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.

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. 

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.

Week 10 Storytelling: A Love To Confess

Once a upon time there were two families who lived next to each other. The Randolph's had a little girl name Ellie Grace Randolph. The Pierce's had a little boy named Damien Joshua Pierce. Ellie and Damien were five years old when they first met. As the years past, their friendship got stronger. However, it was not until Freshmen year of high school when they both realized that what they felt for each other was a more than just love for their friendship.

It was first semester of Freshmen year and Ellie and Damien were hanging out with some friends on a Friday night. Usually their friend group would just watch movies, play board games, or go out for some desert. However, this night things were a little different. While they were just sitting around waiting for their pizza to get there, one of their friends suggested a new game. She said that it would be fun to try spin the bottle. She was met with weird stares and an awkward silence. After a few minutes of convincing, the group finally agreed. I mean what could go wrong right? 

As they game began, everyone agreed that they would not let this affect their friendships whatsoever. The night was going fine and everyone was having fun, until the bottle was pointing to Ellie. As Ellie looked at who was on the other side, she saw the sweet face she loved and admired, Damien. The room went quiet, and everyone waited impatiently for their kiss. Ellie was nervous but calmed herself down thinking, "he is my best friend, this is just a friendly kiss, this does not mean anything." As they leaned in they both felt a feeling overcome their body. The kiss was truly magical. In that moment, they were alone, they were each other's, and they felt love. When the kiss ended, the game continued and the night went on like normal. However, it was not normal. Not for Ellie and Damien at least.

The next few weeks Damien found himself writing love letters to Ellie. He never gave them to her, but he wrote them every night. Ellie caught herself getting lost in daydreams about Damien. She would doodle his name on her papers, notebook, and anything she could get her hands on. However, she never told him either. Damien caught himself getting jealous when he would see Ellie hugging another guy. Ellie would try not to care when she saw Damien chatting up other girls in class. They both felt so much for each other, but were scared that the other did not feel the same. They did not want to risk losing one another over some crush they had on each other.

Weeks, months, and even years went by and they did not confess their love for each other. Throughout high school they dated other people, but were both jealous of one another. They acted the same regardless of how much they felt, and before they knew it, graduation had come. Ellie was going to stay in their hometown and go to a college nearby. However, Damien had gotten accepted to a school out of state, and was planning on going there. Ellie had decided that on graduation night she was going to tell him how she felt. However, when time came, she looked at Damien’s sweet face. She admired it and did not want him to change his mind about leaving because of her, so she kept quiet. Damien had also planned to confess his love to Ellie, but he could not get himself to do so, in fear of rejection.

The summer quickly passed, and Damien left for college. They both got busy with other people, school, and commitments in their life. They talked on the phone every now and then, but things were different now. They both wish that they would of said something to the other, but it was too late…or was it?

Damien came home for Christmas and his whole family was so happy to see him. Ellie was patiently awaiting his arrival for several months now. It was Christmas dinner at the Pierce’s and Ellie and her family got ready to head over. When they got to the Pierces’ home they were greeted at the door by Damien. Ellie was the last one to see him. For several moments, they just stood there getting lost into each other’s eyes, until they were interrupted by loud laughter and chant. “Kiss, Kiss, Kiss.” Said everyone. Damien and Ellie looked up and saw the mistletoe. Once again, the moment had come for them to share something magical. As their lips met, they felt they were alone, each other’s, and loved. Everyone continued on the night like normal, but it was not normal for them two.

After dinner, Ellie and Damien for a walk. As they talked about their lives and caught one another up on everything, they seemed to grow quiet. Standing there in the middle of the street, on a cold winter night, hugging each other close for warmth, and as they the little snowflakes fell around them, they shared another kiss. Then at the same time, the confessed their love for each other, and muttered the words, “I love you.”

That is the moment they know that they could not leave each other’s side again. Damien did not go back to college out of state after that winter. He stated in town with his beautiful girlfriend Ellie and attended college with her. A few years past and they got Married their senior year of college. It was truly a love to confess.

Ellie and Damien. Happily Ever After

(Source: MaxPixel)

Bibliography:

This story is based on More Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt. Reading Part A & B.

