Week 6 Review

(Ray Bradbury quote, link to source)

I had an extremely busy week this week, so while I was able to complete all the assignments, I didn't have a chance to read all the announcements. While reading back through them there were a lot of tips that could have helped me with the assignments. There also was a picture with a quote on it that was posted on Thursday's assignments. It was a quote from Ray Bradbury about people not reading. I love reading so I am able to do it in my free time however, I know a lot of people who never read because they would much rather watch TV or hang out with their friends. But this quote really resonated with me.

Link to Thursdays announcements

Reading Notes, Aesop for Children (Winter), Part A

(The Tortoise and the Ducks, Milo Winter)

As some extra reading this week I chose to go back to the Classical Unit we completed the first 2 weeks of school and reading something I never had the chance to: Aesop for Children. The stories in this collection were very short but still very cute to read. One of my favorites was the Tortoise and the Ducks. In this story there was a tortoise that was a home-body because he was unable to leave his home. Because of this, he was unable to attend a wedding for the goddess Jupiter. Years later he regretted not going, and wanted to see the world, so when he ran into some ducks he told them his troubles and they offered to help him see the world. They said that they would hold a stick between them while they flew and the tortoise could hold onto the stick with his teeth. Everyone was in awe, when they saw the tortoise flying, and one, a crow said that he must be the "King of Tortoises." The tortoise opened his mouth to respond and fell to the ground. The second story that I enjoyed was called the Travelers and the Sea. There were two travelers walking along the beach and they saw something in the water they thought was a treasure ship. As it got closer they thought it was a fisherman's boat carrying loads of fish. Finally it washed up on shore and the travelers thought it was a treasure chest filled with gold. They rushed to the object to find nothing but a log. The quote at the end is what I really liked. It said "Do not let your hopes carry you away from reality."

Story: Why the Lip of the Elephant Droops

(The Elephant, Flickr

There once was a family; a father, mother and twelve daughters. Now this family was extremely poor as there were so many mouths to feed. One day, the mother and father could no longer afford to feed their daughters and knew it was time for them to go. Their father placed a bunch of ashes in a basket, and covered them with a thin layer of rice, all he had left, then sent went with them into the woods to hunt for food. At the hottest point in the day, the father gave them all a strip of bamboo and told them to go fetch water for him, only he had poked a hole in the bottom of the bamboo so all the water leaked out. While they were occupied trying to get water, he returned home. Finally, the girls gave up and returned back to their camp to find nothing, but a basket of ash.

All began to cry, as they thought hope was lost. But a woman heard them and offered them a home if they would only clean her house and cook her meals. They accepted and returned back to the womans' home. There they lived happily for many years until one day, while picking berries for dinner, they were attacked by a tiger. They fled, running as fast and as far from the animal as possible. They finally slowed as they were extremely tired and were approached by an elephant. Wanting to rest for a while they asked to elephant to hide in his mouth. He agreed, and after all twelve girls climbed in, a long grey piece of clothing was left hanging outside his mouth. He traveled far until he landed back in the place the girls grew up in. Their mother heard the elephant wander up and came outside to see what the ruckus was about. She saw the clothing hanging out of his mouth and recognized it as one of her daughters. Thinking the elephant injured her daughters, she cursed him and his kind, so from then on, the lip of all elephants were destined to droop down like the garment hanging out of his mouth.

Bibliography: Laos Folk-Lore by Katherine Neville Fleeson link to reading

Authors Note: The beginning of this story is the same as the original. However, in the original the woman that found them offered them a home if they would take care of her daughter, while she was in the woods. They agreed and went to live with the woman. The first time the woman left, she said she was going to be gone just a short while and to not go into the garden. The woman ended up being gone the entire day but still the girls did not go into the garden. The next time she left she said the same thing, but the girls, thinking she was going to be gone the entire day went into the garden and saw human bones strewn about the yard. The woman that rescued them was a cannibal. The girls ran and first hid inside a cows mouth to rest. Then continued to run and hid inside the elephants mouth but the end of one of the girls dresses hung out. Meanwhile the woman came home and realizing the girls left, went to find them. She asked the cow where they went and he told her. She then happened upon the elephant and realizing the girls were inside his mouth, due to the dress hanging out, asked where they were. The elephant lied, and because he lied, she cursed him to a life of his lip drooping .

