Week 6 Story: Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp

BREAKING NEWS: September 20th, 12:38 p.m.

Breaking News

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Son of well-known tailor has been missing for 72 hours.

Camera man: "And.. we're rolling."

News Anchor: "This is Lisa Lawson with Channel 82 News. Aladdin, the famous son of the founder of Mustapha's Tailor Co., has been missing for 72 hours now. Police are here at the gardens located on the outskirts of the city. This was the last place that he was seen. A couple, who we spoke to earlier, is claiming to have seen him with a man about fifty years old, dark hair, a beard, and he was wearing a nice black suit. We will keep you all updated. If you have any information on this young man's whereabouts please notify the police immediately."

Update: 1:16 p.m.

News Anchor: "We're back at the gardens where Aladdin was last seen, and after watching security camera footage it has been confirmed that he was here three days ago. We are glad to be getting some information about his disappearance. Police were also able to speak to Aladdin's mother, and we have now identified the man who may have been responsible for this. We will provide a picture of him on our website. His mother says she trusted the man and let him into her home because he was pretending to be a distant uncle. He even had pictures of Aladdin's late father as a child, so she believed it was the real deal. Police have taken the next step and are now tracking their cell phones to see where they may be located."


Update: 3:08 p.m.
News Anchor: "Aladdin has been found unharmed! And he has a very interesting story to tell. Here he is now."

Aladdin: "Well, this all began with my fake "uncle" which as you all already know, tricked me. I believed he was trying to help me out because my father died recently. But boy, was I wrong. He bought me clothes, showed me around town, and gave me hope for finding a trade. We ate lunch at the gardens, and then he took me out into the forest. He told me to gather firewood and he would show me something wonderful. Next, I heard him chanting. All of a sudden, the earth started to rumble, and the land began to split between the two mountains! He placed a ring on my finger and shoved me into the split earth. I saw a glowing, golden lamp and he yelled for me to grab it. So, I grabbed the lamp and took off running deeper in until I couldn't see him anymore! I knew then that he used me to get the lamp that he wanted, and he also wanted to hurt me. I had to get away from him. I wondered why he went through all this trouble for a simple lamp? But, there I waited for a couple of days. I was afraid and lonely. One night, I was so cold and began to rub the lamp. Then, that's when my magic genie appeared! He came out of the lamp and told me that he was a slave to me because I was wearing the ring that was given to me. He saved me! That's how I made it back to town safely. I'm happy to go home to my mother and my new friend the genie. I hope that harmful man gets caught."


Author's Note: This story is quite different than the original because I decided to tell it through a news report. In the original story it begins with introducing Aladdin as the son of Mustapha, a poor tailor. He is disappointed in Aladdin for not learning a trade, so much that he dies. Aladdin still does not mend his ways, and his mother is upset too. One day a man approaches Aladdin claiming to be his uncle. He comes over for dinner, and then takes Aladdin out to the gardens and then out to the mountains. When they arrived at a valley between two mountains Aladdin was asked to gather wood for a fire. When the fire was lit the "uncle" threw a powder on it and the ground began to shake, opening the earth below. A stone appeared and steps leading down into the earth. the magician told Aladdin to go down for a treasure awaiting him. He asked Aladdin to get the lamp, but Aladdin knew better and stayed down there until the uncle left. He stayed down there for days when he realized his "uncle" was a lying magician who used him. Finally, the genie came out of the lamp and said that he was now a slave to Aladdin.

The main thing that is different about my story is the way that I told it through a news report. I also added in that Aladdin was missing for three days and everyone was worried about him. When Aladdin tells the story himself, it is quite similar to the story, but it is a more summarized version.

Bibliography: The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang, Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 1

Reading Notes: Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 1, Part B

For Part B, I chose to focus on the beginning of the story, Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 1. The story comes from The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang. This story source can be found at the Sacred Texts website.

The only previous knowledge about this story, came from Disney. So I was definitely in for a different story. I focused on the first story because I like to retell stories from the beginning. To me, it's easier to retell something when I am imagining and creating it from the very beginning. When the story first mentioned that Aladdin had an uncle, I was skeptical about it. Come to find out, I was right in the end because he was not truly an uncle, but a man preying on Aladdin because he was naive. I like how this introduces how Aladdin comes in contact with the genie lamp. 

One thing I would like to change is the setting. When the magician takes Aladdin different places and they finally arrive at their final destination between the mountains, he first encounters the genie lamp. I would like to change the mountains to the clouds. It sounds somewhat strange, but I imagine the magician leading Aladdin up a stairwell to the clouds and that is where the genie appears. 

