Storytelling: The Three Roses

~I was dancing in a grand hall surrounded by people. My dress glimmered in the chandelier light and my hair was an intricate weaving of braids. I had never felt so stunning. I had just started to dance with the most handsome man, when I began to fall through the paper thin floor. It was the strangest thing. The floor simply began to crumble and down I went.~

I woke with a start. What a strange dream, I thought to myself. I looked out the window and saw that the sun had begun to rise. Mother will be leaving soon. I slipped out of bed and went downstairs to start breakfast so that she would have something to eat before she headed out. I always hated to see her go, but being a single mom didn't leave many options when it came to work. So, she had to travel a lot. My mother came downstairs and soon my two older sisters followed. 

"Good morning girls," she said. "Would you like me to bring you back anything from the trip?"

"I want a pearl necklace," said Priscilla. She was the oldest. 

"I want a sparkling broach," said Abigale. She was the second child.

"And what about you Mary? Do you want anything?" My mother asked me, the youngest.

"I have everything I could possibly need, but if you insist on bringing gifts I will accept three roses," I responded. 

Soon after my mother departed on her trip. This trip was supposed to shorter than many of her others. She estimated that she would be back by the next evening. So, for the rest of that day and the next I went on like I would any other day. Evening came and mother still had not arrived. I tried not to worry because sometimes she returned a little later than she anticipated, so I decided to wait until morning to panic. 

The next morning I awoke to the sound of my mother frantically calling my name. "Mary! Mary," she exclaimed. "I have had the most horrific night!"

She then went on to tell me the story of why she had been late returning home. It was quite unbelievable. She said that she had left late and didn't make it out of the woods before nightfall. So, she got lost and couldn't find her way out. However, she happened to stumble onto a beautiful castle with a splendid garden. So, she decided to pick me some roses. She had just plucked the third rose from the bush when she heard a low voice. She turned to see a basilisk standing behind her. She was terrified and explained that the roses were for me and that she was sorry for seemingly stealing them. The basilisk then demanded that she give me to it in exchange for the flowers or he would tear her to pieces. My mother, not knowing what else to do, agreed and quickly returned home. 

Her story was no doubt extravagant, but I would do anything for her and told her to take me to this basilisk. Once we arrived at the castle, I said goodbye to my mother and made my way inside. The basilisk quickly greeted me. "Now that you are here you must cook for me, clean my quarters, and help me bathe everyday. Then you must sing to me until I fall asleep." There was nothing else for me to do, so I agreed. I followed this routine for weeks, but after awhile it didn't feel so tedious. It was actually nice taking care of someone.

A month had gone by and I was starting to like the basilisk. One day he came in while I was cooking and told me to cut off his head with the sword that he held in his hand. I was horrified, for I had never done such a thing. He got angry and insisted that I comply with his wishes or he would inflict serious pain, so I did as I was told. 

No sooner had I unwillingly cut off his head, then a long serpent with the keys to the palace sprang forth. He asked me to cut off his head again and this time I didn't even hesitate. As soon as the blade came in contact with his neck he transformed into a handsome young prince. "This palace belongs to me," he said. "You have been kind to me this past month and I have grown quite fond of you. I would like to repay you for breaking my curse by taking your hand in marriage. If you will have me that is."

I was shocked, but I had already warmed up to him in basilisk form and seeing him as a human made those feelings turn into something more. It was easy to accept his proposal. So, we sent for my mother and sisters and had a huge wedding celebration. There was music and food and laughter and dancing. I ended the night dancing with the most handsome man in the ballroom, but this time I didn't fall through the floor. It wasn't a nightmare; it was a dream come true and we lived happily ever after. 

Author's note: My story is based off of The Three Roses from the Key of Gold by Josef Baudis. The original has the same plot line except for what the basilisk asks of Mary. In the original she is supposed to nurse him for three hours a day and she only does it for three days. I thought that this was a little strange, so I changed the task required of her to something less uncomfortable. I also extended the time frame because I wanted to give her the chance to get to know the basilisk, so that when he asked her to marry him at the end there would already be some type of feelings there. It wouldn't just be an obligatory proposal. I also began my story with the ending line of the original. I did this because it felt out of place at the end, in my opinion. It was very dream like, so I wanted to build off of that. I chose the names Priscilla and Abigale because they sound a little "snotty" and based off of what they ask for, they kind of give off that vibe. I kept Mary's name the same to stick to the original story. I also chose to tell it from her perspective because I thought it gave the story a little more complexity. I chose the first image to help give an idea of what Mary was dreaming about. I chose the second image to show the beauty of the roses in the garden. I chose the third image because it was the human form of the Beast (Prince Adam) from Beauty and the Beast and because I love the detail. 

Bibliography: The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis; Mythfolklore Untextbook

Image 1: Ballroom from team-eta.blogspot.com; found on Pinterest

Image 2: Three Roses by Steve Lohmueller; Steve Lohmueller Photography

Image 3: Prince Adam/ Beast by Jirka Väätäinen; "Real Life" Disney Characters

Reading Notes: Czech Folktales Part B

Nine at a Blow was a good read. It kept me interested the whole time and completely caught me by surprise at the end. Sneaky little tailor! I don't know what I would do with this story but it is one of my favorites this unit.

A Clever Lass was awesome! I'd love to make this a modern story about a couple getting into an argument. I think it would be fun to switch the roles, like have the male take the female with him. I think there is a lot of potential here.

Image Info: farm girl by fourswords

Bibliography: The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis; Mythfolkore Untextbook

Reading Notes: Czech Folktales Part A

I like the story of Silly Jura. I love underdog stories almost as much as I like fairy tales. There is just something about watching someone, who is expected to fail, succeed. If I adapted this story I would probably elaborate on the time spent with the cat/lady more. I would want to go deeper into their relationship than just the mere surface the original provides.

The Bear, the Eagle, and the Fish was an interesting story. I like the use of animals in the stories I have read this semester. After reading so many, you'd think I would be used to enchanted twists, but I was still a bit surprised. I think it would be interesting to tell the story from either the perspective of one of the daughters or of the brother.

Kojata reminded me of a few different stories that I read this semester. Having to pick her out of a line up and turning into different objects were both plots of different stories I have previously read. i don't know what I would do with this story, I just thought that was super cool!

