The Little Match Seller: I absolutely loved this story as I was reading it. It had both an extremely sad and eerie quality to it while also providing us with a happy ending. This is probably one of my favorite stories I've read this semester.
Friday, April 24, 2015
Extra Reading Diary: Hans Christian Anderson
This story comes from the Hans Christian Anderson unit.
The Little Match Seller: I absolutely loved this story as I was reading it. It had both an extremely sad and eerie quality to it while also providing us with a happy ending. This is probably one of my favorite stories I've read this semester.
The Little Match Seller: I absolutely loved this story as I was reading it. It had both an extremely sad and eerie quality to it while also providing us with a happy ending. This is probably one of my favorite stories I've read this semester.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Reading Diary A: Brothers Grimm (Ashliman)
These stories are from the Brothers Grimm (Ashliman) unit.
The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids: This story was one that I had been familiar with before reading. It was a lot of fun to go back and read it again. The wolf character thinks he's quite clever in getting what he wants but in the end he gets what he deserves.
The Seven Ravens: This was a very interesting story to read. It was not one of the Brothers Grimm tales that I was familiar with and I enjoyed reading a new story.
Rumpelstiltskin: This was one of my favorite stories when I was a kid. It was really enjoyable to read it again.
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The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids: This story was one that I had been familiar with before reading. It was a lot of fun to go back and read it again. The wolf character thinks he's quite clever in getting what he wants but in the end he gets what he deserves.
The Seven Ravens: This was a very interesting story to read. It was not one of the Brothers Grimm tales that I was familiar with and I enjoyed reading a new story.
Rumpelstiltskin: This was one of my favorite stories when I was a kid. It was really enjoyable to read it again.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Portfolio Guide
Turning the Tables - A con artist comes up with a great scheme after business becomes slow, but is the scheme really going the way he thinks?
Sinbad the Suspect - The ever adventurous Sinbad attempts to convince the authorities of how he acquired some diamonds but it seems no one will believe him!
The Perfume Fiasco - What begins as a disagreement turns into quite the adventure for two young college girls.
The Twins of Trast Forest - Two young girls are found in a forest by a man who wants to help them get home, but the girls don't want to leave.
Sinbad the Suspect - The ever adventurous Sinbad attempts to convince the authorities of how he acquired some diamonds but it seems no one will believe him!
The Perfume Fiasco - What begins as a disagreement turns into quite the adventure for two young college girls.
The Twins of Trast Forest - Two young girls are found in a forest by a man who wants to help them get home, but the girls don't want to leave.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Extra Reading Diary: More English Fairy Tales
This story comes from the More English Fairy Tales unit.
Tattercoats: This story was very much a type of Cinderella story. I really enjoyed reading it in a different version. Instead of the wicked stepmother we have the grandfather who refused to look at her face. We also have the gooseherd who takes the place of the fairy godmother. It's always fun to read what we consider a classical story in a different way.
Tattercoats: This story was very much a type of Cinderella story. I really enjoyed reading it in a different version. Instead of the wicked stepmother we have the grandfather who refused to look at her face. We also have the gooseherd who takes the place of the fairy godmother. It's always fun to read what we consider a classical story in a different way.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Reading Diary A: English Fairy Tales
This story is from the English Fairy Tales unit.
The Rose Tree: This story was really great to read. It's about a little girl who is killed by her wicked stepmother but in the end the stepmother gets what she deserves and is also killed. It was a bit unexpected because usually when we think of fairy tales we think of happily ever after endings but that was not the case here. I really liked this story because it wasn't happy ending but it was a just ending.
The Rose Tree: This story was really great to read. It's about a little girl who is killed by her wicked stepmother but in the end the stepmother gets what she deserves and is also killed. It was a bit unexpected because usually when we think of fairy tales we think of happily ever after endings but that was not the case here. I really liked this story because it wasn't happy ending but it was a just ending.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Storytelling Week 11: The Twins of Trast Forest
Ivy ran through the field. Her sister, Lily, followed closely behind. They often ran through these woods. They played tag and raced one another. Sometimes they would play with the animals who resided in the forest as well. But today was different. Today they weren't running for fun. They were running because they had to. They had to run in order to escape. Their feet flew over the ground as fast as they could. Behind them a voice shouted. Hearing how close it was only urged them to go faster.
Ivy reached out and took her sister's hand as they ran. No matter what, they would stay together. They had always been together.
They came upon a large oak tree. The trunk was large enough to hide both of their small frames. They pressed their backs to the trunk and quieted their breathing. They listened for the sounds of the person following them. For a moment they didn't hear anything. The forest was filled with a strange silence. They started to believe they had escaped. However soon enough noise reached their ears.
It wasn't hard to hear. Their pursuer tramped around the forest with complete disregard for his surroundings. Ivy dared to peek around the tree. She saw him stumble past a bush. She quickly pulled back, squeezing Lily's hand. The man stopped and looked around.
"You don't have to be afraid," he called out. "I'm not here to hurt you."
"Then how about you leave us alone like we asked," Lily hissed under her breath.
"Quiet," Ivy hushed her sister. "If, we don't respond maybe he will go away."
"There you are," said a voice beside them. They turned, screamed and jumped back. The man had made his way around the tree while they were talking.
"Wait! It's alright, I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to help. " He extended his arms towards them and crouched down a bit.
"Help? Why would you want to help us?" Ivy asked, taking a step back.
"You two shouldn't be out here alone. Where are your parents? Why don't you let me help you find them?"
"We're perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves," Lily stated.
The man gave his best reassuring smile. "I have no doubt of that. But it can still be dangerous out here for two young girls all alone. How old are you two?"
Ivy and Lily looked at each other and then around at the forest around them. "It's hard to say. It's been a while," Ivy said, almost to herself.
