Class Improvements

Out of all the future planning suggestions my favorites were the tutorial videos and thematic reading units. I know that I had tons of punctuation errors when it came to dialog and a video would be super helpful! There’s tons of rules when it comes to dialog that I used to have no idea about. Maybe there could be a quick “general punctuation” video that could include interjections (I had trouble with those for a while).  

Thematic reading units is also a cool idea! My storybook used stories about bears so I feel that this could help future students greatly. Especially if they want stories about a specific genre/animal. 

I never made a planning post this semester but I think that it should remain as an option along with the story post. I also like the idea of using the planning period for the storybook! 

Story: The Dog and his Image

(the dog jumping into the stream, source) 

“Here you go little guy.” An older woman smiled as she handed a stray dog a bone from the back entrance of her grocery store. The little dog took it happily and began to drag it away. The woman laughed at the sight of the tiny dog trying to maneuver a bone that was almost twice its size. The same dog had been visiting her daily for the past couple of weeks, and she always gave him a treat when he stopped by. However, no matter how much she fed him he always seemed to remain skinny. The next day the dog came back to her and like usual she gave him another bone. This time, though, she decided to follow him. 

They hadn’t been walking long when they came upon a stream. As soon as the dog noticed it he became angry and growled at the small channel of water. 

That’s odd, she thought to herself. 

Just as she was about to leave the dog rushed up to the shore and jumped into the shallow water with the bone still in its mouth. Instantly the dog lost his grip on the treat and it began to float away. The dog had the most confused expression on his face at first, but once he realized that his food was gone his face dropped. 

He must think that his reflection is another dog with a bone! The old lady concluded. That’s why he’s so skinny, he always gets tripped up at this stream. 

Over time the lady had become attached to the dog, and decided then to adopt him. She walked over to the sad dog and pet him behind the ears. He seemed to completely forget about the bone and barked happily at her. 

I need to remember to keep him away from mirrors. The woman laughed to herself. 

Author’s note: I used the “Dog and his Image” story this week. I didn’t change much from the original besides adding the older woman character and her point of view. However, when I finished this story I realized that I had written a similar one a couple of week ago! I guess I like stories where story dogs get adopted haha. 

Bibliography: "The Dog and his Image" by Jean de La Fontaine. 

Reading Notes, Fables of La Fontaine, Part B

(the garden, source) 

When I started reading “The Bear and the Amateur Gardener” I though it sounded familiar. Then by the end I realized that it’s pretty similar to “The Gardener and the Bear” story. I even used it in my storybook. Besides that I also liked the term “hermit bear.”

Bibliography: Bibliography: Fables of La Fontaine by Jean de La Fontaine. 

Reading Notes: Fables of La Fontaine, Part A

(image from "The Wolf and the Fox" by Tilney, source) 

I’ve heard the “Hare and the Tortoise” story countless times, but I really enjoyed that this one was in the form of a poem. I like the idea of re-writing this story but making it so that the tortoise and hare can only talk in rhymes. 

I love the illustrations in this unit, especially from “The Dog and his Image.” Also the “Wolf and the Fox.” I feel lie I could write a story only based on the images. 

Another story I liked was “The Monkey and the Cat” because I thought the two animals had an interesting dynamic. 

Bibliography: Fables of La Fontaine by Jean de La Fontaine. 

Story: The Cinder-Maid

In the middle of a castle courtyard sat a group of royal soldiers on their lunch break. They had been eating quietly when one of them finally broke the silence. 

“The Prince. He’s not too bright, is he?” one man stated. 

This made several of them laugh. 

“Oh, definitely not! I wouldn’t trust him to run this kingdom, that’s for sure!” chuckled another. 

A bearded soldier took a bite out of an apple before adding, “At the ball a couple of nights ago he had some of us pour honey on the stairs to stop this mystery girl from running away. I don’t know what he expected to happen. She just ran threw it without any trouble! He’s completely clueless, man.”

One soldier seemed sympathetic as they spoke. “Yeah, and since the honey didn’t work he threw another ball and had us put tar on the stairs instead. I guess it turned out a little better. One of the girl’s shoes got stuck and left behind!” 

“Apparently he’s planning on having every girl in the kingdom try on that shoe so that he can find this girl. He doesn’t seem to realize that some people have the same sized feet,” groaned a soldier with bags under their eyes. 

This had the whole table roaring with laughter. Just then the herald stumbled out from the castle and towards the soldiers. 