The Three Roses was kind of disappointing. I love Beauty and the Beast so I was really looking forward to this one. It was just bizarre. I liked that it was a single mother instead of a father because you don't see that very often. However, it was very scarce on details and felt like it was being hurried along. Plus the ending was really out of place in my opinion. I think it would be interesting to adapt this story into a dream because the last line reminded me of something dream like.


Bibliography: The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis; Mythfolklore Untextbook

Image 1: My Dream of You by Filmchild; Pinterest
Image 2: Three Roses by Steve Lohmueller; Steve Lohmueller Photography

Portfolio Index

The Three Lovers: A modern-day love story of a girl who must choose between three stand-up guys, the toll the decision takes on her, and the way she is able to come to a decision.

The Fish-Peri: A tale of a fairy whose longing for a less lonely life leads her on a journey to finding true love and the obstacles she and her love must face to ensure their happily ever after.

The Stonecutter's Wife: A story of a woman who becomes dissatisfied with her life and wishes for more. However, in searching for happiness in material objects, she finds that she has lost touch with the source of her true happiness and longs for it to be restored. Will she get her wish?

The Fairy Bride: A tale of a young Indian Princess who has always wanted to live a magical life. However, her mother had other plans. With an impending arranged marriage, will Neen-i-zu give up on her dream? Or will she get her happily ever after?

