Week 6 Reading Notes: Tibetan Folk Tales Part A

I chose to read the Tibetan Folk Tales because I am unfamiliar with Tibetan culture, but I have heard of Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan monks, and that sounded interesting.
I love the little guy that outsmarts the big predators in the Tiger and the Frog story. I tend to cheer for underdogs, and this story shows how intimidating a smart frog can be to a hungry tiger.
The story of the Cony Who Got into Bad Company is a smart story about a rabbit that hangs out with a crowd that has a reputation for stealing, and he joins in the fun, taking advantage of an old lama. Then the crony was basically banished from his crony civilization because of the poor company he chose to keep.
The story of the Donkey and the Rock is relatable to common attitudes of today. No one wants to take responsibility for actions or come to an understanding. Everyone wants to sue other people and take them to court. In this scenario, the judge comes up with a clever way of dealing with a silly case. I love the twist that everyone who comes to see the trial has to pay to leave.
The story of How the Fox Fell a Victim to His Own Deceit is a good story of jealousy and conspiracy. The fox really just wants attention, in my opinion, but he goes about it in a totally wrong way. He wasn't going to be any happier if the calf and the tiger killed one another. They would make a really strong team together, so his desires were terribly shortsighted. He got what he deserved for trying to tear apart two wonderful friends.
The story of the Ingratitude of Man is a revival of 'don't judge a book by its cover.' The people whom you think are of no use to you often turn out being the people that can help the most. It is important to be nice to everyone, especially when they are helping you out.


Tibetan Tiger image chosen for its relation to Tibet and the prominence of tigers in Tibetan Folklore. Image found on Wikimedia, here.

Bibliography: Tibetan Folk Tales by A.L. Shelton, with illustrations by Mildred Bryant, found here.

Week 5 Reading Notes: Persian Tales Part B

The story of Fayiz and the Peri Wife was a great example of a 'grass is greener on the other side' scenario. First, Fayiz just up and leaves his family and kids on a whim to go marry a sort of deity. Then after a couple of years, he decided that he missed his old life. When he went back, he did what we always knew he would do, and he betrayed the Peri's secret, and he never got to see her again. This guy then abandons his original wife and kids in order to play his flute and sing for the Peri, who he knows he will never see again. This dude just can't be happy with what he has.

The Hemp Smoker's Dream is a comedy in my perspective. This guy got super stoned and went to get his haircut. In a cannabis-induced daydream, he inadvertently swings at the barber! Then the dreamer goes on to apologize, "oh man, I'm sorry, I sure am high right now." This has got to be one of the most interesting days and customers in the barber's life. 

I feel really bad for the bride in The Story of the Wolf-Bride. She is so innocent in this whole thing, and she has no control over the situation. She was destined from birth to turn into a wolf on her wedding night and tear this guy apart. That had to be a traumatic experience, and I bet she never remarried. 

The Man Who Went to Wake His Luck is an idiot. This guy finds luck, and has all the opportunities to take advantage of this luck. But I can't decide if he was just trying to be a really nice guy, or if he really is this stupid. Maybe Persians wanted to send the message that nice guys finish last. 

I think the Tortoise Bowl-on-the-Back and the Fox story would have been better if the audience did not find out that the tortoise had a brother until the end. I would have been way more engaged in the middle of the story. But yet again, the fast animal has yet to beat the tortoise in a footrace. 

The Shepherd Who Found a Treasure story is hard for me to follow, maybe because of the wording or translation. I guess at least this guy traded his wages for a lot of jewels under a rock. That has to be the best trade of his life, and maybe all of history.

The Merchant and the Saffron is all about how you can be a good person, have bad luck, and people will still help you out because you're a good person. It's better to be a good person than rich. 

Shah Abbas and the Poor Mother shook me a bit. This King just likes to mess with people's lives. The Baker is the bad guy in my opinion, but the King is like a clumsy good guy. He tries to help this woman, and that plan goes terribly wrong. I mean she gets her ears cut off! Then he crucifies the Baker, rightfully, in my opinion, and the Darogha, who did not really deserve it. The Baker is kind of like the people on planes that hear someone who looks Middle-Eastern speak in a language that they assume is Arabic, and they immediately freak out, calling them a terrorist with no basis other than their own prejudice. The Baker assumed the poor lady could have only come across this ring by stealing. He got it in the end though. 

Shah Abbas I and Vali Muhammad Khan. From Chehel Sotoun palace, Isfahan, found on Wikimedia, here.

