Week 13 Reading Diary :

Tuesday Reading Diary
I chose to read stories from the Brother's Grimm (Crane) unit this week.

The Fisherman and His Wife
Wow what a demanding wife! Its crazy how she told her husband what she wanted and he just immediately asked the flounder for more and more. I liked how this story keep progressing the same each chapter. This wife was dissatisfied and kept wanting more and more and finally the fish denied her the right to make the sun set and rise. Gosh she was a brat!

Aschenputtel
I love the description of the new daughters, "The new wife brought two daughters home with her, and they were beautiful and fair in appearance, but at heart were black and ugly." I had no idea that the story is actually Cinderella! I did not know that her original name was Aschenputtel. How interesting that the story was still different that then version I know. Aschenputtel would disappear in different places and the king attempted to cut down trees and house but could not find her. However, the shoe that she left behind is the same, except it is gold. I can't believe that the one of the step-daughters cut her toe off in order for her foot to fit into the shoe, and the other cut part of her heel off! That was definitely left out in the movie. I can't believe their punishment was to go blind! 

The Robber Bridegroom
Wow this story was crazy! I am so glad the bride was able to hide and escape with the old women and not cut into pieces and eaten by the cannibals. I liked how the bride told the story to the whole town on their wedding day and the evil bridegroom got what he deserved! She portrayed it as a dream which is very clever when trying to find a way to exposure the criminal! 

Bridegroom, By Walter Crane 

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

Week 12 Reading Diary : Alice in Wonderland continued.

Reading Diary B  : Alice in Wonderland 
Source: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865).

I love Alice in Wonderland and I love that I get to read the actual stories by Lewis Carroll! I have only seen Disney movie and loved getting to read the stories that the movie was based off of.

I would feel so awkward if I was Alice, arriving at the tea party in the Mad-Tea Party story! The March Hare and the Mad Hatter were pretty rude and had some sly and devious remarks to make to Alice! I wonder why the table was set for more than three people if the Mad Hatter and March Hare didn't want there to be more than three people at their tea party? I'm glad Alice stormed off because the tea party was too much commotion for even me!

I love how the cards call each other by their numbers in the story The Queen's Croquet-Ground!That would be interesting to retell a story and name all the characters odd names or use numbers! The Queen is a firecracker! I could name few people I know that would be furious about colored roses! I loved how strange and different the croquet game is in this story : the use of flamingos for mallets, hedgehogs for balls, and soldiers doing back bends to make arches! So fun! I would love to use this element in my storytelling this week! 

I like how all the characters and parts of the previous chapters make full circle in the Who Stole The Hearts chapter. I was surprised seeing the Mad Hatter as a witness and the white rabbit as the reader. I'm glad the Mad Hatter got away before they caught him to execute him! Why do the Queen and King want everyone executed? That is not good leadership at all! I'm glad Alice woke up in time, but man what strange dream! She must have taken a lot of melatonin to have this peculiar dream! 

Mad Tea Party (By Sir John Tenniel)

Reading Diary : Alice in Wonderland

Reading Diary A  : Alice in Wonderland 
Source: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865).

I love Alice in Wonderland and I love that I get to read the actual stories by Lewis Carroll! I have only seen Disney movie and loved getting to read the stories that the movie was based off of.

