Portfolio Guide

The Real Story Behind Sindbad's Third Voyage: This tale was inspired by The Voyages of Sindbad and is based off of the Third Voyage, where Sindbad and his crew deal with a man-eating giant.

Saint Pelagien: This story is inspired by the tale of the same name in the Women Saints. The tale revolves around a woman's decision to disguise herself as a man in order to become a monk.

The Little Jackal's Nightmare: This tale is a spin on a tale from African Stories (Lang). In the original, the animals must keep the tricky jackal from drinking from their well.

The Power of Song: The original story tells of an unfortunate event involving a little boy and his untimely singing. I chose to put a spin on the story, making it more positive. The tale comes from the Canterbury Tales.

Woodpeckers Exposed: The original story comes from the Tejas Legends unit and tells the story of how the woodpeckers came to be. My take on the story involves a different fate for the troubled tribe and their children.

Online Education Review

I think online education is wonderful. I appreciate being able to complete material on my own time, and I also like that I can do everything from the comfort of my home. I already have a rigorous schedule as a result of classes, internships, and work, so taking online classes for me leaves me time to do other things during the day.

I would take more online classes if they were offered. This would especially help out in the summer, because I don't look forward to having to take an 8 AM math class. Online classes are a great resources for students, and I have enjoyed taking them throughout my college career.

(Working from home)

Gen. Ed. Review

I liked some general education classes more than others. For my psychology degree, I had to take several science and math classes that I didn't enjoy, so that aspect of the general education requirements I didn't like. I didn't see the point in taking so many classes when I had no plans to go the research route, but I guess I could just write those classes off as interesting learning experiences. The humanities gen eds, however, have been more enjoyable for me because of the greater freedom in choosing classes. I also prefer online classes, so the general education classes that provide this sort of learning experience have been more interesting to me. The gen. ed. classes that I got to choose were in the departments of history, anthropology, and music. I like all of those subjects, so that made the requirements less of a chore to complete.

(Knowledge is power)

College Writing Review

I have two majors: Art History and Psychology. Both of my majors require a great amount of writing because a lot of my projects involve research. Most art history classes require a lot of memorization as well as lengthy essays. My upper division psychology classes often required that we write essays about various studies and issues.

I had some really great teachers in high school that taught me how to write well. With their help, I was able to easily pass my concurrent English courses and moved on to more difficult writing. I think a strong foundation in writing is crucial to the writing process itself. Had I not had some great and patient teachers back in high school, my writing in college would not be what it is today. I would have to say that my art history courses helped me the most with my writing. Last year was especially beneficial for me because I took American Art, which is a writing intensive course. One of the elements of writing emphasized in that class is the use of active verbs, and students lost points on their essays if they had any sort of passive verbs. My writing became more personal and creative as a result of this course.

The most helpful part of this class in terms of writing was the storytelling. It forced me to think about stories from different perspectives, which is always good. The least helpful writing was probably the reading diaries. I enjoyed keeping up with the stories I read, but the diaries didn't really help me in my creative writing.

I think this class definitely helped hone my writing skills. Writing regularly allowed me to work efficiently. Mastering something without regular practice is impossible, which is why weekly writing assignments were the best thing for my writing skills.

(Too bad my laptop doesn't look like this)

Famous Last Words for Week 14

I seriously can't believe that this semester is almost over. It really didn't hit me until last Tuesday, when one of my coworkers mentioned how much they had to do over dead week. I didn't realize why they were so stressed until I had that "aha" moment.

I think this week my best writing was my storytelling. I sometimes have no idea what to write about, which is why I haven't written a storytelling post every week, but this week I didn't over think anything and came up with a story I was happy with! I appreciate that this class required that I write something every week, because it has definitely kept my creative juices flowing.

I had the chance to check out some new Storybooks this week, and once again I was very impressed with the amount of work that went into each one. All of them are so different from one another and so great in their own ways. The finalists deserved the extra shout out because their work really is exceptional.

This week, we watched a movie in my cinema class that once again reminded me of all the Native American folklore I've read in this class. There were several references that I felt I understood better because of the stories I've read in this class.

So much is happening this time of year! The Memorial Marathon was this weekend and so was Relay For Life. Next weekend, something just as important will take place. The Autism Oklahoma Piece Walk and 5k will take place downtown, and I'm so excited about it. I'm on the committee for the event, and I've seen so many incredible people work really hard to make the event a reality. I'm excited to help in any way I can and see all of the people that come and support the cause.