Bibliography: Persian Tales translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer, illustrated by Hilda Roberts, found here.

Week 5 Reading Notes: Part A - Persian Tales

I decided to read the Persian Tales this week because I have a friend who was born in Iran, and I would like to see if maybe he has heard these fairy tales growing up. I can't say that I know much about Persian tales or folklore, so I was excited to read and identify similarities between these stories and the ones I read growing up.
I love the immediate jump to "let's go and fight" in the Wolf and the Goat story. The author really wasted no time in letting the reader know what the big conflict was going to be. I like the happiness of the story; the baby goats don't get eaten, the goat outwits the wolf, and the baby goats are all reunited.
Wow, the story of the City of Nothing-in-the-World was fascinating! I love how imaginative the author was. The girl's story gets more and more farfetched as it continues. I feel like the author was playful in how the girl's adventure is wild and included her climbing into a melon and a tree growing on a chicken's back. I want to write something just as outlandish.
Everyone is so kind and sympathetic in the story of Susku and Mushu. It's a real tragedy that Susku dies after such a happy beginning to a story. I love how all the characters introduced show solidarity for Mushu's loss. It seems like the whole world was affected by Susku's death.
The story of the Boy who Became a Bulbul escalated quickly! I can't imagine a scenario where I would make a bet with my dad, and the loser of the bet gets his head chopped off. However, beheading was a common punishment for many things in that part of the world, so maybe this was only a slight exaggeration. Either way, I am happy the boy got his revenge, and his sister got candy.
The Wolf-Aunt story is a great way to convince men to listen to their wives. I think it is a good lesson to learn that some things are too good to be true.
The stories all start and end with the same line, I find that quite interesting as well.

Photo of Red-whiskered Bulbul bird by Nilesh Waradkar, found here.

Bibliography: Persian Tales translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer, and illustrated by Hilda Roberts, found here.

Week 4 Storytelling: The Kind King and Loyal Dragon

There was once a great King and Queen who ruled over all of the land. Peace and happiness was abundant under their rule, and all of their subjects loved them. The King had a pet Dragon who was his best friend and confidant. The King had gotten lost in the Great Forest as a child, and the Dragon, who was also young, found the King and returned him to the safety of his kingdom. From that moment on, the two were inseparable. The King grew strong and wise over the years, and the Dragon was always by his side.
The King met the Queen when he was walking through the streets making conversation with the people in his kingdom, as was his custom. She caught his eye as she was collecting water from a well, and the King immediately fell in love. He charmed her with his jokes and calm demeanor, and she sang with a voice likened to that of the most heavenly angels. Within a month they were married, and the three - the King, the Queen and the Dragon - lived in harmony for some time.
One day many years later, a traveller happened upon the castle where they stayed. He was weary, for his travels had taken him a long way through the Great Forest. The traveller asked for a bed and to be fed, and the King was happy to oblige. The traveller received a room in which to stay and a bath so he could relax a little, for he was quite exhausted from his journey. The King requested that he attend dinner in the great hall with himself and the Queen.
The traveller took his rest, and made his way to the great hall to dine. Upon his arrival, the King greeted him heartily. When the traveller saw the Queen, their eyes locked, and the two were struck with desire. Dinner was served and conversation was had, but the traveller and the Queen could not resist staring at each other. The King took no notice, for he was so in love with his Queen, and he was certain of her love for him.
When the dinner was over, the traveller thanked his gracious host and made way to his room. A few minutes later, a handmaiden of the Queen delivered a message to the traveller, asking him to meet her in a secret passage. The traveller, led by the handmaiden, made his way to the secret passage where he found the Queen waiting for him. They talked and drank wine, and they fell madly in love with one another. They made a plan to run away together.
The next day, the King woke to discover that his wife was gone, as was the traveller. He was distraught and heartbroken. He cursed the gods, he cursed his wife, and he cursed his kind nature for letting the traveller stay in his castle. The King called upon his Dragon to find the adulterous pair, and to do what must be done. The Dragon took flight on his mighty wings, and scanned far and wide with his sharp eyes. He discovered a set of footprints, two sets to be exact, that disappear into the Great Forest. With a mighty breath, he set fire to the Great Forest, hoping to discover the Queen and the traveller. He did not discover them until the entire forest had been set ablaze. They knelt before him and begged for forgiveness, but the Dragon's loyalty to the King was unwavering. The Dragon inhaled deeply, and set the lustful lovers ablaze.
The Dragon returned to the King and shared the unfortunate news. The King wept for ten days and nights, and his tears filled the ashes of the Great Forest. The tears he cried gave new life to the forest, but it became a haunting place, full of ghosts and monsters. All that can be heard when the wind whistles through the trees are the cries of the Queen and the traveller as they were burned to a crisp. And the King lived out his days with his loyal friend, Dragon. The End.

