Tech Tip: Canvas Notifications

I chose to have canvas notifications for this class sent to my OU email.  I find with a class that has many assignments, that my email is the best way to get notifications. This is because I check my email multiple times throughout a day, and I only check canvas one or two times. 

Reading Notes: Russian Folktales Part A

The Dead Mother

A husband and wife lived happily in a village. All of their neighbors envied them, but the sight of them gave pleasure to honest folks. The wife bore a son but died during child birth. The husband was very sad, but more concerned about how he was going to raise the baby without the mother. He decided to hire an old woman to look after the baby. The baby cried all day, but slept peacefully throughout the night. One night, the woman heard the door open and the baby went quiet. This puzzled everyone, so they devised a plan to spy on the baby one night. That night, the same thing happened. They looked into the room and it was the dead mother standing with the baby. At the first light, the mother stood up and left with a sad look on her face.

The Treasure

There was a poor couple living in a kingdom. The old woman died in the winter time. The old man asked everyone he knew to help him bury the old woman, but everyone refused because they knew how poor he was. Even the pope refused because the old man did not have the money for a funeral. The old man said he could earn the money and pay the pope back with interest. The pope denied, so the man decided he would have to dig the grave himself. When he was digging he found a pot of gold. The old man used the gold to hold a proper funeral. The pope asked the man how he got the money. The man told him, and the pope became jealous. He thought of ways to trick the man into giving him the money. The pope then killed a goat and put on the goat’s skin. He pretended to be the devil and tricked the man into giving up the money out of fear of being haunted by the devil. The pope took the money home, but when they tried to remove the skin, they could not. He was now turned into a goat by God for stealing the money.

Pot of Gold

Found on pixabay

Bibliography:

Russian Fairy Tales by W. R. S. Ralston (1887). Link 

Class Improvements

I really enjoyed most of this class. The one problem I encountered was falling behind in the class. I think what would really help in the future is your idea of changing the review weeks to planning weeks. Another option would be to maybe have an extra credit assignment or actual assignment during a couple weeks spread out throughout the semester where you take a look at where you are at and where you wanted to be. This would help a student realize if they are behind, ahead, or on track. This goes along with the planning weeks. The story planning option was also a fantastic idea. I wish that was a thing for the entire semester because I found myself writing subpar stories some weeks.

Google Timer Tech Tip

For me, time management comes with discipline. I do not like using timers because sometimes tasks take longer or shorter than you originally thought. I also do not like timers because they make me feel rushed. Instead, I just create a game plan of what I need to accomplish and when I need to accomplish the task by. Then, I just utilize my discipline to get the tasks done. 

Story Planning: Tom and Jerry

Tom and Jerry

By momokacma found on Flickr

Story Notes:

A cat and a mouse became very close to each other. The cat loved the mouse so much that the cat convinced the mouse to live with him. They needed to prepare for winter. They bought a pot of fat and decided the safest place to store it was in the church under the alter because no one would dare steal from a church. The cat decided that he really wanted some of the fat without the mouse knowing. The cat lied to the mouse and left the mouse home alone to go get some fat. The cat left and went to the church. He began licking the fat before he went to the town and walked on the roofs. He did not return until the evening. The cat told the mouse that they named his godchild “Top-Off.” The cat again lied to the mouse about going to be a godfather to another child to go get more fat. When he returned, he told the mouse that they named the new child “Half-gone.” The cat again lied to the mouse about another new child. The mouse was skeptical but agreed to let the cat go. The cat finished off the fat before returning home. The cat told the mouse the new child’s name was “All-gone.” When winter came, the mouse needed food, so the cat and mouse went together to the pot. When the mouse saw it was all gone, the mouse realized what had happened. The mouse was angry and began to accuse the cat. The cat then ate the mouse. The End.

Story Plan:

For this story, I am planning on writing a story that plays off of Tom and Jerry. This was one of my favorite TV shows growing up. I think I will start with Tom and Jerry doing their normal shenanigans before they get lost in the city. They cannot find their way home, so they decide to team up to survive. This all goes well until Jerry realizes that Tom is lying and messing everything up. Then Tom eats Jerry to end the story. Some of my writing goals will be to stay in the same tense for the entire story and to use active verbs.

Bibliography:

 The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales translated by D. L. Ashliman (1998-2013). Link

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Ashliman) Part A

Cat with Mouse

By Yintan found on Wiki

A cat and a mouse became very close to each other. The cat loved the mouse so much that the cat convinced the mouse to live with him. They needed to prepare for winter. They bought a pot of fat and decided the safest place to store it was in the church under the alter because no one would dare steal from a church. The cat decided that he really wanted some of the fat without the mouse knowing. The cat lied to the mouse and left the mouse home alone to go get some fat. The cat left and went to the church. He began licking the fat before he went to the town and walked on the roofs. He did not return until the evening. The cat told the mouse that they named his godchild “Top-Off.” The cat again lied to the mouse about going to be a godfather to another child to go get more fat. When he returned, he told the mouse that they named the new child “Half-gone.” The cat again lied to the mouse about another new child. The mouse was skeptical but agreed to let the cat go. The cat finished off the fat before returning home. The cat told the mouse the new child’s name was “All-gone.” When winter came, the mouse needed food, so the cat and mouse went together to the pot. When the mouse saw it was all gone, the mouse realized what had happened. The mouse was angry and began to accuse the cat. The cat then ate the mouse. The End.

