Extra Reading Diary: Brothers Grimm (Crane) Unit

This week, I read the first half of the Brothers Grimm Crane Unit.  It contains the stories of The Fisherman and his Wife, Aschenputtel (a.k.a. Cinderella), and The Robber Bridegroom. All of these tales are so amazing, but there was only one that I would like to incorporate into my storybook. 

The Robber Bridegroom is a very dark and evil story, even for the Grimm brothers.  I think that it would be a great story to use since there is such a clear villain and so many ways that I could tweak the story for my purposes.  Charlotte could be the bride, the old woman, the bird, or any number of other characters in the story.  She could even be one of the robber-cannibals if I really want to make it interesting!  I am definitely going to use this story in my book. 

I’m really excited to start writing it, even though I plan on using one of the more well-known stories first.  I think it will be very interesting to see how Charlotte fits into this story!

Old Woman and Bride Escaping. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Week 6 Storytelling: Escaping the Darkness and the World Beyond

I lived in a world of darkness.  It was all that I had ever known, all that I could remember.  The darkness was large enough for me to stand and stretch, but was enclosed by… something.  I don’t know how long I had been in the darkness or if there was anything but darkness in the world. 

One day, the darkness cracked.  I could see something, something so completely opposite the darkness that it burned.  It terrified me, but when the darkness did not return, I decided to further the cracks.  After much work, I was finally free from the darkness.  The world was so bright, so big, that I bowed in each direction out of thanks and worship. 

While I already knew how to stand, actual movement was hard to figure out.  I had no teacher and there was no one in sight when I escaped the darkness.  Gradually I learned how to walk and jump.  I was so excited and happy to be able to explore the world that I cried out with joy.

As I grew up and explored what I came to learn was an island, I met other beings like me.  I learned I was an ape, but I was different from the others.  No other ape had hatched from the darkness and no other ape was made from stone.  However, they accepted me into their community. 

Together, we ate and laughed and played. We had no concept of responsibility or an end to our existences.  We were happy. 

Waterfall. Source: Wikipedia

After a time, we were enjoying the coolness of a pond in one of the valleys.  It was fed by a rushing, pounding fall of water, something we had never encountered before. 

One of the apes said, “Whoever can force his way through the waterfall without suffering injury shall be our king.” I knew that I would be able to cross the fall of water since I was made of tougher stuff than the other apes, quite literally. 

“I will pass through,” I cried.  I closed my eyes, bent down low, and leaped through the roar and foam of the waters.  On the other side, I wiped the water from my face and opened my eyes.  I saw an iron bridge with a stone tablet above it engraved with these words: “This is the heavenly cave behind the water-curtain on the Blessed Island of Flowers and Fruits.”

I was so excited that I leapt back through the waterfall and told the other beasts what I had seen. They all wanted me to help them cross the waterfall.  I took each ape and monkey into my arms, covered them with my head and shoulders, and leapt back and forth through the falls until they were all on the iron bridge.

We ran towards the castle cave that was on the other side of the bridge and pilfered everything we could.  The cabinets held pots and pans and cups that were made of stone, the same stone I was made from!

All the apes and all the monkeys saw this and began to bow before me. They called me the Handsome King of the Apes.  I appointed the different species to be my counselors and officials, my servants and retainers.  We led a peaceful and happy life in the cave, sleeping in the great hall and feasting on the fruits and flowers that were surrounding the castle cave.  We kept away from all the other beasts and birds, enjoying untroubled happiness. 

In this way, some three hundred years went by.  

Author’s Note

For this week’s storytelling, I found it very difficult to choose a story to rewrite.  They are so intertwined with one another that it was daunting to choose one that I could write independently.  

I chose to rewrite the beginning of Sun Wu Kung's story, the Handsome King of the Apes. In the original story, the tale is told from a third person point of view.  The Stone Ape hatches from a rock that was on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits.  He catches the notice of the gods, who write him off as something they do not need to worry about.  In the remainder of the story, he quickly becomes a very serious problem for the gods, causing all sorts of mischief and problems. 

In my rendition, I decided to tell the story from the ape’s point of view.  He had existed within the rock for a while before he hatched and he knew nothing else.  I thought it would be fun to see how he dealt with the new world and how he became part of the ape community.  He was so different from the other apes and finally that difference payed off.  I would have loved to rewrite the entire story after I wrote this, but I didn’t have the words that would let me tell the whole thing.  

"Handome King of the Apes" edited by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens, from The Chinese Fairy Book (1921). Web Source: Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook.

Reading Diary B: The Monkey King Sun Wu Kung

The remainder of The Monkey King Sun Wu Kung unit went by rather quickly.  I did not find it nearly as interesting as the beginning of the unit, although that may be because of the synopses at the end of the unit.  I did not find anything that I would want to use in my storybook, although I may use the extreme arrogance of the Monkey King in some of my future weekly stories.