I also think that since the genie is now a slave to Aladdin, he was the power to get rid of the magician who acted like his uncle. Instead of killing him, Aladdin will ask that he be transformed into a genie himself and forced to obey the wishes of someone else. 

Aladdin's next wish will be to bring his father back. He has the guilt of knowing his father died disappointed in him. He wants to change that more than anything, and now he has the chance. 

Disney's Aladdin and Genie

Source: Flickr

Reading Notes: The Story of the Fisherman, Part A

For this 6th week, I chose to focus on the Arabian Nights stories. In Part A, my favorite story was The Story of the Fisherman which came from The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang. This story can be found at the Sacred Texts website.

I enjoyed this story because it didn't play out how I expected it to. When he released the genie from the lamp, I thought he would be granted wishes, simply because that's what I've heard in other stories. This one was different, and I like that it was unexpected. The fisherman did go through all the trouble to provide for his family, and he never received anything. I would like to change the story for that reason. I think he should be granted at least one wish before he dies. But, instead of dying, the genie will still be tricked back inside his lamp.

I would also like to introduce another character to the story. I think I would like to add one of the fisherman's children into the plot. His son will be the one to find the lamp, but the fisherman will be the one to break the seal. The son will also try to bargain with the genie, and maybe in the end he will be the one to end up saving his dad.

The genie seems to be very mean because he has been trapped for so long. The son will reason with the genie by promising him revenge on the King who shut him in the vase in the first place. He will try to make him see that killing an innocent, poor fisherman is not the right thing to do.

The story doesn't tell why the genie was forced into the lamp other than that he rebelled against the King. I would like to give a reason as to why he was punished so severely.

Fisherman 

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Comment Wall

https://sites.google.com/view/ghoststories/home

Ghost Stories

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Storybook Plan: 

For my story I will be the main storyteller. I may tell each story from the point-of-view as the person who experiences the ghost, and then towards the end of each story I could explain it from my point. I want each of the stories to connect in some way, and towards the end it will all make sense to the reader. I hope to offer the readers a suspenseful and interesting story that influences them to read more. The three stories I have chosen so far are from the Sacred Texts website. They are titled The Lady with the Lantern, the first story from Ghost-Laying Stories, and The Roaring Bull O' Bagbury. The stories come from English Fairy and Other Folk Tales by Edwin Sidney Hartland. 

Tech Tip: Blogger Template

I changed the design of my blog because I was ready for something new! My past design was just a simple template that I didn't mess around with much at all. This time, I selected a new color scheme and also came up with a new layout completely. I like this design better because it has a background, rather than just a solid color. All of the colors are a lot more my style because blue is my favorite color.

Week 5 Story: The Three Lovers

The Three Men

Source: Wikipedia

Long ago, there was a very rich and intelligent Brahman who had a beautiful daughter named Coral. Coral was the most beautiful lady all around, and everyone knew it. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also kind, smart, and had a wonderful sense of humor. She and her father both knew that she was sought after by many men. When she was finally of age, it was time to find a man for her.

There were three men in particular who lived up to the qualities that her father wanted. Her father would rather die than give her up to another man, but he knew it was time. The decision was ultimately to be made by her father, but she had some input. The men would visit daily, asking to see her from the time she woke up to the time she went to bed.

One night, as she was slipping into bed, she heard a knock on her window. It was one of the men, Edmund, asking her to come down for a chat at the edge of the forest. She pondered his idea for a moment, and finally decided to go. They were having a nice conversation when the other two men showed up.

"Edmund! You've already had your time with her for the day. This isn't fair at all!" said Henry. And so a fight began between the three men. The fight escalated quickly and they began to fight and roll around on the ground. Coral was begging them to stop and stepped in the way of the men.  Suddenly, and accidentally, she was pushed over the edge of the cliff where she fell to her death.

Her father and the three men were devastated by the news. Two of the men, Henry and Joseph, began to cry by her grave and stayed there for days. Edmund however, started a long journey on foot. He had heard rumors of a spell book that could do almost anything. He searched everywhere for two weeks, when he came across an old town where he ate dinner. He asked the owner if he knew of the book, to which he replied: "Yes Edmund, I have a spell book! But only for me to perform these spells. You must bring her ashes to me." Edmund didn't like this idea, so when the night came he snuck back in and stole the book for himself.

Upon arriving back at Coral's grave, Edmund saw that the two men were still grieving. All this time as he has been searching for a solution, the other men were doing nothing but mourning for their loss. Edmund performed the spell, and right in front of his eyes Coral rose from the ashes. The men were all astonished at what they were seeing!