Bibliography:

 The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales translated by D. L. Ashliman (1998-2013). Link

Reading Notes: Italian Popular Tales Part B

"Bizarro" © by Dan Piraro found on Hawaii.edu

There was a father and a son who spent 10 years in school. The teacher finally demanded the father take his son out of school because there was nothing more to teach him. The father threw a grand banquet for this. At this banquet, someone asked that the son tell them of the things that he learned. He said he learned the languages of dogs, frogs, and birds. This made everyone laugh and the father was embarrassed. The father demanded two servants kill the son and bring him the heart. The servants did not want to, so instead they killed a dog and brought him the dog’s heart. The son fled and took refuge in a castle. When he arrived dogs all came to the door. The treasurer asked why this was so. The son could understand the dogs who were warning of assassins about to strike the castle. The son warned the treasurer and the assassins were captured that night. The son was rewarded but he left the castle to return in a year. He then came to a city where a daughter of a king was ill because the frog’s croaking was keeping her up. The son listened and determined the daughter threw a cross in the fountain. When the cross was removed, she healed. He was rewarded but too left this city. He went to Rome but on the way picked up 3 companions. They were sleeping when birds came and sang to them. It was odd but the son could understand that they were saying one of them was to be the new Pope. The son was then anointed as Pope. He then sent for the king, treasurer, and his father. He proved to his father he wasn’t lying. The father then begged for forgiveness.

Bibliography:

Italian Popular Tales by Thomas Frederick Crane (1885). Link

Reading Notes:Italian Popular Tales Part A

A rose.

By Huhu found on wiki

Zelinda and the Monster

There was a poor man who had three daughters. The youngest was the fairest and most civil. The other two daughters were jealous of the youngest because the father liked her best. The father was going to a fair to gather provisions and asked the daughters if they wanted gifts. The father of course being poor wished the daughters asked for simple things. The two jealous sisters asked for a dress and a shawl, but the youngest asked for only a rose. He found the dress and shawl easily but it was not the right season for roses. The father really wanted to please the youngest daughter so he took the first road he came upon. He found a garden that had a rose bush. There was no one around to buy the rose from, so he just reached in and picked it. When he picked it, a dragon appeared and sentenced the man to death for destroying his bush. The man begged for his life. The dragon said that someone must die and that it either would be the daughter who asked for the rose or the man. The man couldn’t leave until he swore to bring the daughter who asked for the rose. The father gave the presents to the daughters, but the daughters could tell that something was wrong. The father explained the predicament. The two jealous daughters yelled that the youngest must go die. The youngest daughter calmly agreed. The father left the daughter with the dragon who kept asking the daughter if she would be his wife. She declined many times. The father was dying and the dragon said he’d save him if she married him. She agreed and then the dragon turned into a handsome young prince. He was enchanted to be a dragon until he convinced a beautiful girl to marry him.

Bibliography:

Italian Popular Tales by Thomas Frederick Crane (1885). Link

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (LibriVox) Part A

The Frog Prince

One evening a young princess went to take a walk. She sat down to rest by a spring. She was tossing up and down a gold ball. The ball eventually fell into the spring. She could not see the ball in the spring, so she began crying. She would’ve given up anything for the ball back. A frog poked his head out and asked why she was crying. He then promised to bring her the ball if she let the frog live with her. The princess decided to lie to the frog so that she would get her ball back. The frog retrieved the ball and the princess grabbed it and ran home. The frog followed her home and the princess was frightened. The king asked what frightened her and she explained the frog. The king explained that she must keep her word. The frog got to eat from her table and sleep in her bed. After 3 days, the frog turned into a handsome prince. The princess had broken the spell on the prince and he invited her to live with him in his kingdom.

Rapunzel

By Johnny Gruelle Found on Wiki

Rapunzel

There was a man and woman who wanted a child badly. There was a garden behind their house belonging to an enchantress. There was a rampion planted that the wife really wanted to eat. The husband decided to fetch it at any cost. The husband was caught stealing. He was allowed to take the rampion in exchange for their soon to be child. The enchantress took the child like she said, and the child grew to be beautiful. The enchantress locked her away and visited her by climbing up her hair. A king’s son heard Rapunzel singing and needed to find her but could not reach her. He hid and learned to sing the song to climb her hair. He did so the next day and frightened Rapunzel. They planned their escape but the enchantress learned of it. She sent Rapunzel away and blinded the king’s son. He wandered for years blind till he heard the voice of Rapunzel again and found her. They lived happily ever after.

