Reading Notes: South African Folktales, Part B

The Dance for Water

• The Rabbit did not help the other animals get water, yet he still drank from it, so they decided to catch him on the tortoise's shell with sticky pitch
• As punishment, they swung him by the tail to dash his head against stone, but he escaped

Jackal and Monkey

• Jackal stole lamb from Boer at night and was caught in a trap that he set until Monkey came by and he convinced him he was only swinging and that it was fun
• Could rewrite the story so Jackal doesn't convince Monkey to try to swing and Jackal is caught

The Story of Hare

• Could expand on one of the stories of the inkalimeva tricking the animals to steal all the fat

Elephant and Tortoise

• Elephant argued with Rain and Rain left, so he made the tortoise keep watch over the one lagoon of water left and deny all other animals (except the lion who beat the tortoise)
• Could rewrite the story from Rain's point of view watching Elephant suffer after arguing

The Judgment of Baboon

• Baboon assembled all the animals who denied tearing the clothes of the tailor and made them punish each other when they pleaded their innocence

When Lion Could Fly

• Lion used to be able to fly until Frog came and broke all of the bones of his spoils of hunting
• Great Frog said that he must find him at his home to return and there the played a game of Frog jumping around and Lion sneaking up on it, which Lion still does today
• Could add to the story that the lion caught the great frog and the power of flight was restored

(Lion that used to be able to fly)

Lion Who Thought Himself Wiser Than His Mother

• Lion and the Only Man fought over water from a rain and even though Lion's mother warned him not to face the man, Lion ambushed him at the water
• The Man's dogs attacked Lion and he was speared by the Man and left to die
• Could make the Lion and Man actually settle the dispute and compromise as friends

Lion Who Took a Woman's Shape

• A Woman and Lion hunted each other until the Lion ate the woman and left her skin whole so that he could take her place and went to her family
• No one knew until the cows refused to be milked so the people of the kraal removed the hut where the lion was sleeping and cast a spell to Fire to remove the heart, which became alive
• Could rewrite the story from the woman's perspective when she came back to life

Bibliography:
South African Folktales by the nomadic and San people (bushmen) of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe

Reading Notes: South African Folktales, Part A

The Lost Message

• The insect-king heard that all the different insects were arguing and could not agree to get along, so he sent a message of Work-together via a beetle who never arrived to stop the war

The Lion, The Jackal, and The Man

• The Lion boasted that he was the strongest in the world so his advisor the Jackal introduced him to man, who shot him and stabbed him while his dogs attacked and the lion retreated
• It would be interesting to change the story so that they encountered a woman instead of a man

The World's Reward

• A dog, bull, ram, donkey, cat, goose, and cock all stood on each other's shoulders to scare robbers out of a house so they could eat all of their food
  Could rewrite the story so that they actually established the residence as a permanent home for themselves and they lived together in harmony growing old

Tiger and Jackal

• Mr. Tiger allowed Mr. Jackal to teach his seven tiger children at his house for the best education possible, but Mr. Jackal ate one each week until there were no more left
• Could write a story that is an excerpt from their time at Mr. Jackal's house "learning"

Tink-Tinkje

• The birds wanted a king and decided it would be whoever flew highest, but the small Tink-tinkje hid in the vulture's feathers and ascended as high as he
• Could write about Tink-Tinkje being so scared in the tree but becoming king after all

The Lion, The Jackal, and The Rope

• The Lion needed help crossing the river and the jackal had to pull him up with rope, but he secretly instructed his wife to get the worst rope each time so that the lion kept falling
• Could add influences of Lion King in with the Jackal wanting to take over the kingdom as if he were Scar and the lion were Mufasa

Story of Lion and Little Jackal

• The Jackal tricked the lion into letting him take the eland meat home to his own family and then he did it again when the caught an ox, only the jackal beat the lion's family with an ox shin

The Lioness and the Ostrich

• The Lioness and Ostrich had rival roars and each hunted eland, but the lion cubs realized the ostrich had no teeth and that she should not be the rival of the lioness
• Could add a girly friendship between the ostrich and lioness so that they don't even care in the end who is stronger

The Story of a Dam

• The Baboon, Leopard, Hyena, Jackal, Hare, and Tortoise all created a large hole for water, but the Jackal drank it all and bathed in it, making it muddy and unusable
• All the animals conspired together to catch him and make him pay, since he didn't help create it, and the tortoise with a sticky honey caught the jackal's feet, but he escaped
• Could rewrite the story to present day and make the jackal the bully of the school or playground, making all the other animals miserable 

(The evil Jackal)

Bibliography:
South African Folktales by the nomadic and San people (bushmen) of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe

Week 6 Storytelling: The Diary of Dschou Tschu

Dear Diary,Today, I got into another fight! And of course, I won. We were drinking beers at the tavern all night and some old man looked at me in an odd way from across the room, which I didn't like one bit, so I through my beer mug at him. It hit him right in the forehead and he came charging at me, throwing punches left and right. I easily picked him up by the collar of his shirt and took one swing at him, which knocked him straight out. Everyone at the bar was really upset that I hit the old guy so they were all crying and yelling, but no one kicked me out or anything. They were probably just overreacting but I knew it wasn't a big deal. I get into fights all the time... and at least I always win! The people in this town just don't appreciate me or my strength.

