Improvements

I really like the idea of the writing tutorial videos! That would definitely be useful. I'm constantly watching Lynda videos to learn how to do specific graphic ideas, and I would have watched writing tutorial videos if there were any. It would help writers block! I can see that as a great extra credit opportunity.

Reading Notes: Hans Christian Anderson, Part A

Awake in bed by pixabay

A prince is looking for a princess, weird cause I feel a lot of the stories the girl is looking for a boy. A storm came and a beautiful princess stood at his gate. His mother put this princess to a test to see if she could sleep with a pea in her bed. Only a real princess is sensitive to that. She was real.

This emperor has a shopping problem, and so do I. Relatable. He spent endless amounts of money on high end clothes. He wants to look the freshest of fresh.

I feel like I’ve heard some sort of versions of these stories before. Not the exact same story, but definitely a form of it. All soldiers were alike, except one. He fell out a window. Rode a boat away. He melted away in a stove into the shape of a heart.

The prince was wicked. He thought he was all that and had a huge head. He wanted to conquer God. But he couldn’t even face gnats.

A little girl was cold and not covered up. She was hungry and poor. She thought burning a match would keep her warm. All the matches she lit brought up a new place or thing she imagined.


Bibliography: Fairy Tales and Stories by Hans Christian Andersen

Reading Notes: Inferno, Part A

Darkness by Edgar Jimenez

I honestly love how this starts off. There’s a mysterious dark ominous feeling. Virgil is his guide through hell. There was an intense quote on the outside of the gate. This is one of my fears. To end up in hell and full of sadness and punishments for all my wrong doings. There is so much despair. Another thing is being naked and afraid. Which the spirits in hell seem to possess that quality as well.

Charon is the demon with burning charcoal eyes. He is on edge. In a limbo. But they keep on moving. Even heroes and philosophers end up in hell. All the broken hearted and heart breakers are here. What a world full of pain…

Cerberus is a great worm? A monster of some sort. Plutus is an evil wolf. I keep thinking the name Phlegyas is the word phalanges, bones in the fingers, haha. Aw, fallen angels in hell. Didn’t think that was a possibility.

I chose to read this because of the captivating title, but I’m not sure if I should have picked it. I don’t like to think about this option as an afterlife because I'm a weenie… but it was a really interesting read!

Bibliography: Inferno by Dante Alighieri

Reading Notes: Europa's Fairy Book, Part B

Mountains by Pexels

This hunter easily sounds like a serial killer and not an animal killer. There’s a trend with cloaks changing people into something else, or just something with robes in general. The women always seem to be beautiful and radiate. The mountains have unique names. Crystal Mountain. Mountain moors.

There was a lion. The way he moved is explained in great details. Androcles is a slave. The slave was set free. The lion was set free.

I assumed a weary tramp was a girl. But it is a man from Paris. The lady is a bit confused. There is a lot of conversations back and forth. A robber broke in. There was a quarrel. They thought the sky was falling.

I like the title of this one. Inside Again. Why did the man life up the stone. Why would he check for a black snake. He’s a hungry snake. They are in a pickle on if the man deserves to be eaten or not for saving his life. They bargain the whole time.

There was once a poor farmer and his family. He let his sons starve in the forest. They found a place covered in candy. The old lady is sketchy. She welcomed these boys into her home and fattened them up. The lady drank all of a stream and burst, I thought she tried to eat them.

This woman wants a baby boy. Her beans turned into babies, and only one survived. He was tiny. A robber came into the home.


Bibliography: Europa’s Fairy Book by Joseph Jacobs

Reading Notes: Europa's Fairy Book, Part A

Cinder-Maid (Cinderella) by BagoGames

I like when it starts off like a typical fairy tale. I feel bad for the Cinder-Maid. No one cared for her when she was sad. I just realized this is a twist on Cinderella! The honey at the bottom of the stairs is a new part that I don’t recall in the original? Ah, how are the step sisters so clueless to not recognize someone whom lives with them? The story ends in the shoe fitting, marriage, and living happily ever after.

Beauty and the Beast is such a classic. Love rid him of his beast form and then they lived happily ever after as well.

I don’t understand what a dozen at a blow means… Throughout this whole story I’m lost. There are a lot of animals mentioned, and I think he’s hunting them. There’s some sort of marriage mentioned. He was a hero. Happily ever after ending.

A miller had three sons. They refer to the Earl of Cattenborough by his full title and not just his name like the rest of the characters. This story does not end in a happily ever after, instead it ends in death.


Bibliography: Europa’s Fairy Book by Joseph Jacobs

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Crane), Part B

Snow White and Dwarfs by MediumHero6

So many stories include some sort of deal with forced marriage. I’m not fond of those stories… why can’t they just magically fall in love upon meeting somewhere instead of it being a deal breaker. The new wife hates her husband’s former children and turned them into swans out of jealousy. She was a nut job.

This next story is about a girl being too good for anyone. She was too picky. Her father made her marry a ballad-singer, and she was horrified. If she wasn’t satisfied why didn’t she just refuse? Unhappy marriages seem to be the common thread here.

There aren’t really names of characters so far.

Growing up, I was not fond of the story of Snow-White. I was forced to take hand me downs from my cousins and dressed like her for Halloween one year. Eh, let’s just say I was not a happy trick or treater. I forgot a lot of the story, so it’s nice to read this again. The dwarfs and their personalities are my favorite part. The queen has such terrible intentions.


Bibliography: Brothers Grimm (Crane) by Lucy and Walter Crane

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Crane), Part A

Cottage by STVIOD

I love stories that deal with the sea. There’s just something about them that are interesting to me. I like how you can’t really tell what decade this takes place in. He caught a flounder and the wife wants him to go back and ask the flounder for a cottage. The fisherman then says a little chant. She is not satisfied and keeps asking for more. First a cottage, then a castle, then a request to be king, emperor, pope. She is frankly asking for too much. The flounder had enough of her shenanigans and left her back in their hovel.