Bibliography:

 Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm, an audiobook recording available at LibriVox based on a Project Gutenberg publication. Link

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (crane) Part B

The Swan Princes

By Anne Anderson Found on Wiki

There was a king hunting in the woods. He was pursuing an animal, and none of his followers could keep up. The king suddenly realized he was lost in the woods in the dark. A witch came walking by and the king asked for her help. The woman agreed to help if he met one condition. If he did not then he would remain lost in the woods until he starved. The king must agree to marry the woman’s daughter. The king agreed because he didn’t see himself escaping any other way. The king picked up the daughter and rode home where the wedding was. The king hid his children out of fear that the new wife would be mischievous with them. The wife wondered where he always snuck off to, so she bribed the servants to spill the secret. The witch, took magic shirts to the children. The children turned into swans and flew away. All but one of the children flew off. The daughter had stayed inside and told the father of what happened. The daughter, tired of sitting in the secret castle, took off to find her brothers. She stumbled on a hut and hid under a bed. The 6 swans showed up and shed their swan skin. They were the brothers. The brothers said that the only way to free them of the curse is to spend 6 years making little shirts and not speaking a single word. She began making the shirts, and began the six years of no speaking or laughing. The king’s huntsmen called up to her to come down from a tree but she could not speak. She threw down everything she owned but they did not leave. The king then asked who she was. She could not answer but the king fell in love with her (which is super weird). The kings mother tried to get rid of the daughter. After 6 years the daughter finally succeeded in freeing her brothers.

Bibliography:

Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm, translated by Lucy Crane and illustrated by Walter Crane (1886). Link

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Crane) Part A

Fisherman and the Flounder

By Alexander Zick found on Wiki

There was a fisherman who lived with his wife by the sea. The fisherman went every day to fish. One day he caught a flounder. The flounder said he was an enchanted prince, not a flounder, and to let him go. The fisherman, appalled at the talking fish, decided quickly to let the flounder go. The fisherman then went home to his wife. The wife told the fisherman to go catch the flounder again, and this time wish for a little cottage. The fisherman called back to the flounder. The flounder appeared and the fisherman wished for a cottage. The flounder told him to go home because he already got his wish. The fisherman went home and saw his wife happy to have a cottage. They were happy for a week before the wife wanted something even batter. The fisherman reluctantly went back to the flounder and asked for flounder. He then went home to see a castle where his cottage was. After about a week, the wife wanted to be kings. The fisherman did not want to ask the flounder but the wife demanded. So, the fisherman asked the flounder to make them kings, and the flounder granted it. Again, the wife became unhappy and wanted to become emperor. Because the wife was now a king, she demanded that the husband go ask for her to become emperor. The flounder granted the fisherman the new wish. Like always the wife wanted more. She demanded that her husband go to the fish and have him make her pope. The flounder again granted this wish. Lastly, the wife wanted power over the sun and moon. The husband begged her to let it go and just be happy. The wife forced the fisherman to go and ask. The flounder, instead, returned the wife to her old hovel. There, they are sitting till this very day.

Bibliography:

Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm, translated by Lucy Crane and illustrated by Walter Crane (1886). Link

Story Planning: Tom Tit Tot

Source Notes:

There was once a woman who baked five pies. She overbaked them. She told her daughter to put them on the window ledge because “They’ll come again,” meaning the crust will soften. The daughter was confused and thought she needed to eat them so that they can actually come again. She ate them all. Later, the mother asked the daughter to fetch a pie because they must’ve come again. The daughter checked and the dishes were still empty. The mother began to sing about how her daughter ate five pies. The king overheard this song but could not hear the words so he stopped to listen. The mother, ashamed, changed the words of the song to make the song about her daughter spinning five skeins. The king wanted a wife that could do that, so the king asked to wed her daughter. The mother agreed, and the king said if the daughter could not spin five skeins every December day that he would kill her. The last day of December came and the daughter had to spin five skeins or else shed die. She began to weep out of fear when a little black thing with a long tail came in and asked what was wrong. The thing decided to help the girl spin the skeins, but if the daughter could not guess its name by the end of the month, then the girl would become hers. Every day, the daughter received the flax and food. Everyday the thing came and took the flax, and returned in the evening with spun skeins. The daughter was unable to guess the name of the creature, and on the second to last night, the king decided to eat with the girl. He told a story of how he ran across this little black thing that was spinning a wheel super fast. The thing was singing, “Nimmy nimmy not My name’s Tom Tit Tot.” The next day, the thing came back one last time ready to take the girl; however, this time the girl got his name correctly. The thing shrieked and vanished.

Character Sketches:

The daughter will be somewhat of a disappointment. She does a lot of things incorrectly in the home. Her parents are getting tired of all her mistakes and want her to move out. When the king surprises the parents with a marriage offer, the parents are quick to accept.

The king will be a little crueler. The daughter will resent having to go live with him.

The little black thing will have more description because if not for the illustrations you almost think of a cat not a gremlin looking thing. He will be more mischievous and sneaky in my story. He will have the plan to take the girl for his own before the conversation with her.