The man furrowed his brow at that. Definitely not a normal response from what appeared to be a six-year-old child. "Well, what are your names?"
"We weren't given names. The birds took to calling us Ivy and Lily. They were some of the plants near where they found us."
"Found you?"
"Yes. Found us," Lily repeated.
"You said you wanted to help us," Ivy continued. "How do you expect to do that?"
"I want to help you return to your home. That's all. I'm sure your family must be worried about you."
"But this is our home," Lily protested.
"You live here? In the forest?"
The girls giggled. "No," they said together as if he had missed something important.
"I don't understand."
"How can you expect to help anyone if you don't understand something as simple as that?" Lily asked.
"You're right. Perhaps you should explain it to me."
Ivy rolled her eyes. "We were brought here when we were very small. We don't know by who. They left us here nameless and alone. The days turned to night, no one came for us. No one ever came for us. It turned cold and quiet. Then we heard the birds singing. They brought flowers to cover us. This forest is our home, our resting place. But we don't live here. We can't live here."
The man stood up slowly as Ivy spoke and took a few steps back. The girls vanished before his eyes. He only turned around when he heard the one called Ivy speak again from behind him. "We can't live here, you see, because we're already dead."
Author Note: This story is based on the nursery rhyme Babes in the Wood. The nursery rhyme describes a tale in which two nameless children are taken and left in the woods. Over time they were left alone and they died. After they have died, the robins covered them in strawberry leaves and sing a song to remember them. I set my story after they have already died. Their spirits remain in the forest, happy and isolated from the world. They befriend the animals around them and take the names Lily and Ivy because those are some of the plants around where they were left. Their presence in the forest leads to some stories and legends cropping up about the forest; local tales that makes people want to investigate. This story is about one of those encounters.
Bibliography: The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang and illustrated by L. Leslie Brooke (1897).
Ivy reached out and took her sister's hand as they ran. No matter what, they would stay together. They had always been together.
They came upon a large oak tree. The trunk was large enough to hide both of their small frames. They pressed their backs to the trunk and quieted their breathing. They listened for the sounds of the person following them. For a moment they didn't hear anything. The forest was filled with a strange silence. They started to believe they had escaped. However soon enough noise reached their ears.
It wasn't hard to hear. Their pursuer tramped around the forest with complete disregard for his surroundings. Ivy dared to peek around the tree. She saw him stumble past a bush. She quickly pulled back, squeezing Lily's hand. The man stopped and looked around.
"You don't have to be afraid," he called out. "I'm not here to hurt you."
"Then how about you leave us alone like we asked," Lily hissed under her breath.
"Quiet," Ivy hushed her sister. "If, we don't respond maybe he will go away."
"There you are," said a voice beside them. They turned, screamed and jumped back. The man had made his way around the tree while they were talking.
"Wait! It's alright, I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to help. " He extended his arms towards them and crouched down a bit.
"Help? Why would you want to help us?" Ivy asked, taking a step back.
"You two shouldn't be out here alone. Where are your parents? Why don't you let me help you find them?"
"We're perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves," Lily stated.
The man gave his best reassuring smile. "I have no doubt of that. But it can still be dangerous out here for two young girls all alone. How old are you two?"
Ivy and Lily looked at each other and then around at the forest around them. "It's hard to say. It's been a while," Ivy said, almost to herself.
The man furrowed his brow at that. Definitely not a normal response from what appeared to be a six-year-old child. "Well, what are your names?"
"We weren't given names. The birds took to calling us Ivy and Lily. They were some of the plants near where they found us."
"Found you?"
"Yes. Found us," Lily repeated.
"You said you wanted to help us," Ivy continued. "How do you expect to do that?"
"I want to help you return to your home. That's all. I'm sure your family must be worried about you."
"But this is our home," Lily protested.
"You live here? In the forest?"
The girls giggled. "No," they said together as if he had missed something important.
"I don't understand."
"How can you expect to help anyone if you don't understand something as simple as that?" Lily asked.
"You're right. Perhaps you should explain it to me."
Ivy rolled her eyes. "We were brought here when we were very small. We don't know by who. They left us here nameless and alone. The days turned to night, no one came for us. No one ever came for us. It turned cold and quiet. Then we heard the birds singing. They brought flowers to cover us. This forest is our home, our resting place. But we don't live here. We can't live here."
The man stood up slowly as Ivy spoke and took a few steps back. The girls vanished before his eyes. He only turned around when he heard the one called Ivy speak again from behind him. "We can't live here, you see, because we're already dead."
(Personal photo from a trip to Sulphur, OK)
Bibliography: The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang and illustrated by L. Leslie Brooke (1897).
Friday, March 27, 2015
Extra Reading Diary: Native American Hero Tales
These stories come from the Native American Hero Tales unit.
The Jealous Uncle (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3): I really enjoyed reading this story. I loved how the nephew continuously was able to outwit the uncle and escape from the attempts on his life. It was a really great story. The ending was great with the uncle getting exactly what he deserved. The fact that the boy used the playthings of his murdered older brothers to outwit the uncle was also really great.
Dug-From-Ground (Part 1, Part 2): This story was really interesting to read. There seems to be a theme of curiosity and exploring throughout the story. The woman gets curious and pulls up a root. The man gets curious and follows his mother. Overall it was a really good story.
