Week 13 Story Planning: The Deal with the Devil

I'm planning on writing a new version of the story of The Ghost Mother, but this time I want to tell it from the mother's point of view. I'm thinking that it would give some perspective to the story if she had a good explanation for dying when the baby is born, and keeping it a secret that she is feeding it as a ghost. To give some backstory, the wife has been keeping it a secret from her husband that she is infertile and cannot bear children. They live in happiness and harmony otherwise. One day as she is out picking flowers or gathering food (or something else entirely), a figure approaches her. This would presumably be the devil or a demon warlock of some kind. The devil tells her that he knows she cannot bear children, but he offers a solution. He will impregnate her, but she must lose her life in the process. Her love for her husband is so great, and his desire for a child is equally great, so she feels compelled to give him a child in exchange for her life. She pleads with the devil that she get to feed the child, arguing that it will not survive without her milk. The devil compromises, and he agrees to allow her to visit the child at night. However, she will only appear as a ghost, and she must not be seen by any other humans. If anyone sees her, the baby will perish, and the ghost mother will remain a ghost forever. I guess she doesn't stay a ghost in the original, but I would like her to remain a ghost that cries forever. The husband will probably not hire a caretaker for the baby. I would rather write it that he takes care of the baby himself, and he discovers the ghost of his wife by himself.


Medieval Ghost found on Wikimedia, here.

Bibliography: The Ghost Mother, part of Russian Fairy Tales Unit by W.R.S. Ralston, found here.

Week 11 Story Planning: Aaron's Truth

So I am having trouble coming up with a good ending for the story I wrote last week, Aaron Discovers the World. I thought I would try the story planning option to see if that would help me nail down some ideas. I have established that Aaron and the citizens of Carcera live in a dystopian world, confined to the dome in which they have always lived, and ruled by the force of an oligarchical, self-appointed committee. There are robots who operate as guards, and this makes them difficult to circumvent. My ultimate goal is for Aaron to devise a way to expose the Mind of the Six and free the people of Carcera. There are a few ways that could happen, I suppose. Aaron could get intentionally captured by the Mind of the Six, and tell them he knows the truth. They could then confirm that he is right and admit to keeping the people prisoner for power and personal gain. All the while, Aaron has a hidden video camera, and is broadcasting to every single screen in the city. This leads to mutiny, and Aaron leads the people out of the city. I would have to explain how Aaron is captured, how the people take care of the guard robots, and how people deal with the Mind of the Six. Another possibility is to have Aaron save the people by disabling the robots with the computer that controls them. Once the guards have been disabled, he could come over every loudspeaker in the city, and explain that they have been lied to. Because this is a dystopia, and I have not established the extent of technology, I am thinking he could cause a map to the outside world to appear on every screen in the city. That could lead people to discover the same path he did and ultimately escape. I would like to write the demise of the Mind of the Six, but I am not sure what that would look like if I went with this option. I could combine the two story lines into one. Aaron could get captured after planting a bug in the city's main computer. The bug could be time delayed, so he makes it to the chamber of the Mind of the Six before the robots shut down and the screens start broadcasting his hidden camera. That would make for a more well-rounded story. I originally wanted Aaron to die as a symbolic sacrifice for the rescue of the rest of the people, but the more I think about it the more I do not think it is possible.
I read the Alice in Wonderland unit this week, and while I enjoyed it very much, I find that world to be very different from the one I have created. I could model the leader of the Mind of the Six after the Queen of Hearts. As she orders Aaron's execution, the robots shut off just before removing his head. Aaron could find that the computer room where he plants the bug is just as confusing as the room full of doors in which Alice finds herself. Symbolically, the door Aaron discovered to the outside, is almost a perfect representation of the door Alice finds. They are both hidden, and they both lead to a beautiful world on the other side. As you can see, I have a lot of options. By this time next week, I will have narrowed it down to choose the best plot line.


Photo of Server Room at the National Archives (UK), found on Wikimedia Commons, here.
I chose this photo to represent the server room in which Aaron must plant a bug. This shows just how confusing one of those rooms can be.

Bibliography: Story of Alice in Wonderland, written by Lewis Carroll, from British and Celtic Reading Units, found here.

