Week 14 Reading Diary: Lang's Fairy Tales I

This week I chose to read Lan's Fairy Tales I from The Brown Fairy Book.

The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots: This was an interesting story. Puss in Boots was a very clever character, giving his owner many great things. His owner didn't like him at first but Puss in Boots definitely proved him wrong.

The Dirty Shepherdess: The fact that the prince tried to find the only person's hand who would fit the ring reminded me of Cinderella a bit. The whole story is basically a small tweak of Cinderella, the princess has terrible parents, spends most of her life cleaning/shepherding, and the only identifying thing about her is the ring.

How the Dragon was Tricked: The story isn't just how a dragon was tricked. It is also about how a greedy king met his gruesome fate allowing the clever young man to have whatever he wanted. I think the story goes a little bit overboard with the way that the young man kills the dragon's wife.

The Young Man Who Would Have His Eyes Opened: This story is the definition of curiosity kills the cat combined with ignorance is bliss. The old wizard in the story even said that "Blindness is man's highest good." Saying that life is better not knowing some things.

Kisa the Cat: I did not expect the cat to be a princess. Part of me was also bummed that Kisa was only doing this good deed to break a curse and not out of the goodness of her cat heart. I understand that she would rather be a princess than a cat but still.

Storytelling Week 13: What Goes Bump in the Night.

It all began on a calm foggy night. All I could see of the moon was a large fuzzy silhouette that gave of just enough light in order to see no more than five feet in front of the car. As I travelled down the dirt road riddled with trees close to each side.

“How much further is it?” asked my brother Alex.

“Shouldn’t be long now.” responded Jacob.

Strangely, we continued the ride in silence for the next couple of miles. When the three of us get together it is normally a non stop rag fest. Being friends since the sixth grade, the filter on our speech has ceased to exist. The longer the silence lasted, the more my thoughts created an anxious tension in my driving.

“You ok?” asked my brother, obviously sensing the tension.

“Ya, I’m ok, just a little nervous about how dense this fog is.” I said slowly, trying to keep my attention on the road.

“I haven’t seen anything this dense since I talked to my little sister this morning!” said Jacob jokingly.

I smiled to myself knowing that joke could have been a lot worse that what it was. When the line is drawn, Jacob likes to find it and then take leaps beyond it.

After passing a four way stop sign and getting back up to speed, my brother turned his head around quickly as if he had seen something. I quickly looked at the rear view mirror on that passenger side that Alex was sitting on to see if I could see anything as well. All I could see was a short black mass as we sped away from it.

“Did you see something?” Jacob asked warily.

“Not sure.” responded Alex. “Could have just been my imagination, but I thought I saw something move across the road really quickly.  

I drove on, thinking only of the few dozen miles left in the trip. Ten minutes passed as we continued in the eerie fog. Suddenly we heard a piercing screech off in the distance.

Alarmed, I asked if either Alex or Jacob could see anything thing through the wall of condensation that surrounded us on all sides. As soon as I asked this, I heard a loud thump come from the top of the car causing me to serve back and forth along the road.

Looking up through the windshield, I could see a pair of talon riddled feet and a large wing that looked as if it belonged to a bat, a disproportionately big on at that. The car continued to swerve due to me overcompensating in trying to get us straight again. Eventually we came to a screeching halt thanks to the back end of my car and a large tree.

(Jeepers Creepers: Thoughless Deviant Art)

The last thing that I remember hearing before I passed out was another large thump on the top of the car.

Author’s Note: While reading the Dante’s Inferno unit, it reminded me of a time that me, my twin brother Alex, and my now roommate Jacob were going to a friends house in the boondocks near Moore. The fog was so bad that we literally couldn’t see 5 feet in front of the car. I decided to include a creature in the story that probably would have come from Dante’s Inferno. The description of Geryon in the story Descending on Geryon’s Back and the description of Satan in the story Satan allowed me to come up with the creature in this story.

Bibliography:

Book Title: Dante’s Divine Comedy

Book Author: Tony Kline

Year: 2002

Story Title: Descending on Geryon’s Back

Source: Descending on Geryon’s Back

Book Title: Dante’s Divine Comedy

Book Author: Tony Kline

Year: 2002

Story Title: Satan

Source: Satan

Week 13 Reading Dairy: Dante's Inferno

I chose to read Dante's Inferno this week. I have heard much about this book but have never seized an opportunity to read it.

Dante and Virgil: Learned about who Dante and Virgil where. Interested to see how Dante's trip goes.

The Gate of Hell and Charon: The idea of a ferryman for the dead reminds me of the 3rd Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Limbo: It is unfortunate for the people who lived before the creation of the proper way to pray to God. They were given no chance to prove themselves and end up in a hopeless situation.

Poets and Philosophers, Heroes and Heroines: I like how Dante reacted to seeing all of the great people before his time. In todays society it would be like a young girl seeing Taylor Swift. In some ways that saddens me though.

Paolo and Francesca: I was confused about how Dante knew who the couple was. I am assuming it must have been a well known story throughout the land.

Cerberus and Plutos: I couldn't help but to think of the Cerberus character from the Disney Hercules movie when I read this story.

Fortune and Phlegyas: I did like Virgil's explanation of Mother Fortune. She is unpredictable and you will eventually lose. The picture that went along with the description was also a nice touch, showing that you can't always hang on to that wheel.

The Fallen Angels: I was confused as to why the fallen angels would not let them in.

The Furies and the Heretics: I didn't realize that Furies are deities specific to vengance. Now the notes at the beginning of this story makes more sense.

The Minotaur and the Centaurs: I had originally thought that Centaurs were half man half horse. It was good to see that someone was "willing" to help them.

The Harpies and Capaneus: I found it a little gruesome that the sinners in this story were stuck in what I understand to be boiling blood.

The Old Man of Crete and Geryon: I liked the idea that there was a statue somewhere in the world that fed water to the circles of hell. That stream also helps shape the geography of the circles of hell as well.

Descending of Geryon's Back: This was a really cool concept. I am sure that was a thrilling ride.

Jason and the Demons: To be honest when I first read the title of the story I thought about the Jason that comes from Camp Crystal Lake. I was surprised that it was so easy to get the demons to help them.

Caiaphas: Based on the notes, I assumed that the metal coats that the tribe was wearing was equivalent the lead that was coated on the victims of Emperor Frederick II. That would not be a pleasant way to die.

Ulysses and Diomede: I feel sad for the Ulysses' family that he took another trip around the world.