“I have news from the king! The Prince has traveled the entire kingdom and found someone who fits the shoe. Or should I say several people…”

“No surprise there!” yelled on of the soldiers. 

The herald didn’t seem to think this was funny. “He invited them all to the castle and they’re here now. Hopefully he’ll recognize this woman’s face.” As he finished speaking he left.

The soldiers only rolled their eyes and continued to gossip. After a little while the herald came back with more news. 

“So, the Prince has found the woman he’s been looking for. Her name is Cinder. There were multiple woman with the same sized feet, and a couple of them actually cut off part of their heel and toe so that their feet would fit.”

The soldiers looked at each other and shrugged. Stuff like this seemed to happen all the time in this kingdom. 

(the shoe, source) 

Author’s note: I used the “Cinder-Maid” for this week’s story. I kept the events from the original mostly the same, but I put everything in the perspective of the soldiers. I always thought it was funny that the Prince didn’t consider that some people have the same sized feet, so I decided to put that in my version. 

Bibliography: "The Cinder-Maid" by Joseph Jacobs

Reading Notes: Europa's Fairy Book, Part A

I liked that “The Cinder-Maid” had new twists that I had never seen before when it comes to the Cinderella story. One thing that always confused me was how the Cinder-Maid’s shoe size was so different from anyone else. Was there absolutely nobody that had the same shoe size as her? Maybe the prince isn’t so bright. If I used this story this week I’d probably explore this question. 

“The Language of Animals” was funny to me. Just this kid going to school for years and learning about one animal. I want to see what the school he went to was like. 

(an illustration from "The Language of Animals," source) 

Then, in “The Earl of Cattenborough” I was surprised that the cat did so much for Jack with nothing in return. 

Bibliography: Europa's Fairy Book by Joseph Jacobs 

Reading Notes: Czech Folktales, Part A

I can definitely relate to John in “Sleepy John.” I would take naps all the time if I could! This line made me laugh: “ONCE there was a lad named John, and he used to go to sleep always and everywhere.”

(Sleepy John, source) 

I’ve read “The Bear, the Eagle, and the Fish” before and it’s a pretty interesting story. 

I really liked the title “The Three Roses” because it reminds me of me and my sisters. There’s three of us and three daughters in the story. It also has some Beauty and the Beast vibes to it. 

Bibliography: Czech Folktales by Josef Baudis

Story: The Rose Tree

There once was a dog, who had no owner, that was often seen stealing various objects from the grocery store. Many people felt bad for the poor dog and handed her a few pieces of food every now and then. There were also those that  disliked the dog scavenging around and shooed her away. Regardless, she always came back. 

One day, a young woman was leaving leaving the store with groceries in hand when she noticed the dog cowering behind a car in the parking lot. This woman was new to town and had never seen the dog before. She looked into her paper bag and decided to give away some of her food. The woman took her loaf of bread, opened the package, and grabbed a couple of slices to offer to the dog. As she squatted to the ground she called out and waved the bead in its direction. The dog was wary at first but couldn’t resist the free food. It slowly inched closer to the woman until it was close enough to snatch the bread slices and run off. The woman smiled knowing that she had helped the starving dog. 

The next day, the woman came back to the grocery store and looked for the dog after she had bought her items. Surely enough the dog was sitting in the parking lot. The woman reached in her bag again and pulled out a few pieces of pre-cooked chicken for the dog. This time the dog was less timid and ran to the lady, grabbed the chicken, and ran behind the store. The woman watched carefully and noticed that the dog had gone that same way the day before. She also realized that it never ate the food right away. 

The woman went to the store for a third day, and bought more bread and chicken for the dog. This time when she gave the dog some food she followed after it. The dog ran behind the small grocery store, past the dumpsters and into a group of bushes beyond. When the woman finally caught up she heard whimpering and realized that the dog had puppies that she was feeding. The dog noticed the woman and instantly became defensive, but the woman handed her more food and she calmed down. The puppies then ran towards her and showered her in a flurry of puppy kisses. The woman laughed and handed them each a a few pieces of bread. She then decided to take them all home so that she could take care of them properly. The mother dog was thin from giving all her food to the puppies. 

One at home the dogs settled in nicely. They especially liked the warmth of the fireplace and soft couch. After the dogs were nursed back to health she found homes for all the puppies and gave each new owner a candle. She wanted each puppy to be connected, even though they were going to live separated from one another. The woman decided to keep the mother dog and one of the puppies for herself. From that moment on the dogs never went hungry again. 