Wek 10 Storytelling: Aaron Discovers the World

Aaron had been staring at the spot above his bed for what felt like an eternity when the robotic voice boomed through the loudspeakers in the hallway. "Report to the dining quad in five minutes for first meal," the voice rang out, as it had done every morning as far back as Aaron could remember. He sat up in his bed and gave a slight jump when his feet touched the cold concrete floor. Aaron lived in Barrack 4, one of the five barracks in the city of Carcera. There was a great war that wiped out millions of people. Survivors created Carcera as the last remaining city, and the people built a large dome to protect the inhabitants. The Mind of the Six, the self-appointed city leaders, ruled with an iron fist. They controlled every aspect of life inside the dome. The Mind of the Six forced the citizens of Carcera to work long hours, and they harshly punished all dissenters. They created fiercely loyal robots to enforce their harsh laws, while they watched from the comfort of their private tower. The Mind of Six claimed that the world outside of the dome was poisonous and could not support life. The inhabitants of Carcera struggled to survive, while the Mind of the Six reaped the benefits of their hard work.
Aaron believed that the Mind of the Six were hiding something, and they were abusing their power to keep it a secret. He could remember his parents' stories of life before the war. They described the outside world as having beautiful greenery, glistening bodies of water and enormous mountains. Aaron's parents disappeared when he was young, presumably taken by the Mind of the Six. He was determined to overthrow the Mind of the Six and release the inhabitants of Carcera from their oppressive grip.
As he made his way to the dining quad, Aaron noticed a guard robot interrogating someone about their missing ID badge. He took the opportunity to disappear down the utility hallway that he had discovered a week prior. As he explored, he found an underground path that led to the outermost wall of the dome. Aaron followed the path of the wall around the city and found an old door. He opened the door and let out a loud gasp. He had found a path to the outside world.
It was beautiful. He stepped outside and inhaled deeply, halfway expecting to perish immediately. Nothing happened. He exhaled and took another breath. Again, nothing happened. This confirmed everything he thought he knew about Carcera and the Mind of the Six. Aaron could not believe it. He pinched his arm to make sure it was not a dream. Overcome with excitement, he began to run. Aaron ran at a dead sprint as long as he could, and when his lungs started burning he slowed to a stop. He turned and gazed at the walls of the dome city from outside. His happy expression turned into one of despair. "This isn't right," Aaron thought. "Someone has to... I have to do something about this." He thought about the people suffering inside the city, and he decided to bring down the Mind of the Six and set free the people of Carcera.
Aaron made his way back to the door. Before stepping back inside, he turned and gave one last awe-inspired look at the beautiful world he had just discovered. As he retraced his steps, he began devising a plan to reveal the truth about the world to the inhabitants of Carcera and bring down the Mind of the Six.
To be continued...


Photo: End of the World Prison by Louis Argerich, found on Wikimedia, here.
I chose this photo to represent the cold barrack in which our protagonist, Aaron lives.

Author's Note:  This story is greatly inspired by the tale How the Summer Came, in the American Indian Fairy Tales Unit. In How the Summer Came, all the world is cursed to live in perpetual wintertime until the hero, O-jeeg, journeys to find the way to end the perpetual winter and breaks through the sky barrier, bringing warmth and beauty back into the world. Hopefully I do not give too much away, but O-jeeg sacrifices himself to provide a beautiful world for everyone else. In this first part of my story, we follow Aaron, representative of O-jeeg, as he journeys to discover the beautiful world outside of the dome, which represents the sky O-jeeg breaks through in How the Summer Came. One of my favorite books is George Orwell's 1984, and that is where I found inspiration for describing a different type of cold world in which our characters live. If you have not read 1984, I highly recommend it! It is a great book about bravery, love and tragedy, and it is set in a dystopian future (relative to the year that Orwell wrote the book). There is so much more that I want to write that I could not possibly fit into this week's story, so stay tuned!

Bibliography: Story based off of readings from American Indian Fairy Tales, found here. Specifically, How the Summer Came, found here.

