Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Hunt), Part B

Image Information: The moment where the soldier becomes Bearskin. Web Source: Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook

When reading the story Bearskin, I could not help but be reminded of a modern-day soldier and what it is like for them when they return home from war. I could not help but be reminded of what it was like for them before they were given decent benefits. Soldiers would often come home from war with no money and have to resort to illegal acts such as gambling. I could tell a story of a soldier who returned home and experienced all of this. I would have to figure out how to bring the story full-circle.

Bibliography: Brothers Grimm (Hunt) by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, link to the reading online.

Class Improvements

Change Review Weeks to Planning Weeks:

I like the idea of changing the review weeks to planning weeks. I think it would be a great opportunity for students to work out their schedules and get organized.

Expand the Story Planning Option. 

I never did a story planning post this semester so I don't really think I can add any specific input on this. However, I do think that expanding it will help.

Create more audio recordings.

I love this idea! I think it would be great to offer an extra credit option for students to help you record the stories. 

Create writing tutorial videos. 

I think creating video tutorials would be a great way for students to improve their writing even more. It would also help students to better understand how to identify grammatical/writing errors. I think it would be good to make a video over comma splices and run-on sentences.

Create thematic reading units.

I am really not a fan of this idea. There were many themes in the course that I was not interested in. I like the way the reading units are organized now because there were a variety of stories to choose from each week. I always found something I was interested in reading. If thematic reading units were made, I could see some students not being interested in the theme and not doing any reading that week. Also, when there came a week with a theme that they were interested in, they would not be able to read all of the stories they were interested in.

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Hunt), Part A

Image Information: Hansel and Grethel crossing the water. Web Source: Mythology & Folklore UN-Textbook

I was really intrigued by the story of Hansel and Grethel. I knew a little bit about the story to start but this was the first time I have actually read it. If I re-told this story, I would maybe tell an after story. When Hansel and Grethel returned home to their father, I had a lot of questions about what happened next. For example, did they become rich because of the treasures they brought home? Did they sell them or use them to buy food? Was Hansel fat from all of his eating? These are questions I would attempt to answer with my sequel. I also think it might be interesting to tell the story where the woman is still alive when they return. It would make for a lot of drama.

Bibliography: Brothers Grimm (Hunt) by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, link to the reading online.

Reading Notes: Czech Folktales, Part B

Image Information: What I imagine the ogre in the story to look like. Web Source: publicdomainpictures.

I liked the story of The Man Who Met Misery. There were some parts of it that reminded me of Lord of the Rings. I was thinking I could retell this story of a man who still sets out to find misery, but finds it in a different way. Perhaps, he sees starvation and poverty and he uses his new understanding to help others.

Bibliography: Czech Folktales by Josef Baudis, link to the reading online.

Reading Notes: Czech Folktales, Part A

Image Information: The picture I could use to retell the story of a sleepy little girl. Web Source.

I liked the story of Sleepy John. I figured I could retell the story using some Sleeping Beauty inspirations. I thought about telling the story where a little girl goes to sleep and finds herself in a different but still dangerous situation. While I like the idea of the hermit, I thought about telling it with a fairy godmother who helps the princess return home.

Bibliography: Czech Folktales by Josef Baudis, link to the reading online.

Week 12 Story: Jacob and His Son

Image Information: John playing baseball with his father, Jacob. Web Source: flickr.

There was once a boy named Jacob. He was a kind and good. But most of all, he loved baseball more than his own life. Jacob started playing when he was only four years old. It was clear that he had a natural talent for the sport at a very young age.

When he reached high school, he was very well known by the baseball players in his region. His story and skills had been featured in the local newspaper numerous times. It wasn't long before the scouts started to get word of his abilities. Soon enough, every single game he played was full of college scouts trying to get a look at his talent. It was not long before Jacob signed to play baseball for The University of Oklahoma.

His career continued to flourish in college. It was clear that he would be one of the lucky few that got to continue playing baseball professionally. Those people were right. Jacob was drafted to play for the New York Yankees after graduating college. However, in the last game of his college career, Jacob took a bad hit at home plate while he was catching. The runner coming from 3rd slammed into the side of his leg, breaking every bone in his lower leg. Jacob's baseball career came to a screeching halt. He was never able to play baseball at a competitive level again.