(Autism Awareness Ribbon)

Week 10 Storytelling: Woodpeckers Exposed

Have you ever wondered why a woodpecker pecks? Has that thought kept you up night? Even though you may have not lost sleep over such a burning question, it may benefit you to know the cold, hard truth.

Firstly, let me just tell you that woodpeckers are smarter than most birds. They have a method to their madness, and they go about their activities with immense dedication. They are also discrete in their activities. If you watch a woodpecker and they notice you, they will stop what they are doing and will go around to the other side of whatever they happen to be pecking and will only stop to catch a quick glimpse of you every once in a while.

(The Majestic Woodpecker)

Their big secret? They all used to be Indians.

This tribe was once a thriving and populous group of people, and their main source of wealth was their abundance of the mescal plant. This plant had certain bulbs that grew from the main stem, and when eaten, the bulbs were said to give the eater magic powers. For hundreds of years, the tribe traded these bulbs for goods and livestock. They also traded the plants themselves for something much more valuable.

The bulbs were traded for infants.

You see, because the tribe had the power to grow and trade this magical plant, they had more power than all other people on the planet. Because of this, the spirits made a deal with the very first chief long ago. The deal was that the tribe couldn’t have children from their own tribe. Instead, children had to come from all different tribes in order to maintain diversity and help with the trades.

For this reason, once a year, various tribes would bring one infant to this particular tribe in return for a mescal plant.

This way of life went on for quite some time before disaster struck. One day, the mescal plants began withering. Some say it was a change in the wind. Others claim that the harvest was somehow sabotaged by jealous tribes from the area. Whatever the reason, it quickly became apparent that the tribe would lose their most valuable commodity. As the years went on, more and more plants withered and died, until at last the Indians had nothing to trade.

Their population began to diminish and after twenty years, the tribe had shrunk from hundreds of able-bodied men and women to a group of thirty. That’s when they knew they had to get help.

The went to the tribe’s medicine man, an ancient man so old that some said he was born at the beginning of time. He contacted the spirits, who offered him a solution.

In order to fix the problem, they said, the remainder of the tribe would be turned into woodpeckers. Unbeknownst to the tribe, there were still mescal plants in the world. The spirits had changed the plants into trees in order to keep them from going extinct. The spirits said that the woodpeckers would have to peck at trees, and once they found a mescal tree, they would be able to harvest it and get a child in return.

The Indians agreed to do this and soon flew off to the far corners of the world in search of the mescal plant. They would make nests in an area of trees and would then start pecking at all of the trees in that area. When they would come upon a mescal tree, they would harvest the bulbs and would get an egg in their nest the next morning.

This is how the tribe has managed to survive and even thrive. Although life for them is much more challenging now, the woodpeckers complete their tasks dutifully and never lose sight of their goals.

Author's Note: This tale was based off of Why the Woodpecker Pecks from the Tejas Legends unit. In the original, the Indians that are now woodpeckers make the mistake of eating the mescal plant in order to feel the magical powers. The mescal plant knobs were supposed to be eaten by the medicine men only, and if others ate them, bad luck would befall them. Everyone gradually begins to eat the knobs, so one of the gods of the sky decides to hide the children inside hollow trees to keep them safe. The people go to this god in order to get their children back, but he turns them into woodpeckers so that they can find their children. For my version, I decided to change it just a tad and blame the lack of mescal plants for their misfortune.
When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends retold by Florence Stratton and illustrated by Berniece Burrough (1936)
Web Source: UN-Textbook

Week 14 Storytelling: No Canine Left Behind

One day, a hunter and his dog were out in the forest looking for game. They hunted all day, going all through the marshes and thickets, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Discouraged, the hunter decided to call it a day. As they had been going into the depths of the forest all day, their way home was a long one, and they got out onto the main road well after midnight. 

 (The hunter and his dog)

As they neared the village, they happened to pass a cemetery. The sight of the cemetery at such a dark, late hour frightened the man, and he picked up his pace. He had scarcely drawn his gaze from the cemetery when all of a sudden, a corpse in a white shroud appeared in front of him! The hunter’s chest tightened and his palms became clammy and cold.

“I’m going to make a run for it!” he decided out loud and broke into a sprint.