I love the curiosity Alice has in the beginning in Down the Rabbit-Hole  section. When she was falling down the hole, I felt like it was almost in slow motion because she had so much time to think about so many different things. I also enjoy how strange the story is ; Alice follows a rabbit down a hole and falls, but doesn't get hurt, and ends up in a room full of different sizes of doors. The creativity and bizarreness of these stories is awesome. I'm glad Alice checked the drink to see if it was poison or not. That would be an interesting plot twist if it was poison and the story ended right then and there. How strange that a drink could make you grow smaller and a piece of cake could make you grow to the height of a skyscraper!
Aha! The lovely hookah smoking caterpillar! I wonder what Lewis Carroll's inspiration was to create a talking, hookah smoking caterpillar in the chapter, Advice from a Caterpillar? Maybe Lewis Carroll was trying to imply that Alice was high as well, entering this weird and strange world? I also didn't know that Alice didn't know how to speak correctly anymore! It makes so much more sense now! The caterpillar is so blunt, I love it!
I vaguely remember this story, Pepper and Pig, from one the adapted movies of Alice in Wonderland. It was interesting to read! This story is crazy and has a lot of stimulus going on! I wonder why this part was left out in the Disney version? Maybe because it seems a little violent with the Duchess throwing her baby around and singing a song about how she beats him when he sneezes!
I also didn't the Cheshire Cat was a girl! I always thought it was a boy cat! I also like how the Cheshire Cat talks about how everyone in this world is mad, because everything about Lewis Carroll's stories are queer! Just like Alice said, "She was used to queer things happening."

Alice

Week 11 Reading Diary continued: Nursery Rhythms

I chose to read stories the British unit, Nursery Rhythms.  I read some stories by Andrew Lang before and thought these short and fun nursery rhythms would be enjoyable to do and plus I also wanted to switch up the style of readings for this week!

Wednesday Reading Diary 
Since there were many different nursery rhythms in each story / section/ chapter ( whatever you want to call it), I decided I to pick my favorite one out of each.

Jingles - I liked the jingle Hey Diddle Diddle in this section. I remember this rhythm from when I was a kid. I think it would be fun to retell. Plus, I really like the picture which depicts the entire rhythm. 
Love and Matrimony - Jack and Jill was my favorite in this section. I liked the rhyming in this rhythm and interestingly, Jack and Jill are referred to King Louis XVI - Jack -who was beheaded (lost his crown) followed by his Queen Marie Antoinette - Jill - (who came tumbling after).
Natural History Part 1 -  I think this rhythm would be fun to re tell in a story!

THERE was a little boy went into a barn,

And lay down on some hay;

An owl came out and flew about,

And the little boy ran away.

Natural History Part 2 -  I love how the hen is carrying for this man! It makes me think of a nurse or a companion for an old person!

I HAD a little hen, the prettiest ever seen;

She washed me the dishes, and kept the house clean;

She went to the mill to fetch me some flour;

She brought it home in less than an hour;

She baked me my bread, she brew'd me my ale;

She sat by the fire, and told many a fine tale.

Accumulative Stories -  I like how all of these stories/ rhythms keep adding onto the story! Especially "This is the House that Built Jack". A new line is added each time, which the previous ones underneath. It reminds me of the 12 days of Christmas song!

Relics - My favorite was rain rain go away. I feel like this rhythm could be retold as a little kid who is stuck inside and all he wants to do is go outside and play. 

RAIN, rain, go away;

Come again another day;

Little Arthur wants to play.

Jack and Jill

Source: The Nursery Rhyme Book edited by Andrew Lang and illustrated by L. Leslie Brooke (1897).

Week 11 Reading Diary : Nursery Rhythms

I chose to read stories the British unit, Nursery Rhythms.  I read some stories by Andrew Lang before and thought these short and fun nursery rhythms would be enjoyable to do and plus I also wanted to switch up the style of readings for this week!

Tuesday Reading Diary 
Since there were many different nursery rhythms in each story / section/ chapter ( whatever you want to call it), I decided I to pick my favorite one out of each.

Tales-  I liked the nursery rhyme of Solomon Grundy because it laid out his life story basically in 8 lines. Although, I wish he didn't die.

Proverbs -  "MARCH winds and April showers, Bring forth May flowers" So true! Maybe some tornados if you're in Oklahoma! 

Songs, Part 1 -  I liked the song London Bridge is Falling Down in this section! I went to the wikipedia page and researched more about the meaning behind the song. The rhythm is actually used in a children's game. The song/ games resembles the bridge that was fracturing and was hard to repair. However, there are alternative theories to the real meaning behind the rhythm such as the Viking Attacks Theory and the Children Sacrifice Theory. Very interesting! 

