Reading Notes: Shedlock. Eastern Stories and Legends Part C

I decided for my extra credit reading option I would continue reading the tales that I already have been. The one that caught my eye in part C was " The Man Who Told A Lie." In the story four divine beings come to the earth with these unique and precious flowers. The four beings told them that the flowers go to the person who is honest, kind, loyal, and much more. There was a Priest in the crowd who knew he did not fit any of these qualities but wanted the flowers. He decided he was going to fake it and get it from them. One by one he got the flowers from everyone. Once the divine human beings left the earth, the man immediately started to feel sharp pain in his hand. He confessed his lies and told them to take it off, in which they finally did. For my story I was thinking I would make it about a relationship. For example, I would a girl who wants to impress her boss to move up in the company. The boss will have a certain standard of who he likes to promote. This includes things like is always on time, puts in extra work, and is married. To him this is what he sees as a successful person. The girl then pretends to be married and makes up a huge lie until it gets out of control. In the end the boss will see that she is not married and that she lied to him to get the promotion that the will fire her, and she will lose the guy.

A Fake Marriage

(Source: MaxPixel)

Bibliography:

Shedlock. Eastern Stories and Legends by Marie Shedlock. Reading Part C.

Week 13 Story Planning: Greedy Makes You Needy

Character #1 – Mother – This is a mother who is selfish and greedy. She does not care about her three daughters. She did not want to have them in the first place. This mother would barely put food on the table. She did not care about her daughter’s wellbeing. She was also an alcoholic. This mother just cared about getting money one way or another. This will be the first character I reveal.

Character #2 - Courtney – Courtney is the oldest of the 3 daughters. She has assumed the role of the mother. She cooks dinner for her sisters. She makes sure their laundry is done. She helps them with homework. Courtney is a senior in college. She is also Pre-Med. Courtney has taken out a lot of loans and has had many jobs to pay for everything.

Character #3 – Jasmine – Jasmine is the second oldest. Jasmine is a freshmen in college. She does as much as she can to help out Courtney with running the house hold. Jasmine is an engineering major. She is also very hard working and determined. Jasmine is studious and very intelligent, but also has a risky side to her. Jasmine has anger management problems and despise her mother.

Character #4 – Lilly- Lilly is the youngest of the three. She is a senior in high school. Lilly like her sisters are very mature for her age. She is hard working and dedicated. She is a cheerleader. She makes good grades and is part of the honor society. Lilly is the one who has the soft spot for her mother. She is the one that is most willing to give her mother the money she makes working her part time job. Lilly is attending college after she graduates as a pre-law major.

The story will be about how this mother does not care one bit about her daughters until they become something. All three daughters will end up being successful. Then the mother will come crying to them for help and their support. She will ask for money and a place to live. She will go to each daughter, and each daughter will handle things very differently. It will show that being greedy cannot get you anywhere. This story is based off the story “The Mallard that Asked for Too Much.” The mother in this story was greedy and wanted to pluck all of the gold feathers off the bird in case the bird would not return. When she attempted to do this the gold feathers were not gold anymore and bird flew away and never came back.

The Greedy Mother

(Source: PublicDomainPictures)

Bibliography:

Shedlock. Eastern Stories and Legends by Marie Shedlock. Reading part A & B.

Reading Notes: Shedlock. Eastern Stories and Legends Part B

The story I liked the best in this section was "The Mallard That Asked For Too Much." This story was quite fascinating, and it really speaks volumes of what greed can do. In the story the husband died and came back as a golden bird. In order to still help his family, he decided one by one he will give his feathers to his family. Then the mother got greedy and told the girls that they should pluck all the feathers at once, cause who is to say that he will come back. The daughters refused to do this, but the mother did it anyways. When she plucked the feathers they were no longer gold. The bird flew away and never came back. This story kind of reminds me of the movie Tangled. Using someone else talents for your own selfish reasons. I think that in my story I will have the same plot. I could have someone rich "fund"someone for a certain period of time. However, when that person becomes too greedy, than that person will stop funding them and they will learn what greed can truly do to a person.

The Golden Bird

(Source: PublicDomainPictures)

Bibliography:

Shedlock. Eastern Stories and Legends by Marie Shedlock. Reading part B.

