Week 14 Story: Rapunzel for the Cure

Rapunzel's mother was an evil, wretched women. She didn't have Rapunzel's best interests in mind and kept her locked up in her tower where she was unable to escape from. One day, she gets so mad at Rapunzel and chops off her long, golden blonde braids. Rapunzel was devastated because she loved her hair so very much and it was the only thing that really set her apart from other girls. She was feeling sad, confused and more alone then ever in her tower that basically doubled as a jail cell. 

One morning she was having her own personal pity party when she realized there was more she could do make her life better. Not only that, she wanted to make the lives of other better as well. She was determined to find a way to sneak out of the tower forever and never planned to see her mother again. She spent many longs nights plotting how she would escape. Eventually she found a way to hook one of her braids (now detached from her head) to a hook on the ceiling. She waited until it was getting dark outside because she knew her mother would be going to sleep soon. She always claimed she had to fall asleep the moment it got dark to get a full night of beauty rest, and believe me she needed it. Rapunzel always hoped all this beauty rest would give her some inner beauty because that was something the woman had none of. When she felt the time was right, just as the sun disappeared and the moon started to shine bright, Rapunzel opened the window and let the braid down. It reached almost all the way to the ground outside and she carefully shimmied down, carrying the second braid in her hand. She was going to need it later. When she got to the bottom, she dropped into the bushes and yanked the long hair look from the hook. Before she climbed down she strung a few strands through the windowsill so she could yank it back shut to make it less noticeable that she was gone. Rapunzel used a sharp rock to cut the remaining hair off of the window and ran far far away until she felt it was safe to stop. 

She felt so happy and free for the first time in her life. Rapunzel felt like she had the whole world in her hands and her possibilities were endless. But for some reason, she still didn't feel like her mission was complete. 

Rapunzel woke early the very next morning and made her way to the hospital. Although it seems like an unlikely first place to visit after spending several years locked up in a dungeon-like tower, Rapunzel knew exactly what she was doing. She approached the lady at the front desk and asked where she could find the cancer patients going through chemotherapy. She led her towards the cancer center and Rapunzel got down to business. She found all of the patients that had already lost their hair and divided up her long braids among all of them. Rapunzel even died and styled each woman's hair they well they felt the most beautiful. All of the patients were glowing with happiness and smiling from ear to ear. Rapunzel's deed gave so many patients beautiful, healthy wigs until their real hair could grow back. She continued to grow out her own hair and donate it to someone else each time it got long enough. 

(Image from: Deviant Art)

Bibliography: Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm

Author's Note: In the original story of Rapunzel, she escapes the tower she is trapped in mainly to spend the rest of her life with a handsome prince charming. The whole point of the story is that they overcame an obstacle together and spent the rest of their lives living happily ever after. Since it has a pretty generic ending, I decided to put a twist on how the story goes. I get tired of reading so many fairy tales where the women are so determined to find love, so I wanted to create a story with a girl who had goals to simply help others. I kept a lot of the story similar because I used the same characters and setting, but I just changed what happens in the end. Cancer is something that really hits home with me so when I was thinking of good things Rapunzel could do for others, it seemed like a perfect solution. I think of this story as more of a recreation of the original, not a sequel. Although Rapunzel doesn't run off into the sunset with a handsome man, I think leaving a bunch of cancer patients with smiles on their face is just as great. 

Reading Notes Week 14, Grimm Part 2

The Queen Bee: In this story, there is a King with two tall, grown sons and one dwarf son. The two older ones think the dwarf isn't capable of much, but throughout the story his big heart causes him to save the lives of animals and bugs instead of killing them. In the end it benefits him because the bugs and animals help him with his life tasks.

The Twelve Huntsmen: In this story, a King leaves his wife to go see his sick, dying father. When he saw his father, he told his son who he wanted him to marry and then died. The King's daughter asked for 11 other girls that looked exactly like her. They dressed up all the girls as huntsmen, but the lions can tell they are actually girls in disguise. In the end, the King finds the girl he had originally left at the beginning and leaves his new wife for her. 

(Illustration by Walter Crane)

Bibliography: Fairy Tales by Brothers Grimm

Week 14 Reading Notes: Grimm, Part 1

The Frog Prince: In this story a Princess loses her golden ball and a frog says if she lets him live with her and eat with her he will return the ball. She says to return the ball and then he can stay with her. When he fetches her the ball, she instead runs off and leaves him behind. The frog speaks with rhyming poems when he comes to her door to live with her. After three nights, the Princess wakes up to a handsome Prince and she realizes she broke his curse. He takes her home to marry her and they live happily ever after. 

Rapunzel: Although Rapunzel had a rough life, the story ends happily. The man comes to see her every day in the tower she is trapped in and her caregiver finds out and doesn't let him come back. He falls out of the tower into the bushes and is blinded by the thorns. When Rapunzel eventually escapes her castle her tears clear up the mans eyes and he is able to see clearly again. 

(Illustration by Walter Crane)

Bibliography: Fairytales by the Brother's Grimm 

Week 13 Storytelling: The Little Mermaid Sequel

Ariel and the Prince were as happy as ever. She had moved into his glorious mansion, her humanity was in tact forever, and the Prince loved her more than anything in the world. Of course she headed out to the sea in her husbands yacht to visit her beloved father and siblings in the ocean. They always smiled and were happy to see her, but she knew deep down her siblings were a little jealous of her new lifestyle. They had always envied her beauty, but now they had the fact that she had two working legs and a gorgeous husband to add to their list. 

Ariel wasn't just stopping by the ocean for fun today, this time she had big news to tell her family. "Daddy, guess what?!" exclaimed Ariel. "We're having a baby!" 

Her father's face turned red with rage. "How dare you give birth to a human, Ariel," he said. "What a disgrace." 