The next story starts off sounding sad already. Stories that start off with death just makes me not want to continue. I like how there is like a verse or chant occasionally. Rhymes are the best, but hard to comprehend sometimes. Go and shoe does not rhyme?

The next story also has a verse that is repeated throughout. This is very descriptive of the actions happening. It’s easy to imagine. “The robber, who during the story had grown deadly white, sprang up and would have escaped.”


Bibliography: Brothers Grimm (Crane) by Lucy and Walter Crane

Reading Notes: English Fairy Tales, Part B

Goose by Diliff

The story starts off with a word all in caps. Henny-penny is so upbeat and fun to read. The names Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Goosey-poosey and all the others are cute. It’s such a play on words. The names however did start to get confusing to read after a while. The ending reminded me of Chicken Little.

Oh gosh, the illustration set the mood for the rest of the story. These stories start off in a generic way. Once upon a time. One day. Etcetera. Actions seem to be repeated for emphasis. The dialect for Molly is unique. Would be interesting to make a modern twist on this story.

Why doesn’t Mr have a period after it? I’m bothered by the lack of it. I like the message throughout this. Be bold. Be bold, but not too bold.

The only person who has a name is Johnny-cake in this story. Very descriptive of his actions. Dialogues are giving the characters a lot of personality. Redundancy in his words.

I honestly love how this story starts off. It reminded me of Santa Clause immediately. Next, story about a queen, princess, and magic. A lot of unique titles for places and people. I like how the story after this refers to the guy as a lad. That word alone makes me imagine the type of person he is.

Fairy ointment? The word ointment… bleh. What are pixies in this sense? She got into a house of pixies. Wow, she was hit in the eye and was blind till she died… that is tragic.


Bibliography: English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs

Tech Tip: Pinterest Board

Pinterest Logo by Michael Deal and Jean Carlos Pagan

Here is the Pinterest Board I made for the class.

I use Pinterest alot! I like to look up recipes and DIY projects. I never thought I would use it for a class, so this is pretty cool.

Reading Notes: English Fairy Tales, Part A

Cat and Mouse by Niels Hartvig

Oh my gosh, the first image that you scroll down to… I don’t know what to feel. The characters are written with distinguishable accents. She was embarrassed and made her daughter out to be someone else. The girl got married to a guy that was impressed by a quality she did not possess. Someone offered to help the damsel in distress. She had to guess the name of the someone/something that helped her. The name was Tom Tit Tot.

The intro was very descriptive. It was easy to imagine the girl. She had to sing a song over and over again.

The writing in this is very confusing to keep up with. Too many run on sentences. There were many animals involved. Rats, cats, dog, ox, and pig were mentioned.

A harp was made out of Binnorie. The harp sang, then it snapped and broke.

The cat and the mouse are talking with repetitive words. “The cat came and ate it, my lady, my lady. The cat came and ate it, my lady.”

The legendary three little pigs is always fun to read. This is definitely a class story many people know and have heard before. There is an ominous feeling for the last story, and I like it.


Bibliography: English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs

Reading Notes: Nursery Rhymes, Part B

Jack and Jill by Dorothy M. Wheeler

Jingles: Deedle is very cute. It’s simple and easy to understand. Other stories are quite a tongue twister and plays with your thoughts. Oh, I know Hey Diddle Diddle! There are a lot of unique words being used such as deedle, jiggety, and tweedle.

Love and Matrimony: Ah, I like how the first one is the infamous Jack and Jill. There are a repeat in actions, possibly to put emphasis on it. What is a minikin pin? The rhyme about Jack Sprat made me giggle. They even each other out in their flaws and preferences haha.

Natural History: The first illustration is adorable. Good use of a dog as the spotlight of the rhyme. Every rhyme so far has a great flow. Not too long of a sentence. Good length of a verse. More dialogues in these kinds of rhymes. Oh my gosh, the next page starts with a dog as well. I love animals in case you can’t tell. I think I knew Baa, Baa, Black Sheep as a hand game/dance.

Accumulative Stories: I like how each part builds onto the next. It’s a good way to make it cohesive and not all over the place.

Relics: I read most of these with a tune in my head. Overall, many of these have a certain flow to them that make it easy to hum to.


Bibliography: Nursery Rhymes by Andrew Lang

Reading Notes: Nursery Rhymes, Part A

I LOVE rhymes. Being an ad student I love play on words, alliteration, and rhyming. I know quite a few nursery rhymes already, but I enjoy reading more.

Tales: there are many that follow the AA - BB - CC pattern. Element of nature and outdoors. The crooked man is fun to read. The fat man of Bombay is very imaginable. I can put some sort of a spin on the three men of Gotham. Writings that include the sea always intrigue me. The events on certain days of the week in Solomon Grundy would be a great starting ground for a story as well.

Proverbs: There is a redundancy in actions. The sneezing proverb could also be used for a story since in incorporates action on certain days too.

Songs: I looked up the beat to some of these songs because I wanted to sing it (Little Bo Peep in particular). Songs are always fun, they’re easier to remember because there is a beat to it. I sang Sing a Song of Sixpence for middle school choir! I remember most of it instantaneously! Four and twenty blackbirds~ Baked in a pieeee~

Pie by Jessica Spengler

Riddles: Long legs, crooked thighs, little head, and no eyes. Haha, I had no idea that was a pair of tongs. These are very clever. I do not possess the cleverness for this. It’s mindboggling at the same time.

Paradoxes: All these nursery rhymes are very long to get through. Since it’s not in a story element, you have to really think it through as you are reading.

Charms and Lullabies: Oh, Peter Piper. The butter one does not make sense to me. The swimming rhyme messed with my head so much.

Games: The Jack be nimble rhyme reminds me of the Geico commercial! That was an intelligent twist to the original version! They added an extended version of what happened to Jack. Some of these include noises instead of words.