No particular story drew my attention, nor did any of the new characters that were introduced.  The settings were the same and the plot was simply a continuation of the beginning of the story, so there was little for me to draw from.

Overall, the unit was very interesting and a blast to read.  The adventures were so dramatic and fantastical that I just couldn’t stop reading.  However, the stories were not of the type-- in either character setting or plot line-- for what I am thinking to use in my own storybook.  That is, not including the arrogance of the king being translated into the Grimm Brothers!

Huangshan Mountain. Source: Wikipedia

Reading Diary A: The Monkey King Sun Wu Kung

For week 6, I chose to read the unit on The Monkey King SunWu Kung.  It is definitely an interesting read, full of adventure and unique story lines. 

I particularly like the section on The Great Sea.  The like how the ape disguises himself as a human.  It would be fun to use this type of story in my storybook to explain how Charlotte gets away with following her brothers.  Clearly some sort of disguise had to be involved.  She could be disguised as a man!

I thought it was interesting that, though Sun Wu Kung was supposedly a saint, he was so greedy and arrogant.  The way that his character is written would be intriguing to use for the Grimm Brothers.  Clearly they were so full of themselves that they didn’t notice their sister was following and helping them.

I think that this is very similar to how the Monkey King is acting.  He doesn’t think that the rules apply to him, so he essentially overrules them.  He takes what is not his and demands things on top of those that he has already stolen.  He demands for his will to be done and gets it out of fear.  He is so arrogant that he is sure to fall at some point.

Ape Rock Formation. Source: Flickr

Thoughts About Comments

I love getting comments on my blog! However, like everyone else, I do prefer some comments over others.  I really like comments that offer constructive criticism.  I think that it allows me to better myself and my blogs when people point out ways to tweak my stories.

I had a comments on the color of my text making it hard to read, so I changed it (which honestly didn't help).  I decided to do a solid background for the text area so that people could read easier and haven't had a comment on it since!

For my introduction comments, I really like when people mention similar experiences.  I think that it is a great way to create connections between the readers when they have similar backgrounds.

Please keep leaving comments, and if something is really bugging you, let me know! If I agree, I'll definitely work to fix it!

I think my comments so far have been both constructive and beneficial.  I like how everyone has a different style and try to mention that in my comments.  If I see grammatical errors or anything that might hinder the reading, I try to mention that as well.

Extra Reading Diary: Brothers Grimm (Ashliman) Unit

I continued reading the Brothers Grimm Ashliman unit for my extra reading this week.  Unfortunately, it was just as useless to my storybook as the first half of the unit.  There were no true villains in these stories, just people or things that were greedy or simply mean towards other characters.  The stories were meant more as warnings to be nice to your friends and family, instead of teaching morals like many of the Grimm fairy tales do. 

I did like the tale of the Simeli Mountain more than the others.  When I first read it, I thought that the Mountain was called Sesimi, not Semsi.  I got excited because I thought that they were basically saying open sesame, not open Semsi.  Proves that I really need to look at what I am reading and not get in such a hurry! I got all excited for nothing!

I always like the stories about a personified death, so I like the story of Death’s Messengers.  I think that it is a great representation of the human ideal in that it is never their time to die.  Death warned the man that messengers would come, and he ignored them.  He assumed that it was too early for him to die so he didn’t prepare for his end!

I am really enjoying reading the Grimm units and will definitely continue to read them!

Death Personified. Source: Wikipedia

Week 5 Storytelling: One Goblin, One King, Twenty-Two Riddles

Sissoo Tree. Source: Wikipedia

ONCE UPON A TIME, I was a goblin named Riddle.  I lived in a sissoo tree within a vast cemetery, which was perfect since I relish my peace and quiet.  Unfortunately, people would occasionally interfere with my business, so I would disguise myself as a dead body hanging from the tree (It was a cemetery after all!).  I lived this way for many years, doing deals with the occasional passerby who could solve one of my riddles.  No one ever solved more than one of my tricky riddles! That is, until HE came along…

I’d been living in my tree for maybe 50 years when a man came by in the dead of night.  Instead of simply walking by, however, he cut me down from the tree! And then he slung me over his back like a sack of potatoes! The humiliation! I kicked and screamed for a few moments before I remembered that if he answered on of my riddles, I would return to my tree.  I could go back and finish my dinner and forget about this embarrassing situation.