The Giants: I am not sure if the giant Nimrod mention in this story is the same Nimrod from the Noah unit at the beginning of the semester. He wasn't a giant, but I wonder if there is any correlation. Virgil also makes a comment about how one language still does not rule the world. That seems to reflect The Tower of Babel story where God mixes up the language of the people so they cannot complete the tower.

Ugolino: This story saddened me deeply. I would not wish that upon anyone.

Satan: I thought the way that Satan was described was quite interesting. I also thought that the inclusion of Brutus in one of Satan's mouth was fitting to his sins.

Week 12 Storytelling:

It had been an exhausting day of crying, sleeping, and pooping, but I was finally home. Sitting in the lukewarm water of the bathtub Mr. Ducky was right along side me as we were swimming towards the battleship up ahead. When we reached the battleship, which was covered with green army men that were bad guys, we submerged ourselves underneath the water for a short period of time. waiting for right moment. As soon as that moment came, we leapt out of the water so high that we were able to get on to the ship's deck with ease.

Suddenly I felt myself being pulled out of the water and then immediately being wrapped up in a towel. I thrashed back and forth trying to escape so I could get back to Mr. Ducky and the super secret mission that we needed to accomplish to no avail. Eventually the towel was taken off of my head, and I found myself to be dry. As I started to soar through the air with everything whizzing by I put my arms out like I was flying. Out of nowhere I heard a loud cry for help coming from downtown, also known as my bedroom.

(Super Baby: Flikr Jacob Davies)

I flew there as quick as I could, but first, I had to change into my crime fighting outfit (i.e. my onesie). After I had donned the appropriate attire I was ready to figure out the source of the cry for help. Scouring downtown, my eyes quickly fell upon what I knew to be the source of terror. It was my evil twin brother on the other side of the room playing with Legos, he is always up to no good. Before I even knew what had happened, both of us were transported into this crib-like fighting arena.

When both of us had met eyes I said to him, "You know that we have to share this crib tonight right?"

He quickly responded, "I shared a 'room' with you for the last nine months! It isn't going to happen again anytime soon!"

Without giving me a chance to respond, he made the first move trying to punch me with his right hand. I quickly blocked it but was knocked a bit back. I tried to counter with a kick from my left leg, disappointed when it only found air as my brother had moved out of the way. I had severely underestimated his speed and needed to be smarter with my choice of attacks as the battle progressed.

As the battle raged on, bit by bit we started to land blows on each other. We were both evenly matched and I could tell that both of us were beginning to get tired. Finally I saw a weakness in his defence and went for it. I strung together many hits on him with both my fists and my feet and knocked him out of the crib. I don't remember much more than that. I was so tired that I immediately went to sleep in the crib that I was in.

Author's Note: The four stories about Tweedledum and Tweedledee gave me the inspiration for this story. When I read those stories, I felt like the two of them were twin brothers just like me and my twin. In one of the stories, Tweedledum and Tweedledee (end), they get ready to fight each other over a broken rattle. This story reminded me of one of the first nights that me and my brother were back from the hospital. My brother Alex, had tried to kick me out of the crib. To this day, we joke that he had gotten tired of being cramped while we were still in my mom and decided that he didn't want to sleep next to me ever again. I tried to imagine the story in my own eyes.

Bibliography:
Book Title: Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There
Book Author: Lewis Carroll
Book Year: 1871
Story Title: Tweedledum and Tweedledee (end)
Source: Tweedledum and Tweedledee

Week 12 Reading Diary: Through the Looking Glass

This week I have chosen to continue the Alice in Wonderland unit and read the Through the Looking Glass unit.

The four or so stories that included Tweedledum and Tweedledee were quite fascinating. Those stories reminded me of the some of the times spent with my twin brother. From hanging out together, to having fights we have experienced much of what Tweedledum and Tweedledee showed in just those short stories.

I like the occasional inclusion of poems. When I read the unit, they introduced this upbeat reading style that quickened up that pace at which I was reading. I almost felt more energized after I read one of the rhyming poem sections like The Walrus and the Carpenter

Humpty Dumpty's character was a lot more snide and sarcastic than I expected him to be. Based off of the nursery rhyme that I have always heard, I have pictured him to be this helpless egg creature that falls down. In this Humpty Dumpty however, he is a pretty intelligent character (aside from occasionally making up new words).

Week 11 Essay: Assesing Alice in Wonderland

This week I read the unit Alice in Wonderland.

It was a good reprieve from the normal units that I have read in this class. This unit, instead of being a bunch of different units combined, was basically one continuous story. I enjoyed the character development that happened with Alice. You see her begin as a young and naive girl that doesn't think about her immediate actions. As she moves through the different chapters you begin to see her progress her thinking. The more "weird" things that she begins to see, the more desensitized she becomes to them.

I feel like this book serves as a way to comment on the progression of the close mindedness that society has come. I have been talking to my roommate recently about how different societies, lets say the Native Americans as an example, were a communal society. "It took a village to raise a child," to quote my roommate. We used to be a society with white picket fences where everyone knew their neighbor. Then the large grey fences with no holes started coming into view. As this continued through society, people began to know less and less about their neighbors.

(Privacy Fence: Flickr Doug Agassi)

In multiple chapters, Alice says multiple times that she had begun to come accustomed to the "weird" things that happens. From the Cheshire Cat vanishing, the baby turning into a pig, and the strange way that the different characters acted. I think that society has begun to reject what isn't defined as acceptable. Inherently, people have begun and continued to accept things about society that are "just the way it is."

I think this unit has made me reflect on some of the things that society has turned in to. I was surprised that I started to think about these things when reading a unit that is normally regarded as a children's story. I would definitely recommend this unit to others to read.

Week 11 Reading Dairy: Alice In Wonderland

This week I chose to read Alice In Wonderland.

It was a nice refresher from the other units that I have read. Instead of being broken up into many different stories that aren't all apart of a continuous story, this unit has multiple stories that encompass the chapter of a book. I enjoyed the extra detail that could be included because it was a continuous story.

The Caterpillar character has always intrigued me. In Advice from a Caterpillar, Advice from a Caterpillar (cont.), and Advice from a Caterpillar (end), he is just as confusing and strait forward as any of the others that I have read. I like the way that the Caterpillar makes Alice wait each time he starts to smoke the hookah. Alice is a very impatient girl, and her interaction with him forces her to look at things in a different light.