Unfortunately for him, the corpse happened to be just as quick, and in no time, the corpse began to gain on the man. Luckily for the hunter, his dog was right at his side. Just as the corpse was about to grab the man’s jacket, the dog jumped up and bit the corpse’s arm! A fierce and loud fight ensued between the dead man and the dog. The hunter, however, didn’t see any of this as he ran to his house on the outskirts of the village.

The next morning, the hunter woke up his whole family and told them what had occurred. He waited anxiously on the front porch, hoping that his trusty dog would show up. He waited all day, and when the sun finally began to set, he saw the dog slowly coming up the road toward the house.

He was overjoyed! He had almost lost hope and realized he would never find a dog as loyal and good as the one that had protected him from the fierce corpse. He ran out to the dog and began to embrace him, when all of a sudden, the dog’s appearance began to change.

The once lean, somewhat mangy dog began to transform into a handsome young man. His fur changed into lavish clothing, and he soon stood looming over the hunter.

“Foolish hunter,” said the prince once he had finished transforming, “You should not have left me back there to defend you. The corpse came there to challenge you to a wrestling match to see if you were worthy of his blessing. If you had stayed and won the fight against the corpse, he would have bestowed upon you great riches and power, but because you fled, I was the one that showed my strength and courage to the dead man. We fought all night, and at the first light of the morning, he praised my efforts and turned me into a prince with great riches.”

The hunter begged his former pet to share some of his riches with him, but the prince refused to give him anything because the hunter hadn’t stayed to help him out. Not long after, a lavish carriage pulled up to where they were standing, and the prince climbed in and rode off to his new life. 

Author's Note: This tale was based off of The Dog and the Corpse in the Russian Folktales unit. In the original tale, the dog is left by his master to fight a corpse that has appeared before them and wants to kill them. The dog and corpse fight all night, and in the morning, the corpse fell motionless to the ground. The dog then held a grudge against his owner because the owner didn't try to help the dog. In the end, the dog had to be killed because it kept trying to kill the owner out of anger. My version of the tale is loosely based on the original, but I wanted the dog to get some kind of reward for fighting the corpse. 
Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore by W. R. S. Ralston (1887)
Web source: UN-Textbook

Reading Diary B: Russian Folktales

The Russian Folktales unit has kept me very entertained the past few days! Some of the stories I recognized from when my grandma told them to me as a child, but some of them were new to me. The variety in the tales was great! One thing that I liked about a lot of them is that I couldn't tell what would happen next. I'm usually good at predicting plot twists, but this time, some of these threw me for a loop!

I did notice that most of the stories dealt with death. It seems like death and/or transformations were important to convey to the people reading or hearing the stories. Death was also used in many of these stories to teach some sort of lesson. For example, The Shroud tells the story of a lazy girl that takes advantage of others in order to get what she wants. She takes things too far, however, and angers a dead person by taking their shroud and not returning it. In the end, she disappears and only her hair is left. Her death is brought about by her disobedience and laziness, two things that are never looked upon in a positive light.

(Tales involving death and cemeteries)

Another story about death that also provides a sort of lesson is The Dog and the Corpse. The dog in the story defends its owner from an angry corpse, but the owner abandons the dog. The dog, in turn, holds a grudge and tries to get back at its owner for abandoning it instead of helping defeat the corpse. It's sad that the dog has to die in the end, because it really was the owner's fault. The lesson that I got from this tale is that you shouldn't abandon someone when they are trying to protect you. Also, all of these stories paint a pretty bleak picture of Russia in the old days. It seems like the dead really didn't like to stay dead back then.

Reading Diary A: Russian Folktales

This week, I decided to read the Russian Folktales unit. I'm Russian, so this was exciting for me! I was familiar with some of the titles in this unit, but I thought it would be interesting to see how they were translated. Some of the stories, I had never heard, so it gave me the perfect opportunity to learn more about the tales of my homeland.

The tales started off on a very dark note. When I first started reading European fairy tales, I was kind of surprised by how gruesome some of them are. Since this wasn't the first unit with especially creepy tales, I think I was more prepared. Still, The Dead Mother was quite chilling. I especially didn't predict that the baby would be dead in the end when all of the people saw that it was the dead mother feeding her baby. I shouldn't have read that story so late at night.