Ten years later, Jacob's wife gave birth to a son and they named him John. John was a bright and very athletic young boy. From the time he could hold a ball, Jacob started playing catch with him. As John got older, his father continued to push him to love and play baseball. Despite his father's constant pushing, John genuinely grew to love baseball even though he felt his father forced him to in some ways. John could tell that his father took a lot of pride in John's abilities. John knew of his father's injury in college. He could not help but feel that his father was living vicariously through him in order to feel better about the time he lost due to injury. He wondered if that was why his father pushed him so hard.

When John finished high school, he followed in his father's footsteps to play for The University of Oklahoma. He had a great start to his career at OU. Unfortunately, like his father, John got injured too. In his sophomore year at OU, John dislocated his shoulder playing the game.

This brought great sorrow to Jacob. He felt as though a piece of him was lost forever. One day while Jacob was sitting by a lake, weeping for his son's loss, an older middle aged man walked up to him. The man looked familiar to Jacob but he could not figure out why.

As the man approached him, Jacob said, "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing well, Jacob. How about yourself?" said the man.

"I'm...doing well. How did you know my name? said Jacob.

"Oh, never mind that. I know much more than that. Ha! How is your son doing? said the man.

"He is...fine. I'm not sure how you know about him," said Jacob.

"Why wouldn't I know him and you! You two are great ball players!" said the man.

"Were great ball players. My son got injured recently," replied Jacob.

"Maybe YOU were a great ball player but your son still IS a great ball player. I could fix him up as good as new. That's what I do best." said the man.

"You can make him all better? How?" replied Jacob.

"Go and fetch him and I'll show you," ordered the man.

Jacob went to get his son. When he returned with him, the man motioned for John to come his way. The man took off John's sling and touched his arm. All of a sudden, John could move his arm every which way like he used to.

Afterwards, the man said to him, "Your arm will stay good as new as long as you do two things. You must continue to play your heart out and when the pros come calling, you must play for the New York Yankees"

"Will do!" said John.

After the man left, John said to his dad, "Dad, I think that was Rickey Henderson!!!"

"I thought he looked familiar!" replied Jacob.

Sure enough, it was Rickey Henderson that approached Jacob that day by the lake and healed John. Come to find out, he had just bought the New York Yankees (the team he used to play for) and wanted John to play for him. John went on to play for the New York Yankees just like his father was going to. He also broke one of many of Rickey Henderson's records.

Author's Note: My original source story was about a king who loved to hunt. When the king grew older, he was no longer able to hunt. In order to divert himself, he got a goose. The goose would hunt for the king and divert him. Eventually, the goose herself got older and could no longer divert him. When the king was weeping by a lake, a young man walked up to him. The man asked about how the king's goose was and offered to make the goose new again. In return, the man asked that the king give him everything the goose flew over immediately after she was healed. The king did this even though it was the last piece of land he had to give. After the man heals the goose, the king finds out that the man is really Saint Kavin. The king was in awe as he admired Saint Kavin. The goose was fine for a while but was soon killed by a horse-eel. When I read this story, I could not help but be reminded of parents who live vicariously through their children. I played softball for 16 years and I saw it time and time again. I decided I wanted to tell a story of a father who's baseball career was cut short due to injury. I had the son also suffer an injury which was kind of like the goose being injured (since the king was kind of living vicariously through the goose). I had a baseball playing legend be the one that healed John. I wanted it to be someone that they were in awe of just like the king was in awe of Saint Kavin. I had a little bit of trouble thinking of a condition that Rickey Henderson would ask them to meet. I just came up with a condition that would benefit him as well as John. I decided to leave it as a happy ending instead of like the original source with the goose getting killed.

Bibliography: Celtic Fairy Tales-King O'Toole and His Goose by Joseph Jacobs, link to the reading online.
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Reading Notes: Celtic Fairy Tales, Part B

Image Information: father teaching son to play baseball. Web Source: flickr.