Ariel hurried home, sobbing, not expecting this reaction from her family. She figured they would be happy for her, she was finally living out the life she always imagined. Life under the sea may be for them, but she wanted to stay on land forever. She decided it was best to not tell the Prince about the horrible reaction from her family. She continued staying strong through the pregnancy, but deep down she was depressed and angry at her family. Over time, she grew weaker and not healthy by the end of the pregnancy. Her spirits were down and the Prince did everything he could to make her feel better. She couldn't keep food down, she was pale and her eyes were dark with sleep deprivation. 

When she finally went into labor, she wished more than anything for the support of her family. She felt so alone and abandoned, even though she knew how much her husband loved and cared for her. Ariel was lying in the hospital bed, sweating and holding back tears when the doctor came in and handed her a message in a bottle. She knew the only person who would send this form of a message was from under the sea so she rushed to open it. 

We'll love you forever and we can't wait to meet the beautiful new baby. She is going to be gorgeous and driven just like her mother. 

Love,

Dad

Ariel wept with joy and immediately felt better. She gave her husband a big hug and easily delivered her baby girl. The happy couple couldn't wait until the baby was old enough to bring out to see to meet her grandparents. They raised their baby on land, but taught her so much about where her mom was from. The little girl was so intrigued by the ocean, so they spent most of their free time going to the beach. When the girl was just 4 years old, they took her deep into the depths of the ocean to meet the rest of her family. 

(Illustration from: W. Health Robinson)

Bibliography: The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson

Author's Note: As I finished reading The Little Mermaid for Week 13, I realized a sequel would be fitting for the story since it kind of ends with a cliff hanger and we don't really know what will happen next for Ariel and her Prince. The Little Mermaid ends with the Prince falling in love and marrying Ariel, who would now be able to remain human for the rest of her life. She is sad about the sacrifices she has made and is given the choice to kill the Prince to become a mermaid again. She is too loving to do such a deed and chooses not to. My sequel isn't and exact fit from what happens in the end of the original story, but I was using my imagination and wanted Ariel and the Prince to have a child. I figured her father's reaction would be much like I depicted it if they were to actually have a baby. Ariel has some struggles in my story, but it ends well with her whole family having her back. They are able to raise their child with no drama in the family and she doesn't miss being a mermaid because she loves her new life so much. I had fun creating my own addition to my favorite childhood movie.

Reading Notes Week 13: Fairy Tales & Stories by Hans Christian Anderson, Part 2

The Little Mermaid: I was so excited to read this book by Hans Christian Anderson because The Little Mermaid was my sister and I's favorite movie growing up. This story is about a sea king that lived deep in the depths of the ocean. Ariel, the youngest of 6 mermaid children was the most beautiful. She longed for a human soul and for the Prince she dreamed of having. When she finally encounters her prince, she has on no clothes, so she wraps herself in her long hair. When he asks her who she is, she realized she cannot speak. She is dumb and cannot sing anymore either. She began to love the Prince, but he saw her as a more of a child than a wife. Without marriage, she wouldn't get to keep her human soul. 

(Illustration by W. Heath Robinson)

Bibliography: Fairy Tales & Stories by Hans Christian Anderson

Reading Notes Week 13: Fairy Tales & Stories by Hans Christian Anderson, Part 1

The Princess and the Pea: When a terrible storm hits, the old King discovers the Princess. He is astonished about her wet, wind blown appearance. As she plants a pea under 20 mattresses in the bed, I am very confused about what she is doing. She wakes up black and blue after feeling the pea under 20 mattresses, showing she is sensitive enough to be a real princess.

The Emperor's New Suit: The Emperor had a new coat for every hour of the day. I feel like I can relate to him because I am obsessed with fashion and buying clothes. He cares so much about what he is wearing and he feels more powerful when he is wearing a great Suit. 

The Brave Tin Soldier: This story is about a group of tin soldiers, all exactly alike, except for one who was made with only one leg. He meets a grand tin soldier women who also only has one leg, but he thinks she is too far out of his league. 

(Illustration by Dulac) 

Bibliography: Fairy Tales and Stories and The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson

Portfolio Guide

Relentless Love
While grieving her husband Hector's abrupt departure for battle, Andromache comes up with a plan to save their family. She doesn't let anything get in the way of what she wants, and ends up accomplishing more than one person ever thought was imaginable.

OU's New Student
When OU gets an unexpected new student, everyone on campus is excited to see that it's Buddha. He incorporates some of his beliefs into the normal everyday life in Norman, Oklahoma and OU makes a complete turn around.

Iagoo's Adventure
Children love listening to Iagoo's crazy stories. They all seem unbelievable until he proves they are true...

With Brave Wings She Flies
Stella feels there is more to life than what she is experiencing. Her father is in for a surprise when her fate is finally revealed.

Storytelling Week 12: Patience is a Virtue

Patience: "Building a sense of peaceful stability and harmony rather than conflict, hostility, and antagonism; resolving issues and arguments respectfully, as opposed to resorting to anger and fighting." 

"Just be patient, child," said Patience's father. It was about the billionth time he had been told those same three words. Patience was so sick and tired of the wait. He knew there was more to life out there than what he was experiencing in his village and he was determined to find it. Every day, he did the exact same thing. He woke up, ate breakfast, when outside to do work in the yard or fetch food and then came back home to eat dinner with the family. There is no way this was all he was born to do. He wanted to experience life, see new places and meet new people. His parents always told him his time would come, but "when would that be?" he thought.

One day after dinner, Patience's father could tell he was feeling down. He said, "Pat, I have something for you, I've been waiting to give it to you for a long time." He handed him a handheld mirror, decorated with different kinds of jewels. It was heavy and detailed, causing Patience to wonder how he had never come across it before. "What is it?" he asked. The mirror was capable of almost anything. You could tell it what you wanted to see and it would show you. The father demonstrated by saying, show me my wife. The mirror popped up with his wife doing dishes in the kitchen, exactly what she was doing at the very moment. Confused, Patience thanked his father and didn't really know what he was going to do with the mirror.

