Essay Week 7: Future of Written Media

The future of written media is definitely going to be quite different than the written media I was used to while growing up. When I was in elementary school, written media consisted more or less solely of physical copies of books, workbooks, and maybe some magazines from time to time. My mother works at an elementary school, and today, kids there do at least half of their work on iPads. Each child is given their own iPad and taught how to use several programs on it They use iPads for everything from storing and reading books to doing math exercises.

I think it’s awesome that children are becoming familiar with new technological forms, but I also think this will have some drawbacks. On the plus side, iPads save the schools from having to buy and transport books. In the long run, they’re probably saving money. Having everything on one little iPad that can easily be taken from place to place is more convenient for everybody involved. However, I believe that swapping reading from books and writing with pen and paper to reading from a screen and writing on a screen with a stylus will make a difference in the long run.

Schools have been cutting the amount of time given to teaching cursive and penmanship for several years now, but the introduction of such heavy iPad use to the curriculum means that students will be practicing writing less and less. In addition, growing up in a world so filled with jargon and abbreviation everywhere hasn’t exactly led today’s students to believe that things like writing cursive and addressing formal letters are important. They have no incentive to want to learn these things.

Things are changing whether we like it or not, and it’s undeniably a good thing that the younger generations will be prepared to take on these new digital technologies. However, I think it’s also important to look at what is being sacrificed in this trade-off.

(Apple iPad, Wikipedia)

Storytelling for Week 7: King Chameleon

IN the olden days, all the animals of the world lived together in friendship. No one animal was the leader or ruler. There was no concept of crime. Because of this, there was a lot of bad stuff going on. Animals would do things because they knew they could get away with them.

This cold only last for so long. Many of the animals were getting tired of the nonsense and shenanigans going on around them. They decided they needed to appoint a leader to sort things out, so they gathered together to choose a king. However, this wasn’t as easy as it sounded. All of the animals wanted something different in a leader.

Lion was eager to suggest himself. He was brave, strong, and intolerant of foul play. However, the other animals collectively found the lion much too intimidating to be a successful ruler. Wolf was named next, but Wolf had many sworn enemies and couldn’t manage to win enough of his neighbors over.

After realizing they’d never be able to settle if given an open choice, the animals decided to have a race to determine who the new king would be. The first animal to make it to the stool under the ancient tree and sit down there would be crowned.

Every animal in the kingdom entered the race. Naturally, the hare was the quickest of the animals and was able to reach the stool significantly before the next animal behind him.

The hare had followed the conditions of the race and rightfully earned his place as king…or so he thought. As he was about to sit down, the hare heard a voice coming from the stool. To the hare’s surprise, the chameleon came into view. He was, in fact, already sitting on the stool.

“Hold on,” said the hare, fuming in anger. “The king of the animals should have won fair and square, not through deception and trickery. Deception and trickery are things we were trying to get rid of in the first place! Yes, it was clever of you to cling to me throughout the race and make it here first, but it was also selfish. This is not a quality you would want in a leader of yours, is it?” asked the hare.

By this time, the other animals had arrived at the stool as well. All of them were crowded around, listening intently. The chameleon realized that the hare was right. He didn’t admit this aloud, but he left the stool and slowly blended into the grass, never to be seen again.

With that, the hare became king of the animals and ruled fairly and justly for the rest of time.

(A chameleon in the grass, Blogspot)

Bibliography:
Book: West African Folktales
Author: William H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair, drawings by Cecilia Sinclair
Year Published: 1917
Web Source: West African Folktales

Author's Note: The only thing I really changed about this story was the ending. In the original, the chameleon does not give up his post, which results in all the animals dispersing and the chameleon having nobody to rule over. In my version, he sees the error of his ways and steps down.

Week 7 Reading Diary: West African Folktales

This week, I'll be reading stories from the West African folktales unit. I will go through, read the stories, and record notes about some of the most interesting ones for my reading diary, as I have done for a couple weeks now.

Thunder and Anansi
I found many elements of this story interesting. I thought Thunder's cottage underwater was cool and magical. I also thought the meal-generating pot was cool. Also, his son could shape shift?? The best part of the story was that in the end, Anansi got what was coming to him.

White Ants
In this story, I almost felt sympathetic for termites...which is weird and gross. However, the poor father termite lost his whole family when all they tried to do was help the wolf and leopard. I also thought it was interesting that termites were referred to as white ants.

Why Spiders Are Always Found in Corners of Ceilings
I was very curious to find out why spiders are always found in the corners of ceilings. I took from this story that a rubber man is somehow like a scarecrow? In the end, I thought the explanation of why spiders are found in corners and dark places was suitable.

How the Tortoise Got Its Shell
I thought that the names got a little confusing in this story, but I thought it was interesting that a shell was made by being smashed onto a pot at the bottom of a pile and collecting dust and dirt.

King Chameleon and the Animals
I thought this was an interesting take on a story that was semi-familiar to me. I think a chameleon would make a pretty good king, but I understand why the animals left. I liked the quote at the end: "A king without subjects is no king."If none of the animals respected or listened to the chameleon, his title would be rendered pointless.

