Week 13 Reading Diary: Fables of La Fontaine

Here are a few of my favorite stories from Fables of La Fontaine


The Frog and the Ox This story tells the tale of a little frog with a big ego! One day, while sitting in the swamp, the frog sees the ox and says to his sister that the ox looks about the size of the frog. Huffing and puffing, the frog inflates himself to try to match the the size of the ox. The frog, however, doesn't reach this size, and instead explodes.


The Dog And His Image In this tale, a dog enjoying a juicy bone goes down to the stream where he sees his own reflection. Mistaking his reflection for another bone and not his own, the dog drops his bone to grab the other. In the end, the dog's greed leaves him empty handed as his bone splashes into the stream.


The Fox and the Grapes In this story, the fox comes across a bunch of grapes high above his head. Eying them to eat, he jumps with all this strength to reach the grapes. When they prove to be too far, however, the fox declares that the grapes must be sour, and that he never really wanted them anyways.


The Tortoise and the Two Ducks In this story, the tortoise, envious of the ducks, yearns to fly. Agreeing to help, the two ducks tell the tortoise to bite down on a stick, which they will grab and take off into the air. While in mid air, the tortoise attempts to speak, sending here back down to the ground where she is smashed to bits.


The Frog and the Rat This tale tells of a frog and rat who, while traveling together, decide to tie their legs together for safety. When they come across some water, however, the frog decides to dive deep down, causing the rat to trash about. This commotion attracts the attention of a kite, who swoops down and eats them both.

Essay for Week 12: The "Bad Guys" of English Fairy Tales

Throughout English Fairy Tales, many treacherous and evil characters can be found. These "bad guys" share many traits with each other, but their tales often end in very different circumstances.

In the fairy tale Mouse and Mouser, the "Mouser," or the cat takes on the role of villain. At the start of the story, the mouse goes to visit the cat, who he finds spinning yarn behind the hall door. After making some small talk about the trousers the cat is making, the mouse begins to tell a story which the cat does not take kindly to. The mouse says that while sweeping his room, he had found some money and decided to buy himself a meat dish. He goes on to accuse the cat of swiping it from the windowsill on which he set it to cool. The "bad guy" cat admits to his crime, saying "and I'll eat you," before devouring the poor mouse whole.

  

(Cat: Wikimedia commons)

Much like the Mouser, the "bad guy" in Mr Fox preys on the weak and innocent. Unlike the Mouser, however, Mr Fox does not get away with his crimes. In the beginning of the tale, the fair Lady Mary, in spite of all her other suitors, picks Mr Fox as the man she shall marry. Mr Fox was brave and gallant, although no one knew much about him. One day, near their wedding day, Lady Mary decides to seek out Mr Fox's castle while he is away on business. Mary enters Mr Fox's castle, and much to her horror, finds a closet full of beautiful young women that Mr Fox has murdered. Just as Mary discovers this, she looks out the window to see Mr Fox dragging another one of his victims into the castle. Mary escapes, and informs her brothers of his crimes. The next day, this "bad guy" meets justice at the sword end of Mary's many friends and family.

Week 12 Reading Diary: English Fairy Tales

Here are a few of my favorite stories from English Fairy Tales.

The Old Woman and Her Pig In this tale, an old woman finds some extra money one day while sweeping around her house, and decides to go out and buy a pig. However, on the way back, she comes across a stile which the pig will not cross. She decides to seek a dog to bite the pig to encourage it over the fence, but the dog doesn't comply. Her problem compounds and compounds until she finally finds someone to comply with one of her requests, which sets off a chain of events until the pig eventually jumps over the stile.

Mouse and Mouser In this story, the mouse goes to visit the cat, who he finds spinning yarn behind the hall door. The mouse tells the cat that while sweeping his room, he found some money and bought himself a meat dish, which he set on the windowsill to cool. The cat plays coy throughout their conversation, until the mouse accuses the cat of stealing his treat. Upon this the cat replies "and I'll eat you," and pounces on the mouse.

Mr Fox This tale tells of the the fair Lady Marry and her brave and gallant lover Mr. Fox. One day, right before their wedding day while Mr. Fox was away on business, Lady Mary sets out to find Mr. Fox's castle. Searching through his castle, Mary finds a closet full of the bodies and skeletons of other young ladies! Looking out the window, she spies Mr. Fox dragging another one of his victims. Mary escapes, and the next day has her brothers kill Mr. Fox.

Mr Miacca This story tells of Tommy Grimes, a very bad acting young boy. Tommy is warned by his mother that if his behavior does not improve, he will be snatched up by Mr Miacca. Tommy doesn't heed this warning, and sure enough is grabbed by Mr Miacca. Mr Miacca eats little boys who behave badly, and chops off Tommy's leg so that he can both eat it, and prevent Tommy from escaping. Tommy, however, takes a leg from the sofa and runs home.

Week 11: Famous Last Words

The semester has gone by so quickly! Week 11 has already come and passed. As the temperature has dropped lower and lower this week, I have found myself looking forward to winter break more and more. Winter has always been my favorite season growing up. I hope it snows this year!

In physics lab this week, we continued our exploration into the field of optics. We used a light source and many different mediums to see how the travel of light changed depending on the composition of the material. Organic Lab was much more unfortunate this week, as our lab involved using diethyl ether, a very, very smelly compound. I don't think the stench will ever leave my notebook.

 

(Robin Hood: Wikimedia Commons)

For my weekly reading in Mythology and Folklore this week, I chose to read the classic Ballads of Robin Hood. Next to Aesop's fables, this has been my favorite reading of the year. One of my favorite tales from this reading was The Ranger. In this ballad of Robin Hood, Robin Hood treks through the forest one day in search of a deer to hunt to bring back for himself and his merry men. While trekking through the woods, however, Robin Hood finds himself amongst a ranger, who informs him that the deer of the forest belong to the king and threaten that if Robin Hood kills one of the deer, he shall attack. Robin Hood rejects the words of the ranger, saying that he has hunted in the forest for years, and will not be stopped. The two men engage in combat with their swords, fighting evenly for three hours! How exhausting! Eventually, Robin Hood's men appear, but instead of killing the Ranger, Robin Hood offers him a place in his ranks. I think my favorite aspect of this story is the two men becoming friends after gaining each others respect in combat.

Google Timer Tech Tip

It's good to take a short break from studying every hour or so to digest what you have learned. The Google timer can be good to insure your short breaks don't turn into long ones!

Essay for Week 11: Heroes of Robin Hood Ballads

Throughout mythological and folkloric tales, many examples of heroes can be found. The Ballads of Robin Hood provide no exception to this trend. Although Robin Hood may not fulfill the traditional idea of the chivalrous knight in shining armor, his many noble deeds more than prove that he is a true hero.

(Robin Hood: Wikimedia Commons)

In the tale Rescuing Three Squires, our heroic protagonist Robin Hood one day happens across a crying old woman. When Robin Hood questions the woman as to why she is crying, the old woman informs Robin Hood that each of her three sons have been sentenced to death for simply hunting a deer in the forest that the king claimed as his own. The hero Robin soon comes up with a plan to save the old woman's three sons. Robin Hood first seeks out a old beggar, and trades clothes with him to gain a disguise. Dressed as a lowly beggar, Robin Hood meets up with the Sheriff and offers to be the hangmen for the three men. The hero Robin Hood, risking his life and limb for three strangers, blows loudly upon his horn, calling his men to his side. With the help of his men, Robin Hood and the three squires escape into the forest.