Briar Rose: A bedtime story about a sleeping girl, her kingdom, and the brave boy who was able to wake her up. He broke the spell and the two fell in love. This story couldn't possibly get any better, or could it?

~~~I had a blast recreating these stories and putting them into a portfolio. I was thrilled to be able to keep the theme of love throughout each of my stories and am so happy with how they turned out. I love each of these stories, but my favorite of this bunch is probably Briar Rose. It's just so endearing and I loved that I was able to end my portfolio with a bedtime story. I thought it was the perfect way to wrap it up. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them!~~~

Storytelling: Briar Rose

"Daddy, will you tell us the story again? Please?!" The two little brown-haired, green-eyed girls squealed as they clambered into bed.

"OK, I'll tell you the story. Settle down now," Prince Phillip chuckled as he tucked the giggling princesses into bed. "Here we go....."

~Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who ruled a land where fairies still resided. They had plenty of material things, but they had been married many years and were still childless. This made them very sad.

One day the queen was walking in her garden next to the river when she saw a poor fish that had thrown itself out of the water. The queen felt sorry for the fish and threw it back into the water. The fish was grateful to the kind queen and told her that soon her wish to have a child would be fulfilled.

The fish's promise soon came true and the queen gave birth to a beautiful daughter named Briar Rose. The king was so filled with joy that he decided to hold a magnificent feast to celebrate. He invited all of the citizens of his land.

The queen decided to invite the fairies as well. There were thirteen fairies in their kingdom, but they only had enough room for twelve. So, they had to leave out one of the fairies. The twelve fairies that were invited came to the joyful event and took turns blessing Briar Rose with lovely gifts. One gave her a kind heart, one gave her beauty, and so on until she had everything good in the world.

The eleventh fairy had just finished blessing Briar Rose, when a noise echoed through the ballroom. Whispers quickly started to spread that the thirteenth fairy had arrived. She was not pleasant like the other fairies. She entered the ballroom and scolded the king and queen for not inviting her. She was so mad that she cursed the child to die from a wound inflicted by a spinning wheel on her fifteenth birthday.

The king and queen were heartbroken. The twelfth fairy had not blessed Briar Rose yet and told them that even though the curse had to be fulfilled, she could soften the consequences to a deep slumber of one hundred years instead of death. So, this was the gift she gave to Briar Rose.

The king and queen still hoped they could avoid the curse and ordered that all of the spinning wheels in the kingdom be rounded up and burned. In the meantime, the princess grew up and all of the other gifts were fulfilled. She was so beautiful and kind-hearted and everyone who knew her loved her dearly.

On her fifteenth birthday, her parents were away and she was left alone in the palace. She went exploring and found an old tower with an old door that had a small golden key in the knob. She slowly turned the key and gently pushed the door open. In the middle of the room sat a spinning wheel. She had never seen one before and set to inspecting the strange object. Briar Rose ran her finger across the spindle and pricked her finger. The curse was fulfilled and she fell lifeless to the floor.

~"Oh no!" the girls cried.

"Don't worry," Phillip reassured them. "She's just asleep, remember?"

"Oh yeah!" they said simultaneously. "Keep going, Daddy!"

"Alright," he continued.

~Briar Rose was not the only one who fell asleep. Her entire kingdom had fallen under the spell, including her parents who had arrived home just as the curse was taking place. While the kingdom fell into the deep slumber, a thick hedge of thorns grew around the palace. Every year it grew taller and thicker until the palace was completely hidden from view. However, word spread throughout the lands of the beautiful princess and her sleeping kingdom. Every so often a king's son would try to make his way through the hedge to the palace, but they always got stuck in the thorns and never made it out.

Many years later, a young prince came into the land and an old man told him the story of Briar Rose and the palace hidden amidst the thorns. The man also told the prince of the countless princes who tried in vain to seek her out. This did not frighten the prince. So he set out to try his luck despite the old man's objections.

It just so happened that it had been exactly one hundred years since the curse fell and so when the prince came to the hedge all he saw were beautiful flowering shrubs, which he easily made his way through. Then he made his way to the palace. He entered the palace and saw the sleeping court.
He continued on until he finally reached the tower. He pushed open the door and saw Briar Rose fast asleep on the floor. He was so enchanted by her beauty that he stooped down and gently kissed her.

As soon as the prince kissed her, she opened her eyes and smiled at him. They made their way down from the tower to find the rest of the kingdom waking up as well. The two wed soon after and they lived happily ever after.

~"The end," said Phillip. "Goodnight, girls, I love you."

"Goodnight, Daddy," the little princesses said.

Phillip put out the light and gently shut the girls' door. He made his way to his room where his wife was waiting.

"The same story again, huh?" she asked.

"Yeah, but I never get tired of it. I could tell the story of us a thousand times," Phillip replied.

Briar Rose smiled at him and he smiled at her. They knew the ending to the story was true, they were definitely living happily ever after.

Author's Note: My story is very similar to the original story of Briar Rose. The plot is exactly the same, but retold in my own words. I wanted to keep the original intact, but add a new flare to it. I thought it would be cute to have it being told as a bedtime story. I thought it would be fun to have the prince from the story being the one retelling the story and it made it even sweeter that he was telling it to his daughters. I liked the idea that Briar Rose and Phillip went on to have children and they loved each other so much that they shared their enchanting story with their eager daughters. The girls having such a strong interest in the story makes it even sweeter because they love listening to how their parents met and the fascinating circumstances that led to their encounter. It was a challenge trying to figure out how to flip back and forth between the dialogue of Phillip and the girls and the actual story itself. I wanted to make it clear without having to add a lot to the story. I named the prince Phillip because that was the prince's name from Disney's Sleeping Beauty which is very similar to the story of Briar Rose. The story still has the fairy tale theme of love, it is just much more subtle.

Image Information: "Take the Fair Face of Woman, and Gently Suspending, With Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending, Thus Your Fairy is Made of Most Beautiful Things" by Sophie Gengembre Anderson (Wikimedia Commons)
-Photo of a Schacht Reeves spinning wheel crafted by the Reeves Family taken from http://heritagespinning.com/wheels/
-"The Council Chamber" from the "Legend of Briar Rose" by Sir Edward Burne-Jones (Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm; Mythology and Folklore Untextbook

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (LibriVox) Part B

From a Children's Story by Sybil Shearin

I really liked the story of the Queen Bee. I hadn't ever read it before, but I liked that the underdog was the one who ended up saving the day. The other two brothers still got to live seemingly happy lives after, but the younger one got a better deal and all because he was kind and considerate. I don't know how I would adapt it, but I really enjoyed reading it!

The Twelve Huntsman was a good read. I think this would be fun to make into a modern tale. A story about unrelenting love. I like that she went to be near him, but didn't do anything rash or out of character despite her broken heart. In the end their love won out and that was all that mattered.

Jordina and Jorindel would be a fun story to turn into a story resembling a modern day kidnapping. It would be kind of dark, but the original story sets it up nicely.

Bibliography: Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm; Mythology and Folklore UntextbookThe

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (LibriVox) part A

I love the story of The Frog Prince. It has been awhile since I read it. It bothered me a little that the Princess was seemingly mean to the frog and did what she did unwillingly and yet he still wanted to love her and marry her. I think it would be interesting to make the Princess and the Frog build a relationship first and then have her say she loves him and that is what breaks the curse. It seems a little to easy for the Princess to reluctantly put the frog up and then get an awesome reward.

