Reading Notes: Russian Folktales, Part B

The Witch Girl

• Every night, a witch girl passes through houses and kills the entire household but one man stays awake and catches her so she does not kill the house
• It would be interesting to make it a romance story where the witch has the chance to kill them all but she thinks the man is handsome

The Headless Princess

• The princess was a witch and a young boy saw her remove her own head and had to read psalms over her for three nights while she conjured up horrors to scare him
• Could elaborate from his point of view on the horrors experienced by the young boy and the sort of demons and terrors that tried to attack him

The Fox Physician

• A man's wife died and a fox told him he could cure her with a bath of oatmeal and butter, but instead he ate all of the bones clean
• It would be funny to make the items that the fox needs to cure her ridiculously long and absurd

The Two Friends

• Two friends had a pact that they would invite each other to their weddings, even if the other was dead, so one friend stopped his search for his bride to go to the graveyard and invite him
• Could fast forward more than three hundred years from the cup's drink so that he is now in modern times and does not understand what all the technology and advances are

(The graveyard at night where all the corpses come alive)

The Coffin-Lid

• A corpse rises from his coffin at night and goes into the village to kill young lads
• Would be interesting to tell the story from the point of view of the corpse because he is jealous and angry that he died so early while other young men live

The Two Corpses

• A man is chased at night by a corpse into a chapel where there was another corpse and they fight over who gets to eat the man before they fall down at sunrise
• Could expand upon telling the dramatic story of their fight over the man 

The Soldier and the Vampire

• A terrible warlock was haunting the town and killed the bride and groom at a wedding, so everyone wanted their revenge
• A soldier discovered they had to burn him and kill all of the reptiles and insects that would come out from inside him 
• Could change the story so that the healing the bride and groom did not work and the people all turned on the soldier, thinking he was the warlock

 Bibliography: Russian Fairy Tales , a collection of Muscovite folklore by Ralston

Reading Notes: Russian Folktales, Part A

The Dead Mother

• A dead mother visits her baby at night and when the caretaker woman and father waited up to see why it stopped crying, the baby died at dawn
• Could expand on how the house became so scary right when the ghost mother visited

The Bad Wife

• It would be fun to change the story to a modern setting for all of the things that the wife would not do 
• Could tell the story from the imp's point of view as it went around to the houses making people ill and being very sly and cunning

The Miser

• A miser borrowed a copeck from a poor man and pretended to be dead when the miser came by to get his copeck back
• Could actually have Marko be killed by the robbers and have him be stuck following the poor man around as a ghost and seeing how happy he is, even though he's poor

Friday

• The woman did not pay due reverence to Mother Friday so it would be funny to have her enter in the night and play all sorts of pranks on the woman (like kids did at camp)

The Leshy

• A girl wandered far into a forest and was taken into a hut by the Leshy and put under its spell so that she did not remember he mother or father or how she got there
• Could tell the story of a typical day in the life in their hut while the Leshy provided for her

Emilian the Fool

• The fool caught a magical pike in his pail one day and when he threw it back in, it granted him magical powers to do whatever he pleases
• It would be interesting to rewrite this in a modern day setting with him finding some critter that isn't a fish but has the same magical powers

 (Magical Pike)

Bibliography: Russian Fairy Tales , a collection of Muscovite folklore by Ralston

Reading Notes: English Fairy Tales, Part A

Tom Tit Tot

• A wife had to spin five skeins a day or else her husband would kill her so a black little impet did the work for her every day in exchange for her guessing his name
• She spent every day guessing so it would be funny to guess the most ridiculous and extravagant names imaginable and for none of them to be right

The Rose Tree

• An evil stepmother did not like her beautiful, blonde-headed daughter so she cut off her head with an ax and stewed her liver and heart for her husband and son to eat
• She was buried under a rose tree and it would be interesting to write the aftermath and the husband and son's sorrow that she can see from inside the rose tree

The Old Woman and Her Pig

• Her pig wouldn't cross the stile so she asked many objects and animals to help her get it home
• Would be interesting to expand on the number of objects and animals she asked (dog, stick, ox, fire, etc.) so that it becomes ridiculously long and intricate

Binnorie

• A jealous princess had her sister drowned because her former lover loved the sister instead but a famous harpist found her chest bones and made a harp that sang about her death
• It would be cool if creatures in the water and even the water itself all cooperated to help bring the sister back to safety at the shore of Binnorie and catch the evil princess