Painting The Storm, by Pierre Auguste Cot, found on Wikimedia here.
I chose this painting because it looks like lovers are fleeing into the forest.

Author's Note: I wanted to base this story on the story of the Wax Crocodile. In the original story, a scribe's wife falls in lust with a handsome young man, and they have an affair. When the scribe learns about what had happened, he carves a crocodile out of wax and puts a spell on it. He releases the wax crocodile into the lake where the handsome young man normally bathes. The wax crocodile comes to life and snatches up the young man while he bathes. The scribe's adulteress wife perishes when the scribe orders her to be tied to a stake and burned alive. I took out the magic crocodile, and replaced it with a dragon, which sounded way cooler to me. In the end, both of the lovers burn, just like the adulteress in the original story. In a way, my story is about loyalty. The dragon and the king have a long history of friendship, and they have never betrayed one another. I added their friendly backstory to make the dragon's actions seem more justified. I also added some drama by having the cheating couple try to run away. This made the story a little more exciting. The moral of the story is that a loyal friend is better than a disloyal wife, no matter how beautifully she sings, and that bad things can happen to good people.

Bibliography: Based on The Wax Crocodile, from Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie, found here.

Week 4 Reading Notes: Ancient Egyptian Myths and Stories

I have never studied ancient Egyptian mythology, and I found the creation story very fascinating. I love that it resembles Greek mythology in that Ra came from Nu, the first existing god, and Ra actually became more powerful than Nu, like Zeus and his Titan father Cronos. I like that Ra then creates whichever gods he sees fit, and anything he thinks of appears before him.
The story of Isis and Ra's secret name piques my interest by showing similarities to biblical and greco-roman mythology. The serpent created by Isis reminds me of the serpent that tempts Eve in the biblical creation story. The serpent is also a symbol of evil. Like the Greek and Roman gods, the Egyptian gods also show human characteristics of evil, deception and lust for power. They are not represented as perfect, sinless deities.
I found the story of Ra's journey through Duat, the underworld, long and tedious. It seems like everyone is a serpent at one time or another, both good and bad. I find it curious that Ra just creates gods and beings as he sees fit. However, it is an interesting concept that at night time the sun god Ra is making his way through the underworld.
In the story of Osiris, I get the idea that Ra was not a very good ruler of men on earth. Osiris comes along and teaches men how to farm and how to pray, and all is happy and peaceful. Then, of course, Set had to come along and ruin everything. Some people just don't like peace.
While I think Set is a morally bad guy, I understand the necessity of conflict in storytelling. The story is boring if it is always peaceful and happy. Something bad must happen to stir the pot. And, for some reason, I have a feeling that I will read more about Osiris later.
Unlike greco-roman mythology, gods and men alike seem to come back to life quite frequently and easily. It seems like Isis was going to take a baby and try to summon Osiris' spirit into him. I would have liked to read that, and perhaps I will write about that. I prefer that idea to the actualities of Osiris being mummified and brought back to life to become god of the dead.
Talk about action! The story of the wax crocodile was my favorite. There is drama and conflict when the scribe's wife falls in love with the young man. There is magic and revenge when the scribe creates a real, monster crocodile out of wax, who in turn eats the young man. Then, as if that wasn't enough, they burn the scribe's wife at the stake! Whoa.

Photo of sculpture of Set, Osiris and Iris. Found on Wikimedia, here. I chose this image because I find the story of these three to be the most interesting.

Bibliography: Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie, from the Ancient Egypt Unit, found here.

Story, Week 3: The Boy Pilot

The Boy Pilot

Dylan, a boy of 15 argues with his father in the living room of their farm house. Dylan's father, Joe, has been a crop dusting pilot for over 20 years, and has taken his son flying many times. However, he has never let Dylan pilot the plane alone.

