Week 13 Story

A man and a woman were sitting at their usual kitchen table, enjoying their usual morning coffee, when the man noticed something quite unusual. He was about to take a sip out of his coffee, when he noticed something floating. He screamed and nearly dropped it, but was able to gather his senses enough to see what was floating. It looked to be a little version of himself! He thought he was hallucinating, and his wife had gone to her room for a few minutes so he sat their looking at this mini-me. At this point, he realized that the man could not swim in the coffee and it was quite hot, so he used his spoon to take him out and put him on the table. This turned out to be much better for the mini-me, as he was able to walk using his mini-legs.

Although he looked like he was trying to speak, his tiny mouth was too quiet for the man to hear, but, being a version of himself, he knew that he must be hungry. He picked up a crumb of his biscuit off of his napkin, and offered it to the mini-me. He also placed a single drop of water, to make sure that he didn't die of thirst. He knew that the bacteria all around would be plenty of company for the man, but warned of the pathogens that he must stay away from.

After a few minutes, his wife came back to the kitchen, holding her own cup of coffee. Before she entered the room, however, she shrieked. The man already knew what it was, and told her not to be scared, and all that this meant is that his mini-me had a new mini-friend. The initial shock subsided, and they were able to take care of these mini-people, until they started a family of their own.

Coffee is not always what it seems

Author's Note: This story was based on the Alaskan Legend about the creation of man and the raven overseeing him. In this version, the raven was the man himself, and the man was the little person. Instead of being found in the ocean, he was found in the cup of coffee. I made sure to include all the main parts of the story, in a different form, by making sure that the man took care of the little version in terms of food and water. Additionally, he must watch out for predators, which in the micro world would include bacteria.

Story source: Myths and Legends of Alaska, edited by Katharine Berry Judson (1911).

Week 13 Reading Notes Part B

In the second half of the unit, King Arthur continues on his adventures, and eventually defeats Mordred. I thought the funniest part of this unit was when Sir Bors the Younger is introduced. I really liked his character, and so I decided to take notes about this part of the story.

Notes:

• Sir Bors introduces himself as one of the knights riding on a quest to find the Holy Grail.
• He went with the good man, and made a promise to not do wrong in life.
• One time he had a quarrel with his brother, but remembered the words of the good man, and forgave him.
• This resulted in neither being harmed
• He then met up with Percival at the end, and they exchanged stories.

Sir Bors almost killing his brother

This story is part of the King Arthur unit. Story source: King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1902).

Week 13 Reading: King Arthur

This week, I decided to read the King Arthur unit. This is a topic that I have heard about, but only in pop culture references, so I was interested in learning more about the original legend of King Arthur. My favorite story was that of The Sword Excalibur.

Notes:

• Arthur had just returned from a hard fought battle, and had barely survived with the help of Merlin.
• He noted that he needed another sword, to which Merlin pointed out that there was a sword in the middle of the lake.
• The Lady of the Lake said that the sword was hers, and she would give it to him if he gave her something
• She just needed him to pull the sword out of the rock
• Merlin asked if he liked the scabbard or the sword better, and Arthur noted that he liked the sword better.
• The scabbard was actually worth more, because it kept him safe by keeping the sword.

Excalibur the Sword

This story is part of the King Arthur unit. Story source: King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1902).

Week 12 Story Lab: Advice to Writers

This week, in lieu of the story, I opted to do a story lab. I always like to look at advice on how to become a better writer, as it has never been a strong suit of mine. My favorite piece of advice this week was about something very relevant to me: getting distracted.

"My downfall will be my ability to procrastinate and avoid writing. I do it so much that I had to install software on my computer to block the Internet and shame me when I inevitably attempt to check email or Twitter every nine to eleven seconds. I don’t believe you have to write every day, or at a set time for a set duration, to be a good and successful writer, but I do think you have to muster enough willpower to do it at least a few times a week in a focused way."

- Una Lamarche

Especially this semester, I have found myself getting distracted on the internet when I am trying to write, or when trying to do other things. I will start an assignment, and then pick up my phone after only a few minutes. It's an issue that I have fixed by doing similar things to the quote. For example, I will put my phone on the other side of the room, so that if I want to check it, I have to physically get up and do it, which is sometimes enough to deter me. I think this is great advice that applies to much more than simply writing. If there is something that you are passionate about, you need to have the focus to dedicate at least a few times a week to bettering yourself at that thing.

Using your cell phone too much can be distracting

Quote source: https://www.advicetowriters.com/

Week 12 Reading Notes Part B

For the second part of the unit, I continued to follow Alice's journey down the rabbit hole and into a magical land. My favorite part of this story was the trial part, because I thought it was so representative of Alice's character. She had a lot of thoughts throughout this segment, and it was a lot of fun to read.

Notes:

• As the court got ready, Alice was very perceptive about her surroundings
• She noticed a plate of tarts that looked so good
• She also noticed that there was a judge with a wig, and a bunch of creatures that were jurors.
• Alice realized that the jurors were very stupid, and she got mad and plucked one of the pencils out of a juror's (this one was a lizard) hands.
• As the trial got started, the first witness was called
• The first witness was the Mad Hatter, and he said that his hat was not his
• The King got mad and said it was stolen, but the Hatter said that he simply sells them.

Hatter, by Sir John Tenniel

This story is part of the Alice in Wonderland unit. Story source: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865).

Week 12 Reading Notes Part A

This week, I decided to read about Alice in Wonderland. I have watched the Disney movie before, and was quite familiar with their telling of the tale, but I wanted to know more about the original telling. I found that the actual story was quite different from the Disney version. Although plot elements were consistent, the tone of the story was very different. This part was the first story of the unit.

