Week 10 Storytelling: How Fire Was Stolen from the Pine Trees

I feel so guilty. It's so cold outside and here I am safe and warm by the fire. There are animals out there who are freezing and even dying because they don't have the secret of fire. No one has the secret of fire except for us. We won't even share it with other trees who aren't Pine Trees. My father, leader of the Pine Trees and the tallest of them all, had just called a council of all the trees to discuss our secret. Some of the other Pine Trees wanted to help the other animals since this is the coldest winter we've ever had, but my father says no. He wants to remind everyone in our community that sharing our secret is not an option because it has been ours for many generations and our ancestors entrusted us to guard the secret with our lives. They wanted us to live on in history as the only ones who ever knew how to make fire.

 (The council of the great Pine Trees in the dreadful winter)

So I feel guilty. I have been sitting near this fire for two hours now, listening to the conversation of all the Pine Trees in our great council and trying not think of the miserable animals that we are selfishly hurting with our secret. As I look across the meeting of all the tall Pines stretching to the sky as they listen, a small flash of color catches my eye at the edge of the circle of trees near the bank. I squint and peer closer to tell what the strange object is when I realize it's a small, furry animal hiding underneath a log and staring at the fire. There are guards stationed all around our encampment so I don't know how such a creature managed to hide from all of the trees and I am certain I'm the only one who's noticed it. The glow from the fire glimmers in its eyes and I can see that it is hurting, cold, and starving, staring desperately at the fire.

 (The fire that the Pine Trees gathered around and kept secret)

Upon closer inspection, I realize it it's a beaver lying in wait and before I can do anything, it pounces toward the fire. It grabs one of the small coals from the fire and runs off, quickly weaving between the Pines who stare in astonishment at what is occurring before their eyes. No one moves for a minute and then I jump to my feet to run after the beaver so that I can direct it out of our encampment and help it return home safely. Being the smallest of the Pine Trees, I am also the fastest as I chase after the beaver and I quickly create distance between the other Pines and myself. I quickly catch up to it and gesture for it to follow me. I lead it through the winding trail through our encampment, veering sharply left and right every few feet, until we reach the edge of the forest and the beginning of the flat plains of land where I can no longer lead.

(The brave Beaver who stole the fire from the Pine Trees)

It continues running but looks back at me with a grateful look in its eyes and the coal still wedged firmly in its large teeth. I sigh with relief and smile that it made it safely away until I hear the pounding of the pursuit of the angry Pines behind me before they swiftly pass me. They follow the beaver but it is much farther ahead of them and I know it will escape. But my smile quickly fades as I feel a tap on my shoulder and I turn around to see my father disapprovingly shaking his head at me. He turns and motions to me to follow him back to the fire of the council where he will certainly discipline and chastise me. I can handle whatever my father says as long as I made a difference by helping, though I know he'll remind me of our ancestors and our many years of tradition that I just ruined. I don't care. I look back one time at the beaver far off in the distance and smile, knowing that I truly helped make a difference and that the secret of fire will soon help many others.

Bibliography:
Pacific Northwest Unit is an anthology (by Judson) of stories from a variety of tribes such as the Klamath, Kwakiutl, Shasta, and Nez Perce. 

Author's Note: 
In the original source story, it tells of how the beaver stole the fire from the Pine Trees at their great council meeting and ran far to bring it back to the animals, all the while the Pine Trees were chasing after it. The trees followed in pursuit and stopped at random places across the river when they were tired, thus there are trees along the Big Snake River. I wanted to tell the story from the point of view of one of the Pine Trees because it drove me crazy that they were so selfish to keep the secret of fire from everyone else during the coldest winter. So I created a character, the narrator, that felt bad and wanted to help in some way and told of its interaction with and assistance to the beaver. I imagined these trees as moving around like Ents from Lord of the Rings but I could not find any images of them to include in this story. However, that it how I hope the Pines are perceived by readers as they were roaming the earth before there were humans. This was difficult for me to write in the present tense but I wanted to challenge myself and had fun writing it. 