Week 9 Storytelling: Thomas and Harold

The annual Science Fair was coming up, and Jefferson Middle School was abuzz with anticipation. Thomas was one of Jefferson's most promising students, and it was rumored that he was working on building a rocket for his science project this year. He was the favorite to win the grand prize, and the teachers had a pool going, giving Thomas 5-to-1 odds to win. Thomas was soft-spoken and a little socially awkward, and this resulted in his regular subjection to bullying from Harold, a brutish numbskull. Swirlies and being stuffed into a locker had become part of Thomas' weekly routine, but he found solace in books and learning as much as he could.
Harold had gotten wind of the rumors surrounding Thomas' rocket science project, and he devised a plan to build a rocket of his own and sabotage Thomas' science experiment. A few days before the Science Fair, Harold was approaching Thomas in the hallway, and Thomas froze, expecting the worst. "Please be gentle," pleaded Thomas.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you today, " scoffed Harold. "I need you to help me with something."
"Help you?" said Thomas. "Why would I help you?"
"Listen my dad said I can't go anywhere for spring break unless I pass my next math test. I know you're good with numbers and stuff, so if you tutor me and I pass, I'll lay off the bullying, and maybe we can be friends."
Thomas sensed something was amiss. "How do I know you'll really stop pushing me around?"
Harold smiled and politely said, "I really don't mean all the mean things I say and do. I'm sorry I was so rude before. If you help me out, I think we could really get along!"
Thomas was still a little puzzled. "O-o-okay, whatever you want," he stammered.
"Good," said Harold. I'll come to your house tonight to get started." Harold proceeded to walk off down the hallway.
Thomas still had a confused look on his face. "Something's up," he said. "I don't trust that Harold."
That night Harold showed up at Thomas' house for tutoring. Before long, Harold was asking questions about Thomas' science project, and Thomas showed him where he worked on his rocket. Harold knew what he would have to do. So the following night, when he returned to Thomas' for tutoring, he asked Thomas to fetch him a glass of water. While Thomas was in the kitchen, Harold escaped to Thomas' workroom, and stole the rocket. Thomas was none the wiser, and Harold successfully pretended that nothing happened, and made his way home with his prize.
The Science Fair was held the following day, and Harold set up his exhibit with pride, ready to accept the grand prize. Thomas walked by, and Harold smirked. "Good luck today," said Thomas calmly. "I hope your rocket does well!"
Harold was utterly confused. "Why are you so happy?" said Harold. "You don't even have a rocket now! There's no way you could have made another one overnight!"
Thomas flashed a sly smile and said, "we'll see about that."
Now Harold was a bit panicky, but still certain that he would win the grand prize, and Thomas would look foolish.
Now it came time for the demonstration of the rockets. Harold All the judges gathered round as Harold set off to launch his rocket into the sky. Harold began the countdown, "Ten... nine... eight..."
He pulled out the ignition switch and hit the shiny red button as he counted "one." The crowd held their breath, but nothing happened. Harold looked at the ignition switch puzzled. He smashed the button repeatedly until, all of a sudden, the rocket let out a rising whizzing noise that climaxed with the rocket exploding into flames.
"NO!" cried Harold as the judges and onlookers all laughed.
Thomas walked up and pulled another rocket out of his backpack. "Let me show you how it's done," he said, hitting the ignition switch. In a bright flash, the rocket sped through the sky high into the clouds. The judges cheered and applauded, and Thomas was announced the winner of the Science Fair grand prize.
"How did you do it?!" Harold screamed at Thomas.
Thomas replied, "I knew something was amiss when you started asking questions about my rocket. You have never shown an interest in science before, and so I figured you were planning on sabotaging my science project. I replaced the rocket I showed you with a dummy, and I armed it to explode when you tried to launch it."
Now the judges heard what had happened, and Harold was disqualified, and made to repeat the eighth grade as his punishment. Thomas went on to become the head scientist at NASA. The End.


Photo Proton Zvezda from NASA, found on Wikimedia, here. I chose this photo because the rocket launch is the point in the story where our protagonist prevails victorious against the evil antagonist.