Cemetery at Night. Source: Wikimedia Commons

And so I told him a riddle, and being the smart king that he was, he answered it and I returned to my tree.  But the bastard followed me back! Again and again I told him one of my riddles, and again and again he answered them true.  I thought that eventually he would give up and leave me in peace. But nooooooooooo.  The man was incessant, constantly cutting me down and ferrying me back down the cemetery road in the middle of the night.  I suppose I should be glad it wasn’t day time or someone might have seen me being lugged around on the back of this brute!

After 20 riddles, 20 trips back to the tree, and 20 trips back down the cemetery road carried upon his shoulders, I decided to give him my masterpiece of a riddle.  No one had ever answered it correctly.  Not the wizards or witches, not the princes or knights, not even the farseeing oracles of old.  No one had ever figured this riddle out. 

As I told the story, I saw his brow get more and more furrowed.  I could practically see the wheels turning in his head!  I had him! I finally had him! He would answer wrong, his head would burst and I could return to my tree! Unfortunately, that isn’t how this case turned out.  All the wizards, witches, princes, knights and oracles had tried to answer this riddle and their end had come.  But this king was smarter than the others. 

Since he didn’t know the answer, he actually kept his mouth shut! Have you ever heard of a man doing that?!  They at least try on the off chance that they might be right! But not this man.  He kept silent, which impressed me beyond measure.

I decided to help this impressive, tenacious man.  I knew that the monk would try to harness my power to become the king of the fairies.  I also knew that this man would be a beneficent ruler to both his human kingdom and that of the fairies.  He was honorable, strong, kind, and smart. 

I warned him of the monk’s plan and told him how to circumvent it.  When we arrived to the meeting place, the king followed my instructions to the letter.  The monk was dead and he was the soon to be king.  But he didn’t want the job or the power.  What he told me next was more impressive than all the riddles he had solved. 

“O magic creature, if you are pleased with me, I have nothing more to wish for. Yet I ask you to make me one promise, that these twenty-two different, charming puzzle-stories shall be known all over the world and be received with honor."

--------------------------------------

While I was loath to leave my tree, I felt an obligation to fulfill this great man’s wishes.  And so I traveled, for one year telling my riddles to every man, woman, and child that I encountered.  For that year, I even left out the side effects!  After that, I continued to travel, telling my riddles.

I thought that I would miss my old life and the peace and quiet of my tree in the cemetery. And for a time I did.  However, the farther I traveled, the more I began to enjoy myself.  I enjoyed the new sights and foods, sharing my stories with new people who would never have heard them otherwise. 

To this day, I’m still not sure if the king planned this all along.  Did he know I would enjoy travelling and telling my stories? Or did he just want to share them with the world?

Author’s Note:

I chose not to do any individual story from the Twenty-Two Goblins unit, but to instead do a sort of overview story from the goblin’s (who I called Riddle) point of view.  I kind of meshed the Introduction and the Conclusion and added things in the middle. I kept the story the same, but left out a few details that I didn’t think were entirely necessary.  The original story more follows the king, setting up in his court and revolving around his determination to fulfill his promise to the monk. 

I thought it would be intriguing to write this as if Riddle was telling the story from the present.  She’s looking back on her life and how this moment changed it so drastically.  Few had ever solved her riddles with such confidence and ease, and no one had ever chosen to say nothing when they didn’t know the answer.  I thought it would be fun to show how humiliating it would be for a goblin to be carted around on the shoulders of a man, especially a man as tenacious as the king of these stories.  I also carried it a bit further by telling how she reacted to her travels, coming to enjoy them and the opportunities they afforded her!

"Introduction" and "Conclusion" from Twenty-Two Goblins, translated by Arthur W. Ryder (1917).  Web Source: Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook.

Reading Diary B: Twenty-Two Goblins

The remainder of the Twenty-Two Goblins unit was just as entertaining as the first half! I loved these riddling stories and they definitely got my mind turning.  I solved a few more in this section than I did in the previous one, so maybe I redeemed myself a little bit!

Father and Son, Daughter and Mother (a.k.a. The Father and Son who married Daughter and Mother.  What relation were their children?) was probably my favorite story from this half-unit.  It really got me thinking and I spent a few minutes at the end of the story trying to figure it out.  I was kind of miffed that I wasn’t given an answer to be honest!

I still didn’t really find anything in these stories that I thought I would be able to work into my Storybook.  None of the characters or settings really stuck with me and for my storybook, none of the tales themselves will work. 

However, I definitely enjoyed reading these stories.  It was quite possibly one of my favorite units so far.  I love stories that keep the brain working and don’t allow you to drift into Never Never Land while you’re reading them! It’s great to stay engaged with a story from start to finish, which is rare for me, even though I am an avid reader!

Goblin. Source: Wikipedia

Reading Diary A: Twenty-Two Goblins

I chose to read the Twenty-Two Goblins unit this week.  It’s an incredibly interesting and entertaining unit and definitely has my brain working!  