I liked the story about King O'Toole and His Goose. I could not help but think of people who get older and lose their ability to do something that they love. When the goose came into the picture, I could not help but think about how some parents try to live vicariously through their children when this happens to them. I could write a story about a father who loved a hobby/sport (maybe baseball) and pushed his son to love the sport as much as him. Maybe the son gets injured and someone offers to make him better. Or instead of getting injured, maybe the son loses his talent and ability to play. Maybe the person who offers to help the son or daughter to regain their skill is really a great baseball player in disguise. I will probably leave it as a happy ending instead of having something bad happening again at the end.

Bibliography: Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, link to the reading online.

Reading Notes: Celtic Fairy Tales, Part A

Image Information: the cover to the Celtic Fairy Tales book. Web Source.

I liked the story about The Horned Women. I was confused though as the story never explains why the witches needed into the mistress' house so badly. I think it would be fun to write a back story to why the witches were trying to enter her house. I would also want to explain what their goal was through everything.

I like the story about The Shepherd of Myddvai. It kind of just reminded me of three-strikes and you're out. It would be interesting to tell a modern story of a troubled married couple where the wife eventually tells her husband that he has 3 more chances or she will leave. I would try to connect my story back to the original as much as possible.

Bibliography: Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, link to the reading online.

Portfolio Introduction

My goal for this portfolio is to perfect my stories and test my writing abilities.

The classic story of Narcissus, a young man that has never seen his face, retold in modern times. A modern story of Narcissus, link to the reading.

The story of a maiden with great beauty who must wear a magical bracelet in order to hide her beauty from the rest of the world so that she may live a normal life. This is my favorite story in my portfolio! I hope you like it. The Maiden and the Magical Bracelet, link to the reading.

The story of a young Cherokee boy who is fascinated with the tales of the creation of the earth. He seeks to find proof that the ancient Cherokee tales are true. Will he find his proof? Young Cherokee Journey, link to the reading.

The story of Jemmy Dawson. The boy that starts off as just a small-town troublemaker but turns into a real threat to women. Jemmy Dawson, link to the reading online.

Week 11 Story: Jemmy Dawson

Image Information: Jemmy Dawson before he turned too bad. Web Source: flickr.

Jemmy Dawson. I'll never forget that name.

I grew up with Jemmy. We were the same age and went to the same school all of our lives. Well, there's only one school around here, really. We're from a small town in Texas. And by small, I don't mean lack of wealth. Jemmy's family had lots and lots of money.

Growing up, he was an ornery kid and nobody liked him at all. I knew him but we were not friends. In fact, he was really mean to me growing up. I never really saw him bully any of the boys. Instead, it seemed to be just us girls that were the problem.

I remember he pushed me on the playground one time when we were younger. After he pushed me down, he yelled, "You ugly piece of crap! You look like a dog, Reagan!!!" Reagan, that's my name. I remember I cried so hard after he said those terrible things to me. He got sent to the Principal's office after that. Of course, he got out of it though. Jemmy's parents owned about half the town so they had a lot of power. Jemmy could get away with anything.

This only got worse as he grew older. He had friends that were boys because he was still nice to them for some reason. His verbal and physical abuse only ever happened with girls. I don't know why but that's just the way it was. He started getting more violent the older he got. By the time we got to high school, some women had made sexual assault claims against him. But before the story could spread too far, the girls would suddenly claim they were wrong. They would say that they had made a mistake. This made a lot of us very suspicious as to his parents' involvement in the situations. We all thought they must have paid them off.

He also got arrested a couple of times for physically assaulting women. But, of course, the charges were dropped against him. I remember the one time his mother was a victim of his aggression. Obviously, she didn't press any charges, but she did end up in the hospital.

I'm not sure why his parents always covered for him. Maybe it was because they wanted him to take over the family business one day. Or maybe it was the hope that he would follow in his father's footsteps and go to Harvard. If the latter was the motive, I'm sure they were very relieved when he finally got accepted to Harvard.

The town was nice and quiet when Jemmy was away at college. Women weren't afraid to go out on the town with him gone. They didn't have to worry about getting knocked out cold at a bar for no reason. I could tell that everyone felt at peace.

I thought about what might happen to the girl Jemmy married. If he ever married. Most people in the town never even thought that was a possibility. They figured no girl would be that brave or stupid, for that matter. You can imagine how everyone felt when Jemmy came back from college and announced that he was married. The whole town feared for her.