Later on, when Coral was reunited with her father, they made a decision on who she was to marry.
Of course, they chose Edmund because he brought her back to life. The other men were disappointed in themselves, but eventually were very understanding. Edmund had gone above and beyond to win Coral's heart from the beginning.

The extra work that you put in will eventually be rewarded.


Source: The Three Lovers
Author's Note: In the original story the three men are all trying to win Coral's love, but she dies from an illness. When she dies, one man built a hut and slept on her ashes. One man took her bones and dipped them in the Ganges River. The third man became a monk and traveled all over. He came across a village and was entertained by a Brahman. While there, he saw a mother and child. The child would not stop crying so the mother threw him into a fire, where he was turned to ashes. The monk was surprised, and the Brahman got out a spell book to bring him back to life. The monk stole the book, and took it back to Coral to bring her back to life. The men began to fight over her, but the father said that the man who brought her back to life did what a father should do, the man who brought her bones to the river did what a son would do, and the man who slept on her ashes did what a husband would do. So, he was the one to end up with Coral.
I changed what happened to Coral when she died to give it a more dramatic reason with it being the men's fault. I also changed what the men did when she died. I thought the man who traveled to find a solution should be the one to end up with her because he did all of the work to make it happen.

Reading Notes: The Three Lovers, Part A

For the fifth week I chose to look at the Twenty-Two Goblins unit. I really enjoyed all of these stories! My favorite was The Three Lovers who brought the Dead Girl to Life.  This came from the unit titled Twenty-Two Goblins, translated by Arthur W. Ryder, with illustrations by Perham W. Nahl.

I liked most everything about this story; However, I'm not a big fan of the ending. I think the man who was a monk and found the magic spell should be the one to end up with Coral. After all, he is the one who allowed her to come back to life. I do agree somewhat though, that the man who slept on her ashes reacted in a way that a husband would, so I see why the author chose him. If I were to rewrite the story I would have the monk specifically set out to look for a solution, rather than just stumbling upon the spell book. This way, it makes it seem as if he was the only one to do anything. He takes the initiative to save Coral, and the other two men will start fighting. They will blame each other for Coral's death, until the other man arrives with his solution.

When he brings her back to life, the men will all argue. Instead of her father choosing her husband, she will choose her own. He agrees to let her choose because he is overjoyed just to have her back alive.

To make it more interesting, I will change the way that she dies in the first place. The men start fighting over her love, and during the fight they disregard her safety. One will take her out to talk on the edge of a steep hill outside the castle. It's a romantic setting with the moonlight and stars out. The other men will arrive, and of course, they start to argue. She gets pushed over the edge accidentally, where she falls to her death.

Princess Coral 

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Famous Last Words: The Longest Week Yet

This week I was better able to keep up with all of my homework. I'm finally getting the hang of how this online class works. I was even able to do some extra credit because I got so far ahead! I still have quite a bit to do so that I can have an A in the class, and I plan to finish early, too.

For the project, I chose to do ghost stories. Since I'm behind a week, I chose three stories that I would like to retell. I'm thinking I want to do a collection of ghost stories that all seem to connect in some way. In the end, I want to come up with a surprising secret.

My other classes are going really well so far. I've made all A's so far on quizzes and assignments so I hope that I can keep that up. This week has definitely been a long, busy week. I had so many due dates approaching on the same days, I had work five days this week, I attended a PRSSA meeting, and applied to be on a committee for PRSSA. I was chosen to be on the promotion committee and I'm really excited.

Later on in the semester I will be creating another blog for one of my classes. This blog is going to be about myself though, and it's going to be really professional. I don't know yet exactly what I will be posting about, but I do know it will be my own personal blog.

This next week in class I hope to be able to manage my time and meet all of my deadlines. I have a super busy work week, so I hope I'm able to keep up. My schedule is different every week, so it's difficult to make time for everything sometimes. I hope I'm able to get ahead this week because I need to do quite a bit of extra credit to bring my grade up.

Here's another personal photo taken of Trixie.

Topic Research: Ghost Stories Told by Old Lady Hudson

For my project I really like the idea of having a collection of ghost stories each told from "Old Lady Hudson", the ghost that was in my childhood home. Growing up, I've heard many stories and I would like to incorporate those into my project. I want each story to connect with each other and in the end a secret or realization will be revealed. I could start with her telling different stories about others and their connection with her, and maybe end the stories with a story about her on how she died, why she's haunting the specific house, etc. The three stories below came from English Fairy and Folk Tales by Edwin Sidney Hartland. I found these stories on the Sacred Texts website.

