Reading, The Coffin-Lid, Part B

For part B of this last week I stuck with the Russian unit stories. My favorite story from this second part was titled The Coffin-Lid from Russian Fairy Tales by W. R. S. Ralston (1887).

In this story, I wondered why the dead man decided to come out of his grave to kill some young boys. If I were telling this story, I would at least give an explanation as to why he wanted to kill them. I think he should rise from his coffin and kill the bad people of the world. No one ever knows who is doing the killing, but people are thankful for this "hero" for protecting their community.

Graveyard
Source: Public Domain Pictures

People try to stay out of trouble and do the right thing because they know this man will come kill them if they do anything harmful in the community.

One night, when the corpse is coming out of his grave, a man from out of town will decide to follow him and he witnesses him killing two boys. He asks the corpse why he does this and the corpse says that he is making society better by killing all of the bad people. The man goes to the police to report the problem and soon the whole town knows what's going on.

Out of fear, no one does anything about it. The community just decides for each and every person to live a good and honest life or they will pay the ultimate price of death.

Reading: The Dead Mother, Part A

For this last week of reading, I chose to read the Russian story titled The Dead Mother. This story comes from Russian Fairy Tales by W. R. S. Ralston (1887).

I enjoyed this story up until the end. The baby dies, but it doesn't give an explanation why and it seems to throw the whole story off. I think it's a cool concept that the baby is soothed at night because the dead mother comes back to nurture and take care of her baby, but still I find no reason to have the baby die at the end. The husband already lost his wife, it would be even worse to lose his child.

So, I think in my version of the story I would not have the baby die. I would have the dead mother come back to take care of her baby, and when the husband finds a new wife, she will stop coming around. The husband will bring many different woman home, but the dead wife will not stop coming back until he finds the perfect woman to care for their child. As soon as he finds the perfect woman, the dead wife will say her goodbyes to her family once and for all, and wish the new mother luck.

Mother and Child
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Another concept I could use would be to make this story would be to make the dead woman kidnap her baby because her husband is trying to have bad woman be the new mother of her child. After losing his child, the husband searches everywhere for a new fitting mother to care for his child and finally finds one. I want the ending to be happy, as I do with most of my stories.

Reading: The Ingrates, Part A

For extra credit reading, I wanted to read the Italian stories. I selected the story titled The Ingrates from Italian Popular Tales by Thomas Frederick Crane (1885). I enjoyed this story because it had a simple lesson to it. It states that, "For who does good is ill rewarded, and who does evil is well rewarded."

If I were to change this story and create my own version I think I would want to make it a more modern version. I would change the characters to humans. A rich man who lived and worked in a rich community would become lost and find himself in a poor community. A sketchy, mean gang member  will mug him and tell him that he may just kill him. The rich man will plead or his life and reason with the gang member. He will ask him to ask other people around if he should be able to live.

They come across many individuals who reply with, "You're rich and don't face problems we do" or "You think you're better than us because you are rich". Finally the rich man pleads with a man to agree to let him live by bribing him with money. The man agrees and tells the gang member to let him live. When the man goes to get his promised money, he grabs it and is on his way home when he is robbed and killed in a drive by shooting.

City Streets
Source: Flickr

This story doesn't have a happy ending just like the original that I derived my ideas from. It's basically a simple story of not getting involved with the wrong people because you never know how it could turn out.

Reading Notes: Little Red Cap, Part A

For this week of reading, we read stories from the European Unit. I decided to read the Ashliman stories, and my favorite story from Part A was Little Red Cap. This story came from The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales translated by D.L. Ashliman (1998-2013) It's the classic story of Little Red Riding Hood that I was already familiar with that I first heard when I was a child. It had some minor differences than what I had heard because it is the story told from a European view, but most everything stayed the same.

If I were to retell this story I have two ideas in which I'd like to change it. My first idea would to be to tell the story from the Wolf's point-of-view and show the more sympathetic side of his character. He's the villain in the original story, so I would tell the new version in a way that they see that he is an animal who relies on eating others for the survival of him as well as his family.

