Extra Reading Diary: Aesop (Jacobs)

These stories came from The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs.

The Wolf and the Lamb: I like this story because it illustrates a very real and harsh truth. It illustrates how when people are determined to find fault in someone they will come up with any excuse to do so even when presented with facts that would dictate otherwise.

The Wolf and the Kid: I like this story because I think it relates to our society very well but in a different way. The main message here is that it is very easy to be brave from a distance when we believe there are no consequences. The same could be said for how we act online. When we are online we often hurl insults and say things we normally wouldn't because we believe the anonymity we have online will protect us.

The Hare With Many Friends: I like this story because it's a very classic quantity vs quality illustration. While the hare had a great quantity of friends, they were not quality friendships. It made me think of the country song Find Out Who Your Friends Are by Tim McGraw. While it can be a good thing to have a large number of friends, it's also important to make sure we develop a small number of friendships into quality ones where we know we can depend on the person in a time of trouble.

(Hare and Friends)

Storytelling Week 3: Turning the Tables

Kane sat in the back alley looking over his scores for the day. It was a poor showing he had to admit. Two of the wallets he had managed to score didn't even have any cash in them. At this rate his reputation as the fox, the best local thief, was going to be in danger. Even tourists who were his usual go-to when business was slow were low in numbers these days. He let out an exasperated sigh, tossed the wallets into the garbage and exited the alley back onto the street. He wandered around for a few minutes attempting to find a new mark. He saw something that caught his eye. It was a kid, no older than twelve or thirteen. They were standing outside of a shop and looking around in a distressed manner. But what really caught his eye was how the kid was dressed. She was wearing expensive clothes not suited for this area of town. A wicked grin spread across his face. A lost child that came from money, this could work in his favor.

Kane approached the kid and tapped her on the shoulder. "Everything alright?"

The kid turned to face him. They were on the verge of tears. "I, I got separated from my big brother. I was looking for him but then I got lost and now I don't know where to go."

"If you would like I would be happy to help you look for him."

"Really?"

"Of course!"

"Thank you, Mister!"

"Please, call me Zach. And what's your name?"

"Emily."

"Well, Emily, where were you last with your brother?"

"We were at the bookstore, the one by the elementary school."

"I know just where that is. Shall we head that way and start looking for him?"

Emily beamed at him and nodded her head enthusiastically. As they turned and started walking, Kane once again felt himself smiling. Everything was going smoothly so far. They walked several blocks to the northeast, into a more upscale part of the town.

"Over there!" Emily exclaimed, pointing across the street. "That's where I last saw my brother. He went down that passageway."

Kane flashed a smile at her. "Let's start there then."

The girl skipped ahead of him and he followed her down the passage.

Something hard and heavy connected with his head. Suddenly the world was tilting and he realized he was falling. But why was he falling? That didn't make any sense to him. He hit the ground and tried to look around. A pair of expensive shoes came into his field of vision and he looked up. Emily was standing above him, looking down with a smile. That didn't make any sense either. Something flickered out of the corner of his vision and he turned just in time to see a large boot come flying at his torso. Knocking the wind out of him, it collided with his chest. As he struggled to regain his breath, he managed to turn over onto his other side. Soon enough he felt himself being turned back over onto his back and his pockets being rummaged through. They found what they were looking for and stopped soon enough.

Emily knelt down beside him. "Silly little fox, you should've known better. This territory belongs to me and is guarded by my ever faithful dog."

He looked past her and found this dog happened to be a very large man.

"I hope you learn your lesson from this. It would be a shame if we had to review it," Emily continued.

The man lifted his boot above Kane. He tried to raise his arms to block but he wasn't fast enough. The boot collided with his head. Everything went black.





(Illustration by Milo Winter)

Author Note: This story is based on The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox. In the original story the fox hears the rooster and is trying to trick the rooster by pretending to welcome it to the forest but is really trying to eat the cock. However, the fox himself is tricked, directed around the tree by the cock who pretends to be grateful for the welcome where he is attacked by the dog. For my story I changed them to human characters as animals wouldn't have suited the direction I wanted to take the story in. I really love stories with deceptions and turning it back on the other person which is why I chose this story to retell and also why I decided to make it more of an intentional deception with my characters representing the dog and the cock being con artists in their own right. I chose the image I did because it is the illustration for the original story. I feel that the illustration is still very fitting even with the changes that I made to the story. The fox and the cock are having a seemingly friendly interaction but you can clearly see the dog hidden and waiting for the chance to attack.