Songs, Part 2 - This section was my favorite because I recognized some of the famous nursery rhymes from my childhood such as Three Blind Mice and Hot Cross Buns, which I could play very well on the recorder when I was 9. 

Riddles -  I love how there are answers to each riddle included in the reading! My favorite riddle is- 

  I HAVE a little sister, they call her Peep, Peep;

She wades the waters deep, deep, deep;

She climbs the mountains high, high, high;

Poor little creature she has but one eye. 

The answer is a star which I personally think was a stretch but very creative! 

Paradoxes - I liked the following rhythm because I would definitely have a drink if all the trees were bread and cheese! 

IF all the world was apple-pie,

And all the sea was ink,

And all the trees were bread and cheese,

What should we have for drink?

Charms and Lullabies  - Rock-a-bye Baby was definitely a familiar lullaby and definitely and interesting one! I looked up some possible meanings behind the lullaby on the wikepdia page. One being a representation of how mothers gently rock their babies (as in tree tops) and lay them down to go to sleep. Another  suggests that it resembles native-american mothers who actually rocked their babies in cribs made out of tree branches, allowing the wind to slowly sway them to sleep.

Games - So I recognized Jack Be Nimble right away. I again did some more research and found out that it if was used as a sport to test your luck. You had good luck if you cleared the flame. Also, in Don Mclean's song, American Pie, there is a verse that includes the nursery rhyme :

Jack be nimble,

Jack be quick

Jack Flash sat on a candlestick

'Cause fire's the devil's only friend.  

I'm assuming that the last line refers to landing on the flame and receiving bad luck, which is why the devil is also referenced to in the song. It is funny because when I was little, my cousins and I loved this song and could sing it by heart and still can! Here is a link to the song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGJqo_bkAuM

Jack Be Nimble

Source: The Nursery Rhyme Book edited by Andrew Lang and illustrated by L. Leslie Brooke (1897).

Reading Diary Week 10 : Eskimo Folk Tales

The following notes on the following stories are from the Eskimo Folk Tales unit. 

Tuesday Reading
- The Coming of Men, A Long, Long While Ago- I liked how at the end of the story, when the men died, they became bright shining stars and help light the sky up. I also liked that men decided they needed dogs!
- The Woman Who Had a Bear as a Foster-Son- Crazy to think that a polar bear could be an adopted child! I wonder what other animals would have been good "foster children". This could be a fun story to retell using another animal.
-Qalagánguasê, Who Passed to the Land of Ghosts- Poor Qalagánguase!! At least he got to be with his family at the end. Interesting to think that people thought he turned into a women when he disappeared, but actually he was a ghost! Could be a fun halloween story to retell! 
- The Giant Dog- A very gruesome story! I was caught off guard because usually dogs are are so sweet and would not eat humans! I would be scared too of giant dogs if I ever met this one! 

Wednesday Reading
- Papik Who Killed His Wife's Brother Wow! There is no mercy for Papik! I like how the mom got revenge and it thought it was so weird that it was custom for men back in the day to kill their wife's brothers. So strange and twisted.

- Pâtussorssuaq, Who Killed His Uncle- A twisted love story. I wonder what would have happened if Pâtussorssuaq didn't kill his uncle? Would he still have been madly in love with his uncle's wife? (Which is also his aunt...) I'm glad the uncle (now a fox) got revenge on his nephew for being so cruel. "Thus punishment falls upon the man who kills."
- The Wife Who Lied- I wonder why the wife thought it was ok to lie to her own tribe about her husbands? All she did was start a war that ended up killing others and herself. A great moral behind the gruesomeness of this story.
-Ángángŭjuk- I'm glad Ángángŭjuk went after his child and found him! I am also glad he didn't end up killing his wife, that would make his situation even worse! I liked the protective father role Ángángŭjuk played in this story because my father would definitely go to extremes to find me! Instead of having wizards help him find me, he would hire the whole FBI!