My other idea would be to flip the roles of the victim and villain. The wolf would be traveling to help his sick grandmother. Before he leaves, his mother tells him to beware of the hunters who are out hunting for wolves. It would be a similar story, but the roles will be reversed. I will change a few details of course, to make it better fit the new version.

Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf
Source: Wikimedia Commons 

Reading Notes: Mr. Fox, Part B

For part B this week I chose to stick with the English fairy tales unit. The story that I found to be the most interesting was titled Mr. Fox which is from English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs. I enjoyed this story because it involved love and murder, which is not something you typically think of when you read fairy tales. I love a good murder mystery. I do wonder why Mr. Fox had killed so many women previously? Perhaps it was because he enjoyed it because he was a serial killer.

Some ideas I have for this story are to give an answer as to why Mr. Fox has killed so many women. I could change the story into a sort of murder-mystery. When Lady Mary goes to visit Mr. Fox she will uncover many of the clues that lead to many unsolved cases about missing woman and their murders.
She will also narrowly escape death because Mr. Fox will find her hiding. When he is about to kill her, her brothers enter the home and come to her rescue. They will then kill Mr. Fox for revenge against him from all the women who have died because of him.

Another idea I have is instead of killing Mr. Fox, the story will begin with Mr. Fox on trial for murder and the story centers around this. He will be questioned as to why he did this, and many questions will be answered. The reader will find out how many women he has killed and why he did it. Lady Mary will testify against him and be the voice for all the dead women because she almost faced the same fate. Lady Mary's brothers will be there as well because they saved her from the killer and also solved the mystery of who was responsible for missing and murdered women.

Scary Castle

Source: Pixabay

           

Reading Notes: The Three Little Pigs, Part A

For Part A this week I explored the British fairy tales unit. I focused on the story of The Three Little Pigs because it's a story that most everyone knows. I think it would be an interesting story idea to change such a well-known story.  This story came from English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs.

When I was little I always enjoyed this story. I think a good idea in changing the story would be to make a more modern version. Now on tv they have a lot of home improvement or renovation shows. I would like to make a special version of three different houses, and the wolf will be the host of the show. They will start with the house made out of straw and he will point out all the flaws with that. Next, they will move on to the house made out of sticks, and the wolf will again point out flaws. Finally, they will visit the house made out of bricks and the wolf will praise this home.

In this version, it gives a whole new plot to the original story. I don't like how the pigs die in the original story, so I wanted to change the ending where they all live. Also in this version the wolf isn't the villain. Perhaps at the ending I will create a twist. I was also thinking if the wolf is not the host of the show I could introduce a new character, like a rabbit. The wolf could still be the villain by destroying the first two homes, thus proving that the third house is the best choice for homeowners. I think a modern twist on a classic story is a perfect idea, and I hope I can create a great story about it this week.

The Three Little Pigs

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: The Wanderer's Song, Part A

This week I wanted to do some extra reading and did some exploring in the Un-Textbook. I found some interesting stories but focused on the Beowulf Unit. The story that I chose to take notes over was titled The Wanderer's Song. This story came from The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs.

If I were to rewrite this story I would change a few things. First, I would change the wanderer to a beautiful young woman instead of a wise old man. They still believe that the woman has seen many things and been on various adventures. When the woman would sing, everyone would be mesmerized by her voice. They were all entranced by her voice so much that they would believe everything that she said.

She will speak of all the things she has seen throughout her life. I want to change the ending though. Towards the end she uses her hypnotizing voice to take over the minds of all the men. She tricks them into obeying her. By doing this, she convinces them to allow her to be the new queen. No one stops her because they are all amazed and entranced.

She is now the new queen, and anytime someone questions her judgement or decisions she knows that all she must do is start singing.

Female Wanderer

Source: Pixabay 

Reading Notes: How the Rabbit Killed the Giant, Part B

For Part B this week I finished reading the Great Plains unit stories and focused on the story titled How the Rabbit Killed the Giant. This story is from Myths and Legends of the Great Plains by Katharine Berry Judson. I enjoyed this story because the rabbit kills the giant and basically saves the whole town. A creature so small takes initiative to save everyone else.

