Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales Part A

Hello World!! 

This week I chose to read Chinese fairy tales. I have always been curious about them so when I saw that they were an option, I jumped at the chance to get more information. My favorite story that I read was the story called "The Lady of the Moon." This story had my attention even before I began to read the story. I felt that the title reminded me of an old Greek myth about Mother Earth.

I quickly learned that the two stories were not the same although I had made the assumption that they were. I thought there was a lot going on in the story. I found that with the herb, the suns, the lady, and the man it was all too much happening in a small and short story. 

I was also a bit confused as to why the emperor went up to the moon just to hear the music and repeat it to his pear-tree garden. I was wondering why he wasn't able to just play them songs he already knew? Anyways, aside from the bit of confusion and the unnecessary information I did find the story to be fun to read. It was really incredible to read a story from such a rich culture. I did enjoy all of the other stories as well, but I found that this specific story was one that I wanted to talk about considering I enjoyed it the most! What have you been reading this week?

The Lady of the Moon, Source: DuskDiamond - DeviantArt

All of the information is from Chinese Fairy Tales.

Reading Notes: Persian Tales Part A

Hello World!!

 This week I chose to read Persian tales. I still enjoy the concept of having various stories to read rather than having one long story to read. I like being constantly kept on my toes when I read. I feel like it is a matter of preference. I think that I could read a long story but I am sure I would take numerous breaks in between.

The one story that I enjoyed the most for this reading was "The Boy Who Became a Bulbul." I found this story to be very strange. I was surprised that the father was able to cut off the son's head without a single thought. The son still seemed to have some form of remorse which I felt was apparent from his hesitation. I felt that he knew what he would have to do which was the reason he chose to leave and get a drink. 

I can't even imagine how the sister felt after she found her brother's head in the pot, and how did the mother cook the meat so nonchalantly? The whole story was so twisted and disturbing.... I loved it! It was very strange but it grabbed my interest immediately and it has forever been imprinted in my brain. 

I also feel that this could be incredible for a story! There are so many twists and turns for the story, but the way that it is written I honestly wouldn't want to change anything. It was a wonderful and intriguing story. I can't imagine an alternate ending to it, but I can imagine it being told maybe from a different perspective or even with some comic relief from the heavy material. 

Persian Tales, Source: Italki

 All information is from Persian Tales.

The Genius King

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"Finally," thought the King, "I'm so glad all this nonsense is over! I can finally go to bed. Oh wait, what's-her-face is there... What was her name again? Oh, it doesn't matter! I'll have a new wife tomorrow anyway!" The King sighed as he made his way down the long, narrow hallway to his chambers. "I still don't understand why women even exist in this world! Such barbaric and heartless creatures don't deserve to live. They are simply an unnecessary nuisance. It's quite alright though. Everyone makes mistakes and I plan on teaching every woman a lesson. A new one each night.  Sheryll!! That was it.... was it? Oh dear." 

The King stopped suddenly in front of the door. He took a deep breath and began his usual pep talk to himself. "You are a strong and admirable king! You have the ability to withstand another... creature. You are a neat guy. You can do this. Deep breaths." He let out his last breath and mentally played "Eye of the Tiger" in his head as he got ready to go in. When he finally felt "invincible" he opened the door and walked in. 

The King's Royal Look, Source:YouTube

He felt his jaw drop as soon as he saw her look up at him and then suddenly the other one looked up too! "How drunk was I last night? Or am I drunk now?.... I can't believe I married two women. I was not prepared for this. I should have listened to "Roar" as well. Breathe in. Breathe out. Brea--it said something... ohh sisters. Great. Just keep nodding. Nod. Nod. Now smile... too much. Better. Don't yawn! Don't do it. Darn it." 

The King walked over to his bed and sat down as Dinarzade asked her sister to tell her a story. He gave his consent as Scherezade began to tell the story of the Fisherman and the Genie. The King was amazed. 

"Greaaattt. As if she wasn't enough now I have to listen to a stor-- wait, there's a Genie!! Don't look excited. Don't do it! You are a king. Kings don't get excited. Do they? She's starting!" 

The King could barely contain his excitement at the story. He became completely engrossed in the fisherman's tale as Scherezade told her story with such heart. Eventually, the night came to an end and the sunrise began to show through the window. The king was annoyed when Scherezade made the genius move of stopping the story on a cliffhanger. 

The King practically screamed inside his head. "Why?! Why didn't we have enough time to finish the story? Well, I guess she could stay another day... No. How can I stand her for another night? But I need to know what happens to the Genie! She's looking right at me. Nod. Nod. Yes! I cannot wait for tomorrow night!!" 

And so Scherezade went on to live another day, and tell another story! 

Author's Note:
This is the story that I chose to write from my last story planning post. I really wanted to make the king quirky. I wanted him to hate women, but to be a huge child on the inside. I feel that helps make his character a little softer. I think that it is crazy that he felt the need to punish all women due to one bad experience in his life. This is also another reason that I felt his character needed to be a bit ridiculous to fit his crazy decision.