Notes:

• Alice was very bored one day watching her sister read. She noted that the book was very boring without any pictures or conversations.
• She saw a rabbit walking past, yelling that it was going to be late to something
• At the time, Alice did not think anything was strange about a talking rabbit, but later she realized that it was quite a strange phenomenon.
• She followed the rabbit down a rabbit hole, not thinking about how she would get back out
• The fall was very long, and she was able to examine her surroundings.
• She realized that the sides of the fall were shelves, and she inspected them for items
• She fell for what seemed to be forever, and thought that she might go straight through the earth and end up in Australia or New Zealand.

Rabbit by Sir John Tenniel

This story is part of the Alice in Wonderland unit. Story source: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865).

Week 11 Extra Reading

For extra reading this week, I read stories from the Eskimo unit. I had read Inuit stories, which I really enjoyed, and I wanted to learn more about myths from the region. My favorite story was one called "The Wife Who Lied."

Notes:

• Navaranapulak was a woman who came from a tribe of man-eaters, and was married into a tribe without man-eaters
• She returned to her home village with mittens on her feet to make it look like her husband had mutilated her
• Her home tribe was mad, and agreed to declare war against the new tribe
• As the tribe circled the new tribe, a woman had a strange dream that they were being attacked
• As the attack actually commenced, she was happy, but then two men dragged her away
• They cut off her arms, and she was left to die for lying.

I thought this story was especially interesting because it was a very callous way of teaching a moral. There were elements of "Boy Who Cried Wolf" to the story, and it is interesting to see how different cultures tell similar morals differently.

Ekimo mode of transportation

This story is part of the Eskimo Folk Tales unit. Story source: Eskimo Folk-Tales by Knud Rasmussen with illustrations by native Eskimo artists (1921).

Week 11 Story

The rush of it was about to hit her. This was why she loved what she did; why she continued to live such a dangerous lifestyle. The feeling that you got right before you were about to do something outrageous was unparalleled, and she knew that she'd gotten this one just right. This was about to be one of the largest diamond robberies in history, and the agency could trust no one else.

When she got in, she did all the things she needed to, and she had done this many times before. She checked for laser sensors, she scanned for heat signatures, and she fixed her hair. There was a routine she followed every time, and so far she had never failed. The agency gave her word that she was clear to go. She had complete confidence that she would be successful, and it's possible that she got cocky. Because when she reached for the crystal, it seemed that every alarm in the world went off.

WAA-WAA-WAA

She didn't know how this happened, as she had been thorough, but she had no time to think. This had not gone as planned, and she had to somehow get out. As she turned the corned, diamond in hand, 15 guards burst through the doors. She had always worked peacefully, but she feared that this was different. She took a deep breath, and began to work her way through the men, one by one, until the floor was littered with bodies. As she looked back, a single tear fell from her left eye, but she wiped it away as soon as it fell. This was not a job for the weak, and she had completed the mission. And since that day, diamonds have always been guarded by machine at all times, to prevent fate from repeating itself.

Author's Note: This story is based on the story of the Rabbit and the Flint Bear from the Inuit unit. I really enjoyed the story, and I thought it was a very creative way of telling the story. I changed the Rabbit to a jewel thief, because I thought it would make an interesting dynamic, and I think it worked out well. The Rabbit never had malicious intentions to the bear, but he ended up having to kill many bears. This was the same thing that happened in my story.

Story source: Myths and Legends of the Sioux by Marie McLaughlin (1916).

Diamond

Week 11 Reading Notes Part B

For the second part of the Inuit unit, there were many stories about the interactions between certain animals and humans. One in particular stuck out to me, as it was about a spider (Unktomi) who was attempting to be a trickster.

Notes:

• Unktomi, the spider, had found some bright red plums, and decided to trick the widows down the street with them.
• The widows asked where the plums were from, and he pointed to a great red cloud far away.
• The widows proclaimed how they wished someone could take care of their babies while they got some plums.
• Unktomi said that he would, and as soon as they left, he cut the babies heads off.
• He then replaced their bodies with old blankets, and put the heads back
• He took the baby bodies and made a soup with them
• When the widows came back, he told them that he made soup and that the babies were sleeping, so they shouldn't awake them.
• When they had finished the soup, they realized their babies were dead, and that Unktomi was the culprit.
• By then, Unktomi was already gone down a hole.
• He painted his face in disguise, and pretended to be a stranger worried about what had happened.
• When the widows told him, he vowed to fight "Unktomi", and returned with scratches proclaiming victory.
• The widows believed him, and Unktomi was able to bait them into the hole and kill them as well.

Red plums, from Andreii

Story source: Myths and Legends of the Sioux by Marie McLaughlin (1916).

Week 11: Reading Notes Part A

This week I decided to read stories about the Inuit mythology. I thought these stories were interesting because they place in the times of the Inuit people, while using magic and animate animals to convey stories. My favorite story from the first half of the unit was about the Rabbit and Bear with the Flint Body.

Notes:

• Rabbit and his grandmother had an issue, because they did not have any more arrows for the hunt
• Rabbit could make arrow sticks fine, but did not have anything for the arrow heads
• The only place he could get flint was the great bear chief, who had all of the flint in the world in his body
• The Bear told rabbit to strike off flint, and Rabbit kept taking very small pieces, to which the Bear grew impatient.
• Rabbit then struck hard, and the Bear split in two, leaving only the flint part.
• The bears got mad, and rabbit was forced to kill them, which is why there are not very many bears left.

I always enjoy stories that reveal the reason for a natural phenomenon, although this one turned out to be quite dark.

original image in book

Story source: Myths and Legends of the Sioux by Marie McLaughlin (1916).