The thing that I did not like about this story was the way that the rabbit killed the giant. The rabbit had an insect bite the giant, making him sick and he later died. Technically, the insect saved the town but they recognized the rabbit. If I were to change the story I would have the rabbit stab the giant when the giant attempts to steal the deer, and that way it seems more heroic and dramatic than a simple insect bite.

Another thing I could do, is have the rabbit kill the giant when he goes to have a feast with him in the beginning. I would change the plot to where that happens last though. The other animals are tired of sharing their food and going hungry so when the rabbit arrives he is the only one who is strong enough to defeat the giant. They ask him to do it, and he is more than willing.

I may also change the character of the rabbit. I could stick with the insect being the main character and killing the giant by biting him. Or, I could use an entirely new character. The way that the character kills the giant, somewhat reminds me of the biblical story of David and Goliath. I could try to incorporate that into the story also.

One last idea I had was telling the story from the Giant's perspective. Maybe making it easier to see why the giant does the things he does, whether it is wrong or right.

The Giant

Source: Wikipedia

Reading Notes: The Creation, Part A

For this week's reading I read the stories from the Great Plains Unit. My favorite story was The Creation from Myths and Legends of the Great Plains by Katharine Berry Judson. This story contains two different stories from different groups. They are a little bit similar but if I choose to rewrite this story I will focus more on the first story by the Wazhá zhe group.

I've been wanting to change the setting of a story to outer space. So in my version of the creation of the world I will focus on life being created for all of the creatures on the moon. Some story elements will be the same, but I want to create new ideas that I think would be important for a story set in outer space.

Rather than having animals from earth, I think I will have the characters be aliens. There will be different types of aliens, like those that are suited for water and those that are suited for land. The aliens will all have different abilities like creatures of earth do. In the beginning, they will be floating in space and go to the sun to ask where they come from. The sun will say, "I am your mother, and the moon is your father." They are from outer space, but when they are tired of floating they must settle on the moon and create a home. So they will rely on both their mother and father.

When the aliens get to the moon they have a problem. They won't stop floating because there is no gravity yet, so they aren't able to land on their home. When they ask the sun and moon for help, they hear nothing. As a lesson, they are supposed to figure out what to do themselves.

Outer Space: Source: Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: How the Rattlesnake Learned to Bite, Part B

For Part B I chose to stick with the Southwestern and California Legends Unit. I liked part A, so I decided to continue reading part B. The stories of why things came to be spark my interest greatly because the stories that people create are well thought out. My favorite story was titled How the Rattlesnake Learned to Bite from Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest by Katharine Berry Judson (1912)

According to this story, the rattlesnake was once a gentle friendly creature. He started to become known as a mean creature only when he was bothered continuously by the other animals. I like that the storyteller started out by believing in the good of all creatures.

Retelling this story from my perspective, I would keep the general storyline, but change a few details.  First, I would keep the idea of the rattlesnake being a gentle creature. He only began to bite when he was bothered over and over. I would have the rattlesnake warn all of the others first though. He would explain that they were disturbing him at all hours and he wasn't getting any rest. He would continue saying if it didn't stop soon, something bad would happen. The other creatures didn't take him seriously and laughed at his statement.

Later on, when Rabbit decided to bother him, he bit him. The ridicule continued, and he bit two others. The result of the bites will eventually kill the animals. These three animals will be the first to die in the new world. From then on, no animals mess with the rattlesnake because they fear him. He spends the rest of his days nestled between rocks or in dark caves because he no longer has any companions.

Rattlesnake

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: The Fable of the Animals, Part A

This week I focused on the Southwestern and California Legends unit. My favorite story was titled The Fable of the Animals from Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest by Katharine Berry Judson (1912). I enjoyed this story because it has a reasoning behind why the coyote is the most cunning animal.

I like the idea of giving reasoning to why the coyote is the way that he is. I would like to change the way that they decide what animal gets the most power. Instead of man simply giving the the bows to animals, I think they should compete for the power. Basically, the animals would all compete in a challenge course that tests agility, strength, endurance, etc. Man will make the course as it will be a surprise to the animals. But coyote will stay up all night spying on the course instead of resting. He thinks that he will have the advantage over other animals because he knows what the course will include. However, he will be extremely tired, and by the time the course is ready, he will be fast asleep.

