Reading Notes: How the Turtle Saved His Own Life, Part A

For extra credit reading, I chose to read some stories from the Jataka Tales Unit. The story that I enjoyed the most was titled How the Turtle Saved His Own Life. I like stories that either have a lesson in them, or have a character outsmarting someone. In this book, the turtle is the genius and outsmarts all of the other characters. He saves his own life by convincing the others to throw him back into the water, which they think will kill him.

They think the turtle is a demon, simply because they have never seen a turtle before. If I were to rewrite this story, I would give them a better reason for wanting to kill the turtle. Maybe the turtle would make the princes angry in a way. They loved to play in the lake with the fish, so maybe the turtle could scare away some fish. The boys would not like that.

When the men suggest a way to kill the turtle, and they decide to throw him into the water, a different man will object to the idea. He will state that he might not die because water was the place that they found him in the first place. No one will listen to him, and they want to go through with this plan because it is by far the easiest of them all.

Another way I would change the story, is to add on to the ending. The turtle lives, but I would like him to come back to the lake to let the princes know that he lived. He wants to rub it in their faces that they were ignorant and let him live, and then he leaves the area forever so that he will not be captured again. He knows that if they were to ever capture him again, they would kill him immediately. All of the men are embarrassed because the man who objected was right.

Bibliography: How the Turtle Saved His Own Life from Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt

Western Pond Turtle

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Week 7 Story: Bedtime Story About the Hunting Dog

"Joseph! Emily! It's time to get ready for bed! Meet me in your bedroom in five minutes, and I'll tell you a short bedtime story."

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Long ago, there was a man by the name of Thomas who lived by himself in the city. He was a writer who needed quiet and privacy. Every day he would complain to himself about being around many loud, annoying people. He desperately wanted to live somewhere away from people, so finally he decided to move. He found a home out in the country where the closest person was miles away. "This is the perfect home for me! I can now write in peace!" he exclaimed.

Everything seemed to be going great, except he had a huge flea and gnat problem. They were everywhere, making noise and making him itch throughout the days and nights. He tried different types of insect spray to rid his home of the pests, but nothing seemed to be working.

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"So, wait. This was a bad idea. He traded one problem with annoying people, for the same problem with loud bugs? I would choose people any day." Joseph said. "Well, yes, the grass isn't always greener on the other side, right?" said Mother.

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One night after dinner, Thomas tried to continue his writing, but he was constantly distracted by the gnats and fleas. He was out of ideas for the problem, and he wondered if he should move back to the city. Suddenly, an army flooded into his house! Not the typical type of army you're imagining. The knights were two inches tall. They had horses the size of grasshoppers and falcons the size of flies. The little army destroyed the fleas and gnats, and they had tiny hunting dogs that would kill and then eat their remains. Thomas was amazed at what he was seeing! He wanted to keep the hunting dogs for the future when more bugs would enter his home. He wondered how reasonable they would be with him about keeping the dogs.

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"I want a tiny hunting dog, Mom! We need one. Or maybe just any dog. Can we get one?" asked Emily. "No, dear. It's just a story. We will talk about it another time. Now listen to the rest," said Mother.

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"Um, Mr. King, your majesty. I want to thank you and your army! You have saved me a lot of trouble by ridding me of the nasty vermin taking over my home. May I have a hunting dog? I will certainly pay you for it." said Thomas. The King acted as if he didn't hear a word he had said. The army began to leave the house. Thomas was upset that he wouldn't be able to own one of the hunting dogs.

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"He's upset just like me. Everyone needs a dog. It's not fair." cried Emily.

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He sat on his bed for a moment, when a tiny dog jumped into his hand. "Oh my! You stayed here little guy?" he said.
And his little dog stayed with him from then on. He took care of all the fleas and gnats and kept him good company. They were the best of friends.

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"The end, and goodnight kids." said mother, as she turned out the lights.

Man's Best Friend

Source: Pixabay

Bibliography: The Little Hunting Dog from The Chinese Fairy Book by R.Wilhelm and translated by  Frederick H.  Martens

Author's Note: I kept this story relatively similar to the original, but in my version the storyteller was a mother who was telling a bedtime story to her two kids. In the original, a scholar moves away from people for a more quiet lifestyle. He had trouble sleeping because of fleas and gnats. One day some very small knights, horses, falcons, and hunting dogs come into his home to take care of his insect problem. When they leave, a small hunting dog gets left behind. He takes the dog and places it in a small box to examine it. Every time the scholar goes to bed, the dog follows to take care of any bugs. One day, when he takes a nap, he accidentally crushes the dog and finds it as flat as a piece of paper.  I changed the ending in my story to the man keeping the dog and them becoming lifelong companions. I also changed minor details about what happens when the small army enters his home.

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