The set up for these tales are really cool.  I like how each individual story is told by the Goblin to try to trick the King.  However, the King is, unfortunately, clever enough to unravel the riddles which sends the Goblin back and leads to yet another story.  This is a really unique style and I might try to work something similar into some of my own stories. 

The only riddle that I was able to solve easily was The Girl, Her Husband and Her Brother.  For me, this riddle was easy, but the rest really stretched my brain.  I solved one or two others, but barely!

There were no stories in particular that really grabbed my attention on its own.  Each story is unique and interesting, but none were so outstanding that I could take any ideas from it.  I think it might be fun to work some riddles into my own stories, but only if it works with my story line.

Overall, I liked the setup of the stories in this unit.  I like how they are all linked but in a more subtle way that doesn’t interfere with the stories themselves.  

Goblin Tree.  Source: Wikipedia. 

Tech Tip Website: Newly Created Storybook

For my project this week, I had to decide between doing a portfolio and creating a storybook.  I chose to create a storybook since I have already invested so much time in coming up with an idea! Not to mention, if things don’t go as well as planned, I can always change my mind! 

So, I created the website for my storybook on Google Sites.  It’s a great site that was surprisingly easy to use, especially for someone as technologically challenged as I am! The hardest part was deciding on a theme for my page, even though I can always change that later.  It works a little like Blogger, but with new pages instead of just new posts.

If you’re interested in looking at the bare bones of my new Storybook, My Brothers Grimm: The Diary of the Only Grimm Sister (at least that’s my working title for now), then feel free! I’ll start adding content to it as soon as I can!

Extra Reading Diary: Brothers Grimm (Ashliman) Unit

For Week 4, I chose to read another Grimm Brothers unit, specifically the Grimm Ashliman unit.  The half of the unit that I read was very entertaining, but not particularly useful for my potential storybook project.  Most of the stories were tales of animals and animal villains.  There were a few stories that I could potentially twist for my purposes, but I’m not sure right now.  I’ll definitely have to think about it. 

I found it interesting that the stories of Little Red Cap and The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids were so similar.  Of course the wolf was the villain who devoured people or an animal’s children, but they were taken care of in the exact same way.  When someone discovered what the wolf had done, they cut the wolf open to discover that the people were alive and well, then they filled the wolf’s belly with stones.  I thought that was rather different: the same story told with slightly different characters.

Yawning Wolf. Source: Wikimedia

The Singing Bone was a fantastic story in my opinion.  I would like to try to come up with some way to work it into my storybook, although it would definitely take some work.  I liked that one brother was killed by his envious brother and that his bones sang the tale of his death.  It was definitely unique for me.

I also like the story of Rumpelstiltskin.  It would be a lot of fun to work this one into my storybook.  I’m not sure how I would do it exactly, but it is a good fit for my idea for My Brothers Grimm.  I might use it as my first story so that I have an easy story to work out the kinks with, then work in the tales that would require a little more creativity. 

Week 4 Storytelling: A Tale of Two Brothers

The CEO was named John Hedj.  He was the leader of a multibillion dollar technology firm that specialized in keeping a variety of people’s money secure.  He had a state of the art building in New York City, enclosed in glass and full of steel and humming computers.  The facility was the most secure building in the world. 

The money of the richest clients was actually secured on a computer in Hedj’s office on the top floor.  The money codes could be downloaded to any bank computer in the world for instant access.  This included the riches of Hedj himself.  However, two of the programmers, brothers in fact, contrived a backdoor into the program.

A few years later, the brothers’ mother was dying of cancer and they did not have the money to pay for the hospital bills.  They went to a wireless café in NYC and hacked back into the computer system, transfer a small amount of money into a secure bank account.  When they had their money, they ensured that they had left no trace of their presence.

Hedj was furious when he discovered some of his money was missing.  Again and again, the hackers returned and stole more and more of his money.  Finally, Hedj decided to hire a new programmer to create a Trojan horse in the system that would attack any foreign entities. 

A few weeks later, the brothers returned, needing yet more money for their mother’s hospital bills.  As they had planned, one brother hacked in to secure the system and the other held back to steal the money.  As the first brother hacked into the program, the Trojan horse struck.  It locked up his computer and activated his webcam, sending the image and information to Hedj’s security firm.  He knew it was too late for him and that he would spend his life in jail, but he was able to save his brother from the same fate. 

---------------------------------------------------------

Years later, the brother was finally put on trial for his crimes.  He would surely receive life in prison for all that he had done, especially since he had stolen money from such powerful people. 

Meanwhile, his recently recovered mother grieved in secret.  She knew that her son had only stolen the money to pay for her hospital bills, and she knew her other son could free him with the use of his skills. 