Reading Notes, Laos, Part B

This part contained many stories that I enjoyed however my favorite was "A Boy of the City Streets." This story began when three men approached a boy on the outskirts of a town. The boy asked where the men were going and as they were wise men, they grew angry when he spoke. So they caught him and planned to sell him. They traveled to another town, and on the way tried to get rid of him. Eventually they wanted him to go into the city for fire, and he said he will if he could tie them to a post. They agreed and the boy went into the town, and eventually sold the three wise men. I dont think that there is very much I could change in this story because its so simple and short but I could at least change the setting, or the wording to make it more present day. 

(Town in Laos, Pixabay)

Bibliography: Laos Folk-Lore by Katherine Neville Fleeson link to reading

Reading Notes, Laos, Part A

(Elephants Trunk, Flickr)

This week I chose to read Asian Folktales, called Laos. The first part of this collection of stories was interesting. I read about a lot of things including mystical spirits, giants and cannibals which I was definitely not expecting. The story in this part that I found most interesting was called Why the Lip of the Elephant Droops. There are 12 girls, whose parents abandon them in the woods (this part reminded me of Hansel and Gretel). A women finds them and says she will give them a home, if they will only play with her daughter. For a while they all lived in harmony until the women begins to go into the woods for a short time. She tells the girls not to go into the garden and they obey the first time. The second time they walk into the garden and see human bones. They ran away and climbed into an elephants mouth to hide from the women. When the girls climbed into its mouth however, part of one's dress hung out, and the women saw and cursed the elephant to have a trunk for the rest of its life. A trunk that looked like a garment. I just really like elephants, so to hear this folktale from a different country about why they have trunks was interesting. If I choose this story to rewrite however, I will not be making the woman a cannibal.

Bibliography: Laos Folklore by Katherine Neville Fleeson Link to the reading

Story: The Cruel Crane Outwitted

There once was a crane

(The Crane and the Fish, John D. Batten)

Some fish, a crab
Who lived in a pond that was oh so drab
The fish began to disappear
So the crane said
I know of a place not far from here
The water there is cool and clear
And we will all have nothing to fear
I can take you there one at a time
Where you can live peacefully for a lifetime
He took a fish in his mouth and flew away
But instead of saving he choose to slay
He continued to move the fish day by day
And left the bones beside the pond
Until all the fish were gone and conned
Only the crab remained
The crane flew towards the pond but the crab saw the bones
He knew what was happening and let out a groan
To avoid certain death the crab knew what to do
He strangled the crane and started his life anew

Authors Note: The original story has the same plot as the story above. The only thing I changed was I made it into a poem/story that rhymed.

Bibliography: The Cruel Crane Outwitted by Joseph Jacobs link to reading

Indian Fairy Tales, Reading Notes, Part A

(The Crane, John Dickson Batten)

This week I read Indian Fairy Tales. My favorite story in this collection was called The Cruel Crane Outwitted. This story was about a crane, who was having trouble finding food. So he told the fish that it was unsafe to stay in their current pond and he could move them to a new home. One at a time he took the fish in his mouth and "moved" them to the new pond, but was really eating them. Eventually he took a crab to the new pond, but the crane transported him around his neck. The crab saw the fish bones on the ground and knew what was happening so he killed the crane. Maybe for my story this week I can make this story have a happy ending, where the crane and fish and crab live peacefully together.