First, I would like to start with a story about why she is wandering around. The Lady With the Lantern is a good story that I could see myself using. This story gives a good reason, losing a child, to haunt a certain place. I would maybe change the setting though, and make it to where she haunts the house, rather than the shore, while she is looking for her baby. I would also probably change how she lost her baby to make her a more angry ghost. Particularly, I would like to make someone do something that causes the loss/death of her baby which makes her angry enough to haunt the rest of the people who live in her house. I may also use this story at the end, or close to the end, to give an explanation as to why she has been haunting different people.

Another story that I could use was the first of the Ghost-Laying Stories. I like this story because it includes a family that moves into a house where the ghost had lived in while alive. The ghost becomes more disturbed when the father decides to alter the house by adding more rooms and space. I could retell this story easily. It could be the first family that has moved into the home since she has died. She is angered by this in general, and even more so when they begin to change her home.

The last story I would like to use is titled The Roaring Bull O' Bagbury. I like this story, and while reading I thought of many different ways that I could change it to use as my own story. It took twelve people to lay the ghost to rest, and I like the idea of that. To me, that makes it seem like he was a difficult ghost, and it was hard to get rid of him. This could be one of the last stories where the current person or family living there is finally able get rid of the ghost in the house.

Bermuda Hill Plantation

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Week 4 Story: The Deal Between Saint Gudwall and the Fish

Going to the Welsh coast is a fabulous idea for anyone wanting to see clear, blue water and soft, white sand. Just the view of the coast in general is magnificent! For the summer, of course. What about the winter, you ask? Now that's a different story...

Saint Gudwall and his dear friend Charles began their search for a new place to call home on the Welsh coast. It was a beautiful day, and they began their search.  After a whole day's worth of searching, they came across a large cave that was not too high and not too low. They had heard warnings of pirates in the area, but surely that was just a  farfetched possibility. It was easily accessible and had an incredible view. They moved all of their belongings in, and made their home as comfortable as possible. They enjoyed the rest of their summer in the new home.


School of fish
Source: Wikimedia Commons                    Then winter came.


And with that came terrible storms. They started out small, and the more time that went on, the worse the storms got. The waves were beginning to crash so high that water was entering their home. On the night of the most dangerous storm, the waves were entering their home completely! All of their furniture and belongings were drifting away and being destroyed. The men were barely staying alive in the churning waves, then all of a sudden, they were floating.

Giant fish had picked them up enough for them to breathe above the water. Saint Gudwall and Charles looked at each other with disbelief. What was going on and why were these fish helping them?

The next thing they knew, they were having a conversation with the fish in charge, who had an idea in mind. The fish wanted to help the men, but also wanted something in return. The fish would create gills for the men to live in peace in their new home, if the men would protect them from the pirates who give them trouble and pollute their water.

So the deal was made. Sir Gudwall and Charles could live peacefully in their home year-round, and the fish would be protected. The men and fish lived happily for the rest of their days off the Welsh coast.



Bibliography: The Deal Between Saint Gudwall and the Fish, from The Fish Who Helped Saint Gudwall by Abbie Farwell Brown
Author's Note: In the original story, the two stories begin the same as this. When the winter storms come, Saint Gudwall and his pupil evacuate their home. As they watch from afar, they notice something moving in their home. They soon find out that the fish are taking grains of sand and forming a barrier so that the water will not invade their home.
The first thing I did to change my story was giving Saint Gudwall's pupil a name, who I called Charles. It was easier to reference than just calling him his pupil. I also gave the fish a more magical role. As in they could talk, negotiate a deal, and even create the gills for the men. I also introduced the idea of pirates so that the fish and the men would each be getting something in return.

Tech Tip: Pinterest Board

When I did this specific tech tip, I knew how to do all of the steps. I have used Pinterest for many years and for many different reasons. Back in high school, I would make boards for all different sorts of things. I had boards for prom hair, wedding ideas, future house ideas, nail designs and many more. I have since reorganized my Pinterest, but it still has a variety of boards posted. My Pinterest board for this class is titled Myth Folklore Portfolio.

Reading Notes: The Fish Who Helped Saint Gudwall, Part B

For my reading in the Saints Unit, Part B, my favorite story was The Fish Who Helped Saint Gudwall from The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown. I enjoyed this story because the human characters of this story were desperate and helpless, and needed the help from the fish in order to survive. Without the fish, the chances of surviving were slim.