Tom Tit Tot

By John D. Batten found on Sacred Texts

Bibliography:

English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1890). Link

Reading Notes: English Fairy Tales Part B

Henny Penny

By Paul Galdone found on Old Children's Books

Henny Penny

There was a hen named Henny Penny. She was picking corn in the cornyard when something hit her on the head. She immediately thought the sky was falling, and so she went to tell the king. On her travels, she met Cocky-locky. Cocky-locky decided he wanted to travel with Henny Penny. They then ran into Ducky-daddles. Ducky-daddles joined in on the adventure. Next, they ran into Goosey-poosey, who joined them on the road to the king. Turkery-lurkey was the next to join the crew, before Foxy-woxy joined. Foxy-woxy told the crew that the way to the king was a different path than they were on. Foxy-woxy led them to his cave and he entered first. The next person through the cave opening was Turkey-lurkey, and Foxy-woxy snapped his neck. Next, Goosey-poosey entered, and foxy-woxy snapped his next. The Ducky-daddles entered, and again foxy-woxy snapped another neck. Lastly, cocky-locky entered and foxy-woxy did the same to him; however, the snap didn’t kill cocky-locky. Cocky-locky yelled out to Henny Penny who turned around and ran home. She was unable to tell the king that the sky was falling.

Mr. Fox

Lady Mary was young with two brothers and many lovers. Mr. Fox was the bravest and most gallant of all. Lady Mary cared for Mr. Fox above anyone else. Mr. Fox had a castle but never asked anyone to visit it. One day when Mr. Fox was gone, Lady Mary set off for the castle. Lady Mary found a room with many dead beautiful ladies. She ran out but had to hide from Mr. Fox who was dragging another new body into the room. Lady Mary waited for Mr. Fox to pass her hiding place before running home. Before they signed the marriage contract, Lady Mary told the story of the previous day as if it were a dream. Mr. Fox denied all of it until Lady Mary pulled out the hand of one of the dead girls. At that moment, her brothers killed Mr. Fox.

Bibliography:

English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs. Link

Reading Notes: English Fairy Tales Part A

Tom Tit Tot

There was once a woman who baked five pies. She overbaked them. She told her daughter to put them on the window ledge because “They’ll come again,” meaning the crust will soften. The daughter was confused and thought she needed to eat them so that they can actually come again. She ate them all. Later, the mother asked the daughter to fetch a pie because they must’ve come again. The daughter checked and the dishes were still empty. The mother began to sing about how her daughter ate five pies. The king overheard this song but could not hear the words so he stopped to listen. The mother, ashamed, changed the words of the song to make the song about her daughter spinning five skeins. The king wanted a wife that could do that, so the king asked to wed her daughter. The mother agreed, and the king said if the daughter could not spin five skeins every December day that he would kill her. The last day of December came and the daughter had to spin five skeins or else shed die. She began to weep out of fear when a little black thing with a long tail came in and asked what was wrong. The thing decided to help the girl spin the skeins, but if the daughter could not guess its name by the end of the month, then the girl would become hers. Every day, the daughter received the flax and food. Everyday the thing came and took the flax, and returned in the evening with spun skeins. The daughter was unable to guess the name of the creature, and on the second to last night, the king decided to eat with the girl. He told a story of how he ran across this little black thing that was spinning a wheel super fast. The thing was singing, “Nimmy nimmy not My name’s Tom Tit Tot.” The next day, the thing came back one last time ready to take the girl; however, this time the girl got his name correctly. The thing shrieked and vanished.

Tom Tit Tot

By John D. Batten found on Sacred Texts

Bibliography:

English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1890). Link

Tech Tip: Reverse Image Source

Ravana tricks Sita and then abducts her.

By Margery H Freeman, found here

Portfolio Index

Sinbad's Secret
Sinbad the Sailor has survived many voyages, in many different ways; however, it was the fourth voyage that would stick with him the longest. He must learn to let go of his dark past if he wants to move on to a brighter future. In this story, Sinbad spills his secret past to an unlikely listener, the local bartender.

Rasalu the Olympian
Raja Rasalu spent the first twelve years of his life locked away in a cellar. After he was rescued from the cellar, he had two choices: play the pity card for the remainder of his life or rise up and make something of his life. This is the story of how Rasalu rose up to the challenge and became an Olympic hero.

Anansi's Jealousy
Anansi grew up in a poor family, living next door to a wealthy family. He always wanted a different and better life. Driven by jealousy of his neighbor's wealth, Anansi murdered his neighbor, and paid the ultimate price. This is the story of Anansi's jealousy as told by his son to his grandson.

Scout's Adventure
Scout had aspirations to join the army and run alongside the knights. One day, the general decided to give Scout his big break. Scout's first battle action is relived in this story.

Iliad of a Home
Boredom can drive kids to fight over nothing. This is the story of brothers bickering over something as simple as possession of a toy.

Reading Notes: King Arthur Part A

King Arthur's Sword, Excalibur

Found on Pixabay

At one point in Britain history, there was no king. All of the knights attempted to seize the throne. It was decided that on Christmas day, all of the lords would arrive in London. There was a large stone with a sword in it. Written on the stone was the decree that whoever pulled the sword out would be worthy to be king. None of the knights could pull out the sword. They decided to then hold a tournament. Sir Kay forgot his sword, and so he asked Arthur to fetch it. The door to Sir Kay’s house was locked, so Arthur could not retrieve the sword. He panicked and rode to the stone with the sword. He easily pulled out the sword and rode back to Sir Kay. Sir Kay realized which sword it was and proclaimed himself to be the new king. Sir Ector asked how he got the sword. Kay said that Arthur gave it to him. Then Ector asked Arthur how he got it. Arthur said he pulled out the sword. Arthur was then proclaimed to be king. They tested the sword again. No one could pull it out again but Arthur could.

