"Work Ahead" Web Source.
Monday, April 16, 2018
Tech Tip, Canvas Calendar
I can't believe I did not know about the Canvas calendar before now! For the most part Canvas is a really great website and system, but sometimes staying on top of assignments can be difficult because they are not always in the same place. In the calendar, all assignments from all classes are in one area, organized by day they are due, and get crossed off when you do them! So so helpful. Now that I know this exists I will definitely be customizing my calendar and maybe even moving up my due dates so that I can get ahead in my classes!
Famous Last Words
This is actually my first famous last words blog post and I'm excited to reflect on the class so far. As I'm nearing the end of the semester I can definitely feel the pressure from my science classes, so even though this class is a lot of work, it's a nice change from my other classes. I really enjoy doing the readings, and my reading of Alice In Wonderland was great, whimsical reading for this week. It wasn't what I expected going into it though. It was a lot darker than I remember and there were a lot of arguments between characters. To me, it seemed like the majority of characters were grumpy and Alice was a very sassy little girl. I thought this was very interesting and it made for a enlightening read. As far as my life outside of school, its starting to get busier as well as my dance studio prepares for recital and auditions for pom are coming up quickly. I've got to just keep on pushing and the semester will be over before I know it!
Keep Going Cat. Web Source.
Tech Tip: Bookmarking
For this Tech Tip I focused on bookmarking webpages. I use a lot o
f different websites for school and especially this class so it's important for me to be able to access them easily and not have to type them into the URL every single time. This can easily be done by bookmarking the pages so I can simply click on the saved link and it takes me right to the website I'm wanting to go to. One thing that I didn't know I could do before this tech tip was that you can organize bookmarks into folders. This was really helpful for me because like I said, I have a lot of bookmarks and now they are neatly organized by class!
f different websites for school and especially this class so it's important for me to be able to access them easily and not have to type them into the URL every single time. This can easily be done by bookmarking the pages so I can simply click on the saved link and it takes me right to the website I'm wanting to go to. One thing that I didn't know I could do before this tech tip was that you can organize bookmarks into folders. This was really helpful for me because like I said, I have a lot of bookmarks and now they are neatly organized by class!
How I Feel When I Have to type a URL. Web Source.
Week 14 Story: The Live Mother
Once there was a very happy couple that lived in a small village. After a few years, they bore a child. Shortly after the child was born, the mother got sick and died. The father was quite and distraught and did not know how he as going to take care of the baby or feed it. He decided to hire an old woman to care for the baby.
Nothing the old woman did could calm the baby down. It cried all day and night and refused to eat. However, one night the baby stopped crying as if it was being fed. The old woman thought this was very strange so she stayed up one night to see what it was that was happening. That night she saw someone come into the house after midnight and go up to the baby's room where the baby would immediately stop crying.
The next day, the old woman told the baby's father about this and he decided to gather other people in the village to stay up one night to try and figure out who it was sneaking into their house every night. That night when the mysterious figure went into the baby's room, the villagers shined a light in it's face. They gasped in terror as they saw that it was the dead mother.
What happened next was quite magical. After the mother saw that she had been seen, she looked down at her baby, and life suddenly consumed her and she became living once again. The mother, father, and baby lived happily until the baby was grown.
Author's Note: My inspiration for this story comes from the Russian Folktales Unit. The story was called The Dead Mother. I kept the majority of the story the same except for the ending. In the original, when the mother saw that she had been seen, she looked down at the baby and then disappeared. They then saw that the baby had died. I thought this was a very dark ending so I wanted to make it happier by having the mother coming back to life and living happily with her husband and baby.
Bibliography: Russian Folk Tales by W.R.S. Ralston.
Nothing the old woman did could calm the baby down. It cried all day and night and refused to eat. However, one night the baby stopped crying as if it was being fed. The old woman thought this was very strange so she stayed up one night to see what it was that was happening. That night she saw someone come into the house after midnight and go up to the baby's room where the baby would immediately stop crying.
The next day, the old woman told the baby's father about this and he decided to gather other people in the village to stay up one night to try and figure out who it was sneaking into their house every night. That night when the mysterious figure went into the baby's room, the villagers shined a light in it's face. They gasped in terror as they saw that it was the dead mother.
What happened next was quite magical. After the mother saw that she had been seen, she looked down at her baby, and life suddenly consumed her and she became living once again. The mother, father, and baby lived happily until the baby was grown.
Happy Mother and Baby. Web Source.
Author's Note: My inspiration for this story comes from the Russian Folktales Unit. The story was called The Dead Mother. I kept the majority of the story the same except for the ending. In the original, when the mother saw that she had been seen, she looked down at the baby and then disappeared. They then saw that the baby had died. I thought this was a very dark ending so I wanted to make it happier by having the mother coming back to life and living happily with her husband and baby.
Bibliography: Russian Folk Tales by W.R.S. Ralston.
Reading Notes, Russian Fairy Tales: Part B
These notes are from a few stories in the Russian Fairy Tales reading part B.
(The Witch Girl)
In a village there was a witch that came in a different house and killed all its members. One day a coassack asked to stay the night in a families home and they said he could only if he did not fear death. He was not afraid and kept watch while the family slept. At midnight a witch dressed in white climbed in the window and as she was about to sprinkle death the cossack chopped off her arm and she ran away. The next day the family was overjoyed to find that they were all still alive. They went around to the other houses to check on the families and one family's daughter was ill. The cossack saw the sick girl was missing an arm and knew immediately that she was the witch. He told them what happened, was awarded a great sum of honey, and the witch girl was drowned.
(The Two Friends)
There were two friends who were so close they regarded themselves as brothers. They made a pact that whoever got married first would invite the other to his wedding whether they were alive or dead. One day, one of the friends fell ill and died. When it was time for the other friend to get married he went to his friends grave to invite him to his wedding. When he invited him, the dead friend came out from his grave and asked him to have a drink with him. At first he resisted but finally gave in. While drinking the first drink, 100 years passed. After the second drink, 200 years passed. And then after the 3rd drink 300 years had passed and the friend said that was enough and it was time to go marry his bride. However, when he came out of the grave, he found that everything was different. He ran to the village, and it too was different and he knew no one. He went to the priest and told what happened and the priest checked the records and sure enough 300 years ago a groom disappeared into a graveyard and his wife to be eventually married someone else.
(The Witch Girl)
In a village there was a witch that came in a different house and killed all its members. One day a coassack asked to stay the night in a families home and they said he could only if he did not fear death. He was not afraid and kept watch while the family slept. At midnight a witch dressed in white climbed in the window and as she was about to sprinkle death the cossack chopped off her arm and she ran away. The next day the family was overjoyed to find that they were all still alive. They went around to the other houses to check on the families and one family's daughter was ill. The cossack saw the sick girl was missing an arm and knew immediately that she was the witch. He told them what happened, was awarded a great sum of honey, and the witch girl was drowned.
(The Two Friends)
There were two friends who were so close they regarded themselves as brothers. They made a pact that whoever got married first would invite the other to his wedding whether they were alive or dead. One day, one of the friends fell ill and died. When it was time for the other friend to get married he went to his friends grave to invite him to his wedding. When he invited him, the dead friend came out from his grave and asked him to have a drink with him. At first he resisted but finally gave in. While drinking the first drink, 100 years passed. After the second drink, 200 years passed. And then after the 3rd drink 300 years had passed and the friend said that was enough and it was time to go marry his bride. However, when he came out of the grave, he found that everything was different. He ran to the village, and it too was different and he knew no one. He went to the priest and told what happened and the priest checked the records and sure enough 300 years ago a groom disappeared into a graveyard and his wife to be eventually married someone else.
Graveyards and Death. A common theme in the Russian Folk Stories. Web Source.
Bibliography: Russian Folk Tales by W.R.S Ralston.
Sunday, April 15, 2018
Reading Notes: Russian Folktales: Part A
This weeks notes are from the Russian Folktales Unit. There were a lot of different stories in Part A, and these notes consist of a few that I found most interesting and that I could see myself using for my story this week.
(The Dead Mother)
There was a couple that had a baby. Shortly after, the mother died and the husband was at loss how he was going to take care of, and nourish the baby. So he hired an older woman to take care of it. However, nothing she could do would calm the baby and it cried all day and did not eat. One night, the baby suddenly stopped crying and the old woman found this quite odd. It continued to happen and so she began to watch and found that someone was coming into the house at night and going to the baby's room. She alerted the husband of this and so he brought in others to stake out one night and see who it was that was coming every night and calming the baby. That night when the person came in, they shown a light and saw that it was the dead mother. They were terrified and when the mother saw that she had been seen she looked down at the baby and disappeared. They then saw that the baby was dead.
(The Water Snake)
There was a girl bathing in a pond. While she was bathing a snake laid upon her robes and would not get off of them unless she agreed to marry him. She agreed knowing it was not possible for her to marry a snake and she went home and forgot about it. A few weeks later, tons of snakes went to her cottage and drug the girl back into the pond. When they reached the water they all turned into men and women. She lived down there for three years and had two children. One day she went to visit her mother and said that when she came back she would cry out for her husband to come and get her. That night while the girl was sleeping, her mother went to the pond and cried out for her daughter's husband and when he came out she chopped off his head. The daughter found out about this and was very distraught. She sent her daughter to be a wren, her son to be a nightengale, and herself a cuckoo.