Most of these stories were actually a little sad! The Water Snake was a tale that was particularly depressing. From the beginning, I couldn't tell where this story was going. I hoped that the snake turned into a prince or something, but when I got to the part about all of the snakes taking the girl from her house, I thought they were going to kill her or something. It was nice to read that she had a happy marriage, but then her mother had to go and ruin it! That definitely killed the mood for me. I wish I knew the motive behind her killing the girl's husband, especially since the girl seemed to be happy. I thought her turning herself and her children into birds was a bit random, too. Nevertheless, I'm excited to read the second half of the unit to see what kind of crazy stories that part has.

(The Water Snake)

Famous Last Words for Week 13

This week was a complete blur, and it took me a minute to remember what unit I even read this week. This week, I did Dante's Inferno, and it genuinely creeped me out. However, the essay I wrote over justice in tale was easy to write considering Hell is a place where sinners go to pay for the sins they committed on earth. Divine Justice is the central theme in the unit, so writing about justice was a breeze. Lately, I've been focusing more and more on justice in the stories I've read, and it's been interesting to see how different time periods and cultures dealt with the concept. I've noticed that a lot of tales from the distant past make it a point to show that justice goes along closely with revenge, which is something I find interesting because in other instances, such as examples from the New Testament, justice is something that people allow God to deal with. Dante's Inferno seemed to mix divine justice with personal revenge, as in the case of Count Ugolino, who got to spend eternity eating the man that starved him to death.

Voting for the best Storybooks and Portfolios this week was so difficult! Everyone has put so much time and effort into their projects, and I felt like everyone did an equally awesome job. It's been so nice seeing people use their creative talents to create such diverse projects. Here I am, having a hard time thinking of storytelling ideas sometimes, and there are people in the class that hit the mark week after week with some solid storytelling.

Today was the anniversary of the bombing in Oklahoma City. I happened to be downtown today for one of my internships, and I saw so many people interacting with one another and the memorial itself. It's heartwarming to live in such a close and strong community.

(OKC Memorial)

Youtube Tech Tip

Week 11 Storytelling: The Power of Song

Oftentimes, we drift through life meeting people of all shapes and sizes that stick around for a while then leave, giving us only a faint memory by which to remember them. If we are lucky, we stumble upon human beings who, though they may not linger long, leave a strong and lasting presence with which we exist for the remainders of our lives. I’m here to tell you a story about the latter.

Long ago, there lived in a great city a little boy by the name of Hugo. Hugo was a seven-year-old Christian and went to school in the Jewish quarter, where he soaked up knowledge like a sponge. He loved knowledge of all kinds, but he especially loved to learn about the Virgin Mary, whom he had developed an adoration for just about as soon as he could talk. His mother, a devout woman of faith, helped fuel this adoration by teaching him the Ave Maria and other prayers and songs of praise dedicated to the Holy One.

One day, while little Hugo was in school, he heard a new song, one that immediately plucked at his heart strings. He knew with every bone in his body that this was another song of praise to the great Mary, and he yearned more than anything to learn and sing this new song. After school that day, Hugo went up to the teacher and begged him to teach him the song. The teacher agreed, and Hugo learned the song in record time.

(Hugo Singing)

On his way home, Hugo couldn’t help but sing the song as loudly as his little lungs would allow. The angelic singing echoed through the streets, and people all around stopped to listen. Unfortunately, since Hugo was in the Jewish quarter, the attention he received for singing the praises was overwhelmingly negative. As soon as the officials heard his singing, they immediately went to the school, grabbed the teacher, and had him thrown in prison. They then rushed to Hugo’s house in order to have them kicked out.

When they arrived at the house, however, they experienced something that can only be called a miracle. From the time Hugo learned the song to the time that the officials arrived at his home, Hugo had not stopped singing. The officials, having stormed the house, were about to take Hugo and his mother when, all of a sudden, they heard another voice join in, harmonizing with Hugo’s sweet melody. Another voice followed, then another. Soon, it seemed as though a thousand people had started to join in, yet there was nobody there but Hugo and his poor, frightened mother. The officials soon realized what was taking place. The angels, hearing Hugo’s sweet singing to the Virgin, had decided to step in and support the little boy.

The officials were stunned, and for the longest time all they could do was listen in awe. Then, one by one, they too joined in. The neighbors, hearing all that was happening, felt compelled to sing too. Slowly, the whole quarter joined in. Gradually, the singing echoed throughout the city, with every citizen singing the miraculous song along with Hugo and the angels. What’s especially interesting is that those that didn’t know the song found themselves singing with perfect clarity, as though their souls were being shown the lyrics.

