Story: The Cat-Maiden

It had already been 24 hours, and Petal was STILL trying to wrap her head around everything that had happened to her.

One moment she was lounging in the warm summer sun, like any other cat, and the next she was quite a bit taller and surrounded by two bickering individuals. 

(Petal lounging in the sun, Source)

“What have you done!” one of them yelled at the other. 

“We could fight all day, so why not test it and see who’s right?” the other replied more calmly. 

As this was happening Petal was glancing back and forth and became even more confused than she was before. She then looked down and realized that she had human hands where her paws should have been and her fur was gone. She cried out at the sight, which caught the attention of the pair. They both looked at each other and quickly explained the situation to the stressed out ex-cat. 

Apparently, these two were the gods Jupiter and Venus, and they had turned Petal into a human so that they could settle a disagreement. Jupiter believed that a living being was capable of changing its nature, while Venus disagreed. They then told her that they had arranged a wedding between Petal and a young man they had found. Neither god explained themselves any further and immediately had Petal change into a wedding dress. Before she knew it she was walking down the aisle. 

After the wedding they had a reception, and all was going well. Except for the fact that Petal was still lost and extremely uncomfortable. Then suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a mouse dart out from underneath a table. Petal couldn’t resist the urge and instinctively chased after it. 

Venus then looked at Jupiter with a smug look, “see, I told you. A living being can’t change its nature! She’s still a cat at heart.” 

Jupiter glared back, and was clearly annoyed that his friend had released the mouse on purpose. 

After chasing the mouse Petal became even more aware of how little she fit in as a human, and walked towards the two gods while hiding her face in embarrassment. Unfortunately, once she reached their table they had already started arguing again. No matter what she tried she couldn’t catch their attention. 

Eventually Petal had had enough and yelled as loudly as she could manage, which finally broke up the fight. Both gods looked at her expectantly, but they also had slight irritation on their faces. 

“Sorry to be a bother,” Petal sighed, “but I’d like to become a cat again. If you don’t mind.” 

Both gods considered her for a moment before Jupiter looked at Venus and replied, “can we keep up this charade a little while longer? This cat hasn’t even been human for a day.”

“You only want that because you lost. But I guess we can give it 24 hours and see what happens,” Venus said with a shrug. 

Jupiter smiled while Petal’s heart sank. She was about to argue when the two disappeared into thin air. Petal frowned and looked back towards her new “husband.” This would be a long day. 

After the reception Petal had moved into her new home, for the day at least, and sat down on a small chair next to the guy she had just married. 

Where did they find him? she wondered to herself. 

He wasn’t the smartest, or most motivated person she had ever come across, and luckily he didn’t seem to take much notice of her. 

After a while he got up and went to a back room, and returned with a cat. The cat followed him towards a cabinet where he pulled out a can of cat food and placed it into a small bowl in the corner of the room. 

Petal stared at the food and her mouth began to water. She even got up and headed for the bowl, but as she did this the man stared at her knowingly. 

“I… I’m just making sure that this cat food isn’t expired. You know. That would be bad for the cat…” Petal managed to come up with a plausible excuse for her behavior, and looked to the man for his response. 

“Dude, I know you’re supposedly a cat-turned-human. Those two weird people told me about it, I just wanted to test it out.” He stated as he nodded towards the cat food. 

Petal’s mouth gaped open, "Then WHY did you agree to marry me? A cat!” 

“It would make for a good story.” the man shrugged. “And this isn’t even my cat, I’m watching him for a friend.” 

Petal was still reeling from this information, but decided to spend the rest of her 24 hours doing human things. Watching TV, eating pizza. And at the end the two gods reappeared and turned her back to the cat she once was. 

Petal didn’t know how their theories were resolved, and didn’t care. She was just glad to be back to herself again. 

Author’s note: When I read this story originally I wondered what Venus and Jupiter did with the cat after they settled their dispute, and so I tried to write it. The beginning is pretty true to the original, up until the point where the cat-maiden chases the mouse at her wedding reception, and after that I added my part. 

