weekend I read a storytelling based on The Little Boy and Girl in the Clouds. The story peaked my interest enough that I decided to go through and read the original story for myself. I guess you could say that student did a top notch job of engaging the readers. I think it was funny how the Coyote won't answer the parents question of how their son and daughter got up on the rock since he doesn't know the answer. Very political, he changes the question to be more about how to get them down, which I can't argue is a very important question in their circumstance.
Bibliography:
American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned, with illustrations by John Rae (1921).
I like the cockiness of Shin-ge-bis and how confident he is that he can outsmart the North Wind. He is very clever and knowing how to fish in the winter and being bundled up but I had a feeling from the start that his confidence could be his downfall if he wasn't humble enough. This story had the moral that positive, happy energy can over come even the coldest and darkest of times (i.e., the North wind). This was a cute telling of it because it was not straight away obvious that the lesson would be about positivity winning out over darkness. It made an even great impact that the other fishermen left Shin-ge-bis because they did not believe they or even he could over come to North wind. It goes to show that even when others doubt themselves and you, there is still hope.
Iagoo is such an interesting character. He is old and wise and a story teller and would make for a fun narrator for one of my story telling assignments. One thing that had me curious though is why he seemed so spaced out before Morning Glory came over to snap him out of it so he would tell the children a bed time story. It would have been interesting to hear what his thoughts were at that moment; if they were something deep or if he was pondering what story he wanted to share with the children next.
Honestly, one of the reasons I chose this section to read for the week was because in my portfolio review group from this past weekend I read a storytelling based on The Little Boy and Girl in the Clouds. The story peaked my interest enough that I decided to go through and read the original story for myself. I guess you could say that student did a top notch job of engaging the readers. I think it was funny how the Coyote won't answer the parents question of how their son and daughter got up on the rock since he doesn't know the answer. Very political, he changes the question to be more about how to get them down, which I can't argue is a very important question in their circumstance.
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| Native American Storytelling |
Bibliography:
American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned, with illustrations by John Rae (1921).
Monday, October 17, 2016
Reading Notes: Southwestern and California Legends Part B
I am continuing in my reading of the Southwestern and California Legends for this week's Native American readings.
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| Coyote and the Hare |
The story about the measuring worm Legend of Tu-Tok-A-Nu'-La (El Capitan) was a really interesting story. It had one of my favorite qualities about these folklores in that it had a lesson to learn in the end. The small creature ended up being the one who was able to do the difficult task and save the two young boys on the top of the mountain. Those plot twists at the end of the story is one of my favorite things. I may try to integrate the concept of the unlikely hero into my next story that I write (although I feel like this some what applies to the story of the fish, the hunter and the fisherman that I continued writing this week).
I already read the two stories about the Coyote being fooled by both the Hare and the deer. The Coyote seems to be a common factor in a vast majority of Native American stories, however, these stories are different than the first few that I read. Instead of the Coyote being portrayed as clever or even the creator of the earth, in these two stories he is portrayed as foolish and overly self-confident. In the story about the Coyote trying to kill the Hare ( Coyote and the Hare ) I thought the story was going to follow more along the lines of the big bad wolf trying to blow the house down on the three little pigs; I prefer the way the stories plot line actually went. This makes me think of the way that the Coyote is portrayed in the cartoon of Roadrunner and Willy Coyote. I like the idea of reversing the roles of the hunter and its prey to the prey winning out over the hunter. It is similar to the other story about the measuring worm where the unlikely character ends up doing something incredible or saving the day. After all, everyone loves and underdog.
Bibliography: Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest by Katharine Berry Judson (1912).
Reading Notes: California and the Old Southwest Part A
This weeks readings are based on Native American Folklore and I have chosen to read California and the Old Southwest.
What really stood out to me was that all the stories were from different tribes from the same region. It was interesting to get to read all the different version of the story of how the earth was created. The tribes included similar factors such as the Coyote playing a big role in a lot of the stories. Across all the stories, all the main characters are animals. This explains why Native Americans have such a big respect for nature and animals. Some of the creation stories sound similar to stories found in other religions like Christianity. There were multiple stories about a flood, which was also a big event in the Bible.
Something that was cool was that all the stories gave explanations for why things are the way they are today. Such as the frog spitting fire into the drift wood explaining why driftwood would start a fire when two logs were rubbed together. Also, the squirrels being burned by the fire explained why his tail was curled as it is and why squirrels in that region have the black (ash) marks down their backs. I usually prefer stories to have some sort of moral to them or a lesson to take away. However, these stories, in a sense, did having something to learn from the stories but instead of being value based they were explanations of the world around us. This might be something fun to try in my stories. I compare it to the musical 'Wicked' which went back and went back to explain what events led up to the movie "The Wizard of Oz."