Bibliography:
The Aesop for Children, with illustrations by Milo Winter (1919).

Reading Diary B: Aesop (Winter)

These stories were taken from Aesop for Children illustrated by Milo Winter.

The Cat the Cock, and the Young Mouse: I like this story because it's the classic don't judge a book by it's cover but told in a different way. Most of the time you see this lesson being taught so as to not make negative judgments about people who might be really good people. What I really liked about this one is that it went beyond that and also addressed the issue of assuming someone is really good or nice when in reality they might be deceiving you.

The Astrologer: I really liked this story because of the message it sends. Sometimes we get so caught up thinking about the big picture we miss what is right in front of us. We should pay more attention to the present and not worry so much about the future.

(Illustration by Milo Winter)

The Serpent and the Eagle: This story reminded me of a situation I was in. I once found someone's lost phone and turned it in. Later that same day I lost my phone and luckily someone turned my phone in and I was able to get in back. It's always good to be kind because you never know when you will find yourself hoping someone else will show the same kindness. 

Reading Diary A: Aesop (Winter)

These stories were taken from Aesop for Children illustrated by Milo Winter.

The Farmer and the Stork: I really like this story because it reminds me of a situation form my own life. My friend and I in high school were looking around a Halloween store in our mall. There were a group of girls near us who were making attempts to steal merchandise. They were caught by the employees and thrown out but then we got thrown out too because they thought we were with them. Even though my friend and I weren't doing anything wrong the outside perception meant that we had to partake in the punishment as well. Lesson learned, always be aware of the people around you.

The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox: I liked this story because it's a reminder of how quickly the tables can turn. We might think we have the upper hand in something but in reality we are the ones who are being tricked.

(Illustration by Milo Winter)

The Two Goats: I think the lesson with this story is a great one. Sometimes we have come to a sticking point on an issue we stubbornly refuse to budge. At some point it's possible that we might be being stubborn just to be stubborn. We've held out for this long and we can't give in now. But this can also lead to a more disastrous result than we expected.  

Project Topics Brainstorming

Topic: The Voyages of Sinbad
Comments: I was really excited when I saw this unit. The stories of Sinbad were ones that I had always wanted to read but was never able to. I knew when I saw this unit I would have to read it at some point for this class and so I thought it might also make a great topic for my project as well.
Possible Stories: 
Sample Story Comments: I liked the story of Sinbad's 5th voyage. I liked this one because Sinbad has to figure out a clever way to escape from the old man who has enslaved him. I like stories in which people have to come up with clever plans and trickery to get out of situations.
Bibliography:
Sample Story: The Fifth Voyage
Book: The Arabian Nights' Entertainments
Book Author: Andrew Lang
Book Illustrator: H. J. Ford
Year: 1898

(Illustration by H. J. Ford)

Topic: Persian Fairy Tales

Comments: This idea was something very new to me. Persian fairy tales were not something I had put much thought into before but this class has gotten me interested in looking at all kinds of new stories and tales from all kinds of different cultures. I would love to do something new which I came in knowing nothing about.

Possible Stories: 

Sample Story comments: I liked the story of the Wolf-Aunt. So many times we see werewolf legends about men and I have seen many stories where it says female werewolves don't exist. So it was really interesting to read a tale about a female werewolf. 

Bibliography: 

The Wolf-Aunt from Persian Tales, translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer, illustrated by Hilda Roberts (1919).

Topic: Egyptian Myths

Comments: Egyptian mythology is something I have become interested in and having been looking into within the past year so I think doing a project on it could be a great opportunity for learning. 

Possible Stories: 

Sample Story Comments: This story was one that I was actually already aware of. I knew the story but I had never actually read the full story in it's entirety so I enjoyed doing that. 

Bibliography:  The Secret Name of Ra from Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie (1907).

Topic: Cherokee Legends
Comments: As someone who is Cherokee I would love to be able to do a project that I could connect back to my own heritage.
Possible Stories: 
Sample Story Comments: This story was very interesting to read. Creation stories are always really neat because you get to read another view on how our world came to be.
Bibliography: How The World Was Made from Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney (1900).

Essay: Roman Gods and Greek Stories

The reading unit I chose for this week was Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 1-4). Overall I really enjoyed this reading unit. The information about the story at the top of the pages was really helpful. In these stories the gods are called by their Roman names but since their Greek names are more widely known I thought it was helpful that the Greek names were always listed in parentheses next to the Roman names.