Bibliography: Joseph Jacobs, The Cat-Maiden, Source. 

Reading Notes: Aesop's Fables, Part B

When I was reading “The Ant and the Grasshopper” it reminded me of procrastinating on a homework assignment and then it seeming like the deadline popped up out of nowhere. 

“The Two Crabs” was also relatable. There’s so many people out there who criticize people for something they do as well. 

Also, when I read “The Man and the Wood” I just really wanted the trees to rebel against the man who was cutting them down. 

“The Fellows and the Bear” was the first story with a bear that I’ve read in this class so far! There was also “The Bear and the Bees” which was simple but nice. 

“The Frightened Lion” could also be a cute story of a lion who’s scared of ghosts.

(An image from "The Frightened Lion.")

Bibliography: All these stories are from Aesop's Fables by Joseph Jacobs. 

Reading Notes: Aesop's Fables, Part A

While reading through part A of the Aesop’s Fables Unit I found many stories that inspired me for this weeks storytelling post. 

The first story I liked was “The Cat Maiden.” I think that this concept is pretty interesting on its own, however it isn’t very long and mentions that the cat still acts like a cat, even in a human body. It would be fun to see how the cat adjusts to life as a human. I can see her being extremely confused at first, but over time she begins to get accustomed to becoming a person (but has many mishaps along the way).

“The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse” is also a good one. I feel like many people have heard this story, and for some reason it made me think of New York. I pictured two childhood friends who ended up on two very different paths. One friend stayed in their small home town, while the other branched out and moved to a huge city. 

Also, I don’t usually like when stories have sad endings, and “The Stag in the Ox-Stall” is one of those. The deer ends up hiding in a stall from a group of hunters, and isn’t noticed by the stable-boys at first, but in the end it is found and killed. What if instead of being killed the deer actually befriends one of the stable-boys, who then helps it escape? I would like that ending a lot more. 

(An image from "The Stag in the Ox-Stall")

“The Fox and the Goat” also caught my attention. I kinda wish that after the fox tricked the goat to jump into the well that the goat somehow managed to escape. 

Bibliography: All these stories are from Aesop's Fables by Joseph Jacobs. 

Growth Mindset Thoughts

Before watching Carol Dweck’s videos I had actually never heard of the Growth Mindset before, but I like the concept quite a bit! Everyone grows and learns at different rates, and they shouldn’t be punished for it. 

I think I may be in the middle of the spectrum when it comes to the growth and fixed mindset. I don’t like the idea of “looking dumb” but on the other hand I do believe that effort can get you anywhere. 

 In school (especially high school) I felt that many of the classes I took were very easy. Most of them didn’t challenge me, which I liked at the time, and now I’m learning that that may not have been the best thing. In some aspects I like to be challenged, but on the other hand I also like when things aren’t too hard or time-consuming. I am just starting my major courses this year, and I am already facing more challenges than I have since coming to college. It’s a little intimidating, but in a way I actually feel like I’m learning something useful. And I’m excited for this year.

(I liked many of these quotes, but I've realized that I do need to take more risks. Source) 

 While I’ve been at OU I’ve learned that I am definitely a visual learner, and that if I am uncaring about a subject (math is an example) I typically don’t do as well. I also tend to panic whenever a subject isn’t making sense to me, and I worry about falling behind. So, I think that the term “yet” is very comforting because even though I might not understand something now, I will be able to in the future. 

I definitely want to learn more about growth mindset, and I want to try and apply it to my daily life and classes. 

As for personal goals, I just want to do well in my classes and also grow more confident as a person. I want to learn as much as I can and be well-rounded.

 I didn’t know what to expect for this class, but after this first orientation week I’ve found that I’ve actually enjoyed writing out my thoughts in blog form and reading and writing stories. 

Starting the Semester

I’m honestly not the most organized person, but I always manage to get things done somehow! Right before each semester starts I’ll create a note on my phone and type out the names of all my classes and then underneath I will put assignment due dates. After I finish each assignment I’ll then use the check-mark emoji to show that I finished it and that I don’t have to worry about it anymore. It’s basically a little to-do list. I always have my phone with me so I have always preferred it to a notebook or planner. 