Author's Note: My original source was very short. It consisted of four lines: 

BRAVE news is come to town;

Brave news is carried;
Brave news is come to town
Jemmy Dawson's married.

From this, I interpreted that it meant that the fact that Jemmy Dawson is married was a bad thing. I gathered that it meant that whoever married Jemmy Dawson must be brave. The inspiration from my story just came from my attempts at understanding what it was that the original source meant. In order to bring better understanding, I chose to write a back-story to Jemmy Dawson. More specifically, why marrying Jemmy would be such a bad thing. I did not have much material to work with so it gave me a lot of room to be creative. I knew I wanted him to be a troublemaker. However, I decided to take it one step further and make him violent towards women and only women. I also wanted to make it even worse that he was never punished for his actions because of his parents' power and wealth. I chose the image of a young boy who appears to be very angry. I used this to portray the violence and aggression that dwells within Jemmy Dawson.

Bibliography: Nursery Rhymes-Love and Matrimony by Andrew Lang, link to the reading online.
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Reading Notes: Nursery Rhymes, Part B

Image Information: the curious cat that wants to meet the queen. Web Source: free stock photos.

BRAVE news is come to town;
Brave news is carried;
Brave news is come to town
Jemmy Dawson's married.

From this story, I gather that Jemmy Dawson is a terrible guy. I think it is saying that whoever would marry him must be brave. I could maybe tell a story about why Jemmy Dawson is someone you must be brave to marry.

Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, where have you been?
PUSSY-CAT, pussy-cat, where have you been?
I've been to London to look at the queen.
Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, what did you there?
I frighten'd a little mouse under the chair.

Maybe I could tell a story of a cat who has always wanted to go to meet the Queen. Maybe he had a lot of plans for when he got there but all he ended up doing was scaring a mouse and getting kicked out.

Bibliography: Nursery Rhymes by Andrew Lang, link to the reading online.

Reading Notes: Nursery Rhymes, Part A

Image Information: cover for The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang. Web Source.

NEEDLES and pins, needles and pins. 

When a man marries, his trouble begins:

I could tell a story about a man who encounters trouble after marrying.

IF you sneeze on Monday, you sneeze for danger;
Sneeze on a Tuesday, kiss a stranger;
Sneeze on a Wednesday, sneeze for a letter;
Sneeze on a Thursday, something better;
Sneeze on a Friday, sneeze for sorrow;
Sneeze on a Saturday, see your sweetheart to-morrow.

I could tell a story of all of these things happening throughout the week to a man.

EARLY to bed, and early to rise,
Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Tell a story of a man who lives out this Proverb in his life.

ONE misty moisty morning,
When cloudy was the weather,
There I met an old man
Clothed all in leather;
Clothed all in leather,
With cap under his chin,—
How do you do, and how do you do,
And how do you do again!

A story of a forgetful old man who cannot remember anything. Maybe include why he has such bad memory.

THREE blind mice, see how they run!
They all ran after the farmer's wife,
Who cut off their tails with the carving-knife;
Did you ever see such fools in your life?
Three blind mice.

Tell a story of why they all ran after the farmer's wife and why she cut off their tails. Or maybe how they lost their sight.

Bibliography: Nursery Rhymes by Andrew Lang, link to the reading online.

Reading Notes: Native American Hero Tales, Part B

Image Information: What I imagine Red-Woman looks like. Web Source.

I really liked the story "Lodge-Boy and Thrown-Away." I have to admit, I kept waiting for the young boys to encounter Red-Woman. I thought it might be cool to add on to the story and tell how the young boys killed Red-Woman as well.

I also like the story "The Son-in-Law Tests." This unit is filled with evil people especially family members. The more I read from this unit the more I consider writing my own new story of an evil family member.

Bibliography: Native American Hero Tales by Stith Thompson, link to the reading online.

Tech Tip: Pinterest Browsing

Image Information: Baked Orange Chicken and Brown Rice. Web Source: Food Network.

I really liked using my new Pinterest browser button. I only got to experiment with it for a short amount of time but I am really excited to continue using it from now on. I absolutely love Pinterest and this will make updating my Pinterest boards a lot easier! I searched for healthy recipes on google and above is one of the recipes I found. It is a picture of a baked orange chicken and brown rice recipe. I found it at Food Network. I also found another great recipe for a parmesan chicken and rice casserole at Cooking Light.