Arthur needed a sword. Merlin took him to a lake where a lady was standing on the water, holding a sword. The lady said she would give Arthur the sword in return for a gift. Arthur got the sword which was called Excalibur. Arthur loved the sword.

Now Arthur needed a wife. There was a girl whom he loved, Guenevere. Merlin rode to the Court of King Leodegrance to ask that Arthur could wed his daughter. King Leodegrance was happy and decided as a gift to Arthur, he would give him the Round Table. On his wedding day, he named a poor man’s son a knight.

Bibliography:

King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1902).

Reading Notes: Beowulf Part B

Painting of Grendel from Beowulf

ByMarshall, Henrietta Elizabeth found on Wiki

Beowulf lay on the couch in the feasting hall, pretending to be dead but constantly scanning the room. It was a foggy night, and it was silent. Beowulf was fighting off drowsiness. Suddenly, there was a rustling noise coming from the forest. Something massive emerged from the forest and made its way to the hall. Grendel made his way to the door and stopped. He put a spell over those who were asleep, to make their sleep deeper. Beowulf was half asleep so the spell only partly affected him, and he fought it hard. Grendel slowly and silently began to break the hinges on the door. Then he broke down the door, snapping Beowulf out of his trance. He fought off the remainder of the spell as he looked at Grendel. By the time Beowulf broke the spell, Grendel had already feasted on everyone else. Then Grendel came after Beowulf. They began to battle silently. None of the sleepers awoke. It was a stalemate until Beowulf slipped. Then Beowulf had the upper hand with both of them on the ground. Beowulf tried to strangle Grendel, but his hands could not grip the scale like neck of Grendel. Beowulf ripped off Grendel’s arm. At this point, the spell wore off and everyone woke up. Everyone celebrated that Beowulf was able to rip off his arm. The next day a messenger told the king and queen that someone had been murdered and dismembered at the hall. Grendel’s arm had also been stolen back. Beowulf decides to go out and find Grendel’s mother before night. Beowulf decided to take on the monster on his own. Beowulf found Grendel’s mother and battled her. She had snakes for hair. She was protected by magic, so Beowulf could not strike her. Finally, Beowulf won the battle and then cut off Grendel’s head for good.

Bibliography:

The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs with illustrations by Henry Pitz (1933).

Reading Notes: Beowulf Part A

Beowulf with the Head of Grendel

By Marshall, Henrietta Elizabeth found on Wiki

There was once a ruler named Hygelac, and he ruled over Geatsland, which is now known as Europe. The land had valleys and mountains, as well as, a long coast. The inhabitants were very brave on both sea and land. There was constant fighting against thieves. There were also many evil monsters that patrolled the coast and killed fishermen and lived in the woods, killing animals and wanderers. They never invaded, but rather just killed people who came into their land. The land was full of great warriors. Beowulf, Hygelac’s nephew, was one of these warriors. Beowulf, at his young age, was one of the better warriors. The warriors gathered in the great hall for grand feasts and fun. They told many stories of great battles and triumphs. Beowulf was prophesized to be a legendary warrior, which made other warriors jealous. For a while after Beowulf became a warrior, there was no real fighting which made Beowulf itch for battle. One feast, a wanderer sung the tale of his homeland. He sang of all the monsters that were fought and killed. Then he sang of a part man, part animal, part bird called Grendel that could not be defeated in Hrothgar. Grendel would come and take men at will. No one felt safe because they failed every attempt to slay the beast. Beowulf then exclaimed he would go slay the beast. The others didn’t know whether to laugh or shout with approval. Beowulf was given the best supplies for his journey. Beowulf was given 14 men to command. They loaded a ship and left for sea. Beowulf was not greeted well by a man on the beach. He was skeptical of who Beowulf was that he thought could just show up with warriors. Beowulf arrived to Hrothgar and announced his presence and intentions.

Bibliography:

The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs with illustrations by Henry Pitz (1933).

Tech Tip: Canvas Mobile App

I decided to look at the mobile app for Canvas on my iPad. It installed quickly and properly. I do not see the benefits of the app because it seems to just open up the webpage in the app. I have canvas bookmarked in my safari browser on my iPad. Going through safari seems to be the exact same as using the app.