The free brother set up a system of computers that would constantly jumble the IP addresses, throwing off any people trying to trace him.  He then hacked into the computers of the attorneys and Hedj’s company, erasing all copies of the evidence against his brother.  In the modern world, he knew that there were no hard copies of the data and that this would cancel the trial and free his brother.

Hedj was furious that the hacker had escaped.  He knew then that he must have had help to hack into his company.  He hired a female hacker, the best in the world.  He told her to send out feelers for a pair of hackers who had accumulated vast sums of money. 

She talked to many people in the hacker community and at length she found them.  The hackers knew someone was looking for them and they set up a meet with the woman.  The brother who had remained free was the one to approach her.  She said that she would help him hack into the company again if he told her how he had done it in the first place.

He told her, but when she tried to seize him and take him to Hedj, he got away.  Any attempts to track the brother were thwarted.  When the woman returned to Hedj and told him how the hacker had erased all traces of himself online, the CEO was impressed.  He sent out a proclamation online, offering a pardon and a reward if he turned himself in.

The hacker went readily, certain that there was no evidence of his activities. Hedj was so amazed by the hacker’s abilities that he gave him a job within his company.  There is no one more creative than a hacker, but this man had no equal in the world.

Computer Hacker. Source: Wikipedia

Author’s Note: 

I chose The Tale of King Rhampsinitus for my story this week. In the original story, a King built a chamber to house his treasures but one of the builders left a removable stone in the wall.  The sons of the builder later broke in, until one brother was caught in a trap.  The remaining brother cut of his head to protect his identity and later impressed the King so much that he was pardoned. 

For my rewrite, I decided to place the story in modern day.  I took the idea of digital money from the movie The Losers.  In my version, the brothers are hackers who steal money from a CEO whose security program they wrote.  The word Hedj is actually the ancient Egyptian word for silver or money.  I thought it was appropriate for the setup of the story.  

“The Tale of King Rhampsinitus” from Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie (1907). Web Source: Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook. 

Reading Diary B: Ancient Egypt

The second half of the Ancient Egypt unit was more interesting for me.  I liked the longer stories and how they flowed more easily.  I enjoyed each of the stories for different reasons. 

The Two Brothers was intriguing.  I enjoyed the set up and the fact that Bata never truly died.  Every time a wrong was done to him he was reborn.  Every time his wife caused his death, he was given a new body to spite her. 

With The Book of Thoth, I liked the parallelism of the story, using the same words to describe the death of Merab and Ahura.  However, personally I find it kind of annoying to reread the same words again, but I do understand the use of the parallelism.  It added to the drama of the story.

I find it interesting how the villains or mischievous people in Egyptian myths are not always punished.  Some of the misdeeds are ignored, and some are actually rewarded for their ingenuity, as in The Tale of King Rhampsinitus.  I think that this would be interesting to use in my own Storybook about the Grimm Brothers’ sister.  She could use her intellect to outsmart some of the villains, and in return they allow her brothers to escape.  

Egyptian Temple. Source: Wikipedia

Reading Diary A: Ancient Egypt

I have always had a fascination with Egyptian myth.  I never really delved into it like I have done with Greek mythology, but it’s always drawn me.  Growing up, I played a computer game that was centered on the Egyptian gods and goddesses, which might contribute to my captivation.

This is why I chose to read the unit on Ancient Egyptian Myths and Stories.  It seemed incredibly interesting and was something that I have always wanted to learn more about.  Unfortunately, I did not find anything that really grabbed my attention for my own stories.  I loved the stories and the myths, but the style and most of the characters for this half unit did not fit with my storytelling style. 

However, the Secret Name of Ra did have a slight draw.  I like how though she coveted and connived to get his power, Isis did not kill Ra nor were there any repercussions for her actions. 

I find it interesting that the gods lived in the world of man and that they aged.  Ra began as a king on earth before ascending to the heavens.  I also find it intriguing that the Egyptian gods can die.  Osiris died at the hands of Set and Ra could have died at the hands of mankind.

Tutankhamun Falcon. Source: Wikimedia Commons

My Brothers Grimm: Possible Styles

Topic

My Storybook will be about the only daughter in the Grimm family, Charlotte.  She will be following her brothers from story to story, helping them solve the mysteries and vanquish the monsters.  However, I don’t want them to know that she is helping them.  They think that she is at home, being a good little girl as is expected.  Like many girls, this is far from the truth. 

For my Storybook, I want to use the Grimm fairytales that have are based around a (more-or-less) human villain.  Be it witches or fairies or anything in between, I think that human monsters would be the best option for my storybook.  Because of this, I am thinking of including the story of Jorindaand Jorindel and possibly Hansel andGrethel.  Choosing which stories to use will be the hardest part, since I have to determine which ones will work with my idea. 