The Jealous Uncle (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3): I really enjoyed reading this story. I loved how the nephew continuously was able to outwit the uncle and escape from the attempts on his life. It was a really great story. The ending was great with the uncle getting exactly what he deserved. The fact that the boy used the playthings of his murdered older brothers to outwit the uncle was also really great.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Storytelling Week 10: Fire Troubles
Aya made her way into the council meeting. She didn't feel overly enthusiastic about having to attend but it was better than sitting outside in the bitter cold. Since she was small it was easy enough to weave her way through the crowd over to the side. Once she found a spot she liked she went back to focusing on her crochet project. With it being so cold outside she had been crocheting up scarves, hats, blankets and other assorted items to help keep warm. She only used the best threads available, strong but with just the right amount of give and flexibility. As she continues to work on her latest hat she occasionally tunes into the conversation around her. Something about a fire to help them survive the winter but they need some way to retrieve it. Apparently it's in a tree on an island. She thinks if the Thunders were going to be helpful in giving them fire for their cold world would it really have been so inconvenient for them to make it more accessible? There was a lot of shouting and enthusiastic offers to go and retrieve the fire. The one that stood out the most was Raven. Aya snorted at the thought. Of course he would volunteer, the big strong man who could do anything.
Aya didn't pay much attention to the meeting until a collective gasp went up from the crowd. She looked up to see what the fuss was about. When she saw Raven her mouth actually dropped open. Most of his hair had been singed off and what remained had been scorched black. He reluctantly admitted he had been unable to retrieve the fire. With that a long cycle of volunteers and failures began. After Raven, Owl who they nicknamed Screech volunteered to go. When Screech returned he was sporting new red eyes, burned when he got too close and tried to look at the fire. Next went Screech's two cousins, Hoot and Horn. They too returned without the fire but sported some very lovely new white rings around their eyes.
Deeming the fliers incompetent, Snake, also known as Racer decided to go. He swam to try and get to the fire from underneath but it was too hot for him. Upon returning he seemed to have developed a new way of walking, continuously jerking side to side as if he was afraid of being scorched. Racer's brother, Climber was next. He attempted climbing the tree but choked on the smoke and returned with his entire being was a new shade of black. After so many failures the council decided to disband for the day and regroup the next morning. Aya gathered her things and left to find a place to spend the night. Even if she hadn't been pleased with having to attend this meeting, she had been able to complete some crochet projects and had gotten some entertainment while doing so.
The next morning started out much differently. It was quiet and everyone shuffled back and forth. Not a single person volunteered to go retrieve the fire.
"This is ridiculous," Aya exclaimed. "I'll go."
Several people turned to look at her in surprise.
"I can go along the surface of the water and dive below if necessary."
"That's all well and good but how will you bring it back?" someone asked.
"Don't worry about that. Just leave it to me."
She quickly crocheted a small pouch which she wore on her back. She then headed out for the island and retrieved a single coal of the fire. She placed it in the pouch on her back and returned to the council. They used the coal to build a fire of their own and their world became warmer and a little bit brighter.
Author's Note: This story is inspired by The First Fire from the Cherokee Myths unit. With this story I wanted to tell it from the point of view of the character who represents the water spider in the original story. In the original story we don't hear about the water spider until she volunteers to go retrieve the fire. I got this image in my head of a disinterested character not really paying attention to what's going on until it reaches a point where people aren't sure what to do next. Then she steps up and says I might as well give it a try. In my story I do envision my characters as human but I kept their names as the animals which they represent.
Bibliography: Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney (1900).
Aya didn't pay much attention to the meeting until a collective gasp went up from the crowd. She looked up to see what the fuss was about. When she saw Raven her mouth actually dropped open. Most of his hair had been singed off and what remained had been scorched black. He reluctantly admitted he had been unable to retrieve the fire. With that a long cycle of volunteers and failures began. After Raven, Owl who they nicknamed Screech volunteered to go. When Screech returned he was sporting new red eyes, burned when he got too close and tried to look at the fire. Next went Screech's two cousins, Hoot and Horn. They too returned without the fire but sported some very lovely new white rings around their eyes.
Deeming the fliers incompetent, Snake, also known as Racer decided to go. He swam to try and get to the fire from underneath but it was too hot for him. Upon returning he seemed to have developed a new way of walking, continuously jerking side to side as if he was afraid of being scorched. Racer's brother, Climber was next. He attempted climbing the tree but choked on the smoke and returned with his entire being was a new shade of black. After so many failures the council decided to disband for the day and regroup the next morning. Aya gathered her things and left to find a place to spend the night. Even if she hadn't been pleased with having to attend this meeting, she had been able to complete some crochet projects and had gotten some entertainment while doing so.
The next morning started out much differently. It was quiet and everyone shuffled back and forth. Not a single person volunteered to go retrieve the fire.
"This is ridiculous," Aya exclaimed. "I'll go."
Several people turned to look at her in surprise.
"I can go along the surface of the water and dive below if necessary."
"That's all well and good but how will you bring it back?" someone asked.
"Don't worry about that. Just leave it to me."
She quickly crocheted a small pouch which she wore on her back. She then headed out for the island and retrieved a single coal of the fire. She placed it in the pouch on her back and returned to the council. They used the coal to build a fire of their own and their world became warmer and a little bit brighter.
(Fire)
Author's Note: This story is inspired by The First Fire from the Cherokee Myths unit. With this story I wanted to tell it from the point of view of the character who represents the water spider in the original story. In the original story we don't hear about the water spider until she volunteers to go retrieve the fire. I got this image in my head of a disinterested character not really paying attention to what's going on until it reaches a point where people aren't sure what to do next. Then she steps up and says I might as well give it a try. In my story I do envision my characters as human but I kept their names as the animals which they represent.
Bibliography: Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney (1900).
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Reading Diary A: Cherokee Stories
These stories are from the Cherokee Myths unit.
How The World Was Made: This story was really interesting to read. It's always neat to read creation stories from different cultures and learn about their views on how our world came to be.
The First Fire: I really enjoyed reading this story. It's a story that explains the origin of fire but also explains some of the physical characteristics and behaviors of some animals that we have today. It's also a great story in that after many failures and when none of the others want to venture forth one small creature agrees to try and succeeds in the task.