He sat around for a few days, staring into the mirror. At last, he knew just what he was going to do. He looked into the mirror and said, "Show me where I'm going to be in 10 years." The mirror stirred up a cloud of darkness for a few moments and then the image popped up, clear as day. It was Patience riding a white horse in the pasture of a gigantic, brick castle. The mirror showed him ride the horse to the back porch, where a women and two young kids were sitting watching the sunset. Just like that, at only 16 years old, he walked out of his house and never returned again. The first thing he did was go downtown to find a job and lucked out with a good starting position. He knew he wanted to be able to sustain his family the way the mirror showed he would. He arrived to work every day 2 hours early and stayed after to get ahead of everyone in the department. Over the next few years, he worked his way up to manager and just like the saying goes, hard work pays off. He eventually opened a company of his own. He was thriving at work, not missing the tiny village he came from for a single second.

Sure enough, he was on his lunch break one day and that girl with the wavy hair and sparkling eyes from the mirror walked in the bakery and he said, "There she is."

Bibliography: The Faerie Queene by Edmond Spenser

Patience Information

Author's Note: I read the story of the Faerie Queene by Edmond Spenser this week. It was a very interesting story because it is in the form of an epic poem, one of the longest poems written in English. I decided to change a lot of the characters and the plot of the story to make it my own, but I kept the mirror that could show anything you wanted to see as my main consistent detail with the original story. In the Faerie Queene, the mirror belonged to Britomart's father, and in my story Patience's father gives it to him when he feels he needs it the most. I chose to use the virtue Patience for my story because he represents the characteristic as he waits 16 years to go after the life he wants. Each day, he settled for what he knew he had to do until the timing was just right. In the Faerie Queene, many virtues were represented, but I chose one of my own to demonstrate my character correctly.

Reading Notes Week 12: Faerie Queen, Part 2

This part of the story really stood out to me because of the way characteristics, or virtues were personified. There was danger, doubt, fear, hope, desire, dissembling, suspicion and more. Each one represented the emotion by their expression or the way they were dressed. The entire book is one epic poem, one of the longest poems written in English.

(Photo of the author Edmond Spenser from Wikipedia) 

Bibliography: The Faerie Queene by Edmond Spenser

Reading Notes Week 12: Faerie Queen, Part 1

I like how Sir Guyon and Prince Aurthor's motive is to recover those who have done wrong. I think it is great to see people with power use it for good rather than for evil. In this story, Princess Britomart of South Wales disguises herself as a squire (man of high social standing) to search for Artegall, the champion Knight of Justice. My favorite part of the story was the encounter in the woods with Florimell. I liked the vivid imagery used to describe her and her white pony. I think I want to set my next story in a discreet cabin in the woods. I think it would make for a very mysterious story to have a girl living alone in the woods.

(Photo from: Max Pixel)

Bibliography: The Faerie Queene by Edmond Spenser

Week 11 Storytelling: The Disappearance of Alice

BREAKING NEWS:

(CAM 1) LONDON, ENGLAND-- A young girl by the name of Alice went missing Thursday evening and there has been no sign of her since. She is about 13-years-old, blonde and was last seen wearing a purple dress. Please contact the local police if you have any information on her whereabouts. Her family is frantic to receive any type of information. 

(CAM 2) Alice's mom: We have no idea what could've happened to our little girl. She is about 5 feet tall, but carries herself with poise and confidence as if she were much bigger and older. She is very intelligent and friendly, although she doesn't have many friends of her own. She spends most of her time with her older sister at home since we homeschool them. Alice has a huge imagination and is a very curious girl, so she could really be anywhere by now, it's been three days since we have seen her.

*Alice clicks the TV off and shakes her head*

Alice felt so bad about abandoning her family, but she had every intention to return some day. She didn't even mean to run away, she was just wandering through her garden picking out some of her favorite flowers when she stumbled into a rabbit hole. It turns out it wasn't just any rabbit hole, once she fell in, she plopped to the bottom and found a set of wooden doors, painted with bright, vibrant colors. Of course, instead of climbing out of the hole and returning home, Alice opened them up and walked right through. She was instantly amazed by what she saw. There was a pathway of flat, white rocks, with trees blossoming with pink and purple flowers lining each side. She skipped down the pathway to find a small cottage. She looked around, wondering how a place could be so serene, yet so lively at the same time. "How did I never know any of this was here?" thought Alice. She opened the door of the cottage and found it was filled with everything a normal home would have, but there were animals of all shapes and sizes living inside. She quickly made friends with all of them, although they were frightened of her at first. When she found there was a TV, she kept it going because if her family was seriously in need of her, she was going to return. Until then, she wanted to explore this new little world that caused her curiosity to explode and her mind to overflow with excitement. As she looked around outside, she thought, "This is absolutely wonderful, I think I'll call it Wonderland." In Wonderland, the sky was bluer, the clouds were fluffier and the air was simply easier to breathe. She felt like she was finally home, although she had only been there for a couple days. She connected with each animal on a spiritual level, a cat most of all. She didn't know where her future in Wonderland would take her, but she sure wanted to find out..

(Photo from: Sir John Tenniel)

Bibliography: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Author's Note: I read Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll this week. This has always been a really interesting, but a little confusing story to me. I had actually never read the book before this class, I had only seen the most recent version of the movie. After doing some research about the book, I found out that Lewis Carroll actually had a mental condition that caused him to hallucinate and see things that weren't actually there. The book made a lot more sense to me after realizing he incorporated some of those ideas into his stories. I decided to mix up my version of the story a little bit by introducing it as a news story on TV. Since Alice's family isn't featured a lot in the actual story, I wanted them to play a bigger role in my creation of it. I assume if this was a real situation, the family would be wondering where their daughter went, so I had Alice's mother speaking on the news about her disappearance. Then, I followed up with an explanation about where she was and how she got there. My story focuses a little less on the actual occurrences in Wonderland, to make it more similar to something that could actually happen.