For the most part my favorite stories came in the second half of this reading unit. In the first half I liked the story of Callisto. I liked this story because the ending was different and wasn't necessarily bad or sad like many of the others. I also really liked the story of Deucalion and Pyrrha. For me this was a new story that I hadn't heard of before and it's always fun to read something new. In the second half of the unit I liked the stories of Narcissus, Mars and Venus, and Perseus and Medusa. I liked the story of Narcissus because for once someone actually got what they deserved. I liked Mars and Venus because in this story we got to see more of the gods interactions with each other that weren't Jupiter impregnating a girl and Juno cursing her. I liked the story of Perseus and Medusa because it's one of the ones I had read before and remembered. It was always one of the stories I liked from Greek mythology and so it was fun to read it again.

Overall I think this unit met my expectations. There were some stories I already knew and there were some new ones that I was able to read for the first time. With this unit I feel like I was able to meet some of my goals in reading more stories with some Roman aspects.

(Athena's aegis from the story of Perseus and Medusa)

Storytelling Week 2: Narcissus the Drama Major

In the world of theater no university was more respected than the University of Dramatics. The students from this university were consistently recognized as the best at what they do. So it was only natural for Narcissus to select this as the school he would attend. Narcissus was widely known for his seemingly prodigious acting talents. There seemed to be no limits to the kinds of roles he could take on. His mountain of talent was matched only by the mountainous size of his ego. Students flocked around him, hoping to be brought into his inner circle. Narcissus however was not so keen to let anyone in. On a regular basis he would smile and draw them closer but within a very short amount of time he would send them away again. He publicly disgraced them in front of the school. In doing so however he forgot one very simple fact. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

One such scorned woman appealed to the playwright, Nemesis, known by her pen name Rhamnusia, who was in charge of the school’s next production. Nemesis heard the girl’s complaints and decided that is was time for Narcissus to learn his own lesson. She wrote a play for him and him alone. There were no large stage props for the background and no other characters for him to interact with. The stage would be occupied by only a single large mirror into which Narcissus would stare for the entirety of the play.

Narcissus was overjoyed at the thought of showcasing a new side to his acting. Surely now he could showcase the true extent of his genius. He practiced his gazes every time he came across a mirror. Staring into his own reflection and reaching towards it, as if he could simply reach beyond the thin plane of glass and grasp his own hand. It was the night before the play was set to open and Narcissus was going on stage for the final rehearsal. However there was something wrong. The mirror on the stage was broken, shattered into jagged pieces. When he attempted to look at it his reflection was distorted and broken.

“What, what, what happened,” he stammered.

“Oh, guess they forgot to tell you, since the main prop was broken they decided it would be too much trouble to get a new one so the whole production got cancelled,” said a stage hand from behind him.

“Cancelled! How can this be?”

The stage hand shrugged. “Sorry dude.”

Narcissus grabbed at his chest as he began to hyperventilate. “This can’t be. My chance has been stolen from me! This was supposed to be my moment, my chance for my genius to shine through! And now I have been robbed of it!” He backed up towards the edge of the stage. The color drained from his face. His body twisted into a dramatic arch he fell backwards to the ground. There he curled into a ball and wept in mourning over his lost chance. 

(Image found online from a photo website)

Author Note: This story was taken from the story of Narcissus. I wrote my story this way because in the original story there are very few spoken lines and most of it is just narrative. I changed the story by making the setting a modern university specialized in theater. I also changed some of the details, in the original Narcissus was known for his appearance and not his acting ability. Also in the original story when he gazed into a reflecting pool he fell in love with himself and was distraught when his reflection was disrupted. It ended with him turning into a flower. 

Bibliography: "Narcissus" from Ovid's Metamorphoses, translated by Tony Kline (2000)

Reading Diary B - Greek Myths: Ovid I

Here are the stories I liked the most from the second part of Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 1-4).

Mars and Venus: This story was really short but also really funny. The gods didn't just mess around with mortals but also messed around with each other. In this case when Vulcan learns his wife Venus was having an affair with Mars he creates a trap for them. He ensnares them in a net and then brings in all the other gods to view them in their entanglement. One of my favorite lines is, "and one of the gods, undismayed, prayed that he might be shamed like that." This story was a fun departure from the usual stories of gods interfering with mortals.