Bibliography: Nursery Rhymes by Andrew Lang

Tech Tip: Google Timer

Time by Brian Dixon

I never knew this was possible! Google the word "timer" and you can set a simple timer. I’m not sure why I’m so surprised though… Google does everything and it’s amazing. In high school, I read somewhere that it’s good to take short breaks every 25 minutes while studying. I don’t necessarily think that’s true, but I try to do it anyways to not get burnt out! This timer will be useful.

Tech Tip: Youtube Playlist

I have been meaning to make a studying music playlist, and never got to it. This was the perfect time to finally do it! With all the exams and late night studying coming up, I am now ready to take it on with these jams. 

Reading Notes: Alice in Wonderland, Part B

Cheshire Cat by Wikipedia

Alice is quite sassy. There's a lot of dialogue. The characters are having an analogy debate. More caps is being used for emphasis. Everything said is very inquisitive. The choice of words are written in a specific and unnatural style of speaking.

The intro starts off descriptive. It is very easy to imagine the entrance of the garden. Here the characters are named after numbers. Two did this. Five said that. The queen wants to behead people. The only person that has a name is Alice. Everyone is just named after their titles. Rabbit. Queen. Cheshire Cat.

This jury is very irrational. Everyone is so quick to judge. There's a variety of long paragraphs and short ones. Yelling equals all caps. The illustration of the Alice and the cards is cool to see.

Bibliography: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Tech Tip: Quotemaker

Made on canvas.com

Tech Tip: Quotemaker

Made on quozio.com

Reading Notes: Alice in Wonderland, Part A

Alice and Caterpillar by Dawn Hudson

I chose to read this because I know the general idea of the story already! I’ve read a bit and watched the movies. I feel like it should be mostly the same right?

There are emphasis on words like VERY. Descriptive of feelings and actions. For quotes there’s only ‘ instead of “ ? Alice fell and is confused where she went. She went down, down, down the rabbit hole. I can imagine the movie at this part. Accents are prominent and words are typed like they sound, “Dinah” for dinner. It is very easy to imagine everything happening, and the illustrations are spot on. Everything is odd sizes or a little off. A table only has three legs. The door is tiny. She drank the potion. It was not labeled poison so she felt it was safe.

Fast forward and she ran into a caterpillar. More word EMPHASIZED. There are many quotes to keep the story interesting and cohesive. The caterpillar gave her some advice. He is very inquisitive like a therapist. She was attacked by a pigeon who thought she was a serpent.

There are parts I do not recall in the movies. The Footman seems new to me? But the Cheshire Cat is familiar! His distinctive smile. She ended up taking care of a pig, which grunted a lot. Again, the illustration is amazing.


Bibliography: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Reading Notes: Marriage Tales, Part B

Dog in bed by Vincent Garcia

Ooh, I like how this story starts off a little scandalous. A girl slept with her dog at night, and in the midst of the night the dog changed into a boy. Over time she became pregnant. Everyone abandoned her and even killed the dog. A crow was willing to help her, lowkey. She gave birth to five pups. They could transform into humans and the mother caught them. The crow came back and spilled the beans.

There once was a land full of turkeys. There was a kind and humble poor girl. The turkeys worshipped her basically. They surprisingly talked to her. They cleaned her up she was a beauty. She did not return to them in time and frantically rushed to them. As she went away she was dirty yet again.

These stories start off with such a twist in the first paragraph. Not really sure where this last one is headed. There is one paragraph that has the word “she” starting every sentence. I think this is for emphasis. Occasional dialogue to make the story cohesive and more imaginable. Ends with a strong quote.

Bibliography: Marriage Tales by Stith Thompson

Tech Tip: Quotemaker

Made on Postergen.com

I'm a big fan of poems. Lang Leav is my favorite poet.
It's only fitting that I used one of her quotes. 

Reading Notes: Marriage Tales, Part A

These stories start off in such a strange way sometimes… a boy is in search of his father. He called for all the men to assemble. He chose one? Not even sure it he was the one. The mom was a buffalo cow, and changes to a woman. With a strike of a fire, she turns into a cow. She was struck and ran away with the boy.

Chickenhawk had two wives. They bite each other’s heads off?

Trying to swoon girl. Girl’s parents said no. but finally they said yes to it. She moved in. Then she was convinced to leave. There are various animals playing messenger in this story.

Killer whale by NOAA

Two girls were playing with different animal bones. An eagle appears and swoop a girl up, and a whale dragged the other girl into the sea. The girl with the eagle escaped but the eagle felt lonely and was hovering. This got him shot. The girl in the sea also escaped.

Someone was in a hunter’s home. A fox appeared but was actually a woman. She claimed to be his wife. He accepted that idea, and they lived together. The woman gave off a smell. The man pointed it out. She slipped away and never came back.

A fisherman caught a fish and asked his wife to prepare it. She went to wash her hands and was dragged into the water as revenge. A killer whale was doing this in honor of his friend. A shark volunteered to help the man get his wife back. The man got his wife back and caused the shark and whale to fight.

A woman was cheating on her husband with a snake. The husband caught them at the lake and stabbed the snake. Then he proceeded to kill his wife. He took her meat home and let his children eat her up unknowingly. Gross! They seek revenge for something I don’t understand. Then the children sent out lions to kill their father.

A young woman lived with her seven brothers, little sister, and father. The sister ran off into the woods alone, and her younger sister got curious one day. The young woman was in a relationship with a bear. The little sister went back and tattled. The bear was killed. The woman was angry at her siblings, and turned into a mad bear. A bird told the children to shoot her in the head. All the brothers and sister turned into stars.



Bibliography: Marriage Tales by Stith Thompson

Reading Notes: Tales of the North American Indians, Part B

Why do these start off with murder of children? Ah, so frazzled. A killer came into a home and killed a pregnant woman and found twin boys. One was put hidden in curtains, another in a spring. This is slightly demonic. The boys found their way home to the father, went to revive the mother, and she rose from the dead.

The boys constantly did not obey their father’s commands.