Author's Note:

This story is based on the tale The Elephant and the Dog. In the tale the Elephant and the Dog became best friends. They did everything together. They slept together, ate together, and played together. One day a farmer spotted the dog and asked the Elephant keeper if he could buy the dog off of him. The Elephant keep sold the dog to the farmer. When the dog left, the Elephant would not eat, bathe, or do anything for that matter. When the chief came to inspect what is wrong with the Elephant, they realized that Elephant was lonely and sad cause his friend the Dog had left. The king ordered the dog to be returned. When the dog returned they were inseparable from that day on. I decided to take this story into human form, and have two best friends fall for each other, but not confess their love. Until one day one of the best friends leaves and when he returns from college they confess their love and they are inseparable from that day forward.

Week 9 Storytelling: Honesty is the Best Policy

Kylie and Kendall

(Source: Pixabay)

There once were two best friends. They grew up together and knew each other really well. Their names were Kylie and Kendall. They met when they were both Freshmen in high school. There friendship lasted even though both of them pursed different career paths. Kylie worked as a waitress at Pizza Hut, while, Kendall went on to be a model. Kylie was outgoing and fun. She was the one who was adventurous and willing to take a risk regardless of the cost. However, Kylie was barely making ends meet to live her adventurous life. Kendall on the other hand was very thoughtful and intentional in everything that she did. She spent her money wisely and stuck to a strict budget. One day Kendall was going out of town and needed someone to watch over her condo while she was gone. Kylie offered to help and Kendall was very grateful. 

Kylie was going to stay over at Kendall's apartment to watch the condo, water her plants, and watch her dog. Kylie had only been to Kendall's condo a few times but had never really gotten a chance to see all of it. Kylie was very excited to get a chance to live a lavish life for a few days. However, the lavishness of Kendall's life really got to Kylie and things took a turn for the worse. 

Kylie was awed by all the amazing things that Kendall owned. For instance Kendall owned at least seventy pairs of designer shoes. Her huge walk-in closet was filled with Coach, Prada, and Michael Kors. She had handbags, scarves, hats, dresses, coats, and much more. When Kylie saw her jewelry box she could not believe her eyes. There were so many diamond rings, necklaces, and bracelets Kendall owned. During this state of shock Kylie got a mischievous idea.

She thought,"Why not take some of this for myself? I mean Kendall would not mind. I bet she would hardly notice if anything is gone. She has so much it is not like she’s losing a whole lot. Plus I deserve this! I work so hard and I deserve a break in my life." 

Kylie was dead set on taking some things for herself. Every now and then she would change her mind and tell herself this is was not right, but the more she admired Kendall's things the more she wanted them. Finally, Kylie got a bag and started collecting a few pairs of shoes, some dresses, a scarf or two, a few clutches and handbags, and several diamond earrings and rings. 

A few days later Kendall came back and was delighted to see her friend as well as her condo in one piece. She was so happy that her friend could watch her place that to repay Kylie she told her that she would take her shopping in the next few days. Kylie could barely look at Kendall because of how guilty she felt, but she still went through with it and took some of Kendall's nice things to her home in a large trash bag. Something that Kylie was not aware of was that Kendall had hidden cameras all over her condo. That night Kendall watched the tape and was in complete shock at what her friend was doing. Kendall decided instead of confronting Kylie, she would play a trick on her. 

The next day she took Kylie shopping. Once again, Kylie took advantage of the situation and shopped till she could not shop anymore. Kylie thought she was living the good life. However, when she got home that night she looked at all the nice things Kendall had bought for her and felt extremely guilty. She decided she was going to put all of the things that she stole from Kendall back the next day when Kendall would be at work. Although, that night Kendall had her own plan.

Kendall broke into Kylie's house and took all her things back. Then as the morning came Kylie was terrified because she thought some stranger had come in and stolen the stuff she was supposed to give back to Kendall. Kylie did not know what to do at this point. She immediately went over to Kendall’s place in tears and told Kendall everything. She begged for her forgiveness and said that she was so sorry and would repay Kendall for everything she stole.

Kendall then confessed that she had found out that Kylie had stolen her things. Kylie was shocked and felt ashamed. She told Kylie that she could keep everything that she had bought for her, but never again would she trust her with anything else. From that day forward their friendship was not the same, and Kylie learned that honesty is the best policy.