(Illustration by Virgil Solis)

Perseus and Medusa: This is where Perseus tells his stories of his adventures and his battle against Medusa. I really liked the language of this story. The way some things were phrased was amusing to me. Lines such as, "He told of his long journeys, of dangers that were not imaginary ones," or when responding to a question he says "Since what you ask is worth the telling, hear the answer to your question". It could be the fact that I read this really late at night but even so reading this story brought a smile to my face. 

Reading Diary A - Greek Myths: Ovid I

Here are the stories I liked the most from Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 1-4).

Phaethon's Ride. This story has to do with Phaethon's ride on his father's chariot and his inability to control it as it begins scorching the earth. My favorite part is at the end section where the earth is complaining to Jupiter. This just seemed really funny to me because essentially she's telling Jupiter that if he won't stop the fires for her or his brother Neptune in the sea then he should at least do it for common sense because his own palace is in danger of falling. I just had an image of how this would play out in my mind while reading and I found it funny.

(Painting by Gustave Moreau)

Callisto: Wow, what a shocker, once again something ridiculous happens all because Jupiter can't keep it in his pants. This one actually didn't have all that sad of an ending. Callisto really  had to go through a lot of troublesome experiences. She even got turned into a bear and was nearly killed by her son. But in the end this was prevented and both she and her son were turned into some lovely constellations. She did however receive a better fate than some of the others like Phaethon or Semele who both died. I think that's why I liked this story, because even though it wasn't really a happy ending it was still different and not just ending with a death.

Week 1 UnTextbook Exploration

The first unit that stood out to me was the Ancient Egyptian Myths and Stories. Back in high school I became very interested in Greek and Roman mythology and then I started branching out into Egyptian. However I never delved nearly as far into it as I did with the other two. I feel like this would be a great opportunity to return to the world of Egyptian mythology.

The second unit that stood out to me was the Myths of the Cherokee. This one stood out very strongly to me because I am of Cherokee descent and I have always had a desire to learn more about this part of my heritage.

The third unit that I was interested in was Alaskan Legends. In a course I had taken previously we had discussed some of the things mentioned in these readings. Those discussions stuck with me as I found them particularly interesting and I feel this unit would give me the chance to delve even more into those readings.

The fourth unit that I found interesting was the Faerie Queen - Britomart. I thought the description of this unit made it sound like something that would be a lot of fun to read. I think this unit is one that I could have a lot of fun with.

The fifth unit that grabbed my attention was the Voyages of Sinbad. When I read the stories of Odysseus I actually really enjoyed them. As such I think I would like reading the voyages of Sinbad for both their similarities and their differences as something new.

(A Cherokee leader, from Myths of the Cherokee, Stalking Turkey, 1762)

I chose this image because the Myths of the Cherokee was one of the units that resonated the strongest with me. 

Week 1 Storybook Favorites

The first storybook I looked at was Robin Hood: The Lost Journals. I picked this one because Robin Hood was one of my absolute favorite stories as a child. This story was done as if giving a report on a great discovery. In the introduction a brief history was given first and then they recounted the story of the finding of a set of journals written from the points of view of people involved with Robin Hood. I thought this was a really creative way of telling the story. I also really liked the design of their page. I thought the colors they used were very fitting of the story they did and they navigation was very easy.

The second storybook I looked at was Fairytale Case Files. I picked this one because it sounded really interesting and I love a good mystery. Of all the pages this one had my favorite design. The navigation was really user friendly and I really liked the dark background with the light font. I also really liked their use of a gradient. Their stories were a neat fun way to put a new twist on some old well known fairy tales. The introduction was well written and I absolutely had to read more after reading it.

The third storybook I looked at was The Legend of Odysseus. I picked this one because in high school I got really interested in Greek mythology. I liked the fact that the introduction took the form of a conversation and wasn't just say a first person narrative. I thought this was a different and fun way to engage readers into the story from the beginning. I also liked the continuous flow from one story to another. It felt as if they were all connected and part of one cohesive work.

Overall I liked all three stories and felt they were written really well with a creativity that was very engaging.

(Screenshot of Fairytale Case Files cover page)

Introduction

My name is Rachel Wheeler. I am a senior majoring in Psychology here at OU. I'm from Muskogee Oklahoma and I am an only child. My family loves to travel and we take a lot of trips when we are all able to have time off together. I'm a very laid back person and I enjoy just spending time with my friends. It doesn't really matter what we are doing.