(source) 

Author’s note: I used the “Rose-Tree” for this weeks story post. In the original there was a dog who kept stealing the candles that a girl bought from the grocery store day after day. The dog wasn’t a significant character, and it was never explained why it was doing this. I decided to write about this dog and the possible reasons it might have for hanging around a grocery store. I decided that it was a mother dog that was only trying to feed her puppies. I took a lot of creative liberties for this story, but I did try to keep the candle element. Instead of the dog stealing candles I decided to have those be given  to each new owner of the puppies. 

Bibliography: “The Rose-Tree” by Joseph Jacobs. 

Reading: Welsh Fairy Book, Part A

When I started reading “March’s Ears” I wasn’t expecting him to actually have horse ears. I think the concept was interesting, he could have anything he wanted but he was insecure about how his ears looked. 

 (source) 

Bibliography: Welsh Fairy Book by Jenkyn Thomas

Reading: English Fairy Tales, Part A

In "Tom Tit Tot" I thought this quote was funny: “she meant, you know, the crust would get soft.” While I read this story it also seemed like the king was disappointed that he didn’t get to kill his wife: “and as I reckon I shan't have to kill you”

When I read the “Rose-Tree” I kept wondering about that dog who kept stealing the candles. What was it doing with them? 

(source)

Bibliography: English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs 

Story: Hey Diddle Diddle

There once was a little dog, more specifically a brown chihuahua, who had been born with the ability to wield magic. He was known to wander and as a result he never stayed in the same place for long. This was ideal since he had the tendency to cause mischief wherever he went. Of course today was no different. 

As the tiny dog was strolling along the roadside he came across a quiet farm. He noticed a cow speckled with black spots standing by the barn, and a brown tabby cat lounging on the farmhouse porch. Beside the cat was a worn-out fiddle, dish, and spoon. Instantly, an idea popped up in the chihuahua’s head and he headed for the grazing cow. She didn’t take much notice of him until he cleared his throat. Once her gaze was on him he spoke. 

“Hello there, I was just wondering-“ 

“No,” the cow interrupted. 

“I just had a question miss. Would you believe me if I told you that I have magic?” The dog asked. 

The cow rolled her eyes before responding. “No.” 

The chihuahua’s patience was starting to waver, but he continued on. “Well, what would you do if I could prove that I have magic?” 

The cow stopped chewing for a moment to consider this. “I’d jump over the moon.” 

“Deal!” smiled the little dog. He then turned to head for the snoring tabby on the porch. As he approached he began to recite a spell. “HEY! Diddle, diddle. The cat and the fiddle.” As the last word came out of his mouth the magical dog barked once and the cat woke up, grabbed the fiddle, and started to play. 

The cat was wide eyed and confused. “DUDE! What’d you do to me!?” 

“Just a little spell,” replied the dog. He then turned towards the dish and spoon before starting a new spell. “HEY! Diddle, diddle. The dish ran after the spoon.” Once again he barked at the end and the spoon flew from the bowl and started running towards the sunset. Then the dish became animated and raced after it like there was no tomorrow. 

The tabby cat audibly gasped and the dog heard a deep bellow from behind him. 

“You actually did it…” The cow trailed off. “Too bad I can’t actually jump over the moon.”

The little brown dog brightened up at this. “I can arrange that. I still have one more spell.”

He took a deep breath and recited, “HEY! Diddle, diddle. The cow jumped over the moon!”

And with that the cow began to glow and rise slowly off the ground. She climbed higher and higher and eventually she began to gain speed. In just a few seconds she was hurtling out of the atmosphere. The chihuahua watched as this happened and couldn’t help but burst out laughing. He blinked away tears as he saw the cow round the moon and come flying back to Earth. She then landed safely next to the dog. 

(the cow jumping over the moon, source)

“ARE YOU CRAZY?” she yelled. “YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME!” 

“But I didn’t, and you’re safe aren’t you?” the dog asked. 

“I guess that was kinda cool.” the cow sighed and looked over at the cat. “You should probably take the spell off of him.” 

The dog glanced over his shoulder and barked twice. As a result the cat dropped the fiddle and yawned before falling back asleep. The chihuahua magician then said goodbye to the cow and went on his way. 

To this day there’s still an antique dish and spoon running across the Earth. 