To make my twist on the story more interesting, I would have some rather large fish save the humans by swimming under them and allowing them to ride on their back. The fish will be able to talk to them, figure out what is going on and decide how to fix the problem. Rather than building a wall from grains of sand, the fish will summon their leader. After a half our of deliberation, the fish will talk to the humans. Their solution will be to create gills for the humans so that they can breathe under water and live in their home year-round. At first, Saint Gudwall and his pupil will be hesitant on this decision. After further thought, the pupil will convince Saint Gudwall to accept the idea.

The problem will be solved and the Saint and his pupil will live in the beautiful place from now on. The first storm destroyed their home and washed away all of their possessions. The fish will again help them by retrieving their lost items and rebuilding their home. The home will be durable above and under water.

Another problem I would maybe introduce is the arrival of pirates when the storm approaches. Their home, as mentioned in the story, is a prime place for pirates to wreck havoc. I'm not positive yet, but I would like to maybe have pirates enter in the plot somehow.

Home along the coast in summer

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Saint Blaise and His Beasts, Part A

For this week's reading I chose to look at the Saints unit. The specific story that interested me in the Reading A was titled Saint Blaise and His Beasts which came from The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown. I like how Saint Blaise is a devoted Christian who sticks to his values. He dedicates his life to learning medicine and treating people as well as animals who are sick.

I didn't particularly like the ending of the story because it almost seems as if his work was for nothing. He didn't pass his knowledge on to anyone, he just died when they beheaded him. I think a good change to the story would be for him to pass his knowledge onto a son, so the son continues his work and becomes friends with all the beasts.

Before Saint Blaise is beheaded, he will be teaching his son all that he knows. He realizes that the heathens will be after him soon, so he tries to teach as much as possible before that time comes. The son will be becoming friends with the beasts when his father is taken. He decides to ride one of the beasts and spy on the encounter. He will witness the death of his father, and then vow to do his best to live up to his father's expectations.

The son will be very secretive, unlike his father, because he knows what would happen to him if the heathens found out. He will build upon his father's work and also pass the knowledge onto others who share common interests. Slowly but surely, many others will be practicing the work, the beasts and various humans are at peace with one another.

The heathens will be unable to kill all of the different people who follow in Saint Blaise's footsteps. Saint Blaise's practices will live on all thanks to his son.

Saint Blaise with his beasts

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Helpful Feedback Strategies

Feedback is essential to growth. Another person's perspective is always useful for gaining a new insight. The first feedback article, and possibly my favorite so far, was titled Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback. It states how helpful feedback can be in all aspects of life especially for work and school. It's easier to grow and change when you have an idea of where you are and where you need/want to be. The "upward feedback' basically means that instead of focusing on the past, it's important to focus on the future for improvements. I somewhat disagree with this because yes, it is important to focus on the future, but keeping your past in mind is also almost as important. You have to remember your past mistakes to learn from them.

The other article I read was titled How To Give Students Specific Feedback That Actually Helps Them Learn. I like this article because it gives tips on how to give feedback and the tips are very useful. I agree with all of the different ideas they give such as it being goal-oriented, timely, and it is not vague. Feedback should have a purpose. It should be given in a timely fashion so that it is still relevant and useful in the near future. Feedback should also be straight to the point and specific so that the recipient is certain of what is being communicated. 

I feel fairly confident in giving others feedback. I think my main problem so far has been being too vague and not specific enough. That is definitely something I could improve on. 

Listening to feedback is important.

Source: Flickr

Edit: Due to internet problems, I realized this did not post properly. Thankfully, my post was saved and I was able to repost it. 

Week Three Story: The Genie in the Lamp

Once upon a time there lived a young woman named Hannah who lived with her mother and father. One day while Hannah was out running errands for her family, a messenger approached her with urgent news. "Return home quickly," he said,"your father and mother have become extremely ill!" Hannah got home as fast as she could to find her mother and father in bed very sick.

"Hannah dear, this illness took over so quickly. We are going to die, but I have some instructions for you to ensure that you will be alright when we are gone," said her father. "First, as expected, you are going to mourn for us greatly for seven days. You will stop mourning on the eve of the festival of Passover. Next, you will go to the market and buy the first thing that is offered to you, no matter what the cost. Do as I say and you will be taken care of for life my daughter."

Hannah promised she would obey her father's wishes, and sure enough, his predictions started to come true. Hannah mourned for seven days and then finally she headed to the market. The first thing offered to her was an old, dusty lamp from a fragile, elderly man. "Buy this lamp, my dear, and good fortune will come to you," said the man. "Rub the lamp three times a day for three weeks and you will then understand."