Arctic Fox( Alátaq) by Will Brown

Story source: Eskimo Folk-Tales by Knud Rasmussen with illustrations by native Eskimo artists (1921).

Reading Diary Week 9 : American Indian Tales Continued

How The Summer Came
A time when there was no summer on earth? How crazy and sad! The long lasting winter kinda remind me of the movie Frozen. I like the idea how something so simple (summer) not existing in the story and the characters are forced to bring summer to earth. I could see myself retelling this story using something simple in life other than summer.

The Fairy Bride 
I love the great use of descriptive words and imagery in this story.
"Neen-i-zu had never grown to be much larger than a child. She had a graceful, slender body, little hands and feet, eyes black as midnight, and a mouth like a meadow flower."
"Blood-red blossoms flamed in her jet-black hair; in her hand she held a bunch of meadow flowers mingled with the tassels of the pine."
 I like the plot twist of how Neen-i-zu became a bride afterall by marring another fairy instead of the tribe hunter. I wonder what would have happened if she married the tribe hunter then divorced him to be with the fairy or cheated on him with the fairy? I could maybe retell this story as a love affair. How interesting and intriguing! 

O-jeeg

American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned, with illustrations by John Rae (1921).

Week 9 Reading Diary : American Indian Fairy Tales

Shin-ge-bis Fools the North Wind
I liked how the long and perhaps confusing Indian name is translated for readers and the meaning is defined. It is an important element for American India stories.
"For the King of this Land of Ice was a fierce old man called Ka-bib-on-okka by the Indians—meaning in our language, the North Wind."
"he was no match at all for Sha-won-dasee, the South Wind, whose home was in the pleasant land of the sun-flower."

The Little Boy and Girl in the Clouds
"Morning Glory" is used again to represent how authentic American Indian names are. I like how this story has a story built into it. Morning Glory was so afraid that her own bedtime story wouldn't be told. I love how the little worm, the smallest out of all the animals, saved the boy and the girl from the magic rock. It definitely was a plot twist!

The Child of the Evening Star
I love that Oweenee turned down all the handsome men in order to find a man with a true heart! Of course the one with a genuine heart is not the richest nor the cutest. What a romantic love story! I loved how Osseo felt bad that Oweenee became old, but he stilled loved her for her generous heart!

Great way to describe the elder sister's gossip --> "How the tongues of her nine proud sisters did wag!'
So cute! --> "Then he took her in his arms and caressed her, vowing that he loved her more than ever for her goodness of heart, and together they walked hand in hand, as lovers do."

Iagoo's Story 

American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned, with illustrations by John Rae (1921).

Week 7 Reading Diary Continued : West African Folktales

West African Folktales Continued...

The Moon and the Stars
Interesting story about how the stars and moon receive their light from the sun! I wonder what would have happened if Kweku Tsin, his father, and friends didn't become the sun, moon, and stars? Would there be a more powerful position that he would rather be in? The sun sounds pretty powerful to me!

African Tortoise 

How the Tortoise Got Its Shell
The quote, "He has been a creeping creature, with a great shell on his back," sounds very eerie. "Creeping creature" however, describes poor Klo, with the pot and the dust caked on and molded to his back. Even though he was restored to life by medicine, there is of course a twist that he has to live with forever. 

Leopard 

The Leopard and the Ram
Another reoccurring theme of why certain things are the way they are! I wonder what would have happened if the leopard didn't run away from the house? What if he stayed and accidentally killed the ram? 


King Chameleon and the Animals 
Karma got the chameleon in the end! Its true, a king is not king without subjects! I wonder what would have happened if the hare did have time to harm the chameleon? Would the hare have been named king? I wonder if this story was retold instead with humans, how would the part of the chameleon play out. Obviously a human cannot slyly climb on another human's back without being noticed during a running race! It would be interesting to place this story in a marathon setting.