There was a woman that had many husbands. This story is more descriptive of the Native American culture.

Walrus by NOAA's Ark

Aioswe had two wives. There is some sort of incest happening, and I’m uncomfortable. The father left his son, and a walrus is taking him back. The walrus had to go under if there was thunder, but the boy lied and caused the death of the walrus. He also caused the death of two older women. They elbowed each other to death.

Aw, the brother and sister’s name are Sun and Star. The title of these stories are usually named after a character in the story, such as Dirty Boy.


Bibliography: Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson

Tech Tip: Quotemaker

Made by BeHappy.me

Tech Tip: Quotemaker

Made through quotescover.com

Reading Notes: Tales of the North American Indians, Part A

Woods by unsplash

The Jealous Uncle starts off with a gruesome sounding murder. He only kills boys. Child had to pretend to be a girl, but accidentally exposed himself. The uncle took him to the woods… and the boy got trapped in between wedges of wood. He escaped through sour berries and surprised the uncle with not dying. There is something demonically wrong with this uncle, oh my goodness.

Next day, the boy had to meet the uncle again. They went to get some duck eggs. The uncle pushed him to his supposed death trap. The third day, they went to fetch clams. I still don’t understand why this uncle is trying so hard to kill his nephew.

After this, Unnatural Uncle made a box and set him off into the sea. He finally landed on land and two girls appeared before him. They took them to the village chief, their father. The boy provided a whale to the land, but selfish uncle kept it for himself and wouldn’t give to the boy’s parents. He took revenge in a civil way; dropped the uncle into the ocean.

Grouse wasn’t appreciated, and received no good pieces of seal. So he tried to trick them into thinking a wooden one was a real seal? Bluejay wasn’t nearly as interesting as the murderous uncle story right before this.

Granddaughter dug up a stalk and a baby appeared. The baby claimed her as a mother. The old woman took care of him, and the young woman refused to accept this fate. The young man set forth on an adventure and made a few friends in the process.

Animals preyed on humans. Every movement seems to be happening in fours.


Bibliography: Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson

Week 8 Reflections

Writer by Ramdlon

Reading: I enjoyed my reading choices! I know there were a few that I started, and immediately knew I wanted to change to something more fitting. I think my favorite has got to be the Asian weeks. It’s just interesting seeing what I find familiar. It took a couple of weeks to get used to the overall schedule, but once I got used to it, it was smooth sailing to keep up with.

Writing: The writings have been great! I love the creative freedom we have in this class. I am content with the stories I have been producing, and I definitely feel more confident in my writing. When I have problems, I turn to other readings or wait for a creative epiphany to hit me. This probably isn’t the best approach, but it works for me. A writing skill I want to master is to be grammatically correct. I tend to type the way I talk, and I know that doesn’t always make sense. The more writing we do, the more I notice my grammar is getting better.

Connecting: I admire the variety of people in this class. We have professional writers, engineers, nurses, and a crazy active mom. Everyone is so unique in their own special way. Its great seeing the different approaches they have to writing as well. I hope my feedback has been beneficial? In the second half of the semester I hope to get used to giving feedback. Personally, I feel bad giving feedback even when it’s constructive criticism. I truly enjoy everyone’s stories, so it’s hard to find feedback that helps.

Week 7 Storytelling: Fortune and Ill Luck

Happy couple by freestocks

ONCE upon a time, there was a woman who suffered a lifetime of unfortunate events. She was known to be clumsy and disorganized, but as she was growing up she noticed that she wasn’t just a klutz. She was an unlucky person in general.

Somehow she grew up with a completely opposite friend; he seemed to radiate of luck wherever he goes. She was at least lucky enough to have him in her life. The girl was raised in the bad part of the city, while the guy came from a moderately wealthy family. Somehow they attended the same middle and high schools, and that was how they became best friends. They balanced their misfortunes and fortunes out.

Later in life, they fell in love and got married. The only thing they had going for them was happiness and love. The groom’s side of the family greatly disapproved of the girl and threatened that if he were to marry her then he would be cut off from the family. So he left and they got eloped. He never thought to look back because he deeply believed this girl was worth the world.

The man had numerous friends with connections around the nation. One special person offered his vacation home for the couple to live, and this is how they started their new lives together. The unlucky women somehow lost all her belongings in the process of moving, but that did not discourage them.

The man wanted to prove that they can survive through his luck. A few days after they settled in, he decided to go to the closest grocery store and buy a lottery ticket.

Lottery ticket by jackmac34

Later that night, they tuned in to watch the announcement of the winning numbers. They couldn’t believe their eyes; the husband’s ticket matched 5 out of 6 numbers. Overall, he won about $100,000.

The next morning, he went to go claim his prize. On the way home, he stopped by the bank to deposit most of the winnings and kept a quarter of it in cash. Once the husband got back, he handed the wad of cash to his beautiful wife. She was baffled. In all her years of living, this was the most money she has ever had.

He told her to keep it safe and sound while he went to go job hunting for the afternoon. They decided that with the wife’s unfortunate luck, she should get more acquainted with the new home and area before attempting to work as well.

As she was outside watering the garden, the wife heard a commotion coming from inside. Someone had broken in. She hurriedly ran back to see what happened when a big man hit the back of her head with a stick. Instantaneously, she fell to the ground and was knocked unconscious. In the meantime, the robber found took all their valuables and money.

The husband came home two hours later with a bottle of wine to celebrate. Instead of a celebration, he found his wife on the stone cold ground. He carefully lifted her head up and noticed she wasn’t breathing. Sadly, the impact of fall gradually killed her.

Her lifetime of unfortunate events has come to an end.


Author’s Note: I decided to play with the lucky and unlucky aspect of the story. One big thing that changed was the fact that the husband was wealthy instead of the wife. Ultimately the original story had different scenes and locations, but the ending still ended with death of the wife.