I took inspiration from random places. Some from "Friends," specifically from the when Ross overhears his girlfriend's father's pep talk.This inspired the pep talk scene. 

As well as some from "The Emperor's New Groove." While Kronk was my favorite character, Kuzco was definitely unique. "The Emperor's New Groove" was all about Kuzco who was an arrogant and self-centered emperor until Yzma and Kronk accidentally turn him into a llama while trying to kill him. Kronk chooses to help Kuzco and correct his error while Yzma does not. Kuzco also ends up living with a sweet and simple family in the village which allows him to learn compassion and the true meaning of love as well as relationships. I hope that you enjoy the story! Please feel free to let me know if there is anything that you feel I should change or edit! Thank you!
All the information can be found at Arabian Nights. 

 

Feedback Focus!

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This post is about staying focused and not getting side tracked in order to provide reliable and constructive feedback to your classmates and others in general. There were many tips provided for this. Here are a few

1) Reading Out Loud:
 This first technique guides us to read out loud in order to not get distracted while reading this. In my experience I found that this allowed for me to stay focused and really pay attention to what I was reading! I also found my speech to be more clear when reading out loud which was a nice surprise. I also thought that this worked better when I was reading to someone, because if I knew that someone was listening to me I felt more responsible to stay on track.

2) Copy and Delete: 
For this technique you are required to post the article that you are going to be reading and delete each paragraph that you complete and in its place add a your comments about the said paragraph. I did not like this technique at all. For longer articles I could see myself easily getting confused. Especially since I like to refer back to the beginning of the article sometimes to help me really understand what the article is saying. This is especially important to me if I am reading a long argument. Also, I prefer annotating to with sticky notes and colorful pens!  

3) Use a Timer:  
For this last and final technique you set a timer for 10 minutes and read until the time is up. Once the given time has ended you will need to jot down some notes from your reading. I thought this was a fun technique, but I found that I was more concerned about how much time I had left rather than about what I was actually reading. This made it very difficult to concentrate. I don't recommend this if you don't work well under pressure. 

An Animation Emphasizing Focus, Source: socialanxietyinstitute.org

After trying out all three of these techniques, I think it would be best if you simply chose to read something that interested you. This way you will be more likely to stay focused. I think that this would allow for you to be able to give better feedback as well! My favorite technique was reading out loud though! I just like reading out loud to be honest. I hope that you try out these techniques for yourself, and let me know whether you enjoy them or not! Have fun!

Storybook Planning

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This time around I decided to try and plan a story to see if this helps me write a better story than what I usually end up having. This week my reading was about Scherezade and Shehryar. I found the reading a reminder of my childhood and a wonderful read as well.

One specific idea that I have for a story is coming up with my own "fable." I think it would be great to come up with an entirely new story. It would be a great way to challenge myself. I think two monkeys would be fun as well as entertaining. They are always doing something new and learning various things from us. Maybe they could be siblings and each could have a flaw which was made a strength by the two of them working together? I think that would be a fun idea.

Another idea is to write a story about what would happen if the king found out about Scherezade's plan? Would he become angry and harm her and Dinerzade? Or would he simply be amused and let it happen anyway. I think it would be incredibly interesting to see what the king was thinking through all of these stories. Was he entertained or annoyed? What was he thinking about? I would really enjoy writing this version of the story since I could manipulate the king's character to my liking.

I'm still playing around with these two ideas, but I am not sure which one would be a better story to read. I would appreciate feedback and would enjoy any new ideas that anyone has! I think that this gives me some time to take a breath and put together a story rather than rush into it. If this makes it easier for me to construct a better story then I think that this is a great option to invest time in!

Arabian Nights, Source: Constant Contact

All the information can be found at Arabian Nights. 

Reading Notes: Arabian Nights Part A

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 For this week's reading I chose to read Arabian Nights. This is a story that I felt that I had read before, but once I began to read it I realized that I had been told this story as a child! I remember reading the book once I got older as well! The stories do vary in this version a bit and there are some new stories present in this version as well. I even remember acting out these stories with some of my friends! It's crazy how little things can make us so incredibly nostalgic!

I really like how Scheherazade decides to tell the King a story! The first one is one that I remember incredibly well! In the version that I read. Scheherazade is forcibly married to the King, and instead of everyone telling each other a story her younger sister begs her to begin telling her bedtime stories to save her from the king. The stories keep going for a thousand nights and that is how she manages to keep herself from the king. I believe that at the end the king allows her to leave since he is so impressed with all of her stories. While this version has the same concept the stories, as I have mentioned before, are not the same. I really enjoy the addition of these new stories however! I found that some of them were quite interesting. The story of Aladdin was also not included in the version that I had been told as a child. That particular story actually ended up being told as an entire separate story. With the villain that Jafar ends up being I am glad that this story got its own space.

It is so incredible to see that these stories are in a place where the whole world can read them if they so choose! I adore that idea and I think that it's great to be able to know that there is a part of me that will be able to live on in my kids when I can pick up this story once again to retell it to them! I hope that you get the chance to read this story as well, and adore it as much as I do!

Schherazade, Source: Pinterest

All the information can be found at Arabian Nights.