Dear Diary,
Tonight, as I was walking home from drinking at the tavern, there was a man crying on my doorstep. I was in a good mood so I continued singing loudly and flinging my sword around until I was close enough to him that I could not bear his foolish crying anymore. So I asked him who he was and he told me that he was saddened because of the people's distress. I had no idea what he was talking about, so I laughed in his face and told him of the abundant harvest and how happily people lived in our village. He then told me that the people claimed there were three evils in the land: the dragon (understandably scary), the tiger (which didn't really seem all that scary to me), and me (which is ridiculous). He told me I had to take care of all three evils and then left... I know people here think poorly of me and that I am always causing fights, but I had no idea they considered me the third evil of the land... I must leave tomorrow morning to kill both of these monsters and then I should exile myself to a far away land where I can never bother anyone again.

 (The evil tiger in his cave)

Dear Diary,
I am briefly pausing on my journey to write that I have killed the tiger. I hunted him out of his cave and fought his savage claws and teeth before I threw his neck to the ground with my left hand and beat him with my right. He died before me and I carried him home on my back to show the people that the tiger is no more. Now I am about to embark on the second part of my journey, which is killing the dragon. I am more nervous about this part of my commission.

Dear Diary,
I have slain the dragon. I walked on the long bridge and dived into the water in which I encountered the dragon sleeping peacefully. I grabbed him by the neck with my mighty hands and we wrestled beneath the water for some time, both taking turns with the upper hand. Eventually, the dragon's strength began to fade and he realized he was no match for me and my own supernatural strength. The dragon flapped his wings desperately in a last attempt to get away, which sounded like the hooves of a thousand horses galloping around me. Finally, I cut the dragons head off and rose from the waves out of the water that was turning red with the dragon's blood. I then took the dragon's head, along with the tiger, to the man and told him that I had accomplished what he asked of me. He then told me to travel far from here and leave him to rule the people. This saddened me because I have lived in my village my entire life, but I knew I had to do it.

 (The evil dragon that Dschou Tschu killed)

Dear Diary,
Now I am sitting on a rock, overlooking the ocean at sunset, writing this and deciding where to travel next. I suppose I will wander until I find a country that will allow me to use my strength to fight as a soldier for the people. I will use my talents for good rather than for my own enjoyment now. And perhaps people will like me and I will never be banished again. I will write again when I have enlisted as a soldier and fought my first battle.

Author's Note:
For this story, I kept the entire plot the same but focused on telling the tale from the perspective of Dschou Tschu himself, rather than the mandarin. As I was reading the source story, I imagined Dscou Tschu as a brute who is not very smart and had no idea that the people disliked him so much for his eagerness to start fights and cause trouble. I wanted to highlight how he must have felt hearing the news of the evils and his adventures during the battles he fought and it made me laugh to picture him sitting down to journal the events that unfolded each time. I have never written in this style before and it was fun to try something new. However, it was difficult for me to decide what language style was best since it needed to sound personal because it was a diary entry, but I wanted it to be understandable and still convey the story appropriately. So I settled on a slightly modern take and I am not yet sure if it worked. Another thing I had difficulty with was finding images to illustrate this story because there were none available of the actual fights with the tiger and dragon. Regardless, I liked writing this piece and hope it was enjoyable to read!

Bibliography:
The Chinese Fairy Tales are a selection of stories from Wilhem's Chinese Fairy Book.

Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales, Part B

The Little Hunting Dog

• A scholar lived in a Buddhist temple where little knights invaded and hunted, but one day they left a small dog that the scholar kept and loved as his own
• One morning, he woke up to the dog being pressed flat as paper and dead

Fox-Fire

• A farmer-boy stumbled upon a fox breathing fire to the moon in preparing the elixir of life so the farmer snatched it and swallowed it himself
• He was able to see ghosts and demons, perform many miracles, and use his talents with the spirit-world until the fox stole it back from him one day
• Could expand on the details of one of the specific miracles performed or make him also a fox

The Talking Silver Foxes

• The talking foxes sat on the side of a mountain and tease passersby until one day, the Farmer Wang, was surprised by a fox and cracked it with his ox-whip
• A girl in the village became possessed and the foxes said they would not pray to the god of war or any other god because they only feared Wang, who afterwards sent the spirit fleeing
• An archer also came across a fox and shot it with his bow, skinned it, and sold it

Retribution

• One day old Wang accidentally pushed a water-carrier down a terrace, where he died, and left the corpse there for the town to discover
• Many days later, the water-carrier returned as the neighbor's baby and grew up, accidentally throwing a stone at some pigeons but hitting Wang, so the scene repeated itself
• Could rewrite the story so that the water-carrier returning was indeed for retribution and the character of Ma was the only one who could see him, finding himself crazy

The Night on the Battlefield

• A merchant stumbled upon an inn during a storm where he found a room and watched a procession and hearty dinner of many soldiers and a general
• When the general retired to his room, his aid helped him take his head, arms, legs, and torso apart so that he could rest
• The merchant was horrified and left the inn for another, finding out that the inn which he had first stayed was on an old battlefield and strange things happened in the night
• Could write a scary story and make other creepy things happen to the merchant during his stay

(Inn on the Haunted Battlefield at Night)

The Maiden Who Was Stolen Away

• A storm stole a young maiden away from her home and to an incredibly tall pagoda, where she was doted on hand and foot by a young man asking her to marry him
• She denied every day and then he left, but one day he left the door open and she saw that he was a hideous ogre when he flew down to earth and she was terrified
• Her brother heard of her up there, hid in wait for the "young man", and threw an axe into his arm to scare him off and save his sister
• Could incorporate some of Rapunzel's tale, with her being kept away

The Flying Ogre

• A monk saw a woman running quickly toward him, asking him to hide her until he saw a man riding an armored horse who explained she was a terrible flying ogre and he needed to kill her