Bibliography

"Jorinda and Jorindel" from Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm, translated by Edgar Taylor and Marian Edwardes (1912). 

"Hansel and Grethel" from Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884). 

Possible Styles

Charlotte’s View:

This is the most straight forward option for my Storybook.  I would write the stories as Charlotte is living them, so the reader gets to experience the stories first hand.  They will get the emotions that Charlotte is feeling and get to hear her inner dialogue with herself.  Not to mention the reader would get to feel her fear and worry as she tries to help (or more often save) her brothers.

Dear Diary:

Another idea I have is to have the stories told in Charlotte’s diary.  With this style, the reader will be able to see what Charlotte thought about her adventures in retrospect.  The reader will be able to not only hear the about the adventure, but also her thoughts and feelings about how she could have dealt with the problems differently.  They will be able to see her doubt about not letting her brothers know she is helping them and the things that she is unwilling to tell anyone else about.

Bedtime Story:

Bedtime stories are always fun! Charlotte could be telling her young children about her adventures when she was younger.  The stories will be a little softer and will always have a happy ending since it is intended for a younger audience, specifically her young children.  No mother wants to terrify her children right before bed, so a happy ending to all the fairytales would be the right choice.  This would be almost a Disney-fied style, but Charlotte will still be a part of the tales since it is the story of her life.

Setting the Record Straight:

With this style, I thought it would be interesting to have Charlotte tell her brothers that she was always there with them.  Of course, they don’t believe her so she has to tell the stories with details that have never been told, details that would make it clear that she had to have been present.  My setup for this style is that her brothers were getting a little cocky and boastful one night, and Charlotte had enough.

Diary. Source: Flickr

Extra Reading Diary: Brothers Grimm (Librivox) Unit

I decided to follow up on my idea of reading all the Grimm units over the course of the semester by finishing the Grimm Librivox Unit.  Overall, I did not read much in this half-unit that I may use in the future.  However, there were a few things as well as one story that I love.

In The Twelve Huntsman, a group of nearly identical woman dress up as men and present themselves to a prince, who was once the love of the princess who called the group together.  I love the idea of women dressing as men to fool those around them.  I especially like the idea of them so easily fooling someone that they love, or even family.

Jorinda and Jorindel seemed like a story that I could use for either of my Grimm storybook ideas.  I could use the old fairy for my Misunderstood Villains idea, or the story overall for the My Grimm Brothers storybook.  I’m not sure yet though.

There was one story in this unit that is near and dear to my heart.  The Twelve Dancing Princesses is a story that I grew up reading.  In fact, I still have the illustrated book that I had as a kid.  It is one of my FAVORITE stories from my childhood.  On another note, it could be an interesting idea for the My Grimm Brothers storybook…

The Twelve Dancing Princesses Book Cover. Source: Flickr

Week 3 Storytelling: The Human Child of a Mother-Wolf

Curious Wolf. Source: Kiza

There I was, perfectly content loping through the woods in search of game.  I knew there had to be deer around here that I could feed to my young sons, I just had to find them.

Suddenly, I caught a whiff of something disgusting.  Humans.  Nasty, filthy, horrible beasts.  I slunk through the bushes towards the smell, hoping for an easy meal, but I didn’t see any of the beasts around.  However, I did hear some whimpering coming from one of the bushes to my left.

When I eased toward the sound, I found one of their repulsive offspring.  I crept forward, preparing to pounce and end its life.  It would make a decent meal for my four young sons, but then I had a thought:  If I save this human, it may one day repay the favor. 

So I raised it alongside my true sons, hoping that my decision would one day pay off.  It was quite the burden, no hair to keep it warm, no strong teeth to kill pray.  While it ran on four legs like us, it was much slower than we were.  It was a struggle to keep it alive in those early years.

Eventually, the human was taken by a hunter, a prince nonetheless.  I was glad that my family and I would finally be free from its stench.  I ran after the human with my sons, making it seem like I wanted it back in case it one day returned.

------------------------------------------------------

Years later, the royal family held a hunt in my woods.  I was an old she-wolf by then, not as fast as I had once been.  My sons were able to run from the hunters while I tried to hide in the bush.  The hunter’s hounds, however, sniffed me out. They bayed to the hunters and gave chase. 

I ran, but the hunting party was right on my tail.  I knew the royal’s home was not far and the human had to be there.  I decided that it was time for the human to repay my former kindness.  I ran for the palace, with the hounds nipping at my heels and the horses thundering behind them.  I howled and yelped as I ran, hoping that the beast would hear my approach.