"But, Dad! I've flown with you lots of times!" Dylan pleaded. "I'm ready to take her up myself!"
Dylan's voice was rising in pitch, and his face getting redder with frustration.
"I know you think you're ready," said Dylan's father, Joe, "but you just don't have enough experience. You can take the plane out solo when I say you're ready. That's final."
"Fine!" screamed Dylan.
Dylan stomped angrily to his room, and slammed the door behind him. He was furious that his father would not let him take the plane, but he was determined to fly solo, one way or another. There in his room he devised a plan to steal the plane for a few hours the following morning. Dylan thought if his father saw him fly alone without incident, that he would admit he was wrong, and allow Dylan to fly solo whenever he wanted.

Dylan woke early the next morning, well before his father and the sun. He poked his head out of his room to make sure the coast was clear. He tiptoed through the house, being sure to escape through the back door, aware that the front door was accustomed to creaking loudly when opened. He gently closed the door behind him, and made his way to the makeshift hangar, converted from what was once a big red barn.

Dylan swung the barn door open, revealing a yellow two-seat plane. He ran through the routine pre-flight checklist, being as thorough as possible. Joe's words echoed in the back of Dylan's mind, only fueling his determination to prove his father wrong. He knew he would have to move quickly, for his father would surely wake upon hearing the engine roar to life. It was time.

Dylan flipped switches, and the ignition fired up. He worked rapidly, throttling and steering to line up on the runway. The only thing between Dylan and the sky was a quarter-mile strip of freshly cut grass. He took a deep breath and began accelerating for takeoff. The smile on his face grew exponentially as the plane gained speed. He pulled slowly on the yoke, and suddenly, the plane lifted gracefully from the ground without incident. Dylan let out a yelp of joy, and looked over his shoulder to see his father stumbling out of the house just in time to catch takeoff.

Dylan had filled the plane with enough fuel to stay airborne for about an hour, and he had every intention of staying in the air as long as he could. He climbed higher and higher, and he could see the amber light creeping in on the eastern horizon as the sun worked it's way into the skyline. As he looked westward, he saw a dark wall of clouds revealing themselves as the light grew brighter. He thought nothing of it, for he was overcome with excitement.

He flew around for another half hour, dipping and diving, when suddenly, the plane began bouncing through heavy turbulence. The clouds he had ignored in his gleeful state had engulfed the plane, completely impeding his vision. He began to panic, and he struggled to keep composure. He flipped switches and wrestled with the yoke, but it was no use. The plane was trapped in a violent storm. Dylan thought it best to try to head back home. He couldn't see the ground below him, so he directed the plan downward into a nosedive. As he could start to see the ground, the plane was struck by lightning, causing all of the controls to go dead, and sending the plane into a tailspin. Dylan fought to gain control, but it was useless. The altimeter dial spun incessantly, and the yoke remained immovable. All he could do was watch helplessly as the ground sped nearer and nearer.

Suddenly, the plane collided with the ground in a fiery explosion not far from the farm house. Joe yelled wildly as he sprinted to the wreckage. He dove in and pulled Dylan's lifeless body from the flames, and tried to revive his son. His efforts proved to be in vain, and all he could do was weep.
The End.

Photo of Air Tractor by Jenni Jones, found on Wikimedia.

Author's Note: Based on the story Phaethon and the Sun, my story follows Dylan, the son of a seasoned pilot, as he begs his father to fly the plane, and, ultimately, flies into a storm and crashes to his death. Dylan fails to take his Father's advice seriously, just like Phaethon ignored his father's warnings. Dylan's plane is struck by lightning, just as Jupiter strikes Phaethon.

Bibliography: This story is based on the stories Phaethon and the Sun and Phaethon's Ride, and is part of Ovid's Metamorphoses, as translated by Tony Kline, found here.

Storytelling Week 2: Aimee with the Good Friends

Aimee opened her mailbox, the one in the lobby of the Grand Maison, a tiny apartment building in the heart of Brooklyn, only to find a flyer for half off pizza at Antonio's Pizzeria and a utility bill.

"That's okay," she thought to herself. "Tonight is going to be a good night." She climbed four flights of stairs and walked into a messy studio apartment, threw down her keys, and started cleaning. She had big plans for the night and needed to prepare. Aimee had lots of friends to call to extend an invite for the night's gathering. 

With a phone tucked between her ear and shoulder, Aimee began to call all the friends she could think of, while putting away various laundry strewn about the tiny apartment. "Jill?!" Aimee said as she pulled a sock from under the bed. "Do you think you can make it to my place tonight for a party?"

"Umm," stammered Jill, "I will try, but work has been crazy lately, and my boss has us working like 80 hours a week. He was pretty mad earlier, so it looks like I'm in for a long night."