Bibliography: The Chinese Fairy Book by r. Wilhelm

Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales, Part B

Puppy eating by Max Pixel

People showed up at the scholar’s room and their horses and dogs killed all the pesky bugs. The people left but didn’t realize they were missing one pup. This was now his pup forever. The pup will continue to kill off/eat all bugs for him. I’m not sure if he smashed the pup or the pup was smashing more vermin at the end? I think he flattened the pup… this is so tragic.

A fox preparing an elixir? And a farmer ate it. He was now possessing powerful features. Then he burps it back up and the fox took it back. Another story about foxes, except this one is about foxes that talk like humans. The story is very descriptive.

Oh my goodness, this man accidentally killed the water carrier and the boy was a witness. The boy was seeing ghosts. He also killed a man like his father did… by mistake and not owning up to their accident.

Pagoda, ogre, stuck up above, thrown old clothes, disbelief. Next story, the monk was deceived and the girl was actually a scheming flying ogre. Story that talks about pupils a lot.

I liked the quote, “Revolt is seething round about us like boiling water in a kettle.” Whoever the mandarin is sure knows how to influence someone with his words…. For Dschou Tschu took everything he said to heart.

Many festive items spoken of. Stories usually includes sobbing and tears, but not much about laughter and true happiness.


Bibliography: Chinese Fairy Book by Wilhelm

Tech Tip: Creating a Cheezburger Meme

Of course, I would chose to make a meme of a cute pup! I'm not the greatest at captioning though...

Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales, Part A

Panther by fotshot

I enjoy the beginning of the story because I am unlucky as well. I also like the twist in the beginning. The princess left to go live with the lucky beggar. He left for eighteen years to find fortune? She was faithful throughout the time he was gone. He came back wealthy, they celebrated, and of course she falls ill and dies because she is unlucky.

All the stories start off “ONCE ___” or “THE”, all caps first words. The story took a wild turn when the father wanted to leave his children in the mountains to be eaten by wolves. This is a family of selfishness and survival.

The panther was deceiving. This reminds me of another story, but I can’t quite put my finger on what it is. Is this story usually told with a wolf? Like the big bad wolf!

Son went to fetch water for his mom, but she passed away and withered in the process of him being gone. I was confused the rest of the story.

The girl with the horse’s head or the silkworm goddess… what an interesting title.

Prince Guan, King Guan, Helper of the Heavens, God of War. Numerous names and many spiritual descriptions.

I love when stories start out homely/humbly. Pear farmer was tricked. The story ending with the ants gave me the chills because I can just imagine it.


Bibliography: Chinese Fairy Book by Wilhelm

Week 6 Storytelling: The Princess and Turtle

Island by Mwanner

There was once a beautiful princess who lived alone on an island. She was the only human there and made friends with all the native animals. Her best friend was a turtle. He didn’t say much, but she knew he could understand her words.

Far into the distance the princess could see thousands of people having fun along the shore. She had special senses that tingle when certain people entered the water. She thought it was the world’s way of telling her it was true love.

A few sailors have sailed by her island, and a few have even rested there. They never stay though. Not long enough anyways.

You see, the princess had another special power; she never aged. She could also give others that opportunity as well. Often the guests take up the offer, but eventually they miss home and would try to go back. The princess has learned that nothing good lasts forever.

One morning, her turtle friend ended up far away from home. He was caught in a nets that were thrown into a boat. A fisherman was utterly surprised to see such a creature in those nets because this has never happened before. The turtle was terrified for his life. He trembled and begged as the fisherman picked him up. The fisherman simply released all the netting and gently put him down in the sand. Graciously, he gave the turtle a nudge to set him free into the water, and off the turtle went.

The turtle arrived back home and told the princess all about his encounter. Immediately, the princess was infatuated. She was desperate for the attention of any man, for it had been decades since anyone had stopped by her island. She needed to devise a plan to meet this kind fisherman. She needed to find herself a keeper.

She observed from afar all the days he set ashore to go fishing. There is this feeling that won’t go away. He was the one.

It was a stormy night out and this was the perfect opportunity to reel the fisherman in. His boat coincidentally hit a rock and broke right beneath him. When out of nowhere the turtle came towards him to save his life. “I am the turtle whose life you once saved. I will now pay my debt and show my gratitude.”

With that, the fisherman latched onto the turtle, and they headed back to the princess’ island.

Here the princess tended to the wounds he received during the storm and took care of him as he passed out. The next morning the young fisherman was surprised to see how much better he felt. He looked up and was captured by the beauty the princess possessed.

She noticed he was awake and swiftly walked back to him. They chatted for a few hours… which turned into a few days. When finally the princess gave him the proposition of staying young forever. The idea sounded too good to be true, but he accepted her invitation.

It’s amazing how time flies on an island isolated with just two people living there. Years passed and the fisherman never even noticed.

But.

One day, the fisherman told the princess he missed home and wanted to go back. Like the rest of the men that end up on this island, they never last.

She let him go back to a place he calls home, but really it is no longer his home. He doesn't realize that it’s been hundreds of years stuck on that island with her.

--

Author’s Note: I wanted to do it from the princess’ point of view instead of the fisherman’s. To tie in the original version and mine a little bit more, I incorporated a quote from the turtle.

Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales by Andrew Lang

Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales, Part B

Monkey in a Tree by Anthony

I wonder what age Japanese consider as reaching manhood. It got a little confusing because when they said man I wasn’t sure if they were referring to the young boy or another guy in the story. Slightly confused on who Schippeitaro bit and who was killed… but yay for saving girls.

The monkey is using the crab’s kindness. Karma will get back at him. He attempted to murder the crab for being smarter than him. Friends always have your back. The wasp helped the crab get back at the monkey. The monkey fell dead. He deserved it for treating the crab so terribly.

The kettle changed forms. Actually, the kettle was a creature? A tanuki. The tanuki brought fortune and good luck. The man was humble enough to do the right thing and return it to his seller.

Tanukis are clever little beasts full of magic. He and his fox sidekick used their abilities to trick people into giving them money.