Author's note: I based this story on the "Hey Diddle Diddle" nursery rhyme. There weren't many details so I had to make up some things, such as the dog being magical and causing chaos. I tried to keep the elements form the nursery rhyme, such as the cow jumping over the moon and the cat playing the fiddle. I also based the dog character on my own chihuahua, Hunter!

Bibliography: Nursery Rhymes by Andrew Lang

Reading: Nursery Rhymes, Part A

“There Was a Crooked Man” was pretty interesting to me, is he physically crooked or is he “crooked” personality wise?

“The Lion and the Unicorn” had a cool dynamic to it as well. I would have never pictured a lion and a unicorn fighting over the leadership of a kingdom. 

(Illustration from "The Lion and the Unicorn," source)

The riddle about the dog’s name being “Take” was clever too. 

Bibliography: Nursery Rhymes by Andrew Lang 

Reading: Nursery Rhymes, Part B

I enjoyed these nursery rhymes, and they would all be fun to base a story on! The illustrations were also very nice.

Of course I liked “Hey Diddle Diddle” and I think it would be a nice challenge to try and lengthen it into a story. I want to know why all these things are happening, like why the cow is jumping over the moon. 

(Illustration for "Hey Diddle Diddle," source) 

I feel like I could use this rhyme as a sequel to a story I wrote earlier in the semester about Petal the cat. 

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.

“What Little Boys are Made of” reminds me of the Powderpuff Girls with “sugar, spice, and everything nice.” 

Bibliography: Nursery Rhymes by Andrew Lang 

Reading: American Indian Fairy Tales, Part A

In “Iagoo, the Story-Teller” I really liked the line “and there was magic in almost everything.” It felt almost whimsical, and caught my attention. I also think Iagoo is an interesting character and I would like to know more about him. Was he always good at telling stories? Will he pass his stories onto a new person in the future?

I also enjoyed “The Little Boy and Girl in the Clouds.” I loved the description of the valley and the interactions between all the animals to save the two kids. 

(source) 

Bibliography: American Indian Fairy Tales by Henry Schoolcraft

Reading Notes: California and the Old Southwest, Part A

“The Great Fire” story definitely fits California, with all the fires they have. I also thought these lines were funny: 

“Long ago a man loved two women and wished to marry both of them. But the women were magpies and they laughed at him.” 

(the fire, source) 

I also thought that the “Creation of Man” was interesting. The animals in this story acted as some sort of “god” who created man. However, I wondered why they wanted to create man in the first place. (since man would end up stronger than them) I wonder what their motivations are? 

Bibliogrpahy: California and the Old Southwest by Katharine Berry Judson

Story: Grizzly Bear and Coyote

Located in the middle of a small town was an old, run down shopping mall. Because of its age there was only one light switch and one thermostat that controlled the entire building. This mall was well-known for its defective wiring and inconsistent temperature changes, and this was all because of two vendors who couldn’t get along. 

One was a coyote who owned a coffee shop, and the other was a polar bear who ran an ice cream parlour. They both disagreed on the temperature of the building. The coyote preferred a warm, homey environment for his customers while the bear wanted a slight chill to keep her merchandise cold. 

(source) 

As a result the two animals would constantly go to the control room and change the temperature to their tastes. This often resulted in arguments. 

“Hey stop turning down the heat!” yelled the agitated coyote. 

The polar bear growled back, “I can do what I want, and I own an ice cream shop. It needs to be cold in here!”

The coyote took a step forward and put a paw in the bear’s face. “Well I sell HOT chocolate and coffee. I need it to be warm!”

This went on for a few minutes before the two went their separate ways. However, both their customers became annoyed by the inconsistent temperatures in the stores and stopped showing up, causing their profits to decrease. 

The bear was the first to approach the coyote with a compromise. 

“We’re both losing money because of this feud,” the bear sighed. “Why don’t we just keep it cool half of the day and warm for the other?” 

The coyote thought this over before nodding in agreement. “The temperature can be higher in the morning and cooler in the afternoon.” 

The two shook paws and went to their respective stores. 

The peace didn’t last long. 

This time they began to argue over the levels of lighting in their stores. The coyote preferred the lighting to be dim, since he had an aesthetic to uphold, and he wanted to be the most “hip” shop in town. The bear on the other hand wanted it to be brighter to show that her store was friendly and welcoming to people of all ages. Once again they took turns changing the lighting before they finally decided to settle their differences. 

The coyote was first to speak. “Okay. Whoever can guess the amount of customers in both our stores combined gets to be in charge of the lights.” 