One thing that confused me in all the stories was that whoever it was creating the world, whether it was Coyote or the Spider, they kept destroying the world over and over. It seemed to be a reoccurring theme that there was always an initial disappointment with how the earth was created and that it needed to be scrapped and done from scratch. One a few of the stories did something to save some of the humans who were already on the earth. What if the story was that the creator was initially pleased with his creation and he didn't destroy it and start over? It would likely be a boring story but maybe another plot twist could occur that would be less drastic but still interesting.
Bibliography: Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest by Katharine Berry Judson (1912).
What really stood out to me was that all the stories were from different tribes from the same region. It was interesting to get to read all the different version of the story of how the earth was created. The tribes included similar factors such as the Coyote playing a big role in a lot of the stories. Across all the stories, all the main characters are animals. This explains why Native Americans have such a big respect for nature and animals. Some of the creation stories sound similar to stories found in other religions like Christianity. There were multiple stories about a flood, which was also a big event in the Bible.
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| Bear climbing the mountain |
Something that was cool was that all the stories gave explanations for why things are the way they are today. Such as the frog spitting fire into the drift wood explaining why driftwood would start a fire when two logs were rubbed together. Also, the squirrels being burned by the fire explained why his tail was curled as it is and why squirrels in that region have the black (ash) marks down their backs. I usually prefer stories to have some sort of moral to them or a lesson to take away. However, these stories, in a sense, did having something to learn from the stories but instead of being value based they were explanations of the world around us. This might be something fun to try in my stories. I compare it to the musical 'Wicked' which went back and went back to explain what events led up to the movie "The Wizard of Oz."
One thing that confused me in all the stories was that whoever it was creating the world, whether it was Coyote or the Spider, they kept destroying the world over and over. It seemed to be a reoccurring theme that there was always an initial disappointment with how the earth was created and that it needed to be scrapped and done from scratch. One a few of the stories did something to save some of the humans who were already on the earth. What if the story was that the creator was initially pleased with his creation and he didn't destroy it and start over? It would likely be a boring story but maybe another plot twist could occur that would be less drastic but still interesting.
Bibliography: Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest by Katharine Berry Judson (1912).
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Storytelling: The recovery of the magical fish hook
I could not believe that hunter was brave enough to go after that fish hook as it spiraled away into the depths of the sea. The odds of him finding the fish hook were slim to none, but nevertheless, I admired his courage and persistence in the circumstances. I continued about my own business swimming around exploring the rest of the sea but I soon became too consumed by curiosity. The feeling overtook me and soon enough, I swam back in the direction of the palace of Watatsumi, god of the sea, to see if hunter had recovered his lost fish hook or if he had been discovered by the guards surround the palace.
I made a few laps around the outskirts of the palace and could not find him anywhere. It occurred to me that maybe he had not found the magical hook and decided to cut his losses and return home. As I was beginning to turn away from the palace I saw movement in a near by cassia-tree. The movement was too large to be a fish like me so I took cover in a reef nearby to get a better look at what anomaly was hidden in the tree. Once I looked harder, I saw that indeed it was the hunter hiding in the tree! He was peering over the wall and staring at something with great concentration but yet he maintained a soft smile. I could hear the princess just on the other side of the wall humming softly, then all of a sudden, she gasped.
After a few minutes, I saw the hunter go over the wall into the palace courtyard. He began to talk excitedly with the princess but I could barely make out what they were saying. I swam up and hid in the tree where the hunter had been, just in time to see the king come out to the courtyard to greet the young hunter. They shook hands and went inside the palace leaving me and my curiosity hanging up in that tree. I decided to wait a while and see if they came back out to the palace courtyard but after a few hours, I decided it was a waste of time and was getting ready to leave, until I heard the town crier trout start yelling. He said that the king was ordering all fish to come to the palace for he had a mission that required their knowledge of the land. I had a hunch this had something to do with the hunter so I headed through the front gates as fast as I could.
I was one of the first few fish in there so I was near the front of the pack when the king came out to address us all and disclose just what our mission was to be. He explained quickly that his new son-in-law had lost his brother's magical fish hook and that whichever fish found it first would be greatly rewarded. I began racking my brain, trying to think if I remembered specifically what direction I had seen the hook float. After the king released us, I began to think back on what I had seen over the past few days. I recalled seeing the hook float to the right of the kingdom towards the reef where the Red Woman dwelt. I visited her and saw she had the hook lodged in her gills. She said she had been sleeping outside when she felt a sharp pain and woke up to this strange object lodged in her gills.
Quickly, I took her to the king who removed it and gave it back to the young hunter. The hunter, king and princess were all so thankful and as a reward, the king declared that I and my family could live in the west wing of his castle since I had done a great service for him! I could not wait to tell my mother, father and brothers of my good fortune. As I headed back to my village, all I could think about was rubbing it in my friends' faces for them undermining my great story.