Robin Hood's noble deeds do not end with him saving three lives. In the tale The Noble Fisherman Robin Hood once again takes to a disguise, this time pretending not be be a beggar, but instead a poor fisherman. Robin Hood meets a woman at the docks, who offers him a job on her boat.While Robin Hood is out at sea, a group of french pirates attempt to board the boat that Robin Hood is working on. The Hero Robin Hood draws his bow and shoots each and ever last one of the pirates. If saving the whole crew of the boat isn't heroic, I don't know what is!

Week 11 Reading Diary: Robin Hood Ballads

Here are a few of my favorite stories from Ballads of Robin Hood

The Ranger After the winter ends, and the snow melts away, Robin Hood sets out to hunt a deer to bring back for him and his merry men to eat. Along the way, however, he runs into a forester, who tells him that the deer here belong to the majesty, and threatens Robin Hood. Robin Hood rejects the words of the forester, saying that he has hunted in the forest for years, and will not be stopped. The two men engage in combat with their swords, fighting evenly for three hours! Eventually, Robin Hood's men appear, and he offers the skillful ranger a place in his ranks.

Rescuing Three Squires In this tale, Robin Hood comes across a crying woman, who he soon discovers has three sons that have been sentenced to death for killing the king's deer. Robin hatches a plan to save these three men, and trades clothes with an old beggar to give himself a disguise. Robin Hood then goes to the Sheriff and offers to help hang these men, but instead blows loudly on his horn, calling upon his men. They quickly arrive and save the three squires.

Little John a Begging In this story, Robin Hood sends Little John to go out begging. Little John agrees, and gathers his things to set out. Eventually, he meets up with a number of other beggars, who recognize Little John as not one of their own. The beggars decide to rob Little John for his bread and cheese, but he fights them off and instead finds a large amount of gold on them.

The Noble Fisherman Robin Hood takes to a disguise yet again in this tale, this time making himself up to be a poor fisherman. Robin Hood is offered a job on a boat by a woman, and soon sets off to sea. While out on the ocean, however, a band of french robbers attempts to hijack the boat. Robin Hood, with his swift bow and arrow, takes them all out.

Robin Hood and the Valiant Knight In this tale, the king sends Sir William and a hundred men to confront Robin Hood. After Robin Hood refuses to surrender, the two groups of men clash. Robin Hood survives this battle, but soon after becomes sick. A monk comes to let his blood, but this only worsens his condition. Robin Hood soon dies.

Einstein Tech Tip

Here is the picture I made with the Einstein generator

Week 10: Famous Last Words

I can't believe it! Week 10 is over already. In just 6 more weeks, the semester will be over and winter break will begin. Although, I think for many of us, winter break will really just be the beginning of the December intersession! The busy life of the college student, eh?

Another round of testing has passed, so this week has been a little bit slower. I've been trying to use this additional time to finish up my second story for my storybook, but I've had a little bit of writers block. I think I know where I want the tale to go, but it has been difficult to come up with the appropriate language to direct it there. Hopefully with some coffee and a little luck I can get it finished up.

(Coffee: Wikimedia Commons)

With the Principles of Physiology test out of the way, the normal lectures have resumed. This Thursday, however, we are supposed to have a guest lecturer. I am excited to see what they have to add to the class, but it has also been strongly suggested that we may have a quiz that day; something I am not so excited about.

With OU Texas canceling physics lab two weeks ago, and the lab practical last week, this week has been the first real physics lab I've done in a while. It was an interesting lab measuring the angles of reflection from different types of mirrors and through quartz crystals. The lights in the classroom had to be off for the experiment to work properly, but this did made it a little difficult to set up.

Organic Chem lab was short and sweet this week. Although I have to go directly to work after class, getting out of class early allowed me to get off of work early, which allowed me to go to sleep before 2am.

Essay for Week 10: Tricksters and Fools of Myths of the Cherokee

Throughout most folkloric tales, one can find numerous examples of both tricksters and fools. The Myths of the Cherokee are no exception to this trend.

In the Cherokee tale The Rabbit Goes Duck Hunting, a story is told of a rabbit who was so boastful that no matter whatever he saw anyone else do, he would claim he could do it as well! This trickster was even known to devise schemes to convince the other animals of his lies. The boastful rabbit one day sees the otter diving down deep into the water and eating fish, and decides to claim that he can do this as well. This tricky rabbit convinces all of the other animals of his ability, however, the otter claims that he also eats ducks, and the rabbit immediately claims to do the same. When the trickster rabbit attempts to fulfill this bet by placing a noose around one of the ducks necks, it takes off into the air, taking the rabbit along for the ride. In the end, this former trickster only shows himself to be a fool.

(The Cherokee's Ultimate Trickster, the Rabbit: Wikimedia Commons)

We see the rabbit once again take on the role of trickster in How the Rabbit Stole the Otter's Coat, albeit this time more successfully. In this story, the rabbit hears that among all the animals, the otter had the finest coat of them all. The rabbit soon hatches a plan to steal the otter's coat. The rabbit locates the otter on his way to a council meeting and travels with him. When they come to a place that the rabbit calls The Place Where it Rains Fire, the rabbit warns the otter that he should place his coat on a nearby tree limb so that it does not get burnt during a fire storm in the night. The trickster then throws hot coals over the otter in the middle of the night, shouting to him"it's raining fire!" When the otter runs to the water for cover, the rabbit steals his coat.

Week 10 Reading Diary: Myths of the Cherokee

Here are a few of my favorite stories from Myths of the Cherokee
  

The Rabbit Goes Duck Hunting This tale tells of a rabbit who was "so boastful that he would claim to do whatever he saw anyone else do" and "so tricky that he could usually make the other animals believe it all." One day, the boastful rabbits sees the otter diving down deep into the water and eating fish, and decides to claim that he can do it as well. This trickster even manages to convince the other animals of his ability! However, the otter claims that he also eats ducks, and challenges the rabbit to do the same. When the rabbit attempts to put a noose around one of the ducks necks, it takes off into the air, dragging the rabbit along for the ride.

How the Rabbit Stole the Otter's Coat In this story, it is told that among the animals, it was said that the otter had the finest coat among them all. Upon hearing this, the rabbit devises a scheme to steal the otter's coat. The rabbit finds the otter, and travels with him for a time. Eventually, they come to a place that the rabbit calls The Place Where it Rains Fire, where the rabbit warns the otter should place his coat on tree limb so that it does not get burnt during the fire storm. The tricky rabbit throws hot coals over the otter during the night, shouting "it's raining fire!" When the otter runs to the water, the rabbit makes off with his coat. 

How the Terrapin Beat the Rabbit This story tells the tale of a boastful terrapin (turtle) who challenges the rabbit to a race. Knowing that he would be unable to beat the rabbit, the terrapin instead gathers several of his identical friends to position themselves along the race track, pretending to be the single terrapin. The tricky terrapin cheats his way to a victory in the race.

The Owl Gets Married This tale begins with the story of a widow and her daughter. The widow tells her daughter that any man she marries must be a great hunter able to providing for her and her family. One day, a man appears, claiming to be a great hunter, and wins the daughters hand in marriage. Despite this, he consistently only brings back scraps from his "hunts." Suspicious, his new wife follows her husband down to the river where she witnesses him change into an owl! The young woman angrily drives him from their home when he returns that night.