Bibliography: 

The Giant Crab and Other Tales From Old India by W. H. D. Rouse Reading Part A &B

Author’s note:

In the original story there was man who went on a journey and asked his friend to take his plough till he should return. The man’s friend immediately sold the plough and used the money for his own selfish reasons. When the man came back and asked where his plough went, his friend made up a fake story about how a rat ate it. The man was cleverer and knew his friend stole his plough, so he thought he would play the same trick on him. He took his friend's son out for walk and hid him in his other friend's house. Then he went back and told his friend that the boy got taken by a hawk. In the end the dishonest friend learned his lesson and gave the man his plough back and the man returned the boy. In my story I set the scene for a more realistic story. I had one friend go off on a trip and left the other friend in charge of looking over her condo. The dishonest friend in this story stole her things. The friend returned and saw video footage of her friend stealing her things and therefore decided to play a trick on her friend. In the end the friend learned her lesson and would never steal again.

Week 7 Storytelling: The Battle of the Brothers

There once was a woman named Kunti. She was married to a handsome janitor named Pandu. Kunti and Pandu had been married for five years now and were madly in love. However, Kunti had been trying to have kids for several years and had no luck. They went to the doctor and the doctor told them that Pandu was not able to have kids. She fell into a deep depression and started to wallow. Pandu and Kunti got into fights frequently. They both knew how unhappy they were. However, they still tried to save their marriage. Time went by and Pandu got extremely ill. A few more years went by and Pandu passed away. Kunti's depression got worse. 

One day when she was walking down the streets of Long Island, New York, she ran into a handsome young man. Kunti immediately apologized for the incident. At first the mysterious man seemed to get angry, but after he admired her beauty, he stuck out his hand and introduced himself as Duryodhana. He offered to take her out for dinner, and after some convincing Kunti said yes. 

They had an amazing evening together. He wined and dined her. They went dancing and ended the night lying down and looking at the stars together. During this time, Duryodhana explained that he was on a business trip in Long Island. He told her he was a CEO of a company in California. She admired him even more. He told her he would be in town for a few more days and that they should meet up as much as possible. After the delightful date, Kunti ended up going back to his hotel for a nightcap. 

For the next few days Kunti and Duryodhana met up and messed around. They had so much fun together and Kunti was starting to really like him. Unfortunately, he was leaving for California, and she would not be able to see him for a while. The time had come for his departure and she kissed him goodbye. He promised to keep in touch and went on his merry way. The next few weeks Kunti felt awful. She did not know what the horrible feeling was so she went to the doctor. The doctor exclaimed that she was pregnant with twins! She was so shocked but still did not know how to feel. After the appointment, she called Duryodhana and told him the news. He did not react in the way she hoped.

He was angry and cursed at her. He told her he did not want anything to do with the kids or her. He had his whole career ahead of him and he was not going to just throw it away for her. He told her to never contact him again and that he would file a restraining order if she tried reaching out to him. Kunti was once again disappointed and broken. She decided to have the kids but put them up for adoption once they were born.

Nine months later Kunti had two healthy boys named Karna and Arjuna. When they went into the adoption process, they got adopted by two different couples. They grew up knowing that they were adopted but were unaware that they were twins. They had their biological dad’s features. They both were very career-oriented and grew up to be very successful. They both owned their own businesses which were the top two in the country.

When the economy started to fall, one of their businesses had to as well. Both of their assistants set up a meeting for them to come together and talk about if they wanted to merge their businesses, or which one would buy out which. The meeting did not go smoothly. Both brothers (which they were not aware of) were competitive and strong. Both wanted the other to fail. They started sabotaging each other’s companies and would not stop under any condition.

They finally made a deal. They would play a game of dice, and whoever lost would have to shut down their company immediately. This would leave that person with absolutely nothing. Along with their company, their income, house, cars, pretty much everything they owned would be taken from them. When the game began, the hatred grew deeper. Each played their heart out, but in the end Arjuna won. This felt like the end of the world for Karna, but Arjuna had no sympathy.

When they went back to their homes to tell their family about the news - Arjuna winning - and Karna losing everything, their adopted parents had some news for them. They told them that their biological mother Kunti was very ill and had requested to see them. Both brothers immediately flew to Long Island to see their biological mother. When they arrived to the hospital, Karna and Arjuna were surprised to see each other. Both immediately questioned the other and said, “What are you doing here?” To their surprise, both replied, “I am here to see my birth mother, Kunti.”

They were in utter shock and disbelief. They were brothers? When they met their sweet old mother, she told them the whole story. From the time when she was married to Pandu to the time she got pregnant with Duryodhana. Both brothers felt ashamed and embarrassed that they had turned out like their father. Before Kunti passed away, she made them promise that they would look after each other and would not let anything affect their relationship. Both brothers promised their dying mother and stuck to it. They ended up merging their companies and started a charity for kids in foster care. Since that day at the hospital they never let anything get in between them.