Reading Notes: Shedlock. Eastern Stories and Legends Part A

There were four animals and the Hare was the wisest of them. He taught the other animals virtues lessons. He told them that on their holy day they will sacrifice their own food for a beggar. When each animal gathered the food, they did not see a beggar so they kept the food for later. Finally, when it came turn for the Hare, he thought that no beggar would ever want to eat grass, so I will sacrifice my flesh.When the Gods heard this, he came down as a Brahmin to test the Hare's words. It turned out that the Hare was willing to sacrifice himself and passed the test. I wanted to base my story on a human form of this. What could be tested is friendship, and see if they keep their promise. It could be over like a boy, or something a little more dramatic. I was thinking I would have a group of friends instead of just one or two. Each friend could have a special skill. Then those skills could be put to the test by like a supervisor or something.

The Hare that Sacrifices

(Source: MaxPixel)

Bibliography: 

Shedlock. Eastern Stories and Legends by Marie Shedlock. Reading Part A.

Portfolio Index

I hope to add stories that you all enjoy reading! I am excited to see what this portfolio ends up looking like.

A Wife's Blues: This story is about a wife who had an affair because she thought her husband was dead. However, when she finds out otherwise, problems arise.

A New Hero: This story takes a feminist perspective in the type of hero that comes forth and surprises everyone.

The Battle of the Brothers: This story takes you on a journey with two brothers who were separated at birth.

Honesty if the Best Policy: This story teaches the importance of honesty and friendship.

The Circle of Life: This story explains how one life event can have a domino effect and come full circle.

Storytelling Week 12: A Transformation

There once was a little boy named Sam who always felt different. He felt as if something about himself was not right. Like his body and his mind were not one. Since a very young age Sam would tell his parents he wishes he was a girl. For the longest time his parents did not take his request seriously, until one day when Sam brought up hormone injections. His parents were surprised that he even knew what that was. After that his parents knew that Sam truly despised being a boy and was miserable. That is when they agreed to put Sam on hormone injections and start his process of transforming into a girl. 

After several years of hormone replacement therapy, medication, and surgeries Sam became Sarah. At the age of 20 Sarah had fully transformed and now felt one with herself. Sarah decided she wanted a fresh start so she transferred from OSU to OU starting her Junior year. She was excited but nervous. She did not know if she was going to tell people about her journey or just keep it a secret. Regardless, Sarah was destined for great things.

The semester was going by fairly quickly when Sarah met Brad. Brad was a junior Business major. Brad had met Sarah at an event on campus, and they really hit it off. Sarah and Brad started spending more and more time together. They went to the movies in Mechium together every Friday night, did homework together at The Bizz, and texted each other every minute they were apart. Sarah really started to fall for Brad, but she was afraid he would not accept her if he knew the truth about her. Brad also started to really fall for Sarah. Brad was not the type of person to let his guard down, but he did for Sarah. However, their strong relationship got rocky when the truth came out.

Sarah finally decided to tell Brad, he deserved to know the truth about her. It was the night of their 5-month anniversary. They were going out for dinner, dancing, and then lay out to watch the moon. The night was winding to an end and while Sarah and Brad laid there admiring the moon and the stars, Sarah turned to Brad and whispered, “I am not who you think I am." Brad immediately looked at her. She had tears in her eyes and he felt her heart beating as loud as a drum. He tried to comfort her but she continued. She told him everything from since when she was a little boy to all the surgeries she went through. Brad was shocked.

Sarah and Brad both Heartbroken

(Source: Pixabay)

He had let his guard down for her, and he felt that she had lied to him. In the moment, Brad thought that he could not possibly be with someone who was born as a male. Brad had felt that he had just gotten shot with a million arrows to his heart. He was broken and just left Sarah there. For the next few weeks they did not speak or make any contact. Then one night Brad texted Sarah and asked her if he could see her. Sarah agreed. 

When they met up, Brad explained that he might have over reacted but he just had never even met anyone who was transgender and did not know what to do in the situation. For the rest of the night Brad made an effort to get to know Sarah and understand her journey. Sarah was open and vulnerable. That night set the tone for the next few years of their life.

The summer after their graduation, Brad and Sarah got married and lived happily ever after. 