The bear agreed to this and guessed 21. The coyote said 17. 

Of course the answer was 19. Exactly in the middle. They decided to compromise again. 

“We can keep it dim for part of the day and bright for the other. Like last time.” suggested the coyote. 

The polar bear agreed to this. 

Afterwards the two were still at odds, but they no longer fought about the temperature or lighting of their stores. 

Author's note: I based this on the "Grizzly Bear and Coyote" Story from the British North America Unit. In the original a bear and coyote fought over how long the days and nights should be, as well as how many months of the year should be cold and warm. I decided to change this slightly by having them be store owners in a mall where they have to share a thermostat and and light switch. I also kept the part where they tried to settle their differences by counting the feathers on a bird's tail. However, I changed it by having them count the number of customers in their stores. (I also turned the grizzly bear into a polar bear). 

Bibliography: "Grizzly Bear and Coyote" from the British North America Unit by the First Nations people of Canada. 

Reading Notes: Tejas Legends, Reading B

I thought the description of the hummingbirds spraying themselves with water and playing in the rain was cute in “Why Hummingbirds Drink Only Dew.” I also was surprised that the hummingbird was able to fly faster than the heron. Herons have much larger wingspans. 

Before I actually read “Paisano, Hater of the Rattlesnake” I thought of the coyote and road runner from looney tunes. I also kept imagining a rattlesnake flying around. 

(image from Tejas Legends, source) 

Bibliography: Tejas Legends by the Tejas Indians 

Reading Notes: British North America, Reading A

This specific group of stories caught my attention because of the “Grizzly Bear and Coyote” story. I thought it was interesting to see how day/night and warm/cold months of the year came to be. However, I’m still trying to figure out if this would be a good story for my storybook or not. I’d have to change it a lot for it to fit in the world I made for Medved. Maybe a couple of bears are fighting over the temperature of the thermostat? 

“How the Earth was Formed” reminded me of Noah’s ark because they put two of each animal on a raft. 

The “Creation of Light” made me laugh because of the line “he did not invite them. They went.” 

(source) 

Bibliography: Myths and Legends of British North America by the First Nations people of Canada

Week 8 Growth Mindset

Some strengths I have include being confident that I can improve and/or learn from my mistakes, setting my priorities, and being open to feedback. This class has definitely given me great feedback and I always try my best to apply it to my writings. I have also had to manage my schedule often so that I turn everything in on time. 

My weaknesses are staying in my comfort zone (in this class and in life in general), taking a short time view, and comparing myself to others. At first writing a story each week was out of my comfort zone, but as time has gone by I have become used to it. I’ve also had to try and ditch my short-term mindset when it comes to planning for my storybook. 

I hope that for the second half of the semester I can continue to improve with my writing and get out of my comfort zone more often.

(source)

Week 8 Reflections

I have really enjoyed this class so far! It’s a nice break from my other schoolwork, and I feel like my writing has improved because of it. The readings are great and without this class I would have never known that they existed. 

As for the reading notes I feel like I’ve done a good job. I usually leave myself notes on elements I liked in a story, or things I didn’t like and might want to change in a re-write. 

 I’m also pretty pleased with the stories I’ve written this semester. I was a little nervous in the beginning, since I’ve been self-conscious about my writing in the past, but I think writing stories, blog posts, and comments each week has helped me improve. I’ve also noticed that I tend to gravitate towards stories involving animals and and happy endings. If a story has an unfortunate end or sad element I will usually change it to something better. I want people to be happy when reading my stories.

(a bunch of animals, source) 

I really like my storybook topic as well. I’m happy to write about Medved and his adventures, and it has kept my interest each week. I was worried that I would end up choosing a topic I didn’t like and that I would end up stuck. However that hasn’t been a problem so far! I can’t wait to see my whole storybook completed by the end of the semester. 

One thing I want to improve on is my dialog. I use a lot of it in my stories and based on feedback I’ve gotten I need to work on the grammar side of it. I want it to seem as natural as possible and hopefully I’ll see improvement by the end. 

Some things I admire from other people’s stories are humor and unique twists. I also love when people make a story their own, where it doesn’t just feel like a longer version of the original story. 

Another thing I’ve noticed while reading some people’s stories is that they tend to repeat words in the same sentence. I try and avoid this myself. 

Story: Adventures of a Jackal

(The panther, source) 

Everyone living in the land of the animals knew of the fairly gullible but friendly panther. Whenever he passed a stranger he would always strike up a conversation, and made it a point to compliment them in some way. He was a people-pleaser. However, because of his kindness he was often taken advantage of. 