Author's Note:
This is a continuation of the last story "The Brothers, The Fish and the Lost Fishhook." In this continuation, the little fish follows the hunter as he explores the palace in search of his brother's lost fish hook. I kept the story I told as close to the original as I could. All I wanted was to tell it from a 'fly on the way perspective' so I kept with the narrator being the fish from the other retelling. I was not able to keep the timeline the same as the original though because that one required years. This story I wanted to keep a little faster of a pace so I have it happening all within a few hours. Since the fish had helped the king and the hunter I thought it was only fair that he should be rewarded for his good deeds and living in a royal palace seemed like a good reward. In the first story, all his friends thought what he had told them about seeing the brothers and the fish hook was silly and unimportant. So I can imagine he would want to rush home and tell them what had happened. Boy were they wrong!
Bibliography: Romance of Old Japan, Part I: Mythology and Legend by E. W. Champney and F. Champney (1917).
I made a few laps around the outskirts of the palace and could not find him anywhere. It occurred to me that maybe he had not found the magical hook and decided to cut his losses and return home. As I was beginning to turn away from the palace I saw movement in a near by cassia-tree. The movement was too large to be a fish like me so I took cover in a reef nearby to get a better look at what anomaly was hidden in the tree. Once I looked harder, I saw that indeed it was the hunter hiding in the tree! He was peering over the wall and staring at something with great concentration but yet he maintained a soft smile. I could hear the princess just on the other side of the wall humming softly, then all of a sudden, she gasped.
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| A little fish on a BIG adventure |
After a few minutes, I saw the hunter go over the wall into the palace courtyard. He began to talk excitedly with the princess but I could barely make out what they were saying. I swam up and hid in the tree where the hunter had been, just in time to see the king come out to the courtyard to greet the young hunter. They shook hands and went inside the palace leaving me and my curiosity hanging up in that tree. I decided to wait a while and see if they came back out to the palace courtyard but after a few hours, I decided it was a waste of time and was getting ready to leave, until I heard the town crier trout start yelling. He said that the king was ordering all fish to come to the palace for he had a mission that required their knowledge of the land. I had a hunch this had something to do with the hunter so I headed through the front gates as fast as I could.
I was one of the first few fish in there so I was near the front of the pack when the king came out to address us all and disclose just what our mission was to be. He explained quickly that his new son-in-law had lost his brother's magical fish hook and that whichever fish found it first would be greatly rewarded. I began racking my brain, trying to think if I remembered specifically what direction I had seen the hook float. After the king released us, I began to think back on what I had seen over the past few days. I recalled seeing the hook float to the right of the kingdom towards the reef where the Red Woman dwelt. I visited her and saw she had the hook lodged in her gills. She said she had been sleeping outside when she felt a sharp pain and woke up to this strange object lodged in her gills.
Quickly, I took her to the king who removed it and gave it back to the young hunter. The hunter, king and princess were all so thankful and as a reward, the king declared that I and my family could live in the west wing of his castle since I had done a great service for him! I could not wait to tell my mother, father and brothers of my good fortune. As I headed back to my village, all I could think about was rubbing it in my friends' faces for them undermining my great story.
Author's Note:
This is a continuation of the last story "The Brothers, The Fish and the Lost Fishhook." In this continuation, the little fish follows the hunter as he explores the palace in search of his brother's lost fish hook. I kept the story I told as close to the original as I could. All I wanted was to tell it from a 'fly on the way perspective' so I kept with the narrator being the fish from the other retelling. I was not able to keep the timeline the same as the original though because that one required years. This story I wanted to keep a little faster of a pace so I have it happening all within a few hours. Since the fish had helped the king and the hunter I thought it was only fair that he should be rewarded for his good deeds and living in a royal palace seemed like a good reward. In the first story, all his friends thought what he had told them about seeing the brothers and the fish hook was silly and unimportant. So I can imagine he would want to rush home and tell them what had happened. Boy were they wrong!
Bibliography: Romance of Old Japan, Part I: Mythology and Legend by E. W. Champney and F. Champney (1917).
Monday, October 10, 2016
Week 8 Growth Mindset
Something I still struggle with as a growth mindset is my tendency to compare myself to others and devalue my accomplishments. I look at the best of the best and compare myself to them. Either I look at their success and wish I was as good as they are at that specific thing or I tell myself there is no way I can compete or will ever be nearly as good as someone else at something.
Instead I need to value my strength and believe people when they tell me that I am good at something instead of just discrediting their compliment. Acknowledging there are things I'm good at will give me more confidence to try new things or push myself in certain things I'm somewhat good at but have room to improve on. That is another thing; I should start allowing myself the idea that I CAN improve on something I am maybe not the best at instead of writing it off as something I cannot improve on or will never be able to do.