Week 10 Story Lab

In the Osiris myth, the most important Egyptian myth, Set is portrayed as the usurper who killed and mutilated his own brother Osiris. He was mad that Osiris was king, and chopped Osiris up into many pieces. Osiris's wife Isis reassembled his corpse and resurrected her dead husband long enough to conceive his son and heir Horus. However, Osiris could never fully be whole again, and was forced to be the God of the Underworld. Horus sought revenge upon Set, and there are many myths describing the battles between Horus and Set. It is interesting, however, that all of these Gods are in such contention, as they are technically related. I think that is something that is very interesting, and I can potentially use to tie into my storybook. The familial interaction is something that I have always been interested in, and think it would work well with the story.

Story source: https://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-religions/story-osiris-how-first-ruler-egypt-became-god-underworld-008953

Set (diety)

Week 10 Alaskan Stories Part B

For the second part of the unit, I chose to take notes over the story about the boy in the moon.

Notes:

• There lived 4 brothers and a sister, and a boy who was friends with the sister
• The boy was lazy and did not like to hunt
• The little boy eventually falls in love with the girl.
• One day, the girl saw a ladder leading to the sky.
• As she began to climb, her brothers got worried, and yelled after her
• The little boy climbed after her, but she was too far ahead.
• The girl became the sun, and the boy became the moon
• The moon always chases the sun, but will never catch her.

The Moon over Anchorage

Story source: Myths and Legends of Alaska, edited by Katharine Berry Judson (1911).

Week 10: Alaskan Stories Reading Notes A

This week, I will focus on Native American stories and myths from the region of Alaska. A big portion of these myths are revolved around the legend of the raven. This is what I took notes on.

Notes

• There was the first man who was born out of a pea pod.
• He began to explore the world, and drank some of the pond water
• A raven then realized that he was there, and transformed into a man to talk to the new man.
• The man described the water he was in as "soft", and the raven brought him to "harder" lands
• The Raven then went to get food (berries) for the man, and the man felt better
• The Raven created some animals, explaining to the man how they were precious and should be placed in very specific locations.
• Finally, the Raven created a companion for the man, in the form of a woman.

Illustration from Judson's book

Story source: Myths and Legends of Alaska, edited by Katharine Berry Judson (1911).

Week 9 Story: Don't Lie to Me

After another long day at work, Jack and Ken decided to go out for drinks. They asked around the office, and Julie, who Ken was interested in, wanted to go as well. This was fine, but Ken did not know that Jack was also interested.

Later, at the bar, Ken and Jack both were chatting with Julie when Jack asked Ken about his new sports car, knowing he drove a Prius. Ken was very confused, but thought Jack was simply being a wingman. Ken went on and on about how expensive it was and how much he loved driving it. Julie was very interested in cars, and kept asking Ken questions about his new car, until he didn't even know the answers. Jack, on the other hand, kept telling the truth about his car, and Julie didn't seem to mind. It was at this point that Ken became flustered and decided to make up another lie, this time about the work he did for charity. The more he talked, the more suspicious Julie got, as Jack continued to seem like a normal guy and Ken seemed to have it all, even though they worked the same job. This continued for a few hours, until some more of Ken's friends walked in.

Ken's friends from college, who did not know what was going on, started poking fun at Ken for his car as they usually did. Ken tried to play it off.

"Oh yeah, the Prius is what I use for longer distances, because it's better for the environment," Ken said.

However, his friends saw right through him, and asked him to show them his sports car. Julie agreed, and wanted Ken to show her his charity as well. At this point, Ken did not know what to do, as he had led himself down a rabbit-hole of lies, and was completely stuck. The next day, Ken showed up to work, and Julie and her friends just laughed.

Author's Note: This story was based on the famous Tar-Baby story from the Brer Rabbit unit. Although it is not exactly the same, the idea that the Brer Rabbit gets stuck in the Tar-Baby. However, in my version, it is not a physical Tar-Baby, but rather a trap of lies. Ken begins to lie more and more and eventually gets stuck. I decided to change the representation of the Tar-Baby so that it could fit in a more modern sense.

Ken's "sports" car

Story source: Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris (1881).

Week 9 Reading Notes: Brer Rabbit Part B

For this unit, my favorite story was Mr. Fox and the Deceitful Frogs. This story was relatively simple, but I was pretty surprised that Brer Fox was the one getting deceived in this story, as that kind of goes against the precedent set before.

Notes:

• The frogs were yelling at Brer Fox, and mocking him and taunting him
• They told him to wade into the pond
• Brer Fox was looking for his brother, and he did see a fox on the other side of the pond
• Brer Fox reached out for his brother, and fell into the water
• He didn't drown, he barely escaped before the Mud Turtle got him, as the frogs had tricked him indeed.

Brer Fox falls into the pond

Story source: Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris (1881).

Week 9 Reading: Brer Rabbit Part A

My favorite story from this unit is definitely a classic, and one that many people have heard of before. It is the story of the Tar Baby, and has been reproduced many times, but originates from African stories.

Notes:

• Brer Fox made a tar-baby out of tar and turpentine
• He placed the Tar-Baby on the side of the road, and waited for someone to come along
• Brer Rabbit came, and saw the Tar-Baby
• Brer Rabbit attempts to engage in conversation with Tar-Baby, but the Tar-Baby does not respond
• Brer Rabbit gets mad at Tar-Baby for not responding, and eventually threatened to hit him
• He finally punched the Tar-Baby, and got stuck
• He gets mad again, and decides to hit the baby with his other hand, both his feet, and even his head
• This is when Brer Fox comes out, proclaimes that Brer Rabbit looks "stuck" and starts laughing until he cannot anymore

Brer Rabbit gets stuck on the Tar-Baby

Story source: Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris (1881).