Reading Notes Week 11: Alice In Wonderland, Part 2

At the tea party with the mad hatter, all the characters seem to be very unwelcoming of Alice at first, but she makes her presence known and forcefully includes herself. They are all speaking in unnatural ways and I am very intrigued as to why the Mad Hatter's watch only says the month and not the actual time. Alice is having trouble understanding the way all the other characters say things. I am also left wondering my the Dormouse is sleeping through the entire event. 

(Photo From: Sir John Tenniel)

Bibliography: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll 

Reading Notes Week 11: Alice in Wonderland, Part 1

In this story, Alice is falling through the mouse hole. She keeps falling and falling, but while she's on her way down, she is able to speak and move. My favorite part about this story is how intellectual and sure of herself Alice is. Her character is very bold and brave for a young girl. She always thinks everything through and doesn't make rash decisions. I have always liked the story of Alice in Wonderland and I would like to write a story with a girl named Alice as the main character. In my version, Alice will probably have more realistic encounters or challenges that she has to endure and be totally confident and able to handle anything. This story has me ready for part 2 so I can read about the tea party.

(Illustration by Sir John Tenniel)

Bibliography: Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carrol

Week 10 Storytelling: With Brave Wings She Flies

In Nome, Alaska lived a young girl named Stella and her extremely over-protective father. They lived in a very small log cabin, just big enough for the two of them. It had two cozy bedrooms, decorated with animal hides and other ornaments. There was also a kitchen where they ate all their meals together, almost always consisting of meat the girl's father would kill. He loved to hunt, fish and basically anything outdoors. I think this is how Stella established her love to wander. She often set out at dawn when the sun was rising and didn't return until evening. Stella would explore the river banks, trudge through the snow and explore everything Alaska had to offer. Her father knew she was a brave soul, but often worried about her when she was away. He knew he couldn't stop her from being independent, so he let her do her own thing during the days. There was only one consistent rule for her: always be back at sunset for dinner.

Over time, Stella started feeling more and more disconnected with her life. She felt alone and not like the other girls. She had an urge to be free and have the ability to explore new things. Stella even started to notice changes in her body and mind that she worried a lot about. Her senses were more precise than ever before. She could pick out the sound of the fish jumping out of the rushing river, and sense a wolf's presence from almost a mile away.

At supper one evening, Stella said to her father, "I know there's more to this life than what I've seen. I just wish I knew what it was."

"You're still so young, Stell. Don't think too much," he replied.

Just a few days later, Stella's father sat at the kitchen table, waiting for his daughter to come through the rusting front door. It was later than she normally arrived, so he began to panic. After waiting a few grueling, stressful hours, hoping and praying for her arrival, he set out to find her. He searched all of her favorite spots... the river, the biggest snowbanks, and of course her favorite spruce tree. She was nowhere to be found. He was frantic, devastated and extremely hopeful she would turn up. "Maybe she just needed some time to herself. She will be back," he thought.

The days quickly turned into months and there was still no sign of her. Every day after supper, he sat in his rocking chair on the front porch, looking into the distance hoping one day he would see her heading home. He had so much hope in his eyes, but he couldn't help but shed a tear seeing her empty chair next to his. One night, just as the sun was setting, he noticed a shiny white owl sitting on the arm of her rocking chair. It was without a doubt the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. A little startled, he tried to remain calm so he wouldn't scare it away. As he admired its beauty, he couldn't help but notice the eyes looked strikingly like Stella's big, dark brown brown eyes. In that exact moment, he knew.

"I've missed you so much, Stella," he said.

(Photo from: Alaskan Legends by Katharine Berry Judson)

Bibliography: Alaskan Legends by Katharine Berry Judson

Author's Note: I read the Alaskan Legends by Katharine Berry Judson this week and I knew right away I wanted to write a story with Alaska as the setting. In the story The Raven Myth, Raven's Creation, a raven turns into a man, which inspired me to write about a human changing into animal form. When originally I thought of this idea, I didn't plan on it being a type of bird as the transformation, but as my ideas started to morph, I thought an owl would be perfectly suited for Stella's independence and curiosity. I believed a girl living with just one other family member, in an area with a very small population would be reasonable for a story like this because if it were in a normal, modern day town, people would think it was ridiculous that the man actually believed his daughter was the owl. My favorite part about this story is the moment when the father knows without a doubt that the owl is her daughter, just because of one simple look into her eyes. I think it shows a lot about the bond between a father and his daughter, no matter how far-fetched it may seem. I wanted to end the story with a feeling of peace, not just the feeling of grief Stella's father felt upon her disappearance.

Reading Notes: Alaskan Legends, Part B

I like how most of the stories within this unit are about animals. I also find the outfits and furs the people are wearing very interesting. The imagery within the stories help me have a really vivid picture in my mind as I read. The chief's daughter is my favorite character within this story and I would like to write a story about a chief's daughter in my future. She is trapped in a marriage she is not happy with and is desperate to be rescued. 

The Chilkat Blanket is a blanket hand woven that told of the chief's daughter's life and courtship. All of the people in the tribe learned how to weave this type of blanket. 

In the story The First Woman, a young man marries the only woman on Earth. Then two men pulled the women into two parts and then made wooden body parts to complete them, making two women. This story was a little confusing to me because it is clearly fictional, but a lot of these Alaskan legends talk about there not being many women on Earth yet. 