How Mushrooms First Grew
It was so sad that the bird had to sell its own offspring in the beginning of this story! There was actually a lot of sadness in this story. Ants weaving mushrooms was something I didn't expect, but I suppose if the mushrooms grow by anthills, this explanation makes a lot of sense.

Essay Week 6: Tibetan Folktales

This week, I read the stories from Tibetan Folktales. It took me a little deliberation before I decided on this unit, because there were a lot that seemed interesting in the Asia/Africa selection we’re currently in. In the end, I was happy with my choice.

The Tibetan Folktales featured a variety of subject matter, including ghosts, wizards, lots of animals, and many other things. Each story was accompanied by a Tibetan proverb. I liked this touch. Sometimes the proverbs didn’t seem to have much to do with the stories themselves, but they were still interesting to read. When they did connect to the story, it was even better.

I liked the length of the stories in this unit. In my opinion, they were long enough to successfully set the scene and tell a story without being too long to the point of becoming uninteresting. As I normally do, I completed all of the readings in one sitting. This helps me keep my thoughts together and once I get going, it’s just easier to make some time and take care of it.

I thought the notes on this reading were helpful. However, these stories were straightforward enough that I think readers would normally be okay without them.

My favorite stories this week (and, consequently, the only ones I took notes on) were all about animals. I think this might be influenced by the fact that I’ve decided to focus my storybook on animal stories, so I pay closer attention to animal stories. I find that somehow, animal stories make morals more accessible.

There weren’t any stories in this unit that I hated, and I really don’t think there have been any stories in any unit so far that I have completely hated. Of course, there are stories that I like better than others or stories that have endings I disagree with, but that’s okay.

(Illustration from one of the Tibetan Folktales, Blogspot)

Storytelling for Week 6: A Rabbit Story

Once upon a time, there were two neighbor families. One family was composed of an old mother bear and her son and the other was made up of an old mother rabbit and her son. The children watched over the house and kept everything clean while the two mothers went out to dig roots. The rabbit's claws were sharp and quick and she got the most. This made the old bear mad, so she killed the rabbit and took the dead body home along with the small amount of roots she was able to dig up.

The little rabbit waited and waited and could not understand why his mother didn't come home. After hours of anxiety, he made his way over to the bear’s house to see what he could find. When he got there, he discovered that the bear and her son were having his mother for dinner. The rabbit was devastated. He was also furious. His mind turned to revenge and he quickly began to think of ways to get even.

One day, while the mother bear was out gathering water, the little rabbit saw his opportunity. He heated an arrow red hot and shot the little bear in the ear and killed him. After that, the little rabbit took back the sack that had belonged to his mother. It was one of the only possessions of hers left. With the sack in hand, the little rabbit ran away, hoping to make his escape before the mother bear returned.

On his journey, the rabbit met a tiger. He briefly explained his situation to the tiger and asked for help. "There is a bear coming after me, Mr. Tiger; won't you save me and find a place for me to hide?" asked the rabbit.

The tiger sympathized with the little rabbit and agreed to help him. "All right, you crawl in my ear and that bear will never find you,” he replied. So the rabbit climbed inside the ear of the tiger and settled in, out of sight and safely kept away.

When the mother bear returned to her home, she found her son dead and knew immediately that the rabbit must be responsible. She vowed to find him and kill him. Soon enough, she crossed paths with the tiger. "Have you seen a fellow with gray fur and long ears any-where?” she asked him. She even threatened the tiger, claiming that she would kill him if he lied to her.

The tiger answered, "Don't talk to me that way, for I could kill you without very much trouble." With this answer, the bear moved along. The tiger and the rabbit were overjoyed with the success of their plan. They returned to the tiger’s den and the rabbit got out of the tiger’s ear. “Thank you! You saved my life and I’m so glad I found you when I did!” the rabbit exclaimed.

“Don’t worry about it!” insisted the tiger. “My life has just been one day after the next with no adventure. Today made me remember the hijinks of my youth. I think we should plot more often!”

Because the rabbit and the tiger were both tricksters, they had a long and lasting friendship. The rabbit hated living in his family home without his mother, so he moved in to the tiger’s den. They kept each other company and made each other laugh. Though it was an unlikely partnership in the beginning, the two remained friends throughout their lives.

(A rabbit and a tiger snuggle up together, China Daily)

Bibliography:
Book: Tibetan Folk Tales
Author: A.L. Shelton, illustrated by Mildred Bryant
Year Published: 1925
Web Source: Tibetan Folk Tales

Author's Note: In the original story, the mother bear kills the mother rabbit and the little rabbit wants revenge. To get revenge, the rabbit kills the bear's child and then hides from the mother bear with help of the tiger. Eventually, the rabbit is indirectly responsible for the death of the tiger, the death of some sheep, and the presumed death of the baby wolf. When I read this story, it made me really sad that the tiger helped the rabbit and then the rabbit repaid him by digging out his eyeballs and leading him off of a cliff. Things would've been much nicer if the rabbit was able to get revenge on the bear and then become friends with the tiger, so that's the ending I wrote for this story. I kept the beginning generally the same.