Cap O' Rushes

• A father asked his daughters how much they loved him and it would be funny to use the most ridiculous analogies for each
• He turned one away whose response he didn't like and she came back disguised as a maid

The Story of the Three Little Pigs

• The wolf who wanted to blow down the pig's brick house kept asking the pig to go to various events to get him out of the house and allow him to eat him
• Could change the effects to funny modern day things like going bowling or to get ice cream

 (Picture of the wolf trying to enter the pig's brick house)

Bibliography: English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, published in 1890, about folktales and fairy tales that are considered native to England and the lowlands of Scotland

Reading Notes: Canterbury Tales, Part B

The Prioress's Tales: Little Hugh

• A young boy in the Jewish quarter sang a song so loudly that the evil Jews plotted to have him killed but instead of dying he lived long enough to fill the whole town with his song
• Instead of dying and since he called out to Christ's mother, perhaps he doesn't die in the end and the whole town is gifted with music

 Nun's Priest's Tale: The Cock, the Hen, and the Fox

• The cock had a dream that the Fox was chasing him and the Hen said she didn't like his cowardice, but the Fox could actually steal the Hen away or even woo her
• Could talk about the man who had 3 identical dreams that his friend was being murdered but since he didn't believe his dreams, they came true. Could even change it to modern day.
• The Fox steals the Cock away while he is distracted by singing and they could run off together and become best friends in some far away country

(The sneaky Fox waiting to steal the Cock away)

The Canon's Yeoman's Tales: The Priest who Learned to be a Philosopher

• A Canon told a Priest that he could teach him how to be a philosopher by teaching him to pour coal in a crucible, but he sneaked a coal with silver fillings into the crucible
• Could expand on the trickery of the Canon and make them go on ridiculous errands to satisfy the "recipe" and the Priest is none the wiser

Bibliography: Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in a modern adaptation called Chaucer's Story Book by Eva March Tappan (1908).

Reading Notes: Canterbury Tales, Part A

The Unknown Bride

• A knight is punished with the threat of death if he cannot travel the land and discover what it is women want. Could make up absolutely ridiculous things that women tell him when he asks.
• Could also make him turn into an old man at the end rather than the old lady turning into a beautiful young woman once they are married
• Could change the setting to modern times searching on a college campus or in a big city

The Story of the Summoner

• The fiend, Satan himself, has to wait for people to curse things to his name before he can take them to hell with him. Could tell his story in first person or dialogue format as he travels completing his duties for the day and taking things from people.

The Promise of Dorigen

• Dorigen waited faithfully for her husband to return but was so fearful that he wouldn't that she promised Aurelius she would marry him if he could make all of the stones at the lake disappear
• She didn't expect Dorigen to complete the task with the help of a wizard so she was devastated when she had to leave her husband, but Aurelius wouldn't have her since she was sad 
• This would be an interesting story to set in present day with an impossible task 

The Pardoner's Tale: The Revelers Who Went Out to Meet Death

• Three drunk men set out to find Death who had killed their friend but they found an enormous pile of gold instead and claimed it for their own
• They all ended up plotting to kill each other and succeeding
• Could expand on their bumbling drunkenness and make them have ridiculous conversations while searching for Death and before they even found the gold

(The three drunk men trying to avenge their friend who was killed by Death)

Bibliography: Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in a modern adaptation called Chaucer's Story Book by Eva March Tappan (1908).

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. 

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.

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

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.

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 

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.

Reading Notes: Saints and Animals, Part B

The Fish Who Helped Saint Gudwall:

• Saint Gudwall moved to a new home on the Welsh coast with his pupil in a deep cave where they could keep their books and belongings
• The sea became angry as winter arrived and washed out the cave and drenched them both
• But the fish of the sea built a barrier between Gudwall and the sea so he could still live there
• Could add some drama by having Gudwall's pupil swept out to sea with the waves and Gudwall and the fish must search for him in the angry and intense waves

The Wolf-Mother of Saint Ailbe:

• A little Irish baby named Ailbe was abandoned by his parents and taken in by a kind mother wolf, who raised him as her own with her wolf pups
• One day, a hunter prince found Ailbe in the forest and took him home to his wife, despite the protests and pursuit of his wolf family
• He was richly raised in a castle, became the Bishop, and protected his wolf family from harm of hunters while providing food for them everyday
• Something to change would be to have his cruel first parents enter the story again and see how he would react to them