How The World Was Made: This story was really interesting to read. It's always neat to read creation stories from different cultures and learn about their views on how our world came to be.
The First Fire: I really enjoyed reading this story. It's a story that explains the origin of fire but also explains some of the physical characteristics and behaviors of some animals that we have today. It's also a great story in that after many failures and when none of the others want to venture forth one small creature agrees to try and succeeds in the task.
How the Rabbit Stole the Otter's Coat: This story was a great story about trickery and deception. The ever crafty rabbit came up with the plan to steal the otter's coat so he could be named the animal with the finest coat. However in the end he wasn't able to fool the other animals but he still managed to escape from them. It was really fun to read.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Storytelling Week 9: An Impossible Tale
Detective Casey left behind the hustle and bustle of the station to begin his walk home. It was a nice evening outside, cool air and only a slight breeze. With each step he took he could feel the stress of the day fading more and more. After a day like to today he was seriously considering using some of his built up leave time to take a vacation with his wife. Lost in thought thinking about where they might like to go he tripped over a box. He stumbled for a few paces and turned to look back. The box let out a whimper. That couldn't be quite right. He stepped closer and peered inside. The whimper as it turned out had actually come from a small puppy sitting inside the box.
He reached in and pet it's head. "Hey there. Looks like you got left behind, huh?" The puppy licked his hand. He picked the puppy up and held him in the crook of his arm. "It'll be nice to have a new addition to the house," he murmured to himself. He continued home with the puppy in tow.
When he arrived home his wife was absolutely delighted with the new puppy. She immediately stole him from her husband and set about preparing a space for him. They had a simple dinner and discussed names for their new puppy. Casey fashioned a collar for him out of an old necklace. They then went down to a local store to pick up some food and other supplies for him. Upon returning home they set up the puppy in his new bed and went to bed themselves.
Casey was sleeping well so far that night. Until he rolled over and saw some strange shadows moving beneath their door that is. He sat up, rubbing his eyes so he could see more clearly. Something definitely seemed to be moving beyond his door.He swung his legs out of bed and stood up. Retrieving his weapon from his nightstand he crept close to the door, listening for sounds outside. He heard the click of nails on the floor, similar to a dog's pacing. He opened the door and peered out not believing what he saw. He opened the door further and stepped out. "That's, impossible," he breathed out.
Before him stood his new puppy. Except now, it wasn't really a puppy anymore. The puppy had grown into a dog almost as large as him. And it was pacing in his confined living room. The dog saw him and lolled it's head to the side expressing a doggy grin. The dog shuffled over to the window, which Casey only just now noticed had been opened, and returned to stand in front of Casey with something in his mouth. He dropped it in front of him and sat back waiting for Casey's reaction. Casey looked down and jumped back horrified letting out a strangled yelp. The dog had brought him a leg, a human leg. Not only that but he recognized the shoe on the leg. It was a very distinctive boot worn by a suspect he had arrested earlier that week on kidnapping charges. He looked back up at the dog who seemed to be saying, "Look what I brought you. Aren't you pleased?" Casey stumbled back into his room in his attempt to get away but tripped over a table and knocked over a lamp. He became tangled in the cord. The dog stood up and began to approach him, coming closer and closer.
Casey shot up out of bed, a layer of cold sweat covering his skin. Next to him his wife stirred and their dog, a 5 year old German Shepard named Chaps raised his head from his sleeping place next to their bed. Casey managed to get his heavy breathing under control, pushing the dream back into the depths of his mind. He wiped the sweat from his brow and swung his legs over the side of his bed. Chaps stood up and came to rest his head on Casey's knee. Casey scratched behind his ears. "You know what bud? I think it's time for a vacation."
Authors Note: This story is based on The Great Dog. In the original story a man has a very large dog whom he loves in the place of a son he never had. The dog is very large in size and extremely viscous. Towards the end of the story the dog is known to go inland and kill people residing in their homes and bringing their legs back to his master. However this was not viewed as something bad but rather something good because the people inland were wicked themselves. In my story I took a suggestion from Dr. Gibbs and brought back a previous character, Detective Casey. Upon thinking about how to bring back a character and perhaps create some continuity in my stories the idea of what happened when Detective Casey goes home after his encounter with Sinbad came to me. I really liked the idea of continuing his story this is the result. I kept more of the details of the end of the story in mine. In the original the owner identifies the legs of the inlanders by the furry boots they wear. I did however choose to omit the middle details of the dog attacking someone and forcing the owner to relocate and also the confrontation with the villagers and the other dogs. In my story I also had the dog start off as a puppy and later grow to be massive in size. Also, I really wanted to do a funny image this week to go with the story which I why I chose the one I did.
Bibliography: Eskimo Folk-Tales by Knud Rasmussen with illustrations by native Eskimo artists (1921).
He reached in and pet it's head. "Hey there. Looks like you got left behind, huh?" The puppy licked his hand. He picked the puppy up and held him in the crook of his arm. "It'll be nice to have a new addition to the house," he murmured to himself. He continued home with the puppy in tow.
When he arrived home his wife was absolutely delighted with the new puppy. She immediately stole him from her husband and set about preparing a space for him. They had a simple dinner and discussed names for their new puppy. Casey fashioned a collar for him out of an old necklace. They then went down to a local store to pick up some food and other supplies for him. Upon returning home they set up the puppy in his new bed and went to bed themselves.
Casey was sleeping well so far that night. Until he rolled over and saw some strange shadows moving beneath their door that is. He sat up, rubbing his eyes so he could see more clearly. Something definitely seemed to be moving beyond his door.He swung his legs out of bed and stood up. Retrieving his weapon from his nightstand he crept close to the door, listening for sounds outside. He heard the click of nails on the floor, similar to a dog's pacing. He opened the door and peered out not believing what he saw. He opened the door further and stepped out. "That's, impossible," he breathed out.