Week 6 Reading Diary: Tibetan Folk Tales

This week, I'll be reading stories from the Tibetan Folk Tales unit. I will go through, read the stories, and record notes about some of the most interesting ones for my reading diary, as I have done for a couple weeks now.

Tiger and the Frog
I thought this story was really clever. In the beginning, it's easy to feel like there is no hope for the frog, but the frog ends up outwitting the tiger and the fox! I enjoyed this story and I also liked the proverb at the beginning of the story.

How the Fox Fell Victim to His Own Deceit
The moral of this story was interesting to me. I am definitely a firm believer in staying out of business that doesn't involve you, but some people purposely involve themselves just to stir the pot or create trouble. This is what the fox did in this story, and he ended up being killed.

The Man and the Ghost
The ghost came out of nowhere in this story and it seemed like it was a normal thing for ghosts to do this, which I thought was interesting. I also thought it was interesting that the man was able to fool the ghost and the ghost failed to recognize that the man was lying. Ghosts don't seem very trusting to me, but apparently this one was.

How the Raven Saved the Hunter
In this story, the hunter kills the raven before he realizes that the raven actually saved his life. I had previously read the Aesop's fable that was linked in the introduction and I found it fascinating that people who live so far from each other are telling stories that are very similar in nature.

The Two Little Cats
This story caught my attention mostly for the strange assortment of animals/objects that choose to help the cats. I can understand a cow and a snake, but needles, ashes, and a bowl of peas? Regardless of how bizarre that aspect of the story was, I liked this story and I think the point of it was that everybody can do something to help, so having a variety of allies is a good thing.

A Rabbit Story
I was interested in this story because a rabbit was the tricky troublemaker. Rabbits are very cute and usually rabbits are the victims in folktales and a scarier creature like a wolf or a bear will be the troublemaker. I appreciated that plot twist.

Essay Week 5: The Earliest Ancient Texts

I found this comic to be very clever and humorous. I am an anthropology minor, so archaeology-related stuff is interesting to me off the bat. The caption of the comic, ‘Archaeologists Discover the Earliest Ancient Texts’, was funny because it plays on words. When speaking of archaeological texts, people are usually referring to something like the Rosetta Stone. In this comic, the creator flips this idea around and depicts some archaeologists studying what appear to be text messages carved in to a cave wall. On the wall, there are some basic carvings of a horse and a buffalo like those we imagine in a typical archaeological cave setting. However, there are also texting abbreviations and smiley faces among the more traditional carvings.

I was a little surprised to do some outside reading and discover that the use of abbreviation was actually very common in earlier times. This makes sense when you consider the length that people had to go through to express their ideas in writing, but for some reason, when I think of writing from the Middle Ages, I think of something very fancy and proper. Today, abbreviations are often associated with laziness and/or unintelligence. Abbreviations are pretty much relegated to text messaging and casual communication. Abbreviations are even too informal for e-mails in many cases.

I think it’s important to note that even though abbreviations tend to have a negative connotation today, they have been useful as a way to do less work and still get the message successfully across throughout history. I also think this comic should make us think about the legacy we’re leaving, what our society will be known for, and what that will mean. It’s easy to assume that societies that came before us were great and wise beyond their years, but to some extent, we are reading only what we want to read into the records we find. Today, in our age of iPhones and emojis, we are more technologically advanced and connected than ever. Some people may consider this a negative thing, claiming that we are all relying too heavily on technology, but I think advances are a good thing and changes are unavoidable.

(Cartoon by Dan Reynolds)

Storytelling for Week 5: The Snake's Poison

After poor Hariswami died, guilt weighed heavily on the hawk and the local woman. Guilt surely would have weighed heavily on the snake as well, but the snake had been eaten by the hawk so he could no longer feel anything.

After all, Hariswami was only trying to find his wife. He had been on a long, difficult journey and everything he did was out of love for his wife and desire to get her back. He had voluntarily exposed himself to extreme heat, hunger, and thirst. These things hit him especially hard because he was in a fragile emotional state. When he finally thought he’d found a place to have a meal and take it easy for a little while, he ingested poison and died. Not only did his untimely death ensure that he would never find his wife, it also ensured that he would never do anything again.

The hawk saw the death happen from his perch on a dead tree. Immediately, the hawk realized the part he had played in this chain of events. Before he witnessed this trauma, the hawk was feeling pretty pleased with himself. He had just managed to catch and east a nice, juicy snake. That snake was the best meal he had had in a while. As he grasped the snake in his beak and began to eat, the hawk had no knowledge that there was a man below him who would have to suffer from his actions. The hawk promised himself that from that point on, he would be hyperaware of his surroundings so that such an unfortunate accident could never happen again. Some say this is how the phrase ‘to watch like a hawk’ originated.