The Snake Boy This story tells of a boy who bird hunted each day, bringing the gains of his hunt to his grandmother. This, however, made the rest of his family jealous, who then treated him badly.  Angry at his family, the boy sets off into woods without breakfast, returning that night with only a pair of deer horns. At daybreak the next day, the grandmother finds that the boy has turned into an uktena (horned serpant). The boy-serpent slithers away and plunges into the river, where the grieving grandmother soon follows.

The Snake Man This tale tells of two hunters forbidden from eating squirrel or turkey meat. After a long day of hunting, one of the hunters begins to prepare several squirrels he has killed for his supper. The other hunter warns him that if he eats the squirrel, he will turn into a snake. Sure enough, after he eats the squirrel, the hunter turns into a serpent and slithers to the river bank.

OU Email Tech Tip

I had never heard of the option to create new folders to organize emails before. I will definitely be using this in the future!

Week 9: Famous Last Words

Week 9 is over and the semester is showing no signs of slowing down! This past week as been one of the most stressful this semester, and I am not sad to see it over.

(Stress: Flickr)

This week I had both an exam in Principles of Physiology, as well as a lab practical in my Physics II Lab. My procrastination of studying for these tests certainly didn't help either! As a result, some of my work for other classes was put on the back burner. Unfortunately, I failed to complete the weekly reading as well as the storytelling post for Mythology and Folklore. This left me unable to complete a few other assignments as well. Fortunately, however, there is a large amount of extra credit available to make up for the assignments I did not complete! I am really thankful for the flexibility that this class provides! My Principles of Physiology grade is thankful as well.

Organic Chemistry Lab this week was certainly an interesting one. I had received an email a couple days before the lab informing that the lab we would be conducting would produce a terrible smell that could linger on for some time. The email even went so far as to suggest not wearing any clothes that you valued as they could be permanently contaminated! I was very concerned as we have to take our backpacks into this classroom and I really was not looking forward to having a smelly backpack for the rest of the semester, or buying a new one for that matter. Fortunately, I think the email was a little bit of an exaggeration, as the smell produced was really nothing worse than the smell of a chlorine pool. I had expected much, much worse after reading the suggestions from the email.

Week 8: Reading Diary Assessment

Reading back through my diary entries, I noticed that not much has changed since I begun my diary. I think I have found I format that I enjoy writing in, and have stuck with it throughout the semester. My strategy for writing my diary entries usually consists of picking a few of my favorite stories spaced throughout the reading and summarizing them in my own words. This helps me retain these stories that I have read in my memory, and also creates a nice entry to go back and look at when I need to recall the details of a story. Usually I read through the entire reading first, and then go back and pick my favorite stories to write about. I then reread the stories that I have picked, taking notes about them as I go along.

The length of my journal entries has been pretty consistent each week, usually ending up at about six hundred words per entry. This seems about the right length to me, but adding some more notes to these entries may be beneficial. I usually don't add an image to my diary entries, but the thought hadn't occurred to me before. This may also be a way to improve my diary assignments; taking the time to seek out a relevant image may also help me retain these stories for later, and having and image would definitely be more pleasing to those who may read my entries.

In general, I think I remember the stories that I write about fairly well. However, for my other classes it seems that I learn the material in preparation for an exam and then lose a lot of this information after the exam has passed. Perhaps a reading journal of sorts for my other classes would help with information retention!

Week 7: Famous Last Words

I can't believe it is week seven already. The semester is almost halfway over! This week has been a very busy one, as my coworker left and I am having to cover additional days!

My classes this week have been interesting. In Physics Lab we had and a few interesting labs involving electromagnetic fields. There were about 6 different apparatuses set up at different tables around the room, and each group took turns switching tables, experimenting with phenomenon of electromagnetic fields. Organic Chem lab was a little bit easier this week, as we just did worksheets on infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. This means no lab report due next week!


In Mythology and Folklore this week, I read Tibetan Folk Tales by A.L. Shelton. I really enjoyed this reading. The folk tales reminded me strongly of Aesop's fables, as many of them involved animals and they all had a lesson to teach.

For my storytelling post this week, I rewrote the Tibetan Folk Tale The Tiger and the Frog. In the original story, there is a hungry tiger who one day while out prowling comes across a small frog. The Tiger's first instinct is to eat the frog up, but this clever frog declares that he is king of all frogs, saying that he can jump any distance and do anything. The frog decides to challenge the Tiger to a contest to who can jump furthest across a nearby river. However, the clever frog bites onto the tigers tail and uses the tiger to catapult himself across the river instead. When they get to the other side, the frog tricks the tiger by spitting up his own fur and claiming he had eaten a tiger the day before. The scared tiger then runs away! I kept my telling of the story mostly the same, but changed the contest to a race.

 (Tiger. Wikimedia Commons)

URL Shortener Tech Tip

Short: http://goo.gl/KeqxHg

Here's the original URL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphioparaomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptekephalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon

Essay for Week 7: Tricksters and Fools of Tibetan Folk Tales

Tricksters and fools play a large part in many mythological and folkloric tales. In the Tibeten Folk Tales, we see many examples of these characters.

In the tale The Tiger and the Frog, the trickster Frog creates a ruse that convinces a hungry tiger not to eat him. When the Tiger and the Frog first meet, the Tiger's first instinct is to gobble this small creature up. However, the frog declares that he is king of all frogs, saying that he can jump any distance and do anything. He proceeds to challenge the Tiger to see who can jump further across a nearby river. When the Tiger jumps across, this trickster bites his tail and uses him to get across the river! He then spits up the Tiger's fur and deceives him into believing that it was from a Tiger he had eaten the previous day. The scared Tiger runs away!

(Tiger: Wikimedia Commons)

One of these tricky creatures from the Tibetan Folk Tales falls victim to his own ruse in How the Fox Fell a Victim to His Own Deceit. This tale begins with a mother tiger bringing a baby fox back to her cub to be a playmate. While out on her hunt one day, this mother tiger finds a baby calf, and brings it back to be a playmate for her cub as well. When the calf arrives,however, the fox becomes jealous. The mother tiger dies, and the trickster fox tells both the calf and the tiger that the other is planning on killing the other! In the end, the calf and the tiger figure out that the fox has tricked them, and instead it the the fox who is made to be a fool.

In the story How the Sacred Duck Got His Yellow Breast, a rabbit and a frog find a golden pot on top of a mountain. Unable to decide who would get the pot, they decide to race for it. The frog, however, knowing that he would be unable to beat the rabbit in a race, gathers two lookalikes to sneak in and take his place along the path!

Storytelling for Week 7: The Tiger and the Frog

Once upon a time, in the rainforest of the amazon, there lived a frog. This frog slept through the day and lived out his nights hopping to and from, eating flies and playing games with his fellow frogs, as did so many other frogs living in the rainforest. Each frog of the forest knew, however, that when daylight approached their games were to end, for the predators that lurked in the rainforest were sure to awaken.

One day, as all the frogs were winding down and preparing for rest, the Frog realized that he had left his glasses out while playing.

"Drats! If I don't go get my glasses now, I may never find them!" said the Frog to himself. "If I hurry I should make it back before daylight."

The Frog quickly dashed into the forest and retrieved his glasses, but he had taken too long; the sun was appearing on the horizon. Just then, the Frog heard rustling from the trees beside him, and soon appeared a large and ferocious tiger. 