Reading Notes: Native American Hero Tales, Part A

Image Information: Native American heroes. Web Source: wikimedia commons.

I like the story of the jealous uncle. I could not believe that the father of the boy would not have put an end to the cruelty. I thought about writing a story where his father does something to end the cruelty. I also thought about writing some background information for this story. The title is "The Jealous Uncle" but the author never says why he is jealous. I figured I could write a story that gives some background to why the uncle is so cruel.

Bibliography: Native American Hero Tales by Stith Thompson, link to the reading online.

Week 9 Story: Young Cherokee Journey

Image Information: young Cherokee boy. Web Source: wikimedia commons.

A long time ago, there was a young Cherokee boy. He loved to hunt and spend time with his family and the rest of his tribe. Most of all, he loved to hear stories and myths of the Cherokee tribe. His father told him many stories about the Cherokee tribe and their history. However, his favorite story to hear was about how the world came to be.

He listened as father told him about the earth. The Cherokee believed that the earth was once buried deep in the ocean and was discovered by a beetle. Eventually, someone unknown attached the edges of the earth to four cords. The earth still hangs in suspense to this day. The young boy's eyes were always filled with wonder and amazement at the thought of these four cords. He could barely believe it was true and always wished to see these cords for himself.

On the day of his thirteenth birthday, he decided he would set out to find at least one of these cords so he could put his wonder to rest. He knew the task before him was a dangerous one but he knew it had to be done. That night, he quietly packed a sack of his belongings and slipped away in the middle of the night.

He decided he would start by heading north. It was about to be summer time and he knew it would be the best time of the year to trek through the northern part of the earth. He also figured that the cords must be located at the "top" of the earth or otherwise everything would be upside down. And so northern bound he was.

The terrain was much worse than he expected but he trudged on. He traveled north through what is known today as Canada. When he reached Canada, he noticed there were many mountains. "Those mountains are my best chance at finding a cord," he thought to himself. He carefully observed the mountains that were before him. He searched to find the tallest one; that way he would be able to see the cords for certain. When he determined which mountain was the tallest, he began to hike to it.

It was much farther away than he thought. It took him almost two weeks to reach the base of the mountain before he could even begin to climb it. It took him another two months to reach the top of the mountain. When he finally did, he saw it. Right before him, he was able to see one of the four cords that suspend the earth like an island above the water. The young boy guessed that the cord was a mile around, for he could not even see around it. The cord was made of thick pieces of metal that were twisted together to make one cord. He reached out to touch it and could feel a vibration running through the cord. He knew that this was because of the sheer stress that the cord was under. He was proud to know that his journey was not a waste. Tears began to fill his eyes as he realized his people were right all along.

He could not wait to share his findings with the rest of his tribe. The journey home was a long and hard one. He arrived back home almost nine months after his departure. His family and tribe were so worried about him because they thought he had died.

After assuring them that he was in great health, he shared with them his wonderful news. The tribe praised him for his bravery and boldness. They had a huge gathering to celebrate the young boy. He was filled with joy because he finally knew the truth and he never doubted another Cherokee story again.

Author's Note: The original story talks about how the earth came into existence. The animals of the earth originally lived on Gälûñ'lätï but started to run out room and needed more space. Below them was nothing but water. A water beetle named Dâyuni'sï offered to travel below them to the water to see what he could find. The beetle dove into the water and found soft mud, which began to grow, and eventually became the island known as earth. The animals waited for the earth to become dry before they left Gälûñ'lätï and moved to earth. In the original source, they gave background for why there’re things such as mountains and the sun. To keep the earth from becoming water again someone unknown attached four cords to the cardinal points of the earth. These cords were attached to the sky vault, which is solid rock. From this sky vault, the earth was hung. The story mentions that the Cherokee fear that the earth will become overpopulated and the cords will break and the earth will sink into the sea again. I used the original source as an inspiration for my story. When I read this story, I imagined what young Cherokee children thought about this story. I also thought it might have been difficult for some to believe such a story. I decided to tell a story of a young Cherokee boy who had his own doubts about the validity of this story.
Bibliography: Myths of the Cherokee: How The World Was Made by James Mooney; link to the reading online.