The cinema version of Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter was great. When I read A Mad Tea-Party, A Mad Tea-Party (cont.), and A Mad Tea-Party (end) I felt that Johnny Depp's performance was done quite well comparatively. The conversations that Alice and the Mad Hatter had were all over the place and had no real logic involved.

I think my favorite chapter was The Queen's Croquet Ground. In The Queen's Croquet Ground, The Queen's Croquet Ground (cont.), and The Queen's Croquet Ground (end) there is a lot of random things happening. I chuckled many different times whenever the chapter talked about the miss happenings with tr the hedgehogs and the flamingos. I did not care much for the queen herself. She has always been a crude character.

I was  little upset that the chapters skipped around, but I can definitely understand that it would have been a bit ridiculous to include all of the chapters in the book for us too read in one unit. Overall I really enjoyed reading this unit.

Week 10 Essay: Native American Humanization

I am a big fan of stories that explain real word phenomena in a fun and spiritual way. Native Americans are big on the belief of gods, spirits, and many other supernatural beings. The stories that they conjure up are both clever and really interesting.

This week I read the Tejas Legends unit, it consisted mostly of stories explaining why plants looked the way they did, why certain animals acted the way they did, or why there isn't a cold wind in the south. These stories have a supernatural presence in them, as well as humanizing items from nature around them. The relationship that Tejas tribe has with nature is definitely shown throughout the stories that are included in the unit. That relationship isn't shown in just this unit though. The unit I read last week, The Great Plains unit, they humanized many different animals such as the eagle or the elk in order to accomplish they goal of the story.

In The Cloud That Was Lost, the story humanizes a cloud that ends up losing its siblings and getting lost. After the cloud gets "lost," it travels a great distance searching. When the the day is almost done, the cloud begins to get tired and ends up sleeping in a flat land because it was so tired. Without actually saying it, I understood that part to be describing the reason that you see fog during dusk and the beginning of the day.

There are occasional times in which I take some time to appreciate nature around me. After reading these units I have begun to realize that nature does have a personality of its own. It really isn't so far fetched that the reason for fog in the mornings is that there is a certain cloud that isn't a morning cloud (just like myself) and it takes it a little bit longer in order for it to get back up into the sky.

(Fog: Wikipedia)

I have really enjoyed these last two units that I have read. They have given me a different outlook on nature and how everything really does come to be.

Storytelling Week 10: Where the Woodpeckers Come From

Long ago, there was a Native tribe that lived off of the land. They were a peaceful people who disliked the violence that came with war. They tried to stay as far away from the other tribes that were quick to pick up their axes and bows when any dispute came about.

This tribe was so peaceful that there wasn't much to do during the day besides the normal chores (i.e. hunting, gathering, playing). The children who did their daily duties often found themselves riddled with boredom. They tried dancing, playing hide and seek, and everything else they could think of in order to keep themselves busy. One day, a small boy overheard his parents talk about a certain plant that would make them see visions of the gods. The adults had said that it was called a mescal plant and was located just outside the village. The small boy quickly ran off to tell his friends what he had learned. Unfortunately the small boy did not hear the warning that came from the medicine about the trouble that eating this plant would cause.

(Mescal Plant: Agave Americana)

The boy ran to his friends as quickly as he could. As soon as he reached them he explained that he had a great idea for something to do that night. When everyone was fast asleep they would sneak without anyone hearing and find one of the mescal plants that they had just learned about.

As soon as they were out of the village, the group of five panned out in search for this plant with strange powers. Soon one of them shouted "I found it!" The five of them gathered around the plant in wonder. After staring at the plant for five minutes, one of them finally plucked one of the knobs of a leaf and put it in his mouth. All of them turned to him, eyes wide open wondering if he felt anything different. eventually the rest of them ate one as well. After some time had passed the group of kids began to see swirls of colors around them as well as the gods off in the distance. One of them tried to stand up and walk towards the gods and ended up falling down. The five of them fell asleep to the myriad of colors that they were enthralled with.

The next morning the group of five went to their respective homes and told their families about what happened the night before. Soon word had spread throughout the village of the wonders of the mescal plant. Curious from the tales that people heard all of the villagers began eating the knobs from the plant. Eventually all the villagers were incapacitated due to the effects they experienced.

While all of the villagers were occupied the younger children began to get hungry. Since there parents were nowhere to be found, they roamed around the village looking for food. Eventually, the villagers came to and realized that all of the young children were nowhere to be found. As they started looking outside the village, the Manitou, one of the gods of the sky, came to them. He told them that he had hidden their children away in a tree to save them from the heat and the wolves.

The Manitou swiftly waved his hand over the village and said "I am turning you into birds so you can find your children in hollow trees. When you have found your children I will turn you back into people." Immediately afterward they flock of villagers flew away in search of their children.

The villagers have yet to find their children. That is why, to this day, you can still find woodpeckers pecking away at hollow trees.

Author's Note: I really liked they way that Why the Woodpecker Pecks describes the reason that woodpeckers consistently peck trees. I didn't change much from the original story. I added a bit to the beginning with the inclusion of the five boys experience. I really like how the Native American cultures explain things through stories.

Bibliography:

Story Name: Why the Woodpecker Pecks

Story Book: When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends

Story Author: Florence Stratton

Year: 1936

Week 10 Reading Diary: Tejas Legends Units

This week I read the Tejas Legends Units.

I enjoyed the Old Woolly Bird's Sacrifice story. i liked how the tribe would not let the old man disappear because he was to proud to be a burden on his fellow villagers. It is a good look into how the Native American culture reveres its elder.

I thought the story, The Tribe That Left Its Shoes was a clever one. It gives an interesting insight as to why the certain orchids that the story refers to have colors like the moccasins the tribe dropped. The different ways that cultures come up with reasons that things are a certain way.

The Cloud That Was Lost was a cute little story. I felt sorry for the cloud that ended up losing all of his brothers and sisters. The clouds being why you see fog early in the day and around dusk made me chuckle. I really do like the creativity that these tribes have.

Week 9 Essay: Reviewing the Great Plains Unit

For week nine I choose the Great Plains Unit. I chose this unit because I am using one of the stories in my storybook. I am specifically using the first story called The Creation.

I am a big fan of Native American stories. I took a class called Native Peoples of North America which started my curiosity about different Native American cultures. That class is one of the reasons that I chose to do my storybook over Native American creation stories.

I really enjoyed the ghost stories in this unit. I was talking to one of my Native America friends about why this is the first unit that I have seen to include ghost stories. His input on the subject was that the Native American communities are so tight knit that they experience death more often than other communities. He was telling me that he has been to many more funerals than he has weddings or anything of that sort.