Rapunzel is probably one of my favorite stories. I love that even though she and the prince go through so many obstacles, they still are able to be together in the end. I think it would be fun to make this a modern day story. I haven't quite figured out what details I would use, but the thought intrigues me.

Clever Elsie was definitely an interesting read. She sounds more crazy than clever to me! Ha, but I did find pity on her when her husband tricked her. I don't know how I could adapt this, but it definitely caught my attention.

I think it would be interesting to make a sequel to Briar Rose. It would be fun to see how the Prince helped her and her court adapt to the new world. I mean 100 years have gone by surely things have changed. It would also be fun to tell the story from the Prince's perspective, perhaps as a bed time story to his children.




Bibliography: Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm; Mythology and Folklore Untextbook
Image information: Image 1= The Frog Prince by Paul Friedrich Meyerheim (Wikipedia)
Image 2= The Rose Bower from the "Legend of Briar Rose" series by Sir Edward Burne-Jones (Wikimedia Commons)

Storytelling: Tattercoats

She was beautiful and she didn't even know it.

I still remember the first time I ever saw her. She was dancing down the road with a gooseherd and his geese. It was definitely a sight to see. She had tattered clothes and bare feet. Her sandy blonde hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in ages. Despite her worn down appearance, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Her smile shone brighter than a sky full of stars and her eyes were filled with a joy I had never seen before. It took me all of five seconds to fall in love with her.

I knew this was the girl I had to marry. So, I dismounted my horse and slowly made my way up to her. "Excuse me," I said. "Would you happen to know where the king is staying? I have been invited to a party he is hosting and cannot seem to find my way."

"Why yes I do," this stunning girl replied. "In fact we are headed there ourselves! Why don't you join us on the journey!"

I of course was not going to pass up the opportunity to be near her, so I agreed to walk with them. As we were walking, the gooseherd continued to play his pipe. I don't know if it was the music or just simply being in this girl's presence, but I was falling even more in love with her. I couldn't contain myself any longer.

"Will you marry me?" I blurted out. "I know we just met, but you are the most exquisite being I have ever seen and I would be so honored if you would be my wife."

She looked at me like I had lost my mind and then laughed. "That is quite the joke sir. You would be put to shame if you were to wed me and my low status. Save your proposal for one of the lovely ladies you will see tonight at the king's ball."

I will admit the rejection hurt, but I would not take no for an answer. One way or another I was going to convince her that I wanted her to be my wife. The more we walked and the more the gooseherd played his pipe, the more I fell in love with this girl. She may not have been of a high stature, but she had a heart of pure gold and that was even more valuable. She had a natural elegance and grace that made her even more precious than any gemstone a wealthy man could offer. Despite my best efforts to convince her of this, she did not believe that it was true. Her humility and modesty only made me fall for her more.

"Miss I will do anything to convince you that you are the one for me! Please meet me at the ball at midnight tonight. Come as you are and bring your friend and his geese. Come in your torn dress and bare feet and dance with me in front of the king and his court and allow me to present you as my beloved bride."

"I will consider your request kind sir. I have always wanted to attend a ball. This is where we part ways. For now," she said with a wry smirk.

These words were all I needed to give me hope that she would finally say yes. Waiting at the ball was agonizing. Every second I looked at the clock and then the grand doors and back to the clock and so on.

Finally the clock stuck twelve. I have never been so relieved in my life than when I saw that beautiful woman walk through those doors, gooseherd and flock in tow. The people of the court whispered and laughed, but I didn't care. The only thing that mattered to me was that she was there. I quickly stepped down from beside the throne and kissed her hand. I then turned my attention to the king.

"Father," I began, "I have decided that this is the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. She is the sweetest and most beautiful girl in all the land and she would make me the happiest man alive."

She was a little surprised that I was actually the prince. However, she was more surprised by what the gooseherd did next, as were we all. As soon as I had finished presenting her to my father, the gooseherd played a few low notes and her raggedy clothes turned into beautiful silk robes with jewels encrusted along the seams. A golden crown appeared upon her sandy blonde hair and the geese transformed into pages that helped hold her long train.

My father rose to greet her and accepted her as his new daughter. The trumpets sounded loudly and the people in the street congratulated me on finding the loveliest girl in all the land. The gooseherd was never heard from again; he seemed to have vanished into thin air.

As for me and the beautiful young woman, we went on to be married and are living happily ever after. To this day she still doesn't know just how truly beautiful she is. For it wasn't her clothes or representation of her wealth that made me fall in love with her, but rather her genuine smile and sparkling eyes and her humble personality. She was beautiful in appearance, but you could tell just by looking at her that there was so much more to her than that. She likes to believe that she is the lucky one of the two of us, but in all reality I am the lucky one to be able to call this one of a kind woman my wife and I will spend the rest of my life showing her just how precious she really is.


Author's Note: My story is based off of the English Fairy Tale Tattercoats from More English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs. In the original it gives the back story of how Tattercoats was the granddaughter of an old, rich lord. However, his favorite daughter died giving birth to her so he did not want anything to do with her. Tattercoats' nurse was the one who raised her and provided for her as best she could. One day news traveled through the town that the king was having a ball so that his son could choose a wife. Tattercoats wanted to attend the ball desperately and the old nurse tried to convince her grandfather to take her, but he refused. Tattercoats then relays the sad news to her friend the gooseherd who then convinces her to go to the ball with him just as they are. This is where my story picks up. It is very similar to the original in plot. The main difference is the point of view. I thought it would be cute to tell the story from the Prince's perspective to emphasize what made him fall in love with her. I loved that he fell in love with her despite her ragged appearance and I wanted to make that the most prominent part of the story. I also thought it would be cute to tell the story as a memory. It gives it a nostalgic feeling, but also really shows the Prince's love for her.

Bibliography: More English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs; Mythology and Folklore Untextbook

Image information:
-Image 1: Taken from More English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, illustrated by John Dickson Batten
-Image 2: Taken from Fairy Ring by Kate Douglas Wiggen, illustrated by Elizabeth MacKinstry

Reading Notes: More English Fairy Tales Part A

The Golden Ball was an interesting read. The whole time I just wanted to know what was so important about that ball that the girl had to be hung if she lost it. I also wondered how the guy who gave it to her would even know if she lost it. I could write a story that answered one or both of those questions. This story already has a love aspect in it, so I could also incorporate that into my version to keep up with my running theme.

I liked Tattercoats. It reminded me of Cinderella a little bit. I love that the Prince fell in love with her just as she was instead of the dolled up version. I think it would be fun to take this story and make it into a modern day love story. I think I'm leaning towards this one.

Illustration by John Dickson Batten taken from the book More English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jaocbs

The Old Witch caught my attention mainly because of the moral. I like that it was a story about treating others how you want to be treated. I'm not really sure how I could adapt this story, but I really enjoyed reading it.

Bibliography: More English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs; Mythology and Folklore Untextbook

Storytelling: Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree

 