The woman, who had done only what she thought was right, was alienated by her village and harshly accused as being responsible for the death of Hariswami, the traveler. She had cooked him an excellent meal, one that would be certain to fill up even the hungriest and most weary of men. Then, she had sent him to eat under the shade of a tree, which seemed like a relaxing spot. She agonized over this choice. It’s my fault, she thought. If I had invited him into my home or suggested that he eat on the other side of the lake instead, that hawk wouldn’t have crossed paths with him and the poison wouldn’t have fallen in his dish.

The woman, like the hawk, had no reason to feel guilty. Even after the incident, the woman scrambled to find a doctor who could help the man. She had only been trying to help, but she had gotten wrapped in complicated death of Hariswami. The guilt she felt inside and the scorn she experienced from the people all around her changed her a person. Dejected, she left her village and went on a pilgrimage indefinitely. Luckily, she found a fresh start and a happier life in a place where nobody knew her or associated her with Hariswami’s death.

(A bird of prey with a snake in its talons, Wikipedia)

Bibliography:
Book: Twenty-Two Goblins
Author: Translated by Arthur W. Ryder, illustrated by Perham W. Nahl
Year Published: 1917
Web Source: Twenty-Two Goblins


Author's Note: For this story, I decided to add a quick 'after-the-fact' story to the story of The Snake's Poison. In the original story, Hariswami dies during his journey to find his missing wife and a snake, a hawk, and a woman all indirectly play into his death. This story is one of many of the goblin's riddles to the king that is trying to get ride of him. When the goblin asks the king who is responsible, the king states that none of these parties can be held responsible and it must be the deceased man himself who is responsible. I liked that twist and it made me wonder how the involved parties would feel.

Week 5 Reading Diary: Twenty-Two Goblins

This week, I'll be reading stories from the Twenty-Two Goblins unit. I will go through, read the stories, and record notes about some of the most interesting ones for my reading diary, as I did last week. As the overview for this unit points out, the stories in this unit are tales told by a goblin and the audience for the these stories is a wise king who is attempting to capture one of these goblins. I think this will be a very interesting unit.

Brave, Wise, Clever
This was the second story in the unit, but it was pretty similar to the first. Three men have different qualities to offer and bring different strategies to the table, and in the end, the goblin makes the king decide which of the men should have won the girl. I definitely thought the king was correct in his explanation of why the brave man deserved to marry the girl, as he was the only one who truly acted on his quality and it was ultimately thanks to him that the girl was saved.

Food, Women, Cotton
This story was pretty bizarre to me. Of all things to be a specialist in...cotton doesn't seem to compare to food or women. However, in the end, the man who is the expert judge of cotton comes out to be ruled the most clever.

The Snake's Poison
This story ends with a trick question, which I thought was interesting. A man dies and a snake, a hawk, and a woman all indirectly played into his death. When the goblin asks the king who is responsible, the king states that none of these parties can be held responsible and it must be the deceased man himself who is responsible. I liked that twist.

Father and Son, Daughter and Mother
This story was definitely the most puzzling of the bunch. I thought it was pretty ridiculous that the father and son were willing to marry grossly out of their age ranges just because of the size of the women's feet.I was a little disappointed that the goblin didn't resolve this story and provide the answer, but I was happy to see that the goblin seemed to want to help the king.

Famous Last Words Week 4

This has been a very strange week for me, and as I sit here and reflect on everything that has happened this week – both in this class and in my life in general -- I’m pretty thankful that today is Friday. I can definitely say that.

I actually had to create a website for one of my other classes this week. We’re going to be using it for client work we’re doing in Public Relations Writing. The sites we made for that class are powered by WordPress and registered as domains through OU, so the creation/customization process was a little different than the process I went through for this class. Still, I was glad I had experienced something similar in this class. Even though details were different, I felt a certain sense of familiarity and that made me feel less intimidated by the whole process.

I feel like I did a lot of my assignments early this week (and, as I mentioned before, it’s been a crazy week and a lot has happened since then), so my closing thoughts this week are kind of all over the place. I apologize for that.

I chose the Persian Fairy Tales unit this week and I enjoyed reading most of those stories a lot. It was nice to have a change of scenery, so to speak, after reading Ovid units for two weeks. I was definitely surprised by how much action and gore some of the fairy tales had. That’s not something we’re used to seeing in most familiar Western fairy tales.

I haven’t completed my storybook assignment for this week yet, but I plan to get to that later tonight. I started earlier, but I just wasn’t happy with the way things were looking. Thankfully, we have the option to choose Storybook or Portfolio, so if I continue to struggle, it’s nice to know that I won’t have to drag myself through ten more weeks of something that just isn’t shaping up the way I want it to. I think the Storybook is a lot more exciting, so I’m going to try to make that work. We’ll see.