(Emerald Glass Frog: Wikimedia Commons)

"Why, hello there little frog. I think you'll make a fine snack on this beautiful morning." said the Tiger, inching his way closer to the Frog.

"Wait!" yelled the frog. "I'm ah.. I'm.. I'm the king of all the frogs! I can do anything and beat anyone!"

"Is that so, little frog?" questioned the Tiger. "Tell me, can you beat me in a race? Can those tiny legs of yours carry you faster than these great haunches of mine?"

"Of course they can!" replied the Frog. "I'll race you straight to the tree trunk down there!"

"Very well." said the Tiger. "On the count of three. One.. Two.. Three!"

On the count of three, the Tiger set off at a rapid speed. The Frog, knowing that he could not beat the Tiger in a flat out sprint, instead jumped and grabbed the Tiger's tail in his mouth.

When the Tiger arrived at the tree trunk, he glanced around and found no sign of the Frog in sight.

"Hah!" laughed the Tiger. "I outpaced him so much he's not even in sight."

"Over here!" said the Frog. "What took you so long?"

The Tiger turned around, startled to see the Frog sitting before him. The Frog spit down in front of the Tiger, cleaning out the fur that had stuck in his mouth from the Tiger's tail.

"That fur, how did you get that in your mouth?" questioned the Tiger.

"That uh.. that's from a Tiger I ate just yesterday!"

Afraid of the Frog's apparent strength and speed, the Tiger ran off into the forest to never be seen by the frog again.

Author's Note: This story is based on The Tiger and the Frog from Tibetan Folk Tales by A.L. Shelton. This story tells of a hungry tiger who one day comes across a small frog. The Tiger's first instinct is to gobble the frog up, but the frog declares that he is king of all frogs, saying that he can jump any distance and do anything. This frog challenges the Tiger to a contest  as to who can jump across a nearby river. The frog bites onto the tigers tail and uses him to jump across the river. When they get to the other side, the frog tricks the tiger by spitting up his own fur and claiming he had eaten a tiger the day before. Scared, the tiger runs away.

Week 7 Reading Diary: Tibetan Folk Tales

Here are a few stories from Tibetan Folk Tales


The Tiger and the Frog This story tells the tale of a hungry tiger who one day comes across a small frog. The Tiger's first instinct is to gobble the frog up, but the frog declares that he is king of all frogs, saying that he can jump any distance and do anything. This little frog is even brave enough to challenge this Tiger to who can jump across a nearby river! The frog bites onto the tigers tail and uses him to jump across the river. When they get to the other side, the frog tricks the tiger by spitting up his own fur and claiming he had eaten a tiger the day before. Scared, the tiger runs away.

How the Fox Fell a Victim to His Own Deceit In this tale, a mother tiger brings a baby fox to her cave to be a playmate for her own cub. One day, this mother tiger finds a baby calf while out on her hunt, and brings it back to be a playmate for her cub as well. However, when the calf arrives, the fox becomes jealous and plots against the calf. When the mother tiger dies, the fox tells both the calf and the tiger that the other is planning on killing them. The calf and the tiger figure out that the fox has tricked them, and instead kill the fox!

The Man and the Ghost In this story, a man meets a ghost one day while crossing a river, and tells the ghost that he himself is also a ghost. The two travel together for a while, until the ghost goes into town and steals the soul of the king's son while the man is asleep. The ghost gives the man the soul in a bag, telling him to hold onto it while he attends other business. The man, however, returns the soul to the king's son and receives a vast reward.

The Story of the Three Hunters  This story tells the tale of three married brothers who all lived together in a mountain village with their sister. One day, the two oldest wives become jealous of the sister, and kill her while the brothers are out hunting. The brothers return and discover what the two oldest of the wives have done, and kill them in return.

How the Sacred Duck Got His Yellow Breast. This tale tells of a rabbit and a frog who one day find a golden pot on top of a mountain. Unable to decide who would get the pot, they decide to race to the top of the mountain the next day. The frog, however, knowing that he would be unable to beat the rabbit in a race, gathers two lookalikes to sneak up the mountain and take his place. After "winning" the pot, the frog is unable to get it down the mountain himself, and enlists the help of a duck. This duck takes his half of the pot and smears in on his breast, giving it a golden color.

Fake Twitter Tech Tip

Essay for Week 6: Magic and the Supernatural in the Monkey King

The tale of the monkey king is a tale of magic and the supernatural. From the birth of Sun Wu Kung, to his ascension to a Budda, magic fills the tales of his life.

In the beginning of the story of the Monkey King, in the passage Handsome King of the Apes, Sun Wu Kung is born. This birth is far from natural, however! The future king of the monkeys is born out a stone egg, and is even made of stone himself!

The Monkey King's supernatural abilities do not end there. In the passage Learning the Art, Sun Wu Kung learns to practice magic from his priestly master. Sun Wu Kung is able to leap into the air and walk amongst clouds that form beneath his feet.

 (Sun Wu Kung: Wikimedia Commons)

Sun Wu Kung further demonstrates his magic capabilities in the story of The Devil-King.. When Sun Wu Kung returns to his home, he finds that his cave has been taken over by a devil. This devil is no match for the Monkey King's new magic powers, however. Sun Wu Kung uses magic to turn his own hairs into tiny little monkeys to attack the demon, and ends the devil once and for all with a blow from his own knife.

In Notscha, Son of Li Dsing, Sun Wu Kung once again finds himself in a battle. This time, he faces the son of a god! During this fight, both Notscha and Sun Wu Kung use magic to transform themselves into a three headed being with six arms. The fight continues for a time, until Sun Wu Kung utilizes his hair once more to make a phantom of himself, and strikes Notscha from behind.

In the final story of Sun Wu Kung, The Travellers Honoured, Sun Wu Kung and other supernatural immortal beings meet with the Buddha. Sun Wu Kung is appointed God of Victorious Strife, and ascends to his celestial abode.

Storytelling for Week 6: The Stone Monkey

Once upon a time, on top of mountainous island in the sea, lived a village of monkeys. This island was amongst a treacherous and wild sea, and its constant winds and storms made all of the islands surrounding that of the monkeys uninhabitable.

For all intents and purposes, the island of the monkeys should have been ravaged by these storms as well. However, the monkeys on this island had the blessing of the god Faarus. For each day, when the sun rose in the sky, every monkey in the village would pray upon the stone tablet of Faarus, and every night, when the sun vanished from the sky, each monkey would return to pray with the tablet once more. While many storms would form in the sea, as they approached the island they would veer off course or disappear altogether.

(Stone Tablet: Wikimedia Commons)

One day, an evil spirit came to the island of monkeys and snatched away the tablet, hiding it in a cave behind a raging waterfall. Each of the monkeys tried to pass through the waterfall, but the stream was too strong, and one by one they were washed away.

Without the tablet, the monkeys were no longer able to pray to the god Faarus. The protection from their god was lost, and soon storms ravaged the island as it those around it. Rain poured on the island all day and night, and the homes of the villagers were blown away in the strong winds. As the weeks passed, the monkeys suffered without shelter and had begun to run out of food.

All seemed hopeless, until the fateful day that a stone egg fell from the heavens onto the island. The stone egg hatched as quick as it fell, and out climbed a tiny stone monkey. The stone monkey did not stay tiny for long, for by nightfall he had grown to the size of a full grown ape.