(The Dead Mother)
There was a couple that had a baby. Shortly after, the mother died and the husband was at loss how he was going to take care of, and nourish the baby. So he hired an older woman to take care of it. However, nothing she could do would calm the baby and it cried all day and did not eat. One night, the baby suddenly stopped crying and the old woman found this quite odd. It continued to happen and so she began to watch and found that someone was coming into the house at night and going to the baby's room. She alerted the husband of this and so he brought in others to stake out one night and see who it was that was coming every night and calming the baby. That night when the person came in, they shown a light and saw that it was the dead mother. They were terrified and when the mother saw that she had been seen she looked down at the baby and disappeared. They then saw that the baby was dead.
(The Water Snake)
There was a girl bathing in a pond. While she was bathing a snake laid upon her robes and would not get off of them unless she agreed to marry him. She agreed knowing it was not possible for her to marry a snake and she went home and forgot about it. A few weeks later, tons of snakes went to her cottage and drug the girl back into the pond. When they reached the water they all turned into men and women. She lived down there for three years and had two children. One day she went to visit her mother and said that when she came back she would cry out for her husband to come and get her. That night while the girl was sleeping, her mother went to the pond and cried out for her daughter's husband and when he came out she chopped off his head. The daughter found out about this and was very distraught. She sent her daughter to be a wren, her son to be a nightengale, and herself a cuckoo.
Water Snake. Web Source.
Bibliography: Russian Fairy Tales by Ralston.
Week 13 Story: Alice and Humpty Dumpty
While Alice was walking along the forest she came to a tall wall with a weird looking egg sitting on top of it. Alice found this quite odd and went up to the egg who introduced himself as Humpty Dumpty.
"Oh! Humpty Dumpty from the nursery rhyme!" Alice said.
"Nursery rhyme? I do not know what you are talking about." said Humpty.
Alice warned Humpty that it might be safer for him to get down off the wall, so that he doesn't fall and break. Humpty was sure that this would not happen and told her that even if it did, the King promised to send all his horses and all of his men.
"Yes, but they won't be able to put you back together again." said Alice.
"Why must you talk so much nonsense?" Humpty said.
Alice didn't want to cause an argument so she gave Humpy a compliment on his belt he was wearing. This frustrated Humpty becasue he was wearing a cravat, not a belt. He told Alice that she was quite unintelligent for mixing up the two and that she best be on her way. Alice was angered at this point as well and said "Fine, until we meet again."
Humpty replied back, "Even if we did meet again, I would not recognize you. Your face it too ordinary. You have two eyes, a nose, and a mouth just like everyone else. It would be better if your mouth was above your eyes."
Alice decided to ignore this comment and walk away. As she was muttering under her breath to herself about how grumpy Humpty was, she heard a large crash behind her. She quickly turned around and saw that Humpty had fallen off his wall and broken into a million pieces.
"Hmph!" she said. "Serves him right for being so rude!"
"Oh! Humpty Dumpty from the nursery rhyme!" Alice said.
"Nursery rhyme? I do not know what you are talking about." said Humpty.
Alice warned Humpty that it might be safer for him to get down off the wall, so that he doesn't fall and break. Humpty was sure that this would not happen and told her that even if it did, the King promised to send all his horses and all of his men.
"Yes, but they won't be able to put you back together again." said Alice.
"Why must you talk so much nonsense?" Humpty said.
Alice didn't want to cause an argument so she gave Humpy a compliment on his belt he was wearing. This frustrated Humpty becasue he was wearing a cravat, not a belt. He told Alice that she was quite unintelligent for mixing up the two and that she best be on her way. Alice was angered at this point as well and said "Fine, until we meet again."
Humpty replied back, "Even if we did meet again, I would not recognize you. Your face it too ordinary. You have two eyes, a nose, and a mouth just like everyone else. It would be better if your mouth was above your eyes."
Alice decided to ignore this comment and walk away. As she was muttering under her breath to herself about how grumpy Humpty was, she heard a large crash behind her. She quickly turned around and saw that Humpty had fallen off his wall and broken into a million pieces.
"Hmph!" she said. "Serves him right for being so rude!"
Alice and Humpty. Web Source.
Author's note: My inspiration for this story came from the Humpty Dumpty section in Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll. I kept my story mostly the same but elaborated in the middle section when Alice and Humpty are talking about his famous nursery rhyme (that is not so famous to him). In the original I found it interesting that Humpty did not know that he was a storybook character and so I added dialogue between him and Alice to better explain that. I kept Humpty's grumpy character the same because I thought it was an interesting take. For the ending, the original text mentions the large crash but never says what it was. I decided to go ahead and tag on the ending of Humpty falling off the wall as "karma" for being so rude to Alice.
Bibliography: Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll.
Reading Notes, Through the Looking Glass: Part B
These notes are based off "Queen Alice".
At this point Alice is a queen and sitting on either side of her are the Red Queen and the White Queen. They converse quite a bit. The Queens started questioning Alice's skills like whether she can do math, say the ABC's etc. The Queen began telling Alice about a horrible thunderstorm they had and became distressed and then said she was very tired. Both Queens soon were asleep on Alice's shoulder and she was unsure what to do next. Alice then suddenly was standing in front of a door with words "Queen Alice" above it. She knocked and knocked but no one came. Finally, and old frog came and asked her what she was doing. Alice explained and then they started singing a song. Alice got into the door and there was a banquet going on with lots of guests and the Red and White Queens. They told her that she had already missed the soup and fish but to sit down and carve the joint. Alice had never carved a joint before and was nervous. The Queens then introduced her to the foods and they all seemed to be alive. It ends with The Queen about to tell a poem about the fish.
Bibliography: Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There By Lewis Carroll.
At this point Alice is a queen and sitting on either side of her are the Red Queen and the White Queen. They converse quite a bit. The Queens started questioning Alice's skills like whether she can do math, say the ABC's etc. The Queen began telling Alice about a horrible thunderstorm they had and became distressed and then said she was very tired. Both Queens soon were asleep on Alice's shoulder and she was unsure what to do next. Alice then suddenly was standing in front of a door with words "Queen Alice" above it. She knocked and knocked but no one came. Finally, and old frog came and asked her what she was doing. Alice explained and then they started singing a song. Alice got into the door and there was a banquet going on with lots of guests and the Red and White Queens. They told her that she had already missed the soup and fish but to sit down and carve the joint. Alice had never carved a joint before and was nervous. The Queens then introduced her to the foods and they all seemed to be alive. It ends with The Queen about to tell a poem about the fish.
Alice and the sleeping Queens. Web Source.
Bibliography: Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There By Lewis Carroll.
Reading Notes, Through the Looking Glass: Part A
For my reading this week I wanted to continue with my Alice and Wonderland theme so I chose Through the Looking Glass.
I didn't remember that Humpty Dumpty was in Alice and Wonderland so I decided to focus these notes on the Humpty Dumpty part of the reading.
(Humpty Dumpty)
The first part of this reading was very funny. Alice approaches Humpty Dumpty and they share some conversation before Alice mentions the poem and Humpty Dumpty thinks that Alice has been spying on him. He is completely unaware that there is a book about him. He is sure that he would never fall off the wall and does not want to get down.
(Humpty Dumpty Cont.)
Humpty then asked Alice how old she was and she replie seven years and six months. Humpty says that she should've stopped growing at seven and Alice said that was not possible. Humpty said it was possible with two people. Alice quickly changed the subject and Humpty got angry when she mistook his cravat for a belt. They then talked about unbirthday presents and he asked her to subtract one from 365 and show him the math.
(Humpty Dumpty cont. again)
Humpty and Alice continued to carry on conversation and combining words to make new ones. Then he said that he was going to recite a poem for Alice.
(Humpty Dumpty end)
Humpty recited the poem for Alice and then told her to leave and that he probably wouldn't remember her because she looks like everyone else. Alice walked away saying how mean Humpty was but didn't get to finish her sentence because a loud crash shook the forest.
Bibliography: Through the Looking Glass, and what Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll.
I didn't remember that Humpty Dumpty was in Alice and Wonderland so I decided to focus these notes on the Humpty Dumpty part of the reading.
(Humpty Dumpty)
The first part of this reading was very funny. Alice approaches Humpty Dumpty and they share some conversation before Alice mentions the poem and Humpty Dumpty thinks that Alice has been spying on him. He is completely unaware that there is a book about him. He is sure that he would never fall off the wall and does not want to get down.
(Humpty Dumpty Cont.)
Humpty then asked Alice how old she was and she replie seven years and six months. Humpty says that she should've stopped growing at seven and Alice said that was not possible. Humpty said it was possible with two people. Alice quickly changed the subject and Humpty got angry when she mistook his cravat for a belt. They then talked about unbirthday presents and he asked her to subtract one from 365 and show him the math.
(Humpty Dumpty cont. again)
Humpty and Alice continued to carry on conversation and combining words to make new ones. Then he said that he was going to recite a poem for Alice.
(Humpty Dumpty end)
Humpty recited the poem for Alice and then told her to leave and that he probably wouldn't remember her because she looks like everyone else. Alice walked away saying how mean Humpty was but didn't get to finish her sentence because a loud crash shook the forest.
Alice with Humpty Dumpty. Web Source.
Bibliography: Through the Looking Glass, and what Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll.
Sunday, April 8, 2018
Reading Notes, Alice in Wonderland: Part B
These notes focus on "A Mad Tea Party" from Part B in the Alice in Wonderland unit.