Reading Notes: Myths of the Cherokee, Part B

Bibliography: Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney; link to the reading online.

Tech Tip: Blogger Template

If you've been to my blog before, you may notice that I have chosen a new design. I did not really like my old design as it was simple and had the color orange (gross!). I have been meaning to change the design for a while now so I decided to use this week's tech tip to do so. I chose this design because I absolutely love the rain. I decided to use shades of blue because I find it very calming and pretty. I love my new design!

Reading Notes: Myths of the Cherokee, Part A

Image Information: picture of a Cherokee sign. Web Source: flickr.

How The World Was Made: I thought about telling an after story of the earth breaking down from the four strings as the Cherokees feared. Maybe also tell the story from the point of view of a father telling his son about the earth.

Bibliography: Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney; link to the reading online.

Week 8 Growth Mindset

Image Information: inspiration quote about learning. Web Source: flickr.

In this class, I struggle with finding motivation, playing it safe and staying inside my comfort zone. Some of my strengths in this class are thinking long-term, being confident I can improve, and being willing to learn from my own mistakes.

In other classes, I struggle with much of the same issues. However, I also struggle with focusing too much on my grades, doing things at the last minute, and being a perfectionist. Some of my strengths are being open to any and all feedback and focusing on my progress.

In life, in general, I struggle with almost all of these at some point or another. I am an extreme perfectionist and always want to get things done right the first time. I am also really bad about comparing myself to others.

Since I am very open to feedback from others, I can use that feedback as much as possible to perfect my stories and writing skills. I can schedule out my time to make sure I do not leave things until the last minute. At the same time, I can focus more on the short term and take things one day at a time instead of being constantly focused on the long term. I can also rest assured that my writing does not have to be perfect because I can always revise it the next week.

Week 8 Reflections

Image Information: a quote about fear. Web Source: flickr.

I feel like I have been making good choices when I choose my readings for the week. I really enjoyed the Japanese Fairy Tales unit. I had a lot of fun with the reading I chose to write about. I haven't quite found my niche yet with a consistent time and place to complete the readings. My reading notes have been helping me write each week but I want to start incorporating a character description section of my notes so that way I can come up with more ideas for how to write more complex characters.

I'm really excited for the Native American reading units next week. The Great Plains, Cherokee, and American Indian Tales sections caught my attention as possible readings in week 9 and 10. I'm also interested in Beowulf, Robin Hood, and English Tales for week 11 and 12. I would also really like to read some of the Brothers Grimm units in week 13 and 14.

My biggest struggle this semester has been branching out from my comfort zone with a story. I guess I have been afraid to change a story too much or to let myself be creative. I sought help and advice from Professor Gibbs and she really helped me to branch out of my comfort zone this week. I had a lot of fun letting myself be really creative with the story I wrote last week. I was really pleased with it. I will continue to follow the advice I received and let myself "go wild" with my story telling.

I would like to try and incorporate more humor and witty dialogue into my stories. I plan on using the creative storytelling link to give me inspiration on new ways to tell a story. I most admire the creativity and story telling styles of other people in the class. The only habits and tendencies I see in others' stories are a lot of typos and grammatical errors in their original draft. This is not every person but I see it somewhat often. I would like to try to avoid this by reading my story out loud before posting it.

I feel as though I have been giving other people good feedback regarding their stories. I do feel bad pointing out any typos or grammatical errors in others' stories and have refrained from doing so thus far. I guess I could start pointing those out as best I can. I can also focus on giving storytelling suggestions or ideas they can use to expand on their stories.

Week 7 Story: The Maiden and the Magical Bracelet

Image Information: the magical bracelet. Web Source: pexels.

Once there was a beautiful maiden. She lived in the countryside with her two wonderful parents. They loved her very much and were fully aware of her great beauty. Her mother and father sometimes worried that someone would notice how beautiful their daughter was. They feared that he would desire to marry her for the wrong reasons, so this is why they chose to stay in the countryside instead of living in a big city around many people.