The stone monkey spoke with the village monkeys and learned of the evil spirit who had hidden their tablet. The stone monkey quickly went to the waterfall and, due to his heavy stone exterior, was able to pass through unharmed. The stone monkey retrieved the tablet from the cave and returned to the village monkeys.

The monkeys prayed upon the tablet, and the storm dissipated from the island. Thankful for the stone monkeys help, they made him king of all the monkeys.



Author's Note: This story is based on Handsome King of the Apes in the section The Monkey King from The Chinese Fairy Book by R. Wilhelm. This story tells of a  stone monkey who is born from a stone egg. He slowly grows up, learning to walk and climb trees, until one day he becomes king of the apes by walking though a waterfall unharmed and finding a stone tablet. I added the storms and prayers to this tale to make it a little more dramatic.

Week 6 Reading Diary: The Monkey King, Sun Wu Kung

Here are a few of my favorite stories from The Monkey King

Handsome King of the Apes. In the beginning of this tale, the future Monkey king is born. This isn't a normal birth, however; the Monkey King was born out of a stone egg! The stone monkey slowly grows up, learning to walk and climb trees, until one day he becomes king of the apes by walking though a waterfall unharmed and finding a stone tablet.

Sun Wu Kung Gets His Name As the title suggests, in this section the Monkey King receives his name. One day the monkey king hears a wood chopper singing a "divine" song and believes him to be a master of the divine. The wood chopper responds that he simply learned the song from a saint, and sends the Monkey King to where the saint resides. Once he arrives, the saint gives the Monkey King the name Sun Wu Kung and teaches him many other skills.

Learning the Art After years of practice, Sun Wu Kung learns the art of magic from the saint. The Monkey Kings leaps into the air and walks several hundred feet on clouds that form below him!

The Devil-King  Sun Wu Kung leaves his master and returns to his home only to find that his cave has been taken over by a devil. The Monkey King engages the devil in combat, utilizing his new magic to turn each of his hairs into tiny monkeys to attack the devil. Sun Wu Kung takes the devils knife from him and ends him once and for all.

The  Lord of the Heavens Hearing the complaints of the Dragon-King and the princes of the dead, the Lord of the Heavens sets out to punish Sun Wu Kung. The Evening Star speaks on Sun Wu Kung's behalf and changes the lord's mind. The Lord of the Heavens instead makes Sun Wu Kung the stablemaster of the heavenly steeds.

Notscha, Son of Li Dsing Sun Wu Kung finds his new position demeaning, as he was a king on his own mountain, and leaves. The Lord of the Heavens is angered by this and sends Li Dsing, a god, and his son, Notscha to take Sun Wu Kung prisoner. Sun Wu Kung easily beats Notscha in combat, and he is given the title Great Saint Who Is Heaven’s Equal.

Week 5: Famous Last Words

Week five over already! It still seems like the semester just started, but here we are over a month in. I think I must say this in every Famous Last Words post, but it has been a very busy week! My lab classes have certainly been filling most of my time, but physiology has been creeping up on me too. Thankfully, I have Mythology to have at least one fun class.

In Physics lab this week, we continued our study of electric current through circuits. While I've already taken both Physics 1 and 2, and the concepts are not new to me, it is interesting to see the things we learned about first hand in the lab. In Organic Chem lab we learned about partition coefficients between organic and aqueous solutions. What a headache!

In Mythology and Folklore this week, I read the story of Twenty-Two Goblins. I really enjoyed this tale. In it, a king named "King Victory" attempts to remove a goblin from a graveyard as a favor to monk who has been bringing the king a very generous tribute. However, each time the king attempts to remove the goblin, the goblin tells the king a riddle. When the king guesses the riddle right, the goblin runs off back to a tree. This happens many, many times!

I took the Twenty Two Goblins tale The Four Brothers and used it as the basis for my storytelling post this week. In the original, there are four brothers who each know a different type of "science." One brother can add flesh to bones, the second can add skin and hair to flesh, the third can add eyes and organs and the final brother can bring the organs to life. The four brothers bring a lion to life, which kills them all! In my tale, The Two Thieves, it is instead two thieves who bring a dead man to life in hopes of learning the location of secret treasure.

(Thief: Free Vector Graphics, Pixabay)

Keyboard Tech Tip

Here is a question for my fellow Spanish students!

Hola clase. ¿Qué hizo el año pasado?




For those who chose a different language to study, here is the English translation:


"Hello class. What did you do last year?"

Essay for Week 5: Magic and the Supernatural in Twenty-Two Goblins

Magic and the supernatural appear frequently throughout mythological and folkloric tales, and the story Twenty-Two Goblins is no exception. In almost every riddle told by the goblin, there is some element of magic or supernatural beings. Of course, even the goblin himself is a supernatural being! The "goblin" is actually a creature that is possessing a corpse in the graveyard.

In The Three Lovers, a beautiful farmer's daughter has three suitors of whom she cannot choose to marry. Unfortunately, the farmer's daughter becomes ill and passes away. One of her suitors, however, travels far and learns of magic to bring the dead back to life. He gathers her remains and brings her back to the world of the living.

We see both supernatural beings and magic in the tale Brave, Wise, Clever. When Moonlight, the daughter of a king's counsellor, is kidnapped, three men who seek her hand in marriage attempt to rescue her. The clever man builds a magic flying carriage to get the men to where Moonlight was being kept, while the brave man then slays the giant that had taken her.

In the tale The Four Brothers, we hear a story of, as the title suggests, four brothers, each of whom has a different magic skill. Although the brothers in the story refer to their skills as "sciences" that they have learned, these powers are clearly supernatural.The first brother can add flesh to the skeleton of any animal. The second possesses the skill to add skin and hair to any flesh. The third brother says that he can add eyes and other organs to any creature with flesh, skin and hair. The final brother has the most impressive ability; he can bring the creature to life. Unfortunately for these four brothers, they bring a lion to life who promptly kills them all.

Storytelling for Week 5: The Two Thieves

Once upon a time, in an ancient kingdom, there lived two thieves. These thieves mostly spent their days pickpocketing in the market square, or stealing candlesticks and jewelry from the houses of the wealthy while they were away. However, the two thieves were not picky about how they made their living; if they saw an opportunity, they would almost certainly seize it.

One day, the thieves saw a wealthy looking man from a foreign kingdom enter the marketplace. The thieves were certain they had spotted an easy target, and they closed in on the man to steal his belongings. While one thief distracted the man by pretending to be a beggar, the other swooped in from behind and surreptitiously lifted the man's coin purse. When the thieves opened the coin purse, they found not gold, but instead a map. Examining the map, the two thieves saw that it outlined the surrounding area. Looking closer, they noticed an "X" scrawled onto the map as well as a single word: "treasure."

Never missing an opportunity for monetary gain, the thieves set out to the location marked on the map. When they arrived, they found a small crypt containing a single stone casket and a series of levers on the back wall.

"Surely if we put these levers in the correct position, the treasure will reveal itself to us." said one thief to the other. "If only this man was alive to tell us what he knows."

"I may have an idea." replied the other thief. "Grab the skeleton from the casket and let us return to the kingdom."

The two thieves took the skeleton to a wise scientist in the kingdom.

"We need to speak to the man to whom this skeleton belonged." said one of the thieves to the scientist. "Is there anything you can do for us?"

"I can add flesh to this skeleton, but I cannot add skin or hair." replied the scientist. "For that you will have seek a colleague of mine."