Happily Ever After

(Source: Pixabay)

Authors Note:

In the original story, there was a man named Shikhandin who was born female. He was destined to be bring Bishma to his death. Bishma would not fight a woman so he lowered his guard when he met Shikhandin on the battle field. When Bishma did not expect it the Pandava Brothers shot him full of arrows. I took this bit of the story and created my own. I made Shikhandin Sam who turned into Sarah. And I made Bishma into Brad. I incorporated the arrows by figuratively showing that Brad got shot with arrows. I made it into a love story but also a story about learning and understanding and accepting people for who they are. Bishma in the real story would not accept Shikhandin as a man. In my story, I made sure Brad would come to understand Sarah. I gave it happy ending because I hate sad endings. 

Bibliography:

This story is based on Wilson. Indian Books. The Five Tall Sons of Pandu. Reading Guide Part A & B. 

Reading Notes: Wilson. The Five Tall Sons of Pandu Part B

I chose to focus on a different aspect of this story. I chose to focus on how Bishma would not fight  Shikhandin, because he was born a woman and transformed into a man. This actually shows a lot about Bishma's personality. First that Bishma refuses to hit a woman, but also that Bishma is not willing to accept the new identity of Shikhandin. I think for my story I could actually talk about someone who is Transgender and the struggles they go through of not being accepted as there new gender. I could incorporate someone who would be Bishma who does not accept the transgender person, but in the end learns to understand the LGBTQ community and starts to understand things. I am excited for this story because it will be a good lesson to learn for others. I would also try to incorporate the bed of arrows some how, because I love that scene in the actual story.

Bishma and the Bed of Arrows

(Source: iereadingguides)

Bibliography:

 Wilson. The Five Tall Sons of Pandu. Reading Guide Part B.

Reading Notes: Wilson. The Five Tall Sons of Pandu Part A

I really enjoyed reading about the Pandava Brothers. There story is one of my favorites to focus on. While reading through the reading guide, I was thinking of a different way to tell this story. I did not want to write about the Pandava brothers again, but instead tell it in a different way. Maybe change the plot? I decided I wanted to focus on one aspect of the story. I chose to stick with the Exile and End of Exile part of the story. I have noticed a trend in these stories. Someone always gets exiled for one reason or another. I was thinking for my story I would have five brothers maybe get kicked out of the house at a young age. This would be related to exile. I also like that the end of their exile ends happy. They are ready to reclaim their kingdom, instead of being in exile the whole time. I am thinking that maybe later in the story claiming their kingdom could be either becoming completely independent from everyone and becoming successful. Or, it could be going back home to their parents and being reunited. I am leaning on the independent one more, but this could switch. I also want to add an antagonist in this, and I am thinking that I would make the antagonist either just like the forces of the earth, or have the brothers parents play a big role in the antagonist. I am excited to see where this story goes.

The Pandava Brothers

(Source: OU Blog)

Bibliography:

Wilson. The Five Tall Sons of Pandu. Reading Guide Part A.

Week 11 Storytelling: The Circle of Life

Once upon a time there was a little boy who was roaming the streets begging for food. He finally stumbled upon a Chinese restaurant. His mouth was salivating and his stomach grumbled with hunger. The restaurant owner came out and saw the boy looking in the window sick and skinny. He took the kid in and fed him until the kid could not eat anymore. 

The kid started to come every day and the man fed him. Soon the man gave the kid a job at his restaurant. Every day the kid would come, work his shift, eat and then leave. Finally, one day the man asked the kid, "Where are you living that there is no food to eat?" The kid told him, "Please do not judge me. I sneak into an old man's boat a couple of blocks down from here. My parents kicked me out, and I have just been doing my best to survive." The owner immediately took him in. 

The kid grew up helping the owner as much as he could. They had a special bond. One that lasted a long time. Finally, the day had come for the kid to go to medical school. The owner was sad to see him go but was glad that he was able to get the kid on his feet. Time passed and they still kept in touch, however the kid got busy in his own life.