Bibliography: Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs link to reading

Week 4 Review

As I was looking over the previous weeks announcements, I found that there was a lot of important information that I missed. A lot of which were updates on the assignments due. So re-reading the announcements helped as now I can be 100% sure that I didn't miss anything important. My favorite thing from the announcements was a graphic, which is posted below. It was posted on Thursday, September 15th. Here's the link to that days announcements: http://ouclassannouncements.blogspot.com/2016/09/thursday-september-15.html

(Cloth vs. Clothes)

Tech Tip: Google Site Website

I just made a website for my storybook! Go check it out if you want! The link is https://sites.google.com/site/mythologyfolklorestorybook/. It was super easy and took barely any time at all so try to make one!

Feedback Focus

(Timing Method)

Out of the three strageties, the one that was most useful to me was reading out loud. This was because  I tend to read really fast, so I end up skipping a lot of the important details. By reading out loud, it forced me to slow down and really make sure that I read every single word in the story. The one that helped me the least was the timing strategy. This strategy just stressed me out because I felt like I was running out of time and I had the read the story super fast in order to finish in time. For the reading out loud strategy, the biggest advantage was it slowed your reading speed down. The biggest disadvantage is you have to be in a place where you are able to read out loud. For the copy and paste method, the biggest advantage is that you are able to take notes while reading, and also are able to keep track of how much you read. The biggest disadvantage is that it takes a little bit more time, and you have to stop after every paragraph in order to take notes on what you just read. The biggest advantage to the timing strategy is that it gives you a time limit, so you are basically forcing yourself to just read for 10 minutes and do nothing else. The biggest disadvantage is that sometimes the story is really long and you can't finish reading it in by when the timer goes off. I probably would only use the reading out loud strategy in the future, as I really didn't like the other two very much. I'm a really big color person so a strategy I use is to copy the story into word, and insert notes into the story in a different color. So if I had a really strong reaction to a certain part, then I would type my notes in a different color directly after that part. So its kind of like the copy and paste method, but I don't delete the story.

Fables of Bidpai, Reading Notes, Part B

(The Crane and the Fish)

My favorite stories in this second reading of Fables of Bidpai are " The Hare, the Fox and the Wolf," and "The Crane and the Crab." The Hare, the Fox and the Wolf begin when the Wolf wants to eat the Hare, however the Hare wanting to live tells the Wolf there is a very plump, tasty fox not far from them. So the Hare takes the Wolf to the Fox's den. The Fox saw them coming so when the Hare came inside and asked if he could bring a friend, the Fox said basically said sure but let me clean first. While cleaning the fox recovered a pit he had dug so when the Hare and Wolf walked inside they fell into the pit. Then the Wolf ate the Hare, and the Fox got away. The second story is called the Crane and the Crab. There was a very old Crane, so old that she couldn't get her own fish anymore. So in order to ensure her survival she told a crab that there were fisherman who were going to catch all the fish and leave the pond empty. The Crab went and told all the fish this, and the fish came swimming to the Crane for advice. The Crane said that she could take them to an enchanted pool, where the water is crystal clear and they could never want for food. But she could only take 3 or 4 fish a day. So everyday the Crane took some fish to the "enchanted pool" but the minute she was out of site she devoured the fish. Eventually the Crab wanted to go, so the Crane said yes because she wanted him out of the way. She told him to wrap his claws around her neck, and took off flying. The crab saw the fish bones at the Crane's hunting spot and knew he had been tricked so he tightened his claws and strangled her. 

Bibliography: The Tortoise and the Geese and Other Fables of Bidpai by Maude Barrows Dutton link to reading

Fables of Bidpai, Reading Notes, Part A

(The Ass, the Lion, and the Fox)

To be honest, some of these stories I found to be extremely boring. But there were a few that I liked. The first is called "The King, the Falcon, and the Drinking Cup." In this story a king got separated from his company while hunting and grew thirsty. So he tried to drink from a stream but every time he raised the cup to his lips, a falcon came and knocked it away. Eventually the king grew so angry that he killed the falcon. When he sent someone to obtain water from the source of the spring, he found that poison was leaking into the spring, so the falcon actually saved his life. The second story that I liked was "The Merchant and His Iron." In this story I wonder if the merchant actually did anything to his friends son or was just lying about it. The third story I liked is called "The Ass, the Lion, and the Fox." In this story the Lion is ill and the only way he can be cured is if he ate the ears, and heart of an ass. The Fox didn't want the Lion to be ill as he ate the leftovers of the Lions prey, so he tricked the Ass to come near the Lion, and then once the Lion had slaughtered him, the Fox ate the ass's ears and heart himself.