After a few minutes, the singing began to die down until only Hugo was left to sing the final notes. The officials, awestruck by the happenings, quickly apologized and left the house. They then went straight to the jail and released the poor teacher.

After that, the city experienced a long and prosperous peace, with all quarters of the city treating each other with the utmost respect and kindness. As for Hugo, he died at a ripe old age, having dedicated his life to spreading the love and kindness that had unified his city on to the rest of the world. He was buried in a white temple, and to this day, people say that they hear his pure, sweet voice echoing within the temple walls.

Author's Note: This week's story was based off of Little Hugh from the Canterbury Tales unit. The original tale tells of the short life of Hugh, a little boy that had a deep love and reverence for the Virgin Mary. After learning a song of praise, he was murdered in the Jewish quarter for singing the song. After finding his body, everyone was stunned to see that he was still singing. As it turned out, Mary had placed a little grain on his tongue so that he wouldn't stop singing the praises, and taking the grain out of his mouth would be the only way to get him to stop. In my version, I changed up the tale so that there would be a happier ending. Since this tale is also anti-Semitic, I wanted my version to include the part where everyone settled their differences and lived together happily.
The Chaucer Story Book by Eva March Tappan (1908)
Web source: UN-Textbook

Essay: Crime and Justice in Dante's Inferno

Dante's Inferno deals almost completely with crime and justice. Dante's walk through the circles of Hell shows that different circles deal differently with punishing sinners for the sins they committed while on earth. The justice that all of the sinners faced was basically the opposite of whatever it was that they had done wrong while they were living.

For example, the churchmen described in Cerberus and Plutus were said to have been so avaricious and indecisive that their eternal punishment was to roll giant weights across a circle and collide with others before making it to the other side. Even if justice hadn't been served to them when they were on earth, they were paying for their evil deeds by suffering in this manner for eternity. Divine Justice is referenced to in this part of the unit, because Divine Justice is responsible for the punishment that the sinners must endure for their past deeds.

(Cerberus, a punisher in Hell)

Justice is served more and more severely as the circles of Hell deepen. One of the first circles that Dante visits is Limbo. In this part of Hell, people are simply made to dwell there because, although they were people of worth, they weren't baptized and therefore couldn't be saved. Since they weren't saved or didn't worship God correctly, they are made to live without hope and are overwhelmed by a desire to get the afterlife that they will never get.

One of the most twisted examples of justice can be found in Ugolino. Count Ugolino made a pact with Archbishop Ruggieri, but then the Archbishop betrayed him and imprisoned the Count and his children. Since no food was given, everyone began to starve, and eventually Ugolino's children began to offer themselves as food to their starving father. When Dante sees Ugolino in Hell, he sees that justice has been served in an awful way. Since Ruggieri starved Ugolino during their time on earth, he has become eternal food for Ugolino in the afterlife.

Reading Diary B: Dante's Inferno

The second half of the Dante's Inferno unit was not an easy read. There was so much suffering and anguish in the later tales! This is understandable given the location of the traveler and his guide, but I had to read something happy after finishing this unit because it was just a little too depressing to dwell on.

As with the first half, the amount of detail and imagery provided in the second half of the unit was astounding. It made me feel like I was going along on the journey, which is good from the literary sense but creepy because I would never like to go on such a journey. The descriptions of the characters in The Giants was particularly chilling. I made the mistake of reading this late at night, and it creeped me out quite a bit. The giants all seem like beings with whom I would never want to interact, which is why it surprised me that Dante wanted to look at one in particular. Also, I thought it was interesting that the giant responsible for the different languages was here and tried to communicate in his gibberish. This detail gave me goosebumps.

(Terrifying Giants)

Ugolino was even more unsettling to read about. Everything about his life and fate in the afterlife is sickening, particularly the fact that he had to spend the rest of eternity eating the one who starved him to death. If fans of horror movies would only read Dante's Inferno, they would be satisfied with how horrifying and unnerving it actually is.

Reading Diary A: Dante's Inferno

This week, I chose the Dante's Inferno unit. I have wanted to read the tale for the longest time, but the length and difficult wording was always something that discouraged me. That, and the already humongous pile of books on my bedside table. I was excited to see that this was one of the options offered, and I dove in.

The rich descriptions were some of the first things I noticed. This is particularly apparent in the first story, Dante and Virgil. Right away, I was captivated by the poetic writing. Even though it was translated into modern English prose, I think that the translator did a wonderful job making sure that the poetic nature of the tale was maintained throughout the work. The description of Virgil by Dante was extremely rewarding to read. Dante introduced Virgil so very generously and made him come into the story seamlessly.