(An outdated image of the notes app,  Source) 

Reading Options

For week two I’m going to read from the Ancient Greece unit, and more specifically over Aesop (Jacobs). I really enjoyed the group of Aesop’s Fables we’ve read already, and I’m interested in reading more of them. I like how many of these stories are focused on animals, but they still teach us a lesson or offer wisdom. 

I’m also interested in reading from the Chinese Fairy Tales unit. I enjoy stories about animals, the one about how cats and dogs became enemies was great, and the overview also mentions that there are also stories that include magic! I think that would be fun to read about. 

(A picture from "The Panther" story in the Chinese Fairy Tale unit)

Along with this, the Egyptian Mythology also seems like a good unit. In art history we’ve studied quite a few Egyptian artworks and they’ve always had unique stories behind them. 

Another unit I’m interested in is Alaskan Legends. Raven seems fun to read about, and the other stories about animals sound good too!  

Storybook Favorites

While I looked through the storybook list the first one to catch my attention was titled "Jungle Tiger Stories." Before I read the introduction I expected these stories to have a tiger as the main character but I was surprised when it was actually about an old monkey named Virgil, and a young boy. Throughout the chapters the monkey tries to return the boy back to his family, but he knows he will die (the monkey) by the end of the journey. As a result he tries to teach the boy life lessons (through stories about various tigers) and embark on one final adventure. 

(This is an image the author of "Jungle Tiger Stories" used on their webpage, Source) 

Overall, I enjoyed the story quite a bit and I thought that the author did a great job of keeping the audience’s attention. Their writing style also flowed easily and made sense. I especially liked their approach in having the original stories told through the monkey. 

The next story I enjoyed was "The Trickster of OU." I think this originally caught my eye because I wanted to know what exactly this “trickster” on campus was doing to mess with people. I thought that maybe it would be about a kid joking around with a few people in class, but I was surprised again when the pranks effected the whole school. 

I think I liked this story because I was familiar with all the places mentioned, and also different issues such as parking. It also was fun because as a result of the pranks the whole school became engulfed in chaos. Along with this, I enjoyed how the dialog was done and also how the author took inspiration from such different sources. One of the chapters was based on a story about Loki from Norse mythology, and another was from Puss in Boots. 

The last story is called "A Dog's Afterlife" and it is about a dog named Rufus who decides to leave his home behind and go on a “vacation” to find what else the world has to offer. However, he is then transported to Purgatory, Hell, and Paradise where he begins to realize how good he had it back home. (Coincidentally, he is guided by another character named Virgil) Rufus believes that he died, but ends up waking up in the real-world again and as a result he is more appreciative of his normal life. 

I like this story because I can relate to Rufus. Sometimes I don’t realize all the good things happening in my life, and that I could actually be in a worse situation. 

Introduction to a Bear-Loving Artist

Hey everyone, I’m Taylor! I’m a junior and visual communications major from Oklahoma City.

 One of my favorite things to do is draw, and I do that constantly, both digitally and traditionally. I love how art has endless possibilities, and how it allows me to bring the ideas in my head to life! Besides graphic design, I am also interested in conceptual art (for movies, games, and TV shows), character design, and storyboarding. Animation also seems very fun and I would like to learn that as well. 

Another thing about me is that I love bears! I hope that one day I can see them up close (but not dangerously close) in the wild. They’re the best. 

(A spectacled bear, Source) 

 I also love dogs, and I have three of them. I have Hunter and Fancy who are chihuahuas (they’re siblings), and a malamute named Aspen. Aspen is a giant that doesn’t realize how big she is, and she loves attention from anyone who gives it to her. Fancy is kind of a glutton (and licks fabric), but she’s the sweetest dog I know.

                                                                                                                                       

                      

(Aspen is on the left, and Fancy is on the right. Both of these are my photos) 

Her brother Hunter CAN be sweet, to a select few people, but he hates almost everybody. He’s definitely a stereotypical chihuahua. 