The explaining of phenomenon also intrigues my interest. The multiple stories about how corn came to the Native American people was really cool to read. There were all kinds of different explanations depending on the tribe.

(Corncobs: Wikipedia)

This unit was good at giving informative stories about a bunch of different tribes. That is one thing that I wish I had known before I chose the unit. For the next unit I will choose a specific tribe. I think that will give me a much more in depth learning experience. 

Overall I enjoyed this unit. I was happy to find that it included ghost stories, and a large amount of stories at that. I think the Native American relationship with the spirit world is a peculiar one. I would recommend people to read the Great Plains unit.

Storytelling Week 9: The Hungry Little Boy

"When I was your age there was this camp that I used to go to in the summer time." said the old man in his soft and raspy voice.

My parents had brought me to grandparents house, my mom's father's house specifically. We only visited them once or twice a year because of how far out in the country it was. As I looked around all I could see was the occasional flitting of light on my grandfathers dark and sullen face coming from the small fire in between us. He was a strange man, mostly kept to himself after my grandmother died.

As I sat across from my grandfather, I began to wonder how he spent his free time when he was just by himself. While I was wondering this he had continued his story. Realizing I wasn't fully paying attention he quickly snapped at me.

"One of the first nights that I was at the camp," he explained, "a small boy came to the window of my roommate and I's room asking for food."

"I told him I had none to give and went back to sleep thinking nothing of the encounter." said my Grandfather.

My grandfather then explained that the small boy came back the next two nights again asking for food. Each time the boy came, his roommate would be fast asleep. Eventually feeling sorry for the boy, my grandfather began to smuggle chips to their room from lunch.

"The first night that I gave the kid some chips to eat he continued to put his hand out asking for more even after all of the chips I had were gone. I had to tell him three times that I had nothing left!" he exclaimed.

This exchange of food continued to happen for the next few nights. My grandfather eventually told his roommate about the chips that he was giving away to his new friend. Hearing this, his roommate got really nervous and told him to never do that again. Later in the day, one of the adults that ran the camp came to my grandfather and explained to him the reason he should not do that. Apparently years ago that building was a school for a large amount of children. The leaders of the school were not good people, and over the years many different children died from malnutrition. There are many graves near the line of trees that go into the woods.

His roommate and himself were forced to switch to a different room because the little boy that was asking for food was a ghost of one of the children that had died. The room that the ended up switching too had a window that faced the edge of the trees.

"The night that we had to switch rooms, before I went to sleep, I looked out the window and could see a long line of children all holding hands at the edge of the trees. I immediately pulled the covers over my head. Not five minutes later I heard a tap tap tap on my window." said my Grandfather.

(Line of Trees Near a Plantation: Geograph)

Author's Note: This story was told to me by one of my friends a couple of years ago. Granted he was much better at telling the story. When I read the ghost stories in the Great Plain reading unit, I immediately thought of this story as something that I could use for my storytelling. I wish I could have found a picture of a treeline at night but I couldn't seem to find any.

Bibliography:

Story Title: Three Ghost Stories

Book Title: Myths and Legends of the Great Plains

Book Author: Katherine Berry Judson

Year: 1913

Source: Three Ghost Stories

Week 9 Reading Diary: Myth and Legends of the Great Plains

For week 9 I chose to do the Myth and Legends of the Great Plains.

The Creation story is one of my favorite stories in this unit. I am including this story in my storybook with the Elk telling the story from his point of view. I am excited to write that story.

The Sacred Pole sounds like it was the first creation of a totem pole. It doesn't ever specifically say that so I curious as if it is like a traditional totem pole. The tree that the create the pole out of reminds me of the tree that Prince Siddhartha sits under as he becomes the Buddha.

The Eagles Revenge was a cool story. I did not even consider that the man who was killing the people dancing could was the eagles brother. When I read the story I didn't feel that bad for the eagle because he was eating the deer that the hunter had caught.

I also really enjoyed the Three Ghost Stories. My roommate Jacob has a bunch of ghost stories that he tell time to time and these stories made me think of those. I especially liked the one about the tattoos that people needed in order to get on the correct path whenever they became ghosts.

I liked the story Wakanda, or Water God. It was a good to see a story tht depicts one of the Gods that the different tribes have. It was quite a sad story though. I honestly would have done the same thing as the father had done. Even if it was just to see my son one more time.

I always enjoy stories that explain phenomenon in real life. In the story Why the Possum Plays Dead we learned just that, why the possum plays dead. It was a nice seeing how they explain things.

The story How the Rabbit Killed the Giant reminded me of the Brer Rabbit stories. The rabbit that killed the giant was doing this deed for others which never really happened with the Brer Rabbit stories. It was nice to read about a trickster rabbit that helped others and not himself.

Week 7 Essay: Assessing More Brer Rabbit

I decided to continue with Brer Rabbit this week and chose the More Brer Rabbit unit to read. I wanted learn about the continuation of Mr. Rabbit's adventures, and if he ever ended up being tricked by another character.

In this and last weeks unit, I found out that Mr. Rabbit basically can not be fooled. He has the occasional slip up, but always quickly composes himself in order to get him out of the predicament. In some ways I didn't like this. Mr. Rabbit was portrayed as infallible, which I agree, can also be said for any of the other cartoons that I watched as a child. If you look at Jerry from Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny from the Looney Tunes, and even the Roadrunner from Wile. E Coyote and Roadrunner cartoon. The one difference I notice between these cartoons and the Brer Rabbit stories, is that Mr. Rabbit makes a conscious decision to trick other people, taking delight in it. Where as with the Saturday cartoons, the main "infallible" characters don't make the decision to be chased by the other characters. This is my biggest issue with Brer Rabbit, that it condones a character that actively chooses to trick people.

Even thought the language was hard to get used to, I did enjoy it immensely. Listening to the Librovox audio gives you a good sense of how people people talked in that era. When you closed your eyes and just listened to the story, you could see yourself sitting on a chair next to Uncle Remus and the little boy. This gave me an insight as to what the culture of that time was.

I am really glad that I stuck through both of the Brer Rabbit units. While I was a little purse with Brer Rabbits joy in tricking the other characters. I feel enlightened that I got the chance not only to imagine, but also hear the language of the culture. I believe that how people talk is as much of a cultural identity as rituals or other things that people say define a culture.