Week 8 Progress

I am very happy with the progress I've made in this class. There have been a few times where I have almost missed an assignment, but I don't think I've missed the grace period deadline yet. I should be on track for an A, fingers crossed. The only thing I'd like to do for the rest of the semester is to focus on getting ahead. I have a few big projects in other classes towards the end of the semester, so I'd like to finish this course early if possible.

Motivation for the Rest of the Semester!!

Week 8 Comments and Feedback

I think that the comments I have received on my blog posts and stories have been very beneficial. I am able to see things from a point of view other than that of myself and the professor, which is often very helpful. When we write, we have a very extreme bias that is difficult to shake, because we read over things in the same mindset with which we wrote them. I hope that I am also leaving constructive feedback on other people's blogs. Simple praise is not going to actually help anyone improve their writing, so I try to leave at least one suggestion for improvement every time. Looking forward, I want to continue to comment as I am, but also try to comment on the same stories I have already commented on to see what kind of changes they have made. I think that peer feedback is critical to success in a class designed like this one.

cheezburger

I chose this image because 1) the cat was cute and 2) The lesson it teaches is so important when trying new things, or doing anything in general. You cannot succeed without making mistakes, as I think mistakes make the most valuable lessons.

Week 8 Reading and Writing

Looking back

Overall, I think that the readings I've done have been very interesting. When selecting the readings I wanted to do, I made sure to read a quick summary before committing fully, as a reading that is not captivating is not going to be enjoyable to read, and subsequently write about. I think my favorite so far has been the Monkey King, because it was one that I had no prior knowledge about, which made it much more exciting. I am satisfied with my blog posts, although sometimes I struggle with writing creatively. I am great at writing analysis and taking notes, but when it comes time to actually construct something from scratch, it definitely takes some effort. I think this class is helping a lot with that, and I'm glad I'm forced to practice those skills weekly. I think I am reading and taking notes very effectively, and will continue using the same strategies. Looking forward, I want to be more ahead of the deadlines, instead of waiting until the last moment to do things. This takes off a lot of stress for my other classes.

The Learning Pit

I included this image because I think it reflects the journey I have taken in this class and others very well. The first step to success is always to try, and it is not always an easy journey. I like to reflect on learning strategies like this one occasionally.

Week 7 Story - The Chosen One

He had been put down, disregarded, and looked past for years. It became harder each day to keep moving forward with confidence, although confidence had never been an issue for him. This man was Baker Mayfield, and people had been doubting him since the day he stepped foot on a football field.

One day, Lincoln Riley calls Baker, and asks him to take his talents to Oklahoma. OU had always looked for hidden talent, and Baker seemed like the perfect fit. Baker had played at Texas Tech, but when he came to OU, he felt like a completely new player.

Things were going smoothly for Baker, until the Sooners played the feared Tennessee Volunteers. It was a rough game for him, but he found a way to mount a 17 point comeback. Sooner fans everywhere were in awe, as this was not something a quarterback has been able to do in the near past. They declared him a Heisman contender, and praised him like a king. Of course, Baker had mentors himself, including Lincoln Riley, and although he sometimes made brash decisions, he was good-natured and hard-working. Great things would come for Baker and the Sooners, and they lived this way until meeting the Auburn Tigers later that year. Once named King of the Football Team, he decided on his most trusted counselors and advisors, including Dede Westbrook, Mark Andrews, and Joe Mixon. This supporting cast made his career much smoother, as they were so talented he didn't have to be as perfect to get wins.

Like any great hero, Baker had his trials and tribulations. Losses to Auburn, Houston, and Georgia each stung uniquely throughout his career. However, under the mentorship of the great Lincoln Riley, he was able to overcome these and prosper in his next phase of life: The NFL

Author's Note: This story was based on the first chapter of the Monkey King story. This story tells the tale of a stone monkey who was born with powers, and proved himself to the rest of the monkeys that he was worthy of being king. Obviously, as my story was based on a real person and real events, some of the elements of the original Monkey King story were changed. However, I found that the story of Baker Mayfield fit the origin story of the Monkey King pretty well.

Story source: "The Ape Sun Wu Kung" in The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).

Baker Mayfield in 2017

Reading Notes B: The Monkey King

My favorite story from the second part was Laotzse.

Notes:

• The Great Saint was about to strike fairies that woke him from his nap, but the fairies said they were sent by the Queen-Mother
• The Queen Mother did not invite The Great Saint to her peach banquet
• He decided to go anyways, and transformed into the Bare-Foot God to get in.
• The Great Saint saw a lot of wine, and turned some of his hairs into sleep-worms so he could drink the wine.
• Drunk, he thought it was weird that no one else was there. He stumbled upon the house of Laotzse.
• Laotzse was preparing pills of life, and The Great Saint decided to eat them. He felt bad about what he had done, and wanted to return to Earth.
• When he returned, his apes asked him to get more wine for them
• He stole two barrels and they enjoyed them.

Laotzse

Story source: "The Ape Sun Wu Kung" in The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).

Reading Notes A: The Monkey King

This week, I will be taking notes on my favorite stories from the unit.