Photo from: Alaskan Legends- Origin of the Chilkat Blanket

Bibliography: Alaskan Legends by Katharine Berry Judson

Reading Notes: Alaskan Legends, Part A

I think this story was interesting because the characters are referred to as man and Raven. I think it is interesting that he isn't given an actual name. This story takes place before there were people on Earth. The first man encounters a black Raven who transforms into a man. I want to write a story about an animal that can transform into a human whenever it pleases. I like how Raven is constantly making things and helping people throughout the story. Eventually, he turned a man into a bear and he didn't like it. Then, he turned back into a man, but used the bear hide to make another white bear. According to this story, this is how white bears were brought onto Earth. Raven showed the man all kinds of animals he didn't know about. He even introduced him to all kinds of sea creatures. Raven has the ability to take people places with his mind. He is never satisfied with the way things are and continuously contributes to making the Earth better. This was the first story I had read that was placed in Alaska and I really liked it. I would definitely read another story from Alaska in the future. 

(Photo from: Alaskan Legends by Katharine Judson)

Bibliography: Alaskan Legends by Katharine Berry Judson

Storytelling Week 9: Iagoo's Adventure

The wide-eyed, shivering children gathered around the crackling fire, warming their hands in the smoke. They sat on logs, bundled up with hats, scarves and parkas waiting for Iagoo to share another story. They looked forward to these winter nights, listening to the tales of their role model and trying to be just like him. As they huddled together, he approached. He stood tall with a broad chest and his head always held high. He thunderously cleared his throat and began his story.

I dove into the river, feeling the cold water surround me like a cape. I love being in the water. I felt so free to move however I wanted. My favorite thing to do was let the current take me downstream where the best fishing was. Sometimes I sat on the edge of the river fishing into the water, but every once in a while I liked to catch catfish with my bare hands. The trick to catching catfish, kids, is to be aggressive. You have to push your hand into the fish's mouth until you can grab it through it's gills on the other side. Don't be afraid, their teeth are small and just feel like scratches from sandpaper. On this day, I had caught a few large catfish and brought them to shore to bring home for dinner. I took a deep breath of fresh air and crashed under the water, going deeper to find the best selection. Suddenly, I felt a piercing pain in my hand. My eyes flew open because of the pain. I looked down and there was a piece of debris shoved through my thumb, poking through to the other side. I flailed my body, wanting to rush up to get a breath of air before taking a better look at the damage. To my surprise, I was stuck! In a frenzy, I knew I was going to have to improvise. I couldn't drown because of a little thumb injury. I whipped out my pocket knife and got down to business. I ran the blade all around my thumb as quickly as I could before I broke free. I rushed to the surface for a breath of air and dove back down to look for my detached thumb. Feeling around for it, I cut it loose from a piece of metal piercing through it and swam to shore, holding onto my wounded hand. It was gushing bright red blood all over as I struggled to run toward my hut. When I got there, I felt weak from all the blood loss, but I wanted to save my finger. I grabbed a needle and thread and sewed it back on.

Iagoo pulled his fur-lined glove off of his hand and held it up for everyone to see. The kids jaws dropped as they saw his gnarly thumb, full of scars. 

Iagoo ended his story telling the children that they are strong and capable. He told them to be brave and never panic in times of crisis. The key is to remain clam and trust your instincts because the body is strong and tough. No matter how big or small you are, you can persevere through any challenge or hardship with the right mindset.

(Photo From: Flickr)

Author's Note: This story is based off of the character Iagoo from the American Indian Fairy Tales book I read by W.T. Larned. The book consists of Native American legends, so I thought the kids sitting around a fire with fur outfits would be accurate. The character Iagoo is bold and brave, much like I represented him in my recreation of the tale. In the original stories, the children look up to him because of all the vibrant stories he shared, so I thought I would make my story for this week based off of him. I made up the story he told to the children, although it is based off of a true story that happened to one of my friends. Barehanded fishing for catfish is a real thing called noodling and after hearing the story of my friend, I decided to change it up enough to fit into a story that would be accurate for the character Iagoo. I set the scene of the story by explaining setting with vivid detail from a narrator's point of view, and then continued with the story being told from Iagoo's point of view. I think the story is shocking, yet believable and not too far-fetched.

Bibliography: American Indian Fairy Tales told by W.T. Larned

Reading Notes: American Indian Fairy Tales, Part B

In this portion of the story, I really liked the character names Morning Glory and Eagle Feather. I think American Indian names are really cool since they have a lot of symbolization. In this story, the animals outnumbered the men by a lot. A boy learns to use a bow and arrow to shoot birds to make a winter coat to survive in the cold. He strutted around showing off his coat, but there were no other people around. He realized that the only people he knew existed were himself and his sister. He comes up with a plan to catch the Sun with a noose. Sure enough, he caught the Sun with a noose made out of his sister's hair. The story ends with the Dormouse being tricked into freeing the Sun by the Coyote telling him he was the best fit for the job. While he was eating through the noose to set the Sun free, he was burned so much he went from being the biggest animal around to not much bigger than a mouse.

(Photo From: American Indian Fairy Tales illustrated by John Rae)

Bibliography: American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned

Reading Notes: American Indian Fairy Tales, Part A

Iagoo is a very interesting character to me because he is so wise and knows so much. I think it would be fun to write a story about a character like him who is able to see the future or know what's going to happen next. I really like how the children love him so much. I think children have great intuition so he must be a great man if they love him so much. Iagoo told stories to them that answered so many of their questions and entertained them all winter long. I think it would also make a great story to write one of my stories for this class told in the winter sitting around a fire, just like Iagoo did with the children. I appreciated the imagery in this portion of the story because I could really picture what the kids looked like as they listen to Iagoo, wide-eyed, trying to stay warm by the crackling fire.
Iagoo tells the story of Shin-ge-bis and all of his power. My favorite part of his character is how he's always laughing and his spirits are always up.