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

Week 7 Reading Diary : West African Folktales

Stories from the West African Folktales Unit

How Wisdom Became the Property of the Human Race
I liked the concept of something imaginary and not tangible being in the pot. I would have thought that Anansi would have put something tangible, such as gold or food, in the pot to take away from those who offended him. Instead, I liked the ideal of wisdom being put into the pot. It is also ironic because he technically took wisdom away from everyone, including himself!

Anansi and Nothing
Oh the irony of the man Nothing! His name claims that he is nothing, but actually he is a man of riches and an abundance of wealth!

Thunder and Anansi
Anansi's selfishness is definitely portrayed well through this story. I mean why would you let your family starve and save all the food for yourself? I'm glad he returned him with many bruises, wishing he would have been more wise. 

Why the Lizard Moves His Head Up and Down
Wow, Anansi is ruthless! The lizard did disobey Anansi, but Anansi shouldn't have framed the lizard for the birds murder AND he shouldn't have "made the lizard dumb".  At the end of the story, it is concluded that ever since Anansi did this to the lizard, lizards always move their heads up and down. This could be fun to retell and create a new scenario for why simple things happen or how they started.

Why Spiders Are Always Found in Corners of Ceilings
Another story about why something is the way it is! I would have never thought that spiders, once men who betrayed others, were purposely put in the corner of the ceiling so no one else could see them. It would be interesting to make up another reason why spiders are in the dark corners of our ceilings!

The Squirrel and the Spider
Poor squirrel! Im glad the spider got what he deserved in the end! The quote, "he picked them up and, went off with them, leaving Spider and his children to return home sorrowful and empty-handed. Their thieving ways had brought them little profit," made me happy that the spider did not succeed in stealing the harvest! I also loved this adorable picture of the squirrel! So cute!

Squirrel

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

Week 6 Reading Diary Continued : Japanese Fairy Tales

Schippeitaro 
I love that the dog and the young boy were both the heroes in this story and saved all the women of the village! Its crazy how a black cat was this mysterious spirit of the mountain who eats different girls in the coffin. I wonder what would have happened if the cat opened the casket and didn't see anything in there at all?

The Crab and the Monkey
I loved the two distinct animal characters in this story. The last time I read about a crab as a character in a fairy tale was in the Little Mermaid with Sebastian! I am so happy that the crab lived, got revenge on the monkey, and got her fruit tree back!

The Magic Kettle 
I think this story might have been my favorite in this whole unit! I love how an object turns into a tanuki, in my mind reminds me of a mix between an ocelot and a fox. I wonder what other objects and animals could be used in this story? I wonder what would have happened if the original old man didn't give away his kettle and I wonder what would happen if  Jimmu didn't return the kettle and act as an honest man?

Tanuki Tea Kettle

How the Wicked Tanuki was Punished 
I thought Tanukis were sweet and cute? Not in this story! It almost sounds like a family betrayal or something from the TV shows Pretty Little Liars or How to get away with Murder.  The little tanuki definitely outsmarted his dad and rightfully so due to the murder of his mother!


Japanese Fairy Tales unit. Story source: The Crimson Fairy Book by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1903).

Week 6 Reading Diary : Japanese Fairy Tales

The Two Frogs 
I liked how this story incorporated real cities in Japan, Osaka and Kyoto in this story along with links providing information about the two. I liked humor about the two frogs. I wish they really got to see each other's cities and not accidentally see their own!

The Stonecutter 
Loved this story! There was a great message behind the story, "Don't take anything for granted". I liked the various different things that the stonecutter asked to be turned into. From a prince to the sun to a rock and finally back to a man. Love who you are, what you do, and what you have!

The Maiden with the Wooden Helmet
I wonder what would happen if the girl took he wooden helmet off sooner? I wonder if she would have been treated differently. She was very modest with her beauty and it definitely benefited her in the long run! I feel like this symbolizes and portrays women in Asia somewhat. 