Before him stood his new puppy. Except now, it wasn't really a puppy anymore. The puppy had grown into a dog almost as large as him. And it was pacing in his confined living room. The dog saw him and lolled it's head to the side expressing a doggy grin. The dog shuffled over to the window, which Casey only just now noticed had been opened, and returned to stand in front of Casey with something in his mouth. He dropped it in front of him and sat back waiting for Casey's reaction. Casey looked down and jumped back horrified letting out a strangled yelp. The dog had brought him a leg, a human leg. Not only that but he recognized the shoe on the leg. It was a very distinctive boot worn by a suspect he had arrested earlier that week on kidnapping charges. He looked back up at the dog who seemed to be saying, "Look what I brought you. Aren't you pleased?" Casey stumbled back into his room in his attempt to get away but tripped over a table and knocked over a lamp. He became tangled in the cord. The dog stood up and began to approach him, coming closer and closer.
Casey shot up out of bed, a layer of cold sweat covering his skin. Next to him his wife stirred and their dog, a 5 year old German Shepard named Chaps raised his head from his sleeping place next to their bed. Casey managed to get his heavy breathing under control, pushing the dream back into the depths of his mind. He wiped the sweat from his brow and swung his legs over the side of his bed. Chaps stood up and came to rest his head on Casey's knee. Casey scratched behind his ears. "You know what bud? I think it's time for a vacation."
Authors Note: This story is based on The Great Dog. In the original story a man has a very large dog whom he loves in the place of a son he never had. The dog is very large in size and extremely viscous. Towards the end of the story the dog is known to go inland and kill people residing in their homes and bringing their legs back to his master. However this was not viewed as something bad but rather something good because the people inland were wicked themselves. In my story I took a suggestion from Dr. Gibbs and brought back a previous character, Detective Casey. Upon thinking about how to bring back a character and perhaps create some continuity in my stories the idea of what happened when Detective Casey goes home after his encounter with Sinbad came to me. I really liked the idea of continuing his story this is the result. I kept more of the details of the end of the story in mine. In the original the owner identifies the legs of the inlanders by the furry boots they wear. I did however choose to omit the middle details of the dog attacking someone and forcing the owner to relocate and also the confrontation with the villagers and the other dogs. In my story I also had the dog start off as a puppy and later grow to be massive in size. Also, I really wanted to do a funny image this week to go with the story which I why I chose the one I did.
Bibliography: Eskimo Folk-Tales by Knud Rasmussen with illustrations by native Eskimo artists (1921).
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Reading Diary A: Eskimo Folk Tales
This story comes from the Eskimo Folk Tales unit.
The Giant Dog: This story, wasn't necessarily one that I really liked, but it was one that stuck with me as a possibility for what I want to do with my story idea. I got a bit ahead of myself and came up with an idea without reading the stories first this week, oops. I may switch and save this idea for another reading since it is very flexible. I thought this story was very interesting however. It was not at all how I was expecting the story to progress. At the end I'm still just sitting here going I think I really liked that but it was not at all what I was expecting and I don't yet know how to process my thoughts on it. Who knows what story I will end up writing tomorrow.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Commenting Review Week
I think commenting on the projects and work of others is a really great way to help build connections and facilitate interactions with students in an online course. It helps students get feedback on their assignments so they can evaluate how to proceed in the future but it also means that students are actively interacting with one another despite not meeting face to face. Another thing that works really well is discussion boards. Here students can talk with others, post opinions, read the opinions of others, and discuss the material gaining a new perspective on it even when they don't have to meet in person.
For me comments that talk about the overall progression of my story and how well it flows and connects from beginning to end are the most helpful. I have a tendency to jump around in my thought process and having others comment on the progression of my story helps me ensure that I'm writing something continuous that flows and connects.
Monday, March 2, 2015
Reading Review Week
In reviewing my past reading diaries, I think my favorite is the Arabian Nights unit. I did half of this unit for my extra reading diary but then I went back and finished reading it because I enjoyed it so much. I loved the complexity of the layers and layers of storytelling in this unit. The way all the stories connected back to one another made it fun and interesting to read.
(Oil painting of Scheherazade from the Arabian Nights unit)
What I have found in doing my reading diaries is that it works best for me to do the reading diary as I read the unit. After reading each story in the unit I write about what stood out to me and what I liked about it. After I have finished the reading I typically narrow it down to my top 3 stories. These are the stories that I am typically considering to use for my storytelling and I generally have an idea of which story I am leaning towards to use.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Storytelling Week 7: Balancing the Scales
Sarah seemed to have it all together. She was organized, got good grades in school, worked a steady job, was popular and very well liked. She worked hard and took pride in her accomplishments. She was also extremely kind and overwhelmingly generous in giving to other people and unfortunately there were some people who took advantage of this fact.
One day while walking home she spotted some money on the ground. Immediately she grabbed it and began searching the area for someone who might have dropped it. She was unable to locate a single person and so she decided to take the money home and decide what to do with it there. A local ruffian saw this and decided to approach her. He offered her a cheap ring, a worthless trinket he had found in exchange for some of the money she had found. He expected her to completely brush him off and continue on her way but instead she accepted the deal. She handed over half of what she had found in exchange for the trinket. The man, surprised but delighted all the same walked away whistling a pleasant tune.
A few weeks later he came across the same girl. She had been carrying a bag of apples which had apparently spilled with the apples rolling all over the sidewalk and the majority into the fenced yard nearby. He approached her and offered to help her pick the apples in exchange for a few of them. She gladly accepted but explained her dilemma with her inability to climb the fence into the neighbors yard. The man simply hopped the fence and told her not to worry that he would get them and toss some apples back to her. However he only selected to toss back the ones that had been bruised, muddied, or squashed in some way. He pocketed all the good ones and made a show out of eating one in front of her.