I also have to say that all of the illustrations in this unit have made the reading so much more enjoyable. I like how detailed and otherworldly all of the images are. I particularly liked the image from The Gate of Hell and Charon because it helped me envision the scene so much more fully. The writing on the entrance that was described in the writing appeared in a fairy tale-like way in the illustration, and I thought that made the story so much more otherworldly than it already is. It also helps that the illustration is by William Blake, whom I have researched recently for my museum internship. I'm excited to keep reading this unit and seeing the story unfold further.

(The Gate of Hell)

Week 12 Essay: Crime and Justice in English Fairy Tales

This week, I read English Fairy Tales. The tales had many themes among them, but one of the most prevalent was that of crime and justice. 

One example can be found in The Rose Tree. In the tale, the wicked stepmother despises her stepdaughter so much that she kills her by chopping off her head. She then takes her heart and liver and feeds them to her husband, the girl's father. Justice is served after her brother buries her and a white bird collects things to give to her father, brother, and stepmother. The first two get good things because they loved her. The stepmother, however, gets a millstone to the head. These kinds of stories are interesting because justice comes into play differently than it does in the real world. Had this actually occurred, a long and tedious police investigation would occur, and then an even longer trial would take place. Justice is taken into the characters' own hands in the most creative of ways.

The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh present another perfect example of crime and justice. The stepmother and new queen is jealous of the king's daughter and turns her into a fierce dragon, one that must be rescued by her brother. Her brother has to kiss her three times to break the spell, but he has gone overseas to seek fame and everything else knights sought at the time. Even when he hears about his sister's plight and returns, he has a hard time getting to land because the witch step mother attempts to use the dragon against him. Justice is served when he manages to land and rescues the princess. Justice is further served when the evil queen is turned into a toad. Justice ends up being very sweet in this tale, and what’s even better is that nobody really dies.

(Brother rescuing sister)

Reading Diary A: English Fairy Tales

This week, I decided to read the English Fairy Tales. The tales were quite different than what I expected, but I was pleasantly surprised by all of them.

One thing that I noticed was that some of the tales were extremely gruesome. I guess I'm so used to reading fairy tales that have been tailored to suit the average modern child, so some of these had me taken aback. An example of this would be The Rose Tree. The story had a creepy kind of tone to it from the beginning, but I was very grossed out when I got to the part about the stepmother killing the little girl and feeding her heart and liver to the girl's father. I would have loved to not have read that part, especially since it sort of ruined my appetite. The story did have a good plot, though, because I couldn't predict what would happen next like I usually can.

(The tragic rose tree)

Binnorie was also intense and proved that love triangles never work out too well. The love story was tragic, and the sister killing her younger sister was kind of to be expected in a story such as this. What I didn't expect, though, was the harpist making a harp out of her breast-bone and hair. There was a certain tragic charm to the harp singing about her death and everything, but I wish that could have been altered in some way. I guess I just don't do well with gruesome tales. The more lighthearted ones, however, I enjoyed very much.

Week 9 Storytelling: Timeline of a Love Story

I would never see a living person again.

Looking at the infant before it was ready put a curse on the island and people and resulted in everyone being forbidden to go to the land of the spirits. I had sent for my mother so that she might see the beautiful half human, half spirit child that had been born to my beautiful lover. The only condition was that she wouldn’t look upon the baby until it was 10 days old, or else it would perish. She didn’t listen.

She gave birth to my child. My lover had visited me on the island every night, and every night she danced with me until the first light of day. The voices joined in song and the tom-tom beat of the dance drum could be heard across the river. Our love for each other only deepened with every passing night, and it didn’t matter to her that I wasn’t as I had once been. Her father prepared a boat for her every evening, and every evening she came to me. 

 (Spirits Dancing)

Her father was frightened of what would befall the tribe, yet he couldn’t stop her from coming. Ever since she came to me that first night, he believed that she would bring a curse on the people. She wanted to come again.

She paddled as fast as she could back across the river in an old boat that she had found on the shore. My appearance had changed drastically during the day. The first morning that my lover saw me after a night of dancing, she only saw my smiling remains staring back at her through the hollows where my eyes should have been. Around her were the rest of them that, like me, had come alive under the light of the moon. At night, I was completely different. I was a better, stronger, more beautiful version of myself. It was at night that we danced to the drums and singing and grew closer than we have ever been before.