Arjuna and Karna Reuniting

(Source: Pixabay)

Bibliography:

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

Author's Note:

In the original Pandu is the father of the five sons known as the Pandava brothers. One of the brothers is named Arjuna which is used in my story. Duryodhana is the Pandava brothers' cousin but has a deep hatred for them. Duryodhana and the Pandavas wage war on each other and the Pandava brothers are the ones who win this war. Duryodhana had appointed many people to be by his side during the war, but they were all killed by the Pandava brothers. One of the people Duryodhana appointed was Karna. Karna promised Duryodhana that he would kill them and get revenge. However, during a battle Arjuna killed Karna. Later,Kunti the mother of the Pandavas, reveals that her firstborn son was Karna. The brothers and Kunti mourned together. In my story, I made Duryodhana be an evil CEO because he is the villain in the Mahabharata. I then based my story of the Karna and Arjuna but tweaked it. I set it to modern day and changed the ending. Instead of one brother killing the other I had both realize they were brothers and vowed to never harm one another.

Week 6 Storytelling: Till Death Due Us Apart

One stormy night an angel came down from Heaven to visit 10 year old Bhishma. She was a beautiful little girl who had so much to offer. The angel told Bhishma that she was special, and therefore has the power to choose the moment she will die. However, there was an exception to this rule. Bhishma had until she was 16 to come up with the limits of when she will die. For example, Bhishma could say that she will die after she rules the world. Or after she hits 90.etc. The angel soon left her alone with her thoughts.

Bhishma took her time coming up with her limits. Every time she thought she knew when, something would happen and she would change her mind. Finally, one day when she was coming home from school and saw an old man sitting outside her apartment complex. He was dirty and smelled weird. He kept whimpering "so hungry, so hungry." Bhishma hurried upstairs and made him a peanut butter jelly sandwich. She grabbed an apple and a water bottle and ran back downstairs to the man. He was so surprised and touched by how friendly this little girl was, that he started to cry. He told her that she really made a difference in his life. And suddenly it hit her...

The Homeless Man Bhishma Helps

(Source: Wikimedia)

Bhishma decided that day, that she would die after she has completely changed someone's life for the better. This made Bhishma want to help others even more. She knew that all she ever wanted to do in her life is help others and to completely change someone else life would would make hers. Bhishma soon started started a non-profit organization at the age of 16 helping homeless people. Things were going really great until one day...

One afternoon Bhishma was passing out flyers in the halls to her classmates about her non-profit organization when she collided with the school's bully (Aryan). Aryan was known to prey on those kids who were so called "nerds." He believed he was better than them and was quite the troublemaker. He got suspended every now and then and his grades where the lowest in his class. When Bhishma collided with Aryan her flyers flew everywhere. Instead of apologizing to Aryan, which most people tend to do because they do not want to be on his bad side, she looked him dead in the eye and said, " Pick up my flyers and help me pass them out." He was in such shock that he actually listened to her!

This opened the door for their friendship to blossom. Bhishma and Aryan started hanging out quite frequently. They would go pass out clothes or food to the homeless, she helped him with his homework, and he stopped being mean to others. Bhishma had influenced Aryan in such a positive way. With each day that passed by Bhishma's feelings for him got stronger and stronger. By now she had completely forgotten about her power and was just focusing on the life she was living.

Now Bhishma and Aryan were 18 years old. Two years had passed by that they had been dating. Aryan had become a new person because of Bhishma. Twas the night after their graduation, and Aryan and Bhishma were laying out admiring the stars planning the future. When Aryan pulled out a ring, and Bhishma to marry him. He told her that he had never been happier and that if it was not for her he would've never gotten his life together. She was so fully of joy and had tears running down her cheek. Aryan uttered the words," you have completely changed my life for the better, will you please marry me?" And suddenly Bhishma had remembered the rule to her power and she fell to the ground.. and died.

Bibliography:

This story is based on the Mahabharata Reading Guide Part C and D

Author's Notes:

In the original story Bhishma is male and not female. Bhishma has fallen in battle against the Pandavas. However, he still does not die. Bhishma is granted the power to choose the moment in which he will die. He chooses to die after he has taught the rest of the survivors of the battle how to rule what is left of the world. He is then accompanied by rishis and Parashurama when he finally dies. I decided that I wanted to key in on the aspect of Bhishma having the gift of choosing when to die and turn it into a modern day tale. I change Bhishma's character to a girl as well to help compliment my story. 