(Photo From: American Indian Fairy Tales illustrated by John Rae)

Bilbiography:

American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned

Week 8 Growth Mindset

Out of this whole list, the dimension that stood out to me most is doing the minimum/pushing yourself to go farther. I always strive to go the extra mile in everything I'm involved in and never be complacent. I want to be the hardest worker in the room at all times and never be satisfied with only doing the bare minimum. One dimension I need to work on is being willing to try new things instead of staying in my comfort zone. I have an open mind and like to try new things, but I also tend to stick with what I know and what I'm used to. Another dimension I'm really good at is getting things done ahead of time and not procrastinating. Any time I have some free time, I like to get ahead in my classes and I'm always extremely aware of when assignments are due and when my quizzes and tests are. I stay on top of my school work and I'm extremely organized.

(Photo from: Flickr)

Week 8 Reflection

So far this semester I have enjoyed being able to read and write stories. It had been fun being able to read books that aren't just regular textbooks filled with information for class. Writing stories has definitely been challenging and time consuming because it is something new that I've never had to do for a class before. It definitely isn't easy for me to use my imagination to come up with a new version of a story I have already read. There have definitely been a couple stories I wouldn't have chosen to read if I knew what they were like ahead of time, but I also enjoyed the biblical stories I have read, as well as Homer's Iliad. I think I have done a good job with taking notes like a writer would, but there are definitely a lot of improvements I can make as well. I definitely need to start taking more detailed notes in the next couple weeks and pick out specific characters and locations that stand out to me so it makes writing my story an easier process.

(Photo from: Pexels)

Storytelling Week 7: It's All Fun and Games..

"Have fun kids, remember not to go North of the pond!" said Peggy rabbit. 

"We won't!" replied all six young bunnies. 

Patrick, Paul, Parker, Pam and Payton set off for a fun Friday adventure. The bunnies were used to their over-protective parents not letting them take off too far from their little nook. Every Friday, all the bunnies were allowed to go hang out with their friends and have some fun after dinner. This week, they were planning on meeting up with the local family of turtles for a game of hide-and-seek. 

They all agreed playing hide-and-seek wouldn't be any fun unless they played near the pond where there was plenty of shrubs, plants, and stones to hide behind. They set the rules for the game:

1. No going North of the pond 

2. Whoever finds the one hiding gets to hide next

3. No climbing or hiding in places the turtles weren't capable of getting to

4. No opening your eyes while the one hiding gets to their spot

5. Maximum of 5 minutes allowed to find hiding spot 

In the first round, they decided it was only fair that the oldest one in the group got to hide first. Paul set off into the bushes as everyone else counted down the seconds until they could search for him. They looked in all the bushes, under the logs, in even in the garden of tulips. Eventually, they found him wedged between some fallen tree branches. 

That made it Tony, one of the turtles turn to hide. He walked toward the nearest group of stones and decided to take advantage of being a turtle. He wedged his head, arms and legs into his shell and sat patiently while he waited for them to spot him within the group of stones. The 2 girl bunnies were the first of have the same though process as him, it didn't take them long to notice with rock didn't belong. 

Since Payton was the first to spot him, it was her turn to hide. She took off running to save time finding the ultimate hiding spot. She circled the pond and didn't see anywhere that looked like a good enough place to hide. Just a few strides North of the pond, she saw a hollowed out tree that would be perfect! She knew she wasn't supposed to be on that side, but since it was still pretty close by she figured it would be ok. She settling into the tree, peering out periodically to see if she could see her friends coming her way. She stayed very quiet, not wanting to reveal herself. She stayed still in her spot for what seemed like eternity while she waiting to be found. She heard some rustling nearby and was getting hopeful she would be found soon, since sitting in the tree wasn't exactly as exciting as she thought it would be. Suddenly, she sees the nose of an animal peek into the tree. She jumps with fear and is snatched away by a fox! She felt the wind flowing through her hair and the fox teeth burrowing into the fur on her neck as he carried her farther and farther away.. 

The Family of Rabbits 

(Photo by A.B. Frost)

Bibliography: Brer Rabbit by Joel Chandler Harris

Author's Note: Brer Rabbit had a lot of different animals as the characters, but I knew I wanted to write my story about rabbits. They are an animal that don't associate a lot with humans, so I thought giving them human characteristics would make a unique story. The family of rabbits consists of the two parents, 4 boys rabbits and 2 girl rabbits as the children. When setting off for an afternoon of freedom, one bunny decides to stretch the rules and ends up in a conflict. I decided to end my story on a cliffhanger, so readers could decide how the story ends. I believe this children's book style story teaches a lesson and it is up to you to decide just how much trouble the bunny ends up in.

Reading Notes Week 7: Brer Rabbit, Part B

I found Part B of Brer Rabbit much more enjoyable than part A because I was getting used to the dialect and style used in the short stories. After reading a few, it became easier to understand what the characters were talking about. In part B, the frogs are introduced. Uncle Remus talks with a gurgle and no one can really tell what he is saying. They are speaking to one another through bubbles, like what it sounds like when you speak with water in your mouth. 

If I were to write a story based off Brer Rabbit, I would either use frogs as the characters, or the concept of a fox and a rabbit. I think it would be interesting for a strong friendship to be formed between two unlikely animals.

In part B Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox are playing tricks on each other. Brer rabbit goes fishing and notices the fox staring at him. He bribed Brer Fox to jump into the well he is fishing out of, so it pulls up Brer Rabbit out and leaves the fox stuck in the water. I thought this was ironic because usually foxes are known for being tricksters, but in this case, the rabbit tricked the fox. 

(Photo by: A.B. Frost)

Bibliography: Brer Rabbit by Joel Chandler Harris

Reading Notes Week 7: Brer Rabbit, Part A

The first thing I noticed when reading the story was the unique dialect. I found it difficult to read so I read some of it aloud and listen to the rest with the audio recording provided. Even the recording spoke in an accent when reading quotes from the characters. Without it, I don't think I would've understood much of the story at all. My favorite part about this story is Brer Rabbit's sassy attitude. I think it is kind of ironic how the main characters of this story are a rabbit and a fox, since these two animals clearly don't get a long very well. I was also confused why every animal had the term "brer" in front of it in the story, so I looked up the meaning of brer and found out it's just an informal title, similar to the term brother. I like how all the characters in this book are animals, but with human characteristics (the ability to speak to one another). 