The scientist added flesh to the skeleton, and the thieves quickly left to seek out the scientist's colleague. The next scientist they found added skin and hair to the flesh covered skeleton, but he was unable to add organs. The thieves sought out a final scientist, who completed their corpse with all the organs needed for life, but the corpse still did not breathe.

The thieves lastly sought out a mystic who lived in a tall tower in the kingdom. The thieves brought the corpse to the mystic and asked him to return life to this long dead man.

"I can provide you a potion that does what you ask," said the mystic. "But beware, life is not so easily returned."

(Potion Bottles. Wikimedia Commons)

Eagerly, the two thieves poured the potion into the mouth of the corpse. Instantly, the corpse sprung to life. The newly resurrected man began yelling in a language that the thieves could not comprehend, and immediately grabbed the two of them. The thieves were not weak by any mans standards, but despite their struggling, they could not overcome the seemingly supernatural strength of this resurrected monster. The man lifted the two thieves off their feet and threw them out of the mystic's tower. As they plummeted to their demise, the thieves forsook their greed.


Author's Note: This story is based on The Four Brothers from Twenty-Two Goblins by Arthur Ryder. This story tells of four brothers who each know a different type of "science." One brother can add flesh to bones, the second can add skin and hair to flesh, the third can add eyes and organs and the final brother can bring the organs to life. The four brothers bring a lion to life, which kills them all!

Week 5 Reading Diary: Twenty-Two Goblins

Here are a few of my favorite stories from Twenty-Two Goblins

Introduction The beginning of the tale tells of a brave king, King Victory, who discovers that a monk who frequently brings him a gift of fruit has actually been hiding gems inside. In return for the monk's generosity, the king promises the monk to help him with a task. As asked, the king travels to the cemetery at midnight to meet the monk underneath the fig tree. The monk tasks the king with retrieving a corpse from a nearby tree, but when he does, it speaks to him! The "goblin" hiding in the corpse begins to tell the king a story.

Brave, Wise, Clever In this story told by the goblin, a princess named Moonlight says that she will only marry a brave man, a wise man, or a clever man. When it is her time to marry, her mother, her brother, and her father find three different brave, wise, and clever men and each promise her to one of them, not knowing that the other two had already promised her to someone else. When the princess is kidnapped, and the wise man finds where she is, the clever man gets them there, and the brave man kills her kidnapper. The king correctly decides that the princess should marry the brave man.

The Three Delicate Wives Once again, the goblin tells the King another story. This time, the goblin tells of a king named Virtue-banner who had three princesses as wives. One of his wives is wounded by a falling lotus-petal, while another is burned by  moonbeams! The final wife is hurt by a sound in the distance. The goblin puzzles King Victory which princess was the most delicate, and he correctly answers the wife hurt by sound.

The Girl and the Thief This story tells the tale of a grand merchant's daughter, Pearl, who falls in love with a thief right before he is executed. Pearl had before refused to marry any man, so her father pleaded with the king to release the thief, but it was of no use. The goblin asks King Victory if the thief laughed or wept before his death, and the king correctly answers both.

The Four Brothers This story from the goblin tells of four brothers who each know a different type of "science." One brother can add flesh to bones, the second can add skin and hair to flesh, the third can add eyes and organs and the final brother can bring the organs to life. The four brothers bring a lion to life, which kills them all!

Week 4: Famous Last Words

Wow, I can't believe it has been a month already. It's interesting counting through the weeks in these "Famous Last Words" posts. This week, like so many others, has been very busy! I've been stressing trying to get all my studying done for my Principles of Physiology test on Tuesday, and complete my Organic and Physics two labs.

I had an interesting lab involving circuits this week in my Physics lab. It was curious to see how much of an impact that a tiny little metal resistor could have on the current that would flow through our circuit. In Organic Chem lab we purified the ethanol from a yeast and sugar mixture that we set up the second week of our lab. It was cool to get a small glimpse into how ethanol was created and distilled!

Mythology and Folklore, as always, kept me busy with reading and writing lots of fables and tales. I chose to read Tutinameh, or Tales of a Parrot. this week. This story tells about a parrot who distracts a woman from leaving to visit her extramarital lover each night by telling her a different story. Most of the tale is about the individual stories that the parrot tells, but the ending is surprising when the woman's husband returns.

(Amazon Parrot. Wikimedia Commons)

My best writing this week was probably done in my storytelling post. I concocted a tale based on The Nobleman who Concealed a Snake in His Sleeve. This story tells the tale of a nobleman who, one day while hunting, happens across the frightened snake. The snake convinces the nobleman to hide him from another man trying to kill the snake. However, after he helps the snake, the snake calls him a fool for trusting him and says that he will kill the man. The nobleman distracts the snakes and crushes his head with a rock. In my tale however, it's a tiger that the man hides in his house, and let's just say it's not quite as easy to crush a tiger as it is a snake.

YouTube Tech Tip

Here's a song that I enjoy: Que Sera - Wax Tailor

Comment Wall

Leave comments here

Essay for Week 4: Tricksters and Fools of Tutinameh, or Tales of a Parrot.

Throughout mythological and folkloric writings, many examples of tricksters and fools can be found. The Persian story series The Tooti Nameh or Tales of a Parrot, by Ziya'al-Din Nakhshabi (1801) is no exception to this trend. Both in the overarching tale, and the individual stories told by the parrot, fools and tricksters appear.

The Nobleman who Concealed a Snake in His Sleeve In this story told by the parrot, a snake tricks a nobleman into hiding him from an enemy. This trickster approaches the nobleman and, seemingly frightened, begs the nobleman to hide him from his potential killer. After the nobleman agrees to hide the snake in his sleeve, and once the snake's enemy passes, the snake tells the nobleman he is going to kill him! Some may call the nobleman a fool, and the snake certainly seems to think so, going so far as to call him a "blockhead", but in the end, the nobleman manages to distract the snake and kill it with a rock.

(Source: Flickr)

Of the Merchant and the Barber In this tale, the barber makes a major fool of himself. It begins with a wealthy merchant, who having no children of his own, decides to distribute his amassed wealth among the orphans and the poor. That night, the merchant has a vision in his dream telling him he shall be rewarded for his generosity. The vision tells him that he will appear to the merchant as a brahmin the next day, and that the merchant is to strike him on the head at which he will turn to gold. When this happens, the barber witnesses it and foolishly believes that striking any brahmin on the head will turn him to gold. This of course, causes much trouble for the barber.

We not only see tricksters and fools in the stories told by the parrot, but also in the overarching tale itself. Night after night, each time Khojisteh wishes to leave to her lover, the parrot tricks her into staying by telling her stories. Throughout the story he acts as if he only wants to help Khojisteh, but as soon Miemun returns, the parrot immediately tells him what has happened, upon which Miemun kills Khojisteh. The parrot is truely the ultimate trickster in Tales of a Parrot.

Storytelling for Week 4: The Man Who Hid a Tiger

Once upon a time, in a small house amongst the mountains, there lived a man. This man kept to himself mostly, tending to his plants and and livestock, only visiting the nearby town on rare occasion for flour, sweets, and other such things that he could not make himself. However, to call this man a hermit, as did many of the children in the nearby town, would be inaccurate. Indeed, he was self reliant, and it was a fact that he mistrusted the governments of men and their ever encroaching townships and cities, but the man appreciated company as much as any other man, and was not unknown to chat with the store clerk in town.

One day, while the man was working in his garden, he heard a series of footsteps behind him. When the man turned around, he was shocked to see not a person behind him, but a tiger who seemed just as frightened as the man.