 My name is Alastrina and I am the second wife of the beloved prince. His first wife, Gold-Tree, died tragically not too long ago. Many say it was at the hands of her own mother, but nothing was ever proven. She was the most beautiful woman in all of the land. It's kind of hard to compete with that. My husband does make an effort to be happy or at least pretend. I can tell that he still misses her and probably always will, but that doesn't keep me from loving him. I would give anything to see him smile again.

     My husband has taken leave on a hunting trip and has left me to my own devices. I have wandered this palace many times and have explored every room. Well, there is actually one room I have never been inside. My husband keeps it locked and always carries the key with him. However, I did not see him wearing it this morning when he departed on his trip. I will find the key and finally see what he has painstakingly been keeping a secret. 

     It has been at least ten minutes since I opened the secret door and I still cannot believe what I am seeing. Lying in the center of the room, on a gorgeous canopied bed, is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. This must be my beloved husband's first wife. She is even more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. Her hair is as dark as ebony and shines in the sunlight peaking through the window. Her skin is as fair as the snow that covers the mountain peaks in the winter. Her face is peaceful as if she is merely sleeping. No wonder he never buried her, a beauty like this must be preserved, not discarded. 

     I wonder if I could wake her up. I know she is dead, but if I could wake her up I could make my husband the happiest man in the world. There is nothing I wouldn't give to see his eyes light up one more time. Hmmm what is that in her finger? It looks like a stab, that has no place on such a beautiful woman so I'll remove it. Even if I can't wake her up, there is no point in keeping this unsightly splinter in her finger. 

     I still can't comprehend what just happened. As soon as I removed the stab from Gold-Tree's finger she woke up. The stab must have been poisoned or something of that nature. My husband will be so thrilled to have his first love back. I guess this means he will no longer have a use for me, but his happiness is the most important thing to me and I am willing to step aside so they can be together again. He will be home tonight; I will share the wonderful news with him then and inform him of my departure from the palace. 

     I have never seen my husband so happy in all the time that we have been together. His face lit up brighter than the sun or any other star I have ever laid eyes on. It was a magnificent sight to see. I have to admit I was surprised that he asked me to stay, but I am overjoyed to be able to share in the happiness that has now filled the castle. It is nice to see everyone so happy.

     The happiness was short lived I am afraid. Our husband is away on a hunting trip and Silver-Tree, Gold-Tree's mother, is on her way for visit. Gold-Tree is terrified. She keeps saying that her mother will kill her as soon as she gets here. I am not going to let that happen. The prince's happiness as well as Gold-Tree's are the most important thing to me and I will not let anyone take that away from them. When Silver-Tree gets here, we will take care of her once and for all.  

     Silver-Tree thought she was clever, but she was not more clever than I. She tried to trick Gold-Tree into drinking the wine that she had brought as a gift. I knew better than to believe she was being sincere, so I told her that it is customary for the person bearing the drink to take the first sip. When Silver-Tree put the cup to her lip I quickly hit the bottom of it, tilting upward just enough for some of the wine to go down her throat. It was poisoned, just as I had suspected, and Silver-Tree immediately fell dead. Gold-Tree is so relieved and she no longer has to live in fear. Now we are able to live out the remainder of our days peacefully and happily and that is exactly what we are going to do. 

Author's note: My story is based of off the Celtic Fairy tale Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree. My story very closely relates to the original. In the original the story begins by describing how Silver-Tree is jealous of her daughter's beauty and asks her husband to kill Gold-Tree so that she may be the most beautiful in the land. However, the king marries Gold-Tree to a prince in a far off land and lies to his wife about the completion of the task. However, Silver-Tree soon finds out about the lie when she visits the trout and asks if she is the fairest of them all and it tells her that Gold-Tree is still the fairest. Silver-Tree quickly makes arrangements to visit her daughter and despite Gold-Tree's efforts to stay away from her, Silver-Tree is able to jab Gold-Tree in the finger with a poisoned stab, killing her. This is where my story begins. I did however change the perspective of the story. It was my first attempt at writing a story in first person. I wanted to tell the story from her perspective so the audience could get a first hand feel of what she went through and to also emphasize the love she had for her husband and later on Gold-Tree. I also thought that the fact that she was willing to leave so that Gold-Tree and the Prince could live in happiness showed how much she loved the prince and how selfless she was. It goes with my theme of love, but it is a different take on the concept. I got the idea for the name "Alastrina" because I wanted to use a Celtic name since it was a celtic fairy tale and after researching names I chose this one because it means "defend mankind," which I thought was fitting since she wanted her husband to be happy and protected Gold-Tree. 

Bibliography: Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs; Mythology and Folklore Untextbook

Image information: 1st image is what I imagined Alastrina to look like. She is pretty, but has a plain nature about her as to not outshine Gold-Tree. The image is called Young Fauna and is by Kawaiibrit. 2nd Image is of Snow White, who is very similar to Gold-Tree. The image is called Snow White and is by Kawaiibrit.

Reading Notes: Celtic Fairy Tales Part A

The Shepard of Myddvai was an interesting read. It starts off like a fairy tale  with the man being able to pick out his love among his sisters. It was frustrating to see him "strike" her three times and ultimately lose the love of his life. I use quotation marks because I don't think what he did constitutes a striking but that's just me. I feel like I could take this story and spin it into a happy ending. I'm still pondering the ways in which I could do this. 

In Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree it's interesting that it is the mother not the step mother that is jealous. I also thought it was interesting that it was the king who was given the task of getting the heart and the liver not a huntsmen. I really enjoyed the fact that it was the prince's second wife who brought Gold-Tree back to life. It showed her selflessness because she seemingly knew that her husband still longed for Gold-Tree and woke her anyway and was even willing to leave so that they may be together. I think I'd like to take this story and write a new one from the perspective of the second wife when she finds Gold-Tree and the events that unfold from that point in time. I think it would be interesting to see what was going through her mind. 

Snow White by Kawaiibrit

Bibliography: Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs; Mythology and Folklore Untextbook

Storytelling: The Woman Stolen by Killer Whales

There was once a woman named Nakoma who lived alone near the sea. She had been married before, but her husband passed and she hadn't found another man who she could see herself being with. So, she lived alone. Nakoma was a strong woman and had learned to be independent. She missed her husband, but she didn't mind living alone. She knew how to take care of herself.

One day she was out at sea fishing for future meals. Her husband had been a fisherman and taught her his trade before he had passed. Nakoma was very grateful to him for this because she didn't know how she would have survived other wise. She was sitting out at sea thinking about her gratitude for her late husband when she felt something extremely heavy on her hook. Nakoma tried to pull it up, but to no avail. So, she tied the line to her boat and paddled back to shore. Once she got back to the beach she tried to pull the fish onto the shore and through much struggle she finally succeeded. It was a strange looking fish. She had never seen anything like it before. It was black and white and very large. It would feed her for week! Nakoma quickly killed it and set to work cutting it up and hanging it out to dry.

When her work was finished, she went to the edge of the shore to wash her hands in the water. As soon as she dipped her fingers in the sea, something quickly grabbed her and dragged her underneath the water. It was the Killer-Whales who had taken Nakoma because they wanted to get revenge on her for killing their friend.