I liked the story "Why Mr. Possum Loves Peace" the best out of all the stories in part one. Brer possum played dead when avoiding a situation he didn't want to be a part of and he gets in an argument with Brer Coon (a raccoon). 

Brer Rabbit 

(Photo by: A.B. Frost) 

Bibliography: Brer Rabbit by Joel Chandler Harris

Storytelling Week 6

The bond that can be built between a man and his dog is unlike anything else. Dogs can love you and stick by your side better than a human ever could. Thomas and his dog Tito were the epitome of best friends. Tito was a German Shepard who was loving, energetic, and extremely curious. Thomas loved to take him everywhere he went; the grocery store, vacations, and of course the dog park. They traveled to the beach, hikes in the mountains, and even went to see the snow in Colorado. No matter what Thomas went through in life, between breaking up with his girlfriend, losing his job, and continuously struggling to find his place in the world, Tito thought he was the best man to ever walk this Earth.
One day last August, Tito and Thomas were exploring the riverbank outside of their backyard and Thomas noticed Tito struggling to do some of the things he normally did easily. He was running through the shallow river bank and stumbled, looking lost and disoriented. Thomas called him over and decided to take him home for a nap. He knew they had a long day and thought that was why Tito looked a little off.
The next few days, Thomas went around town applying for jobs, getting groceries, doing laundry and anything else he could think of to try to get his life in order. Tito stayed home mostly watching out the window for Thomas to come home, he hated being home alone. When Thomas arrived, they played ball, went for a short walk and went to bed.
Since Thomas had been gone more than Tito was used to, he decided to take him to the dog park to visit his friends. When they got there, he noticed Tito lying around and not wanting to socialize with the other dogs, which was the complete opposite of how he normally acted. Having an uneasy feeling about it, Thomas trusted his intuition and took Tito to the vet and demanded they run some tests.
He took him home and gave him extra treats that night, anxiously waiting the results from the vet.

Thomas's phone rang and he ran to answer it. The vet said "You need to being Tito back in for surgery as soon as you can, we found a tumor and have to remove it immediately."

Stressed and emotional, Thomas took Tito in the very next day. He sat in the waiting room at the vet until they came back and he asked to see his dog. They said, "We are so sorry, Tito didn't make it through surgery today, he passed away during the process."

Thomas was in complete shock. He didn't know how to live life without his best friend by his side. He left the vet that day feeling empty. He didn't want to go home alone.

After grieving for days on end, Thomas had a change of heart. He had been moping around at home, with no motivation to do anything. He realized that is not what his dog would've wanted in life, so he went for the life he would've wanted for him. Thomas went in that very day for a job interview, then headed to the lake with his friends for the rest of the evening. He wanted Tito to be proud of him and continue to see the world.

He ended up scoring his dream job and began traveling the world for meetings and growing the business. He went to places he never dreamed of seeing, and thought of Tito every time he was in a new place.

Thomas continued to work his way up in the business and eventually became the CEO. After a meeting in London one afternoon and say the most charming girl he had every seen walking her German Shepard in the park. He quickly knew she was the one for him and began a relationship with her and of course, her dog Riley loved having a father like him.

Although they are animals, dogs can be so motivating and encouraging. They get so excited about what life has to offer, and Thomas took Tito's bravery and curiosity and built the life he always imagined having. 

Tito

(Photo from: Pixabay)

Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales by Andrew Lang- The Envious Neighbor 

Author's Note: I based my story off The Envious Neighbor from Japanese Fairy Tales by Andrew Lang. Since the dog is the focus of the story, I thought I would make it the focus of mine as well. I think dogs have such strong relationships with their companions and are so lovable. I decided to make my story this week a tribute to a dog's wonderful life. This story is completely made up so don't worry, this isn't about a real dog who actually died.

Reading Notes Week 6: Japanese Fairy Tales, Part B

The story The Crab and the Monkey was interesting to me because I like reading stories about animals. I want to write a story from a perspective under the sea something with fish and sea creatures as the characters. 

My next favorite story was The Magic Kettle where the kettle morphs into the animal tanuki. I think it would be fun to write a story about an object turning into something else. I think I would write about a car turning into a person or maybe an animal. Each of the stories in this book are very unique and enjoyable to read. They are all easy to understand and kept me engaged and wanted to read more. 

(Photo From: Japanese Fairy Tales- Schippeitaro)

Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales by Andrew Lang

Reading Notes Week 6: Japanese Fairy Books, Part A

I think frogs can be placed into stories in many different ways. I think writing a story about frogs would be fun because I could steer away from the typical frog/price theme and turn it into anything I want. In this story, two frogs go on a journey together and they realize they are exactly alike. I really enjoyed reading the Japanese Fairy Books because unlike the other books I have read for this course, each of the stories were about different things, rather than continuing the same story in each part. The second story is about a stonecutter with many tools. He was a hard worker who lived in a small house. It inspired me to want to write a story about a small cottage with a deep, meaningful story behind it. I also think a scary story about a creepy, eery cottage would be fun to write about since I haven't written a horror story before. In this story, there was also a golden umbrella. It intrigued me because of it's significance. The stonecutter made a wish to become a prince so he could have gold things and to his surprise, his wish was granted. Even as a price, he was still greedy for more. It made me think of the term, "be careful what you wish for." Some people with so little are the most grateful ones in the world, and those who have it all are constantly wanting more.