Week 4 Storytelling: A Wife's Blues

It all started when my husband John told me that he was getting deployed to Afghanistan. I had no idea how to react. I was hurt and in shock. I mean how could he just leave us? I understand that it is for our county but I do not know what I would do without him! I decided I am just had make the best of it. I spent the next few weeks spending every moment I could with him and our two adorable little girls. However, John wanted his family to have dinner with us twice a week before he left. This includes his brother Adam. Adam has always been so weird. In high school, he would stare at me awkwardly anytime I was around him. Yet, he would never talk to me.

The time passed by too quickly. I dropped John off at the airport with tears in my eyes. I didn't want him to leave but he promised he would be back soon. I kissed him goodbye and off he went. John called me three times every week. He called me on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I was so thankful that I was still able to talk to him a few times a week. Things were fine. Everything was fine. And then my world came shattering to pieces. 

In the middle of the night I woke up to a banging on the door. To my surprise, it was John's team members. They told me that John went missing in action and they believed he is dead... I, I, was once again in shock and my heart broke. I cried for days. I could not control myself. The army had arranged a funeral for him, and though I was devastated I still went. His mother, father, and his brother greeted me when I arrived to the funeral. Afterwards, Adam wanted to come over to talk. When he came we had a good conversation reminiscing about John. It was the first time ever that I had a decent conversation with Adam. I decided he wasn't that weird after all. 

For the next few weeks, Adam came over every day. He helped me remodel my kitchen, he helped with the girls, and he took my mind off of my depression. Adam had become a big part of my life. One night, while having a few drinks, Adam and I were reminiscing about high school. He told me he had a crush on me in high school but I fell for John instead. I am not really sure how it happened. But one thing led to another and before I knew it, I was waking up to him the next morning. We were just lying there when we heard banging on the door. I got up and answered the door, and once again it was John's team members. They said that they found John and he would be returning home in a few days.

I did not know what to think. My dear husband who I thought was dead, is now alive? And I just slept with his brother? I had too many mixed emotions...Let's fast forward to when John got back. He was different. Things were different. He suspected that me and Adam had an affair but I reassured him that nothing happened. I felt so guilty but why? I did not cheat. I thought my husband was dead. I started to feel sick every morning and I thought it had something to do with just how weird things were. I went to the doctor and the doctor told me I was pregnant...

Since John had gotten back we had not done anything. I knew it was Adam's. I panicked. That night I did it with John and in the next few days I told him that I was pregnant. I told him that it was his. I know it is stupid but I did not want to lose John. Though, he did not believe me. He wanted me to prove it. Panicking again, I asked one of my friends who is a doctor if she could help me forge the results to the DNA test. And she did...

Fast forward even more... I ended up having twins. But John was still suspicious and did not want to be made a fool. So he left us. Every night I sang the blues. I sang about John and I missed him. I taught these blues to my twins. They sang it perfectly. I would often take the kids to the park and just sit there while they played. I just think how my life could have been different… One day when the twins were singing the blues in the park John came back... I was so happy to see him. But he wanted me to prove my loyalty to him once more.This time... I couldn’t... I just couldn’t live a life like that. So I ran.

I ran and I ran and I ran. I ran until I didn’t know where to go. And that is how I ended up here. I do not know what to do now. I need your advice. I just feel so awful.

(a few moments of silence went by and then...)

The therapist replied, “It will be okay. We will work figure this out together.”

Image Information

Sitting in the Park, Before John Arrived

(Source: Pixabay)

Bibliography:

This story is based on Sita Sings the Blues Reading Guide Part A and B

Author's Notes:

In the original story Rama is exiled and goes to the forest and Sita goes with him. Sita is taken by Ravana. When Rama rescues Sita he is suspicious that she was unfaithful to him. She proves she was by jumping into fire. Then she gets pregnant. A laundry man hits his wife and says that he does not allow affairs like Rama does. Rama feels disrespected and embarrassed so he asks his brother to take her into the forest and abandon her there. She has twins and teaches them the songs of Rama. Rama hears the twins one day and comes back. However, he still wants Sita to prove her loyalty once again. This time Sita does by reentering mother nature's womb. I based my story off of the movie Brothers. The film is about two brothers: one brother (Sam) is married  to wife (Grace) and has kids but gets deployed, while the other brother (Tommy) is a loner and a troublemaker. When Sam gets deployed he gets taken in as a prisoner from the opposing side. However, Grace believes he is dead. Tommy steps up and starts to act like a family man. Grace and Tommy have an affair, but soon find out that Sam is alive. When Sam comes back he is suspicious about his wife's loyalty. The detailed summary of the plot can be found at Wikipedia. I thought by taking a more modern spin on the story of Rama and Sita, and telling it from "Sita's" point of view would help spice things up. It also shows that constantly testing people can drive them away. I chose this picture because I think it helped create the scene in the park.

Week 2 Storytelling: A New Hero

(Dasharatha's grief. Source: Wikimedia)

"King Dasharatha! Your wives had the babies!" said one of the servants to the king. 

"And?" said the king cautiously. "Are they boys or girls?" 

The servant was hesitant to reply at first. Then he croaked, "A boy! And three girls."

The king was not too happy hearing about the three girls but was thrilled about his son. He knew that now that he had a son who could carry out his legacy. One day the sage Vishvamitra came into town begging the king to let his son go on a journey to beat the demons who had taken over his city. The king was hesitant at first but knew that his son Rama would be the only one who could accomplish this mission. When Rama and Vishvamitra were getting ready to go on their treacherous journey, Rama's sister Lakshmani snuck into their cart and hid so that she could be part of this adventure. Lakshmani did not reveal that she was with them until a few days into the journey because she did not want her dad to get upset. Once Rama and Vishvamitra found out she was with them, as furious as they were, Rama vowed to protect his sister.

The days were getting near to battle the demon, and Rama was ready to make his dad proud. When they first arrived in the city they heard cries coming from a few blocks away. Rama told his sister to stay in the cart until he came back. Rama and Vishvamitra left to go save the city while Lakshmani was left behind. As Rama approached the three headed demons, he grew fearless and cockier about how easy this would be for him. Yet, little did he know that there was a whole army of them. 

Rama began to attack, and one by one the demons fell. However, when he got to the last three he grew restless. He kept trying and yet they would find a way to jab him here and there. Lakshmani was respectfully abiding by her brother's request but started to worry, when she suddenly got a vision from the goddess Thataka. Thataka was a goddess who was actually the wife and mother of the three demons that Rama was trying to fight off. Thataka was ashamed of her husband and sons and did not agree with terrorizing innocent people. Therefore she wanted to help.

In the vision that Thataka sent Lakshmani there were three demons who were each eating a part of Rama’s body. In her vision she also saw three poisonous stones hidden in the city. In that moment Lakshmani knew that she had to do something to help her brother. She quickly left the cart and started to search for the stones. When she finally gathered the stones she followed the cries of the people. She slowly approached the demons from behind and swiftly chucked the stones into their throats. Before the demons realized what it was, they swallowed the stones and fell to the ground.

The people cheered and showered Rama in love and admiration. Rama quickly stopped the parades and confessed to the people that it was not him who had beaten the demons. He looked at his sister in shock but proudly announced her as the savior of the city. The people were as shocked as Rama. A girl defeated the demons? Never had they ever imagined a girl being capable of doing anything such as this. 

Lakshmani and Rama returned home to their kingdom. King Dasharatha was patiently awaiting their arrival. He wanted to congratulate his son for defeating the demons and saving everyone, at the same time, making sure his delicate little girl made it home safe. When Rama explained to the king in detail of what actually happened, the king did not know how to react. He spent many days locked in his sanctuary. As the people eagerly awaited his reaction, there was lots of gossip going around that Lakshmani was going to be exiled because she was disobedient.

However, when the king came out, he decided to exile Rama. He said that Rama was an embarrassment to him and would not allow him to continue to ruin the family name. Rama’s sisters were not happy with this decision and decided to go and bring back their brother. During their journey Lakshmani ran into Ravana, Rama’s enemy. Ravana was very witty and charming, and Lakshmani soon fell for him. She told Ravana that they were on a mission to find their brother and bring him back to their kingdom. Ravana used this as a chance to get back at Rama. He led Lakshmani on and followed the sister around the forest to seek Rama.