(A Mad Tea Party)
Maybe I just haven't seen the movie recently enough to remember how Alice talks, but in the readings she is very sassy which is continuing to surprise me, but that I also find quite funny. In my story this week I definitely want to carry this over. The first part of this scene was mostly back and forth between Alice and the Hare.
(A Mad Tea Party Continued)
This part continued with dialogue between Alice and the hatter were they told jokes and riddles with each other. Specifically, about time. The mouse also woke up in the scene and told a very short story about three girls who lived in a well, and again, Alice made sassy comments about it.
(A Mad Tea Party End)
The last part of this story involved more dialogue between the three character's and the doormouse finishing his story of the three girls in the treacle well. Alice thought the story was quite absurd and got offended and walked off saying it was the stupidest tea party she had ever been to. As she walked away she came to a door in a tree and decided to go through it. This is where she enters the the garden of the Queen.
Bibliography: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
(A Mad Tea Party)
Maybe I just haven't seen the movie recently enough to remember how Alice talks, but in the readings she is very sassy which is continuing to surprise me, but that I also find quite funny. In my story this week I definitely want to carry this over. The first part of this scene was mostly back and forth between Alice and the Hare.
(A Mad Tea Party Continued)
This part continued with dialogue between Alice and the hatter were they told jokes and riddles with each other. Specifically, about time. The mouse also woke up in the scene and told a very short story about three girls who lived in a well, and again, Alice made sassy comments about it.
(A Mad Tea Party End)
The last part of this story involved more dialogue between the three character's and the doormouse finishing his story of the three girls in the treacle well. Alice thought the story was quite absurd and got offended and walked off saying it was the stupidest tea party she had ever been to. As she walked away she came to a door in a tree and decided to go through it. This is where she enters the the garden of the Queen.
Bibliography: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
The Mad Tea Party. Web Source.
Monday, April 2, 2018
Reading Notes, Alice in Wonderland: Part A
I was so excited to see Alice in Wonderland in this week's reading options because I have always loved how whimsical and fun the story is. For this section of notes I want to focus on a part of the story I was less familiar with- "Pig and Pepper".
(Pig and Pepper)
The first part of this story was very interesting. Although I do enjoy the story of Alice and Wonderland, I couldn't tell you the last time I actually watched the movie so a lot of this reading was a refresher for me. The fist section of this story goes through how Alice meets the Cheshire cat.
(Pig and Pepper Continued)
This section of the story begins with a conversation between Alice and the Duchess about why the Cheshire cat is smiling so much. I found it comical and was also surprised by Alice's bravery in just coming on and in and striking up a conversation. The cook continued to throw pots and pans everywhere towards the Duchess and her baby and Alice jumped up and begged him to stop. After singing and throwing the baby around violently, the Duchess gave the baby to Alice and said she must go get ready for croquet with the queen.
(Pig and Pepper End)
Alice was unsure what to do with the pig/baby creature, so she let it go into the woods and saw the Cheshire cat a few yards away. Alice asked the cat where she should go next and the cat cunningly replied, "depends on where you want to go." The cat then told her one way was a rabbit and the other was a mad hatter. Before he disappeared he told her the child had turned into a pig. Alice then walked towards the direction of the hare.
(Pig and Pepper)
The first part of this story was very interesting. Although I do enjoy the story of Alice and Wonderland, I couldn't tell you the last time I actually watched the movie so a lot of this reading was a refresher for me. The fist section of this story goes through how Alice meets the Cheshire cat.
(Pig and Pepper Continued)
This section of the story begins with a conversation between Alice and the Duchess about why the Cheshire cat is smiling so much. I found it comical and was also surprised by Alice's bravery in just coming on and in and striking up a conversation. The cook continued to throw pots and pans everywhere towards the Duchess and her baby and Alice jumped up and begged him to stop. After singing and throwing the baby around violently, the Duchess gave the baby to Alice and said she must go get ready for croquet with the queen.
(Pig and Pepper End)
Alice was unsure what to do with the pig/baby creature, so she let it go into the woods and saw the Cheshire cat a few yards away. Alice asked the cat where she should go next and the cat cunningly replied, "depends on where you want to go." The cat then told her one way was a rabbit and the other was a mad hatter. Before he disappeared he told her the child had turned into a pig. Alice then walked towards the direction of the hare.
Cheshire Cat. Web Source.
Bibliography: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Google Timer Tech Tip
This week for my Tech Tip I decided to look into Google timers. I had no idea that Google had this feature, although it does not surprise me.
When it comes to studying or working on projects, assignments etc., I have always heard that setting a timer for about 15-20 minutes (or however long you like) and working for that amount of time and then allowing yourself to take a break is a really great way to get things done! Especially for those who procrastinate or are easily distracted (A.K.A. me).
I have never actually tried this method, but now that I know Google has a timer I can easily set on my laptop while I'm working I think I will try it! Here's to less procrastination!
I'm a huge Sound of Music fan and got a really good laugh out of this picture.
When it comes to studying or working on projects, assignments etc., I have always heard that setting a timer for about 15-20 minutes (or however long you like) and working for that amount of time and then allowing yourself to take a break is a really great way to get things done! Especially for those who procrastinate or are easily distracted (A.K.A. me).
I have never actually tried this method, but now that I know Google has a timer I can easily set on my laptop while I'm working I think I will try it! Here's to less procrastination!
I'm a huge Sound of Music fan and got a really good laugh out of this picture.
The Hills are Alive....with Procrastination. Web Source.
Week 11 Story: The Turtle Who was Not Afraid of Thunder
Once there was a turtle who lived happily in a lake. However, he had one problem. Something kept hitting him while he was in the water. One day, he came out and tried to investigate what it was but could not find anyone.
Instead he called out "who will help me?". The first to respond was deer. Turtle asked deer to show him his best fighting skills to defeat whoever it was hitting him.
Turtle was not impressed by deer's skills and called out again, "who will help me?" Next to respond was bear. Turtle again asked him to show his best fighting skills and again, turtle was not impressed.
He called out one more time, "who will help me?" This time, an army of little turtles arose and showed turtle their best fighting skills. Turtle was very impressed and knew they would be the ones to defeat his bully. So turtle went back down into the water while his army awaited the return of the bully.
The next day he awoke to his army of turtles yelling for him to come out and look. Turtle arose from the water and saw a lonely bird a tree dropping rocks into the water. "This is Thunder Bird!" one of the turtles said. Turtle knew that Thunder Bird was the only one of his kind and was very lonely, but also too shy to make any companions. It turns out that he had been dropping rocks into the lake in hopes that turtle would come out and talk to him.
From that day forward Thunder Bird and the turtles were great friends and Thunder Bird provided protection for the turtles during thunderstorms.
The Friendship between Turtle and Thunder Bird. Web Source.
Author's Note: This week's story is taken from "Turtle and Thunder" from the British and North America Tales unit. I kept the beginning of the story the same up until when the turtle army takes stance to wait for whoever it was dropping rocks. In the original story, the bully drops a rock on the turtles and kills them all. Turtle comes out from the water and asks his neighbor who did it and his neighbor responds that it was Thunder Bird and that he was very afraid of him. From that day forward Turtle stayed hidden under the water during thunder storms. I thought that version of the story was a little morbid so I wanted to make it happier. I portrayed Thunder Bird as a lonely bird wanting to make friends who eventually makes friends with the turtles. From that day on, he provided protection for his friends during thunder storms.
Reading Notes, British North America: Part B
These notes are from the story 'Turtle and Thunder" from Part B of the British North America Tales.
The story starts with a turtle who lives in a lake and keeps getting hit by something. Every time he emerges from the water to see what it was, he sees nothing. Eventually he asks for help.
The deer was the first to help him. The turtle asked the deer to see how well he could fight so the deer began to fight a tree and broke his horns. This was not good enough for the turtle.
Next to help was was bear. Turtle asked the same thing of bear so bear began to fight the tree but was jumping around clumsily, and again it was not enough for the turtle.
Turtle called out again for someone to help him and this time a crowd of little turtles came forward. Turtle asked them to show him how they can fight, and turtle was very pleased and knew they would be the ones to fight whoever was hitting him.
He took them to his home and soon a big rock fell upon them and killed them all. Turtle came out and saw a big bird overhead. He ran to his neighbor and asked who the bird was.
The neighbor replied that it was the thunder bird and that he was very scared of him. Ever since then, turtle stayed under the water during thunderstorms.
Bibliography: Turtle and Thunder from Myths and Legends of British North America by Katharine Berry Judson.
The story starts with a turtle who lives in a lake and keeps getting hit by something. Every time he emerges from the water to see what it was, he sees nothing. Eventually he asks for help.
The deer was the first to help him. The turtle asked the deer to see how well he could fight so the deer began to fight a tree and broke his horns. This was not good enough for the turtle.
Next to help was was bear. Turtle asked the same thing of bear so bear began to fight the tree but was jumping around clumsily, and again it was not enough for the turtle.
Turtle called out again for someone to help him and this time a crowd of little turtles came forward. Turtle asked them to show him how they can fight, and turtle was very pleased and knew they would be the ones to fight whoever was hitting him.
He took them to his home and soon a big rock fell upon them and killed them all. Turtle came out and saw a big bird overhead. He ran to his neighbor and asked who the bird was.
The neighbor replied that it was the thunder bird and that he was very scared of him. Ever since then, turtle stayed under the water during thunderstorms.
Bibliography: Turtle and Thunder from Myths and Legends of British North America by Katharine Berry Judson.
The Turtle looking for his bully. Web Source.