Reading Notes: Alice in wonderland Part A

Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland

By: John Tenniel found on Wiki

Alice had a sister who would site with he on the bank. Alice was very bored and hated to read books without pictures or conversations. One day a rabbit ran past her. The rabbit was saying it was late to something and had a watch in its pocket. This baffled Alice so she followed. Alice followed the rabbit down a rabbit hole. She fell down a huge well. She kept falling for a long time, wondering what was going to happen to her. She began to worry that her cat would be neglected if she wasn’t home. She landed at the bottom unharmed and continued to follow the rabbit. She found a key that unlocked a tiny door. She could not fit through the door. She then found a tiny bottle that said drink me. She was skeptical of the bottle but ultimately drank it. The bottle made her tiny and she was able to fit through the door now. The problem was that she was too tiny to reach the key on the table now. She eventually made it into the garden. She then found a caterpillar. They argued about who should explain who each other is first. The caterpillar began to give Alice advice. The caterpillar told Alice that one side of the mushroom would make her bigger and the other side would make her smaller. She ate the mushroom out of her right hand which began to shrink her. She then quickly began eating the mushroom out of her left hand. She began to grow again but had no shoulders. A pigeon attacked her thinking she was a serpent. She tried to explain she was a girl not a serpent but the pigeon didn’t believe her. She continued eating the mushroom until she was back to normal height.

Bibliography:

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865). Link

Story Planning: Harry and Potter

Basic Story Notes:

Once, animals challenged the birds to a game. They agreed on a time and a place to do the ball dance. The animals were led by a strong bear, a great terrapin, and an agile deer. The birds were led by an eagle, a hawk, and the great Hawk. They were all swift and strong but feared the animals. Two tiny animals approached the birds and asked to join their team because the animals made fun of their size. The captain of the birds agreed out of pity. They fashioned wings out of a drum head which made the bats. The bats were so nimble that the birds thought they would be the best of them all. Next they stretched the skin of the other animal making a flying squirrel. This squirrel jumped quickly from tree to tree. These two animals proved worthy in the bird’s win. When the game started a ball was tossed up. The squirrel snagged it and tossed it to the bat, who tossed it to another bird who scored the winning goal.

Hogwarts Coat of Arms

By Jakovche found on Wiki

Plan for storytelling:

Being a big Harry Potter fan, I think this story could be written as a quidditch match. It reminds me of when Harry first played in a quidditch match as a first year and everyone underestimated him. He went on to win the match for his team and became a hero. Similarly, everyone doubted the squirrel and bat, yet they became the heroes of the match. The birds will obviously belong to Ravenclaw. The animals will either belong to Gryffindor or Slytherin. The squirrel could be named Harry. The squirrel could be named Potter.

Direction options:

1.       I could focus on the backstory of the bat and squirrel and how they were always looked down on. Then show them overcoming that to become heroes.

2.       I could start with them joining the birds, and transition into how they go on to be legends at the school.

3.       I could focus squarely on the match itself.

Bibliography:

Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney (1900). Link

Reading Notes: Cherokee Myths Part B

 Malaclemys terrapin

By Rasmussen AR, Murphy JC, Ompi M, Gibbons JW, Uetz P. Found on Wiki

The Possum and the Terrapin went hunting together and found a tree full of fruit. The possum climbed the tree and began to throw down the fruit to the terrapin. A wolf came by and began taking the fruit before the terrapin could catch the fruit. The possum waited till the right moment and threw down the largest fruit he could find. When the wolf jumped to grab it, he choked on the fruit. The terrapin took the wolf’s ears to use as spoons. On his walk home, he was offered to eat gruel out of many jars. He used the wolf ears to do so, which intrigued the others. The word travelled to the wolves who were angry. They took the terrapin prisoner. The wolves decided they would boil the terrapin in a clay pot. The terrapin laughed and said he would just break the pot. The wolves decided to roast him in a fire, but the terrapin said he would put it out. The wolves then said they would throw him in the river to drown. The terrapin used reverse psychology to trick the wolves into following that plan. When the wolves tossed him in, the terrapin swam to the other side and escaped.

Once, animals challenged the birds to a game. They agreed on a time and a place to do the ball dance. The animals were led by a strong bear, a great terrapin, and an agile deer. The birds were led by an eagle, a hawk, and the great Hawk. They were all swift and strong but feared the animals. Two tiny animals approached the birds and asked to join their team because the animals made fun of their size. The captain of the birds agreed out of pity. They fashioned wings out of a drum head which made the bats. The bats were so nimble that the birds thought they would be the best of them all. Next they stretched the skin of the other animal making a flying squirrel. This squirrel jumped quickly from tree to tree. These two animals proved worthy in the bird’s win. 

Bibliography:

 Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney (1900). Link

Reading Notes: Cherokee Myths Part A

In the beginning of the world, there was no fire. The Thunders sent their lightning to strike a tree, creating fire. The animals saw the smoke and held a meeting to decide who would fetch the fire. The raven volunteered because he was big and strong. When he got near the fire, he was burned and quickly went home. The screech-owl volunteered next. A blast of hot air burned the owl’s eyes, and so he scurried home. The hooting owl was next. The smoke blinded him and the ashes created a white ring around his eyes. He left without the fire. The birds gave up, and so the snake went. He slithered into a hole nearby but was burned by the hot coals and retreated. The great Blacksnake offered to go next. He was suffocated and burned by the smoke. Lastly, the water spider volunteered. The spider spun her web to make a bowl. The spider then went to the fire and gathered a single coal and her bowl. They then had fire from then on out.