The Ballad of Saint Athracta's Stags:

• Athracta was a beautiful maiden princess who yearned only to be in the wild until she was bidden by the King to help build a fort without the help of a man
• When she had chopped enough trees, her poor horses could not carry it so she called to the stags of the wood who flocked to ger to pull the wagon
• When the chains broke, she fixed them with her beautiful hair and the King realized she was more powerful than he was 
• Could change it so that her hair didn't fix the chain, so other creatures of the woods came to help her carry the wood

The Ballad of Saint Felix:

•  In Italy, there was a cruel emporer persecuting Christians and Saint Felix, whose name everyone knew, hid instead of running away
• All dressed in disguise, a kind spider spun a web so thick that the soldiers couldn't find him
• He stayed in hiding, where a Christian woman brought him food everyday, until the danger was gone
• Could rewrite the spider's role as instead of helping Saint Felix, he was actually capturing him for his own and Felix has to try to escape

The Ballad of Saint Giles and the Deer:

• A hermit named Saint Giles lived in a secluded forest far from everyone except his Deer friend
• When the deer was shot by hunters who stumbled into the wood, Giles lifted her up and took the blow of another arrow instead, falling to the ground to die
• The pagan King arrived and nursed Giles back to health and when he saw Giles' Christian lifestyle, he became a Christian himself
• One thing I could change would be that the hunters brought Giles back to the King's palace to heal and the sweet Deer ran to his rescue

Saint Francis of Assisi:

• Saint Francis was a poor, ill, and homeless man who lived his life as closely as he could to Jesus's life and had an almost magical ability to smile and bright everyone's day because everyone knew his smile
• Francis tamed and taught a terrible, vicious wolf (who had been devouring cows and men alike) to beg for his food everyday and play with the little children of Gubbio
• When Saint Francis went to dwell on Monte Alverno, they were greeted by a multitude of singing birds (as he had been before) and he felt blessed to live on the mountain top
• Could rewrite the story so that the birds didn't know when to stop singing and praising God and Francis, so one day he accidentally snaps at them and they run from him, ruining his name and reputation so that he must remedy the situation immediately

(Saint Francis preaching to his friends, the birds, from Wikimedia Commons)  

Bibliography: 
Link to Saints and Animals, based on Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown

Reading Notes: Saints and Animals, Part A

Saint Kentigern and the Robin:

• Kentigern was the smartest pupil in the school and loved by the fatherly figure Saint Servan
• All of the other schoolboys were jealous of Kentigern knowing all the right answers so they decided to prank him and get him in trouble, but their tricks go wrong and Kentigern becomes even more loved by everyone
• Could change it so that Saint Servan was on the schoolboys' side in hating Kentigern because he was smarter than the Saint himself

Saint Blaise and His Beasts:

• Saint Blaise was a Christian in a town of heathens who loved animals and prayed for all of them, even the wild ones in the woods and fields
• The soldiers of the town took Saint Blaise away from his animal friends and tortured him so that he would renounce Christianity
• The soldiers try to drown him, but instead he walks on water and willingly is beheaded
• Could add a small animal friend that follows him into the jail where he is kept and frees him

Saint Comgall and the Mice:

• Saint Comgall, the "goodly pledge" built a monastery with many pupils and friends nearby
• Comgall loved all animals and called to all the mice in the land when his monastery was starving to eat all of the grain that was stored at the evil prince Croadh's hall 
• Could rewrite the story so that the mice actually carried Croadh and his mother Lurch away from their hall so that Comgall and his pupils could then inhabit the place and eat all the grain (which is a happier ending!)

