Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales, Part A

Image Information: the girl with the wooden helmet. Web Source.

I really liked the story of the two frogs. I would consider using their characters in the retelling of a completely different story. Perhaps, one where their eyes being on the back of their head while standing up causes them a lot of problems.

The story of the stonecutter was also really interesting. I did find it interesting that his wishes continued to be granted despite how many he made. I think it would be more realistic that the mountain spirit eventually stopped granting his wishes.

The maiden with the wooden helmet was a really good story. I would be interested in retelling this story. I'm not sure exactly how I would choose to do that but I might expand on the story or switch a few things up.

Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales by Andrew Lang; link to the reading online.

Tech Tip: Canvas Calendar

I was really excited to complete this Tech Tip because I am not very familiar with everything that Canvas has to offer. I have heard great things about the Canvas calendar but was not quite sure how to use it. I currently use the calendar provided to me on my iPhone. I would like to be able to synch the Canvas calendar to the calendar on my iPhone but I could not quite figure it out. I think that would be very helpful because the due dates in my classes would be readily available for me to see in my iPhone calendar on the go.

Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales, Part B

Image Information: cover for the Chinese Fairy Book. Web Source.

I did not like the ending to The Little Hunting Dog. If I chose to rewrite this story, I would retell it with a happier ending.

I like the story of Retribution. I thought about retelling this story with the same idea and outcome but a different setting and different characters.

I liked the story of The Maiden Who Was Stolen Away. Since I normally like to retell stories with a happier ending, I figured I could retell this story where she does not find out that he is an ogre and agrees to marry him.

It would be interesting to retell the story of The Flying Ogre. If I retold it, I would make the girl a human being that everyone wrongfully accuses of being an ogre. The monk would either lie and save her life or tell the truth and have her killed only to find out she was not an ogre.

Bibliography: Chinese Fairy Tales by R. Wilhelm, link to the reading online.

Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales, Part A

Image Information: cover for a Chinese fairy tale book. Web Source: whyvisitchina.

I would be interested in retelling the story of The Favorite of Fortune and the Child of Ill Luck. I would want to retell it with a happier ending. Maybe her luck changed because of the man she married and her father sees her wonderful life with him and feels bad that he ever questioned her.

I would like to retell the story of Why Dog and Cat are Enemies. I'm thinking of either telling a new story for why they are enemies or telling of events after they became enemies in how their relationship changed. I have also thought about telling the story with a happy ending.

Bibliography: Chinese Fairy Tales by R. Wilhelm, link to the reading online.

Reading Notes: Ancient Egyptian Myths and Stories, Part B

Image Information: Egyptian plowing. Web Source.



I liked the story of the two brothers. I would like to possibly retell the story in part one where the younger bother does not tell the older brother about what the older brother's wife said to him. It would be interesting to rewrite the story in where the younger brother either tells his brother of what his wife did or if the older brother finds out the truth of what she did in some other way.

Bibliography: Ancient Egyptian Myths and Stories by Donald Mackenzie; link to the reading online.

Reading Notes: Ancient Egyptian Myths and Stories, Part A

Image Information: pyramids in Egypt. Web Source: Wikipedia.

I like the character of Ra and Isis. In the story with him and the serpent, I might retell the story with him defending himself against the snake even though he cannot see it. It would also be cool to tell the story of a battle between Ra and Isis in that she battles him to kill him off so that she can be more powerful than Ra.

Bibliography: Ancient Egyptian Myths and Stories by Donald Mackenzie; link to the reading online.

Week 3 Story: The Modern Narcissus

Image Information: photo of a man looking in a mirror. Web Source: pixabay.

There was once a man named Narcissus. He lived just outside a large city in England. The place in which he lived was set in the middle of nowhere. He had no neighbors, which led him to have only interacted with his mother and the occasional stranger. He lived in a small house with no mirrors — just the way his mother wanted it.  You see, when Narcissus was born, the doctor noticed that he was abnormally beautiful. Most babies are born rather the same but Narcissus was different. The doctor could not quite describe it but he knew he was different. His mother feared that his attractiveness might get in the way of his success in life as the doctor implied that his beauty could be his downfall. She consulted the doctor about what she could do to make sure he was successful in life. 

The doctor said to her, "You must make sure that he never discovers himself. You must move far from the city and keep him isolated from others. Most importantly, you must remove any mirrors from your house." Narcissus' mother did just that.

When Narcissus was growing up, it was not too difficult to keep him away from others as he was a kind and obedient child. His mother decided to homeschool him to keep him away from others. It was as he got older that things became more difficult. Narcissus had only had very few interactions with other people but each time people commented on his sheer beauty. His so few interactions with others often had him longing for adventure and wondering what beauty they were speaking of.

One day, a woman named Echo was traveling through Narcissus' small-town. Narcissus had not seen many women in his town, only small-town farmers passing by. Narcissus approached her because he so desperately wanted to speak to a stranger. He had spent his entire life speaking to the same people. 

When he approached her, before he could say a word, Echo exclaimed, "Oh my! You must be the most beautiful person I have ever seen!"