Sarah grew angrier and angrier by the minute. Suddenly an idea came to mind. "You know, that was some pretty impressive fence hopping earlier. I bet you can't do a flip back over it."
"Watch and learn," he called back.
But as he went to do the flip he forgot about how slippery the ground was from rain the night before. He slipped in the mud on his way to do the flip and instead of landing on the ground he went face first into the fence and then over. The result of his flip meant that several apples tumbled out of his pockets. Sarah gathered them up quickly and shoved them in her bag. The man struggled to his feet and shouted profanities at her. He grabbed her bag, pulled it off her shoulder and smacked her across the face. Sarah stumbled back and took off running.
When her friends found out what happened they became determined to balance the scales and give the man just what he deserved. They devised a plan for the next time Sarah ran into the man and then set it into action. Walking down the same street she had encountered the man as before once she saw him she let something slip out from her bag and pretended not to notice and continued walking. The man went to investigate what she had dropped thinking it might be something of value to him. It was a small round object roughly the size of the egg and as he was trying to figure out what exactly it was it exploded and enveloped him in a cloud of foul smelling gas. He coughed and sputtered, attempting to run away from the area. He ran exactly in the direction her friends predicted and as he ran he tripped over something. This something turned out to be a hornets nest! They swarmed and stung him all over. He scrambled to his feet and once again started running. He tried to run into a building to escape the hornets but unfortunately he failed to notice how low the doorway was and hit his head knocking himself out cold.
Sarah and her friends watched the whole scene unfold from a distance. Afterwards Sarah continued to work hard and show kindness to others, but she never let them take advantage of her kindness.
Author's Note: This story was inspired by The Crab and the Monkey. In the original story the monkey takes advantage of the crab's willingness to share but when she outwits him he beats her nearly to death. Her friends help her get revenge when he comes back and attempts to steal fruit from her. In my story I lessened the severity of the beating and ended with the ruffian being knocked out instead of being killed as he was in the original. I attempted to keep my changes closely tied with the progression of the original.
Bibliography: The Crimson Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, illustrated by H. J. Ford (1903).
One day while walking home she spotted some money on the ground. Immediately she grabbed it and began searching the area for someone who might have dropped it. She was unable to locate a single person and so she decided to take the money home and decide what to do with it there. A local ruffian saw this and decided to approach her. He offered her a cheap ring, a worthless trinket he had found in exchange for some of the money she had found. He expected her to completely brush him off and continue on her way but instead she accepted the deal. She handed over half of what she had found in exchange for the trinket. The man, surprised but delighted all the same walked away whistling a pleasant tune.
A few weeks later he came across the same girl. She had been carrying a bag of apples which had apparently spilled with the apples rolling all over the sidewalk and the majority into the fenced yard nearby. He approached her and offered to help her pick the apples in exchange for a few of them. She gladly accepted but explained her dilemma with her inability to climb the fence into the neighbors yard. The man simply hopped the fence and told her not to worry that he would get them and toss some apples back to her. However he only selected to toss back the ones that had been bruised, muddied, or squashed in some way. He pocketed all the good ones and made a show out of eating one in front of her.
Sarah grew angrier and angrier by the minute. Suddenly an idea came to mind. "You know, that was some pretty impressive fence hopping earlier. I bet you can't do a flip back over it."
"Watch and learn," he called back.
But as he went to do the flip he forgot about how slippery the ground was from rain the night before. He slipped in the mud on his way to do the flip and instead of landing on the ground he went face first into the fence and then over. The result of his flip meant that several apples tumbled out of his pockets. Sarah gathered them up quickly and shoved them in her bag. The man struggled to his feet and shouted profanities at her. He grabbed her bag, pulled it off her shoulder and smacked her across the face. Sarah stumbled back and took off running.
When her friends found out what happened they became determined to balance the scales and give the man just what he deserved. They devised a plan for the next time Sarah ran into the man and then set it into action. Walking down the same street she had encountered the man as before once she saw him she let something slip out from her bag and pretended not to notice and continued walking. The man went to investigate what she had dropped thinking it might be something of value to him. It was a small round object roughly the size of the egg and as he was trying to figure out what exactly it was it exploded and enveloped him in a cloud of foul smelling gas. He coughed and sputtered, attempting to run away from the area. He ran exactly in the direction her friends predicted and as he ran he tripped over something. This something turned out to be a hornets nest! They swarmed and stung him all over. He scrambled to his feet and once again started running. He tried to run into a building to escape the hornets but unfortunately he failed to notice how low the doorway was and hit his head knocking himself out cold.
Sarah and her friends watched the whole scene unfold from a distance. Afterwards Sarah continued to work hard and show kindness to others, but she never let them take advantage of her kindness.
Author's Note: This story was inspired by The Crab and the Monkey. In the original story the monkey takes advantage of the crab's willingness to share but when she outwits him he beats her nearly to death. Her friends help her get revenge when he comes back and attempts to steal fruit from her. In my story I lessened the severity of the beating and ended with the ruffian being knocked out instead of being killed as he was in the original. I attempted to keep my changes closely tied with the progression of the original.
Bibliography: The Crimson Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, illustrated by H. J. Ford (1903).
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Reading Diary B: Japanese Fairy Tales (Lang)
These stories are from the Japanese Fairy Tales by Andrew Lang unit.
Schippeitaro: I really enjoyed reading this story because I always like a good story with some trickery and deception. However what really stood out to me in this story was the beginning. The odd sight of the man seeing the cats dancing around and yelling makes me think of some possible story ideas for this week.