The tanuki pretended to be a woman. Then he revealed his true identity. The tanuki cooked up his wife’s body and let him eat it without him realizing. The man took revenge and killed the tanuki. He fell into the water and held down by a hare. Tag team killing.

Uraschimataro is a cool name. Going to call him Taro for short. Taro sailed every morning. The turtle he saved is now saving him as his boat shattered to pieces. They went to an island. Met a princess that promised youth for a lifetime. He missed home and decided to go back. But everything has changed. 300 years passed. He opened up the box from the princess and shriveled up immediately. He slowly passed away by the shore.


Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales (Lang) by Andrew Lang

Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales, Part A

Puppy Dog by George Hodan

First off, frogs creep the heck out of me. I really did not want to read this first story. However, it wasn’t bad at all. It’s a cute idea. Two frogs wanting to go see the world. The idea of holding onto each other is also kind of cute. It’s like a trust exercise.

Be careful of what you wish for. This seems too good to be true. First rich, and now a prince? Now a sun?! Why is this man never content on what he wants to be. In the end he wished to be a man again. The story is slightly predictable, but it was very entertaining. It would be fun making a different version of this somehow.

It is always so sad reading about people getting ill. It doesn’t help that they keep talking about tears and more sadness. The story took on a happy slope. The ending half was more joyous to read; sad stories aren’t my favorite.

The Envious Neighbour has the best intro yet! I love dogs. Dogs are human’s best friend. So the dog found a box full of gold. NO. THE DOG WAS KILLED?! WHAT A TERRIBLE TWIST! I am outraged. How can a neighbor be so rude? This had me feeling some type of way.

The lady was full of despair and anger. She was too much for them to handle so they essentially killed her off.

I’m imagining a very elegant cat. Musical element is mentioned a few times. Aww the cats found each other. It was fate.


Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales (Lang) by Andrew Lang

Tech Tip: Embed SoundCloud in a Blogger Post

Storytelling: Twenty-Two

Homeless man by Matthew Woitunski

There once was a man who went to the gas station every single evening to buy one pack of cigarettes. As soon as he got off his 9 to 5 job, he would head straight there. All cashiers and workers knew him as a regular.

On a hot summer day, a homeless man set his resting area right outside the doors of this gas station. From that day forward he made that place his official place to be. The workers would give him water and let him inside if he ever needed due to blistering weather or any other essential needs. The hobo was friendly and never caused any trouble; he just liked to tell stories and entertain people. All he asked in return was their attention.

The regular customer was surprised to see this guy sleeping outside by the door. It was a blistering day, so the man went in and bought a drink and chips in addition to his usual pack of cigs to give to the hobo. As he sets down the food, the homeless man awakens and begins thanking him for his generosity. In return he felt he absolutely had to tell the customer a story.

----

There was a girl named Coral who had three suitors chasing after her. Her complexion was fair, her hair silky, and her personality was lovely. She was quite a catch. The suitors were head over heels in love with Coral; when one day she fell ill.

She suffered through a severe fever and unexpectedly passed away. The suitors were devastated.

They could not bear to believe she was really gone forever.

Suitor One slept against a tree next to her grave. He never got up not even to get food or do anything, so random people who walked by would come back with meals for him to eat. Suitor One was the one most hurt by her lost.

Suitor Two took bits of her bones to a river near the cemetery. He believed the river had special magic to bring her back to life.

Suitor Three went on a journey across the world. During his travels he ran into people who could cast spells to bring Coral back. He memorized the spell as quickly as possible. Suitor Three truly believed this would work, so he immediately made his way back to the cemetery to find Suitor One and Suitor Two.

He gathered them and casted the spell and took a flake of her bones and sprinkled river water onto it. In a blink of an eye, Coral swiftly appeared. She was back and breathing.

Was it the spell, the undying love, or the river water which brought her back?

Which suitor would she choose not that she’s alive again? A man who slept by her side the whole way through, someone who was slowly releasing bits and pieces of her, or someone who traveled to find a magical spell to bring her back.

----

For twenty-two days in a row the regular sat by the homeless man to hear at least one story before leaving. This became their routine until one day the homeless man just disappeared without any notice. Now the regular replays all the stories in his head and this one questions him the most.



Author’s notes: I wanted to base this off of the story, The Three Lovers. Instead of a goblin in a cemetery I decided a homeless man was more relatable. The story itself was very similar to the original except this ends in more of a mystery.

Bibliography: Twenty-Two Goblins by Arthur Ryder

Reading Notes: Twenty-Two Goblins, Part A

Jeweled fruits from a monk. Meet under tree in a cemetery. King went to get a dead body from a tree. The body was possessed by a goblin? Goblin tells the king stories along their journey.

Cemetery by NotFromUtrecht 

Three suitors are after Coral. They lived with her swooning when suddenly she passed away due to sickness. One slept on her ashes, one dipped her bones in a river, and the other became a monk. The monk wanted to bring Coral back to life. He read a spell and Coral awoken. Each one believed they were the reasoning behind her coming back. The father chose the boy who slept with her ashes day and night because of his dedication.

Moonlight, chariot fight, giant, marriage, brave man, and anger.

Love at first sight. This whole story sounds like a cleaning commercial at first haha. Spotless asked Clean-cloth for approval of their son and daughter to be together. White for some odd reason decided to cut off his head in a temple. Brother-in-law cut off his own head as he saw White did. Lovely was thinking about hanging herself, but she heard a voice tell her not to do it. Lovely put the heads of her brother and fiancé on the wrong bodies. She was conflicted because now they are essentially a mixture of both people.

Fighting about a turtle. Went to eat dinner, but something smelt of burning corpse. One brother refused to eat. He blamed a servant for smelling terrible. Goaty smell. Another brother suffered being pricked.

Four suitors. Princess wanted a good looking scientist.

Three delicate wives. Crescent was bruised from a petal falling on her. Star was burned from moonlight. Moon was in distraught due to loud but not loud noises.