The Sorceror of the White Lotus Lodge

• A sorcerer made his pupils watch a small ship and candle while he was away and they failed, so his ship capsized and he had to walk in the dark
• He turned one pupil into a pig so a thousand soldiers arrested him and his family and as they travelled to the castle, they encountered a giant who ate the sorcerer and his wife and son
• Could expand on the tasks that the sorcerer made his pupils do while he was away

 The Three Evils

• A mandarin moved to a village and was told there were three evils- a terrible dragon, a tiger lurking in the hills, and Dschou Tschu who was wild, devilish, and always starting brawls
• Dschou Tschu was enlisted to take care of all three evils so he killed both the dragon and tiger and then exiled himself (before killing himself) to rid the village of all three
• Could rewrite the story from Dschou Tschu's point of view with how hurt his feelings are that the village thinks so lowly of him

How the River God's Wedding Was Broken Off

• Si-Men came to govern the Yellow River people where there was a custom of offering a river-bride, chosen by who's family could not pay, to the river-god every year
• Si-Men carefully sent several witches to beckon the god at the next wedding and none came back, so all fearfully vowed to put an end to the tradition
• Could add to the story that Si-Men actually posed as the bride to put an end to the river-god, who unknowingly still married Si-Men

Yang Gui Fe 

• Yang Gui Fe was the emperor's favorite wife, but she and her cousin took advantage and eventually caused the emperor to be driven from the country
• His soldiers mutinied and killed both Yang Gui Fe and her cousin and she departed to a fairy land as a blessed spirit, which she was before meeting the emperor
• A magician searched for her and found her so she gave him her ring to give to the emperor and told him she would return in 12 years time and not to weep too greatly

Bibliography:
The Chinese Fairy Tales are a selection of stories from Wilhem's Chinese Fairy Book.

Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales, Part A

The Favorite of Fortune and the Child of Ill Luck

•  A princess with ill luck married a beggar with good luck in hopes of one day finding splendor
•  He left to find his fortune and returned after 18 years an emperor, so they lived happily for 18 days until the wife died while the husband lived on many years

The Cave of the Beasts

• A father was furious with his wife for feeding their daughters the duck eggs he found so he took two of them out to the forest and left them there
• They stumbled upon a cave full of treasures and jems belonging to a fox and wolf, so they trapped them in the kettle and took all of the treasures for themselves
• Could change the story so that the fox or the wolf escaped and actually captured the girls, but then realized they were friendly and frightened and they all live together

The Panther

• A panther devoured a mother and son and then, wearing her clothing, posed as the mother to the two daughters left at home
• They managed to scare the panther away for a little while but were on their doorstep crying for their mother and brother
• A needle-vender, a scorpion-catcher, an egg-seller, a turtle dealer, and a man selling clubs all stopped by and gave the girls a gift of each of their trade to scare the panther off with
• Could rewrite the story so that only one of the gifts was given to the girls and they had to fight the panther off with that alone

Why Dog and Cat are Enemies

• A man and wife lost their lucky ring and all of their wealth so the cat and dog planned and ventured to acquire the ring and bring it back home
• After they got the ring back, the cat beat the dog back to the house because it was able to run over the roof and the cat was rewarded for the ring while the dog was beaten for not assisting

Yang Oerlang

• Oerlang, a shapeshifter, was fetching his mother water when he returned to her dead corpse and he realized that her magic powers had failed her and the sunlight had killed her
• Oerlang avenged her death by killing 9 of the 10 suns but he did not kill the last one so that the earth could live and he was honored as a god after
• It would be interesting to change the story so that Oerlang did kill all of the suns and the world went into complete darkness

The Lady of the Moon

• Hou I was given an herb of immortality and his wife ate some of it when he was not home, floated up to the clouds, and became the Lady of the Moon in the castle there
• The emperor and two sorcerers created a bridge to the moon and saw the castle of the lady, which was filled with beautiful music that the emperor had transcribed when he returned to earth  

The Girl with the Horse's Head or the Silkworm Goddess

• A girl vowed to marry her horse if it could return her father to her from a long journey and when it did, she and her father instead slew the horse and hung the hide up
• One day, the hide swallowed the girl and carried her to a tree where she became wrapped in a cocoon and spun beautiful silk
• Could change the story so that she actually did have to marry the horse and she falls in love with him and they live happily ever after

(Girl grooming her horse as she misses her father) 

The God of War

• Guan Yu was a faithful and brilliant warrior who fought the evil Tsau Tsau but was caught into an ambush with his son where they were both slain
• He visited a monk and asked for his head to be restored, but the monk answered that it would not be fair to all those that Guan Yu had killed to not have their own heads restored.
• Afterwards, he became very spiritually active and worshipped as the God of War

The Miserly Farmer

• A bonze asked a farmer for a pear but was not given one, so an artisan bought one for him
• He ate the pear and planted it, watered it, and it grew into a magnificent tree from which he passed out many pears 
• The farmer realized after the bonze left that the pears he passed out had actually been his all along and the tree came from the wooden axle of his cart, but the bonze was nowhere to be found for him to confront him

The King of the Ants 

• A scholar lived in a haunted house where a hundred knights the size of ants galloped in to hunt with horses the size of flies
• They prepared a beautiful banquet, sang, and danced until the small knight in the scarlet hat made fun of his kingly status as compared to the scholar's poor status, so the scholar shooed them out and smoked them out of the ants' nest
• It would be fun to write more from the perspective of everyday life and struggles of the small knights in their own world and how it differs from the regular, life-sized world

Bibliography:
The Chinese Fairy Tales are a selection of stories from Wilhem's Chinese Fairy Book.