(And this is a photo I took of Hunter) 

I don’t actually own a cat, but our neighbor’s cat comes to visit a lot. Her name is Julie and she’s adorable. When I leave the house she always runs from across the street to say hi. 

As for my summer, nothing super interesting happened. I didn’t end up going anywhere but I enjoyed the time away from school. I did watch a lot of Big Brother though (that show where they lock a bunch of people in a house to win a half million dollars), and tried to teach myself how to cook. I made lemon bars twice, but they ended up tasting like play-doh both times. Oh well. 

Story: The Dog and the Wolf

A wolf wandered across a small pasture, well outside of it’s usual territory, scavenging for any scraps of food it could find. Its prey had been scarce in recent months and as a result it had become weak and malnourished. It spotted various horses and sheep scattered along the horizon but didn’t have the strength to chase them. 

(the wolf walking across a pasture, Source) 

The wolf started to lose hope until it came across a farm-dog who had been working in the field. The dog curiously sniffed the wolf and gave it a look of pity, “I don’t know how you do it, not knowing when you’ll be able to eat next.” The wolf opened its mouth to reply but the dog continued speaking, “why don’t you work for humans like I do? In return they provide you with all the food you could want.” The wolf looked at the dog and realized how well-fed it was, and envied that luxury. It then nodded at the farm-dog and replied, “I would be glad to have an arrangement like that, but I don’t have an owner like you.” The dog brightened up excitedly, “oh don’t worry about that! You can live here and work alongside me! We just need to go see my owner.” 

(the farm-dog, Source) 

The dog then turned and headed for the town and the wolf followed. The two animals walked together in comfortable silence until the wolf noticed a patch of hair missing on the dog’s neck. The wolf couldn’t keep its curiosity at bay and asked the dog how it had happened. The dog just shrugged it off, “that? Oh it’s nothing really. It’s just where my owner puts on my collar at night to chain me up.” The wolf stared in disbelief at the dog as it kept speaking. “It rubs at your neck a little bit, but after a while you’ll get used to it.” As the farm dog walked on it didn’t realize the the wolf had stopped in its tracks and was no longer following. The dog turned and gave it a puzzled look. The wolf wanted food desperately, but not enough to be held captive. It looked at the dog quickly before leaving, “I’ve changed my mind. I can’t live like you do.” As it went back the way it came the dog called, “what are you going to do about food?” The wolf looked over its shoulder and yelled back, “I’ll figure out something.” 

Author’s Note: The original story was titled “The Dog and the Wolf” and was found within the Fables of Aesop. The original was shorter than my rewrite, but they both have the same plot. Basically, a starving wolf comes across a dog who tells it about life with it’s “master” and that if the wolf works for the owner it will be fed. The wolf thinks this is a good deal at first but once it realizes that it has to be chained up at night it changes its mind. At the end of the fable it says “better starve free than be a fat slave.” Overall, I didn’t change the story much. I just added details and fixed the dialog so that it sounded more current.

Bibliography. “The Dog and the Wolf” from the Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs. Web Source. 

My Favorite Place

My favorite place would have to be the house my grandma lived in while I was growing up! My sisters and I would always visit, since she didn’t live far, and I have many fond memories of that time. 

Her house had trinkets everywhere, and they mostly included animals such as giraffes and bears. She also loved red and blue color schemes, and fake greenery. On almost every ledge or corner she had flowers, trees, or vines. It was a great place to play hide-and-seek.

 She also had a pool that I would swim in constantly, and there was just about every kind of pool toy you could imagine. (Snorkels, goggles, beach balls, flippers, and a bunch of miscellaneous things as well). 

(Source: Wikipedia) 

Along with this she and my granddad loved to garden. They had the most beautiful backyard with tons of different roses and daisies. I remember she had a lamb-ear bush that I loved because the leaves were soft. 

(A picture of a lamb ear plant, by a photographer named Patrick Standish. Source: Flickr)

 I think the sole reason that this place meant so much to me was because of my grandma. She sold that house a few years back, and I still miss it. However, I’ll always have those memories.

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(A bear sitting by a rock, source) 

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