"I wouldn't know for I have never seen myself," Narcissus replied.

Echo was extremely shocked to hear this. She could not imagine going through life without ever seeing her own face. She quickly fumbled through her purse in an attempt to find a mirror but realize that she had left her mirror at home. She had left her home in the city in quite a hurry as she had just got in a fight with her parents yet again. You see, Echo was not so beautiful like Narcissus. She was also loud and obnoxious and her parents constantly reminded her that no one wanted to marry her. This pained her deeply as she had always wanted to get married and live happily ever after. It was the deepest desire of her heart.

"I can take you to the city so you can finally look upon your own face," Echo offered.

Narcissus immediately accepted her offer without even thinking about it. Echo was not quick to agree for she wanted something in return. She had searched a long time for a man to marry and Narcissus seemed a good choice.

She said to him, "If I take you to the city to see yourself, you must marry me in return."

"Of course! I would marry anyone who could show me my face," Narcissus promised.

And just like that, they were headed for the city. When they arrived, Narcissus noticed people turning their heads to catch a glimpse of him. This got him even more excited to see his own face.

Echo brought him to a public bathroom that she knew was not used very often. She showed Narcissus the mirror in the bathroom. When he looked in the mirror, he was mesmerized by his own beauty. 

"I am such a beautiful creature!" he exclaimed.

He stood there for hours just staring at himself in the mirror. Finally, Echo asked him, "When can we leave to go get married?"

"Not yet for I am too beautiful," explained Narcissus.

Narcissus never left that bathroom mirror. Instead of leaving, Echo stayed there with him waiting for him to marry her. They both died there waiting for what they wanted.

Bibliography: Ovid's Metamorphoses: Narcissus by Tony Kline, link to the online reading.

Author's Note: The original story took place in older times where the only way for Narcissus to see his own face was in the water of a pond. He was often told he was beautiful as well but had never seen his face. After being cursed by a spurned lover, Narcissus would be doomed should he ever see his face. A woman named Echo came across Narcissus in the woods and was completely shocked by his beauty. When she told him he was beautiful, he expressed his great desire to see himself because he had always wondered of what beauty people were speaking. Echo agreed to take him to see his face and took Narcissus to a nearby pond to show him his face. After looking at his face, Narcissus told Echo he was too beautiful to marry her and she ran away crying. Narcissus stayed by the pond gazing at his reflection for most of his life and ended up dying by the pond. All that was left where his body once lay was a flower, which they named "Narcissus." I decided to put a modern twist on the story and tell the story in modern times with a mirror in a public bathroom instead of a pond. I also told the story where Echo was obsessed with marrying Narcissus because she loved him. She was so obsessed with getting her heart’s desire (i.e. marriage) that she died by the pond as well waiting for Narcissus to marry her.

Feedback Focus

Image Information: photo regarding focus. Web Source: flickr.

I would say that I found the timer to be the most helpful. Then, I would say it was reading out loud and then the copy and delete method. I found the timer to be helpful because it reminded me to stay focused and take my time to really understand the story. Reading out loud helped me because it helped me to sort out exactly what was happening in the story. I found myself having to re-read less than I would if I read silently. The copy and delete technique did not work very well for me but I did like how it was easily combined with reading out loud. It was helpful to break down the story and make it less overwhelming. I was surprised by how the timer affected my reading. I did not think that I timer would help very much but it did. I have used reading out loud a lot in the past especially in this class. I will definitely try the timer and reading out loud in the future. The last story I read in this exercise was Chatoyant by Kathryn Jerome. I was absolutely amazed by how well this story was written and I was really sad when I reached the end of the story. I think it might be interesting in future weeks if I might use her story as inspiration and expand on it.

Week 4 Story: Abida and the Wonderful Lamp

Image Information: photo of a lamp. Web Source: flickr.

There was once a young woman named Abida. She lived in a small village in Egypt with her mother. Abida loved to wander the street and meet new people. She was a bright and happy girl who brought joy to everyone she met. Abida loved her life but always longed for something more. She always wished she could be beautiful like her mother but if she could not be beautiful, she at least wanted to be great and powerful so that she could help others that were poor like her.

On one of her many adventures that led her wandering about, Abida came across an old lamp that was buried in the trash of an alleyway. She had never seen anything like it before and she had the feeling that there was something special about. Abida decided to take the lamp home with her because her mother loved lamps and she wanted to surprise her.

When she returned home, she decided to wash the lamp, as it was very dirty. When she rubbed the lamp, a genie appeared.

"What can I do for you? Your wish is my command.” said the genie.

"Me? I can wish for anything I want?" asked Abida.

"Yes, my dear. Anything your heart desires." replied the genie.

Abida thought long and hard about for what she should wish. She finally decided that the first thing she wanted was a feast for her and her mother to enjoy together. Immediately after making the wish, a great feast appeared right before her eyes. Abida was shocked by the magic of the genie from the lamp. Her second wish was for a new house that was wonderful and big instead of the old cottage she had lived in since she was born. Before she knew it, she was standing in a big house with three floors and a balcony.