Tech Tip: Including Images in a Google Sites Page

This week's tech tip of including an image in a Google Sites page was fairly difficult for me! It took several tries for me to add the image in its own box, rather than trying to add it to the header, which threw everything off. I finally added the image by uploading it from a picture saved on my computer and added the image information below the introduction so that it wouldn't alter the aesthetic too much. I liked that I could size the image and it would show me where it was evenly spaced, but I did not like that I couldn't tell what size it would turn out to be until I published it and viewed the page later. Overall, it was not too bad figuring it out!

Week 5 Storytelling: The Snake, the Nobleman, and His Horse

[The scene is set in an open field with a nobleman who is hunting with his favorite companion, his horse. He heard several strange noises, something moving in the tall grass, and immediately reached for his arrows. His horse neighed as he whirled around to see a frightened snake hurrying towards him. Alarmed, the nobleman jumped back from the snake.]

(The nobleman and his horse hunting) 

SNAKE

Please, oh my lord, allow me to hide! An enemy with a stick is pursuing me! He wants to kill me!

NOBLEMAN

Oh yes, kind friend, conceal yourself in my shirt sleeve. No enemy will reach you there, for I will protect you!

[Just then, a devious looking man holding a sharp stick ran towards the nobleman and his horse. The nobleman double-checked his sleeve to make sure the snake was still hidden.]

MAN

You haven't by any chance seen a sneaky snake slithering around here, have you? I have been searching everywhere for him because he bit my dog and the poison killed him!

NOBLEMAN

No, sir, I have not seen a snake around here and I cannot be of assistance to you! I wish you all the best! 

[The nobleman's horse stamped its hoof at hearing the nobleman's false words, for the horse did not trust the snake, but he quickly placed a hand on the horse's back to calm it. The man was not quite convinced and searched around the field anyway, but alas, could not see the snake hidden in the sleeve. The man then went his own way in search of the snake elsewhere and the nobleman sighed with relief, letting the snake out of his sleeve.]

NOBLEMAN

Your enemy has gone and you should also be on your way, kind friend.

SNAKE

I have deceived you! You are quite ignorant to believe that a snake could be your kind friend, for you see, I have already bitten you and poisoned you.

[The nobleman suddenly felt a sharp pain and he glanced down at his right forearm to see that the snake had indeed bitten him, though he was just now beginning to feel the effects. His bite wounds began to leak blood and poison and the nobleman fell to his knees in agony.]

(The evil snake after biting the nobleman)

NOBLEMAN

How could you do this to me? I helped you and hid you from your enemy, you fiend!

SNAKE

Ah, but it is as they say, 'it is not right to do good to every person'. So when I smelled your human scent and had the urge to bite you, I did! 

[The nobleman shook his head in denial and pain as the snake chuckled to himself, watching the nobleman become weaker and weaker with the pain. The snake then turned to slither away but before he could leave, the angry horse came to the nobleman's defense. He leapt forward and smashed the snake's head into the ground, instantly killing it.]

NOBLEMAN

My dear horse, my sweet friend, thank you. You have avenged me and I can now die in peace knowing that I had the greatest horse that ever lived. Thank you for being my dearest companion.

[The nobleman sighed as the poison overtook his body and he took his last breath. The horse cried out in sorrow, knelt by the nobleman's side, and stayed with him through the night. When the rays of the morning sun awakened the horse, he galloped to the nearby town and urged several men he encountered on the street to follow him to the field where the nobleman's body lay. They too cried out when they saw the tragic scene and carried his corpse back into town to prepare him for a proper burial. While it was the saddest day the horse had ever experienced, he knew he had done the right thing and was glad to let his master rest in peace with.]

Author's Note:

I decided to try something creative with experimenting with a new storytelling style for this week's tale. I wanted to write it in a script style because I have not written a script since high school, but have always enjoyed doing it. I noticed that I was not able to include as much detail as I normally like to, making my story shorter than it usually is, but I was challenged in a different way of keeping the story flowing at a quicker pace. I ended up writing it as if it were a children's play, even if the content was a little dark for that. I kept the original premise of the story the same with a nobleman who hid a snake in his sleeve, but instead of the nobleman managing to kill the snake, I turned the tables and caused the nobleman to be bitten and poisoned after all. I wanted to expand on how evil and deceiving the snake was, but I did not want the snake to get away with it. So I created a bigger character in the nobleman's horse, who avenged his death by killing the snake and then warned the townsfolk of what had happened so that they would not just leave the nobleman's body in the field. He deserved a proper burial and peaceful ending, even if it was a little dark and sad. I was challenged by writing in this style, but I had a lot of fun!

 
Bibliography: Tales of a Parrot, an early 19th century English version of the Tutinameh and an adaptation of an earlier book written in Sanskrit

Reading Notes: Tales of a Parrot, Part B

Of a King and His Sons, and of a Frog and a Snake

• The prince saves a frog from a snake one day but carves a piece of his flesh for the snake, so they both return to him in the form of humans to pay him their gratitude
• Could rewrite the story from the point of view of the frog Mukhless or the snake Khaliss and explain their frustration at the prince receiving all the glory of their good deeds

The Merchant Whose Daughter Was Lost

• The merchant's daughter only wanted to marry a man who was wise or skillful, so three men fought over her, each explaining their skill
• She was kidnapped by a fairy one day and the first used his skill to identify her, the second made a wooden horse that the third could ride to the mountain, shoot the fairy, and return her