"Oh, okay. I'm sorry," responded Aimee. "I hope you don't get kept too late! I'd love to see you!"

"Yeah, me too. We're just really swamped here. I'll let you know!"

"Okay, later, Jill," said Aimee. 

Next, Aimee called her friend George. "Hi George! It's Aimee."

"Hi Aimee, what's up?" said George. 

"Oh just tidying up," replied Aimee. "I'm having a party tonight, do you think you could make it?"

"That sounds like fun, but I got into a car accident today, and I'm still feeling a little light-headed," he stated nonchalantly. "The doctor said I should take it easy tonight."

"Oh that's terrible! Are you alright?" said Aimee. "You should definitely stay home tonight, I understand."

"Yeah, I'll be alright," said George. "Have a good party. Talk to you later."

Aimee hung up, and she was starting to feel discouraged. She stopped scrubbing the kitchen and decided to try another phone call. 

"Hey Tiffany, how's it going?" Aimee said hopefully. 

"Hey Aimee! Things are good here. What's going on with you?" replied Tiffany. 

"I'm getting ready to host a party. Do you have plans tonight?" she asked desperately.

"Oh shoot, I'm supposed to have a date tonight. We are getting drinks at Clubhouse. I mean, you could join us if you want."

"That's alright," said Aimee. "I'm happy for you! We can get together another time I guess."

"Sounds good, Aimee. Wish me luck!"

"Good luck," replied a despondent Aimee, and she hung up. 

"Why doesn't anyone want to come to my party? None of my friends care about me," Aimee sobbed to herself. Suddenly, her phone started to ring. 

"Hello?" answered Aimee as she wiped away tears. 

"Hey Aimee, it's me, Truman, your friend!" Truman boomed through the earpiece. 

"Truman! I'm having an awful time. No one wants to come to my party!" she cried.

"Oh nonsense, who needs them anyway?" he replied sympathetically. "Why don't you come outside? I'm here to pick you up. Let's go have a drink."

"Truman, I knew I could count on you!" she exclaimed.

She ran downstairs and gleefully hopped into Truman's car. "Where should we go?" she asked.

"I've got a place in mind," said Truman confidently. 

She smiled, and off they drove. They drove for about ten minutes before Truman pulled into a parking spot in front of a house. "I've got to grab some things from a business associate. Would you mind coming in? It will only take a minute," he said.

"This isn't what I had in mind, but alright," she responded. 

They walked up to the door, and Truman held the door for Aimee to enter first. 

"SURPRISE!!" shouted a cheerful group of people as Aimee entered the house. She was quite startled and gave out a little scream. She looked around for half a moment, trying to gather her bearings. She realized that Jill, George, and Tiffany were gathered in front of the crowd, and this was a birthday party for Aimee. 

"I thought you'd all forgotten my birthday! You had me fooled!"

"How could we forget our lovely friend Aimee's birthday?!" responded George.

"Happy birthday Aimee!" exclaimed Jill.

"Let's cut some cake," suggested Tiffany. 

And they proceeded to have the best time they had ever had together. The End. 

Photo, Party, was found on Wikipedia, and link to Wikimedia here.

Author's Note: This story was based on The Hare with Many Friends in Aesop's Fables. In The Hare with Many Friends a very popular hare is in dire need of some assistance, but all five of the friends he asks for help conjure up excuses, and the hare perishes. Aimee represents the hare in this story. However, I wanted this story to have a happy ending, so her friends blow her off with made-up excuses, and then surprise her with a birthday party. The name Aimee comes from French, and means 'beloved friend,' and Truman, meaning 'loyal,' is the name I chose for her friend that doesn't forget about her. However, we find out that no one forgot, and they have a great time.  The friends all came up with excuses just like the friends in The Hare with Many Friends. In this case, it was a good thing. I really wanted to toy with the reader's emotions. I hoped to lead the reader down a dark path, and make them feel that this is a terribly sad story. Much like life, however, sometimes days that start off terribly can end really positively. I was a little inspired by the movie "Sixteen Candles," on which I based the idea of it being the main character's birthday and people close to her 'forget' about it. (Let's be honest though) With Facebook Birthday reminders, no one really forgets birthdays anymore. So for the sake of this story, no one checks their Facebook account that day.

Bibliography: The Hare with Many Friends, from Joseph Jacob's The Fables of Aesop. Found here.