The Crab and the Monkey: I really liked this story because its about getting exactly what you deserve. The Monkey acted really terribly toward the crab and in return he got exactly what he deserved. There are several ways this story could be spun for a retelling and I may just use it as my inspiration this week.
The Magic Kettle: This was my favorite story of the unit. It was really fun to read about the trouble the Tanuki caused the men initially as they attempted to figure out what to do with it. However in the end they were able to work it out for the best. This was a very light hearted story that was just plain fun to read.
Schippeitaro: I really enjoyed reading this story because I always like a good story with some trickery and deception. However what really stood out to me in this story was the beginning. The odd sight of the man seeing the cats dancing around and yelling makes me think of some possible story ideas for this week.
The Crab and the Monkey: I really liked this story because its about getting exactly what you deserve. The Monkey acted really terribly toward the crab and in return he got exactly what he deserved. There are several ways this story could be spun for a retelling and I may just use it as my inspiration this week.
The Magic Kettle: This was my favorite story of the unit. It was really fun to read about the trouble the Tanuki caused the men initially as they attempted to figure out what to do with it. However in the end they were able to work it out for the best. This was a very light hearted story that was just plain fun to read.
Reading Diary A: Japanese Fairy Tales (Lang)
These stories are from the Japanese Fairy Tales unit retold by Andrew Lang.
The Stonecutter: I really liked this story because I really like the message it conveys. It reminds me of the saying the grass is always greener on the other side. We're always looking at what others have and don't always see the value in what we already have.
The Envious Neighbor: I also liked this story because of the message it sends. This story deals with greed and talks about how our continuous greed and envy for what others have can end up destroying us.
The Cat's Elopement: I liked this story because it's a classic love story and sometimes it's nice to just be able to read a love story. Although I'm generally not a fan of the and they all lived happily ever after endings I did like the ending in this story with their eventual reunion.
The Stonecutter: I really liked this story because I really like the message it conveys. It reminds me of the saying the grass is always greener on the other side. We're always looking at what others have and don't always see the value in what we already have.
The Envious Neighbor: I also liked this story because of the message it sends. This story deals with greed and talks about how our continuous greed and envy for what others have can end up destroying us.
The Cat's Elopement: I liked this story because it's a classic love story and sometimes it's nice to just be able to read a love story. Although I'm generally not a fan of the and they all lived happily ever after endings I did like the ending in this story with their eventual reunion.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Storytelling Week 6: The Perfume Fiasco
"This is all your fault," Alex yelled, pointing to the broken bottles of perfume now scattered on the floor.
"My fault? How can this possibly be my fault? It was the stupid cat," her roommate, Cailey argued.
"How did the cat even get in here in the first place?"
"I don't know! It was running around in the hall making a lot of noise and when I opened the door the cat ran in here and jumped on your desk and your perfume bottles were sitting so close to the edge they fell off!"
"Then it's your fault the cat got in and your fault it broke my perfume bottles!"
"This is ridiculous. Let's go talk to our RA and see what she has to say about whose fault it is."
"Fine by me."
The two girls walked down the hall and into their RA's room. The RA let them each tell their own side of the story and why they felt the way they did about whose fault it was. Cailey explained how Alex shouldn't have left her perfume bottles so precariously placed on the edge of the desk where a single little bump could make them fall. Alex talked about how Cailey let the cat in the room where it was able to cause so much trouble.
The RA listened to each of them intently before speaking about her opinions on the matter. "It sounds to me like the cat is the one who really is at fault here and not either one of you. Go get this cat and bring it here to me so that we may sort this situation out to a proper resolution."
"What?" the two girls asked at the same time.
"You heard me. Find the cat and bring it to me."
"But the cat ran out of the room while we were arguing," Cailey protested.
"How are we supposed to find it?" Alex added.
"Perhaps if you worked together you might be able to find it."
The RA turned her attention back to her own project she was working on, indicating the matter was closed. Cailey and Alex left the room and began looking for the cat. They asked around the residence halls to see if anyone had seen the cat. Soon enough word spread around campus about how they were looking for this cat. Several people even joined in to help them look for the cat. They searched for several hours and experienced several mishaps during their search. They tripped and slipped in mud, Alex ran into a door, and Cailey climbed a tree after a cat and promptly fell out of it. Throughout the process they found themselves laughing more and more at the ridiculousness of the situation. They never did manage to find the cat but at the end of the day they returned to their RA's room.
"Did you find the cat?" the RA asked.
"No," Alex admitted. "But, to be honest, I don't even feel mad anymore."
"Me either. It all seems kind of silly now," Cailey said smiling.
A smile twitched on their RA's mouth. "Good." She reached under her desk and pulled out much to their surprise the cat from earlier. "This is my cat, Oreo. You two were so caught up in trying to place blame you didn't even stop to think about trying to find the owner of the cat and talking to them. Then you went on what appears to be quite the adventurous journey around campus to find a cat and bring it back for a judgment. Sometimes accidents happen and there isn't anyone to blame." She then pulled out a bottle of perfume, the same kind that had been broken. "Now, I'm sorry for the trouble that Oreo caused. I bought you a replacement bottle while you were making your best attempts to climb trees."
The girls both blushed, embarrassed. "Thank you very much," Alex stammered, picking up the bottle.
"Now shoo, both of you go get cleaned up and refreshed."
The girls both left, having learned a valuable lesson, and returned to their room.
Author's Note: This story was inspired by The Donkey and the Rock. I made quite a few changes for my story. In the original story one man's donkey knocks another man's jar of oil off a rock and it spills. They argue and go to visit the king who determines that the donkey and the rock are to blame and orders them tried. On the day of the trial many people came to witness the strange event. The judge then reprimands the people for coming to see such an absurd thing they knew to be impossible and makes each of them pay half a cent to leave. The money was then given to the man whose oil was spilled and both men went their own ways pleased with the outcome. For my story I wanted to make it more modern and more relatable so I decided to make it an argument between two roommates who take the argument to their RA. I also changed the details of how the situation was resolved so that it fit better with the story that I had written. I used the image of my own cat since I changed the donkey to a cat for my own story.