This day was no different. 

On his way to visit some friends, the partridges, he happened to pass a jackal and a hedgehog traveling together. As usual he stopped and waved to the two animals but before he spoke he noticed that the fox was wearing bright red shoes. 

The panther couldn’t help staring before speaking. 

“Um, excuse me sir. I couldn’t help but notice your shoes. Would you mind telling me where you bought them?

The jackal glanced at the hedgehog momentarily before responding, “I made these myself actually. They’re not from a store.” 

“Would you make me a pair like yours?” The panther asked eagerly. 

“Uh, sure.” the jackal shrugged. “I just need some materials. Kill a cow for me so that I can eat it, and then I’ll make shoes for you from its hide.”

The panther agreed to this right away and set off to find a cow. An hour or so later he returned and after the jackal finished eating he began to work on the shoes. As he worked the panther watched happily with stars in his eyes. When the jackal finished he handed the red shoes to the panther. 

“Now lay these in the sun for two hours, and after that you can wear them. Don’t put them on too early though, or they’ll be uncomfortable.” 

With a final goodbye the jackal and hedgehog continued on their way and the panther followed the jackal's instructions exactly. 

When the two hours were up he excitedly put the new shoes on his feet and stood up to admire them. They looked great and he couldn’t help smiling to himself. After a few moments he began to walk away but was stopped by excruciating pain coming from his paws. The shoes were still stiff and crushed his feet every step he took. He immediately tried taking them off but they wouldn’t budge. 

Feeling overwhelmed and disappointed the panther fell to the ground and started to cry. He had only wanted nice shoes like the jackal. 

Later, the panther’s partridge friends heard his sobbing and flew to his side. 

“What’s wrong?” asked one of the birds. 

The panther looked up at them and wiped away some tears. “A jackal made me these shoes, but now they’re stuck on my feet!”

After hearing this the partridges came up with a plan to remove the red shoes. They went to the nearest stream and flew back with water in their beaks. Then they poured it over the panther’s feet and the leather began to soften. Eventually he was able to take the shoes off. 

“Thank you!” The panther exclaimed. “Now I need to find that jackal and teach him a lesson!”

The little birds attempted to stop him, but the panther ignored them and ran into the jungle nearby.  

________________________

Eventually the panther caught up to the jackal but before he could get close enough the jackal saw him and scurried into the foliage. It was too dense for the panther to follow and he angrily went around it. However, the jackal was already long gone. 

The panther briefly wondered if he should go home and forget the jackal, but shook the idea from his head. The jackal had given him bad shoes and he needed to pay. 

However, each time he came close to catching the jackal he always failed. He had tried luring him with a cow and also some melons. Each time the jackal outsmarted him. 

After a while the panther decided to give up on chasing the jackal and sadly headed back to his house. On the way back the partridges found him and handed him a present with a large bow on top. The panther gave them a confused look before opening the box. 

Once he saw the item inside his eyes lit up with joy, and he thanked the birds over and over. They had given him a pair of red shoes! A pair of red converse to be exact. He quickly put them on and forgot all about his run in with the jackal. 

Author’s Note: In the original story the panther wasn’t the main character, but I decided to make my re-write about him instead of the jackal. I kept most of the story the same but I changed the ending for the panther. I felt bad that he never got the shoes he wanted, so I had the partridges give him a pair. 

Bibliography: "Adventures of a Jackal" by Andrew Lang in the African Tales Unit. 

Reading Notes: Filipino Popular Tales, Reading A

By the time I was done reading “The Poor Man and his Three Sons” I was genuinely surprised that all the sons ended up happy and wealthy. It was set up for me to believe that at least one of the children would go against their father’s dying wishes. However this never happened and the only bad thing that happened was that the father died.    

I didn’t like the ending to “The Monkey, the Turtle, and the Crocodile” story. The monkey tricked both the turtle and crocodile and never felt repercussions for his actions. I also want to know why he decided to trick these animals. Was it just for fun or did he have a deeper reason behind his actions? If I were to re-write this I would explore the monkey’s motivation.