She came to the island with her father, who dropped her off with four individuals at the edge of the island. Too afraid to come onto the land, he paddled back across the Columbia River, where he felt safe with his tribe. She was greeted by four spirit people, and then she was led to me. That’s when she first saw me since my passing.

She listened to the woman in her vision. She told her father of the vision, and he agreed to take her. The woman in the vision told her to come to Memaloose Island, where I was buried, and she would be able to be with me again.

I died wishing for more time with my dear lover. Our sweet time together was too short. My heart belonged to her, and I couldn’t bear to be apart from her for even an hour. I knew she felt the same love for me.

Author's Note: This week, I chose to read the Pacific Northwest unit. In this unit, the story that struck out to me the most was The Memaloose Islands. The original tells the tale of a young chief that dies suddenly. He is in love with a young maiden, and she sees a vision telling her to go to the island of the dead in order to see her deceased lover. She goes at night and finds him better than before. They end up dancing all night, but when she wakes up in the light of day, she finds her love and all of others on the island to be nothing but corpses and skeletons. She ends up going back, and in time gives birth to a half human, half spirit baby. The young chief sends for his mother so that she might see the child, but she looks at the child before she is allowed to, and as a result curses the island. After that, visitation to the island becomes forbidden. I chose to tell this story backwards and from the chief's point of view. I omitted some details as well because I figured it would be tricky enough keeping track of the plot as it was. I've never written a story like this, so this is my experiment. 
Myths and Legends of the Pacific Northwest, Especially of Washington and Oregon by Katharine Berry Judson (1910). Web source: UN-Textbook

Week 7 Storytelling: The Little Jackal's Nightmare

“Oh, Ma!! I had the most terrible dream!” whimpered the little jackal as he scurried to his mother. He fought back tears as he nestled into his mother’s bosom.

“You’re alright, sweetheart. Tell me about your dream,” replied his mother as she gently licked the fur on his head.

“Oh, Ma. It was terrible. I dreamed that all of the animals were cruel to me just because I wanted a drink of water!” cried the little jackal.

“It’s OK, honey. It wasn’t real. Tell me all that you remember about this dream so that you can get it all out of your head and go back to sleep,” soothed his mother.

“OK, well, here’s what happened. I was all grown up and living around a whole bunch of other animals. Animals of all kinds, Ma! There were giraffes, and rabbits, and tortoises! One day, they all decided that they were so thirsty that they needed to dig a well for more water. Well, they asked me to help, but I’m so small and young that I didn’t think I would do much good helping them! They all saw me as this strong adult jackal, and I tried to explain to them that I’m just a little kid, but they didn’t believe me!"

"I think that’s why they all started being super mean to me, Ma. They dug their well and everything, but they wouldn’t let me drink from it! I remember feeling super duper thirsty in my dream, like I was thirsty in real life! It was crazy! So I thought maybe I could offer them something in return for their water.

"After they had dug their well, they had a rabbit hang out by the well, and I think it was because they didn’t want me drinking their water. Well, I went up to him and offered him some honeycomb, but I was afraid he might hit me because he had a big, scary staff, so I asked him to tie his paws behind his back, you know, just in case. Well, he did it, and I was so excited about the water that I ran up and drank and ran away before he could catch me! It was only then that I realized that I hadn’t offered him any of the honeycomb!"

"The next day, I decided to go back and give him some because I felt really bad, Ma. You always taught me to share, and that’s what I was trying to do! When I went back, I saw that there was a hare there instead of the rabbit! Then I started feeling really thirsty again."

"So I tried to offer the hare some honeycomb, but he had two giant clubs right beside him, which really scared me. It was like something out of the horror stories Dad always tells us. So I asked him to tie his paws behind his back so I wouldn’t be so scared, and then I would feed him the honeycomb. Well, he did it and I was so excited that I drank some water and ran off before I could give HIM some honeycomb! Oh, I felt rotten, Ma. I just kept forgetting! I know you get onto me for being forgetful, and I’m trying really hard to be better."

"I decided that I would go back again the next day to try to give everyone some of my honeycomb, but that day they had the tortoise standing by the well. I greeted him just like I did all of the others, because you’ve always told me that being nice to animals is the right thing to do, but he just ignored me! It was so rude! So then I did something mean. I was getting really thirsty again, and the tortoise was just standing there being a bully, so I just kicked him over and got my drink!"