As I burst through the trees, I could smell my two-legged “child”.  I bolted straight for its scent, hoping that it would recognize me.  Thankfully, it opened its robes and embraced me.  The beast declared that I, and my true children, were under its protection and were welcome at its table.  Praise the Moon! The stupid beast had fallen for my false love.

From then on, my sons and I dined at the human’s table.  We had food coming out our tails.  All we had to do was howl for entry and we were welcomed to its bountiful table.  It was the best life that a she-wolf could ask for. 

Now if only we could figure out how to kill the beast and keep the food...

Bountiful Table. Source: Wikipedia

Author's Note: 

I based my story off of the tale The Wolf-Mother of Saint Ailbe in the Saints and Animals unit.  The original story is of a kindly wolf mother who comes across an abandoned child in her territory.  She takes the child and raises his as her own until he is taken by a hunter, the prince.  The child grew up to become a much loved Bishop.  However, he never forgot the wolf who raised him.  When she came to him with the hunting party on her tail, his love returned and he saved her life.

This story made me think of all the tales where the wolf is the villain.  Usually the wolves are just brutes that attack in a more or less straight forward manner.  They do not think long term or consider how they may be affected in the future.  Because of this, I wanted to write about a wolf that was thinking about her future.  In fact, she’s thinking of saving an infant so that it will help her much later in life.  It gave the story a darker twist and showed that the wolf was not a simple animal.  They are intelligent as well as strong and crafty.  They kill when it benefits them, such as food or protection, so why wouldn’t a smart wolf prolong a life if it benefited them farther down the line? 

"The Wolf-Mother of Saint Ailbe" from the Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts, by Abbie Farwell Brown (1900). Web Source: Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook

Reading Diary B: Saints and Animals

This half of the Saints and Animals unit was not nearly as interesting to me.  Half of the readings were in the style of ballads, which I don’t really like.  However, the first two readings of the story were very interesting to me.

The Fish Who Helped Saint Gudwall was entertaining.  I like how the island was dangerous for half of the year, which is of course not the time when the saint moved to the island.  I also liked how, even though the saint prayed to God, it was the fish who heard his prayer and decided to help.  I think this is an interesting story device, especially for a religious tale.

The Wolf-Mother of Saint Ailbe was great.  It reminded me so much of the She-Wolf who raised Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome.  It makes me wonder if maybe it was a way of incorporating the pagan story into Christianity. 

She-Wolf Bronze Statue.  Source: Wikipedia

These stories gave me a few storytelling ideas, but are definitely not my favorites.  I like some of the other stories that I have read more.  

Reading Diary A: Saints and Animals

I don’t know about anyone else, but I always love when stories have animals.  And I’m definitely one of the first to cry when an animal dies in a movie or TV show.  My love for animals is why I chose the Saints and Animals unit.  Who wouldn’t love a unit all about how animals have helped others!

The story of the Underdog is one as old as time and it always seems to strike a chord with me.   (While this isn't technically an idea concerning animals, it does have an animal in the name! I know, not the same, but I'm including it anyway.) This is why I liked Saint Kentigern and the Robin so much.  The idea of a group of people ganging up on one person and still being the ones to fail is hilarious.  Especially one who is seemingly as insignificant as Kentigern.  While he may be the star pupil, he has no friends and no one to help him.  He is a true underdog, and yet he still wins in the end. 

I also love when there is someone or something in a story that causes animals to put aside their differences.  The animals in Saint Blaise and His Beasts is such a story.  The animals were so devoted to Blaise that they were able to ignore their lifelong rivalries to be with him.  I think this is an idea that would be fun to expand beyond the animals.  Many stories are told of people who put aside their arguments for the greater good, even if it is for a limited time.

Animals are an amazing story device.  They are something that all people can relate to, whether they have a favorite animal or have grown up with them.  I think including an animal in a story is a great way to get people connected with the plot.  

Sanctuary Wolves.  Source: Wikipedia

Possible Storybook Topics

Topic: Grimm Brothers – Grimm: Past and Present; Grimm Brothers vs. True Blood (Eric & Pam)

My Idea:  I want to have the Grimm Brothers time travel to modern day.  I think that I want them to meet people from some of my favorite televisions shows.  I took the idea from the Storybook that had them meet the Winchesters, which I think was an amazing idea.  I think I would either have them meet the characters from the TV show Grimm (how ironic would that be) or even meet Eric and Pam from True Blood.  I’m not sure how these stories would play out, but it would be fun!

Comments:  I love the Grimm Brothers.  I have decided to do my extra readings throughout the semester from the Grimm units, and I think that a Storybook based off of them would be a lot of fun.  I want to continue reading and learning about the Grimm tales.  I hope that I get the chance to learn about how these stories came to be.

Possible Stories:  Red Riding Hood a.k.a Little Red Cap - Great story to link the past and the present as it is almost a universal warning story. 