(the turtle, source) 

Bibliography: Filipino Popular Tales by Dean Fansler 

Reading Notes: African Tales (Lang), Reading A

 I enjoyed how the “Adventures of a Jackal,” “Adventures of Jackals Eldest Son,” and “Adventures of Younger Son of Jackal” were all connected into one large story. I do wish that the jackals had different personalities, and if I were to re-write this I would make them more distinguishable from each other. Maybe one of the kids is smart, like the others, but doesn’t use their brain in a malicious way. They might even deal with scrutiny from the other animals because of their family’s reputation.  

(a jackal, source) 

I also liked the panther character in “Adventures of a Jackal.” He was too trusting of others, and innocent in a way. I want to hear more about him and his backstory. When the jackal tricked him he wanted revenge, but this went away after he failed multiple times. I liked this because he just let go of his anger instead of spending every waking moment trying to catch the jackal. I’d want to explore how he became the panther he is today. 

Bibliography: African Tales by Andrew Lang

Story: How the Raven Saved the Hunter

A lonely raven was soaring across the sky, gazing down at the mountains below. She spotted a group of wolves playing in a pile of leaves, a deer a little ways off, and a rabbit that had just emerged from its den. 

(the raven, source) 

Nothing out of the ordinary. She told herself. 

Until all of a sudden she noticed a man heading towards a small stream. As he reached the edge of the water he kneeled down and scooped some up in his hands, and began to bring it up towards his mouth. 

NO. The raven thought as she dove towards the man. 

The man didn’t notice her until the last minute, and he was so startled that he jumped up and dumped all the water from his hands. He then turned around and glared angrily at the raven before dunking his hands back into the water for another drink. 

Just as he brought the water to his lips the raven swooped down from a branch and knocked it from his hands again. The man then jumped upwards furiously and attempted to grab the raven, but she was too fast and dodged his attack. 

The man then began walking slowly to the stream once again, and kept looking over his shoulder to see if the Raven followed. Sure enough she crept closer each step he took. 

“Why can’t I drink from this stream!?” He yelled. “I haven’t had a drink in days, do you want me to die of thirst?”

The raven only stared sadly at the man before cawing at him. She then flew in a few circles and headed further into the woods cawing as she went. 

I hope he follows. The raven thought. 

Lucky for her the man was curious and stumbled after her. Eventually they reached the source of the stream, and the raven landed on a smooth rock before nodding towards the water. 

The mans eyes widened in shock as he saw a jumble of animal skeletons. Just beyond them he saw a dead snake, and from its mouth came the “water” he had almost drank. 

The raven watched carefully as his mind began to wander. She felt relieved that he wouldn’t end up like the other animals. 

All of a sudden the man spoke again, “thank you so much! You saved my life!” he paused briefly, “but why?” 

The raven hopped down from her rock and looked towards the animals by the shore, hoping he would understand. 

He had a puzzled look on his face briefly before realization finally lit up his features. 

“Were they your friends?” He asked quietly.

The raven nodded and many memories of them came to her mind.

“And you couldn’t save them. So now you watch this area to make sure no other animal has to die?” the man pondered. 

Once again the raven nodded at his accurate statement. 

The man looked thoughtful for a moment before continuing, “I’m going to stay here, and help you protect animals from drinking here ever again.” 

The raven heard this but couldn’t believe it, a new friend? It had been so long. In response she only cawed and landed happily on the mans shoulder. 

Author's Note: I kept this story mostly the same when it comes to the original. However, I added the Raven's point of view. I also gave her more of a backstory and showed why she was so desperate to help the man. In the original the man ends up killing the Raven and regretting it later, so I took that part out. 

Bibliography: "How the Raven saved the Hunter" by Albert Shelton from the Tibetan Folktales. 

Reading Notes: South African Folktales, Reading B

While I was reading “The Dance for Water” I was almost positive that the story was going to end badly for the rabbit. However, I was surprised when it slipped out of its skin and ran away. It sounds like an ending I would have written. 

(The rabbit, source)

“The Judgement of Baboon” reminded me of rock paper scissors, especially the part that says “fire consumes wood. wood beats dog” and so on. I think it would be fun to make a story based on this, and call it “the origin of rock paper scissors.” 

Bibliography: South African Folktales by the San People

Reading Notes: Tibetan Folk Tales, Reading B

While I was reading “How the Rabbit Killed the Lion” I was amazed at how quickly the rabbit came up with his excuse as to why he wouldn’t kneel to the lion. It even got the lion to drown itself!

“How the Raven Saved the Hunter” was familiar to me because I read a story similar to it recently (in this class). I don’t remember the title, but I do know that a hawk was trying to save a man from drinking poisoned water (instead of a raven). The Raven seemed to deeply care about this random mans safety, and it would be cool to see its back story. 