As her father instructed, she bought the old lamp. The lamp cost her almost all that she had, but she carried on and went home. She was curious as to why she would need an old lamp and how that could ever bring her good fortune. Since her parents died, she had become lonely and very poor, but still she followed the old man's instructions. The weeks went by, and Hannah was living alone in poverty.

It was the last day of the three weeks and Hannah was hoping for a miracle. Suddenly, a cloud of smoke filled her home. A genie appeared and said,"Greetings caretaker! I am Genie. As a token of my appreciation for you taking great care of me and releasing me from my lamp, I will grant you three wishes!"

Hannah could not believe her eyes! She became overwhelmed thinking of all the things that she could wish for. "Hmmm... this is going to be a difficult decision. I first need someone who can help me make these choices. As I've been terribly lonely for these weeks, this is only right. I wish for the perfect husband!"

"Wish granted" said Genie as a tall, handsome man appeared. "You have two more wishes left."
Hannah and her new husband hugged and kissed and began discussing their next two wishes.
"My father was very intelligent and provided a good life for his family. I wish for wisdom for my husband and I!"

"Wish number two is granted,"said Genie. "Finally, I wish for wealth for my family," said Hannah, "I have been living in poverty for the past few weeks and I have had enough.
"That concludes your three wishes my friends! Thank you again for freeing me. But, I have one more gift for you," said Genie. He told them to follow him out to the woods. When they got to the middle of the forest, every animal began to appear with gifts. They began giving Hannah and her husband herbs and precious stones. "These are all for you. Best of luck to your family," said Genie.
And POOF! Genie and the lamp had vanished.

Hannah became well-known because of Genie. She was the smartest and wealthiest in all of the land, and she lived a happy life.



Author's Note: The original story this was based off of was titled The Fairy Frog by Gertrude Landa.
In this story, the main character is a man named Hanina. His father and mother are dying and his father gives him instructions on what to do after his death. He tells him first that he will mourn for seven days. After that, his mourning will pass on the eve of the festival of the Passover. Next, he must go to the market and buy whatever is offered to him first. Hanina's dad's predictions come true, and when he goes to the market he is offered a silver casket. He does not know what it contains, but he buys it anyway spending most of his money. He and his wife get home and find out the casket contains a frog. They had to feed the frog as it ate large amounts of food and started to grow and become huge. The frog ate so much that they ran out of food for themselves and were living in poverty. The frog was bigger than a man and spoke to them one day. He told them that he would grant whatever wishes they had. They first asked for food, then wisdom, and then wealth. Days later, the frog took them out to the woods where animals and insects gave Hanina and his wife precious stones and herbs. As they thanked the frog, they asked who he was and he replied that he was the fairy son of Adam. He then disappeared and they lived a happy rest of their life.
One change that I made in the story was that Hannah, a single woman rather than a married man, was the main character. I also changed the fairy frog into a genie because I liked the idea of a genie granting wishes more than a frog. I also changed one of the wishes from asking for food into asking for a husband.

Bibliography: "The Fairy Frog" from Jewish Fairy Tales by Gertrude Landa

The genie grants three wishes.

Source: Flickr

Reading Notes: The Fairy Frog, Part B

For reading part B, I chose to look at the second part of the Jewish Fairy Tales because I enjoyed the part A stories greatly. My favorite story in part B was titled The Fairy Frog by Gertrude Landa. She was also the author of the story I focused on for part A, so I'm not surprised that I was drawn to both of the stories.

If I were to re-write this story I would make the main character be a single woman. When her parents die and give her the instructions she will follow them. Her wishes would be slightly different though. First, she would wish for the perfect husband because that is what she desires most in life. Next, she will wish for knowledge. And finally she will wish for wealth.

Another key part that I would change is the frog. When she goes to the market and is supposed to take the first thing offered to her, it will be a lamp. Inside the lamp of course, is a genie. The genie is supposed to grant her whatever she wishes, and she receives all that she has asked for. While reading the story, I kept thinking how perfect it would make sense if the genie was the character granting wishes, rather than a frog.

I like how happy the ending is, as most stories I've read so far have been. The story has great lessons incorporated depending on the reader's perspective. From one perspective, the lesson could be that doing what your told and being patient can lead to a positive outcome. A different lesson could come from a biblical perspective where God asks you to trust him and be patient. Although it's not the plan or outcome you had in mind, in the end the result is something wonderful. In this case, her parents have died and life isn't far, but she waits and trusts her father's word and is gifted in many ways.