Sources: The UnTextbook; University of Pittsburgh

Bibliography Info

                Sample Story: Little Red Cap

                Book Title: The Grimm Brother's Children and Household Tales

                Book Author: Translated by D.L. Ashliman

                Year: 1998-2013

Grimm Brothers. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Topic: My Brothers Grimm

My Idea: I think it would be a lot of fun to write about the Grimm fairytales from the viewpoint of their younger sister, Charlotte.  I’d like to think that she surreptitiously followed them on all of their adventures, watching them and often helping them without their knowledge.  She’s the one who wrote down the stories.  In a way, it’s like the movie, where the brothers are trying to save people and vanquish the villains in many of their fairytales. 

Comments: Like I’ve said, I love the Grimm brothers and am doing my extra readings on them.  I love the idea of inserting women into the stories of old, since usually the women are weak or very insignificant characters.  I like that I get to learn more about the Grimm family in general, as I never knew they had a sister until I started researching for my other Grimm topic.

Possible Stories: Hansel and Grethel - I think this would be a perfect story for the sister to write about. She could help them from behind the scenes and it's a story that has enough body to be able to twist to my idea.

Source: The UnTextbook, Wikipedia, University of Pittsburgh

Bibliography Info

                 Sample Story: Hansel and Grethel

                 Book Title: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm

                 Book Author: Translated by Margaret Hunt

                 Year: 1884

Topic: Why Are We the Villains?  Misunderstood: It’s Not Our Fault  

          Villain or Misunderstood?

My Idea: I want to rewrite the fairytales from the Villains’ perspectives.  I loved the movie Maleficent, and think that it would be awesome to use the same concept with other villains.

Comments: Of course I’ve encountered many of the fairytales before, in books, stories, and on screen.  We all hear about how evil and hateful the villains are, but very few people are inherently bad.  I want to write about how and why these villains are so vengeful towards the heroes and heroines of the fairytales.  I want to use the Grimm fairytales as a jumping off point for my stories.

Possible Stories: Rumpelstiltskin

Sources: The UnTextbook; Wikipedia

Bibliography Info

                Sample Story: Rumplestiltskin

                Book Title: The Grimm Brothers Children's and Household Tales

                Book Author: Translated by D.L. Ashliman

                Year: 1998-2013

Topic: The Real Story of “King Arthur” 

My Idea: I’d like to write this legend with a significant twist.  I want “King Arthur” to be a woman, a woman who was so strong and such a fantastic leader that she was able to rule in Medieval England.  The reason that it was translated into a King was simply because later historians couldn’t believe a woman had ruled and battled in England so effectively.

Comments: I grew up reading books and seeing movies/TV shows based on the legend of King Arthur.  I know the basic story like most people do, about Excalibur and the Lady of the Lake and what not.  I do want to explore the legend further and learn the whole story, not just what is common knowledge.  I’ve read stories where Arthur and his Knights are Vampires and the Women are Witches, stories where Merlin is a woman, amongst others.

Possible Stories: The Drawing of the Sword- I definitely need to include this story as                               it sets up the entire legend

                                  The Round Table – Marriage of Guinevere; How could I not include the story of the                     round table?

           King Arthur and Morgan le Fay

Sources: Arthurian Legend  Wikipedia   The UnTextbook

Bibliography Info

                Sample Story: The Drawing of the Sword

                Book Title: King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table

                Book Author: Andrew Lang

                Year: 1902

Extra Reading Diary: Brothers Grimm (Librivox) Unit

For my Extra Reading this week I chose the Brothers Grimm (Librivox) unit.  I like how the fairy tales by the Grimm Brothers seem to be intended as warnings.  They warn people of what may happen to them if they do not think through their actions.  While some tales end happily, things always go wrong before they go right.  This is almost exactly the same way that romance novels today are written.  The two meet, they have a fight/something happens, then they make up and love each other again. 

I loved the story of Briar Rose.  I think that it is funny that the Disney version of the story is set up as if the Prince saved the kingdom, when he was really just in the right place at the right time.  True Love’s Kiss has no presence in this story, which I really liked.

I really liked how the villains in these stories are only acting on revenge.  In the case of the fairy in Briar Rose, she wasn’t invited to the celebration and saw it as a slight against her by the entire kingdom.  In the story of Rapunzel, the witch imagines that Rapunzel is trying to escape from her, which leads to her acting out against both Rapunzel and the Prince.  

I love stories that are told from the villain’s point of view.  I think that it gives the story an interesting dynamic that I am hoping I will get to explore this semester. 

I am going to try to read all the Grimm units for my Extra Readings this semester!  I'm so excited!

The Fairy Maleficent. Source: Flickr