Author's Note: Thomas and Harold is based on the Cherokee Myths about the clever trickster rabbit and the cunning terrapin. In the stories How the Rabbit Stole the Otter's Coat and Why the Possum's Tail is Bare the rabbit is depicted as a thief who tricks other animals with his cunning and wit. In the story of How the Terrapin Beat the Rabbit, however, the terrapin (tortoise) uses his wit to trick the rabbit into thinking he'd lost a race. In a true underdog tail, the tortoise outwits the clever hare. I modeled my modern-day take of a science fair conspiracy after these characters and events. I got the idea for the Science Fair as a way to publicly humiliate the antagonist, just as the rabbit publicly humiliates the Possum in Why the Possum's Tail is Bare. I wanted to write a story in which the rabbit gets what's coming to him, and to demonstrate karma.

Bibliography: Story based on stories from Cherokee Myths Unit, Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney, 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.

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.

Week 1 Storytelling: Hector the Green

Hector Protector was dressed all in green;

Hector Protector was sent to the Queen.

The Queen did not like him,

Nor more did the King;

So Hector Protector was sent back again.

(traditional nursery rhyme)

~~~

Hector the Green

There was once a young boy named Hector who dreamt of being a knight. 

Since he was born, all Hector wanted to do was fight. When he was 5, he protected his mum from a man with a knife. Using only a spoon and all of his might, he chased the bad many away into the night. 

When Hector was 8, as if by some fate, he defended a seamstress called Kate. She was so grateful and wanted to thank young Hector, but she had no money to give. All she could fashion was a shiny green cape. Hector was reluctant to accept the gift, but Kate insisted. So he obliged, and wore his new cloak with pride. 

By the time Hector was 12 he had made a name for himself as a skilled fighter and swordsman. So much so that he was often told he would make a formidable knight. So Hector decided that he wanted to become a knight.
To do so, he journeyed to the largest castle in the land to see the King and Queen. The castle was far away from Hector's home, and it took him many days to get there. Once he arrived, he asked to speak to the King and Queen so that they might make him a knight. The court granted his request, and he awaited the King and Queen in the grand ballroom.
When the King and Queen arrived, Hector was summoned before them. He knelt. "What is your name, boy?" asked the Queen.
"Hector, your majesty," replied Hector.
"And what is it that you want, Hector?" interjected the King.
"I want to become a knight, to serve as your protector, sire," said Hector.
"Oh really?" mocked the King. "How could a boy as young as yourself possibly protect us?"
Hector pleaded his case, citing his many victories in duals and encounters with evil men. The King and Queen listened to his story, and whispered to each other for a moment.
Finally, the Queen spoke. "Hector," she said. "You are brave beyond measure, and your stories are wonderful, but we cannot allow you to become a knight."
Hector was crushed. "Why not?" he asked.
"Frankly," said the King, "you are too... green."
"Green?" said a puzzled Hector.
"What my dear husband means," added the Queen, "is that you are far too young to defend us with your life. Perhaps when you have grown in body and mind, we might reconsider. But for now, your place is at home with your family."
"But-," started Hector.
"Our decision is final," grumbled the King. "You are dismissed. Return home at once, and do not return until you are a man."
Hector was crushed. Though he could return and try again, years felt like too long of a wait. Hector mounted his horse, and rode away in tears.

My idea of the boy Hector Protector, dressed in green. Painting titled Prince Sigismund Casimir Vasa of Poland in Polish costume, circa 1644, by Peter Danckerts de Rij.

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Author's Note: Hector Protector is a very simple nursery rhyme, as you can see. I imagined Hector Protector as a knight because of the 'protector' in the name, and the reference to king and queen. I chose to use Hector's 'green' garb as a metaphor for his youth. Youth would provide a fitting reason for the king and queen sending him away. Naturally they would want a protector to be around them, so there must be another reason for their not liking him. I gave him a little back story to the 'protector' name, in the form of protecting his mother and the seamstress. The seamstress served to provide the literal green that Hector wears.

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Bibliography: The story is based on the nursery rhyme "Hector Protector" in The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang.
Photo of painting Prince Sigismund Casimir Vasa of Poland in Polish costume, circa 1644, by Peter Danckerts de Rij, available at Wikimedia.