The first is the origin story of the Handsome King of the Apes

• There is a monkey born of a stone egg from a magic rock
• One day, his eyes shoot two beams to the heavens, and God is scared, but realizes there is no threat
• The stone monkey continues to grow, and finds that there is a waterfall that no monkey dares get through, for they shall perish.
• The stone monkey gets through with ease, and discovers a tablet with an inscription, and many clay pots and things
• The monkeys name the stone monkey king, and he chooses his counselors and servants
• They live this way for 300 years

The second is the Devil-King

• This was Sun Wu Kung's first real battle
• There was a devil monkey who entered the cave and took some children and apes
• Sun Wu Kung told the devil-king's servants to tell him he was coming
• The Devil-King was not worried, however, because of how small Sun Wu Kung was.
• Sun Wu Kung was much faster than the Devil-King, and was able to transform each of his hairs into little monkeys to attack him and finally killed him.
• He then saved the hostages

Monkey King fights the Devil

Story source: "The Ape Sun Wu Kung" in The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).

Story Laboratory - Advice to Writers

For this week's Story Lab, I decided to look at advice for writers. The following quote was one that definitely stood out to me:

"When I was a member of the Boston Globe Spotlight Team, my editor, Gerry O’Neill, urged me to “write scared.” That is, push yourself beyond what you think is possible or safe, to the outer limits of your research and your ability, to the point where it feels exciting and a little scary. When it works, it’s exhilarating for you and for the reader."

- Mitchell Zuckoff

I thought this quote was especially profound because the majority of writing I do is academic writing, which includes analyzing within a framework of what is allowed. Creative writing is a whole other beast, and it is difficult to transition sometimes. When pushing myself to write creatively, I often find it difficult to write about things I am not comfortable with. This quote shows that it is of the utmost importance to break out of that comfort zone when writing, as that produces the best results.

Writing requires you to think freely, Pexels

Source: https://www.advicetowriters.com/

Reading Notes - Arabian Nights Part B

The story follows Aladdin, who is a poor boy who didn't like to work. He always was playing all day with his friends in the market. 

One day Aladdin's uncle, Abanazar, arrived in the city. He told Aladdin he was rich. He gave Aladdin and his mom gold, bought to Aladdin a beautiful new coat, Aladdin loved him.

However, Abanazar was not Aladdin's uncle. He was a magician from Morocco, and he had a hidden motive. He wanted to find a enchanted lamp so that he could gain power, but only Aladdin could retrieve it.

Aladdin found the old lamp and he saw the jinnee, and he got 3 wishes. He used these wishes to marry a princess and escape poverty. Abanazar constantly was following him around, and Aladdin could not rest. Therefore, he had to use the magic lamp to save the city from the magician, which he did.

Magic Lamp, Pixabay

Story source: The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1898).

Reading Notes: The Arabian Nights Part A

This Unit is about a Sultan who is filled with hatred for women, and so he marries a new wife every night and kills her every morning. One day, the Grand Vizier's daughter has a plan and asks to be the wife for the next day. She goes ahead with this, and begins a story the morning before when she was supposed to be killed.

She then begins the story of a man who takes a break under a tree and accidentally kills a genius's son. The genius then says he will hill the merchant, but the merchant bargains for one year of his life to say goodbye to his family.

The Sultan wants to hear the rest of the story, so allows Scheherazade to live one more day; this continues until the story is done.

The merchant returns a year later, and is about to be killed, when an old man with him begs for a story in return for his life.

The old man tells stories of his experiences with magic, which include many personal references (we do not know if these are real or not)

The rest of the unit continues stories that delay Scheherazade's death, each with similar but also interesting plot changes.

The Story of the Fisherman

[LIBRIVOX AUDIO]

Source: The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1898).

Week 5 Story: The Fountain of Youth

It has to be here. It just has to be.

Kudra had been searching for many months, map in hand, for the only thing that could set him free. A prisoner of war, he had been sent by the aging but great King Amril to find this fountain, which supposedly could grant immortality to whoever might drink from it. Many had tried to find it before, and many had failed, and it was even said that some had stumbled upon the fountain but had not realized its potential, and let it be without drinking. But Kudra was determined. He was smarter than most, and the most skilled tracker of his generation, and he knew that if he could find it, and drink from it before his King, he could save the city from devastation.

Two years prior, Amril had seized the city, and with it Kudra and his family. Pleading for his life, Kudra promised Amril that he knew where to find the famed Fountain of Youth, which no man alive had ever seen. However, Kudra's ancestors were the ones who first detailed its existence, and the King was convinced. Kudra was scared, but embarked on a dangerous journey that led him across the world back to his hometown, only to find a well that he had passed many times as a child. He recognized it as the well that no one was to ever drink from, for it should lead to certain death.

Kudra closed his eyes and bent down to take a sip, knowing that he would die if he did, but if he did not, his family would soon perish. The fountain knew of his intentions, and revealed its true self to him in that moment. The water turned from a murky brown to a crystal clear blue, as did the skies above him. Eyes still closed, Kudra did not see this transformation but felt Allah protecting him. When he finally took a sip, he could see clearer than ever before and decided to commit his life to everyone but himself. For immortality has no use if it is selfish. Kudra is said to be still living to this day.

Authors Note: This story was loosely based on the story of El Khudr the Evergreen. However, the story itself did not have much elaboration onto the backstory of El Khudr, so I created one. I thought it was fun to add elements that might not have actually been written in, to make the story come to life. I changed the names of certain characters, and maintained the overall plot while taking creative liberty on other things.

Fountain of Khadr, 14th Century

Story source: Folk-lore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian and Jewish by J. E. Hanauer (1907).

Reading Notes: Holy Land Folklore B

• The devil kept foiling God's plan to provide for humanity
• Moses and Aaron discuss their fear of death, and as a result, decide that it is time to die
• The next section outlines Soloman the King's history, and how Allah chastised his gluttony
• The tale of El Khudr the Evergreen tells the traditional story of the fountain of youth
• There were many people who found themselves at El Khudr healed, and the legend spread
• Elijah was well known in Jeruselum, as well as St. George who slain the monster
• A lot of stories form the Quran are very similar to those in the Old Testament, with different names

St. George, 14th Century Painting

Bibliography: Folk-lore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian and Jewish by J. E. Hanauer (1907).