(the raven, source)

I also thought “The Two Little Cats” was nice because they had a bunch of animals who helped defend them from the Handre. I’d like to see all these characters become one big friend group. 

I might be able to use “A Rabbit Story” in my storybook. I could have my bear officer respond to the conflict between the rabbit and bear family, and in the end no one would be killed (unlike the original). 

Bibliography: Tibetan Folk Tales by Albert Shelton. 

Story: The Legend of the Lei Tree

It was a chilly morning in the forest, and while most animals were still asleep, a golden tiger was marching determinedly through the undergrowth. He was on his way to meet an old friend, as he did everyday, on top of a hill just beyond the trees. 

Eventually, the tiger reached the base of the hill and began to climb upwards, and once he got to the top he sat beside a lei tree. 

(The tree, source) 

“So, what's the word Lei?” The tiger asked, looking up towards the tree’s leaves. 

The tree began to droop its branches in response but didn’t speak. 

This worried the tiger and he spoke to the tree again, “Are you alright Lei? What’s the matter?”

After being asked a second time the tree replied to the feline, its voice beginning to crack, “The men in the village came yesterday to cut me down. But they got tired and left, to come back today and finish the job.” 

As the lei tree spoke the tiger finally noticed the large gash in its’ trunk and rushed to inspect it further. After a few moments he licked the bark and looked up towards his friend. 

“That should fix it,” he smiled. 

Instantly, the the lei’s broken trunk began to reform as if the wound had never been there. The tiger was magical, and one of his gifts gave him the ability to heal. 

The lei’s drooping leaves sprang up happily, “Thank you tiger! I will always remember this!” 

The tiger only nodded and turned to sit beside the tree once more. The two talked for an hour or so before they bid farewell and the tiger stalked back to his home. 

Unfortunately, later that day, the men came back and began to chop at the tree again. They were determined to do away with the lei since it was creating a shadow over their crops, and causing them to wither and die. However, they grew tired like the day prior and went home. 

The next day the tiger returned to the hill and found the tree shedding leaves as it sobbed. The tiger knew exactly why and went to lick the lei tree’s bark to heal it once again. 

This cycle happened for a few days, and on the fourth day the tiger went to lick the bark but was stopped by the tree itself. 

“DON’T!” the tree yelled, “the men found out that you’ve been healing me, and they placed sharp blades in my bark to harm you!”

The tiger recoiled sharply and grimaced thinking about what could have happened. However, he couldn’t just let his friend be chopped down. As a result,  he inspected the tree further and attempted to dig out the blades. Unfortunately it was in vain. 

The tiger frowned and thought for a moment before coming up with an idea to wait for the villagers to arrive. Once they did he jumped towards them, growling menacingly. 

They froze as the tiger spoke, “I won’t harm you if you remove the blades you placed in the bark of this tree." 

The men looked at each other contemplating what to do. Eventually, they explained their reasoning for cutting the tree, and the tiger came up with a compromise. 

He informed them of his magic, and then used it to create a break in the tree’s leaves so that sunlight could get through. This pleased the men and they left, never giving the tree trouble again. 

Author's Note: I tried to keep aspects of the original story, such as the villagers trying to cut down the lei tree and the tiger healing it overnight. However, I added the part about the tree and tiger being old friends. I also created a happy ending where the the villagers leave the tree alone. In the actual story it ends up being chopped down, and the tiger cuts its tongue on the blades. 

Bibliography: "The Legend of the Lei Tree," by Mrs. K.U. Rafy from the Khasi Folktales Unit

Reading Notes: Khasi Folktales, Reading B

I read “What Makes the Lightning” last week for the feedback focus blog post, but I enjoyed reading it again this week. It’s cool to imagine that thunder and lightening are actually the result of a drum and a swinging sword. I thought this was a unique idea. 

(A picture of lightning, source) 

I also thought that “How the Tiger Got His Strength” was interesting. I wondered what would happen if an animal who is typically able to “walk silently” like the tiger didn’t have that trait. I think it would be funny if there was a tiger who was clumsy and always making tons of noise when it walked around the jungle. 

Another story that caught my attention was “Why the Goat Lives with Mankind.” I thought it was strange when the goat just decided to tell the world that it was defenseless and that the tiger was mistaken in being scared of it. I feel like that was a bad move. 

Bibliography: Khasi Folktales by Mrs. K.U. Rafy