(Cheesy TGIF graphic, Wikimedia Commons)

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Essay Week 4: Memories of Writing

I distinctly remember learning to write the alphabet, which for me began super early (pre-school and pre-K) but hit really hard in the beginning of first grade. I was a very eager student and I always liked school as a child…until my first grade teacher began trying to correct my ‘writing posture’ which was essentially the way I held my pencil. I understand that some ways of holding a pencil may be more comfortable than others, but I still to this day don’t believe that one way of holding a pencil can be more correct than another.

Regardless, I was told that I held my pencil wrong. I gripped my pencil super low and rested my pencil on the side of my ring finger nail, which I guess is a no-no. My teacher tried and tried to break me of this habit, but I wasn’t having it. My way of holding a pencil worked for me and felt most natural to me. However, my teacher didn’t give up. She made me use these special training pencil grips, like the ones pictured below.

I hated those pencil grips! For a while, I stopped doing my writing at school because I refused to use them. I would take almost all of my schoolwork home where I could do it comfortably with my grip-less, naked pencil. I’m sure nobody has excellent penmanship in first grade, but these pencil grips totally destroyed my penmanship. My writing was almost illegible because I couldn’t control the flow of my handwriting in this mandated position.

Long story short, my teacher was fighting a loosing battle. For a while, I struggled through her insisting that I use the grips, but I think she eventually caved. It’s possible that this could have gone on for the entire year of first grade, but I never changed my ways.

Almost fifteen years later, I still hold my writing utensils ‘incorrectly’. I do have a small bone spur on my right hand ring finger, so I guess I’ve paid a price for my stubbornness, but I wouldn’t change anything. This is how I’ve written 

from the moment I started writing, and I’m sure this is how I’ll write forever.

(Pencil training grips, Amazon.com)

Storytelling for Week 4: The Story of the Wolf-Bride

There was once a man who had a son. His son was the greatest gift he had ever received, and the man cherished his son beyond measure. He never wanted to let anybody or anything harm his son. He wanted to protect his son forever.

One day, the man went to the akhund to get the boy’s horoscope. The man was excited to hear the horoscope. He felt confident that the akhund would tell him that his son would grow up to be a great man with countless riches and immeasurable success. However, this was not the case. Grimly, the akhund told the man what he had seen in the stars for the boy. According to him, the boy was fated to be torn to pieces by a wolf.

The father, visibly upset, ran home to take all the precautions imaginable. He worked for months on an underground chamber to keep his son safe. The chamber was airtight and impenetrable with multiple security features designed to keep the outside out. The setup was not fancy but it was also not uncomfortable; the man loved his son very much and he understood that his son shouldn’t be punished for something he couldn’t control.

Still, the man went to great lengths in an attempt to ensure he’d never see the day where his son’s predicted fate came true. His son was never allowed to go outside after dark and was very rarely allowed to go outside in the daytime. On the rare occasions when the boy was allowed to come up for some fresh air, the father and several other men from the village stood watch and kept him in sight.

The boy didn’t go to school. His father convinced an akhund to teach his son from the safety of the shelter. The boy enjoyed his lessons because they brought some interaction into his life. Over the years, the boy learned to read and write and developed more or less normally. The father’s paranoia began to fade, and he decided that it was time for his son to marry.

The father found a girl and arranged the wedding. The boy was very excited. Finally, he would have someone to keep him company every day! The wedding celebrations lasted seven days and seven nights, and at the end of the week they brought the bride to the underground chamber to her husband and left the two alone together. Both father and son seemed happy and at ease.

But a happy ending was not in store for the boy after all. As soon as the boy put his arm around his new wife’s waist, the girl turned into a wolf and tore the boy to pieces. As soon as the deed was done, the girl returned to her normal self. She was overcome with shock and guilt. She could not comprehend what had happened or how it came to be. She sat on the floor, as if paralyzed by emotion, for the entire day.

The next morning, some women came to check on the bride. When they saw the scene in front of them, they all gasped. "Girl," they asked, "how has this come about?"

"I don't know," said she, "but I know this much, that I turned into a wolf and tore him, and then again I turned back into myself."

The women raised shrieks and lamentations, and they carried off the youth's body and buried it, and men said: "Whatever is willed by fate, that verily comes to pass."

(A gray wolf, Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography:

Book: Persian Tales

Author: Translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer, illustrated by Hilda Roberts

Year Published: 1919

Web Source: Persian Fairy Tales

Author's Note: This week, I chose to base my retelling on The Story of the Wolf Bride. The original story is very short, so I dramatized and extended some parts for my retelling. I kept the core idea the same: the son was fated at birth to be torn to pieces by a wolf, and nothing that happens in his life can change this. I kept the ending the exact same because I felt the wording and the sentiment in the ending was especially powerful. 

Week 4 Reading Diary: Persian Fairy Tales

I've found my strategy for the previous reading diaries to be a bit cumbersome, so I've decided to pare my reading diary down and make brief notes on a few stories that stick out to me. This week, I'll be reading Persian Fairy Tales.

The City of Nothing-in-the-World
This story was very interesting to me. It was super descriptive and creative, but also very hard to believe. Could it all be just an excuse a little girl crafted because she lost two eggs? I think that's pretty likely. Children have such active imaginations!