Of a Brahmin Falling in Love

•  A Brahmin and princess met one day and instantly fell in love, but knew they could not be together, so the Brahmin sought a magician who gave him a magic ball that transformed him
• He took on the shape of a woman that the princess befriended and confided in, but when he took the ball out and explained, they ran away to another country to be together
• Could rewrite the story so that the magic ball did not transform the Brahmin back so he was stuck in the body of a woman

The Son of the King of Babylon

• A prince fell in love with a princess and he vowed to sever his head if she married him, so he did, but a Brahmin saw him and was afraid of being guilted, so he cut off his head too
• When the princess found them, she put the heads back on the bodies to revive them but accidentally put the wrong heads on the wrong bodies
• Could add to the story the point of view of the Brahmin or prince at discovering they had different bodies attached to their heads and the confusion that followed

The Merchant's Daughter

• The merchant's daughter was so beautiful that he wrote to the king to marry her if he found her fitting, but his advisors worried he would neglect the country and told him not to marry her
• But one day he saw her and was shocked by her beauty, instantly falling in love, becoming sick with love, and then dying of grief that she was married to someone else

The Nobleman who Concealed a Snake in His Sleeve

• A nobleman gave refuge to a snake being chased, but it quickly turned evil and told the nobleman he had been foolish for trusting his enemy and that he would bite him 
• The nobleman tricked him into thinking another snake was coming and bashed his head
• Could change the story so that the nobleman and the snake actually become friends

 The Soldier and the Goldsmith

• A soldier thought a goldsmith was his friend and entrusted him with a bag of gold he had found, but the goldsmith stole it and buried it in the ground, though he lied and said he didn't
• The soldier asked the Cazy, who interrogated him and knew he was lying, so he gathered the secret from the goldsmith's wife, uncovered the gold, and hanged the goldsmith

Of the Merchant and the Barber

• A merchant received a vision that beating a brahmin with a stick would change him to gold, which came true, but then he tried to beat more brahmins and they bled instead
• The magistrate brought the merchant to court to ask him about this, which he explained, and then they banished the barber being a witness, but being mad as the merchant said
• Could tell the story of watching the merchant beat the first brahmin from the point of view of the barber himself

The Frog, the Bee, and the Bird

• An elephant knocked over a bird's nest of eggs so the bird, frog, and bee plotted to pluck the elephant's eyes out and lead him to a place he falls into and could not get out of

The Elk and the Ass

• The elk and ass were grazing into a garden they had sneaked into and the ass began braying and singing loudly so the gardener woke up and bound them both as prisoners

A King Falls in Love and the End of Khojisteh

• A king fell in love with a woman and took her from her former husband and son, but she sneaked her son over as a servant and the king thought he was a lover
• When he found out he was her son, the king was elated and the mother and son were reunited
• When Miemun returned, the parrot told him everything, and he had Khojisteh killed

(The evil snake in the nobleman's sleeve. Photo from Pixabay) 

Bibliography: Tales of a Parrot, an early 19th century English version of the Tutinameh and an adaptation of an earlier book written in Sanskrit

Reading Notes: Tales of a Parrot, Part A

Miemun and Khojisteh:

• Miemun bought a parrot that predicted many travelers of a caravan coming to the city and buying spikenard, so he bought it all and sold it to them himself

 Khojisteh and the Parrot:

• Khojisteh wanted to sneak out and see a prince while her husband was away and killed the second bird in anger when she was denied. The parrot knew he would die if he did not agree with her, so he piqued her interest by mentioning a story

 The Parrot of Ferukh Beg:

• The Parrot tells a story that is exactly like Khojisteh's situation in real life in which she and the Parrot are both thrust from their home, though the Parrot is believed to be dead, and he pardons the wife and reunites her with her husband
• When the Parrot in the story tells the wife to shave her head and wait 40 days, it could be fun to expand on that and create more ridiculous things that the parrot makes her do simply for laugh

The Goldsmith, the Carpenter, the Taylor... Wooden Woman

• A carpenter fashioned a wooden figurine, a goldsmith bejewelled her, the taylor sewed her clothes, and the hermit brought her to life upon which all the men fell in love with her 
• They asked the Tree of Decision who she should belong to and she was swept back up into the wood, from which she came
• Could add that the Tree of Decision was unable to divide and let her in, so she was stuck as a woman and the men had to settle the argument with someone winning

The King of Kinoje and his Daughter

• The poor dirveish loved the king's daughter and he could have her if he brought an elephant load of gold, so he asked the royroyan, who was generous enough to give it to him
• Then he was to bring the royroyan's head, but the royroyan was so generous that he offered to be dragged in with his body attached to his head. Then he was given the princess instead
• Could change it so that he did bring just his head, but the royroyan lived without his body

The Fowler, the Parrot, and her Young Ones

• The Parrot was taken from her nest by the Fowler and taken to the king to cure him of illness, but the Parrot flew away after half-curing him

The Merchant and His Wife

• The merchant was gone for six months and when he returned, he asked for a mistress to be fetched for him that turned out to be his own wife 
• Could tell this story from the point of view of the neighbor who helped them reconcile

The Old Lion and the Cat

• The lion commissioned the cat to stand watch and keep the mice away while he slept, but one day the cat's kitten killed all the mice and the lion dismissed the cat

The Commander of the Frogs and the Snake

•  The frog king, Shapoor, was banished by the other frogs and asked a snake to help him get revenge by eating them
• When all of the frogs in the well were gone, Shapoor ran away and left the snake alone waiting

Four Rich Persons Who Became Poor

• Four men walked with balls on their head and dug in the ground wherever their ball fell. 
• They found copper, then silver, then gold, but the fourth man thought there would be more and continued on only to find an iron mine.
• Could have the fourth man actually stumble upon the jewels instead of the iron and reward his patience and persistence