Sun of May

From the Uruguayan Flag found on Wiki

A long time ago, several men decided to find where the Sun lived. They set out travelling east, meeting many other tribes. One of the tribes had a man who was on the verge of death. It was custom to bury the women alive with their husband’s dead bodies. The sun lived inside the sky which was a door. It would come out of the door and travel around the arching sky to the west. It was a human figure, but was too bright for anyone to see. They waited for the sun to come out so that they could sneak into the door. One man was crushed by the sky when he tried. The others decided to go home, but were old men by the time they reached home. 

Bibliography:

 Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney (1900). Link

Reading Notes: Persian Tales Part A

A wolf and a lamb are standing in a wooded landscape with a goat behind them

By Wellcome Images found on Wiki

There was once a goat with four children. The mother goat left to collect grass and instructed the children not to open the door for the wolf. The mother said to only open the door for the mother who had a red hand. The wolf overheard this and dyed his hand red. The wolf took 3 of the children and the mother and the fourth child followed. The goat challenged the wolf to a fight. The wolf went to the dentist to sharpen his teeth; however, the dentist pulled them out instead and replaced them with cotton teeth. The goat went to the knife-sharpener and got his horns sharpened. The goat defeated the wolf and everyone went home.

There was a girl who scraped her leg. She needed ointment but did not have any, so she took two eggs to trade for ointment. When she returned she told her story to her aunt. She lost her eggs on the way to town and decided to look for them. One turned into a hen and the other into a cock. When he got to the cock, he asked for the cock and his share of the work the cock had been doing. She received the cock and a share of rice. The cock was carrying the rice and got a sore back. She rubbed a burnt walnut kernel on the cock’s back. This caused a tree to grow out of the cock’s back. She then planted melons underneath the tree. She grew a watermelon, and when she went to cut it, she lost her knife. She then bought a little halim to eat. At the bottom of the bowl was a hair. She pulled the hair out which was actually the leading rope for camels. There were seven camels attached with her knife on the last camel’s tail.

Bibliography:

 Persian Tales, translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer and illustrated by Hilda Roberts (1919). Link

Reading Notes: Native American Hero Tales Part B

The Red Woman

By LeskaArt found on Deviant Art

There was a pregnant woman and her husband. Her husband went hunting one day when a wicked woman killed her. The wicked woman cut open her body and found two twins. She threw one into a spring and the other behind the tipi curtain. She then positioned the wife’s body to look as though it was alive. When the husband returned he discovered the wife to be dead, and he knew it was the Red Woman. The boy behind the curtain would ask the father for food, although the father did not realize it was his son. He gave the boy food and a bow with arrows. He later followed the boy to discover him playing with another boy of the same age. The other boy is the boy from the spring. The father tries to get him to come live in their tipi. The first boy grabbed the boy from the spring to capture him and take him home. The boys then went and woke up their dead mother so that they could be a family again. The boys then snuck into the Red Woman’s hut and killed her by using her own magic kettle to boil her. They then killed the giant alligator that was killing other people by cutting out its heart. Next, the boys killed the three trees that would crush anyone who went under them. The boys then killed the evil snakes that would kill people in their sleep. Next, the boys killed the man who would push people over a cliff by dropping to the ground when the man ran at them. The boys then killed the man who burned anything he wanted. Lastly, the boys killed a large otter that would eat children. This was the last bad thing they killed before living happily with their family.

Bibliography:

Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson (1929). Link

Reading Notes: Native American Hero Tales Part A

There was a man who lived in a village and was known to all as the Unnatural Uncle. He would kill all of his nephews when they became two years old. The wife of the uncle went to the mother of the children and planned to keep the next child alive. They decided when another child was born, they would lie to the uncle and say it was a girl. The next child was a boy and the wife to the uncle lied about the child’s gender. They dressed the child as a girl and told the child to act like a girl. The uncle was suspicious of the child’s boyish looks. One day the uncle discovered the boy to be a boy. He asked to see the boy so that he could kill him like the others. The boy knew the uncle would try to murder him. They went into the woods together to gather wood. The uncle left the boy to die trapped in a log but the boy escaped. The uncle failed attempt one to kill him. The next day the boy again was summoned by the Uncle. Next the uncle tried to push the child off a cliff but the child survived by using a contraption he had. He returned with the ducks and eggs and the uncle was upset. The next attempt was to go collect clams and have a giant one swallow the child. The plan went as wanted but the child escaped by cutting the clam’s tendon. He returned to home and the uncle was angry. Next the uncle built a box and put the child in the box and floated him out to see. He washed up on some shore. The box was opened by two girls and he was in Eagle Land with the Eagle people. The chief let the child put on the eagle skin and fly home to get his parents. He did but his parents weren’t home. He realized the torture his uncle was putting his parents through so he swooped down and grabbed his uncle. He told the uncle if he could swim to shore he would be spared but the uncle could not swim. The boy then gathered his parents and flew them back to eagle land to live happily.