Reading Notes, British North America :Part A
These notes are over the story "Why the Sun is Bright", one of the stories in the British North America Tales.
The story starts with a whole village moving away from its home because they were angry with one boy. This seems like a lot of work to me over being angry, but kept reading to see what happens next. The boy was left alone in the village with his grandma and soon they began to starve. She told him to go snare small animals, and shoot the birds for food. The grandma cooked the animals and made the boy a bright coat from their fur that he wore when he went to spear fish.
The sun saw the boy everyday in his bright robe and one day came to the boy dressed in a goatskin robe with fringe and asked him if he would trade. At first the boy said no, but then the sun said that with his robe, the boy would be able to catch more fish than he could ever spear. He then placed his fingers in the water and immediately fish were caught on the fringe of the robe. The boy exchanged robes after that. Before this, the sun was pale. But now with the new bright coat he became bright and dazzling and people could no longer look at him.
Bibliography: Why the Sun is Bright from Myths and Legends of British North America written by Katharine Berry Judson.
The story starts with a whole village moving away from its home because they were angry with one boy. This seems like a lot of work to me over being angry, but kept reading to see what happens next. The boy was left alone in the village with his grandma and soon they began to starve. She told him to go snare small animals, and shoot the birds for food. The grandma cooked the animals and made the boy a bright coat from their fur that he wore when he went to spear fish.
The sun saw the boy everyday in his bright robe and one day came to the boy dressed in a goatskin robe with fringe and asked him if he would trade. At first the boy said no, but then the sun said that with his robe, the boy would be able to catch more fish than he could ever spear. He then placed his fingers in the water and immediately fish were caught on the fringe of the robe. The boy exchanged robes after that. Before this, the sun was pale. But now with the new bright coat he became bright and dazzling and people could no longer look at him.
Bibliography: Why the Sun is Bright from Myths and Legends of British North America written by Katharine Berry Judson.
The Bright Sun. Web Source.
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Week 10 Story: The Dolphin Stolen by Indians
There was a happy dolphin who lived in the lake outside an Indian tribe. The dolphin often leaped around in the water because he was very content with his life. The Indians who were troubled with the hardships of living off the land took note of this and made a plan to capture the dolphin in hopes he would bring some of his happiness to the tribe.
That night, as the dolphin leaped out of the water, the Indians threw a net around him and brought him to shore. Dolphin's fellow dolphin friends quickly took notice of his his absence and set out to find where he had gone. As they were spying upon the village they saw that the happy dolphin had been captured and was being held hostage. Unable to rescue him themselves because the Indians would surely know what they were trying to do, they relied on their land friend dog, for help.
That night, as the dolphin leaped out of the water, the Indians threw a net around him and brought him to shore. Dolphin's fellow dolphin friends quickly took notice of his his absence and set out to find where he had gone. As they were spying upon the village they saw that the happy dolphin had been captured and was being held hostage. Unable to rescue him themselves because the Indians would surely know what they were trying to do, they relied on their land friend dog, for help.
The next day dog ran into the Indian's tribe and started knocking things over, running as fast as he could through the tribe and wreaking havoc. This was enough of a distraction for the happy dolphin to make his escape. While the Indian's were doing all they could to capture dog, the happy dolphin was able to escape and jump back into the water.
The happy dolphin and his friends celebrated and played together in his safe return. They then migrated away from the Indian tribe never to be caught again. The tribe continued in their misery for the rest of time, and the dolphins celebrated for eternity.
The Happy Dolphin. Web Source.
Author's Note: My inspiration for this story was taken from "The Woman stolen by Killer Whales" from Tales of North American Indians by Stith Thompson. In the original text, a Native American Woman was washing her hands in the water when a killer whale grabbed her and drug her down to their killer whale home. The woman's husband found out and made a plan with shark to rescue her. The shark distracted the killer whales and during this the woman was able to escape and go back to her husband on land. I changed the story to where a dolphin was captured by humans instead of the other way around.
Reading Notes, Marriage Tales: Part B
The second half of these tales was very much like the first. The first story entitled "The Dog Husband" involved a young girl who had a dog that she was very fond of. At night, the dog would become a man and sleep with girl. After some time, she became pregnant. When her parents found out, they were very ashamed and left her to die. The crow took pity on her and told her to listen for crackling fire and then go to it. She gave birth to 5 pups and was barely able to take care of them because her father had killer her dog lover. However, her pups transformed into humans and became great whale hunters. Eventually the people moved back to where the girl and her children were because of the bounty in whales and the boys became chiefs of the tribe.
The last story in this series was called "The True Bride". This story involved an evil stepmother, her true daughter, and her step daughter. The stepmother was very mean to her stepdaughter and sent her out in the middle of winter to collect berries even though there were no berries at that time. The girl went anyway and on her journey came across a house with four men. The four men had her shovel snow off the roof where she found plentiful berries. They also gave her fine clothes and the ability to spit gold. When she returned, the stepmother sent her real daughter on the same quest in hopes that she would return with the same things. The daughter was haughty to the four men and instead returned with only berries, and the ability to spit foul smelling toe nails.
The chief's son married the gold-spitting girl because she was very valuable. After some time, she became pregnant and the husband was called away for a meeting at the time of birth. The evil step-mother helped deliver the baby, however when the baby came out, it would fall through a hole she cut in the floor and instead handed the wife a cat. This happened again with a snake. It was then decided that the wife should be killed because of her weird children and that he should marry the stepmother's real daughter. She was cast into the lake, but before she drowned, the four brothers rescued her, told her about her real children, and transformed her into a goose. Eventually with the help of her loyal dog, all was found out and the step-mother and real daughter were hung. She who spits gold, her husband, and children lived happily.
The last story in this series was called "The True Bride". This story involved an evil stepmother, her true daughter, and her step daughter. The stepmother was very mean to her stepdaughter and sent her out in the middle of winter to collect berries even though there were no berries at that time. The girl went anyway and on her journey came across a house with four men. The four men had her shovel snow off the roof where she found plentiful berries. They also gave her fine clothes and the ability to spit gold. When she returned, the stepmother sent her real daughter on the same quest in hopes that she would return with the same things. The daughter was haughty to the four men and instead returned with only berries, and the ability to spit foul smelling toe nails.
The chief's son married the gold-spitting girl because she was very valuable. After some time, she became pregnant and the husband was called away for a meeting at the time of birth. The evil step-mother helped deliver the baby, however when the baby came out, it would fall through a hole she cut in the floor and instead handed the wife a cat. This happened again with a snake. It was then decided that the wife should be killed because of her weird children and that he should marry the stepmother's real daughter. She was cast into the lake, but before she drowned, the four brothers rescued her, told her about her real children, and transformed her into a goose. Eventually with the help of her loyal dog, all was found out and the step-mother and real daughter were hung. She who spits gold, her husband, and children lived happily.
The Loyal Dog responsible for She Who Spits Gold's happy ending.
Reading Notes, Marriage Tales: Part A
The first story in this series of marriage tales was called "The Piqued Buffalo-Wire". This story was very odd in my opinion and a little hard to follow. Essentially, a man took advantage of a female cow and later she bore a human son. The son then went on a quest to find his father, which he eventually did. When the son brought the man back to his cow mother, she turned into a woman and they lived happily for quite some time. That was until the husband struck the wife with fire and her and her son ran away. The father then went on a quest to find them. He had to correctly identify his son four times in order to win them back. He guess incorrectly on the fourth guess and was trampled to death by the herd of cows. However a piece of his bone was recovered and with the use of a sweat lodge he was restored to life, and he, his wife, and his son lived happily and started their own native tribes.
The next story called "Bear-Woman and "Deer-Woman" was also interesting. The Bear ate the deer and brought the head back to the deer's children. The children immediately knew that is was their mother's head and in return smothered the bears children to death with smoke. They then ran away from the bear and crossed the river by a crane's neck. When the bear followed, the crane dropped its neck halfway across and the bear fell to her death.
Out of the remaining stories in this series, I found "The Woman Stolen by Killer Whales" to be my favorite. I could see myself retelling this story for my story this week.
I found all of the stories to be very dark, and involving a lot of animals, ruthless killing, and interactions between humans/animals. A lot of the other units have involved animals and humans interacting with each other, but not to this extent. On multiple occasions, the stories involved intimacy between them which I found very odd.
Bibliography: Native American Marriage Tales from the book "Tales of North American Indians" by Stith Thompson. Read for yourself here!
The next story called "Bear-Woman and "Deer-Woman" was also interesting. The Bear ate the deer and brought the head back to the deer's children. The children immediately knew that is was their mother's head and in return smothered the bears children to death with smoke. They then ran away from the bear and crossed the river by a crane's neck. When the bear followed, the crane dropped its neck halfway across and the bear fell to her death.
Out of the remaining stories in this series, I found "The Woman Stolen by Killer Whales" to be my favorite. I could see myself retelling this story for my story this week.
Killer Whale. Web Source.
I found all of the stories to be very dark, and involving a lot of animals, ruthless killing, and interactions between humans/animals. A lot of the other units have involved animals and humans interacting with each other, but not to this extent. On multiple occasions, the stories involved intimacy between them which I found very odd.
Bibliography: Native American Marriage Tales from the book "Tales of North American Indians" by Stith Thompson. Read for yourself here!