The mother knew that her daughter would grow even more beautiful as she got older. Because of this, her mother decided to seek help on the matter to make sure that her daughter could live a normal life with no unnecessary attention. The mother traveled into town to see a woman named Riko who was a very powerful woman with great magic. There she told Riko of her daughter and the fears she had for her future. Riko immediately started to scramble around the room as if she was looking for something. 

"Aha, here it is. This is just what you need," Riko said. 

Riko had pulled out an old golden bracelet that was a little rusty but still beautiful. The mother took the bracelet that Riko handed her. She gazed at the bracelet for a long while and turned it in her hands.

"How will this help my daughter?" she asked.

"This bracelet has magical qualities. When your daughter puts it on, it will mask her great beauty such that she looks just like everyone else. Should she take it off, then everyone will know her secret," replied Riko.

With this, the mother took the bracelet and went on her way. When she arrived home, she placed the bracelet in a wooden box in her bedroom. She figured she would wait to have her daughter put it on until she could no longer protect her daughter.

The maiden was a hard worker. Living on a farm in the country, she was well aware of a hard day's work and didn't mind it much. Her father often accompanied her in the fields to harvest their crops. She enjoyed this time that she had to spend with her father. One day, it was extremely hot outside and her father fell ill due to heat stroke and never recovered. She and her mother wept for their loss. Her mother soon passed just as her husband. They say she died of a broken heart.

Before her mother died, she told her daughter to fetch the old bracelet from the box in her bedroom and put it on. The young maiden did so and returned to her mother.

Her mother said, "Wear that bracelet everywhere you go for if everyone discovers your great beauty, you will never find true love."

The maiden was filled with great sorrow at the loss of her parents but she continued to wear the bracelet everywhere she went just as her mother had told her to. She also continued to take care of their home and tend to the farm. Unfortunately, the farm became too much for the maiden to handle and she was forced to sell it and move to the city.

The maiden did not mind this much as she always wanted to live in the city. She missed her parents' farm often but enjoyed being around many other people for the first time in her life.

One day, she was walking down the streets of the city, heading back to her home. She started to notice that people were stopping in their tracks and staring at her. This confused her greatly until she looked down at her wrist and noticed that the bracelet was gone for it must have fallen off her wrist. Soon the tales of her beauty spread far and wide and the maiden was overwhelmed with thousands of marriage offers. None of these men really loved her, as they didn't even know her. Her mother was exactly right in what she said.

The young maiden never gave up on love, though. She made any of the men that sought after her prove their love and worthiness. She hoped that one day one of her suitors would be able to truly love her for who she was as a person and not her beauty. She is still waiting.

Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales: Maiden with the Wooden Helmet by Andrew Lang; link to the reading online.

Author's Note: The original story was about a maiden with extraordinary beauty that lived in the countryside. Her father passed away first and the mother did her best to raise her daughter. After many years, the mother caught a cold and did not recover. Before she died she told her daughter to wear a wooden helmet to hide her face. After her parents passed, the maiden went to work as a caretaker for a man's wife. The man’s son discovered her beauty when he returned home and he asked her repeatedly to marry him. The maiden did not agree to marry him until she had a dream where her mother told her to marry the man. She finally agreed to marry the man. On her wedding day, they tried to take the wooden helmet off of her head in order to style her hair but it would not come off so she had to leave it on for the wedding. As soon as they were pronounced married, the helmet burst off and broke into many pieces. Everyone at the wedding was able to see the face of the bride for the first time. And the maiden and the man lived happily ever after. I liked the original story but wanted to change up a couple of things for a more unexpected ending. I decided to let the fact that she originally lived in the countryside play a bigger role in the storyline and moving to the city play a negative role in that it leads to her secret being discovered. I also decided to replace the helmet with a magical bracelet instead.

Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales, Part B

Image Information: Schippeitaro and the young warrior fighting the Mountain-Spirit. Web Source.

I liked the story about Schippeitaro. If I re-told this story, I would probably just use the characters of Schippeitaro and the young warrior and tell my own version with a new adventure. I also might tell a story of the young warrior returning home after the defeat of the mountain spirit.

I like the story of the magic kettle. I like the idea of it bringing good luck and I would consider a new way to center the story all on the kettle bringing good luck.

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

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.