Reading Notes: Pacific Northwest, Part A

How Silver-Fox Created the World

• Silver-Fox stretched the world out each night in all directions until it was the size it is today so could expand on just how he did that and talk about any complications he had with making it
• Coyote could be really jealous of Silver-Fox's ability to create so much

How Old Man Above Created the World

• Chareya, Old Man Above, created all of nature and the animals but feared the powerful Grizzly he created so could write from the Grizzly's perspective as a bully of Chareya
• Could also expand on all of the nature and animals he created and write about the process

How Beaver Stole Fire

• The Pine Trees were the only trees that knew how to make fire and they hid their gift from all of the animals who were freezing, could talk about their culture and selfishness
• Brave Beaver stole a coal and ran away from them so it would be exciting to go into more detail on the chase and how he narrowly escaped
• Could also write diary entries of a young Pine Tree who feels guilty keeping all of the fire secret while all of the animals are miserable

(The Beaver lying in wait during the Pine Trees' Council Meeting) 

 As-Ai-Yahal

• Could tell the story of how the god travelled the land and when he did not like something, he drastically changed it or cast it away which could make the people very angry at him

Woodrat and Rabbits

• Young woodrat was a gossip and started all sorts of rumors about and fights with the rabbits
• His lodge caught on fire one day as karma and he and his rude mother died 

Why There Are No Snakes on Takhoma

• Tyhee Sahale was angry with the people and the bad animals so he shot arrows into the sky and climbed up with his children and the good animals, cutting the arrow trails when the bad animals tried to follow
• Could have the bad animals revolt and start a furious battle when he tries to cut the trails

Bibliography:
Pacific Northwest Unit is an anthology (by Judson) of stories from a variety of tribes such as the Klamath, Kwakiutl, Shasta, and Nez Perce. 

Google Timer Tech Tip

I saw this Tech Tip when I was doing extra comments and thought it was such a fantastic idea to try! I am often guilty of either extreme when I study: I either study for 12 hours straight with no break or my short break turns into several hours of Netflix...oops! I tried this timer and found it to be not only helpful for staying on track with breaks but also motivating to focus and get assignments and studying done within a time constraint as well. It works for both! I did not know Google had this option prior to this Tech Tip so I am very glad I found out about it and I know that I will be using it in the future!

(Pocket Watch Timer)

Week 9 Storytelling: Atdlarneq Eats Himself Sick

One fine day, the fine and handsome young man, Atdlarneq, was venturing through the dense forest hunting for his dinner when he stumbled across a little house in an open field just beyond the trees. He peered at it for some time, debating whether or not to try his luck and enter. He was feeling quite hungry since he had not yet caught any game for his meal that night after several hours of hunting and he supposed he ought to try. He cautiously approached the door and seeing that it was slightly cracked open, entered the small house. He was met by a small old man, grouchily sitting in a cushioned chair and glaring into the fireplace. His eyes slid to the side to meet Atdlarneq's curious gaze and he gritted his teeth before speaking.

(Grumpy Old Man)

"Who goes there?" the old man grumpily implored. Atdlarneq was taken aback by his curtness and stood still for a moment before speaking.

"Um...it is Atdlarneq, kind sir. I have been hunting for my dinner for several hours now and have not found anything... but I am very, very hungry, sir. Do you have any food you could spare before I make the dreaded walk back to my village? Please, sir, I am begging you. I am worried that my hunger will make the journey back very difficult. Please help me," Atdlarneq explained.

"Well...sure, I suppose. I was just about to eat. Tungujuluka! Prepare a hearty meal for my new friend Atdlarneq and me....Bring the food at once!" the old man grunted as he hobbled with his cane to an old and beaten wooden table. Atdlarneq cautiously followed suit and joined his new acquaintance at the table, unsure of what he had gotten himself into.