Week 7 Storytelling: Brer Rabbit Meets the Hunter

One day, Mr. Rabbit was hopping along in the forest searching for some carrots to take back to his children. They were mighty hungry, but Mr. Rabbit felt like they were still to young to fend for themselves. As he was moving through the forest, he came upon a large carrot patch just beyond a ridge of trees.

"I wonder who's carrot patch this is?" Mr. Rabbit thought to himself.

"I better take advantage of this fortuitous opportunity." he continued.

As he started to hop down and check the patch of carrots out he heard some rustling coming from the bush behind him. He quickly turned around to see a man with a gun coming out of the bush. As soon as the man got out of the bush he pointed his double barrel rifle right at Mr. Rabbit.

"Watcha got der Mr.?" said Mr. Rabbit.

"You best not be messing with my carrot patch wabbit!" Said the hunter.

"What if I is, what you gwinter do bout it?" asked Mr. Rabbit.

"I reckon I got this here gun pointed at you right now." responded the hunter.

"Well you may wanna look behind ya, there's a big fella lommin over ya." said Mr. Rabbit.

"What your talkin bout wabbit?" asked the hunter.

As soon as the hunter turned his head around, Mr Rabbit dashed into the thicket about five feet away from him. In the cover of the thicket, Mr. Rabbit sat there quiet and motionless until he could slip away in the cover of darkness. While Mr. Rabbit had been hiding the night before, he realized that there was a briar patch not but twenty feet away from were he was caught. When the coast was clear, Mr. Rabbit set off for home with a plan on how he could trick the hunter and get some carrots.

When dawn broke the next morning Mr. Rabbit quickly set off for the carrot patch. During the night he had sewn together a toy rabbit that looked like himself. In the same spot he was caught the day before, he set the toy rabbit for the hunter to find. Mr. Rabbit had also tied a long piece of string to one of the legs of the toy rabbit and ran the rest of that string through the briar patch to the place that he was hiding. After a short wait, the hiding Mr. Rabbit saw the hunter approaching the place that the toy rabbit sat.

As soon as the hunter saw what he thought to be Mr. rabbit he started pulling out his gun. Before the hunter could take his shot, Mr. Rabbit started pulling the string so that the toy rabbit moved towards the briar patch. The hunter quickly took off after the toy rabbit thinking that he wasn't going to be fooled again today. In his rage, the hunter failed to notice that the toy rabbit was heading straight for the briar patch.

(Black Burnt Briar Patch: RobertRDavis)

The hunter realized all too late when he tripped over some large thorns in the patch. After he fell to the ground, his clothes got snagged on all the thorns around him. This gave Mr. Rabbit the perfect opportunity to grab some carrots, making sure to get extra for his children. He chuckled as he hopped all the way home.

Authors Note: This story was based on the story Mr. Fox Gets into Serious Business. However, I changed the story to make it like one of Mr. Rabbit's usual trickster stories. In the unit of More Brer Rabbit, none of the stories except for Mr. Fox Gets into Serious Business interacts with a human. In the original story, Mr. Rabbit gets caught Mr. Man and then tricks Mr. Fox into switching places with him.

Bibliography:
Story Title: Mr. Fox Gets into Serious Business
Story Author: Joel Chandler Harris
Story Year: 1881
Web Source: Mr. Fox Gets into Serious Business

Week 7 Reading Diary: More Brer Rabbit

This week I chose to continue the Brer Rabbit story with More Brer Rabbit.

Like the last Brer Rabbit unit, the language is still difficult to understand. I did, however, learn an new word from Brother Bear's Big House. The word was sagaciate, but was spelled sagashuate in the reading. It is nice to learn be learning new words even with the language how it is.

In Brer Rabbit's Flying Trip, I found it to be kind of similar to Mr. Rabbit Meets His Match Again. Only this time Mr. Rabbit was ridding Mr. Buzzard and enjoying every second of it instead of being all "weak in de knees" like he was in the latter story. Mr. Rabbit always seems to know what is happening before any other character even thinks about it.

Sometimes I find it hard to believe that all of the creatures can never seem to see that Mr. Rabbit is always setting pranks on them. In Brer Rabbit Finds the Moon in the Mill Pond, he has everyone believing that they wouldn't be able to see at night anymore if they didn't pull the moon out of the pond.

I like the addition of the Jack Sparrow character. In The Fate of Mr. Jack Sparrow, it throws a kink into Mr. Rabbits kink free plans. I liked it because it made Mr. Rabbit work a little harder than he normally has to in order to pull fast ones on the different characters.

I enjoyed it when there were stories that didn't include Mr. Rabbit, it allows me to see how clever some of the other characters are. In Mr. Bear Catches Old Mr. Bull Frog, we are able to see Mr. Bull Frog for the first time and how clever he is to trick Mr. Bear in order to get away. Who knows, maybe Mr. Bull Frog is smarter than Mr. Rabbit. I guess we will never know.

It is nice to hear stories that explain some of the natural phenomenons of the world. In How Mr. Rabbit Lost His Fine Bushy Tail and Why Mr. Possum Has No Hair on His Tail, we learn why rabbits tails are short, and why possums have no hair on their tail. These stories give an interesting account as to why these things occur in real life. 

Week 6 Essay: Assessing Brer Rabbit

This week I read the Brer Rabbit unit, it was very interesting unit, especially with the language that it was written in.

I would say that I both liked, and disliked the language that was used in the reading unit. It was difficult to get used to what exactly was being said, even while listening to the Librovox audio. While listening to the audio, it was easier to understand, but it was still a little confusing at times. The reason I did like the language was how it made the stories feel authentic in a way. The Librovox audios also included the interaction between Uncle Remus and Sally's son, which frames each story. That reminds me of being a kid and hearing stories from a family member much like what Uncle Remus is doing. Listening to the audio also allows you to really get a feel of how the language should truly be pronounced.

I really loved how each story is a game of wits between one character or another. Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Fox consistently have showdowns between each other. Another positive I liked, was the broad amount of characters which allows the many different interaction other than just Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Fox. Each character has their different assets as well. Like I have said a couple of times, this reading reminds me of the Tom and Jerry, Roadrunner, of course Bugs Bunny cartoons from when I was a child. Those shows will share a special place in my heart on Saturday mornings!

(Looney Tunes Cartoon: Wikipedia)

I really have no complaints over this reading. Like I said earlier, the language was a bit difficult to get used to but was did not take overly long to get comfortable with. I did struggle with the proverbs though, mainly because some of the definitions of the words that was used were unknown to me.