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Week 9 Story: The Slug
There once was a man named Hugo. Hugo lived in a humble house with his wife, Margot. Hugo and Margot were a very happy couple and had very little to dispute about. That was until one day, a slimy, fat slug crawled out from under the refrigerator and into the middle of the kitchen floor. Hugo and Margot, a fairly young and newly wedded couple, had never encountered a slug before, and neither of them knew what to do. They both screamed at the fat brown squishy body inching its way across the floor leaving a slime trail behind him. Hugo, not knowing what else to do quickly grabbed a bowl off the counter and tip toed over to the intruder. Carefully and with haste he dropped the bowl on top of the slug, trapping him momentarily until they could figure out what to do. Margot ran to the computer and googled "what is a brown squishy slimy insect type thing". The first thing that popped up was an exact replica of the disgusting creature trapped under the bowl. "It's a slug!" she screamed. "It says we should sprinkle salt on it to kill it!". "Oh no," said Hugo. "I used the rest of the salt on my french fries last night." Margot exchange an annoyed look at Hugo before he abruptly said "I'll grab the key's," and made a mad dash to the store.
Margot thought it would be a good idea to keep watch of the slug while Hugo went to buy more salt so that it did not cunningly escape. It seemed like hours before Hugo returned, and when he finally did with salt in hand, Margot was very relieved. However, they still had the big battle of killing the slug. Hugo scooped a big cup of salt out of the bag and approached the bowl on the floor. "Okay, on the count of three lift the bowl and I will dump the salt." "One.......Two.......Three!" Margot quickly lifted the bowl and Hugo dumped the salt all over the little guy. What followed was quite disgusting. The slug began to squirm and smoke and ooze even more slime than before. It was like it was melting like the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz! After a few minutes the slug stopped smoking and laid there in a giant gooey puddle. Hugo and Margot learned two valuable lessons that day- 1. It's a good idea to get the house sprayed for pests, and 2. always keep a never ending supply of salt nearby just in case.
The Slug. Web Source.
Author's note: My inspiration for this story came from "My Lord Bag of Rice" from the collection of Japanese Fairy Tales written by Yei Theodora Ozaki. In the story there was great warrior named Hidesto. Hidesto was given the task by the Dragon King to kill and evil centipede that had been terrorizing his kingdom. This was no feat for the the brave warrior Hidesto, however when he first attacked the centipede, he found that his arrows simply bounced right off the centipede. He then remembered that human saliva is toxic to centipedes and the next arrow he shot, he first put it into his mouth to coat it in saliva. This arrow went right through the centipede's brain and killed him. In return the Dragon King gave Hidesto a bag of rice that never seemed to run empty. When reading that human saliva was toxic to centipedes, it reminded me of how salt is toxic to slugs and inspired me to write the story of Hugo and Margot. I wanted the story to be funny and whimsical, and I can imagine a newly wed couple trying to figure out the feats of owning a house together and encountering things like gross, slimy slugs.
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Reading Notes, Japanese Fairy Tales: Part B
The first story in Part B of Japanese Fairy Tales was called "The Goblin of Adachigahara". In this story a cannibal goblin takes the form of an old woman and tricks travelers into her home where she then eats them. This happened to a priest and when the old woman went to collect firewood she warned the priest not to look in the back room. The priest was unable to kill his curiosity and looked in the back room finding a horrible sight. Skulls, dead bodies, and blood was everywhere. He knew he was in the cannibal goblins house and that she would surely eat him when she returned. He gathered his things and ran from the house. The cannibal goblin chased him all through the night until day broke and she disappeared. The priest was safe and thanked Buddha.
The next story was called "The Ogre of Rashomon". This story was about a cannibal ogre that terrorized a Japanese town. A band of warriors did not believe in such ogre because they had previously killed all the ogres remaining. However one night the head warrior came face to face with the ogre and cut off his arm. Knowing how revengeful ogres can be, he secured the arm in a strong box never to show to anyone. One night, the warrior's childhood nurse came to him and begged to see the arm. When he finally obliged the nurse grabbed the arm and transformed into the ogre. However the ogre ran away, in fear of the warrior's strength and never bothered the Japanese town again.
The last story was called "The Story of Princess Hase". This story is about a Minister and his wife who are unable to have a child. They worshiped at Princess Hase's altar in hopes that she would bring them a child. Finally a child was born and they named her Hase-Hime. The mother died when Hase-Hime was 5 and told her to grow up and be a good girl so that's what she did. Hase-Hime's stepmother was an evil woman and Hase-Hime was a very good musician and was called to perform for the emperor. The Stepmother tried to posion Hase-Hime but instead poisoned her own son and killed him. More events trasnpired until eventually the wicked stepmother fled and Hase-Hime never had to deal with her again.
Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki. Web Source.
The priest running from the Cannibal Goblin. Web Source.
The next story was called "The Ogre of Rashomon". This story was about a cannibal ogre that terrorized a Japanese town. A band of warriors did not believe in such ogre because they had previously killed all the ogres remaining. However one night the head warrior came face to face with the ogre and cut off his arm. Knowing how revengeful ogres can be, he secured the arm in a strong box never to show to anyone. One night, the warrior's childhood nurse came to him and begged to see the arm. When he finally obliged the nurse grabbed the arm and transformed into the ogre. However the ogre ran away, in fear of the warrior's strength and never bothered the Japanese town again.
The last story was called "The Story of Princess Hase". This story is about a Minister and his wife who are unable to have a child. They worshiped at Princess Hase's altar in hopes that she would bring them a child. Finally a child was born and they named her Hase-Hime. The mother died when Hase-Hime was 5 and told her to grow up and be a good girl so that's what she did. Hase-Hime's stepmother was an evil woman and Hase-Hime was a very good musician and was called to perform for the emperor. The Stepmother tried to posion Hase-Hime but instead poisoned her own son and killed him. More events trasnpired until eventually the wicked stepmother fled and Hase-Hime never had to deal with her again.
Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki. Web Source.
Reading Notes, Japanese Fairy Tales (Ozaki): Part A
The first story in this set of Japanese Folk Tales was called "My Lord Bag of Rice". This story was about a brave warrior named My Lord Bag of Rice, better known as Hidesato. On one of his adventures he came across the land of the Dragon King. The Dragon King and his family had been terrorized by the Evil Centipede forever and The Dragon King asked Hidesato if he could kill him. This was no feat for Hidesato, however when the time came, his arrows would not penetrate the huge centipede and they would simply bounce off. Then, Hidesato remembered that human saliva kills centipedes. The next arrow that he shot, he put in his mouth first and sure enough it hit the centipede right in the brain and killed him. The Dragon King gave Hidesato many gifts including a bag of rice that never ran out.
The next story in the reading was called The Adventures of Kintaro. This story was about a young boy named Kintaro that lived in the woods with this mother and had incredible strength. One day, as he was playing wrestling with his friends bear, deer, hare and monkey, a general of the army say his great strength and followed him home. At home, he told Kintaro and his mother who he was and offered to take Kintaro to the capital to be trained as a great samurai. He did so, and Kintaro became the Chief of the Four Braves, and built a house for his mother to stay with him in the capital for the rest of her days.
The last story of this reading was called The Man Who Did Not Wish to Die. This story was about a man who enjoyed life and never wanted to die. He prayed to the god Jokfu that he may find the elixr of life, and while he was praying he fell asleep and had a great dream where he was flown to the Land of Perpetual Life by a paper crane. In the Land of Perpetual Life, noone was happy and they all wished to die because they had lived so long. Sentaro eventually felt this way too and prayed again to go back home. While praying the paper crane emerged from his pocket and flew him back towards Japan, however they got caught in a storm and fell into the ocean where a shark almost ate him. Here Sentaro woke up and a messenger of Jokfu told him what happened and to be content with the life he has.
Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki. Web Source.
Hidesato facing the Evil Centipede. Web Source.
The next story in the reading was called The Adventures of Kintaro. This story was about a young boy named Kintaro that lived in the woods with this mother and had incredible strength. One day, as he was playing wrestling with his friends bear, deer, hare and monkey, a general of the army say his great strength and followed him home. At home, he told Kintaro and his mother who he was and offered to take Kintaro to the capital to be trained as a great samurai. He did so, and Kintaro became the Chief of the Four Braves, and built a house for his mother to stay with him in the capital for the rest of her days.
The last story of this reading was called The Man Who Did Not Wish to Die. This story was about a man who enjoyed life and never wanted to die. He prayed to the god Jokfu that he may find the elixr of life, and while he was praying he fell asleep and had a great dream where he was flown to the Land of Perpetual Life by a paper crane. In the Land of Perpetual Life, noone was happy and they all wished to die because they had lived so long. Sentaro eventually felt this way too and prayed again to go back home. While praying the paper crane emerged from his pocket and flew him back towards Japan, however they got caught in a storm and fell into the ocean where a shark almost ate him. Here Sentaro woke up and a messenger of Jokfu told him what happened and to be content with the life he has.
Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki. Web Source.
Friday, March 9, 2018
Week 8 Progress
So far I am happy with my progress in this course. I have to admit my weekly routine could use a little work, but I do always get assignments done. The assignments that I enjoy the most are probably the storytelling's. I like these assignments because there is so much flexibility in them, and it's a great way to de-stress from my science classes by letting my creative juices flow.
Looking forward I would like to continue working on and improving my weekly routine. Sometimes I am very good about working a few days ahead and other times I can be finishing assignments at the last minute. I would like to have a little more consistency in my approach as I finish out the rest of the semester.