The Envious Neighbor
Humans and their dogs have such a powerful, loyal, and loving connection, and this story portrayed that perfectly! I felt happy when the dog found gold but I was so sad when the greedy neighbor kill him. The dog continued to be loyal (even in dog heaven) and helped his family find gold and riches and eventually gave the jealous neighbor what he deserved!

The Sparrow with the Split Tongue
Why would a wife be so jealous of her husband's happiness and affection to animals? Women are crazy! A "bad, hard-hearted women" is definitely a perfect way to describe her! I was caught off guard when the sparrow turned into a maiden, but how beautiful and grateful she was to be so kind to the old man who protected her! That is why the wife was so jealous and angry! The sparrow was a women! Loved the violent and descriptive ending of the serpents "darting poison in her veins". 

The Cat's Elopement 
I liked the use of the descriptive words used to illustrate a picture of the cats in my head. "Skin as soft and shinning as silk, and wise green eyes that could even see in the dark."  "She blinked her eyes so daintily, and ate her supper so tidily." What an adorable love story between two cats! It is a very different approach than any of the other stories I have read before this semester! I wonder what other animals would fit into this story? 

Gon & Koma

Source : Japanese Fairy Tales Unit.  The Violet Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, Illustrated by H. J. Ford 1901).  

Week 5 Diary Reading : Persian Tales

For my reading diary this week, I choose to read Persian Tales  from the Middle Eastern Unit.


The Wolf and the Goat 
Mother goat is a tough and protective mother! She went straight after her kids and brought them back, killing the wolf at the same time. I wonder what the end of the story would be if the mother goat did not win?

Smithsonian National Zoo

The Boy Who Became a Bulbul
So strange that the father and son agreed to cut the other's head off. Who kills their son over firewood!? At least the sister was rewarded and the evil stepmother was punished. Stepmothers always seem to awful and evil. 

The Wolf Aunt
Always listen to your wife! Women are always right, haha ;) Loved this story! The story reminded me of the famous story of Hansel and Gretel. I thought the plot was very creative and very interesting. I wanted to keep reading and figure more out about this mysterious sister! It is a little eerie though. Glad the women and children got away, but man does that stink for the husband! 


The Sad Tale of the Mouse's Tail
Love the play on words in the title with "tale" and "tail". Love how the story keeps building from each of the requests of the different animals. I thought it was a great nursery rhythm. I wonder if the mouse ever got his tail sewed back on?


Source: Persian Tales Translated by D.L.R Larimer and E.O Lorimer, Illustrated by Hilda Roberts (1919).

Reading Diary Week 4 Continued : Fables of Bidpai

Fables of Bidpai Continued.

The Fox, the Hare, and the Wolf

How interesting that this story did a complete 180 at the end! I thought for sure the Fox was going to be devoured by the Wolf, but needless to say the Fox was definitely sly and had an escape plan in his back pocket. When the Wolf was described as "mouth-watering" I couldn't help myself but feel hungry for some chocolate while reading this! Poor Hare, but karma always wins!

Two Tortoise Stories
"Dashed to pieces" definitely painted a picture in my head of that poor Tortoise falling out of the sky and crashing onto the ground. At least the Geese were nice enough to attempt to take him with them!

Bugs in general are NOT my favorite at all. I am actually terrified of insects so it serves the tortoise right to shake off his "friend" who was trying to sting him. Love the animal relationships in these stories and this 2nd part of the story describes the Tortoise being in charge of the Scorpion and "shaking him off his shell" when the scorpion disobyed him. 

Love the connection and set up with the concept of "2 stories in 1".

Tortoise and the Geese (E.Boyd Smith, 1908)

The Lean Cat and the Fat Cat
I loved the line "With a purr of satisfaction", describing the happiness and response that the Lean Cat had. Instead of using said or another simply dialogue conversational response, the dialogue was written for the animal, describing how a cat would literally respond.

Three Fish
So basically the fish who was not very smart was caught and served for dinner. Again this story had characters in groups of 3's, with each character having their own personalities and identities. 