The kid turned out to be a really successful doctor. He was known worldwide and was the most credited doctor in the country for the extraordinary successful surgeries he had performed. One day a patient was rushed in, in the middle of the night. The patient had passed out because he had a heart attack. The kid, who was now a doctor, was called and requested to come in. He was not happy about it, because he just worked a 13-hour shift, but went to the hospital anyways. When he got to the hospital he immediately questioned his staff about why the other doctor was not able to help the patient. The intake nurse said, " In the process of his heart attack he requested to see you." The doctor was shocked, and wondered who would say something like that during a heart attack.

When he entered the room, his eyes immediately filled with tears. He went to the patient’s side and fell crying in his arms. It was the man who had took him in. It was the man who had fed him for years and years. It was the man who had paid him enough so that he would be able to attend medical school. It was the man who was the dad he never had. 

He helped the owner get better and get back to his feet. When the owner returned home he came to a stack of bills and his heart started to race again with stress. When he started to open the bills one by one he saw that they all said $0.00. He was very confused. He finally opened the last envelope which contained a letter. The letter was written out "To: The Best Dad Ever."

The guy was confused but continued to read. The letter was a letter of appreciation for everything the owner had down for the kid. The kid explained he had paid off all the owner's bill. Furthermore, there was a check in the envelope for $100,000. This was so the owner could finally retire since everything is paid for and spoil himself a little. That is when the owner realized the circle of life.

The Owner and the Kid

(Source: StaticFlickr)

Authors Note:

In the original story, there is an elephant that has a splinter in his foot. He is hurting when he comes across a few carpenters in the forest, who help the elephant get the splinter out of his foot. Then the elephant decided to assist the carpenters in order to repay them for their generosity by cutting down the trees. The elephant then had a child and taught the child how to help the carpenters because he was getting too old to help them himself. The carpenters would feed the baby elephant and take care of the baby elephant. The baby elephant would play with the carpenter’s kids on his down time, and made good friends with them. Then finally one day, the king was strolling by when he saw the white baby elephant. He was so astonished by its beauty that he paid the carpenters a good amount for the elephant. He then took really good care of the elephant. The carpenters helping the elephant, the older elephant helping the carpenters, and then the baby elephant helping the carpenters came full circle when the king took care of the baby elephant. My story is based on this but in human form. A child needs help and the owner helps him. In the end the owner needs help and the child helps him.

Bibliography:

This story is based on Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt. The King's White Elephant. Reading Guide Part A & B.

Reading Notes: Jataka Tales Part B

The story I chose to focus on The Prince and the Water Sprite. This story actually reminded me about the very first story I wrote about. It was about a queen who wanted her youngest son to rule the kingdom. So all the sons went to the forest and got fooled by the water-sprite. I think the story idea I have for this would be a jealous wife/step-mother trying to brainwash her husband into thinking that her kids are not suited for their family and should move out of the house. Her kids should move into the house. Then the husbands kids will find a clever way to show their dad how evil the step-mother is.

The other story I read was The King's White Elephant. I enjoyed reading this story. There were no sad or super upsetting twists and turns in it. The story was basically about these carpenters helping out an elephant, and in return the elephant helps out the carpenters. I think for my story I want to do something like a kid is hungry, so this food chain owner gives the kid free food. Later on in life the kid becomes a doctor and helps out the food chain owner. I think this would make it a full circle.

The Kids Playing With the Elephant

(Source: Main Lesson)

Bibliography: Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt. Reading Part B

Reading Notes: Jataka Tales Part A

For this week, I am focusing on Children stories once again. One of the stories I read "The Turtle Who Couldn't Stop Talking" was actually quite disturbing for a children's story. Basically the turtle died because he could not keep his mouth shut. I think for my story I would change just a little to where it would be about two siblings and one who could not keep their mouth shut about anything. So he always got in trouble, I am not sure if I want to have a happy ending in my story or a similar one as the ending of the Turtle story.

The other story I read for this week is "The Foolish, Timid Rabbit." This story was about a Rabbit who thought the earth was breaking up because a coconut fell to the ground. He then gathered a herd of animals who also ran with him. Finally it was the wise king of the beasts the lion who got to the bottom of it and found out that the earth was not breaking it was just a coconut falling. I found this story quite amusing. I think for my story I want to keep the plot about just following someone blindly, but I want to write in human form. For example, it might just be about the popular kids and everyone just following them blindly not questioning their actions.

The Rabbit and the Lion

(Source:Main Lesson)

Bibliography: Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt. Reading Part A