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