"Please!" said the tiger to the man. "You must help me. There are men following me; they are trying to kill me! Will you please hide me in your house until they pass?"

"Now wait a minute," said the man to the tiger. "Why are these men pursuing you? Surely you must have offended them in some way."

"They have accused me of murder, but it is a lie!" replied the tiger. "For years I have lived in peace in the forest, but now these men desire to expand their home into my own, and as such have devised a way to get rid of me forever!"

"Very well." said the man. "You can stay in my home until these men pass. It seems the sins of man in the name of expansion have no end."

In short time, the men that the tiger spoke of appeared at the home of the man. The man approached them and asked "Can I help you all find anything? I don't get a lot of visitors around here."

"We're looking for a tiger who killed one of our friends." replied one of the men shortly. "Have you seen it?"

"No, I don't believe I have, but you might try at the next house down the road." replied the man.

Frustrated and annoyed, the men left without another word.

 (Tiger. Wikimedia Commons)

The man returned to the tiger and said: "The men who were hunting you have left, but you are welcome to stay for tea and a snack."

"I really must be going," said the tiger. "But I believe I will take a snack for the road."

Before the man could reply, the tiger leapt up and devoured him whole.

"Only a fool would trust the word of a tiger over his fellow man."

Author's Note: This story is based on The Nobleman who Concealed a Snake in His Sleeve from the The Tooti Nameh or Tales of a Parrot, by Ziya'al-Din Nakhshabi (1801). Web source. This story tells the tale of a nobleman who, one day while hunting, happens across a frightened snake. The snake convinces the nobleman to hide him from another man trying to kill the snake. However, after he helps the snake, the snake calls him a fool for trusting him and says that he will kill the man. The nobleman distracts the snake and crushes his head with a rock.

Week 4 Reading Diary: Tales of a Parrot

Here are some of my favorite passages from Tutinameh, or Tales of a Parrot.

Miemun and Khojisteh This introduction tells the story of a prince, Ahmed Sultaun, who prays and prays to the gods to bring him a son. Eventually. the creator of heaven and earth brings a son to him, who the prince names Miemun. Miemun one day finds a extremely overpriced parrot in the market, but decides to buy it after it speaks to him with wisom and seeming foretelling of the future. On this parrots advice, Miemun buys all the spikenard (a plant) in the city. Three days later a caravan from Cabul comes and buys this spikenard at five times the cost! Talk about a smart bird!

The Story of the Parrot of Ferukh Beg After witnessing Miemun's wife, Khojisteh, kill the other bird for speaking out against her plan to leave for another prince (talk about crazy), the parrot wisely decides instead to distract her with a story instead. The parrot tells the story of a similar situation, in which a wife cheats on her out of town husband while the parrot is left to witness. When the husband returns, he blames the parrot for not telling him and then plucks all his feathers out and throws him outside. Eventually, the parrot regrows his feathers and returns to convince the husband to take his wife back.

The Fowler, the Parrot, and her Young Ones The parrot tells another story in this section, this time about a parrot who is captured with her young. The parrot in this story tells her captured children to play dead so that the Fowler will release them. When the plan works, the Fowler is angered. To calm him, the parrot tells him she is a physician and worth a great sum on money. This prompts the Fowler to sell the parrot to the sick king. After making progress on his illness, the parrot asks the king to set her free so that she can cure him once and for all, but once she is released, she leaves and never returns.

Of a King and His Sons, and of a Frog and a Snake  In this passage, the parrot tells the story of a young prince who has to flee his home city after his father passes away, for his eldest brother had the intention of killing him. On his way out of the city, this prince saves a frog from the mouth of a snake. However, the prince feels guilty for stealing a meal from the snake, and instead feeds him a piece of his own flesh. Both the frog and snake feel they owe the prince, and take the form of men and join him as servants. The three men take employ in the service of a king in a nearby city, until the eventually part ways.

The Nobleman who Concealed a Snake in His Sleeve This story tells the tale of a nobleman who, one day while hunting, happens across the frightened snake. The snake convinces the nobleman to hide him from another man trying to kill the snake. However, after he helps the snake, the snake calls him a fool for trusting him and says that he will kill the man. The nobleman distracts the snakes and crushes his head with a rock.

A King Falls in Love and the End of Khojisteh In this section, the parrot tells Khojisteh one last story, telling of a king who took a princess of a nearby kingdom by force. This king did not know that his new wife had a son from a previous marriage, and when she sneaks him into the city, he instead suspects this man to be her lover. He sentences her son to death, but a sympathetic executioner saves his life. Eventually, Miemun returns and the parrot tells him all of what has happened. Miemun kills Khojisteh on the spot.

Week 3: Famous Last Words

Three weeks down, a lot more to go. This week was a busy one for sure! Between lab write ups, homework and studying I haven't had much free time. Working Friday, Saturday, and Sunday doesn't help either. Thank goodness for the grace period until noon!

This week I had an interesting lab in Physics where we drew out magnetic field lines by measuring voltage through a conducting sheet. It's interesting to talk about these magnetic fields, but it's really cool to actually draw out these invisible forces that we talked about so much in class. I did not have Organic Chem lab this week, thank you Labor Day!

 I also did quite a bit of reading and writing for Mythology and Folklore this past week. I selected another set of Aesop's fables to read this week, and expanded my analysis of "tricksters and fools" that are prevalent in Aesop's works. As you can see, a good portion of Aesop's fables involve one animal tricking or making a fool of another!

My best writing, however, was done in my storytelling post. When I read The Cat and the Birds this week, I was strongly reminded of the old Tweety Bird and Sylvester the Cat cartoons. In this tale, a hungry cat dresses up as a doctor to try to trick a family of birds into letting him into their house (to presumably eat them). I used this story as an inspiration for my storytelling post this week, The Cat and the Canary, also blending in elements from another one of Aesop's fables, The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox. The Cat in my story attempts to trick the Canary by dressing up in different disguises, such as a salesman and even a girl scout. The Cat ultimately fails, and instead is tricked by the Canary into meeting his bulldog friend.

 

 (Tweety Bird: Wikipedia)

Essay for Week 3: Tricksters and Fools of Aesop for Children (Winter)

In continuation of my essay last week, I wanted to further examine the element of tricksters in fools in the writings of Aesop. Looking into Aesop for Children, illustrated by Milo Winter, there are many examples of both fools and tricksters.

In The Wolf and the Kid, we see a rare instance in which an animal who is usually played for a fool takes on the role of trickster. When the young goat strays away from his flock, he is caught by the Wolf and faces certain death. However, the Wolf underestimates the Kid, and makes a fool of himself when he grants the Kid's request for the Wolf to play him a tune on the pipe before he eats him. Just as the Kid had planned, the Shepard's dogs hear this tune and recognize it as the Wolf's supper song. They quickly come running and chase the Wolf away.

In some of Aesop's Fables, a character can be a trickster for one animal, but a fool for another. In The Ass, the Fox, and the Lion, this is exactly what happens. In this tale, the Ass and the Fox are seemingly friends; they eat together, travel together, and generally get along. However, when they happen upon the Lion, the Fox offers to trick the Ass into a trap so that the Lion can eat him! After the Fox lures the Ass into a trap, the Lion reveals that he has tricked this trickster and eats the Fox instead.