When they finally found Rama hidden deep in the forest, Ravana declared a war against him. Ravana and Rama started to fight. They would not stop until the other was dead. Lakshmani, distraught by what she was seeing, soon got in the middle of it. She told them that she cared for both of them deeply and could not live without them both. Rama and Ravana came to an agreement. They would put their differences aside if the child of Ravana and Lakshmani could become king or queen when they were older instead of Rama’s child. Rama agreed and they all headed back to the kingdom.

King Dasharatha was very pleased to see how mature his kids were handling the situations they stumbled upon. He appointed both Rama and Lakshmani as the head of the kingdom. He now understood how important it was to let women have a voice. He also saw how capable they were of solving problems and getting people to come to agreements. Soon all three of his daughters got married and were about to have kids.

"King Dasharatha! Your daughters had the babies!" said one of the servants to the king. 

"And?" said the king cautiously. "Are they boys or girls?" 

The servant was hesitant to reply at first. Then he croaked, "A boy! And three girls.”

The king was not too happy to hear about the boy, but was thrilled to hear about the three girls.

Author's Notes: 

This story is based on Narayan’s Ramayana. I changed a quite a few aspects of the story. In the original story Rama is born with three brothers, one being Lakshmana. Rama is the hero in the original one and is the one that is most loved. One of the king’s wives gets jealous that Rama is being proclaimed king so she asks Dasharatha to send Rama into exile. Though the king dreads this, he does as she pleases. When Rama is sent into exile his brothers go to find him to bring him back. During this time the king passes away of grief. Also, in the original one Thataka is the demon that Rama must fight off. In my story, I changed the plot dramatically. Instead of Rama being the hero I changed the sex of his brother Lakshmana to a girl and made her the hero. I took more of a feminist perspective in my story because I believe girls are strong leaders and are often overlooked. I also tried to end my story with a happy ending because I believe the real world is already full of sadness, stories and movie should end happy. The picture that I choose was one of my favorite pictures from the online reading guide. It does such a good job of depicting all the emotions that are running through the people.

Bibliography:

This story is based on the Narayan's Ramayana Reading Guide Part A and B. 

Week 1 Story: The Frogs Desiring a King

There once was a swamp far far away named the Simple Swamp. The swamp was filled with joyful little frogs who lived a simple life. The frogs were always aware of the unspoken rules of their swamp. For example, every frog was aware that once a frog claimed a log or a lily pad that it was off limits to the others. The frogs could challenge each other to a dual on the first Monday of every month if they wanted to fight over the log or lily pad but that is the only way it could be done. Another unspoken role was that once every female frog chose their mate, that frog was not to be messed with by anyone. This was just how the frogs lived their simple life. They never had a problem with any of the frogs disregarding the rules, until one day.

(Simple Swamp)

One day a group of frogs migrated from a nearby swamp to the Simple Swamp. The frogs from the strange swamp seemed to not have any manners or respect for the Simple Swamp's unspoken rules. These frogs were jumping on every lily pad they laid eyes on, regardless if it was claimed or not. The female frogs were going around and talking to all the male frogs in the Simple Swamp, in a fashion that can almost be labeled as "flirting". The frogs of Simple Swamp were enraged and could not bare the commotion that was brought into their simple life. The frogs called for change. They croaked for a king and some set rules and guidelines.

(King of the Frogs)

They called upon the eldest frog of the group and asked them to be their king. The elderly frog agreed and so the change begun. The frogs were called into their first swamp meeting with the king. The king went over specific rules and guidelines. The king said " if you do not like the rules of the Simple Swamp then you can leave and find yourself another one." The new frogs were not fond of the rules. They believed the rules were old fashion and outdated. However, they had respect for the king and decided to go find themselves another swamp. Though the trouble maker frogs had left the Simple Swamp, the frogs decided to keep the king encase future decisions needed to be made. The Simple Swamp frogs continued to live their simple life, until once again when troubled frogs found their way to the Simple Swamp. 

Author's Note:

In the original fable there are frogs who live a simple life in a swamp. The frogs one day wanted a king and an official constitutions. Their calls were answered and they got a log as a king. However the log was not vocal or ruling enough for them and they asked for another king. Now they were sent an angry stork who started to gobble them up. I decided to keep the factors of the simple life, the rules, and the king in my story, however, I wanted to spice things up. I thought it would interesting to bring in more conflict in which would result in a king. I feel that it is like this in real life at times. The more conflict that arises in a situation, the more strict rules can get in that environment.

Bibliography:

This story is based on the fable "The Frogs Desiring a King" in Aesop's Fables.