News of the kidnapping soon became the talk of the underwater scene. It soon found the ears of the Shark. He knew exactly who Nakoma was, for he had watched her many times. After her husband died he took pity on her and was going to help take care of her, but soon realized she didn't need help from anyone. He liked this about Nakoma and so he observed her instead. After a while, Shark began to fall in love with Nakoma. So, when he heard of her kidnapping he wasted no time jumping into action to save her.

He arrived at the place the Killer-Whales resided right as night was falling. He waited until they fell asleep and snuck into their house to rescue Nakoma. He untied the rope that the Killer-Whales had bound her with. "Stay quiet and hold on to my fin," he whispered. Nakoma nodded her head and did as she was told. Once she had secured herself, Shark took off and swam as quickly as he could to Nakoma's house.

When they arrived on the beach, Nakoma laid on the sand overwhelmed with the events of the day. However, she felt strangely calm and safe. She hadn't truly felt that way since her husband died. She realized it was because of Shark and that his selfless rescue of her might have made her develop feelings for him. "Thank you for rescuing me," she said. "I haven't felt this safe since my husband passed. I don't mean to be forward, but would you mind staying with me? It doesn't have to be forever, just until we are sure the Killer-Whales won't return."

Shark was overjoyed. He had been in love with Nakoma for a while and this gave him hope that she might fall for him to. "I will stay with you as long as you would like," he said. "I must confess something. I have watched you since your husband passed away. I wanted to help take care of you, but I soon discovered that you did not need my help. So, instead I just observed you and ended up falling for you. That being said, I will be happy to stay with you for as long as you please."

Nakoma was surprised by Shark's confession, but it made her smile. "After tonight I think it is safe to say that I have started developing similar feelings for you as well and would like you to stay with me for as long as I am living." The two smiled at each other and embraced. They went on to live a happy life and were never again bothered by the Killer-Whales.

Author's Note: In the original story it was a married couple and the husband was the one who killed the whale. The Killer-Whales took his wife as revenge for killing their friend. So, the husband follows their trail and winds up at the house of the Fish Chief and asked where his wife was and if anyone would help him save her. The shark volunteers and takes the man to their house. The man waits outside while the Shark distracts them and he fends them off while the couple gets away. I wanted to change it more into a love story to go with my theme. So, I made the woman into a widow and the Shark in to her lover. I wanted to make the transition of her falling in love with Shark as seamless as possible and so I decided to go with the feeling of being safe first. I think that in a relationship that is very important and I thought that it would be a good basis for her love of Shark. I chose the name Nakoma because I wanted a strong name since she was independent. I researched Native American names and found Nakoma which was said to mean "Great warrior" or "Great Spirit." I chose this image because I wanted to give a visual of what I thought her cottage would look like. This is definitely a more modern version, but it does give a good sense of a lone cottage on the beach.

Bibliography: Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson; Mythology and Folklore Untextbook

Image Information: Taken from the High Tide Cottages rental website

Reading Notes: Marriage Tales Part B

The Girl and the Turkeys is very similar to Cinderella. I love it! It was so interesting to the different cultural take on a classic fairy tale that most people know. I really liked that the stipulation for her to return to normal was if she forgot about her Turkey friends. It drove home the idea that it doesn't really matter what you look like, dress like, or own but rather how you treat and care for others. I also thought it was interesting that there wasn't really a happy ending. It might be interesting to make one of the Turkeys turn into a man and marry the girl for her kind heart after returning to them.

 The Birds of America by John James Audubon

The True Bride had a Snow White feel to it, which made it interesting because my mind was comparing the two as I was reading. I like that step sister was made to spit toe nails. Out of everything that I could have thought of her spitting from her mouth, I never would have thought of toe nails. I thought that was humorous. I'm not sure what I could change about this story, but I really did enjoy reading it.

photo taken by Marco Verch

Bibliography: Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson; Mythology and Folklore Untextbook

Reading Notes: Marriage Tales Part A

I wasn't able to pick out a specific story I liked for this reading. They were all interesting, but I couldn't decide which one specifically to retell.

While I was reading The Piqued Buffalo-Wife I thought about changing the story to where the man and woman have a fight and she leaves. Then, the man has to pick out his wife from a group but is able to do so without any hints. I thought it would be interesting to keep the plot similar, but change it up enough to make it new. It could also tie in with my theme of love stories because he is able to identify his wife through his unrequited love for her. Just a thought.

By Jack Dykinga

The Bear-Woman and Deer-Woman could maybe be a tale of jealousy. The doe and the grizzly could be "friends" but they both have eyes for the same guy. The guy likes the doe back, but the grizzly becomes jealous and kills her. Maybe I could throw a Sleeping Beauty/Snow White element into it where his kiss is able to bring her back to life, or maybe just the strength of his love could do it?


I also had some ideas for The Woman Stolen by Killer Whales. Instead of the woman already being married, I thought it could be interesting to have her fishing alone and mistakenly kill the killer whale and then being kidnapped. The news of the kidnapping could travel through the sea and reach the ears of the shark. He takes pity and rescues her and the two fall in love as a result.

By Robert Pittman

Bibliography: Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson; Mythology and Folklore Untextbook

Story: The Stonecutter's wife

There once was a beautiful town in the mountains of Japan. The town was full of people of varying stature. There was the royal family, the royal court, the merchants, and the stonecutters. In this town lived a young married couple who had both grown up in the stonecutting business. They were content in their lives and were grateful for each other even though they didn't have much. They were deeply in love and were able to spend a great deal of time together and for a while all was well in their little world.

One day, the wife made her usual trip to the market. However, she was tired and was feeling a little down because her husband had a large order to fill and was away for a few days. She could have gone with him as she usually did, but she decided to stay home this time. She started to wonder what it would have been like if she had married wealthy. She watched as the merchant wives gabbed in their beautiful clothes. They look so happy, she thought. I wish I could be that happy. If only I had a beautiful dress to wear like them.

Suddenly she heard a voice say, "Your wish is my command." Now the woman had heard stories about the mountain spirit and how it granted the heart's desires, but she never really believed them. So, she decided she was imagining things. She finished her trip at the market and returned home. The rest of the day went on like any other and the woman went to bed feeling glum.

The next morning, she woke up and went to the closet to get dressed. When she opened the door she saw a stunning dress hanging where her old clothes had been. She gasped with surprise. She quickly put the dress on and admired herself in the mirror. She was sure that she had never been so happy in her life. She was so excited that she decided to wear the dress to the market.

Once she got to the market she went about her business, going from stall to stall. As she was shopping, she caught a glimpse inside an elegant carriage where a beautiful woman from the royal court was sitting and smiling. Wow, I've never seen someone look so happy. That woman has a stunning carriage. It must be what is making her so happy, she thought to herself. The woman began to lose her newfound happiness. "If only I had an elegant carriage like her," she said aloud. "Your wish is my command," she heard in response. This time she was sure it had come from the mountain spirit. The woman knew she would get her wish because she had gotten her previous one. She rushed home in excitement and arrived to find a beautiful carriage awaiting her. She shrieked, overcome with joy, and couldn't wait to take it to the market the next day.