Tungujuluka. the old man's maid, quickly rushed two overflowing plates of fish and blubber to the table for her master and Atdlarneq. Both of the men's mouths watered before they gobbled the food down as quickly as they could. Between bites, they drank great amounts of water from the pitcher on the table and were very full after eating. The old man leaned back in his chair and eyed Atdlarneqwith with an intimidating and confusing look.

"Another round for my friend, Tungujuluka!" he yelled far too loudly as Atdlarneq was filled with excitement at the prospect of another plate of delicious food. His hunger had faded away into a distant memory and he was grateful to the old man for his generosity.

The next plate of food Tungujuluka brought was overflowing with Halibut, Salmon, Cod, and even more blubber, which Atdlarneq scarfed down immediately. He sat there satisfied, finishing with a large glass of water, while the old many peered at him even harder with his small beady eyes.

"Give him some more to eat." Tungujuluka rushed back to the kitchen and returned with another packed plate, only this one was stacked with ten pancakes, seven scrambled eggs, fifteen pieces of bacon, and fifteen pieces of sausage. Atdlarneq's eyes widened and he excitedly devoured his third plate of food before he began to feel overly stuffed.

The old man called his maid yet again and when she brought a fourth plate to Atdlarneq, he challenged him saying "Eat that up too". Atdlarneq hesitated for a moment because he had eaten so much in such a short period of time, but he did not want to disappoint the old man who had graciously shared his food with him. So he guzzled down six steaks, eight baked potatoes, seven corns on the cob, and twenty rolls. He began to feel ill at this point but the old man called for a fifth plate to be brought out to him full of a spaghetti with meatballs and five loaves of Italian bread.

(Overflowing Plates of Delicious Food)

This manner continued for several more hours until Atdlarneq had eaten ten plates of food. He could not longer eat anymore, yet the old man was still calling another over. When he denied the eleventh plate, the old man flew into a fit of rage at Atdlarneq's ungratefulness and cast him from his home, sending him hobbling down the sidewalk sick to his stomach with all of the food he had consumed. The old man stared from the porch and laughed at Atdlarneq's terrified expression and hurriedness to get away before sitting back down in his cushioned chair, comfortably full from the one plate of food he had eaten. He had had enough entertainment for the day with Atdlarneq's tenacity and desperation and Atdlarneq learned his lesson that day to never wish for something so badly from a stranger.

Bibliography:
The Eskimo Folk Tales are Canadian Inuit stories recorded by the explorer Knud Radmussen in the 20th century.

Author's Note:
The original story about Atdlarneq tells of his hunt for seals and how he stumbles upon the small house and when he enters, he meets three lovely ladies waiting for their master. When the master returns, he insists that Atdlarneq eat many plates full of fish and blubber as well as an entire frozen seal until he is absolutely stuffed, although he does not feel sick (because he swallowed a small stalk of grass beforehand) and he never ventures southward again, having learned his lesson. This story made me giggle picturing him devouring so much food that he does not want, so I decided to expand on that and make it even more ridiculous just how much he ate. I added modern day foods such as pancakes, steak, and pasta that also gave a more tangible feel for just how much he consumed. I felt sick just thinking about it! I also wanted to give the old man more of a role in that he was senile and honestly crazy, just seeking entertainment and simply curious at how much Atdlarneq would actually eat or just how far he would go to seem grateful to the old man. His character is pretty crazy and I wanted him to be confusing and even scary to Atdlarneq.

Reading Notes: Eskimo Folk-Tales, Part B

Papik, Who Killed His Wife's Brother

• Could rewrite the story from the monster's point of view as he is chasing the villagers
• Papik could befriend the monster instead of being killed by it

The Wife Who Lied

• The wife was shocked to go to a culture where they did not eat humans so it would be interesting to expand on that and write about her first experience transitioning to that
• Could change the war to a modern day setting and make the fighting pettier

The Eagle and the Whale

• Could write about an ordinary day in the life of the woman and the whale and how he kept her captive yet adored her. Perhaps she adored him back and didn't want to leave?