 Genie in a lamp

Source: Flickr

Reading Notes: The Quarrel of the Cat and Dog, Part A

This week, I decided to look at the Jewish Fairy Tales and found many interesting stories. My favorite story was The Quarrel of the Cat and Dog. The whole purpose of the story explains why, to this day, cats and dogs hate each other. I am a dog person, so while reading the story I felt sympathy for the dog. Cats aren't my favorite, and I thought that character was being crude. Therefore, I like how each character was portrayed because that's how I imagine them to be. The reason for the two to separate didn't make sense to me. I thought they should have a more important reason for promising to never cross paths again.

An idea I had while reading, was that during the cold, harsh winter months the two run out of food. The dog, being the way dogs are, gets so hungry he decides to try and eat the cat while she is sleeping. The dog will apologize for being so hungry and almost eating his companion, but the cat is too scared and upset to reason. This is the reason for the separation, and the cat makes the dog promise to never cross paths again.

This way, when the dog meets other animals, some of which are very mean to him, he misses the cat and regrets what he did. Towards the end when he makes his way back to Adam and the cat, he believes he has learned his lesson; However, sometimes actions cannot be forgiven and he found this out the hard way. The story then teaches a valuable lesson about how actions you make always have consequences. It also still explains why cats and dogs resent each other to this day.

I would also like to change the characters that the dog stays with and make them behave worse, so that it emphasizes how good his friendship with the cat was. I would keep the wolf, but switch the sheep for something more menacing or even just have them be more mean to the dog.

Story: The Quarrel of the Cat and Dog by Gertrude Landa (1919)
Source: Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends

Cat and dog drawing

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Feedback Thoughts

Receiving negative feedback is something difficult for just about everyone. The best thing to do with negative feedback, is to take it and turn it into something good to help improve yourself; However, that's easier said than done. Any feedback in general is beneficial to your writing because an outsider is able to give their point of view. In my opinion, I sometimes think my work is perfect the way it is, but it's easy to overlook things that other people may be able to see. 

Two years ago in one of my classes, we were supposed to write a few short papers. We always had the option of bringing them in to the professor early to get feedback. I wasn't too sure what grade I would get on the first paper, so I decided to bring it to my professor. My feedback was relatively positive with some minor adjustments he suggested that I should make. I was proud of my work, and happy because I only had a few things to change. When the next paper due date came around, I decided to bring my paper in early once again to make sure I was on track. This time, I received mainly negative feedback. I was quite upset, and felt the need to just restart altogether. I felt like I would be doing more work just trying to fix it. I worked hard to improve my writing, and in the end I received a better grade.

One article I read, Using Harsh Feedback to Fuel Your Career, definitely has some good advice on taking negative feedback and turning it into something positive. In my experience mentioned above, I think I used some of the advice from that article at least to some extent. I was upset for awhile, embracing my emotions, and then I decided to just put it past me and finish the work, prioritizing. 

The other helpful article I hope to use is titled 6 Bad Mental Habits That Sabotage Your Success. One of my biggest problems come from thinking negatively when something goes wrong. Of all the different points the article makes about mental habits, I realize that I do them pretty often. I make excuses when things get rough, believe in self-doubt, and put myself down. I think I could improve these mental habits if I realized that I was doing them in the moment. Sometimes I use the bad habits without even realizing it. 

Feedback to a Horse

Source: Flickr

Topic Brainstorm

Mermaids: I chose mermaids for my first topic selection because it has always been something that I've been interested in and wanted to know more about. I've watched countless movies and read many books about mermaids. Although they only exist (for now) in folklore, people still claim to see sightings today. The part that makes the topic so interesting, is the fact that it hasn't technically been proven that they are fiction. My first knowledge of mermaids came from Disney's The Little Mermaid. Since then, I've watched movies and documentaries over the topic. I would love to learn more because it's something I have always had an interest for. I believe I have a basic knowledge over the topic, but with a little extra research, I would love to center my blog around mermaids. Of the different sites that I browsed, this one was my favorite, True Tails of Mermaids and Mermen.

Sea Monsters: I'm very intrigued by creatures living in water. In all honesty, I'm afraid of the ocean and all of the unknown things that live in it, which is probably why I find the topic to be fascinating. There are really so many animals and creatures that we don't even know exist that are living in the ocean right now, so why wouldn't these stories have at least a little truth behind them? This topic could go in all different directions, and it's really open to anything. I've heard quite a few stories about sea monsters, but I would love to research and learn more them. I would like to tell a story about Leviathan, like a story I read in this Sea Monsters blog, because this is a sea monster I'm somewhat familiar with.