Reading Notes Part A: Aesop Fables (Jacobs)

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I choose to read these Aesop Fables this week. I read the Jacobs version just to clarify. I found that I enjoyed the fables immensely. The one story that stuck out to me was the one called "Wolves."

I found the wolf and sheep story to be a bit reminiscent of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." The stories do not have the same exact plot, but I felt like there were some parallels. This was one of the stories I found I remember exactly form my childhood.

I feel that my favorite art of the story was when The wolf dressed up as the sheep only to pray on them. I feel like this was a strong opinion about appearances. The wolf dressed up as the sheep was deceiving others into trusting him and in turn harming them. I felt this moral could also be applied to normal life. You can easily find that you have to be very careful when you choose to interact with people now-a-days. Well, if you can get them to stop looking at their phone for a minute or two. You have to be a very good judge of character since with everything in the world today, you can really be able to become someone else. It's crazy to think that there are people like the wolf that you canmeet in your every day life.

I think that it would be fun to provide maybe some comic relief from the story, and allow for the wolf to feel remorse in some way after harming the sheep. Maybe have the wolf miss him? So many ideas for a story!! I'll have to see what I end up writing about. These fables have given me a lot to think about.

Wolves, Source: Pinterest

All the above information can be found at this link:Aesop Fables (Jacob)

Storytelling: The Sheep Wolf

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 "Wulph! Wait Wulph!" I heard the little sheep screaming and panting my name as I ran away. I had to run away though. He didn't give me any other option but to run away! I couldn't help but think of him as a big walking pot roast. Why on earth did he have to get so close to me? After eating grass two weeks this was my one chance at having an actual meal. Every time I attempted to go hunting this little.... thing followed me around. You would think that he would pick up on the fact that I salivated uncontrollably when he was around, but know they all just thought my nose was always running. Apparently, running like a Wulph. I couldn't wait to.... Wait, why was I waiting? We were RUNNING away. I heard my stomach growl. After all of the constant games and "Baaaa"-ing I finally had my chance. 

I had been under the radar for about two months now! I hadn't been able to get a single steak in! I couldn't believe how annoying his little thing was! He just had to know what I was doing all the time! Even when I went out for a bathroom break! He. Was. There. It was becoming the most frustrating situation for me! I couldn't stand hearing all of his jokes.. What was a knock knock anyway? 

I ran through the field and into trees. No one would see us here. I could hear the little fuzzy... thing panting after me. I stopped abruptly and turned around.  "Gosh Wulphy! I had something important to tell you! I don't think we should be this far away from the herd though," his voice trailed off. Here it comes the awkward silence. Why is he just staring at me?

"Wanna hear a joke before we head back?!" Not at all. "Knock, Knock! Wulphy, you have to open the door when someone knocks!! Knock, Knock!" I stared at the little meat loaf. "What door?" "The one right there," he said as he shoved his head right in front of mine. He was so close! Oh no! Why did I just lick his face?! I need to fix this. What's the quickest way to make sure he doesn't notice?....Oh crap. "Who's there?" Here we go again.

"Orange," he said with that goofy grin on his face. That was it! Dinner he is! 

 "All the better to eat you with my dear!" I bellowed ready to attack. I glared at him. No. More. Knock knock. Jokes.

"No, silly! It's orange you glad to see me! You get it? Isn't it funny? Why aren't you laughing? Wul--" 

Finally! I tore him to shreds as I swallowed chunks of him whole. My delicious meal! He deserved it! He was telling me the same joke for the fifteenth time. I..."Hey Wulphy, why is it so dark in here. Wow! You sure do think a lot about sheep. Hey, look, there's me!" 

What was that. Oh God no! Please no. How was I still hearing him? I had eaten my fill of his body. I stared at the carcass on the ground and nudged it. Nope definitely dead.... Did I eat a different sheep? I looked around and walked in a circle... No.  How was it even possible that he was in my mind?.... I closed my eyes and concentrated..."Hey Wulphy! Knock Knock!" The voice echoed this time in my brain. This was worse then having him follow me! 

"Wulphy! Knock Knock! Open the door!!"

Oh dear God please help me. WHAT HAVE I DONE??!!

Author's Note: I found that it would be nice to have some form of comic relief for this specific fable from the Aesop's Fables (Jacob). I found this story to be incredibly intriguing and I wanted to be sure that I put that across. I always enjoy a humorous story and this one is no specific intention. I was inspired a bit from "Hoodwinked" the Disney movie that came out a few years ago. I am a huge Disney fan so I found that this was immediately my first thought. 

In the original story, the wolf doesn't really have a friend or anyone following him. He gets away with his disguise and with killing all these sheep without consequences until the very end. I decided that here should be some form of guilt in his conscience that causes him to regret his decision at least somewhat. This is why I chose to add the sheep with various jokes! I felt that it could be a comical way for the wolf to deal with his karma. I also thought that this would allow for the story to have more of a form of comic relief rather than the original. I hope that you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! 


All the above information can be found at this link:Aesop Fables (Jacob).

Wulphy, Source: V&A