The Monkey and the Cat provides another example of a trickster and a fool in Aesop's work. In this fable, the Monkey convinces the Cat to pull chestnuts out of a still burning fire by praising his skillfullness and downplaying his own. Although the Monkey promises the Cat that they can split the chestnuts when he gets them out, this trickster gobbles them up one by one as the come out. Their thievery is soon interrupted by their owner, leaving the Cat with burnt paws and no chestnuts, certainly feeling foolish.

 (The Monkey and the Cat. Wikimedia)

The Cat is once again made to be a fool in The Cat and the Birds. In this tale, the Cat tries to eat a family of birds by pretending to be a doctor and offering to help their sick. He even puts on glasses and carries a leather bag! In the end, the birds simply laugh him away.

Storytelling for Week 3: The Cat and the Canary

Once upon a time, in a small neighborhood, there lived a cat. Now this cat was well fed, mind you, but despite his regular helpings of both canned and dry food, his appetite was never quite satiated.

 You see, in this neighborhood there also lived a canary, and despite his many attempts, the Cat always fell short of reaching the Canary's nest far up in the trees. If you would have asked the Cat at the time, he would have told you himself: he would give anything to snatch that little bird up and eat him whole.

This cat was no fool, and he soon realized that if he could not get to the Canary, then his only option was to get the Canary to come to him.

It was a bright Sunday morning when the Cat appeared before the Canary's tree. The Cat rapped twice on the bark of the tree and waited for the Canary to appear. The Canary wobbled from his nest onto a nearby branch and yawned "Who is it?"

"Hello there!" yelled the cat enthusiastically. "I was wonderin' if ya' had a moment to talk about your life insurance policy. If ya'd like to come down and look at this pamphlet, I've got some great offers for ya'"

(Canary. Wikimedia Commons)

The Canary squinted at the creature below him through his tired eyes; this creature wore the attire of a human businessman, and stood on two legs as if it were such. The Canary however, was no fool either.

"Vewy smawt, awen't ya' puddy tat?" said the Canary, and with that statement returned to his nest.

"Thsufferin Thuccotash!" exclaimed the Cat. He had been confident that his plan would work. "Something musta went wrong." he thought to himself. "The disguise! That's it. It woulda worked if he hadn't seen my ears!"

The Cat once again set about creating a disguise. This time however, he would cover his head in a hat. That, he was certain, would be enough to fool the Canary into coming down to greet him.

The next day, the Canary once again woke to the sound of knocking on his tree. "Who is it?" the Canary asked once again.

"Why hello there! I'm here with the Girl Scouts of America and was wanting to see if ya' was interested in purchasing some cookies today." said the Cat.

"Suwe thing, I wouwd wove some cookies. Meet me awound the othew side of the twee." replied the Canary with a smile.

The Cat quickly ran around to the other side of the tree, and what he found was not the Canary waiting for him, but instead the Bulldog, who quickly snatched him up.


Author's Note: This story is an amalgamation of The Cat and the Birds and The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox from the Aesop for Children, illustrated by Milo Winter (1919). Web source. In The Cat and the Birds, a hungry cat attempts to trick a bird into coming out of his home by dressing as a doctor. In The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox, when the Fox attempts to trick the Cock into coming down from his perch, the Cock instead sends him to him to his friend the Dog.

Week 3 Reading Diary: Aesop for Children (Winter)

Here are a few of my favorite stories from Aesop for Children, illustrated by Milo Winter

The Wolf and the Kid In this tale, an arrogant young goat strays away from his flock and is caught by the Wolf. Surprisingly, this is not the end for the Kid, as he tricks the Wolf into playing a tune on the pipe before he eats him. Hearing this tune, and recognizing it as the Wolf's dinner song, the Shepherd's dogs race back to the Kid and run the Wolf away.

The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox Much like the Kid in the previous tale, the Cock in this story is saved through his own cleverness and the help of a dog. When the Fox feigns friendliness to the Cock and tries to lure him down from his perch, the Cock tells the Fox to meet his porter around the other side of the tree. The unsuspecting Fox is instead grabbed by the Dog the second he rounds the tree!

The Travelers and the Purse This fable illustrates a great lesson. As two travelers are walking down the road, one of them finds a coin purse filled with gold. His companion asks him to share it, but he says that he alone found it and he alone will keep it. They then hear an angry mob shouting about the stolen purse, and the man who claimed it has the nerve to say that both of them are in trouble! His companion says that the purse and the trouble with it is now his alone.

The Ass, the Fox, and the Lion Similarly to The Travelers and the Purse, someone treacherous gets there's in this story. The Fox and the Ass, seemingly friends, run into the Lion. The Fox tells the Ass that he will talk to the Lion, but when he does he offers to lead the Ass into a trap so that the Lion can eat him! After the Fox traps the Ass, the Lion instead eats the Fox.

The Monkey and the Cat In this story, the Monkey tricks the Cat into pulling chestnuts out of the fire by cleverly praising the Cat on it's skillfulness. He promises that they can split them between themselves after they get them out, but the Monkey instead eats them one by one! The cat finds himself in trouble with their owner, with burnt paws, and no chestnuts to show for it.

The Cat and the Birds I found this story pretty funny. In this tale, a hungry cat hears that a family of birds in town is sick and in need of a doctor. The cat decides to put on glasses, get a leather bag and go to the bird's house in the guise of a physician. The birds see through this and laugh him away. This reminded me of Tweety Bird and Sylvester!

The Shepherd and the Lion In this story, The Shepard find that some of his flock and missing and angrily seeks out the Wolf for vengeance. Praying to the gods, he offers to sacrifice one of his calves if he can find the one who is killing his flock. The Shepard soon finds the lion with one of his sheep in his mouth. Terrified of the Lion, the Shepard soon regrets what he sought out.

The Wolves and the Sheep In this fable, a flock of sheep are tricked into their untimely demise by a hungry pack of wolves. The wolves, noticing that the dogs always prevent them from eating the sheep, go to the sheep and instead blame the dogs for the hostilities between sheep and wolf! They claim that if it were not for the dogs, the wolves and sheep would be best of friends. Once the sheep send the dogs away, the wolves have a grand feast.

Week 2: Famous Last Words

As of today, the third week of class has started! I am thankful for the labor day holiday, it has given me some extra time to study and work ahead in some of my other classes. It hasn't all been work though! It's definitely been a fun weekend spent with friends and family.

Looking back at this past week, I've done quite a bit. I wrote two labs for Organic Chemistry Lab and another for Physics lab. My physiology class also kept me busy with reading and studying. For Mythology and Folklore I read lots of stories, wrote some of my own, and starting brainstorming for our big storybook project. I also started a twitter account this week so that I could interact with other mythology students and share cool things I found.

I've written a lot this week, but I think my best writing was once again done in my storytelling post. This week I examined the story The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, an Aesop fable that I found in the Un-Textbook. The particular version was retold by Joesph Jacobs. I retold this story, calling it, "The Country Mouse and the City Mouse." I thought the city would work better for modern times, as the word "town" is now usually used to describe rural locations. I added more detail to this work, but since I really enjoyed the moral of the tale, I decided to leave the story framework
unchanged.

        (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

 One of my favorite stories that I read this week was The Hares and the Frogs. In this fable, the hares are so terrified of everything that they decide to drown themselves than live in their miserable state. However, when they get to the lake, they see that the frogs are even worse off than themselves. I think this fable is a great reminder that our problems are relative, and that our "first world problems" aren't problems at all in the eyes of some.