The next day, she could barely contain herself as she threw on her beautiful dress and practically flung herself into the carriage to go to the market. On her way she passed by the palace where the royal family resided. The princess was sitting outside in her garden when the prince came out to join her. Her face lit up and a huge smile spread across her face. Wow, the woman thought to herself. She must be the happiest person in the world. It must be because she is married to a prince. If only my husband were a prince. "Your wish is my command," she heard immediately. She could hardly wait to return home to see what awaited her.

She had the carriage turn around and raced home. When she arrived there was no longer a little cottage awaiting her, but a magnificent palace in its place instead.

She ran inside to find her husband and tell him what happened. She ran to every room in the palace, but couldn't find him. She finally came across an attending who informed her that her husband was taking care of important royal matters, but that he would make time for her later. She was disappointed, but waited anxiously.

Days passed and she hadn't seen her husband for more than ten minutes collectively. He had many royal matters to oversee and didn't have much time for her. So, she wandered around her giant palace aimlessly. She started thinking about her old life and remembered how much time her and her husband got to spend together. Even though they never had much, they always had each other and that had always been enough. What a selfish girl am I? I had everything anyone could ever need. I had a home and a loving husband who adored me. We didn't have a lot of material things, but we had a love that most people dream of. I wish I could go back to my old life, she thought. "Your wish is my command," was the response. However, nothing happened. So, she went through the rest of the day thinking that her life would always be this way, lonely and empty. The woman went to bed that night with a heavy heart.

Morning came and she could barely bring herself to rise out of bed. She swung her feet over the side of her bed and didn't even open her eyes. She placed her feet on the dirt floor and worked up the courage to open her eyes. Wait, she thought. This is a dirt floor, not a marble floor! Her eyes flung open and she took in the plain room of her cottage. She was thrilled. She ran out the door and saw her husband returning home and ran into his arms. He was taken by surprise, but loved any chance he got to hold her. So there they stood holding each other and the woman vowed to never again take her beautiful life for granted.


Author's note: My story was inspired by the Japanese fairytale The Stonecutter. The Stonecutter is about a stonecutter who is dissatisfied with his life. He asks the mountain spirit to turn him into different things that he thinks are more powerful than himself. He goes from being a stonecutter, to a wealthy man, to the sun, to a cloud, to rain, to a rock, and then ultimately back to a stonecutter. I took the basic plot and kept it the same. I also kept the occupation of a stonecutter involved in the story to help further the connection to the original. However I changed the main character to a female and made it be about the role of a stonecutter's wife. I also changed the way that she transformed. Instead of having her transform into different objects and changing power status, I had her transform into different classes of wealth. I thought that this would make the story a little bit more interesting because she wasn't changing physically, but rather socially. I also wanted to give it an aspect of love to go along with my portfolio theme. The woman realizes that all the wealth in the world can't make her as happy as the love of her husband and the time they spend together. Overall the moral is the same, that greed can take us away from what really matters most.

Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales retold by Andrew Lang; Mythology and Folklore Untextbook

Image Information:
Image 1- clipart taken from clker.com
Image 2- Photo of the main gate of the Imperial Palace in Japan taken by KenPei found on Wikipedia Commons

Storytelling: The Fairy Bride

There once was a beautiful Indian Princess named Neen-i-zu. She had long, black hair that glistened in the sunlight and dark eyes that shone with wonder. She was short in stature and could easily be mistaken for one of the mischievous fairies known as Puk-Wudjies that dwelled in the sand dunes, in her opinion. Neen-i-zu was a strong believer in magic and often wandered off on her own into the forest and the sand hills dreaming of a magical place called Happy Land. Neen-i-zu longed to visit the Happy Land and wondered if the Puk-Wudjies acted as messengers to the other fairies who lived in that magical place. It was this thought that coerced her to sing a song of her making in hopes that the fairies would put in a good word with their masters.

She did this multiple times, but to no avail. One day Neen-i-zu lingered longer than usual in her secret spot. She knew that her mother wanted her to marry, but the man she selected was not to Neen-i-zu's liking. He was simple-minded and only thought about and talked about hunting. Neen-i-zu was appreciative of his occupation because he provided food for the tribe, but she needed to be with someone who stimulated her mind. As she was thinking about things, she noticed something move on the edge of the forest. She looked closer and thought that she saw the silhouette of a man. She tried to get a better view, but the clouds covered the moon and took away the light. When the light broke through again the figure was gone. So Neen-i-zu made her way home, dreading the conversation with her mother that awaited her when she arrived.

When she returned home her mother greeted her at the door. "Neen-i-zu, you are my everything and I want to make sure you are taken care of. I won't be around forever to look after you, which is why I want you to marry a good man. I think you know who I have chosen," her mother said.

"Yes, I know of whom you speak. I don't wish to get to know him any better than I already do. He is simple-minded and talks only of his hunts. I am grateful for the meat that he provides for the tribe, but I need to be with someone who excites my imagination. I need to be with someone who has an adventurous mind similar to mine," was Neen-i-zu's reply.

"You silly girl, you have no idea what is best for you," was her mother's retort and with that it was decided that she would marry the hunter.

The looming obligation of her marriage hung heavy on Neen-i-zu's heart. The once merry and carefree nature she possessed turned into gloom. She never laughed any more and spent most of her time looking at the ground. When the day came for her to wed the hunter, Neen-i-zu got ready in great displeasure. She was the picture perfect bride, but her spirit had been weakened and she had no hopes of finding true happiness again. Once she was ready, she headed out into her secret spot once more to say goodbye. The wedding guests looked at her with worried glances, but she did not care.

As she entered the grove she began softly singing her song. Neen-i-zu was so consumed in her thoughts of despair that she hadn't noticed that a figure had slipped out from the edge of the forest and now stood behind her. Neen-i-zu turned around to head back to the ceremony and ran straight into the mysterious figure. Startled, she quickly jumped back and gazed at the man that stood before her. The man was of exceptional beauty and her breath was taken away. This must have been the figure she briefly saw in the woods many nights ago. She was just beginning to come out of her state of shock when the man spoke. " I did not mean to frighten you. I am Enapay, fairy prince of the land you have so desperately sought out. I have observed you many times and was instantly taken aback by your beauty. Please forgive me for not approaching you sooner, but I was immensely intimidated by your beauty. However, I couldn't help but notice that you are dressed for a wedding ceremony and did not want to miss my chance."

Neen-i-zu stood in a trance. This man, or rather fairy, was more beautiful than anything she had ever seen and his voice flowed like the melody of a song. She was perplexed as to why a creature of such grace would be intimidated by her. She was finally able to form words and said, "Kind sir, you flatter me with your praises, but it is I who am intimidated by you. I have longed for so long to be able to see into the Happy Land and to one day venture there."

Enapay smiled wryly and said,"I do not know who you intend to marry, but if you would like I would be honored if you would be my bride and live with me in the Happy Land you have wished for." Neen-i-zu could not believe her ears. The thing that she had wanted for so long was finally being presented to her. Without hesitation she said yes to the fairy prince. A smile that shone brighter than the sun spread over his face and his eyes sparkled with happiness. Overcome with her own joy, Neen-i-zu took Enapay's hand and entered into the land of which she had been dreaming her whole life. The two were wed immediately and they went on to live a life of happiness that one only dreams about. There were many stories about what had happened to Neen-i-zu, but no one could imagine that she was living out her life happier than she had ever been and that she was doing so with the love of her life.