Susku and Mushu
I thought this story was fun to read and I really liked how it became an accumulation story at the end! I didn't really get why the mother would cut off her thumbs and turn them into griddle cakes? Also, after she cut the first thumb off, I think it'd be pretty difficult to cut the second thumb off, but that's a technicality.

The Wolf-Aunt
The background information given about this story really helped me to enjoy the story itself more. As the notes at the beginning point out, this story is told to children to encourage due distrust of their father's sister. I found it kind of sad that people would want to scare their children into disliking a family member, but I see how this story could effectively do that.

The Praying Baker
In this story, the idea of God's will is illustrated through the baker's journey to find the ring. He prays several times in the story, saying "Whatever God has willed, that is, and only that shall come to pass." The baker is a good man and a man of faith. In the end he is able to get the ring back, so the king spares his life.

Story of the Wolf Bride
I liked how this story utilized the idea of astrology and fate. No matter how careful the boy and his parents were, they could not avoid the fate he was predestined for. This story was pretty short, and I think if I chose to do this for my retelling this week, I could embellish it.

The Story of the Baker and the Grateful Fish
My favorite part of this story was when the fish recognized the baker as their friend and aid, so they formed themselves into a raft and carried him to safety. I also really liked the ending, both the baker and the master ended up getting what they deserved.

Famous Last Words Week 3

It’s crazy how quickly these famous last words exercises seem to be coming along! I feel like I was writing my famous last words exercise for week two just a couple of days ago! I guess having a busy schedule makes the time pass a lot more quickly, and my schedule continues to get busier and busier.

This week, I got into the groove of the weekly assignments and felt confident in what I was supposed to do and when I was supposed to be doing it. I had some difficulty setting aside time to go through my assignments for this class, but obviously things weren’t too bad because today’s Friday and I’m already wrapping up.

I read Ovid II this week and without echoing my general review too much, I will say that I liked Ovid II more than Ovid I and I was glad I continued down the Ovid path, so to speak. That being said, I am excited to dive into a completely fresh unit in week 4…it seems like there are so many good ones to choose from!

The retelling this week was easier for me to write and I’ve noticed that I’ve started to imagine possible retellings when I’m reading stories. I think that is definitely one benefit I’m already getting from this class. It makes me read much more actively and it opens up a lot of doors for creativity.

The storybook assignment this week forced me to consider more details of my storybook, which I initially didn’t want to do. However, I know breaking aspects of the storybook project into weekly assignments will make the entire thing more doable and much less dreaded.

I also liked the internet activity this week. I guess I always found the thought of setting up a website to be very intimidating, but now I know there’s nothing to be afraid of!

(A scary computer, Wikipedia)

Essay Week 3: Reviewing Ovid II

I took week 3 as an opportunity to continue my reading from last week and build on the knowledge I accumulated through last week’s readings. Last week, I read and enjoyed Ovid I. This week, Ovid II was on my agenda. While Ovid I had more helpful notes at the beginning and less individual stories, I have to say I liked Ovid II better.

In my opinion, Ovid II had better stories overall. To me, a large part of the stories in Ovid I felt more like ‘set the stage’ stories while the stories in Ovid II felt more developed. Most of them made sense as freestanding stories.

Like last week, I did all of the readings in one sitting. It’s easier for me this way, and once I get going, it doesn’t usually take too long. Again, there was some name-switching going on (Proserpine was also referred to as Persephone, Diana was also referred to as Artemis, etc.), but it wasn’t terribly distracting. I have some familiarity with mythology, so I was able to keep things straight for the most part.

One misgiving I had about this unit was how a sloppy attempt was made to tie many of the stories into one another. More often that not, this just meant tossing in a lot of unnecessary names and not really accomplishing much of anything.

These stories had a lot going on, and I enjoyed most of them. There was a lot of action. The only one I remember distinctly not liking was the story of Marsyas. I didn’t understand it and didn’t see the point of it. It was really short and I think it needed a little more backstory to make sense. Why was he killed and why did it have to be in such a gruesome way? I’m not sure??

(Apollo and Marsyas painting in the Louvre, Wikimedia Commons) 

Storytelling for Week 3: Latona and the Lycians

Being a goddess isn’t easy. From the outside, people may think it’s all fun and games, feasts and chariot races, decadence and offerings…and I guess it is some of those things, but people never talk about all the complications that it can cause.

Yes, many people adore you. These people will praise you and appreciate you, but they’ll also expect a lot from you. Sometimes humans don’t understand that there’s only so much you can do and you’re never going to be able to keep everybody happy, no matter how hard you try.

Other people will hate you. They’ll be jealous of your power, they’ll be upset that you didn’t come through for them, and they’ll place blame on you for the problems in their lives.

The people who like you and the people who hate you probably have one thing in common: they’re all living in fear of you. You have one little incident and your reputation spins out of control. People will think you’re going to snap on them at every possible moment.