Bibliography: The Tortoise and the Geese, and Other Fables of Bidpai by Maude Dutton link to reading

Tech Tip: Pinterest Board

Pinterest is one of my favorite things to use! I have used it for recipes, for ideas to decorate my room and apartment, for style tips, tattoo inspiration, basically everything. I guess you could say that I'm a Pinterest addict! Here is the link to my Pinterest board for Mythology and Folklore:

Story: The Fairy Frog

Once upon a time there lived an old couple, who had a son named Haina. One day Haina, who was grown, married and on his own, received word that his parents were ill and that he should come quickly. When he arrived, Haina's father gave him instructions about what should be done after their deaths. He told Haina to mourn them for seven days, and on the eve of the seventh, to go to the marketplace and buy the first thing offered to him, regardless of the cost, as it would bring him and his family good fortune.

Within the next couple weeks, both Haina's mother and father died. They had a funeral and Haina mourned for seven days. That evening he made his way towards the marketpalce. He had scarcely walked through the entrance when a man approached him, offering to him, a silver casket. Haina asked what was in the box, however the man was unable to say. So remembering his fathers advice, Haina purchased it for one thousand gold pieces; all the gold him and his wife had left.

(The Fairy Frog)

When he got home, Haina opened the casket and out sprang a frog. His wife was very disapointed but, she gave the frog some food, and a cabinet for its home. For the next eight days the frog continued to do nothing but eat. It grew to an enormous size and eventually Haina was forced to build it a shed outside. The frog ate so much that Haina and his wife had little to eat themselves. They were forced to sell some of their things to keep the frog supplied with food and were left in a state of poverty. Eventually Haina's wife broke down in tears. Suprisingly the frog then spoke and said, "as you have been kind to me, tell me what you want and I will grant your wish." Haina declared his wish first and told the frog all he wanted was enough food so that his family would never be hungry again. "Ask and you shall recieve" croaked the frog. There was a knock on the door at that very moment, and when answered, there, on the step, was a huge basket of food. Then Haina's wife spoke and announced that her wish was to be able to have a child, as she had been trying for over a year. "Ask and you shall recieve" croaked the frog.

(Haina's daughter)

Throughout the next year the frog continued to live with Haina and his family. Haina's wife had given birth to a baby girl, and the frog continued to eat until he was bigger than a person. One day, the frog again spoke and said, "It is time for me to leave you but, to repay you for all the kindness that you have shown me, I wish to give you one more gift." Haina's family, baby and all, followed the frog into the woods and, when they got there, the frog began gathering his gifts for them. At their feet, he deposited rare herbs that cure sickness, so that the family would never suffer from a fatal disease or sickness. He also dropped a handful of precious gems and stones so that the family would never again have to live in poverty. He gave one final gift to Haina, and that was a promise. A promise to return in 30 years when his daughter was fully grown, and if she showed the same kindness, a promise to grant any wish she desired, so her parents would never have to worry about her health or happiness again.

Haina and his wife thanked the frog relentlessey, however they still didn't know who exactly they were thanking. So when the frog began to hop away, Haina asked. The frog answered, "I am the fairy son of Adam, and am gifted with the power of assumming any form. Farewell." He then shrunk back down to his normal size and disappeared into the woods, not to be seen or heard from again. Well at least for the next 30 years...