Looking forward I would like to continue working on and improving my weekly routine. Sometimes I am very good about working a few days ahead and other times I can be finishing assignments at the last minute. I would like to have a little more consistency in my approach as I finish out the rest of the semester.
Motivation. Web Source.
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Week 8 Comments and Feedback
So far I received really great feedback on both my stories that I've written and my project. The comments that I find most useful are the ones that ask questions about the story or suggest ways I could elaborate. I like these comments as opposed to just grammatical error comments because they allow me to think outside the box and develop new ideas that I hadn't thought about before.
In return I feel like I have tried to leave those kinds of comments on other people's posts as well. Although grammar is important, I feel like that is something that is easier to fix and for the writer to realize on their own.
I really like that my blog and comment wall is an easy place where I can connect with other students in the class. I feel like both represent me very well and are a great place for people to get to know me!
Looking forward I want to continue developing my blog and project with the help of awesome feedback!
In return I feel like I have tried to leave those kinds of comments on other people's posts as well. Although grammar is important, I feel like that is something that is easier to fix and for the writer to realize on their own.
I really like that my blog and comment wall is an easy place where I can connect with other students in the class. I feel like both represent me very well and are a great place for people to get to know me!
Looking forward I want to continue developing my blog and project with the help of awesome feedback!
This feedback cat is a great example of what I talked about in the previous paragraphs. We can't grow without feedback!
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Week 8 Reading and Writing
Overall the readings and writings throughout the first half of the semester have been going really well for me! Some weeks it is easier to retell the story that went along with the readings for that week than others, but overall I am really enjoying it! My favorite reading so far has been Cupid and Psyche. Although rather lengthy, I was completely drawn from the first paragraph of this story to the last. I also had the most fun writing my own story from this reading.
So far I am very happy and excited about my class project. I am getting to do it over a topic that I really love and that makes it so much more enjoyable and easier to write about! I think so far my biggest accomplishment in this class has been being able to translate the story of The Nutcracker in a way that people who have never seen it can understand. I was also able to create a story within a story while doing this. I am extremely excited to see where my project goes and what stories will come out of it.
Moving forward I would really like to get more ahead in the class so that I am not stressing daily about the assignments due that day. I have been able to get ahead at certain points throughout the semester but haven't been able to maintain it, and moving forward I really want to do that so I can hopefully finish early!
So far I am very happy and excited about my class project. I am getting to do it over a topic that I really love and that makes it so much more enjoyable and easier to write about! I think so far my biggest accomplishment in this class has been being able to translate the story of The Nutcracker in a way that people who have never seen it can understand. I was also able to create a story within a story while doing this. I am extremely excited to see where my project goes and what stories will come out of it.
Moving forward I would really like to get more ahead in the class so that I am not stressing daily about the assignments due that day. I have been able to get ahead at certain points throughout the semester but haven't been able to maintain it, and moving forward I really want to do that so I can hopefully finish early!
Cupid and Psyche. Web Source.
I chose a picture from my reading Cupid and Psyche not only because this has been my favorite reading so far, but also because this is a painting is of a pivotal moment in the story! In the story, Psyche is unaware of Cupid's true identity and he told her that if she every tried to see who he really was she would lose him forever. One night, she was tempted and gazed upon him with a oil lamp. Unfortunately, a drop of hot oil fell on Cupid and woke him, causing him to flee. To find out what happens to the fate of Cupid and Psyches complicated love story you will have to read for yourself! Here's a link to the story :)
Monday, February 26, 2018
Wikipedia Trail: From Osiris to Bone Tools
For my Wikipedia trail, I started out with Osiris, the Egyptian god of the afterlife. I wanted to start out with this topic because it was a character that I came across in someone's story and it really caught my interest as something that I wanted to look into further. In this article I found that he was not only known as the god of the afterlife but he was also seen as a merciful judge that granted life by providing vegetation and the flooding of the Nile River. I decided to click on Nile River as my next link.
In the article about the Nile River, it mostly talked about where it flows and its tributaries, however id did mention that it has been the lifeline of the Egyptian people since the Stone Age. Curious as to what the Stone Age might have been like for the Egyptians, that was my next link.
To my surprise, the Stone Age article gave a very wide definition of what it was. This article simply described it as a prehistoric period where stone was used to implements with an edge. The period lasted about 3.4 million years. The Stone Age was then followed by the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. During the Stone Age the article mentioned that "bone tools" were used and I was curious to what that meant so I clicked to find out.
Well, turns out a bone tool is simply just a tool that is made from bone. Kind of unexciting. However, some of the oldest bone tools that have been found are 1.5 million years old and come from African descent.
In the article about the Nile River, it mostly talked about where it flows and its tributaries, however id did mention that it has been the lifeline of the Egyptian people since the Stone Age. Curious as to what the Stone Age might have been like for the Egyptians, that was my next link.
To my surprise, the Stone Age article gave a very wide definition of what it was. This article simply described it as a prehistoric period where stone was used to implements with an edge. The period lasted about 3.4 million years. The Stone Age was then followed by the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. During the Stone Age the article mentioned that "bone tools" were used and I was curious to what that meant so I clicked to find out.
Well, turns out a bone tool is simply just a tool that is made from bone. Kind of unexciting. However, some of the oldest bone tools that have been found are 1.5 million years old and come from African descent.
Osiris- god of the afterlife. Web Source.
Tech Tip: Online Typing Test
This week for my tech tip I decided to take a couple different online typing tests. The first test I took was from the website Key Hero, and the second test I took was from a site called Typing Test. Both tests were similar in that it gave you a chunk of text to read/copy into a separate text box. I personally liked the second website better because not only did I get to pick what text I copied (I picked a chunk from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" but you also only typed for 60 seconds whereas the first website you just kept typing until you got through the text. According to both websites I am right in the middle of the typing scale as "fluent". Maybe I should work on my typing??
Colored Fingers. Web Source.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Week 7 Story: Brer Rabbit and the Tar-Baby
One day Mr. Fox decided he wanted to play a trick on Brer Rabbit. Mr. Fox went to the market and bought a large tub of the sweetest and stickiest molasses he could find. He then went to a path that Brer Rabbit frequents often and constructed a Tar-Baby made from molasses. Admiring his work, Mr. Fox retreated to the bushes to watch and wait for Brer Rabbit to come by.
It didn't take long for Brer Rabbit to come along on his way. Brer Rabbit could smell the sweet molasses from down the road and was immediately intrigued by the Tar-Baby. Coming nearer, Brer Rabbit saw that the Tar-Baby was indeed sweet, delicious molasses and he was tempted to taste a bite. Brer Rabbit knew he shouldn't touch the Tar-Baby as he didn't know who he belonged to, but he couldn't help himself and decided one tiny bite couldn't hurt. Sticking out his tongue he licked the Tar-Baby, however when he tried to pull away, he found himself stuck! The wolf jumped out of the bushes and burst out in laughter at the stuck Brer Rabbit. "I've got you again Brer Rabbit!" exclaimed Mr. Fox. "Have fun getting yourself out of this one!".
Some say that Mr. Bear came along and helped Brer Rabbit free himself from the molasses prison, and others say he didn't.
Mr. Fox constructing Tar-Baby. Web Source.
Authors note: The original story is written in the dialect of Uncle Remus, so the first big change I made was simply telling the story in normal dialect from a narrators point of view. This makes it much easier to read and understand. I didn't want to change the story too much because it is a very famous and classic story, however in the original text Mr. Fox makes the tar baby from turpentine and Brer Rabbit ends up stuck in it after getting angry that the tar baby would not talk back to him. I wanted to take the anger out of it and switched the tar baby to being made out of yummy molasses that Brer Rabbit couldn't resist. I decided to leave the ending up to reader's imagination like the original text.
Bibliography: The Wonderful Tar Baby from Uncle Remus: His Songs and Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris.
Reading Notes: Brer Rabbit, Part B
Part B consisted of more stories about Brer Rabbit and other various characters. These tales were entitled, Mr. Fox and the Deceitful Frogs, Old Mr. Rabbit- He's a Good Fisherman, Mr. Rabbit Meets His Match Again, A Story about the Little Rabbits, Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Bear, Mr. Terrapin Shows His Strength, The Story of the Deluge, and Plantation Proverbs.
Something really unique about the Brer Rabbit Stories is that they are told in dialect from "Uncle Remus". They are difficult to read on their own because of the dialect so it is important to either read them out loud, or listen to the recordings that are offered! For Part B, I chose the listening option and the story I enjoyed the most was Mr. Fox and the Deceitful Frogs.
In the story Mr. Fox is tricked into the pond where the frogs live and almost drowns but manages to escape. I enjoyed it because the last story that I wrote about in Part A, Mr. Fox was doing the tricking, so it was fun to see him getting a taste of his own medicine.
Bibliography: Mr. Fox and the Deceitful Frogs from Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings written by Joel Chandler Harris.
Something really unique about the Brer Rabbit Stories is that they are told in dialect from "Uncle Remus". They are difficult to read on their own because of the dialect so it is important to either read them out loud, or listen to the recordings that are offered! For Part B, I chose the listening option and the story I enjoyed the most was Mr. Fox and the Deceitful Frogs.
In the story Mr. Fox is tricked into the pond where the frogs live and almost drowns but manages to escape. I enjoyed it because the last story that I wrote about in Part A, Mr. Fox was doing the tricking, so it was fun to see him getting a taste of his own medicine.
Mr. Fox almost drowning. Web Source.
Bibliography: Mr. Fox and the Deceitful Frogs from Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings written by Joel Chandler Harris.