At the end, he will be rewarded with the lowest amount of power. While the other animals competed for power, he missed out because he was sleeping. Man will feel sorry for him, and award him with cunning, ten times more than he had before. And that is why the coyote is the most cunning of all the other animals.

Basically, the only aspect I'd like to change is part of the plot. The story still gives reasoning for the coyote, but I think the way that it is achieved needs to be more elaborate.

Cunning Coyote

Source: Pixabay

Reading Notes: The Pretty Stranger Who Killed the King, Part A

This story came from the Nigeria Unit. I chose this for extra credit reading because I've liked the different stories in week 7 and 9 and this unit didn't disappoint. I liked this story specifically because it had a dark twist. The awful king got what he deserved and it was his fault for being deceived by a beautiful woman, who was actually a witch. 

The story had an interesting plot and I would keep that the same. A new writing style I want to try is the OU style. Changing the setting to a location on campus. If this were the case, I would fast forward to next year. President Boren is retiring, and the new president is highly disliked because he is rude, mean and inconsiderate. This character would replace the king. I would also change the ending because I think cutting off a president's head is a little too violent. A beautiful new assistant to the president would become close to him, and later she would learn the awful truth behind him. She learns enough to get him fired and she later saves the university.

My version would be a new and modern version. I would simply use a similar plot, but change a few key details and characters. 

Bibliography: The Pretty Stranger Who Killed the King from Folk Stories From Southern Nigeria by  Elphinstone Dayrell.

The Witch

Source: Pixabay

Reading Notes: The Little Hunting Dog, Part B

For Part B on this seventh week, I looked at the same stories from Part A, Chinese Fairy Tales. The book I liked the most was titled The Little Hunting Dog. I liked this book for many reasons. I paid close attention to this story because I love dogs. I also found that the dog was very tiny and that was quite different and interesting. People are infatuated with tiny things, and if I were to see a tiny dog I would be really intrigued.

The tiny dog has a purpose in the scholar's life and I like that about the story. I find it relatable today because there are people who would rather be around dogs for company. The scholar wants to be in a secluded place, but with that come other troubles, such as the fleas and gnats.

If I were to change this story I would not make the poor dog die. I would make it so that the scholar found the solution to his problem with the dog, and also found a lifelong companion. I like happy endings for the most part, especially when it comes to dogs.

I would also change the story so that the scholar tried to steal the dog. He saw how much good the dog was doing by getting rid of the vermin and he wants it for himself. He doesn't know if the dog will disappear or leave, so without taking any chances, he will capture it. First, he will try to talk to the tiny king, but the king acts as if he cannot hear him. He gets very frustrated and just decides to take matters into his own hands.

Story Source: The Little Hunting Dog from The Chinese Fairy Book by R. Wilhelm

Hunting Dog

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: The Cave of the Beasts, Part A

This week I chose to read some stories from China. The one that I focused on is called The Cave of the Beasts. I was interested by the name first, and was surprised throughout the story. First, the plot is crazy to me! A dad abandons his children because they eat some wild duck eggs that he found. Sure, maybe he wanted them for himself, but would you really drop off your kids in the middle of nowhere because they ate your food? It was also bizarre because the daughters went home to their father after he had abandoned them. As if nothing had ever happened. I thought surely there would be a catch. I don't see why the daughters were so forgiving to him, but it is just a story.

I would definitely change some things in my version of the story. I could have the father abandon the girls for doing something much worse, not simply eating wild duck eggs. I could also have the girls get revenge on their father for leaving them in the woods. Or, I could even make the daughters get eaten by the wolf and fox who lived in the cave. This way, when the father decides to come back for them, they are gone. He will feel terrible because he ultimately left them alone to die.

The story is more focused on the girls, but I think the wolf and fox should have more of a focus. Even the title suggests it is about them. I could tell the story from one of their perspectives to put a new twist on the story.

Although I thought this story was a bit crazy, I really enjoyed it because it was unexpected. I thought 

I could predict what was going to happen next, but every time I was wrong. 

Story source: The Cave of the Beasts from The Chinese Fairy Book by R. Wilhelm

Cave in the woods

Source: Pixabay

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

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

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

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