A few things I am good at is being organized and working ahead. I am a notorious planner because I hate feeling stressed and dislike feeling like I don't have time to slow down and do my best work. This has lead to me being addicted to my planner both my physical agenda and google calendar. I set alarms to remind me of events or due dates so that I never feel rushed or like I have forgotten something.
I have improved on my perfectionist tendency a lot in the past year. It used to be that I had to get something 100% right the first time and even the smallest flaw would give me huge anxiety or just crush my enthusiasm. I have realized that I am not perfect but I am smart and dedicated. So if at first you don't succeed, try and try again. This mindset was a hard one to adopt but it has helped me relax and even excel further in my day-to-day life as well as in my academic career. The drive to keep improving until I am the best I can be at something has soothed my nervous tendencies and has helped build my confidence as a student.
Instead I need to value my strength and believe people when they tell me that I am good at something instead of just discrediting their compliment. Acknowledging there are things I'm good at will give me more confidence to try new things or push myself in certain things I'm somewhat good at but have room to improve on. That is another thing; I should start allowing myself the idea that I CAN improve on something I am maybe not the best at instead of writing it off as something I cannot improve on or will never be able to do.
A few things I am good at is being organized and working ahead. I am a notorious planner because I hate feeling stressed and dislike feeling like I don't have time to slow down and do my best work. This has lead to me being addicted to my planner both my physical agenda and google calendar. I set alarms to remind me of events or due dates so that I never feel rushed or like I have forgotten something.
I have improved on my perfectionist tendency a lot in the past year. It used to be that I had to get something 100% right the first time and even the smallest flaw would give me huge anxiety or just crush my enthusiasm. I have realized that I am not perfect but I am smart and dedicated. So if at first you don't succeed, try and try again. This mindset was a hard one to adopt but it has helped me relax and even excel further in my day-to-day life as well as in my academic career. The drive to keep improving until I am the best I can be at something has soothed my nervous tendencies and has helped build my confidence as a student.
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| Confidence level: Over 9,000 |
Week 8 Reflections
After looking over my reading notes, I realized that some stories I have a harder time analyzing than others. If I get lost in the story or if I'm just genuinely uninterested I have a harder time brainstorming ways that I can use some of the writing strategies and styles in my own post. Most of the time if I am having issues following a story, I try to read slower and just get through it. This method has obviously not been beneficial to me in my reading notes. A better choice would be if I get a few sections in to the story and am still uninterested, I may be better off just cutting it short and picking a different story to read. Otherwise, I'm really not getting anything out of the story and I'm just wasting my time.
As far as my stories, I think they reflect the same as my reading notes. If the stories are hard to read or if I find them uninteresting, then my story telling suffers. By not understanding the story I read, I have less to go off of when it comes time for me to write my own story. Additionally, I need to get better at detailing out more of my thoughts as I progress through my stories. I tend to know how I want the story to go but I fail to add transitions in my thoughts. The storyline will make sense to me, but my audience will not understand why I am making the connections that I am or they will become lost as I jump through time in my stories. Slowing down and making sure I add in the necessary transitions and details will make the stories I write easier for my audience to read.
Reading other people's stories, I've noticed that I like when they use language and tone similar to the original story. There are a few modern re-tellings that I like more than the original because they are easier to read and make more sense. Overall, I like when the language sounds more ancient and formal compared to the modern way we talk in this century. I also really pay attention to the stories people write where it seems like they are following the story verbatim but then they change a detail or two which consequentially changes the plot of the story. This peaks my interest and throws me for a loop which in turn makes me want to read on. I pay more attention in these types of stories because I can't be sure what minor detail the author may change and how the overall story will change because of that.
As far as my stories, I think they reflect the same as my reading notes. If the stories are hard to read or if I find them uninteresting, then my story telling suffers. By not understanding the story I read, I have less to go off of when it comes time for me to write my own story. Additionally, I need to get better at detailing out more of my thoughts as I progress through my stories. I tend to know how I want the story to go but I fail to add transitions in my thoughts. The storyline will make sense to me, but my audience will not understand why I am making the connections that I am or they will become lost as I jump through time in my stories. Slowing down and making sure I add in the necessary transitions and details will make the stories I write easier for my audience to read.
Reading other people's stories, I've noticed that I like when they use language and tone similar to the original story. There are a few modern re-tellings that I like more than the original because they are easier to read and make more sense. Overall, I like when the language sounds more ancient and formal compared to the modern way we talk in this century. I also really pay attention to the stories people write where it seems like they are following the story verbatim but then they change a detail or two which consequentially changes the plot of the story. This peaks my interest and throws me for a loop which in turn makes me want to read on. I pay more attention in these types of stories because I can't be sure what minor detail the author may change and how the overall story will change because of that.
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| I call this my writing fuel |
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