The Lion and the Hare
Interesting to see another Hare acting as a trickster, just like the Hare in the first story of this unit did. The Lion is a perfect fit for a king since the animal symbolizes power, strength, bravery, and a royal figure. Loving all the animals in the unit!

Story Source : The Tortoise and the Geese and Other Fables of Bidpai by Maude Barrows Dutton, with illustrations by E. Boyd Smith, 1908

Reading Diary Week 4 : Fables of Bidpai

For this week, I chose to read Indian themed stories from the Bidpai Unit .

The Rustic and the Nightingale 

Nightingale

I felt so bad for the Nightingale when she was caught in the cage. It was so sad when she asked the Rustic how bad his sin would be if he let her heart and her die in the cage. There was such a strange plot twist at the end. Gold? That's the last thing I would have expected the Nightingale to reward the Rustic with!

Poor Man, Rich Man, Young Man
Wow karma really does exist in these stories and rightfully so! The Rich Man definitely deserved to get his house burned down buy the sticks he barley paid the Poor Man for! Hah! Be careful what you say!

The King, the Hermit, and the Two Princes 

Gold Coin of King Kanishka

I love the continuing theme of characters coming in 3's. Each character's individual is told and they all come together to make up the complete package. My favorite was when the King told the Hermit,  "They both have a portion of their own, and when they have spent that, let them first taste of want and poverty. Then do you bring forth the treasure and give it into their hands. It may be that after they have once known a little hardship, they will live more wisely." Loved the message and the way it was portrayed. 


The Ass, the Lion, and the Fox
I liked how the Fox is the trickster in this story. The fox as an animal is percieved and described as sly and stealthy. The Fox in this story definitely carry's out those typical stereotypes. And for the Ass, well being overworked and seen as dumb is true and definitely breaks my heart!


Story Source : The Tortoise and the Geese and Other Fables of Bidpai by Maude Barrows Dutton, with illustrations by E. Boyd Smith, 1908

Week 3 Reading Diary: Bible Women Continued

The Witch of Endor It is interesting that the witch was more of a medium in the story who sees the ghost of Samuel rising. It seems a little eerie and adds a bit up mystery and uncertainty to the story.

Bathsheba I find it interesting and a little amusing how the story "tiptoes" around the fact that Bathsheba and David have sexual relations and conceive a child. The scene is very straightforward and to the point "And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house." All of the stories in this unit have a way of describing things in a different and unusual way. I would have to say definitely love at first sight. 

Bathsheba, by Gerome

I also love how curvy and voluptuous women were depicted back in the day and how men believed they were the most beautiful women they had ever seen. David did day he say the most beautiful woman and wanted her.

Mary and Anna I have heard of Anna The Prophetess before, but didn't realize she was so different from a lot of other of the Bible Women. She stayed single and did not remarry and instead prayed and fasted all night. She committed herself complete and entirely to God and it makes me wonder if this was foreshadowing the Nun lifestyle?

I like how all the different stories in this unit flow together and build upon each other. You have to read each of the stories completely and in order to understand the next one the in unit. The unit flows really well and I hope my storybook can flow really well as well.

However, even though this unit is derived from the Bible, the language is a little bit hard to understand. I had to look up the background on the wikipedia links and look up the definition some of the harder words. I want to use complex and creative language, but to where my audience understands my stories easily.

This story is part of the Bible Women unit. Story source: King James Bible (1611)

Week 3 Reading Diary : Bible Women

Eve  I have always enjoyed the story of Adam and Eve. What I like most about the story is that it has purpose. Eve eating the fruit from the forbidden tree, disobeying God's command not to, she brings upon Sin into the human race. Also, Eve's disobedience caused women to have pain in childbirth and severe labor. Although the story of Eve is true, I think creating a cause and effect situation would be fun. Such as the reason we have chocolate milk is because there was a cow who disobeyed the farmer and swam in the pond and turned his skin brown and could only produce chocolate milk.