Reading Notes: Holy Land Folklore A

• 
  
• Adam and Hawa
• Allah first created the Tablet of Destiny, which has all people's fates and lives written upon it
• Allah then created the great pen, which wrote all things on the tablet
• This was followed by the creation of water, seas, wind, and the continents
• The story of Adam and Eve follows that Allah created Adam, who rest for 40 days (or 40 years) lifeless, and the angel Iblis refused to wait, and he became Satan
• Adam gave birth to many monsters that roam the Earth
• The angel Gabriel visited him many times, and over Adam's life, he gave birth to 40,000 kids

• Noah, Job, Etc
• The Story of Noah is very similar to that of the Bible, with slightly different characters and descriptions.
• Ayub had a wife who dares parley with the devil, and he asked Allah for mercy, which was granted
• There was a man named Hakim Lokman who, while being ugly, was one of the greatest and wisest man to ever live
• However, when a wise doctor was needed, his sister's son was actually a better doctor and offered life saving advise.

• Abraham
• Abraham's full name meant "Friend of God"
• Abraham was born and grew very fast and could speak at only 15 months
• He was hidden because Nimrod was afraid of someone overthrowing him
• He wondered if the sun, moon, stars, etc. were his Lord, but they all changed
• Nimrod had Abraham thrown into fire, but Abraham allowed him to be unburnt
• The story of the Tower of Babel is told, and is because Nimrod ordered it
• Abraham was very hospitable, and giving

Cave of the Patriarchs, Hebron

Bibliography: Folk-lore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian and Jewish by J. E. Hanauer (1907).

Storybook Plan

For the Storybook, I have decided to continue with my idea surrounding the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, and the controversies and conspiracies surrounding them. Last week, I outlined three of my storybook ideas, and plan on using the same ones on the real storybook, so the following is simply copied from my last blog post.

1. My first idea for the Pyramids of Giza revolve around the Gods themselves. The pyramids are supposedly built as great tombs for pharoahs, and Osiris is the god of death. I think that a fun story could be made where Osiris is playing a prank on Isis by stealing one of his favorite humans and trapping him in this tomb, which turns out to be a marvelous structure.

Source: The Story of Isis and Osiris, Schofield, Freebookapalooza



2. My second idea is more of a science fiction idea. It would revolve around a scientist, who comes across a startling discovery. There has been much controversy surrounding the pyramids, and this scientist reveals his discovery that the pyramids match the layout of Orion's belt, which he had only recently discovered (this is true). He goes on this massive quest to the center of the Great Pyramid, and when he gets there, he is whisked away to the past where him and his team are found to be the architects of the pyramid, who have travelled from the future. It turns out to be an endless loop, but he realizes that the pyramids were not built by aliens, but rather by himself as a tool to help humanity.

Source: Orion correlation theory, Wikipedia



3. My last idea revolves around the famous alien conspiracy theory. The pyramids were built with technology far too advanced for its time, so they must have had help. It was discovered that the location coordinated for the great pyramid are exactly that of the speed of light, which was not discovered until much later. This can be tied in to aliens traveling via the speed of light (ie. time travel) to clue humans in about their existence, because the Egyptian gods have taken wrath on them and they need humanity's help. I like the idea of an amicable relationship between humans and aliens.

Source: Time Travel and the Great Pyramids, Express UK

The Great Pyramids of Giza, Wikimedia

Some storytelling ideas I could use includes a first person narrative, by creating a character that lives during these events. Of course, I could also use the less personal third person approach, but I want to avoid making the stories sound like a history book.

Comment Wall

Here is the link to my storybook!

https://sites.google.com/view/pyramidtruther/home

The Great Pyramids of Giza, Pixabay

Week 4 Story Lab

I chose to watch the Crash Course videos about mythology this week. I found two aspects of the videos to be especially interesting. The first was concerning the definition of the word myth. Of course, I think all of us understand that "myth" might refer to a story about heroes or gods or anything of the sort. However, the word "myth" is used almost as often to describe something that is not true, and especially as the antithesis of the word "fact". I think that this is strange because that is not the nature of a myth, and it takes the word completely out of context.

Additionally, I thought the idea that myths can be interpreted as separate from religious stories was fascinating. Especially when we are talking about stories that are considered fact to those that follow a certain religion, you really get a different perspective when looking at the same stories from an anthropologist's perspective. One is free to analyze the story as only a story, and get more invested in the plot and the characters, as opposed to the lesson, which also holds value. Overall, I think the study of mythology is a very open field, with much to explore and even more to discover.

Crash Course Mythology

Reading Notes: Noah Part B

• The next section outlines the Holy Book, aka the Torah
• It explains how the book is the word of God
• Then, it goes on to explain how the animals on the ark went to populate the earth, and were referred to as the inmates of the ark.
• The flood then comes, which is now a representation from a different point of view
• Similar events occur, such as the length of the flood and the work of Noah to save a pair of all animals.
• Noah decides to leave the ark, and begs the Lord for mercy for the creatures, as the flood was Great.
• God blessed Noah for the sacrifice he made.
• Just as in Part A, Noah drank too much wine and became drunk. His son Canaan had to suffer for his father's sin
• The next part outlines how Noah's descendants populate the world after the flood has gone and Noah is dead.
• Then, the outline of the great Tower of Babel is talked about, where a great city and tower is constructed almost in spite of God.
• This is when God decides to create many languages so that people cannot communicate.