Besheer and a Woman Named Chunder 

• Besheer and Chunder were having an affair and her husband took her away so Besheer had to bring his friend the Arab to seek her out
• The Arab suffered a beating when he posed as Chunder to the husband while Besheer and Chunder were together, but stayed the night with Chunder's sister

(The magical parrot from Commons Wikimedia)

Bibliography: Tales of a Parrot, an early 19th century English version of the Tutinameh and an adaptation of an earlier book written in Sanskrit 

Feedback Focus

1. The first method, reading out loud, was hard at first for me to keep up, but it became easier as I went. The only problem is that I read very quickly and when I do this out loud, I sometimes focus more on the sounds and my articulations and inflections rather than the actual words themselves. I found myself doing this several times, so I imagined that I was reading it to a small child and I was able to focus easier. I think this will be a helpful mechanism if I am having trouble focusing while reading!
2. The second technique did not work well at all for me. I felt burdened and slowed down by having to copy and delete and then didn't always know what to write as a note in place. I felt the need to write something every time, even if nothing noteworthy happened. I think this piece would be helpful if the passages were very dense and I was having trouble understanding the language, but for most readings, I do not think I will use this method.
3. The third method was my favorite of the three and one I can see myself using, especially if I need to get many things done in a limited amount of time. I set the timer for 10 minutes, but I actually read the entire story in 3, so I even felt proud of myself at the end that I had beaten that time. I think this would technique will help me stay focused and on track and be more realistic with the time that I have because I usually plan to do too many assignments in a small amount of time. I like this idea!

(My favotie of the methods- timing! Photo from Pexels)

I would rank the methods in order of helpfulness and usefulness as 3, 1, 2. I was not surprised at all that I liked the method where I was racing time because I am a fast reader and like to get things done as quickly as possible so that I feel efficient. I have used the timing method in the past and it has been productive for me, so I think I will keep doing it. My favorite story that I read during this exercise was Zoology 1114 because I have taken that class and know exactly what it was like, so it was a blast seeing Adam and Eve and Satan's temptation be adapted to the OU classroom. I thought that story was very clever and it is a storytelling technique that I would like to try next!

Tech Tip: Creating a Google Site

For this week's tech tip, I was very proud of myself for creating a new Google Site! At first, I was intimidated and confused because I didn't know which item I was naming what and was unsure of what I would be able to change later. I didn't want to name anything permanently for one topic if I decided to write about another (especially since I'm torn between two right now) so I decided to keep the page address simple with my name. I then simply picked one of the themes, even if it isn't the final one, and created a title and placed an image behind it on the home page. I chose the keyboard picture because it fit the theme of the news special and journalism idea of the idea I picked, so it was nice to already have that as a pre-loaded image on the site. This was a little difficult for me, but I had fun creating this website and I am excited to get started on my Storybook!

Week 4 Storytelling: The Handsome Thief

"I can't believe this!" Father yelled as he slammed his fist into the wooden table, causing several pitchers to crash to the ground. "We had ten guards stationed at the entrance. Ten! How could they have possibly gotten by?!"

"I don't know, Your Highness...We'll question the guards again. All I know is that there were no signs of anyone entering or exiting, but they had clearly been in there for one of them to fall into your trap," the head guard Milo stammered, clearly terrified by King Rhampsinitus' anger. I felt bad for him, knowing my father would likely have his head for this.

"You better. If one more piece of gold or precious jewel is taken from my treasure again, you'll surely be the one to pay," Father threatened while lifting Milo up by the shirt. He nodded, bowed, and hurried away as Father turned to face me. I was confused by his thoughtful expression.

(The King's Treasure)

"My sweet Maya... I would like you to do a favour for me. One of the two men who has been stealing from my treasure chamber was caught last night in the trap I laid...only he was found to have no head. Clearly, they both entered and did not want to be caught, so the other left and took the head with him. I want you to use your charm and beauty and see if you can find the other man and identify these men," Father condescendingly explained as he pulled my hair back behind my ear. I couldn't believe what he was asking me to do. This was my chance to escape the palace and my overbearing father- if even just for a few hours.

"Yes, Father, I will do what you ask of me," I responded, pretending as if I was not thrilled by this task. I rushed to my room and quickly donned my oldest cape, dress, and mud-stained riding boots usually saved for excursions in the rain. With one last look in the mirror to ensure I was unrecognizable with the hood over my face, I raced down the winding staircase and through the double-door entrance and out to the streets.

I dodged my way through the crowded bazaar and located a man who I thought to be friendly enough to ask if he knew anything about the robberies. He quickly nodded his head "no" and scurried away when he realized I was not interested in purchasing any fresh apples or pears from him. So I asked the next man I saw and the next but received the same response each time. Finally, someone tapped my right shoulder and I turned around to find a handsome young man smiling at me while holding a young toddler boy chewing triumphantly on a piece of bread.

(Egyptian Bazaar)

"Hello there, Miss. I couldn't help but overhear your questions to the men you met earlier. You know, about the robberies. I might be able to help you if you help me in return," he playfully suggested, grinning ear to ear while playing with the small boy's dark hair.

"Hm... how about... I will marry you if you tell me who the robbers are," I offered with a sly smile of my own, knowing it was an opportunity no one in their right mind would resist. I mean, I hope no one would be able to resist that.