The next thing she asked for was a beautiful gown that she could wear. She had always longed to wear a gown that made her feel like a princess. With a snap of the genie's fingers, a dress appeared on Abida. She looked in the mirror and felt so beautiful for the first time in her life. She left the house in a hurry to show her friends her new gown.

On her way back home, she walked the scenic route by the Sultan's palace. The palace overlooked a pond that was filled with fish and line with large trees. It was Abida's favorite place to spend her days. She sat down by the pond and fed the ducks that lived there. In the past, she had not had any food to offer them but with the genie's help, she could now feed them.

Meanwhile, prince Aladdin, the Sultan's son was watching Abida by the pond from the palace balcony. He had never seen her before but he was so captured by her beauty that he fell in love with her instantly. He rushed to his father at once and told him of the woman he saw by the pond. He requested that someone find her and invite her to the castle so he could ask for her hand in marriage. His father agreed and sent someone after her right away.

When one of the guards from the castle showed up at Abida's front door, her mother was worried that her daughter might have done something wrong.

"Is it about my daughter, Abida?" the mother asked.

"Yes, the prince has requested her presence at the palace at once." the guard replied with a smile.

After Abida arrived back at her house, her mother told her of the news and urged her to look her best for her trip to the palace. Abida was nervous and asked for her mother to accompany her to the castle to which her mother agreed. With a rub of the lamp, the genie appeared and made sure the two women looked perfect for their journey to the castle.

When Abida and her mother approached the palace, the palace doors swung open and they grasped each other's hands to face whatever awaited them. The moment they walked through the palace doors, they saw that the room was filled with people. The prince approached Abida and told her of his love for her and asked her to marry him. Abida could not believe that he was asking her to marry him but her joy could not be contained.

"Yes!" she blurted out.

She glanced at her mother who was smiling so proudly. Knowing that her mother approved made her feel even more excited about her engagement. The wedding was planned for a week later and during this time, Abida spent as much time with the prince as possible. They talked to each other about many things. She told him of her dreams to help the poor and do good in the world. They laughed together and enjoyed their time together. Abida could tell she was falling in love with the prince.

She asked him what made him choose her as his bride. The prince told her of how he saw her sitting by the bond and believed her to be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Abida felt guilty, as she knew that he had only thought her beautiful due to the work of the genie. She came clean about everything to the prince because she could not handle lying to him even it meant the wedding would be canceled.

"I do not love you because of your pretty gown and jewelry. I love you because of your heart and I could see that from far away." the prince assured.

Prince Aladdin and Princess Abida lived happily ever after.

Bibliography: Arabian Nights: Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp by Andrew Lang; link to the reading online.

Author's Note: The original story was of a young man named Aladdin who was poor and lived with his mother. His father had passed and he meets a man who pretends to be his uncle but is actually an evil magician. The false uncle takes him to a cave where he makes Aladdin enter to obtain a lamp for him. Aladdin fails and the magician abandons him. Aladdin ends up escaping from the cave with the lamp and returns home. He ends up using the lamp to impress the Sultan in order to be able to marry the princess. After many events, the evil magician returns after learning that Aladdin recovered the lamp from the cave and attempts to destroy Aladdin's life by stealing the lamp. Aladdin finds his way out of the mess after stealing the lamp back and killing off the magician as well as his twin brother. And they live happily ever after. I decided to sway very far from the original story. First off, I reversed the roles in that Aladdin became Abida and the princess was now a prince. I thought that the roles being reversed would make for an interesting story. I also wanted to weed out a lot of the drama created by the lies told by Aladdin and the evil magician in the original story. I kept it simple with a twist of truth from Abida even when did not have to come clean. And she still got her happily ever after.

Reading Notes: Arabian Nights, Part B

Image Information: illustration of Aladdin and the princess. Web Source.

I really like this reading, as I was somewhat familiar with the basics of the story. However, I was only familiar with the Disney version of this story. I liked how there were many twists and turns in the story that constantly kept me guessing what was going to happen next. I have thought about possibly re-writing the story with different characters or a different setting. I could also possibly reverse the roles (i.e. the woman is in Aladdin's situation and marries a prince). I could also write the entering of the lamp into the story differently and completely write out the evil magician.

Bibliography: Arabian Nights by Andrew Lang; link to the reading online.

Reading Notes: Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 1-4), Part B

Image Information: an illustration of Narcissus with Echo. Web Source.

I enjoyed this section of the reading much more than I did part A. I especially liked the story of Narcissus and Echo. I read this story before but have not heard the entire background of the story leading up to the death of Narcissus. I feel as though there is a good lesson that is being portrayed here. I like the idea of re-writing the story of Narcissus but with a modern twist. I might keep the names of the characters and their personalities but I would like to put the event of Narcissus discovering himself in a modern time such as a new place and time period. I might also add a couple of other twists to the story, perhaps with different outcomes. I'm not quite sure the specific types of twists sand turns I would like to use but I will be brainstorming for the rest of the day to thoroughly think through the different options I have.

Bibliography: Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 1-4) by Tony Kline; link to the online reading.