Bibliography: Twenty-Two Goblins by Arthur Ryder

Week 4: Feedback Focus

1. Reading out loud: 

I’m not really fond of this strategy because I do stutter a lot and this holds me back a little bit. I feel this makes me focus on the words, but not the stories. This is probably least useful for me personally.

2. Copy-and-Delete: 

The Written? Kitten was actually really cute and I don’t like cats haha. This is something I typically do, minus the copy and pasting part. As a read a paragraph by paragraph I jot down notes and so on. This is an interesting approach! I kind of enjoy it. This strategy is pretty useful and I’ll try it in the future.

3. Timer: 

Ah, I absolutely hate timers!! I feel too pressured and then it freaks me out. This helped me read a lot faster, but it’s so forced. However this strategy is pretty effective. I would rank this in the middle of the three strategies.

Reading by Joshua Reynolds

Week 4 Story: Leave

Freedom from pexel.

AFTER countless days staying awake thinking about this moment it was finally Arthur’s chance to escape. The clock struck twelve and he was now 18-years-old. He was officially old enough to count as a man. 

Arthur thought, “I will find a better place to live. A place where I will find joy, find my peace, and endure whatever that comes my way. I will be all alone. That is okay. I will survive. The hour has come; I am on the road to deliverance.”

He swiftly packed his bags in the middle of the night taking only the essential items needed to survive. Arthur’s closest friend was his German Shepard, Ka. Taking a few minutes to debate if he should take Ka along or leave him as he depart…

Ka was strong and supple. At the same time he was also gentle, but only with Arthur. He was a noble friend and was there for Arthur through all his good times and bad. They were best companions. Arthur could not bare to desert him; Ka’s strength kept him motivated.

They snuck downstairs and through the kitchen. Arthur grabbed removed some of his belongings to make room for food and dog essentials for Ka. Slowly they made way past his parent’s master bedroom and through the hallway. Delicately Arthur slowly turned one of notches to the front door.

Suddenly, there was a loud noise.

They did not know where it came from, but Arthur knew if they did not get out now then they will never have the courage to again. It was time.

In quick motions Arthur was able to rapidly get all the door notches unlocked. Arthur and Ka took their first step outdoors and never looked back. This is what freedom feels like.

The night was foggy and an eerie aura lurked around. The moon was alive, but the world around him was lost in a haze. This didn’t seem real.

Arthur and Ka made it to a bus station and went to the furthest city possible. They needed to get some rest before their day full of adventures tomorrow. The sun will rise and his parents will wake up and start an investigation to find Arthur and Ka.

All his life Arthur was expected to live a certain way. He had to become a doctor or engineer or else he would be considered the disappointment of his family. Arthur was forced to attend an all boys Catholic school, and frankly he was not even fond of this forced religious path.

Arthur was thankful to live in a prestigious neighborhood and never went to bed hungry… but somewhere along the way… this was not the life he wanted to live. Arthur knew he was different from the others.

He wanted freedom. Arthur wanted to be his own person and not be molded into the person his family expected him to be. He wanted a life outside of this and the only way out Arthur could think of was to escape.

His parents were never able to locate him and Ka. They hitchhiked through countless towns and made it past the border. In that moment Arthur thought, “until I shall have seen the end of life and death, I shall never return home.”

Author’s Note: Based off of the story of Siddhartha leaving home. This is a more modern approach. Siddhartha was changed to Arthur. The horse, Kanthaka, changed to a dog named Ka. The story seemed a little all over the place, but I based that set up on the original way it was told. The idea and setting is different, yet still holds the idea of escaping for a better life.

Bibliography: Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold

Tech Tip: Canvas App

Personal photo of Canvas App Calendar

I just downloaded the Canvas iPad app! I must say it is a lot more convenient than logging in through Safari all the time. It seems to glitch a little bit, but maybe that’s because I’m not used to it. I like all the tabs except the calendar. The calendar isn’t synced up with the one online? Other than that, the instant notifications is a big plus.

Reading Notes: Life of the Buddha, Part B

Siddhartha Gautama by Sacca

Kanthaka was a horse. I think Siddhartha rode away into the distance on Kanthaka without notifying anyone. Siddhartha felt close to nature and all its surroundings/animals. His closest friend might be his horse. He left home. He doesn’t want his father to worry or go after him.

There are so many different characters with unique names and it’s difficult to remember who is who. Someone is talking Siddhartha out of this journey. He has made his decision. He took a sword and chopped off all of his. He was not about the lavish life his parents had planned for him as a pricne. He wanted a plain robe to wear.

He is married to a lady named Gopa. Gopa woke up in the middle of the night searching for Siddhartha. She knew something was off. She ran around the halls and knew he escaped. There is a quote from her and it’s a bunch of questions in despair.

People are going up to Siddhartha mistaking him for a god. He meditated outdoors rain or shine. He sat through it all. He barely ate. He’s bone protruded out. He noticed he couldn’t think straight so he took food offerings from people eventually.

His clothes tore up, and he was basically left naked. He took clothes and went into a pool to wash off. A tree branch helped Siddhartha get out of the pool. Night came and he had five dreams. He radiates.

The last story has repetitive speech, not exactly what sure this type of writing is. “To suppress… to suppress.” “…existence. What is the cause of existence? Existence…” Siddhartha is light; he is now Buddha.

Bibliography: Life of the Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold

Reading Notes: Life of the Buddha, Part B

The first story was quite confusing. I understand why this was mentioned, but it started off rocky for me. I notice that the first word of the story is all caps; assuming this is for emphasis. They refer to everyone as “O ____” such as O queen, O master, O Maya.

Siddhartha was born in a beautiful garden. 

Asita also starts off confusing. Where are these characters coming from? Big words are used every once in a while. There is something wrong with Siddhartha? He will experience all life has to offer and it is a shame for anyone who will not survive to see his understanding of life. 