Bibliography: Tibetan Folk Tales by A.L. Shelton with illustrations by Mildred Bryant (1925).
"My fault? How can this possibly be my fault? It was the stupid cat," her roommate, Cailey argued.
"How did the cat even get in here in the first place?"
"I don't know! It was running around in the hall making a lot of noise and when I opened the door the cat ran in here and jumped on your desk and your perfume bottles were sitting so close to the edge they fell off!"
"Then it's your fault the cat got in and your fault it broke my perfume bottles!"
"This is ridiculous. Let's go talk to our RA and see what she has to say about whose fault it is."
"Fine by me."
The two girls walked down the hall and into their RA's room. The RA let them each tell their own side of the story and why they felt the way they did about whose fault it was. Cailey explained how Alex shouldn't have left her perfume bottles so precariously placed on the edge of the desk where a single little bump could make them fall. Alex talked about how Cailey let the cat in the room where it was able to cause so much trouble.
The RA listened to each of them intently before speaking about her opinions on the matter. "It sounds to me like the cat is the one who really is at fault here and not either one of you. Go get this cat and bring it here to me so that we may sort this situation out to a proper resolution."
"What?" the two girls asked at the same time.
"You heard me. Find the cat and bring it to me."
"But the cat ran out of the room while we were arguing," Cailey protested.
"How are we supposed to find it?" Alex added.
"Perhaps if you worked together you might be able to find it."
The RA turned her attention back to her own project she was working on, indicating the matter was closed. Cailey and Alex left the room and began looking for the cat. They asked around the residence halls to see if anyone had seen the cat. Soon enough word spread around campus about how they were looking for this cat. Several people even joined in to help them look for the cat. They searched for several hours and experienced several mishaps during their search. They tripped and slipped in mud, Alex ran into a door, and Cailey climbed a tree after a cat and promptly fell out of it. Throughout the process they found themselves laughing more and more at the ridiculousness of the situation. They never did manage to find the cat but at the end of the day they returned to their RA's room.
"Did you find the cat?" the RA asked.
"No," Alex admitted. "But, to be honest, I don't even feel mad anymore."
"Me either. It all seems kind of silly now," Cailey said smiling.
A smile twitched on their RA's mouth. "Good." She reached under her desk and pulled out much to their surprise the cat from earlier. "This is my cat, Oreo. You two were so caught up in trying to place blame you didn't even stop to think about trying to find the owner of the cat and talking to them. Then you went on what appears to be quite the adventurous journey around campus to find a cat and bring it back for a judgment. Sometimes accidents happen and there isn't anyone to blame." She then pulled out a bottle of perfume, the same kind that had been broken. "Now, I'm sorry for the trouble that Oreo caused. I bought you a replacement bottle while you were making your best attempts to climb trees."
The girls both blushed, embarrassed. "Thank you very much," Alex stammered, picking up the bottle.
"Now shoo, both of you go get cleaned up and refreshed."
The girls both left, having learned a valuable lesson, and returned to their room.
(Personal photo of my cat, Professor)
Author's Note: This story was inspired by The Donkey and the Rock. I made quite a few changes for my story. In the original story one man's donkey knocks another man's jar of oil off a rock and it spills. They argue and go to visit the king who determines that the donkey and the rock are to blame and orders them tried. On the day of the trial many people came to witness the strange event. The judge then reprimands the people for coming to see such an absurd thing they knew to be impossible and makes each of them pay half a cent to leave. The money was then given to the man whose oil was spilled and both men went their own ways pleased with the outcome. For my story I wanted to make it more modern and more relatable so I decided to make it an argument between two roommates who take the argument to their RA. I also changed the details of how the situation was resolved so that it fit better with the story that I had written. I used the image of my own cat since I changed the donkey to a cat for my own story.
Bibliography: Tibetan Folk Tales by A.L. Shelton with illustrations by Mildred Bryant (1925).
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Reading Diary A: Tibetan Folk Tales
These stories are from the Tibetan Folk Tales unit.
The Donkey and the Rock: This was my favorite story of this unit. I really loved the character of the king and how he resolved the situation with the dispute between the two men. While reading the story I knew there had to be some sort of clever twist coming at the end but this one was a pleasant surprise and I really enjoyed the story as a whole.
The Donkey and the Rock: This was my favorite story of this unit. I really loved the character of the king and how he resolved the situation with the dispute between the two men. While reading the story I knew there had to be some sort of clever twist coming at the end but this one was a pleasant surprise and I really enjoyed the story as a whole.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Friday, February 13, 2015
Extra Reading Diary: Arabian Nights
These stories are from The Arabian Nights.
This unit was really interesting to read. I liked that they weren't all separate stories but instead were stories layered within each other. We have the Arabian Nights story with the story of Scheherazade telling the story of the Fisherman and the Genie who is telling the story of the Greek King and his Vizir who is telling the story about the Husband and the Parrot. It was a little troublesome to keep track of at times but I enjoyed the way everything related back to each other and it was all connected rather than being several different separate stories.
This unit was really interesting to read. I liked that they weren't all separate stories but instead were stories layered within each other. We have the Arabian Nights story with the story of Scheherazade telling the story of the Fisherman and the Genie who is telling the story of the Greek King and his Vizir who is telling the story about the Husband and the Parrot. It was a little troublesome to keep track of at times but I enjoyed the way everything related back to each other and it was all connected rather than being several different separate stories.
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