Atdlarneq, The Great Glutton

• It would be fun to add to the number of foods that Atdlarneq was forced to eat, making it extremely ridiculous, and he is unable to eat the last food because he is too full
• The master could take him captive because he did not fulfill the demands

Átârssuaq

• Could rewrite the story so that Átârssuaq gains superhuman powers after his father forces him to swim underwater at an early age
• Would tell the story from the perspective of the citizens watching him defend their village

Tungujuluk and Saunikoq

• The two shapeshifters, into a bear and walrus, could be very good friends and could play pranks on each other by morphing and hiding out to scare the other
• One could take a joke too far and make the other truly angry

(Walrus Shapeshifter) 

Bibliography:
The Eskimo Folk Tales are Canadian Inuit stories recorded by the explorer Knud Radmussen in the 20th century.

Reading Notes: Eskimo Folk Tales, Part A

The Coming of Men, A Long, Long While Ago

• Men did not have light or know how to die until a woman wished for both, but perhaps they never discovered how to die
• Could tell the story of an old man who was supposed to die but didn't know how

The Woman Who Had a Bear as a Foster-Son

• Could write about the daily life of the old woman and the bear from the bear's perspective and how it would help her with chores around the house and play with the other kids 
• Could write from the neighbor's perspective disapproving of the woman and bear

Qalagánguasê, Who Passed to the Land of Ghosts

• The ghosts ventured into his house and kept him company at night and could expand on those nights as if they were fun sleepovers between the ghosts and Qalagánguasê
• Perhaps when his parents see him all alone, instead of passing to the ghost world, they rejoin him on earth and take care of him since he is lame

The Insects that Wooed a Wifeless Man

• When the man's wife left him after his failure to bring home meat and skins, all of the insects of the tree offered their hand in marriage and could change the story so that he was interested
• The woman could return and become jealous that the man had married an insect

Makíte

• When the man stumbles upon the small inn with the skins and candles, he and the lone-dweller could strike up a friendship and journey together to find the candles at the top of the hill
• Could have Makíte create a candle-selling business from the candles on the hill he found

Atungait, Who Went A-Wandering

• Could expand on the test that Atungait had the strong woman try and make it a whole village ordeal where they are eagerly awaiting to see if she can complete the task
• Could add to the dangers of their sled ride through the ice and snow

The Giant Dog

• It would be fun to tell the story of being terrorized by the giant dog from the point of view of some of the inland dwellers who were arrogant and selfish brutes
• Could also tell the story from the giant dog's perspective and how he feels so excluded and mistreated by the rest of society

(Giant Dog That Terrorized Inland Dwellers)

 

Bibliography:
The Eskimo Folk Tales are Canadian Inuit stories recorded by the explorer Knud Radmussen in the 20th century.

Week 8 Growth Mindset

There are several dimensions to the growth that I have seen in this class, this semester, and in life recently, with some being good and some being bad. I really liked the list provided of the comparisons and contrasting dimensions of growth provided for me to gauge myself and my progress.

I would say that in this class and during this semester, I have pushed myself further and found motivation in working hard simply because that is what you do. I have tried new things, such as writing styles, topics, and even classes this semester, and been excited to learn what each has to offer. I would say that I have taken risks by doing so, but I have been rewarded thus far and discovered that choosing what may be harder but teaches you more is generally the best route. I have felt excited and ready for change, especially knowing that this is my last semester at the best university in the world, and fueled my work ethic with such energy. But it is a bittersweet emotion, so I have also felt very sentimental about all of the "lasts" that are sprinkled throughout the semester (like my last choir concert ever yesterday). I would say that overall my attitude towards working hard, being motivated, and being excited about the future have grown throughout this semester and class so far.