Overall it was an excellent reading unit.

Storytelling Week 6: Mr. Rabbit and the New Shortcut

One time when Brer Rabbit was hopping along the road. As he was bouncing along, Mr. Fox, who could see Brer Rabbit up the road, thought to himself, "Today is the day that I finally catch Brer Rabbit!"

What Mr. Fox had planned was a pretty smart idea. He had come across some extra paint cans the other day and figured he could use them to catch Brer Rabbit. Earlier that morning, Mr. Fox found a part of the road that had a large section of rock right next to it, and get to work with his plan. Mr. Fox painted what looked like a tunnel and a road going through the rock. Apparently Mr. Fox was a great painter, as the tunnel he painted looked as though it was the real thing.

(Tunnel Painted Over Rock: Animation Backgrounds - Rob Richards)

Anyways, back to Brer Rabbit coming up the road. As Brer Rabbit came up to Mr. Fox, he asked, "Where you going there Mr. Rabbit?"

A little startled, Mr. Rabbit replied, "Well I'm just hopping down to the gardens looking to score me some carrots for dinner."

Eager to get his plan in motion, Mr. Fox quickly replied, "Don't cha have to go through the briar patch in order to get there?"

"It's not too bad, I only get a couple cuts and scrapes each time I go through there." responded Mr. Rabbit.

"It sounds to me that if you had a shortcut it would make life a lot easier for you." said Mr. Fox in a sly voice.

Curious, Mr. Rabbit asked, "You wouldn't happen to know about a new shortcut now would ya?"

"I reckon I stumbled across one this morning just up the road. Some people made a new road through the rock. I bet it will save you a lot of time!" said Mr. Fox.

"Alright, I will go check it out then!" responded Mr. Rabbit.

So Mr. Rabbit went down the road and took a look at this new shortcut that Mr. Fox had told him about. As he hopped up to the "tunnel" he noticed the paint cans that Mr. Fox had lazily tried to hide behind a bush. Thinking quickly on his feet, while Mr. Fox wasn't looking, Mr. Rabbit drew a small version of himself on the tunnel so it looked like he had passed through. After he finished he hid behind the bush that the paint cans were hidden.

Mr. Rabbit then yelled out, "Thanks for telling me about the shortcut Mr. Fox! It will help me out a lot!"

Confused, Mr. Fox quickly looked over, and sure enough there was Mr. Rabbit at the end of the tunnel. So in a quick lapse of judgement, Mr. Fox ran after the Mr. Rabbit that was on the tunnel and POW... Mr. Fox ran right into the rock.

After Mr. Rabbit heard the loud bang from Mr. Fox running into the rock, he jumped out from behind the bush with his face beaming with a wry grin.

"Better luck next time Mr. Fox!!!!" yelled Mr. Rabbit as he hopped back home.

Authors Note:
When I first read The Wonderful Tar-Baby from the Brer Rabbit reading unit, it reminded me of when I used to watch the Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner cartoons. This story was a combination of those cartoons and the Brer Rabbit stories. In the original story, Mr. Rabbit comes across a "Tar-Baby," mistaking it for a person he starts talking to it. When the "Tar-Baby" doesn't respond Mr. Rabbit gets angry and hits it. When this happens his hand gets stuck to the "Tar-Baby." Eventually all of Mr. Rabbit's limbs get stuck to the "Tar-Baby."

Bibliography:

Story Title: The Wonderful Tar-Baby
Story Author: Joel Chandler Harris
Year: 1881
Source: The Wonderful Tar-Baby

Week 6 Reading Diary: Brer Rabbit

The language was very difficult to get used to in the Brer Rabbit unit.

I found myself either, speaking the stories out loud, or listening to the Librovox audio accompanied with the unit. The Librovox audio makes it much easier to understand what Uncle Remus is saying.

When I read The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story, the first thing that came to my mind, was me waking up on Saturday mornings and sitting in front of the television to watch the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote cartoons. It brought back a significant urge to watch some of those cartoons again.

I was a little shocked about how much detail of the death of Mr. Wolf was shown in The Awful Fate of Mr. Wolf. Needless to say he got his just desserts though. I like how pretty much every story is a battle of the wits between the characters.

I really enjoyed Old Mr. Rabbit, He's a Good Fisherman. It is one of those perfect cons that Mr. Rabbit thinks up when he gets himself in a crappy situation from being lazy. Mr. Fox, is still just as gullible as ever.

Another great one was Mr. Terrapin Shows His Strength. He pulls one over on everyone, including Mr. Rabbit, and makes them believe that he is stronger than Mr. Bear and Mr. Fox combined. Which is a pretty big feat! So this Mr. Terrapin showed that he is stronger than a bear and quicker than a rabbit. That is one pretty talented turtle.

I was actually surprised that this unit mentioned the Legend of Noah, in The Story of the Deluge. This story has a different description as to how the earth was flooded. I thought it was funny that it was the crawfish that ended up creating the great flood.

The Plantation Proverbs were both interesting and confusing. I thought it was a cool little reading but some of them were difficult to understand. When I listened to the Librovox Audio it was a little confusing because part of it didn't match up to the text.

Week 5 Reading Dairy: Jatakas (Shedlock)

The reading unit I chose this week was the Jatakas (Shedlock).

When I read The Parrot That Fed His Parents, it caught my eye. It caused me to reflect back on all the things that my parents have provided me throughout my life. Like that parrot, I will definitely take care of my parents in their old age.

I also enjoyed reading The Bull That Proved His Gratitude. In ways I can relate that to The Parrot That Fed His Parents. The parrot in that reading is also proving his gratitude to his parents by feeding them, like the bull is proving his gratitude to the old women by obtaining money.

The Monkey that Saved the Hero made me a bit curious. There didn't seem to be a hero in the reading that was saved. The monkey king saved his entire 80,000 troupe from the water ogre. So I was a little confused at to why the title of the reading says that the monkey was saving a hero.

Grandmother's Golden Dish reminds me of a term that called "sharking' in the serving business. "Sharking" is where a waiter waits a the front of the restaurant to sit a table in their own section, breaking the certain rotation that is in place for all the servers. I one had a coworker who did this; that table of four people ended up spending 20 dollars in the entirety of their meal, and the waitress got around 3 dollars for a tip. Needless to say she was not excited about that table.