Authors Note: The first part of my story has the same basic plot as the original story, I just changed the wording to make it more for this generation. However, I began changing the plot of the story when the frog first started granting wishes. In the original story the frog grants Haina's wife the gift of food, and Haina asks for the power of knowledge. So the frog wrote the seventy languages, and Law on strips of paper and made Haina swallow it. Once it was swallowed Haina became aquainted with all the knowledge in the world. Then the frog took them into the woods where he called upon the birds and insects to bring all the precious stones and herbs to Haina. The family from then on, became known for their knowledge, wealth, wisdom, and charity. But the frog never made any promise to come back, I added that part.

Bibliography: Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends, "The Fairy Frog" by Gertrude Landa link to the reading

Reading Notes, Jewish Fairy Tales, Part B

(The Fairy Frog)

The second part of this reading, to me, did not contain nearly as many interesting stories as the first one did. However, while reading I did still find two that I liked. The first is called The Higgeledy-Piggledy Palace. In this story, there is a man and his extremely beautiful wife, Sarah. She was so beautiful that they feared the King attempting to take her. So the husband tried to hide her, after which, the palace guards find her and take her to the King. Once there, the King attempted to try and make Sarah his queen but began being haunted. He was unable to lay down on the bed as every time he tried, it got overturned. He was unable to touch Sarah, as every time he tried, he was injured. Eventually he figured out it was due to Sarah and he husband so he let them go. The second story is called the Fairy Frog. In this story a son was told by his dying parents to go into the village, and buy the first thing offered to him. The first thing offered was a little silver box, containing something unknown. True to his word, the son bought the box, and when opened at home a frog jumped out. This frog ate the family right into poverty, and eventually was so big that they could no longer take it. The frog offered to grant them what they wanted and he did. Eventually he spoke and said that since he had been treated so well, they were going to get a gift. After going into the woods, the frog gave them a huge pile of herbs and stones. Then told them he was a fairy and hopped away. My favorite of the two was definitely The Fairy Frog.

Bibliography: Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends by Gertrude Landa link to the reading

Reading Notes, Jewish Fairy Tales, Part A

(The Giant and the Unicorn)

This week I chose to read Jewish Fairy Tales. My favorite stories that I read in Part A were the Giant of the Flood, and the Quarrel of the Cat and the Dog. The Giant of the Flood was loosely based on the biblical story of Noah's Ark however, in this version there is a giant. Noah wants a unicorn on the Ark, and the giant can find one as long as he too will be saved from the flood. So the giant found a big unicorn, which Noah tied to the side of the ark. The giant rode the unicorn throughout the flood, and Noah refused to feed him so that he would shrink down the size of a normal human being. My favorite part about this story was the ending, when the giant makes sacrifices to the grapevine. And humans who drank the wine made from grapes took on the characteristics of those animals he sacrificed. I really like the Quarrel of the Cat and the Dog because it took something that we know to be true today (that dogs and cats don't get along) and gave an explanation for that reason. I think to rewrite this story, it would be fun to kind of make up my own back story explaining why they don't get along. Another story that was told in this part was the Water-Babe. While reading this I immediately thought of the Disney movie The Prince of Egypt, and while I would do my own take on this, I think its overly told.

Bibliography: Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends by Gertrude Landa link to the reading

Feedback Thoughts

I am a very self-critical person, so I continue to work on assignments until I think its perfect. This makes it very hard for me to accept criticism and feedback because if I think its perfect then a lot of times I disregard input from other people. However, as I'm gotten older, I have realized that its less about perfection and more about getting ideas, opinions, and corrections from others about my writing. So reading the article "5 Tips for Taking Feedback Like a Champ" was really helpful to me. The main tip that I will be reminding myself of when receiving feedback is "state-vs-trait." I have a big problem with this, as many times when I get feedback, I take it personally. I now need to realize that they are not critiquing me a person, but they are critiquing my grammar, or the way something is worded. When I am on the other end of feedback, I need to make sure to correct my wording, so that way I am not critiquing a individual person but rather their writing, so that they do not take it personally.

(Receiving feedback, Flickr)