However, I have had trouble with being a perfectionist, feeling defensive about any mistakes made in my writings and schoolwork, and been very hard on myself for any shortcomings, whether academic, social, or emotional. I am usually anxious each time I post a story and it is difficult for me to willingly allow other students to read my work because I feel like theirs are always much better. This is an area that this class has challenged and pushed me in, though I still feel some of the anxiety if I try a new method for a story. I have also had to let go of being a perfectionist with so many stories and assignments this semester because then I would never truly be finished with any of them and the editing would never end! Since I have written so many essays and stories, I have gotten better about obsessing less and allowing my writing to naturally flow without forcing it.

Retraining my mind to follow this growth mindset has been a process and I still have much to go, but I am enjoying it and think it is really beneficial to my mental health. Especially when the stress of the semester hits and I can't do or participate in everything. To further these strengths and work on my weaknesses, I want to try even more storytelling styles and take bigger risks with my writing over the next few weeks. There are many methods I have not tried yet and I want to explore all that creative writing has to offer! 

(Retrain Your Mind from Pixabay)

Week 8 Reflections

As I read through my Reading Notes again as well as reviewing the instructions, I think my note-taking posts could use some work. I often get caught up in trying to remember the plot of the story and some of my notes simply seem like synopses, rather than ideas to write my own story. I always include pieces that I could see myself writing about and having fun changing, but I think I need to shift my focus so that those are the primary pieces of my notes. I can tell that I am trying to read like a writer by noticing small details and honing in on characters that I like, but I could definitely do it more. I have also found that I enjoy reading stories with many short tales and fables the most because I have an easier time adapting the story somehow when I don't have to trim length off as well. For future readings (that I will hopefully take better notes with), I am excited to read about specific Native American tribes, Celtic Tales, and Fairy Tales told by specific countries such as Italy or Russia. I am looking forward to these readings and hopefully unique stories to tell!

Looking back over my stories from the past semester, I am mostly satisfied with the works I have written. I can, of course, tell which stories I was less inspired by and which ones I had the most fun writing, though I am not certain what the readers can tell. I have had the most fun though when I try new styles such as the diary format or the script style, which are ways of writing that I do not usually use. Another challenge has been letting people read my writing- something I do not normally do- because I am usually embarrassed and shy about what I write. This class has allowed me to open up and be less fearful of people reading my pieces, which I appreciate. I am happy with my Storybook choice so far and I am excited for it to come to life when I write the stories to follow. I enjoy writing in the script format so I am glad I chose that, as well as a humorous topic, for my project. I have read through and outline which adventure I want each story to follow so I have a fairly good idea of how it will turn out and I am excited for my classmates to follow Don Quixote's journeys, especially since many are unfamiliar with him and some comments after reading wanted more details about him. The only part I am truly worried about is including images because I do not know how to create what I envision, but I am hoping it will be easier than I am anticipating.

I have enjoyed reading my classmate's stories so far this semester and I am often inspired by their creativity and unique approaches to stories that I never would have thought of! Sometimes, I am intimidated by reading them because I feel like my stories are far inferior, but it it still enjoyable and inspiring for me. The habits and tendencies I have noticed are primarily grammatical and spelling errors that make the story difficult to follow or even confusing. I think that is a result of hurrying and not taking the time to spellcheck and proofread, which is something I always try to do. I am never sure if I should give critiques about those elements in my feedback, so I have been giving substantial comments about the material and ideas itself as well as the presentation of the page. Perhaps I should talk about grammar errors, though.

Overall, as I am reflecting on the past two months in this class, I am pleased with the progress I have made as well as the stories and pieces I have written. I am really looking forward to my Storybook coming together and I can't wait until my blog is completely full of fun stories and posts!

(Don Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza)

Week 7 Storytelling: The Story of the Playground Bully

There once was a mean young Jackal who bullied all the animals in the land on the playground at school. He always pushed them into the mud when it rained, popped out of corners to scare them, and stole all their food at lunch. The teachers never saw it happen, so they always let Jackal get away with everything- especially because Mr. and Mrs. Jackal were very prominent and wealthy in the community. Jackal was a notorious bully and some of his classmates- Lion, Baboon, Leopard, Hyena, Hare, and Mountain Tortoise- were simply tired of it.