How the Antelope Was Caught reminds me of my parents dog. Every time they eat some sherbet ice cream, and are at the end of the bowl, they scrape the bottom of the bowl to get the last of it. When this happens, if their dog is in another room, he will immediately come to their side. They normally let him lick the bowl clean. It has turned into a Pavlovian response for him.

In The River Fish and the Monkey, I was surprised that the fisherman were asking such a high price for the fish when they knew not that there was a package full of money inside of it. The river spirit must have powers beyond that of just stuff within the river.

I was really confused after reading The Poisonous Trees, the stanza that the Bodhisatta says at the end of didn't make sense to me. After a while I realized that because the tree is not hard to climb, and there are plenty of fruit on its branches, then it must be bad fruit that grows. It's a clever way to realize what kind of tree that is.

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Week 4 Storytelling:Siddhartha's First Sees Suffering

It was time for winter to begin throughout the land. However, due to Prince Siddhartha's radiance and glory, the land still looked and felt like it was spring. Flowers continued to bloom in all the gardens of the palace. The sun shone brilliantly through the corridors bathing all of the rooms in a bright and warming light.

As Prince Siddhartha walked through these glorious halls to the garden, he had a sudden urge to leave the palace. The prince's father heard word of him wanting to leave the palace. The king knew that if he tried to keep his son from leaving the palace, it would only make his desire stronger.

So the king sent for his charioteer. When he came, the king told him that the prince was going to take a trip to see the cities' marvels. However, "The prince shall not see any beggar nor sickly people lining the street that he will be traveling," said the king. So the king had all the people who suffered removed from the side of the street that the prince would be viewing.

When the prince reached the royal stables the king's charioteer was already waiting for him with the chariot ready. So the prince and the charioteer set off on their trip to the city. As they left the palace the prince saw a vast amount of people roaming the street. The street was ornately decorated with streamers and lanterns covered in precious stones and lined with gold. As the chariot passed through the street the people were enamored with the prince's unearthly presence. The entire city flocked to the sight of the prince.
Only words of praise could be heard about him.

As the God's watched this spectacle they became jealous of the warmth that was in Prince Siddhartha's soul. In their jealousy, the God's created an old man and stuck him next to the street that the prince was traveling on. This old man was extremely frail, having to troublesomely lean on a walking stick, and was wrinkled to no end.

When the prince laid eyes upon this man, it stirred up some curiosity in him. He questioned his charioteer, "Who is this man so frail and feeble? He struggles to stand and walk, is it by nature that he does this so?"

(Frail Old Man: WikiMedia)

His charioteer tried his best to not answer the prince's question. However, the God's confused his mind and before he realized he said, "Old age has seized this man, he was once small and cute, nursing on his mothers food. Yet time has ravaged his soul and his twilight years have reached him."

The realization that old age takes away any and every persons youth made him shudder. He could not stop thinking about the terrors of old age. How could one enjoy the beauties of the world with old age looming over each persons soul. Saddened the prince returned to the palace, however, he could not find peace in the beauty of the castle.

Authors Note: This story is based off of The First Encounter. I didn't want to change much of the story since it was such a prominent part of Prince Siddhartha's life. It was the first time the prince had seen something less than glorious. It was the first time that he had seen suffering. It began to change the way the thought of the world.

Bibliography:
Book Title: The Life of Buddha
Story Title: The First Encounter
Author: Andre Ferdinand Herold
Year: 1922

Week 4 Reading Dairy: The Life of Buddha

This week I chose to read The Life of Buddha.

The first three stories of this unit (Maya's Dream, Birth of Siddhartha, Asita's Prediction) talk about how glorious the prince is and will become. I was surprised about how radiant the second two stories describe prince Siddhartha to be. There is so much joy in the world after he is born, and everything, ever the trees and rivers, become more beautiful from his birth.

The ones I enjoy most are the units about his encounters with the evils of the world. In his First Encounter he learns about old age. In the Two More Encounters, he learns about sickness and death. The prince talks about how mankind is able to seek pleasure knowing what death is. These two readings are definitely a reality check for the prince, who has seen nothing but joy his life. It also comes as a reality check for the reader.

In The Great Truths prince Siddhartha is finally starting to unravel. He cannot get the idea of death out of his mind until the Gods send him a monk that talks about his life of solitude. He finally understands what he wants to do with his life, and decides to become a monk. His mind had now become enveloped with the idea of "supreme blessedness, of beatitude, of nirvana."

Even I was saddened when I read about prince Siddhartha's exit from the palace. There is a great amount of sadness in Gopa and Suddhodana Grieve. It is hard not to feel like the prince is making a mistake. However, so many supernatural things happen for him to leave that one can't help but wonder that it is the right thing to do. I was very saddened to hear that his horse Kanthaka died from sorrow.

In the Arata Kalama the prince makes perfect sense in his reasoning for not preaching or following Arata Kalama's word. The prince asked what the difference is between indulging in desire and indulging in suffering. In each situation mankind was indulging in something, which in part is the root of old age and death.

Finally the true law comes to Prince Siddhartha's mind, in Siddhartha Becomes the Buddha. He realizes that it is an endless circle of birth to suffering to death and back to birth again. Beyond the religious implications, this reading makes a good point about cause and effect throughout the real world. Actions always have consequences, whether good or bad.

Week 3 Essay: Assessing the Jewish Fairy Tales

I have really enjoyed the readings that I have chosen for the last two weeks. This unit is different because it is mainly fairy tales, where as the Legend of Noah is more of a history of the major events that came about in Noah's life.

One of my favorite movies from this reading was The Rabbi's Bogey Man. I have an Aunt named Carol and her daughter, my cousin, named Amber that lives in Shreveport, Louisiana. Amber is a couple years older than me and my brother. My mother, my brother, and myself have been in an argument with Aunt Carol and Amber for years and years. That argument happens to be about which of our mothers is the "Bogey Momma." It was interesting to read that the first contraption that the Rabbi made was in fact a "Bogey Momma." Plus, I never really knew the story behind the Bogey Man.

Since the unit about Noah didn't contain any notes I was happy to see that the Jewish Fairy Tales unit did. The notes at the beginning of each story were very helpful. I actually did some more research into the Wikipedia page about the golem creature from other Jewish stories. The notes are a nice way to bet some background information about a certain aspect of the story.

The only thing I didn't like about this unit was the fact that it did not have the Librovox Audio. I used that for the Legend of Noah unit and really enjoyed it. In some of the stories it helped to pronounce the names right, and was nice to not have to look at a screen the whole time.