Reading Notes: Brer Rabbit, Part A
I was excited to see Brer Rabbit as an option for the reading this week because I grew up with this tale! My parents used to read it to me all the time and I remember enjoying it very much as a child. I was surprised however to see it under the "African Tales" origin. I did not know that this story comes from African history.
Part A consisted of 8 parts including Brer Rabbit and the Calamus Root, The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story, Why Mr. Possum Loves Peace, How Mr. Rabbit was too Sharp for Mr. Fox, Mr. Fox is "Outdone" by Mr. Buzzard, Mr. Wolf Makes a Failure, Mr. Fox Tackles Old Man Tarrypin, and finally The Awful Fate of Mr. Wolf.
The tale that I could see myself retelling this week would be The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story. I like this story because it one of the specific stories that I really remember as a child. It turns out that is is also the most famous of the Brer Rabbit stories so that makes sense as to why its the one I remember the most.
In the story, Mr. Fox creates a tar baby from "turkentime" a sticky substance resembling tar. Mr. Fox then hides and waits for Brer Rabbit to come along. Eventually, Brer rabbit comes along and tries to talk to the tar baby, and of course the tar baby doesn't respond because it is made of tar. Brer Rabbit becomes frustrated and ends up punching the tar baby and getting stuck in the tar. Mr. Fox comes out from the bushes and laughs and the story ends with the narrator saying some say that the Judge came and freed Brer Rabbit and others say he didn't.
I am excited about potentially retelling this story, as it brought up sweet memories from my childhood!
Bibliography: The Wonderful Tar Baby from Uncle Remus: His Songs and Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris.
Part A consisted of 8 parts including Brer Rabbit and the Calamus Root, The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story, Why Mr. Possum Loves Peace, How Mr. Rabbit was too Sharp for Mr. Fox, Mr. Fox is "Outdone" by Mr. Buzzard, Mr. Wolf Makes a Failure, Mr. Fox Tackles Old Man Tarrypin, and finally The Awful Fate of Mr. Wolf.
The tale that I could see myself retelling this week would be The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story. I like this story because it one of the specific stories that I really remember as a child. It turns out that is is also the most famous of the Brer Rabbit stories so that makes sense as to why its the one I remember the most.
In the story, Mr. Fox creates a tar baby from "turkentime" a sticky substance resembling tar. Mr. Fox then hides and waits for Brer Rabbit to come along. Eventually, Brer rabbit comes along and tries to talk to the tar baby, and of course the tar baby doesn't respond because it is made of tar. Brer Rabbit becomes frustrated and ends up punching the tar baby and getting stuck in the tar. Mr. Fox comes out from the bushes and laughs and the story ends with the narrator saying some say that the Judge came and freed Brer Rabbit and others say he didn't.
I am excited about potentially retelling this story, as it brought up sweet memories from my childhood!
Brer Rabbit and the Tar-Baby. Web Source.
Bibliography: The Wonderful Tar Baby from Uncle Remus: His Songs and Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Week 6 Story: The Ungrateful Mother
Once there was a Brahman who lived with his wife and mother. It is traditional in the Indian culture that the son continues to take care of his mother into old age. However, the Brahman's mother was a real witch and made life unpleasant for The Brahman and his wife.
One day as the mother was out on a walk cursing to herself about daily inconveniences, Sarita a friendly nature dwelling ghost came to her. Sarita asked why the mother was so unhappy and the mother just continued to complain. Sarita saw that the mother was ungrateful for her son and daughter-in-law and took the mother in law and locked her up in her woodland house. Sarita then dressed like the mother and made her way to the Brahman's house.
At the Brahman's house Sarita was a completely new version of the mother. She helped around the house, thanked the Brahman and the daughter-in-law, and was pleasant to be around. Both the Brahman and his wife were relived with the mothers new change of character. However, after some time the wife started to notice strange things about the mother. She was able to do things more quickly than a woman her age should be able to do, and she would stay up all hours of the night.
One day the Brahman saw his mother swimming and singing in the nearby pond and he knew he had to confront her, because all of her life she has never been able to swim. The Brahman asked his mother who she was and Sarita confessed saying that she came across his real mother in the woods and was burdened with her negativity and wanted to make life better for both him and his wife. The Brahman, thanked Sarita but said that as nice as its been to have her pleasant spirit around, that he must have his real mother back. Sarita agreed to let his mother go if as long as she promised to change her attitude towards life and be thankful for her son and daughter-in-law.
Back in the woods Sarita took The Brahman to his mother who was quite afraid. The Brahman told his mother that Sarita has agreed to let her go as long as she changes her outlook on life. The mother, willing to do anything to be free once again agreed and was let go by Sarita.
Back at their house the mother became much happier, helped with chores and made life pleasant for the Brahman and his wife just like Sarita had done. They all lived happily together for quite some time.
Author's note: In the original tale entitled The Ghostly Wife, the wife of the Brahman is replaced by am evil ghost. At first neither the Brahman or his mother know what has happened but eventually the mother notices the wife doing strange things such as sticking her limbs through walls and into fires. The mother and Brahman call upon and exorcist who burns turmeric and expels the ghost from the wife's form. The ghost takes them to where she has thrown the wife into a hole and they rescue her short from death. After recovery, the Brahmam, his wife, and his mother live happily ever after. I changed the story to have the mother be the one replaced and I also reversed the roles of the evil ghost and nice wife- to having the ghost actually be a friendly ghost and the mother being evil. I used a name generator to come up with the name of Sarita.
Bibliography: The Ghostly Wife from Folktales of Bengal written by Rev. Lal Behari Day.
One day as the mother was out on a walk cursing to herself about daily inconveniences, Sarita a friendly nature dwelling ghost came to her. Sarita asked why the mother was so unhappy and the mother just continued to complain. Sarita saw that the mother was ungrateful for her son and daughter-in-law and took the mother in law and locked her up in her woodland house. Sarita then dressed like the mother and made her way to the Brahman's house.
At the Brahman's house Sarita was a completely new version of the mother. She helped around the house, thanked the Brahman and the daughter-in-law, and was pleasant to be around. Both the Brahman and his wife were relived with the mothers new change of character. However, after some time the wife started to notice strange things about the mother. She was able to do things more quickly than a woman her age should be able to do, and she would stay up all hours of the night.
One day the Brahman saw his mother swimming and singing in the nearby pond and he knew he had to confront her, because all of her life she has never been able to swim. The Brahman asked his mother who she was and Sarita confessed saying that she came across his real mother in the woods and was burdened with her negativity and wanted to make life better for both him and his wife. The Brahman, thanked Sarita but said that as nice as its been to have her pleasant spirit around, that he must have his real mother back. Sarita agreed to let his mother go if as long as she promised to change her attitude towards life and be thankful for her son and daughter-in-law.
Back in the woods Sarita took The Brahman to his mother who was quite afraid. The Brahman told his mother that Sarita has agreed to let her go as long as she changes her outlook on life. The mother, willing to do anything to be free once again agreed and was let go by Sarita.
Back at their house the mother became much happier, helped with chores and made life pleasant for the Brahman and his wife just like Sarita had done. They all lived happily together for quite some time.
My character Sarita, the friendly woodland ghost. Web Source.
Author's note: In the original tale entitled The Ghostly Wife, the wife of the Brahman is replaced by am evil ghost. At first neither the Brahman or his mother know what has happened but eventually the mother notices the wife doing strange things such as sticking her limbs through walls and into fires. The mother and Brahman call upon and exorcist who burns turmeric and expels the ghost from the wife's form. The ghost takes them to where she has thrown the wife into a hole and they rescue her short from death. After recovery, the Brahmam, his wife, and his mother live happily ever after. I changed the story to have the mother be the one replaced and I also reversed the roles of the evil ghost and nice wife- to having the ghost actually be a friendly ghost and the mother being evil. I used a name generator to come up with the name of Sarita.
Bibliography: The Ghostly Wife from Folktales of Bengal written by Rev. Lal Behari Day.
Reading Notes: Bengal, Part B
Reading B of Bengal was just as enjoyable to read as Part A. The folk tales in Part B consisted of The Ghostly Wife, The Story of Brahmadaitya, The Origin of Rubies, The Ghost who was Afraid of being Bagged, and The Bald Wife.
My favorite of these tales was The Ghostly Wife. This tale was very much like The Brahmin-Ghost that I wrote about from Part A. However The Ghostly Wife had some significant differences that I found enjoyable.
In the The Ghostly Wife, the wife of the Brahman is thrown into a pit by a woman ghost and the woman ghost takes her place.
At first the Brahman and his mother don't notice any differences but eventually the mother starts to notice the wife doing strange things such as doing chores too quickly and sticking her limbs through walls to deliver objects to her.
After the mother caught the wife with her foot in a fire she knew she had to be a ghost so called upon and exorcist. The exorcist burned turmeric and immediately the ghost came forward and confessed telling them where they could find the real wife. The real wife was rescued and they loved happily ever after.
I thought this story was interesting because in The Brahman- Ghost story no one knew that he had been replaced by a ghost and even when he tried to tell people they did not believe him. In this story I liked that they mother began to pick up on that the wife had been replaced by a ghost.
Bibliography: The Folktales of Bengal by Rev. Lal Behari Day.
My favorite of these tales was The Ghostly Wife. This tale was very much like The Brahmin-Ghost that I wrote about from Part A. However The Ghostly Wife had some significant differences that I found enjoyable.