Hagar: I guess it was common even back in the day to have a surrogate mother when another cannot bare children anymore. It was interesting that Hagar carrying Abraham's child would cause tension because Sarah did not like that Hagar after she became pregnant. After reading more about the story in detail in the wikepdia article,  Sarah's name translates in Hebrew of a women of high ranks, such as a princess or noblewomen. I like the idea of using a name that has meaning to create and make up characters.

Rebekah: I like how caring and giving Rebekah is. She is compassionate and selfless, giving camels water and the servant. It seems like she tried very hard in everything but didn't gain anything. It was interesting how the birth of the twins did not only symbolize sibling and family conflict, but conflict that would affect other generations and nations in the future.

Deliah: Deliah's significance is very intersting because she is a prominent woman figure in the Bible that resembles temptation and betrayal. I love how each woman in this Biblical unit has an important meaning and symbolic value.

(Delilah and Samson, by Lucas Cranach)

Stories' source: King James Bible (1611): Genesis 2 and Genesis 3 

Week 2 Reading Diary : Aesop For Children (Winter) Continued

Here are some other stories from Aesop for Children, illustrated by Milo Winter that I enjoyed and took some notes over for my second half of my Reading Diary.


The Fox and the Leopard
I enjoyed this story because it had a great message about how looks are beauty do not always indicate that someone is kind, friendly, sweet, intelligent, or posses positive qualities. This would be another fun story to re-tell in the storytelling section of this class.
"A fine coat is not always an indication of an attractive mind."

The Wolf and the Shepard
This story was short and easy to understand. I enjoyed that the author didn't use a long introduction or take forever to introduce characters, the scene, the plot, the problems, and the resolution.

The Wolf and the Shepard

The Mouse and the Weasel
I am fascinated to see each story in this unit have different animals that interact with an unexpected animal. A weasel would have never crossed my mind if I was brainstorming for possible animals for characters. It could potentially be a strategy to pick an animal based off of its symbolic meaning. I looked up both animals to see if there was any symbolic meaning behind the two, and it was interesting because weasels usually hunt mice. In the story, the weasel did not kill the mouse, instead left him to suffer from eating too much. Interesting...

Mercury and the Woodman
I loved this story! I loved how cleverly the theme "honesty is the best policy" was narrated naturally in the story without trying to hard. Easy to follow, and a happy ending. You can't help but smile for the Woodman who got his axe back. Interesting to have a god appear in the story when this unit isn't focused on greek gods or goddesses. A "guest appearance" or a "character crossover" might be an interesting thing to add. Definitely keeps the audience surprised.

Week 2 Reading Diary : Aesop For Children (Winter)

I choose some of my favorite stories from Aesop for Children, illustrated by Milo Winter, and described some of the things I liked or paid close attention too.

The Oxen and the Wheels 
I loved this story and the theme behind it. I thought it was very interesting that the author made wheels, a non-human object, a huge character role in the story. This story could have been easily told using two "typical" characters, but instead the characters were stretched to animals and objects.

The Plane Tree
This story had an awesome message behind it, "our best blessings are often the least appreciated." I thought the message was very true and I also thought that the way it was portrayed was very interesting. The story had a good use of descriptive words and instead of saying a hot afternoon, the author used "walking in the noonday sun."  To describe the tree, I liked how the author used the phrase "sought the shade of a wide spreading tree to rest" to describe the appearance of the tree.

The Monkey and the Camel
 I loved this story. It is so true about real life. People become envious so easily and so quickly. I could see myself having fun re-telling this story in a high-school setting.

The Envious Camel

The Dog and His Master's Dinner
I felt bad for the dog when he was stopped by the pack of dogs. How could you outrun them when you are cornered you and you couldn't get away from them? I felt sympathy for the poor and faithful pup!


The Dogs and the Hides
I thought this story was going to be different then what actually happened. I had no idea the dogs were going to burst from drinking water. I had to laugh, it was sad but very funny. Stories with amusement and hilarity are often the best.