Statue of Abraham

Bibliography: Noah Unit, The Legend of the Jews, Louis Ginzberg, unTextbook

Reading Notes: Noah Part A

• Lineage of Noah described
• God said that He does not like what He created and will make a flood to wipe out the planet
• Noah is in good faith, so God instructs him to build an ark with certain dimensions
• The flood occurs, and everything dies except those that are on the ark
• The flood ends, and Noah sends a dove to see if the water has finally subsided.
• Once it has, Noah leaves the ark and all the creatures do with him.
• Noah then gets very drunk, and one of his children sees him naked and covers him
• At Babel, the humans of the earth and descendants of Noah all spoke one language, but this was where they were scattered across the earth.
• The next part outlines the prophecy of the Great Flood, and the birth of Noah
• Men often give in to temptation, as this is a common theme in the Bible
• There were then children who were born only after a few days of pregnancy, and believed they were safe from a flood because Methuselah was alive.

Building the Ark, 17th Century Painting

Bibliography: Noah Unit, The Legend of the Jews, Louis Ginzberg, unTextbook

Feedback Strategies: Week 3

The first article I read was about being "a mirror" when giving feedback. I found this article very interesting because it emphasized how judgement can make feedback less effective. Although I think there is a place for judgement in some types of feedback, I can also see the point that voicing opinions can detract from an accurate and useful critique of someone's writings. Being a mirror allows the writer to see their work in an unbiased eye. This can really reveal what was done well, and offer feedback that the writer can then apply to any of their other works.

Source: Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback That Fosters a Growth Mindset, Gravity Goldberg


The second article criticized the pervasive use of the term "amazing" in giving encouraging feedback. While positive affirmation might seem to help motivate people, often they feel undeserving of the term "amazing", if they have done nothing to earn that praise. Instead, giving positive but constructive feedback will actually give the receiver something tangible to work with. I loved the example they gave of the American Idol judges, who all had their own style of giving feedback. To be frank, I don't think anyone actually cared about Paula's comments, because they were always so positive to the point where they didn't mean anything. A balance is important, as it is in all things.

Source: The Trouble with "Amazing", Jennifer Gonzalez

Feedback Matters, Pixabay

Topic Research: The Pyramids of Giza

1. My first idea for the Pyramids of Giza revolve around the Gods themselves. The pyramids are supposedly built as great tombs for pharoahs, and Osiris is the god of death. I think that a fun story could be made where Osiris is playing a prank on Isis by stealing one of his favorite humans and trapping him in this tomb, which turns out to be a marvelous structure.

Source: The Story of Isis and Osiris, Schofield, Freebookapalooza



2. My second idea is more of a science fiction idea. It would revolve around a scientist, who comes across a startling discovery. There has been much controversy surrounding the pyramids, and this scientist reveals his discovery that the pyramids match the layout of Orion's belt, which he had only recently discovered (this is true). He goes on this massive quest to the center of the Great Pyramid, and when he gets there, he is whisked away to the past where him and his team are found to be the architects of the pyramid, who have travelled from the future. It turns out to be an endless loop, but he realizes that the pyramids were not built by aliens, but rather by himself as a tool to help humanity.

Source: Orion correlation theory, Wikipedia



3. My last idea revolves around the famous alien conspiracy theory. The pyramids were built with technology far too advanced for its time, so they must have had help. It was discovered that the location coordinated for the great pyramid are exactly that of the speed of light, which was not discovered until much later. This can be tied in to aliens traveling via the speed of light (ie. time travel) to clue humans in about their existence, because the Egyptian gods have taken wrath on them and they need humanity's help. I like the idea of an amicable relationship between humans and aliens.

Source: Time Travel and the Great Pyramids, Express UK

The Great Pyramids of Giza, Wikimedia

Week 3 Story: The Sick Girl

It had been well known by now that Jesus had abilities that marked Him the Son of God. He had throngs of the sick, the devoted, and the curious follow wherever He went, and often was approached by those in need. One day, a man came up to Jesus, pleading for his daughter's life. However, this was a peculiar case, as the man's daughter was already dead.

Jesus replied, "Be not afraid, only believe." As the man did indeed have faith, Jesus entered the house of the leader of the synagogue. Jesus saw the people in the synagogue, crowded around the dead girl, weeping and mourning their loss. However, Jesus knew that all things were in His power, and questioned why they were weeping when they only need to have faith.

Jesus then performed something that would be impossible for any normal man. Jesus stated that the girl was not dead, but actually only sleeping. This came as a shock to the mourners, as they had clearly seen her die, and had only known that there is no life on this earth once a person had perished. But with Jesus all things were possible.

He bade all the mourners to leave, and Jesus entered the room of the dead girl, and again told her parents that fear need not exist if there was faith. He spoke the words, "Talitha cumi," thus commanding the girl to rise. Having seen what Jesus could do, the parents were hopeful and had faith in Jesus, and knew that He was capable of all things.

The girl gasped for breath, and not only that, she got up and walked. This was something that would not have been possible with even the most advanced healers, but this twelve year old girl showed no signs of ill health; she had been cured by the Grace of God.

Her parent were absolutely shocked, but also wept with great joy in the presence of Jesus. Jesus commanded that nobody who had not witnessed this event know about it, for Jesus only wanted to help humanity, and sought no glory for Himself.

The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 5

Authors Note
This story was adapted from The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 5. A disclaimer is that this is based on the New Testament of the King James Bible, which is a religious text. Nothing stated in this story is intended to offend, or misconstrue any beliefs that readers might have. The original text is an abridged version of the King James Bible, which is why there might be some inconsistencies in the story. No characters or plots were intentionally changed.