"Now, how could I ever resist that?" the man laughed. See, I was right. I knew he wouldn't be able to. "Alright, I'll tell you. It was me. I stole the treasure." I was taken aback for a moment. There was no possible way that this man holding a small child and smirking at me was the robber, let alone the man who cut off another man's head just to save his identity. But he kept grinning at me and we couldn't tear our eyes away from each other.

"If it was really you... then what's the most wicked thing you've ever done?" I challenged this man knowing full well he wouldn't have the right answer. I crossed my arms and tried to look intimidating as he thought for a second.

"Well, if you really must know, I cut off my brother's head when he was caught in a trap inside the royal chamber while we were stealing gold to sell and feed the children of the orphanage we both ran together. But now I suppose it's just me and the orphans," he sadly explained. My jaw dropped because I had not expected such a seemingly normal- and did I mentioned handsome- man to have committed such a terrible deed but for such a charming and wonderful reason. How could I ever explain that to my father? He would never understand. I knew what I had to do, but I also knew what I wanted to do. I chose the latter.

"Well, not just you...I'll come with you!" I exclaimed as I grabbed the young boy from his arms and started off down the street, not even sure if I was going in the right direction. Turns out I was and the man- whose name I still didn't know, but at this point, didn't care- caught up to me, with a look of shock and excitement on his face. I glanced back at the palace and thought of my father, what he would think, and what he would say. But I didn't care about that either. It was just liberating to be out of that cold palace and doing something spontaneous for once, even if I didn't really know who this man was. I was sure I would figure it out, just like he would realize I'm the princess- all in due time. We shared a crazed look and continued down the street to a cluster of children- the rest of the orphans- and then home to the orphanage, with the children laughing and singing the entire way.

Authors Note: 
I took inspiration from this story from the tale of two brothers who are robbing the King's treasure over and over and when one of them is caught, the other cuts off his head so that their identities are not revealed. The part I wanted to expand on was when the King sent his daughter to try to find the brother who was still alive and capture him, but he was too sneaky and escaped, causing the King to be so amazed that he gave his daughter in marriage. There was not much said about the daughter so I wanted to explore her character and tell the story from her point of view. I added that she did not like her father and no longer wanted to stay in the palace, so she was excited at the task of finding the thief. I also wanted to give the brothers a heroic and good reason for stealing all of the money so that they were not just greedy robbers. When Maya and the man (to whom I never gave a name because I found it humorous that the men were only referred to as the brothers throughout the entire story) met, I gave them instant chemistry and attraction, which resulted in her insanely and spontaneously deciding to go with him, even though she didn't know him. I know it's a little crazy, but so is love!

Bibliography:
Link to Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie.

Reading Notes: Egyptian Myth and Legend, Part B

The Two Brothers:

• Younger brother Bata lived with his older brother Anpu and his wife farming
• One day Bata went back to grab more seeds and Anpu's came onto him, asking him to stay with her, but when he refused, she told Anpu later that night that Bata had struck her
• Anpu wanted to kill his brother but when it was revealed what really happened, Bata journeyed away to the valley of the acacia and Anpu slew his wife instead
• The gods pitied Bata and made a beautiful wife for him to love, to whom he told the secret of his soul residing in the acacia tree, but she was taken by the king and his soldiers chopped the tree down
• Anpu journeyed to find Bata but he was already dead when he found him, but he searched for Bata's soul and poured it into a jar of water for Bata to drink and come back to life
• Bata, now a sacred bull, went to his wife at the palace where she had him killed and then he became two Persea trees, which she had chopped down so that she would not feel guilty about telling his secrets
• She then became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was actually Bata, and he became the new king, judged her before all men, reigned 30 years and made Anpu his heir
• It would be interesting to change the beginning of the story to a modern-day affair or to expand on the cruelty of the wife when she kept "killing" Bata

(Acacia Tree where Bata's soul was)

The Book of Thoth:

• Nefer-ka-ptah met a priest who told him of the Book of Thoth that would allow him to enchant the world, understand every language, and know the thoughts of everyone and everything
• His father grants him the royal barge and he sets off with his wife Ahura and son Mehab to find the book 
• He sails river to the gap in the river where the iron box holding the book was surrounded by snakes, scorpions, and the serpent that no man except for him was ever able to kill
• Thoth was furious when he learned that Nefer-ka-ptah and Ahura both read the book and learned all the spells 
• Ra granted Thoth vengeance and Nefer-ka-ptah, Ahura, and Mehab all fell into the river at different times and were buried properly as royalty
• Instead of Nefer-ka-ptah dying, it would be interesting to see him and Thoth have a great battle over who is more powerful and understands the earth better

The Tale of King Rhampsinitus:

• Two brothers knew of a secret stone that could be moved so they could enter the king's treasure chamber and steal his riches 
• However, one day, one was trapped inside and one brother had to cut the head off the other and run so that they would not be identified
• The king sent his daughter to stealthily identify him through several questions and when she had, she grasped his arm to seize him but it was actually his brother's arm
• So the king was so impressed that he pardoned him and gave his daughter to him in marriage
• Could expand on the relationships of the brothers at the beginning and give them a reason for stealing all of the treasure such as paying for food for their family or for an orphanage

(The King's treasure that was stolen)

Bibliography:
Link to Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie.