Ghost stories: My love for ghost stories started when I was little. I've always loved hearing about anything scary. Scary movies, haunted houses, ghost stories, are all things that I've loved since I was about ten years old. In my old house, I had always heard different stories of a lady who lived there before my family. We called our house ghost "Old Lady Hudson", because that was her last name. She apparently had died in our house (either in my room or our basement), but the different stories we heard were conflicting. Some people claimed that she killed herself, and other people claimed that her husband Buck, who sold my family the house, had killed her. Today, the death is still a mystery. That's where my love of ghost stories came from. My personal favorite blog, Ghostly Adventures, explores some haunted locations in Oklahoma. I could definitely see this topic as one I would enjoy pursuing.

The Land of Oz: Lastly, I chose the Land of Oz because it seemed to be familiar to me. It was one of my favorite movies as a child, and today it's still one of my favorite old movies. The creativity in the books is amazing. I would love to center my blog around these stories. My prior knowledge comes solely from the movie, but reading the books would be very beneficial if I were to choose this topic. I would like to learn how different the stories are from the movie. The blog, Wizard of Oz Extreme Home Makeover, definitely makes an interesting story, especially for anyone who knows the basic aspects of the books or movie.

The Wizard of Oz movie

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Week 2 Story: The Basilisk and the Beauty

For as long as I can remember, I've looked in the mirror to see an ugly creature staring back. I've had this problem for most of my life, but I just can't seem to find someone who can help me get back to normal. I once had everything: a family, friends, servants, money, and a castle. And then it was all gone. I still live in the palace with one servant who cares for me, but things aren't what they used to be. You see, I was cursed and transformed into a basilisk long ago. Now, the only way to become a human again is to be kissed by my one true love.  Of course, that's what makes this problem almost impossible to solve. What human would love an ugly creature like me?

And that's when the solution came to me. I saw her with her mother and two sisters one bright, summer day. As they were passing by, I heard them speak of going to the market. They began to make a weekly trip to the market, and I would almost approach them every time until I remembered that I'm not a normal human anymore. I needed a plan.

My castle was once very beautiful with fruit and flowers growing abundantly. Roses were sure to attract the attention of the lovely woman I had been waiting to meet, so my servant and I planted some along the outskirts of my palace. Sure enough, the women stopped by the very next week to admire the roses. Listening carefully, I realized that her name was Mary. She became separated from her family, and I knew this was the perfect time to go through with my plan.

My servant and I set a trap in the woods allowing Mary to become confused on how to get home once she was separated from her family. They became so far apart and lost that when night fell, her family went home without her.  Hiding in the darkness, I said to Belle,"Hello, my name is Adam. You look lost, can I help you?"
"Oh yes. Please, I've lost my family and can't find my way home. Especially now in the dark," Mary sobbed." "Now, I don't want to scare you, but understand I look a bit different. If you aren't afraid, I can give you a place to stay for the night.

Later that night when I got Mary settled in the castle, we began to talk about their lives. I told Mary everything I could remember about my life before the curse. I heard of Mary's family, her dreams, and her love for roses. We became very familiar with one another so quickly and naturally. "I have a favor to ask of you, if you don't mind," I asked. "Yes, anything," replied Mary. "I'm in need of some care for the next three days while my servant is gone, and I think you would do a marvelous job. In exchange, I can help you find your family and you are welcome to take as many roses as you please," I said.

Over the course of the next three days, our relationship grew stronger. Mary was able to look past my looks, and treated me kindly as a normal human being. Our relationship strengthened so far that we began to develop love for one another. And finally, we shared a kiss, and I was transformed back into a handsome young man.

We had a tremendous wedding with many guests. We sang, danced, and had a grand time.

Basilisk creature

Source: Max pixel

Story source: The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis (1922)

Author's Note: In the original story I read, the story was told from an outsider's point of view. I chose to tell the story from the basilisk's point of view. In the original, the mother goes out to get stuff for her family, and one of her daughters asks for some roses. On her way home, the mother gets lost but comes across some roses in a garden. She then decides to get them for her daughter. This is when she encounters the basilisk, who demands that she gives him her daughter in exchange for stealing his roses. Mary, the daughter, agrees to go to the Basilisk and even enjoys herself. She must nurse the basilisk for three hours everyday. On the third day he tells her to cut his head off, and when he does he transforms into a handsome man with keys to his palace. They then get married and live in the castle.
So, I changed the point of view, how the two met, and they get to know each other. I started with changing the point of view because I thought that could be a new, interesting perspective in this story. I changed how they met because I thought she was a more important character to be involved than her mother. This also made it possible for them to get more familiar with one another, and later to get married.