"Then came the scariest part, Ma. Oh, it was so scary it made me want to cry! I had barely had any water when I felt something latch onto my leg. It was the tortoise!!! He was biting my leg, Ma!! I told him I would give him the honeycomb and everything else I had on me, but he wouldn’t let go! Then all the other animals came and started making fun of me. I finally got my leg free and ran far away! That’s also when I woke up.”

(Young jackal playing with his baby brother)

“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry!” Ma said. “That does sound like a terrible dream, but you know that we jackals pride ourselves on being honest and polite, so that was just a nightmare, OK? Don’t worry about anything. If we ever have to help our fellow animals dig a well, we will dig the most and be the nicest and most helpful animals there! I love you, honey. Go back to sleep.”

With that, the little jackal curled up next to his mother and drifted off, dreaming of more pleasant things.

Author's Note: This week, I read the African Stories (Lang) unit, and one of my favorite stories was Jackal and Spring. In the original, all of the animals decide to combat a drought and dig a well, but the jackal offers no help. To get back at him, they decide not to let him drink any of their water and ask animals to stand guard by their well. The jackal outwits the rabbit and the hare by offering them honeycomb, but in the end, the tortoise gets the better of the jackal and bites him on the leg, successfully guarding the well. I chose to make that story a nightmare for a young jackal because I know that when I was little, I always loved coming to my ma and telling her about my bad dreams so that she could hug me and tell me that it was all OK.
The Crimson Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, illustrated by H. J. Ford (1903)
Web source: UN-Textbook

Week 11 Essay: Tragedy and Pathos in the Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales unit contains a fair share of tales that deal with tragedy and pathos. Although most endings are happy, several end on a melancholy note, while yet others contain both sadness and happiness. This kind of collection of stories allows for the unit to be well-rounded and one that is definitely worth reading.

One example of tragedy and pathos is the tale of Little Hugh. The little boy grows up with a love and reverence to the Virgin Mary. When he hears a song to her that he doesn't know, he asks to be taught the song so that he can sing his praises to her. After learning the song, the little boy sings it as he walks throughout the city, which upsets those in the Jewish quarter. Hugh is murdered for his singing, and the one's responsible for his death are severely punished. Although he is revered and gets an exquisite burial, this doesn't take away from the fact that there was violence and tragedy involved. The anti-Semitism of the story adds to the tragedy, because Jews were looked down upon for centuries. Historically, the tragedy pertains to the Jews, and in the story, the tragedy pertains to little Hugh.

Another story that deals with tragedy on several levels is The Promise of Dorigen. Dorigen's husband goes off on his knightly duties, leaving his beloved wife at home. She makes herself sick with worry and can't stop thinking about her husband dying by having his ship shatter on the large rocks of the sea. A squire falls deeply in love with Dorigen, and she promises him her love only if all of the rocks disappear. The squire encounters tragedy upon the husband's safe return, yet Dorigen suffers when the squire enlists the help of a magician to cover up the rocks. She sorrowfully tells her husband of the promise, and he too undergoes tragedy because he must let his wife go. The squire sees all of this and releases her from her promise, but for him, the tragedy is unrequited love.

(Tragedy in love)

Reading Diary B: Canterbury Tales

The second half of the Canterbury Tales unit. This has turned out to be one of my favorite units this semester! It's really great that there is such a variety within the unit itself. No two stories are really alike, and together they make the unit very well-rounded.

One of my favorites from the second half of the unit was Little Hugh. The story was a tragic one and left me feeling a little down, but I'm really glad I read it. The boy in this tale reminded me of the little boy in "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas." In both stories, the boys are innocent and pure, yet they both meet such tragic ends. It was interesting to see just how anti-Semetic the tale really was. I have never really read anything very anti-Semetic, so this was a fascinating glimpse into that world. I think that's also why the story sort of reminded me of a Holocaust story.

(Little Hugh)

Another tale that I enjoyed reading was The Priest Who Learned to be a Philosopher. Scam artists have existed much longer than I ever realized, and their skill was highly honed even back then. Nowadays, with all of the advances in science and education, this kind of trickery would most likely not work, but for that age it was extremely clever! It took me a while to get used to the antagonist being referred to as a "canon" because I'm so used to that word having a different meaning. That kind of made me pause every time I came across it for about the first half of the story. Other than that, I thought the reading was very easy and entertaining.