(My best friend (right) and I (left) on a trip to Chicago, personal photo)

In my own spare time I love to write. I love the whole process of creating new characters and plot lines and finding ways to twist them intricately for new and unexpected endings. I'm not a fan of writing happily ever after or and it all worked out perfectly endings. I also enjoy playing the occasional computer game when I get off work.

I work full time, I'm taking 12 hours in my last semester and I am studying for the GRE so for me taking classes online when I can are an absolute must. My other classes this semester are Interpersonal Skills and Group Dynamics, Health Promotion Program Planning, and Capstone. After completing my undergrad I want to obtain a Master's in Public Health and my hope is to eventually work for the Cherokee Nation.

I have one cat. Her name is Professor McGonagall but we usually just call her Professor. She's an outside cat who likes to eat a lot and will roam around outside our house until she finds a window where she can see you and will sit in that window and meow until you feed her even if she still has food in her bowl. She also likes to sleep with her face in my dad's shoes.

(My cat sleeping, personal photo)

When I actually do have spare time to watch TV shows I like to watch Doctor Who, Supernatural, Criminal Minds, and White Collar which just finished. In terms of reading I'm just about to start the wheel of time series which I am very excited to start reading. I'm really looking forward to this class and think the set up so far is very interesting!

Week 1 Storytelling: The Fallen King

The King of France went up the hill,

With twenty thousand men;

The King of France came down the hill,

And ne'er went up again.

The war had been waging on for a long time now, far too long in the King’s mind. Winter had arrived a few weeks ago and today marked the first snow of the season. White flakes, slowly thickening fell from a dull, flat gray sky, blanketing the ground turning it into a soft sheet of pure white. It stood in stark contrast to the hardness of the soldiers camped there. Twenty thousand soldiers hardened and weary from all the battles they had fought up until now. The soles of their boots worn through, their clothes providing no insulation from winter’s biting chill, their armor dented and broken, their swords dulled and blunted. The King walked among these soldiers, his soldiers who had stood behind him and followed him with unwavering faith throughout all the, battles they had fought until now. He could feel his resolve forming. Today, regardless of the outcome it would be the final battle. Today this long and bloody war would finally come to an end. He climbed atop his horse and rode to the front of the formation. They stood at the base of a hill. On the other side was the opposing force which outnumbered them 4 to 1. The King raised his sword and turned to face his men.

            “Today, no matter what, we end this! We keep fighting until the last man!”

            The soldiers raised their swords and twenty thousand voices joined his in a battle cry. He turned his horse and began to charge up the hill. His men followed closely behind. As they came over the top of the hill he paused; his men swarming around and charging down in from of him. Spots of black began to dot the gray sky. He didn’t feel it when it hit. The roaring in his ears turned first to deafening silence, and then to a high pitched ringing. He felt himself falling backwards. Something else hard hit his chest and it hastened his fall. He looked down and saw the ends of two black arrows sprouting forth from his chest. He hit the ground hard and the angle of the hill forced him to roll downwards. He let himself roll choosing not to fight it. When he came to the bottom he stared up at that gray sky. The flakes began covering him with their softness and he felt himself slipping. The face of his oldest and dearest friend swam into his vision. Briefly the world came back into focus in painful clarity.

            “Your highness, don’t move, we’ll get you somewhere safe.”

            The king shook his head. He reached up and his friend clasped his hand. “Lead them forward, take them home.”

            The world once again began to fade from focus and this time he allowed it. He slipped away into white softness. The King had fallen, never to rise again. 

(A King falling, art by Greg Newbold)

Author's Note: This story is based on the nursery rhyme "The King of France". The rhyme can be found in The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang (1897). For me this rhyme conjured an image of a king leading his soldiers into battle, and yet just as he leads his twenty thousand men over a hill he himself is struck down. He falls back down the hill alone, and never rises again. That image stuck with me very strongly so I decided to write this short story detailing it. 

Favorite Place

My family does a lot of traveling to many different places and when we travel we like to play around with photography. One of the more recent places we visited that was one of my favorites was the Valley of Fire in Nevada. It was a really neat place to see and we were able to get some neat photos. I've posted some of my favorites below.

 (Image Information: personal photo of the valley of fire; 

photo from April 2014)

 (Image Information: personal photo of the valley of fire; 

photo from April 2014)

(Image Information: personal photo of the valley of fire; 

photo from April 2014)

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