Of course, that’s not the case. Like everybody else, I had my moment. However, I’ll defend what I did to this day, and I think if you knew the whole story, you’d be on my side, too. I’ll tell you. You’ll see.

I had just given birth. To twins. Like it was no big thing. Juno was unhappy about this, and she was out to get me. Only minutes removed from giving birth, I had to take my newborn children and make a run for it. As if running great distances with two babies after having just given birth wasn’t bad enough, it was exceptionally hot on this particular day. The sun was beating down on me and I could feel my throat tightening and my mouth drying out. I was drained in every sense of the word.

When I stumbled upon a small lake inside of a valley, I was very excited. It was about time. A drink of water had never looked or sounded better to me. There were some countrymen around the lake, but I thought nothing of them. I approached the lake and knelt down for a well-deserved drink, but they came before me and stood in my way, keeping me from the water I so desperately needed.

I asked them what their problem was and explained to them that water, like all things of nature, should be free to all. I told them that I didn’t intend to use the water for any purpose other than drinking, and I pointed out how badly I needed to quench my thirst.

Still, the men would not let me drink! Not only did they stand in my way and keep me from accessing the water, they jumped in the pool and stirred it with their hands and feet, churning up the soft mud from the depths and ruining the perfect, clear water.

At this point, I was beyond angry. Nobody deserves to be denied the simple necessity of drinking water, and they had messed with the wrong woman today. With that, I cursed them and ordered them to live in the swamp they had created forever. In my opinion, that was what they deserved. Before my eyes, the men were transformed into frogs. Now, they spend all their time in the dirty water. They are free hop around as they were so eager to do the day I first came to the lake.

I feel no remorse for my actions, and if that makes me frightening – so be it, I suppose. I didn’t randomly select people and maliciously ruin their lives. I retaliated, yes, but if  everybody had the power to do the same thing I did in my situation, I think many people would’ve acted similarly.

(Painting by Johann Georg Platzer of Latona turning the peasants into frogs, Wikipedia)

Author's Note: I chose to base my retelling on Ovid's story of Latona and the Lycians. I decided to keep the basic elements of the story the same, but to tell the story from Latona's point of view. When I initially read the story, I sympathized with her and totally understood why she'd want to turn the countrymen into frogs. In the original story, an old man is explaining why Latona is feared, but I couldn't help but feel like she was feared undeservingly. I tried to convey that in my retelling.

Bibliography:
Book: Metamorphoses
Author: Tony Kline (Translated Ovid's original into english)
Year Published: 2000
Web Source: Ovid's Metamorphoses

Week 3 Reading Diary: Ovid II

Week 3: Ovid II
For this reading diary, I plan to make some quick notes about each story contained in the reading. I will go through them in the given order.

Cupid and Dis

In this opener, Calliope sings a song that describes how Venus made her son Cupid shoot an arrow into the heart of Dis so that he would fall in love with Proserpine, who is coincidentally his niece. I was a little confused what Venus' motive for doing this was. She talked about expanding her kingdom, but I wasn't clear on how having Cupid play matchmaker would do this for her.

Dis and Proserpine

Calliope's song continues here. Proserpine is described in her peaceful little glade before she is swept up and carried away by Dis in his dark chariot. On the journey to the underworld, a nymph tries to stop Dis, but has no success. The nymph was deeply saddened and melted away to nothingness. At some point, a boy is turned into a lizard...I didn't know what to make of that. Ceres begins searching for her daughter and when she finds Proserpine's ribbon by the water, she understands what has happened. Ceres is angry and lashes out at the earth.

Ceres and Jupiter

Ceres meets a woman by the water and the woman begs Ceres not to scorn the earth because of the incident. She witnessed the incident and she assures Ceres that the earth was unwilling to yield for Dis. With this, Ceres goes to Jupiter and begs for a way to get Proserpine back. At first, Jupiter tries to convince Ceres that things aren't so bad, but when he sees that she's not going to have it, he makes a deal.

"If you have such a great desire to separate them, Proserpine shall return to heaven, but on only one condition, that no food has touched her lips, since that is the law, decreed by the Fates."

Proserpine's Fate

Ceres thinks everything is great. She's confident that Proserpine will return soon...but unfortunately this proves to be a misconception. Proserpine broke her fast and ate a pomegranate, which means she won't be allowed to leave. The person who witnessed her eating this fruit was turned into a bird, by the sounds of it something between and owl and a vulture. Jupiter sees that he must step in, so he allows Proserpine to return to earth for half of the year and and spend the other half in the underworld.

Arachne and Minerva

The theme of transformations in continued into this story. Minerva comes to Arachne is disguise and tries to give her advice, but Arachne sees an old woman that she doesn't have the time to listen to. Arachne is too prideful. The two prepare to have a weave-off. Arachne is very skilled in weaving, but Minerva is a goddess, so...it could be anybody's game.