In the The Ghostly Wife, the wife of the Brahman is thrown into a pit by a woman ghost and the woman ghost takes her place.
At first the Brahman and his mother don't notice any differences but eventually the mother starts to notice the wife doing strange things such as doing chores too quickly and sticking her limbs through walls to deliver objects to her.
After the mother caught the wife with her foot in a fire she knew she had to be a ghost so called upon and exorcist. The exorcist burned turmeric and immediately the ghost came forward and confessed telling them where they could find the real wife. The real wife was rescued and they loved happily ever after.
I thought this story was interesting because in The Brahman- Ghost story no one knew that he had been replaced by a ghost and even when he tried to tell people they did not believe him. In this story I liked that they mother began to pick up on that the wife had been replaced by a ghost.
The Ghostly Wife. Web Source.
Bibliography: The Folktales of Bengal by Rev. Lal Behari Day.
Reading Notes: Bengal, Part A
The stories in Part A of Bengal were really fun to read. My favorite story out of the few was The Ghost-Brahman. In this story there is a poor Brahman who was having trouble getting married. He begged for money and that he may find a wife. He eventually succeeded in scraping together enough money to pay for the wedding and was married.
After bringing his wife home he realized that he had no money to support her, or his mother so he went to distant countries to collect money.
That night, after he left a ghost that appeared to be Brahman appeared to his wife and his wife wondered how he had returned so soon. The ghost told the wife that he had already gotten money and continued to live with them, controlling the household. After some years, the real Brahman returned and was confused to find another like him in the house. The ghost treated the real Brahman as a stranger and asked what his business was. The real Brahman, angered, said the same thing to the ghost. The real Brahman was cast away and did not know what to do.
He went to king after king and no one thought he was the real Brahman. The Brahman who weeped every day as a result was noticed by the cowboys. The coyboy king wished to see him and the Brahman told him his sad story. The coyboy king agreed to help him and brought both the real Brahman and ghost Brahman together.
He told them whichever could get themselves into a tiny phial would be declared the owner of the household. The ghost quickly made himself into a small creature and put himself inside the phial. The king put the lid on the phial to where the ghost could not get out and told the real Brahman to throw the phial to the bottom of the sea and to go back to his mother and wife. The Brahman lived happily ever after and had many sons and daughters.
I really enjoyed this story and the trickery at the end was very clever. I could see myself retelling this story later in the week!
After bringing his wife home he realized that he had no money to support her, or his mother so he went to distant countries to collect money.
That night, after he left a ghost that appeared to be Brahman appeared to his wife and his wife wondered how he had returned so soon. The ghost told the wife that he had already gotten money and continued to live with them, controlling the household. After some years, the real Brahman returned and was confused to find another like him in the house. The ghost treated the real Brahman as a stranger and asked what his business was. The real Brahman, angered, said the same thing to the ghost. The real Brahman was cast away and did not know what to do.
He went to king after king and no one thought he was the real Brahman. The Brahman who weeped every day as a result was noticed by the cowboys. The coyboy king wished to see him and the Brahman told him his sad story. The coyboy king agreed to help him and brought both the real Brahman and ghost Brahman together.
He told them whichever could get themselves into a tiny phial would be declared the owner of the household. The ghost quickly made himself into a small creature and put himself inside the phial. The king put the lid on the phial to where the ghost could not get out and told the real Brahman to throw the phial to the bottom of the sea and to go back to his mother and wife. The Brahman lived happily ever after and had many sons and daughters.
I really enjoyed this story and the trickery at the end was very clever. I could see myself retelling this story later in the week!
The Brahman with his mother and wife. Web Source.
Bibliography: The Brahman-Ghost from The Folktales of Bengal by Rev. Lal Behari Day.
Friday, February 16, 2018
Week 5 Story: Sinbad's Second Voyage
My second voyage started out good, but I should've known it wouldn't last. After sailing for 3 days we came to an island to rest. Bountiful with lush greens and flowers, there seemed to be no human life. Overtook by it's beauty I began to explore the island. Unfortunately, seeming as though I was overtaken by the beautiful scenery, I wandered too far and lost my way. After many hours I finally made to the top of a hill where I could overlook the island and see where I was. What I saw was very disheartening.
Sailing away in the ocean was my ship, along with my crew. How could they forget about me? I tried to cry out to them but it was no use, they were gone. Unsure of what to do next I sat down with my head in my hands. Next thing I know I am being picked up off the ground and hoisted into the air by what seems to be ginormous claw. I looked up, and sure enough I was being carried away by a giant eagle to my death. I thought about throwing myself into the sky to plummet to my fate, but before I could do so, the eagle dropped me into its big next and flew away.
In the nest was a giant egg that could easily crush me. Great, I am going to be baby food when this egg hatches I thought. However, relieved that the mother eagle was gone momentarily I sat down leaning against the egg trying to formulate a plan.
Not soon after I pressed my back up against the egg, the egg pushed back! Oh no, it's already happening I thought to myself. The egg began to shake some more and begin to crack open revealing a baby chick inside. New with life, the baby chick stretched out of its broken shell and rubbed its fuzzy head against me. To my surprise this was the cutest, sweetest chick I'd ever seen!
Usually baby chicks can't fly until they are at least a few months old, but this chick magically stretched out its wings and flew out into the sky and circled right back to the nest landing next to me. If only I could get it to carry me down from this nest and into that nearby valley before I have to deal with the wrath of the mother eagle. The starts must have been in line for me that day because no later that that thought popped into my head that the baby bird scooped me up by my turban, flew me down out of the nest and to the nearby valley and set me softly on the ground and then flew away.
To my relief, I was greeted by a group of travelers who were also on the island trying to collect great riches. I explained to them my misfortunes and they agreed to let me travel with them back to Bagdad.
Sailing away in the ocean was my ship, along with my crew. How could they forget about me? I tried to cry out to them but it was no use, they were gone. Unsure of what to do next I sat down with my head in my hands. Next thing I know I am being picked up off the ground and hoisted into the air by what seems to be ginormous claw. I looked up, and sure enough I was being carried away by a giant eagle to my death. I thought about throwing myself into the sky to plummet to my fate, but before I could do so, the eagle dropped me into its big next and flew away.
In the nest was a giant egg that could easily crush me. Great, I am going to be baby food when this egg hatches I thought. However, relieved that the mother eagle was gone momentarily I sat down leaning against the egg trying to formulate a plan.
Not soon after I pressed my back up against the egg, the egg pushed back! Oh no, it's already happening I thought to myself. The egg began to shake some more and begin to crack open revealing a baby chick inside. New with life, the baby chick stretched out of its broken shell and rubbed its fuzzy head against me. To my surprise this was the cutest, sweetest chick I'd ever seen!
Usually baby chicks can't fly until they are at least a few months old, but this chick magically stretched out its wings and flew out into the sky and circled right back to the nest landing next to me. If only I could get it to carry me down from this nest and into that nearby valley before I have to deal with the wrath of the mother eagle. The starts must have been in line for me that day because no later that that thought popped into my head that the baby bird scooped me up by my turban, flew me down out of the nest and to the nearby valley and set me softly on the ground and then flew away.
To my relief, I was greeted by a group of travelers who were also on the island trying to collect great riches. I explained to them my misfortunes and they agreed to let me travel with them back to Bagdad.
Me being whisked away by mother eagle.
Author's note: Inspired by the original second voyage from The Voyages of Sinbad by Andrew Lang, I put my own personal twist on what took place. In Lang's version, Sinbad falls asleep on the island and wakes up to see that his ship and crew are gone. While he is walking the island trying to figure out what he will do next, he finds a giant fuzzy white object that turns out to be an egg from a giant roc. At nightfall the roc settles upon the egg and Sinbad attaches his turban to the roc's foot in hopes that it will carry him away to somewhere with humans in the morning. His plan succeeds and in the morning he is carried away by the eagle.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Reading Notes: The Voyages of Sinbad, Part B
The second half of The Voyages of Sinbad was almost the exact same as the first. Sinbad continued to go on voyages where he encountered near death experiences, made it home safely, and then got bored and decided to go on another voyage. I thought the second half was very repetitive and a little boring. After his sixth voyage he made it a point to go on no more because of his age but alas, he went on a seventh when the commander asked him to deliver a letter to the King of Serendib in return for his friendship. Sinbad carried out the task, again merely escaping death and finally returned home to never travel again and live with all of his riches.
Sinbad on his 5th voyage. Web Source.
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Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Reading Notes: The Voyages of Sinbad, Part A
I chose to read The Voyages of Sinbad for my reading this week because in the description it said that it was much like The Odyssey, which I read last week and quite enjoyed. It also read that many inspirations for The Voyages of Sinbad came from the The Odyssey and that was not an exaggeration! I was shocked at how similar many of the stories were between the two readings. Much like The Odyssey, in The Voyages of Sinbad, Sinbad the main character is a merchant that loves to travel the world and collect great treasures. Throughout this reading, Sinbad goes on 4 voyages, all of which have almost deathly encounters. The voyage that resembled The Odyssey the most was Voyage 3, which involved a giant that held Sinbad and his companions hostage and ate them slowly. They merely escaped by stabbing him in the eye with boiling rods in his slumber and fled the island on makeshift rafts that they had made from driftwood. This is almost identical to a situation that Odysseus occurred during his journey home. Part A of this reading was very exciting and I am looking forward to reading Part B!
Sinbad fleeing on a makeshift raft. Web source.
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