The Wonders of Saint Berach:

• Berach was a young monk learning from Saint Coemgen in a monastery when one day his favorite cow's young calf was snatched up by a hungry wolf
• Berach had great power over animals and nature, so when a young boy was sick, he turned the winter and snow into April and was able to collect juicy apples and salad for the biy
• He was summoned to court one day and mistaken as a beggar, so he performed several miraculous acts and the King noticed him, bringing him inside and giving him gifts
• Could change the part of freezing the naughty boys where Berach was unable to fix it after and the crowds were very mad at him, but the animals he saved came to his rescue

(The Monastery at Glendalough where Saint Berach was the Abbott)

Bibliography: 
Link to Saints and Animals, based on Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown

Reading Notes: Cupid and Psyche, Part B

• Venus is absolutely furious with Cupid and scolds him for falling for the very girl she meant to punish. Her friends, Juno and Ceres, defend Cupid and tell her that he is not a child anymore and can make decisions for himself.
• I could add Mars, Cupid's stepfather, in as a character in the scene rather than simply a reference.
• I could also change the story so that Venus snatched Cupid away from Psyche and is holding him hostage to keep him from her. 
•  Psyche desperately searches for Cupid, knowing that Venus is on the hunt for her,  and encounters Juno and Ceres, each at their own palace. But she is turned away when asked for their help and refuge because of their friendship with Venus. 
• I imagine her approaching each palace as if they were lined up on a street in the heavenly neighborhood of gods and demigods, which would be fun to write. 
•  Venus enlists the help of her brother Mercury, the messenger god, to proclaim the pursuit and ransom for Psyche with the reward of seven kisses. Venus's mistress found Psyche and brought her forward as a hostage.
• Venus tortured and beat Psyche and assigned her several impossible tasks, including sorting a pile of lentils and wheat, obtaining golden wool, and a phial of freezing liquid from a swamp.
•  I could change the Eagle that helps Psyche complete the task to Cupid's best friend and pet, who knows that they are lovers being kept from each other.
•  Venus is helped by a turret through the traps of the underworld and the steps necessary to obtain Persepone's beauty in the jar. 
• Instead of a turret, there could be a kind old man (who had been a mentor to Cupid and knows who Psyche is) explain all of the traps and help Psyche.
• Cupid finally escapes and discovers Psyche, who opened the jar and fell asleep, but frees her and asks Jupiter for his support.
• I could change Jupiter from being a father figure to Cupid's absolute best friend growing up, who could also list many negative and awful things that Cupid has done or they have done together.
• There is an assembly of all the deities and Jupiter officially pronounces the wedding of Cupid and Psyche. She drinks the ambrosia and becomes immortal.
• I could change it so that Psyche is actually allergic to ambrosia, causing her to be unable to drink it and become immortal, so Cupid resigns himself to mortal life on earth.  

(Wedding Banquet of Cupid and Psyche by Rafaello)

 Bibliography: Cupid and Psyche by Apulieus and translated by Tony Kline

Reading Notes: Cupid and Psyche, Part A

Psyche:

• She was the most beautiful of the three daughters and people flocked to see her
• People began to say that she was the goddess Venus herself on earth as a mortal
• Venus was infuriated that people were worshiping Psyche instead of her 
• She was so perfect that men did not wish to marry her, only admiring from afar
• Could write about a terrible curse or spell that Venus casts on Psyche to punish her

Cupid:

• Venus's son who is wicked and with bow and torch in hand, ruins marriages and is shameful
• Venus asks him to punish her by causing her to passionately love an insignificant man 
• He brings Psyche to his palace, visiting her only at night to keep his identity a secret

Psyche's father sought out the oracle of Apollo and learned of the ritual and fatal marriage that would be Pysche's end. They left her on the precipice to die, but she was lifted by the wind and carried down the cliff where she stumbled upon a god or demigod's palace.

• Could change so that Psyche sneaked away from the ceremony (or even did die) and ran until she came upon the beautiful palace.

Her mysterious husband, who is actually Cupid, warns her not to see her sisters, but after she pleaded with him, he allowed her to visit them, but not to investigate who Cupid is. She seduces Cupid into bringing the sisters to the palace, but they were jealous when they see Psyche's new life.

•  I could expand on this idea of sisterly jealousy and even add influences of Cinderella with her two evil step-sisters. They could devise a scheme, possibly dressing up as Psyche and switching places.

Cupid warns her that she will bear a divine child if she speaks no word of Cupid, but her terrible sisters convinced her that Cupid was an evil beast and told her to kill him. But when she saw who it was, she woke him up, and he flew away. She fled to her sisters and when she told them what happened, they hurried to take her place in Cupid's palace but died trying.

 (Psyche discovering Cupid's identity by Giuseppe Maria Crespi)

Bibliography: Cupid and Psyche by Apulieus and translated by Tony Kline