Minerva Weaves a Web

Most of this story is spent describing the scenes that each woman has woven. I didn't find that part especially interesting and I don't have much to say about that. Arachne's creation is better, which makes Minerva jealous and angry. She tears the piece up and hit Arachne. For some reason, Arachne goes to hang herself, but Minerva turns her into a spider instead.

Niobe Rejects Latona

This is the story of another prideful woman. Basically, Niobe thinks really highly of herself and she refuses to worship the goddess Latona. In her pride, Niobe ignorantly believe that she is above harm and her wealth will protect her.

"My riches make me safe. I am greater than any whom Fortune can harm, and though she could take much away, she would leave me much more. Surely my comforts banish fear."

The Death of Niobe's Children

Latona is rightfully angry and begins to plan her revenge on Niobe. All of Niobe's children are struck down, one by one. Niobe begs to keep her youngest daughter, but her requests are in vain. She had seen seven children killed. I found this story sad. The children were all killed for something their mother said, so they had no control over their fates and they didn't really deserve to die just to tach Niobe a lesson.

Latona and the Lycians

In this story, more people are transformed into animals. First, the story explains that many are afraid of Latona for her power and wrath. The story goes on to tell of a time when Latona tried to drink from a pool of water and was turned away. She asked why this was and explained that nature should be for everybody's use. Still, the people did not respect Latona's wishes. They jumped around in the water and made the pool murky.With that, she cursed them to live in the swamp forever and turned them into frogs.

Marsyas

This story was really bizarre to me. Marysas is punished because apparently he's not allowed to be playing the flute. He is skinned alive. 

"As he screams, the skin is flayed from the surface of his body, no part is untouched. Blood flows everywhere, the exposed sinews are visible, and the trembling veins quiver, without skin to hide them: you can number the internal organs, and the fibres of the lungs, clearly visible in his chest."

A stream is created and named after him.

Tereus Marries Procne

When your marriage begins because of a 'bird omen', you know you're going to have a rough time of things.At first, things seem pretty okay. Procne misses her sister, so she asks if her sister can come visit. Her husband Tereus sails off to pick up her sister, Philomela, and deeply lusts after her in the process.

Tereus Rapes Philomela

Tereus wins Philomela and Procne's father's trust, and Philomela is allowed to visit. Not long after their ship departs, Tereus overtakes and rapes Philomela. She screams and yells at him, calling him a traitor and promising to make sure that the world knows what he has done to her. Tereus then cut Philomela's tongue out and returned to Procne, telling her that her sister had died.

Procne's Revenge

Philomela is imprisoned. She is resourceful, and even thought she can't talk, she manages to weave a scene that explains her story. Philomela sends this depiction to Procne. Procne finds where her sister is being held and the two are reunited, but it's not a joyful reunion. Procne feels responsible for what happened to her sister and vows to do whatever to takes to make Tereus pay. Procne drags off and kills her own son with the help of Philomela. Itys, her dead son, is served to Tereus at the feast. Philomela throws Itys' head at Tereus. All three of them are turned into birds.

Medea and Jason

There was a lot going on in this story. Jason is hunting for the golden fleece, and Medea falls in love with him. Medea spends a lot of time contemplating what her love for Jason will cost her - she would have to leave her family and her native country. Most of the story is just her turning over her options, and in the end she decides to go for it.

Jason and the Golden Fleece

Medea confesses her love to Jason and he takes it well, agreeing to marry her. Jason goes on to fight a bunch of things, including a dragon. He planted teeth from the dragon into the ground and they magically grew into soldiers. There is a big fight scene then Jason accomplishes his final task - putting the dragon to sleep so that he can retrieve the golden fleece. Medea helps him with magic.

Medea's Spell

Jason's father is old and on the verge of death. Jason asks Medea to cast a spell on his father to extend his life. It's quite a process, but Medea is able to do so. She collects herbs and magical things from all over the land and readies he spell to help Aeson.

Aeson Rejuvenated

After nine days and nights, Medea returns with all of her ingredients and begins to concoct something in her cauldron. It seemed to be a very elaborate creation and the ingredients are detailed, but I don't really think specific ingredients are relevant to anything. When the potion is finished brewing, Medea makes her move.

"As soon as she saw this, Medea unsheathed a knife, and cut the old man’s throat, and letting the old blood out, filled the dry veins with the juice. When Aeson had absorbed it, part through his mouth, and part through the wound, the white of his hair and beard quickly vanished, and a dark colour took its place. At a stroke his leanness went, and his pallor and dullness of mind. The deep hollows were filled with rounded flesh, and his limbs expanded. Aeson marvelled, recalling that this was his self of forty years ago."

This scene surprised me. I thought she might make him drink the potion or even pour the potion over him, but I didn't expect her to replace his blood with the potion. That seems a bit extreme, but hey. It seemed to work for her.

Medea and Paellas

Medea and Jason come together and conspire to kill Pelias, Jason's uncle. Medea tricks Pelias' daughters into essentially killing him after she convinces them that it's what they must to do save him. Some more magic happens and Medea flies away on her dragons. Jason's new bride burns up, and Medea kills their sons.