Author's Note: My story is based off of the American Indian Fairy Tale: The Fairy Bride. The original story is set up very similar to my own. The only thing that is really different is what happens after Neen-i-zu enters the grove for what she thinks is the last time. When I read the original story I wanted to know what the interaction would have been like between the fairy and Neen-i-zu that would lead her to enter into the Happy Land with him. It is true that she had always wanted to go there or at least to see it, but I wanted to know what would have been said and how the interaction would go. I decided to have the fairy admit to observing Neen-i-zu, but being intimidated by her because it would explain why he had not approached her before. The fact that she looked as if she was about to get married frightened him and he decided it was time to reach out to her. I also decided to make the two fall in love and get married because Enapay seems to be the kind of man Neen-i-zu was looking for. He was exotic and was obviously intrigued by adventures if he was observing someone from another land. It also goes along with my theme of love that I have established throughout the semester. I also chose the name Enapay after doing some research on American Indian names because it was said to mean "brave." I also have included a link to the Wikipedia page on Puk-Wudjies if you would like to learn more about them!

Image information: Fairy Bride taken from thecelticshop.net on Pinterest

Bibliography: American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned; Mythology and Folklore Untextbook

Reading Notes: American Indian Fairy Tales Part B

I really like that the girls in the tales are adventurous and independent. The Fairy Bride was probably one of my favorites in this unit. Neen-i-zu is so interesting and has such a beautiful sense of adventure. She is strong in her beliefs and hopeful in magic. I like how the way she is describe paints her in a similar light as you might think of a fairy.

It gives it a good sense of foreshadowing. This story is really interesting to me and I would love to see the interaction between the fairy and Neen-i-zu that made her go with him and I would also love to see what their life was like after she wed him. I think this would be a great story for me to retell in the storytelling assignment this week.


Image Info: Fairy Bride taken from thecelticshop.net on Pinterest

Bibliography: American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned; Mythology and Folklore Untextbook

Reading Notes: American Indian Fairy Tales Part A

The story of American Indian: The Little Boy and Girl in the Clouds was fun to read. I love the imagery that is used throughout the story. I can clearly picture all the aspects involved as if I am in the scene itself. I am a big fan of imagery. Maybe I could use similar imagery in my story. I could change the story itself, but stick to the imagery style and the way the style in which the story is told. I like the aspect of the story that the smallest creature was able to make the most difference. I think I could definitely take that idea and use it in a new, but similar story.

Measuring Worm by William E. Ferguson

The story of The Child of the Evening Star was also interesting because it had that fairy tale vibe that I love so much! It also has fantastic imagery as well! Oweenee has a Cinderella/Snow White aspect to her because of the love the animals give her. I like that she is different than the rest of her sisters but that despite the fact that she is shy, she still has a strong mind of her own. I also love that she wants a husband based off his heart and not his looks. It is definitely an important message. The fact that neither Oweenee and Osseo care about what is visible on the outside, but instead love each other for what is not visible to the eye. I really like this story for my week 9 storytelling I just have to find what I want to change into my own. I think it would be interesting to make a story about the sun finding love because he is so lonely.

Mythfolklore Blogspot

Bibliography: American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T Larned; Mythology and Folklore Untextbook

Week 8 Growth Mindset

I really enjoy the concept of Growth Mindset. It is very similar to my own thinking and it also helps me evaluate myself in certain classes and also life in general.

Made with cheezburger

There are some areas that I believe I am stronger in. For example, I love trying new things and taking risks. I am the type of person who will totally jump out of a plane, with a parachute of course, for fun. I also am that way when it comes to my school work. Throughout high school I was bored a lot of the time, which is one of the main reasons I was looking forward to college. I also chose a major that is by no means the hardest offered at OU, but it does require a lot of work and dedication. I don't like taking the easy road; I like to be challenged and OU definitely challenges me. I also think I am pretty good at taking a long-term view. I have had my life planned out since I was like 12. It hasn't always gone according to plan, but I am a long term planner for sure.

There are a few things that I could definitely work on. I have been known to be a perfectionist. I think I have gotten better at this since I've been at OU; I don't think there is really room to be a perfectionist in college. This leads to my other weakness, which is focusing on the grade and not the actual learning. I think I have also improved on this since being at OU because depending on your major and the classes you are in you have to really know the material to do well in the class. The other point that I saw that I am still working on is comparing myself to others. I'm not sure if it is because I am just competitive by nature or what, but I have a hard time focusing on my own progress and what I excel at. This is probably my most improved area since high school though. I have found that it takes a lot more effort to focus on how you match up to others than just focusing on yourself.

I'm really excited to continue applying the Growth Mindset to the rest of the semester both in this class and my others. It is definitely a resourceful way of thinking!

Week 8 Reflections

After looking back on my reading notes, I would say that I have made good reading choices. I tend to pick the stories I know I will be interested. I may click on a few different story options until I find one that jumps out at me the most. Most of my reading choices have been fairy tale related or have shared fairy tale aspects. My favorites were probably Cupid and Psyche and Turkish Fairy Tales. I love reading about gods and goddesses and I love all things fairy tales, so I had fun with these two units.

I haven't found a specific time to read and do my notes, but I always look forward to the time that I get to do the readings. I have always loved to read, so this class is a blast for me!

Open Book by Lisa Hanson
Source:Social Science Space

When I am doing my notes I usually just make notes about the specific stories I like. I am usually able to figure out which story I want to retell in each section, so I just make notes about that one story. However, there are some instances where I'm not really sure which story to choose and so I will make notes over a few different stories in the reading section so that I have a enough details to look back over to make my decision.

For unit 9-10 I am looking forward to reading either The American Indian Tales, Inuit (Eskimo), and/or Marriage Tales. For unit 11-12 the Celtic Tales, Canterbury Tales, and Faerie Queene jumped out at me the most. Finally for unit 13-14 I literally have no idea how I am going to choose which stories to read. This is like my story heaven!  I am intrigued by the Brothers Grimm because I want to see where some of my favorite stories have derived from. Fairy Tales by country interests me because I love seeing variations of my favorite stories. I also am super interested in looking into the Fairy Tale anthologies and Literary Works. Like I said, I have no idea how I will choose in this unit.

Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales (Lang) part A

I like the story of the Stonecutter. The man starts off with a simple life, but once he gets a taste of being wealthy it is never enough, he is never satisfied. I like stories that tell about greed drawing people away from their previous selves and lives only for them to wish they could go back. I like the moral that we should be satisfied with what we are given and work hard to make it to where we want to go instead of envying others and not doing anything about it. I think I can take this story and modernize it. I think it would be interesting to do a story where the woman marries a man she loves but they lead a poor life and she envies the wife of the rich man. I could then take aspects of the Stonecutter and place events into the story that make her wish she could go back to her old life.

The Stonecutter by Matt Andrews

Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales retold by Andrew Lang; Mythology and Folklore Untextbook