(The playground of the animals)

One day, at recess, Hare, Leopard, and Hyena discovered delicious berries from a bush near the swing set on the playground. They quickly called the rest of their friends over to gather them up and take them to the giant blue slide where they always liked to meet during recess. As soon as they had set the berries down and begun to snack on them, Jackal swooped in from the top of the slide where he had been hiding and snatched all the berries up into his mouth in one smooth motion. He laughed as he ate and even dangled several berries in front of the animals to taunt them. The animals cried out in horror that Jackal had gotten to benefit from all of their hard work and eat the berries himself.

Hare, Leopard, Hyena, Lion, Baboon, and Mountain Tortoise huddle around each other, each furious and fuming, to decide what must be done to punish Jackal. He couldn't get away with his trickery and bullying any longer- they had had enough. Lion was the strongest, so he offered to eat Jackal up with his sharp, enormous teeth. Leopard was the stealthiest, so he proposed sneaking up behind Jackal and pushing him off the slide. Hyena was the ugliest, so he offered to jump in front of Jackal and make the most hideous face to scare him. Baboon suggested screaming in Jackal's face to deafen him and Hare recommended kicking Jackal with his powerful hind legs. Only Mountain Tortoise remained silent during their discussion for he knew none of those ideas would work. Jackal was too quick to be caught by any of those ideas, so he stepped forward to offer to snatch the Jackal himself and show him off. The other animals laughed until they realized Mountain Tortoise was serious and then they gathered close as he whispered his plan.

  (Jackal looking for animals to bully)

The next day, Jackal arrogantly pranced around the playground pushing aside and taunting all of the animals in his class as he usually did. As soon as he reached the top of the slide, he saw Mountain Tortoise sitting at the bottom, seemingly asking for Jackal to prance on him. With a smirk, he hurried down the slide at top speed and jumped high in the air to violently slam his paws onto Tortoise's back and push him into the ground. Much to his surprise, the second his paws touched Tortoise's back, they were instantly stuck to a dark, sticky, glue-like substance. He soon realized Tortoise had borrowed "shell shine" from his father the night before and smeared it across his shell to play this trick. Jackal strained and fought to remove his paws from Mountain Tortoise's back, but they were firmly stuck without budging. He heard snickering off to the side and looking to see Lion, Leopard, Hyena, and Baboon eagerly watching and giggling to themselves at Jackal's plight.

 (Moutain Tortoise waiting at the foot of the slide)

Suddenly, Hare and three of the animals' favorite teachers appeared standing over Jackal during his distress.  Hare had summoned the teachers as part of the plan to help them catch Jackal in the act. Mountain Tortoise recounted the whole ordeal and they were surprised and quite disappointed in Jackal for treating Mountain Tortoise so poorly. Another dismayed teacher soon arrived with adhesive remover to free Jackal from the shell and take him to detention, where he would be scolded and punished for bullying his classmates. Lion, Baboon, Leopard, Hyena, and Mountain Tortoise all celebrated and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of recess.

Author's Note:
I wrote this story because I was so frustrated in each of the readings with how often Jackal bullied all of the other animals without ever experiencing any sort of punishment. The original story dealt with water that the animals had worked hard to discover and how Jackal drank it all for himself, upsetting the other animals, so I changed it to berries that they worked hard to pick to give them something they were upset to lose. I decided to alter the ending so that he is punished so I thought it would be funny to place him in detention for all of his horrible bullying. Then I had the idea to place all of the animals in school on the playground so I took the approach of writing a children's story. I wanted Mountain Tortoise to seem like the wise one of the friends so I tried to ensure he had a large role and had the best plan to catch Jackal, which made it fun to imagine the ridiculous plans of the other animals. Overall, I had fun writing this short story and I hope it was fun to read!

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