Reading Notes: Egyptian Myth and Legend, Part A

Creation:

• The world began as a vast expansion of water and a bright, shining egg appeared to float on the water
• The gods that arose from Nu, the god of brightness, were: Ra- the divine father and ruler, Shu- the wind god, Seb- the earth god, and Nut- the goddess of firmament
• Ra desired to be the Creator and the words he spoke came to life, making mankind in front of him and him the first king among men
• Could write a funny family rivalry and argument between "siblings"  about who is stronger and who is wiser as they all arise from the egg

The Secret Name of Ra:

• Ra's daughter, Isis, wished to have the same power as he so she crafted a magical serpent to bite him, knowing that she would only break the spell if he were to tell her his secret name
• All of his children gathered and she was the only one who was not sad. She saved him at the last minute when he sent his name from his heart to her heart
• Could change the story so that the other children suspect what she is up to and manage to stop her before they realize she is the only one who can save Ra

Ra and Hathor:

• As Ra was growing old, he heard of rebels speaking against him and his ruling, so he asked for Nu, Seb, Tefnut, and Nut's guidance in how to punish them
• Nu recommended his eye ascend from heaven as Hathor and kill all of the men who had spoken against him so that she could drink and wade in the blood
• Could give the eye a personality of its own before it turns into Hathor and explore what it saw as it looked for the rebels
  

The Sun's Journey:

• Ra decides to make a journey through the dark, twelve hour-divisions of night in Duat in a barque accompanied by Nu, Nut, and Thoth
• Throughout his journey he encounters the newly dead, the underworld god Sokar, the jackal god Anubis the divine judge Osiris, the dark serpent Apep, the god Horus, and Isis, who is the wife of Osiris.
• Could expand on one particular encounter of his journey, such as the jackal god Anubis or the dark serpent Apep, and describe their battle                           

(Ra on his river journey through Duat from Wikipedia)

Osiris:

• When Ra grew old and rose up to heaven, Osiris took his place and ruled over Egypt during a savage time of hunting and battles with decrees of wisdom and peace
• His consort, Isis, gathered wheat and barley and urged Osiris to teach men how to farm, toe harvest, to prepare bread and meals, and how to plant and pick fruit trees
• Osiris left to travel the world and teach the same wisdom and lessons to other men, leaving Isis reigning in his place and his evil brother Set plotting to kill him with his followers
• Could change the character of Isis to someone secretly evil and plotting with Set to overthrow Ra with phony farming lessons

The Journey of Isis:

• Isis gave birth to her son Horus, but Set found out where they were so Isis fled with Horus into the night and traveled to Buto, where the goddess Uazit would keep him safe
• The coffin of Osiris drifted onto Byblos, Syria and was erected unknowingly into a pillar for the king and queen. Isis told them who she was, she received the pillar and cut the chest out
• While visiting Horus, Set found the coffin and chopped Osiris' body into fourteen pieces that Isis later found in the ocean and buried
• Since Isis did several terrible things to get the coffin from the king and queen, I could expand on the insanity and vengeance Isis had to find the body

King of the Dead:

•  Horus grew into a man and challenged Set as he continued to rule and persecute many people and they went into battle many times until both were wounded
• The god Thoth descended from heaven to heal both of them and decided that Horus was the rightful king and should have the throne
• Ra heard the cries and grief for Osiris so he sent Anubis to reattach the severed portion and wrap them in cloth, signifying the first mummy, and he became the Judge and King of the Dead

The Wax Crocodile:

• A scribe created a magical wax crocodile to cast into the lake behind his house whenever his wife and the handsome youth she was having an affair with swam there
• Upon touching the water, the crocodile came to life and snatched the youth up who was neer to be seen again
• The wife was then burned at the stake in front of their house for cheating on her husband
• Could create an entirely new twist where the crocodile actually falls in love with the wife and steals her away instead to take her to his humble abode. There could even be a spell where she becomes an animal as well

The Green Jewel:

• One day King Sneferu was very bored, so his scribe suggested they take twenty virgin rowers out on a boat and enjoy the beauty of the day and the girls' sweet singing 
• The lead girl at the oar suddenly stopped when she lost a green jewel from her hair and since she would not have another to replace it,  the scribe cast a spell to part the waters so that it could be returned to her
• Could have the scribe lose control of his spell and the water crashes on top of all of them so that they must return to land and avoid any crocodiles in the water

(The green jewel photo from Flickr User Michelle Tribe)

Bibliography:
Link to Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie.

Famous Last Words: Feedback Isn't So Scary After All

I really enjoyed my reading for this week! I chose a series of shorter fables and legends, rather than a long and drawn-out story, which made it much easier for me to take notes and choose which story to change however I wanted. While I did not like how my story turned out quite as much, it was easier for me to write it based on the notes I took during prior and I was able to get into a rhythm with it. I also received good feedback from other students for my story on what I could have done differently, which helped me a lot. Looking back over the week, my best writing was actually in my Humanities of the Modern World class for my paper over the comparison of the Catholic and Protestant Baroque periods and I was proud to receive an A on it.

I really enjoyed exploring my classmate's blogs this week as I searched for stories to comment on for the "WWW" method of feedback. It was actually difficult for me to pick only a couple of stories to comment on because I thought so many of them sounded interesting. I will probably try to do extra readings at some point in the future (when I have a little more time during the week) so that I can explore these stories more. I also really liked the "WWW" method because it helped me take note of what caught my eye during the readings since I don't typically think of suggestions for other people to change in their stories.

(Feedback is Gold by Kevin Engle)

Tech Tip: Canvas Profile

For this week's Tech Tip, I decided to explore personalizing my Canvas profile page. Surprisingly, all of my classes are on Canvas this semester so I figured it would be helpful to add a little bit of information about myself. I included my major (Health and Exercise Science/Pre-Physical Therapy) and added a picture. The photo I chose is one of my favorite headshots that my friend Emma, who is a professional photographer, took and I picked it because I felt that it was the most professional picture of me to display. I'm glad to know how to personalize my profile!