Fledging Eagle

By KetaDesign found on Wiki

Bibliography:

Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson (1929). Link

Week 8 Growth Mindset

In general, I believe that I have a pretty strong growth mindset. I am always pushing myself to go father, whether it be doing outside learning or joining groups and taking advantage of opportunities. I am a quiet guy when it comes to everything except social life. I find this class to really push me because in my other classes, I show up and sit in silence. This class involves blogging which is a form of class participation, something I typically stay away from. I am focused on learning more than grades, because I am constantly looking to learn new things. I also wish I was more focused on grades because I can sometimes neglect things like homework. I have set some pretty solid goals for myself and my long term which is good; however, I also believe in short term goals. As a former competitive basketball player, you always focused on the next game rather than looking ahead to playoffs or a championship. I have long term goals in mind but I like to focus on the short term goals that can help me achieve my long term goals. I am attempting to strengthen my scheduling skills. Currently, I like to take entire days and dedicate them to working well ahead, rather than doing a little each day. This could become troublesome in the working environment if I do not succeed at scheduling the right amount of work each day. I think this class has definitely helped me be more participatory during classes, as well as, strengthened my scheduling skills.

Inspirational Quote

By: LDS Smile found on LDS Smile Site

Story: Anansi's Jealousy

Inside of a Jail Cell

Photo by: Aliven Sarkar found on Wiki

“Dad, why have I never met grandpa before?” Abioye asked.

“Well, son, your grandpa did some bad things a while ago and had to go away,” Kweku, Abioye’s father, responded.

“Like what kind of things? Where did he go? Is he ever coming back? Why did he have to…”Abioye was cut off by his father.

“Look, son, you’re not quite old enough to know these things. When the time is right…” Kewku was saying as Abioye interceded.

“Dad, I am thirteen years old. I am more than old enough to know. Please tell me,” Abioye said.

“Okay. I will tell you.” Kweku sighed with a feeling of defeat. Kweku then proceeded to tell the story of his father, Anansi.

Kweku started, “Your grandfather’s name is Anansi. He was born into a family with very little possessions. Your grandfather grew up in a small shack on the outskirts of this very town that we live in. He had a neighbor who was quite wealthy with a gigantic mansion and all sorts of possessions. Your grandfather did not like being poor and wished he was a part of the family next door. The neighbors had a son about the same age as Anansi. His name was Nothing.”

“His name was Nothing? That is an odd name,” Abioye interrupted.

“Yes, it is. Now, please do not interrupt me or I will stop the story,” Kweku said before continuing the story.

“Now Nothing did not show off his wealth to Anansi; instead, he befriended Anansi. The two grew up and remained friends, although they remained separated by wealth. One day, Anansi and Nothing decided it was time they both had wives. They set off for town with the intent to return with wives. On the road, Anansi began to worry that he would not find a good wife because he was poor. So, he tricked Nothing into switching clothes. He then lied to the townspeople, saying he was rich. Many women flocked to him, and he selected the best. Meanwhile, the only girl that would marry Nothing was a poor man’s daughter. When they returned home, your grandmother realized that your grandfather was in fact poor. She had been deceived, so she went next door to Nothing’s house. She refused to return home because she liked Nothing’s life more than your grandfather’s. This upset your grandfather, so he made a choice that would stick with him for the rest of his life. He murdered Nothing out of jealousy. What your grandfather didn’t realize was that your grandmother was pregnant with me at the time. The police found Nothing’s body and opened an investigation. Ultimately, they found your grandfather guilty, and he went to jail. He is still in jail to this day,” Kweku said.

“So, Grandpa killed someone?” Abioye asked.

“Yes. He killed his neighbor out of jealousy,” said Kweku. “The reason I have chosen to tell you this story is so that you can learn from it. Your grandfather did not like the family that he came from. He did not like the circumstances that he found himself in. Instead of working hard and saving money, he tried to cheat which ended in failure and jail.”

Author's Note:

The story of Anansi and Nothing is one of murder and jealousy. Anansi was a poor man who lived near a wealthy man by the name of Nothing. They went into town one day to find wives. On the road there, Anansi asked to wear Nothing’s robes for a while to feel what it is like to wear nice clothes. He agreed to return the robes before they reached town. Every time Nothing asked for them back, Anansi would make an excuse to keep them. When they reached town, Anansi found many wives because they thought he was rich. Nothing only found one wife, a daughter of a poor man. When they returned home with the wives, Anansi’s wives realized that Anansi was in fact poor. They struggled to find enough food, so Nothing’s wife invited them over for a feast. After the feast ended, the wives refused to return home to their poor lives. Anansi became jealous, so he devised a plan to kill Nothing. After Nothing’s death, Nothing’s wife went into town and gave yams to children, and in return the children mourned Nothing’s death with her. Now whenever you see a child crying, you will hear that they are “crying for nothing.” I chose to write my story very closely to the original, but from the point of view of Anansi’s child and grandchild. I kept with the theme of my previous stories and my project, a theme of overcoming your past to succeed. In my previous stories, my characters work hard to overcome their terrible pasts to succeed in life. In contrast, Anansi decides he wants to cheat and trick his way out of being poor. This short cut to success ends up being his downfall unlike my other characters. 

Bibliography:

West African Folktales by William H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair, with drawings by Cecilia Sinclair (1917). Link