Bibliography: The Gospel of Mark, UnTextbooks

Reading Notes: Gospel of Mark Part B

This part picks up right where Part A left off. However, as Jesus's death is more imminent, He makes reference to the death and resurrection more often. Jesus also begins to teach more lessons, and the focus shifts from convincing people He is the Son of God, and more to advice on how to live life and get into Heaven. I think it is interesting how a good amount of the gospel is dedicated to outlining how a man should treat his wife, and vice versa. This is important because it takes these Godly descriptions and puts them into real life examples, and functions as instructions for humanity to live their lives.

As Jesus continues to speak of how to use God to get into Heaven, He also continues to cure people of their ailments, and eventually enters Jerusalem. However, this comes to a sudden ending when Jesus is captured and sentenced to death by crucifixion, which is due to the betrayal of Judas. 3 days later, He was resurrected.

This story is interesting in the way Jesus's life is told from another's point of view. Although I found it difficult to understand sometimes, I thought it followed logical sense and was intriguing, when looking at it as a story.

The Tribute Money, by James Tissot

Bibliography: The Gospel of Mark, unTextbook

Reading Notes: The Gospel of Mark Part A

The Gospel of Mark outlines Jesus's life, as told by the disciple Mark. The first section discusses the birth and baptism of Jesus, and how He began to go around Galilee and demonstrate His authority to recruit people to follow Him. This version of the King James Bible is told more as a story than as a dialogue, as certain translations might be seen. As the Gospel continues, Jesus continues to display His ability to forgive sins and cure afflictions, which in turn serves to placate the suspicion of those who were not familiar with His abilities. So early as the second chapter, it is implied that Jesus might one day not be physically with the Disciples. Jesus continues this pattern, and then calls His 12 disciples to come to Him so that they could continue to spread the word. Each disciple is named, including Judas, who for the first time is said to betray Jesus. Once this background is set up, the parables of Jesus are begun to be told. The parables of Jesus are very interesting in that they are intentionally abstract. Jesus speaks in parables so that only those who want to listen can understand His word, which I find quite interesting. Would it not be easier to be direct about his thoughts. However, one must understand that Jesus is speaking as a representation of the Kingdom of God, which in itself is a complicated concept. Often, however, Jesus continues and explains these parables in easier terms, giving practical examples.

Other great examples of Jesus's healings are offered, including one where He brings a 12-year old girl back from the dead, as He proclaims she is simply sleeping. This continues to convince people He is the Son of God. The next section focuses on the miracles Jesus performed, including turning very little bread into a lot and water into wine. This was the pinnacle of what no man could do, and further emphasized His role as the Son of God. Jesus continues to do these things, and people continue to follow him. Again, Jesus takes His disciples to the mountains and transfigures Himself, but commands them to not tell anyone until He has risen from the dead.

Transfiguration of Christ, 12th century icon

Bibliography: The Gospel of Mark, unTextbook

Feedback Thoughts

The article "A Simple 5-Second Habit to Rewire Your Harshly Self-Critical Brain" taught a lesson that I think everyone should listen to. It spoke about how when setting goals, minor setbacks should not ever completely cause those goals to break down. The author used the analogy of ants forming a line, and when that line got broken, it would always reform. In my life, I have often set goals for myself that did not come to fruition immediately, or led me in a path that I did not initially intend. However, I have learned that sticking to that path has caused me to be more driven and more successful as a result.

The article "Why rejection hurts so much - and what to do about it" actually provided an interesting insight into something that we come across every day. In the age of social media, it is often confounding that people care so much about numbers and opinions, yet it makes complete sense when looking at it introspectively. If rejection hurts because we are too critical of ourselves, it makes sense that other's opinions might help shape our own self-concept. This is something that I have absolutely dealt with myself, and I think its important to keep things in perspective whenever we face rejection, whether that be socially, romantically, or professionally. 

Rejection often makes us self-critical, Pixabay

Topic Brainstorm

Storybook ideas:

1. The Bachelor

The story of Cupid and Psyche has been told many times, in many different ways. I've always found stories like this interesting, and my older sister loved Beauty and the Beast growing up so naturally I've watched the film more times than I'm proud of. I think an interesting perspective on this topic would be to format it in the modern era and have Psyche be a contestant on the Bachelor. It would be fun to incorporate the drama that is too often found in the show to the dramatic woes that the main characters go through in the story.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-apuleiuss-cupid-and.html

2.  Conspiracy Theories

I've loved Egyptian mythology since I was a kid, and for the longest time the only books I would read were Rick Riordan's "The Red Pyramid" series. I've always loved how many options there are for variations on classic myths, and considering the conspiracy theories surrounding the Great Pyramids of Giza, I think it would be very fun to incorporate the gods and heroes of Egyptian mythology into backstories and, in the process, take the "wonder" out of these Wonders of the World.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/myth-folklore-unit-ancient-egyptian.html

3. Origin Stories

In Native American myths, there are often many hybrid characters, which I found fascinating. I think in many religions, these hybrids serve as a connection between nature and humanity, or the divine and humanity. I think it would be very interesting to show the backstory for these figures, and would be a good chance to be creative about things that might otherwise be difficult to explain.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/myth-folklore-unit-mississippi-valley.html

4. Lost Underground

This story would be a play on Dante's Inferno, which I have always been fascinated with. Although it might be closer to fiction than fact, I think a story where a teenager and his friends get sucked into a hole in the ground, and end up inside Dante's Inferno, just trying to get out. One could feasibly go through all three parts of his Divine Comedy, ending with them getting out.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/07/myth-folklore-unit-dantes-inferno.html

Dante Alighieri