Overall It was a good unit. I was glad that I chose to match the legend of Noah unit and not do another completely random one. Like I said above, the only thing that I would change would be to add audio to it.

Week 3 Storytelling: The 50 Year Food Coma

It was the time just after the Pilgrims had landed on North American soil. Many families were toiling as they built their log cabins, using one large tree after another. The Onais family's construction went a lot quicker than the other families. The father of the family, Charlie, was a strong and burly man nearly twice the size of every other father in the town. Charlie was so big that his appetite was rarely ever truly satisfied. He would hunt from dusk to dawn trying to get as much food as possible.

When winter came, food continually became harder and harder to find for the people of the new town. People began to get sick and morale began to drop, which made things worse. A nearby Native American tribe, who new the laws of the land, saw the withering town. There was a long debate as to whether they should help the starving people out. Finally, the tribe decided that it was the right thing to do, and that their God's would be pleased by their good deeds.

One morning as the sun shone brightly, reflecting beautifully off of the fresh snow and icicles, the Pilgrims of the town saw a caravan of Native Americans coming down from a trail that led into the forest. At first the townspeople were wary about their intentions; however, once the people smelled the wonderful aroma produced from the massive amounts of slow cooked meats, and husk after husk of corn they had in their arms, there was no longer anxious feelings towards these new guests. As the chief of the tribe came into the town square, he was welcomed with open arms by everyone.

Charlie, who was the strongest of the town, was asked to help gather all the tables in the town and put them together like one large table. He made quick work of this job, and soon the entire town square was filled with a long and windy table that would be filled with the mounds of food.

Charlie had never seen so much food in his life. His face lit up, and a smile similar to that of a child's first taste of ice cream came upon his face. As soon as he understood that it was acceptable for him to start eating, he did so quite vigorously. He ate more food in a shorter time than any winner of Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest could ever have dreamed of. By the end of the grand meal, his belly had swollen to such an enormous size that he resembled a pot-bellied pig.

(Two Pot-Bellied Pigs Sleeping: Wikipedia)

He struggled to get up, and told his wife that it was a perfect time for a nap. So he wondered about the town looking for a comfortable heap of hay to lie upon. Eventually, he came across a house that had been long abandoned due to the death of the family that once lived there. This house had a large bail of hay and he knew this would be a wonderful spot to stop and nap. He was soon asleep dreaming of the wondrous food he had just engorged, just like younger kids who dream of sugar-plums the night before Christmas.

Unfortunately for his family, Charlie had not told his wife or kids where he would be taking his nap. After Charlie did not come home for an entire week, she became frantic with worries of where he might be (his hunting trips often took multiple days). She was worried he was lost in the woods somewhere and rustled up a search party that only thought to search the woods, and not the town itself. After multiple weeks went by Charlie's wife gave up hope on ever finding her wonderful husband. Each year on Thanksgiving, Charlie's wife would mourn her husband instead of joining in the festivities celebrating the first grand feast.

After 50 years had passed, the abandoned house that held the sleeping charlie was scheduled to be torn down because of the damage the years had done to it. Charlie was awoken by a team of people that were checking the place out to make sure there was no one in it before it was torn down. These men were astounded to find a man fast asleep on top of the hay.

Awoken from his deep slumber Charlie was startled to find that his massive belly had withered away into a flat stomach. Still groggy he began to walk towards his house, not realizing all of the changes around him. He eventually reached his house expecting to find his wife and kids playing in the living room; However, what he saw as he walked through the door confused him. He saw an old  women lying in bed with two middle aged people tending to her. As the rust on the gears in his mind began to clear, he realized that this was his family. His kids were as old as he was, and his wife....his beloved wife had become so frail. Tears came to his eyes immediately at the thought about the trouble he must have caused his family, and the memories that had missed.

He took off running, his mind not knowing what else to do. After miles of running he came to realize how cold it was and decided to stop in to take a breather. As he was in the cave, he decided that he did not want to see a reminder of the life he had missed out every day. He thought to himself, if I go back to sleep, maybe more time will pass and I can start another life for my own. As he drifted off to sleep peace came over him; however, he would not wake up in this world ever again.

Author's Note: I decided to write about the The Sleep of One Hundred Years. I changed up the the story from being about the destruction of Jerusalem to being about Thanksgiving. The main reason for this decision was that I started writing this story just after have a large lunch. About fifteen minutes into writing it I became really sleepy and thought that a "food coma" would be a perfect explanation for sleeping for fifty years. In the original story Rabbi Onais, so worried about the destruction of Jerusalem, decided to rest and for 100 years he slept. Upon awakening he realized he was an old man in a very strange place that he did not know. He decided that the only way he could find peace again would be to sleep again, so his prayers were answered and that is what he did.

Bibliography:
Story Title: The Sleep of 100 Years
Book Title: Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends
Book Author: Gertrude Landa
Year: 1919
Websource: http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/04/jewish-fairy-tales-sleep-of-one-hundred.html

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Week 3 Reading Diary: Jewish Fairy Tales

This week I chose to complement the Legends of Noah unit I read last week and read the Jewish Fairy Tales unit.

I found The Beggar King to be an interesting story. I love stories that hit home with good themes. I felt like King Hagar learned his lesson quite well. In the end of the story it talks about how wise and kind of a king he was for the rest of his days.

(Singing Beggars by Ivan Yermenyov: Wikipedia)

I was a big fan of The quarrel of the Cat and the Dog. I enjoy these kind of miscellaneous knowledge stories. I can just picture a small child asking why a cat and a dog always fight, and now I can tell a story like this one to enlighten them.

Another favorite was The Magic Palace this definitely peaked my interest as to who Elijah the prophet is. I have a feeling that this Elijah character could be mirrored with Jesus Christ. I know that Jesus was a carpenter and in the story this disguised Arab makes this marvelous structure in a single night.

The King for Three Days reminds me of a time in my high school English class. We were discussing Greek mythology, in particular oracles. I think the story was about Oedipus. Anyways, the power of oracles or prophets, and any other similar characters are so great. Yet, people in these stories consistently disbelieve what they say.

I have to say, a big reason that I liked The Higgeledy-Piggledy Palace so much was the name itself. It kind of reminds me of Alice in Wonderland and the Cheshire Cat. So much "weird" stuff kept happening to the Pharaoh because of the spirit.

(Cheshire Cat: Deviant Art)

The Fairy Frog is another story, after reading it, that you come away with a lesson learned. The main character show patience and respect for their elders even though they went through tough times. These are definitely the kind of stories I enjoy.