There are a lot of descriptions of the world and its surroundings. Maya died and her sister, Mahaprajapati, basically took over her duties. Jewels had no effect on Buddha. He made them seem dull. He radiated like nothing they’ve seen before. 

Siddhartha under a tree by Olivier Thereaux

Prince went under a tree for shade and got lost in meditation. Random people went by and started singing about how he will become Buddha. His father sent people out to go look for him. A servant found him under the tree in which the shadow has not moved while all the other trees projected a different shadow. The servant called for the father to see this and a little after they arrived, Siddhartha woke up. 

More nature talk. King and prince and extravagant way of living. Siddhartha took an interest in observing those less unfortunate. He felt for them. He thought of what it would be like to go through all that suffering. He was sad of sickness/disease and death. All he could think about was death. A monk suddenly appeared in front of him, and spoke about his selfless way of life. This inspired him to become a monk. 

Bibliography: Life of the Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold

Week 3 Storytelling: Kelly and Classmates

Scotland High School by Craig Wallace

Once upon a time, there was an all-girls school deep within Scotland. The ages varied from big and small, and a few hundred came here to get their education. They were all highly intelligent and frankly they all knew it too.

Except one special little girl named Kelly. She was the shy and timid type that never spoke up in class unless she absolutely had to. Kelly did not have many friends for the reason that she never got the courage to speak up and talk to people, and many students thought she was that one odd child in the class. Little did they know, she was the wisest of them all and was actually quite humble about it. The other students on the other hand… possessed immense egos.

The anatomy professor, Stephanie, obviously favored Kelly, and her classmates did not understand why. She was always called on and got every single answers correct. Professor Stephanie even promised to provide a scholarship when she graduated. Her classmates were enraged and secretly envied her. Professor Stephanie barely liked fellow teachers much less her students. After school, Kelly would stay and talk with her privately for what seemed like eternity.

Kelly told Professor Stephanie about how she felt so alone in a school full of people. No one understood her and no one would notice if she disappeared one day. No one cared.

When lunch time came around Kelly would curl up in the library to read because she liked her peace and quiet. She didn’t have anyone to talk to and eat with anyways.

Some days a few girls would come in just to taunt her. They would pester Kelly about her appearance or persistently ask why she was so weird just to see if she would lose her temper, but she always remained calm. That composure aggravated them even more. She was unbreakable.

One day, the same group of girls devised a plan to embarrass her.

Every day the school assigns someone new to monitor the cafeteria. This is one of the rare times Kelly would come out of the library.

The girls got information of what date she would be on duty next and hoped to mortify her. The straightforward plan was put into action.

The moment Kelly walked into the room she knew something was off. She felt stares all throughout; Kelly kept her head down until she heard someone call out her name… When all of a sudden someone stuck out their feet and tripped her mid step. She plunged forward into a tray full of mash potato and gravy.

Kelly pulled herself up, wiped her eyes, and bee lined towards the restroom. She lost the composure she has been holding down and cried and cried until her eyes were dry.

When she came out of the stall there was a girl standing there holding up a tissue. It was the new transfer student. This kind stranger patiently waited for Kelly to collect herself. She did not say much, but her presence was comforting enough. As they walked out of the restroom together, Kelly introduced herself; this was the start of a sincere friendship.

Friendship by AdinaVoicu

Author’s Note: I liked how the story of Saint Kentigern and the Robin addressed the issue of bullying. I put my own twist on the story by changing the scenario. The main character, Kentigern, is now a girl named Kelly, Saint Servan is Stephanie, and I added a new unnamed stranger. Saint Kentigern never really made a friend besides Saint Servan and even with that it was a mentor and mentee relationship. I wanted the person being bullied to find a friend.

Bibliography: Saint Kentigern and the Robin by Abbie Farwell Brown

Reading Notes: Saint and Animals, Part B

The story about the sea caught my attention the whole way through. There's just something sea life through the calm and chaos that draws me in. Back in middle in high school I read a bunch of fiction novels about mermaids and the stormy seas. This brought back memories.

Tarzan's foster mom with Jane and Tarzan by Divo Eterno

Immediately, the Wolf-Mother of Saint Ailbe started off saddening. The mother and father left their baby on a mountain to fend for himself. When the wolf became Ailbe’s second mom, I thought of Tarzan and how he was raised by gorillas. He adapted to his surroundings. Then hunters tried to take Tarzan away just like how this mysterious prince took him. I’m glad the wolf mother did not die like Kerchak, the dad gorilla, in Tarzan!

The Ballad is poem format instead of story/paragraphs. There is an ABAB style. I love rhymes, but they can be more difficult to understand and interpret. The introduction to all the ballads start off nicely. It sets the tone of the rest of the story. This style of writing is more elegant to see, but again it is hard to comprehend what is happening because I get caught up in the different way of speaking.

Saint Francis stood for charity and peace. This is more on the religious side: saint, preach, holy, god, lord.

Saint and Animals by Abbie Farwell Brown

Reading Notes: Saint and Animals, Part A

Bullying by Elizabet21

This poor kid is getting bullied. Why are kids so hateful towards each other? Just because someone exceeds normal expectations, it is not acceptable to dislike them for being more studious and successful. I see this as a way for them to vent their jealousy. I can imagine doing something with this story because it kind of hits home. Not sure what kind of twists to do with it yet though.

The level of respect animals had for Saint Blaise is astounding. I like how various animals were listed. Not really religious to know how being Christian put him to prison… is it because he was a good man who healed people and animals out of the goodness of his heart?

Description of beautiful sea life and the land around always makes me feel nostalgic. Saying water wrinkles and spatter is so satisfying for some reason. The verbs used are unique and really add to the story. This helps depict a picture in my head easier. “Pointed noses and quivering whisker.”

Grass can be juicy? Saint Berach’s story wasn’t as animal based as the others. Cows and wolfs were only mentioned in the beginning.

Saint and Animals by Abbie Farwell Brown