(Photo from: Jon Sullivan)

Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales by Andrew Lang

Week 5 Story: Unlikely Friendship

Carson the Siamese cat lived deep in the jungle in a cave surrounded by thick trees and tall grass. Not many other animals even noticed it because it was disguised with all the forestry. Carson was a scared, nervous cat who rarely left her cave in fear of being attacked by one of the many dangers in the jungle. She was a small, raggedy looking cat with matted fur and a few bald spots.
One day, a lion named Reggie was roaming through the jungle and he noticed Carson's cave through a gap in the trees. He began to explore the area and sniff around for a potential meal. Meanwhile, Carson hid between some rocks, shaking with fear, trying not to make a sound for the lion to hear. After Reggie had looked around and found nothing interesting to do, he decided he would stay for a while, if nothing else the cave would offer a dry and warm place to sleep. Eventually, Carson got so hungry she had to escape from her hiding spot to find a mouse to eat. She waited until she thought for sure the lion was asleep, but as soon as she stepped out from the rocks, his eyes popped open. She ran as fast as she could, trembling with fear.

"Wait! I'm not going to eat you!" Shouted the lion.

Tired of running, the cat had to stop for air. She turned around slowly to see how far the lion was from her. To her surprise, he was right behind her. He said, "you can stop running, you're much too small and skinny to be worth eating.. you don't have to worry about that."

Carson sighed with relief to hear that. For some reason, she believed the lion. She responded and said, "Maybe we can even be friends, I could use some help around the cave."

The next day, the lion even shared his prey with the cat, giving her the best meal she had eaten since she began life in the jungle. By the time a few weeks had passed, Carson had gained almost 10 pounds, her fur was becoming thicker and shinier, and she had gained more confidence than she ever had before. Carson also opened her cave up to the lion and they lived together in happiness. Not a day went by that they didn't go on an exploration to a new part of the jungle, making memories and telling each other stories from before they met. They made friends with some of the birds and other animals that lived around them. They were happier and healthier than they ever thought was possible and although they got some strange looks from the other animals, they knew their unlikely friendship was the biggest blessing they could have ever gotten.

Lion

(Photo from: Tales of a Parrot- The Old Lion and the Cat)

Author's Note: After reading the story, "The Old Lion and the Cat" from The Tales of a Parrot, I was inspired to write about these animals. In the original story, the cat helps out the lion by keeping the mice away from him at night. They help each other out despite their many differences, so I thought I would recreate the concept and make it my own. In my story, Reggie and Carson build a friendship that lasts a lifetime.

Bibliography: Tales of a Parrot: The Old Lion and the Cat by Ziya'al-Din Nakhshabi

Reading Notes: Tales of a Parrot, Part B

The story Of a King and his Sons really stood out to me because of how the snake and the frog were able to take human forms. The snake wanted to repay the human because he fed him a piece of his flesh and he turned into a human named Khaliss, who ended up sucking the poison out of the King's daughter who was bit by a snake. The frog also took human form with the name Mukhless, which means candid. In his frog form, he jumped into a pond and brought out a ring for the prince to propose to his girl. Both of the animals showed respect to the humans. At the end of the story, both the frog and the snake (in human form) confess who they actually are to the prince, who to my surprise wasn't shocked when he heard they were actually a snake and a frog. 

The Prince

(Photo from: Of a King and his Sons)

Bibliography: Tales of a Parrot by Ziya'al Din Nakhshabi

Reading Notes: Tales of a Parrot, Part A

As I read the story, I noticed there are a lot of metaphors throughout it that compare people's features to the moon and the sun. As I continue reading, the parrot character is introduce and I realize he has human-like qualities and is able to communicate and predict things that are going to happen. The story in this book that was most surprising to me was The Parrot of Ferukh Beg because the merchants wife plucked all the feathers off of the parrot because he told the merchant of the affair that was going on. I was astonished by the cruelty she showed toward the bird and eventually the parrot made her shave her head and all the hair off of her body as punishment for what she did.

(Photo from: The Parrot of Ferukh Beg)

Bibliography: The Tooti Nameh or Tales of a Parrot by Ziya'al-Din Nakshabi

Feedback Focus

I think I would rank these feedback strategies starting with my favorite technique, reading aloud, then using a timer, and copy and delete would be last. I personally prefer to read things out loud whenever possible because it helps me really engage and stay focused on what I'm reading. I find that my mind doesn't wander as much when I'm reading out loud as it does when I read in my head. Using a timer is my second choice of feedback technique because it encourages me to stay focused and read something all the way through without stopping because the time is going. It is easy to step away from reading something and take breaks from it (especially if it is long), but timing myself causing me to stay focused longer than I normally would. I ranked copy-and-delete as my third choice because I found that stopping to take notes after every single paragraph was very distracting and took me a lot longer to read the actual story than it normally would because it was hard to focus in on the next paragraph after I had just finished taking some notes on the previous one. I will definitely continue using all of these methods, especially reading out loud and timing myself.

(Photo from: Pixabay)

Storytelling Week 4: OU's New Student

"Oh my gosh, President Boren just tweeted that Buddha is coming to OU this semester!" Reagan exclaimed. 

"There's no way.. Isn't he like super important?" Ashley scoffed back at her. 

"IDK, he said it, not me," she replied. 

It was the first day of the Spring 2017 semester and Reagan and Ashley woke up tired, already unmotivated, and not prepared for class. "Can I borrow a piece of paper? I forgot to get school supplies," said Reagan. The girls had been too focused on planning their spring break trip to think about the classes they were enrolled in. They walked part way to class together and then went their separate ways to different buildings. As Ashley walked through Gaylord, she noticed the OU Daily was posted in the usual place on the wall and the headline said, "Buddha arrives on campus," with a photo of a normal-looking young man below. She still thought there was no way he was ACTUALLY Buddha. 

Later that evening, Ashley was walking home from the Union and noticed a ton of students gathered on the South Oval. She stared at her phone screen and tried to walk by without getting noticed; she hated getting approached on campus to look at flyers or getting asked to donate to organizations. This time she heard something out of the ordinary, it looked like one long line was formed behind one table. Intrigued, she got closer to check things out. She saw someone she knew in line and the boy excitedly said, "This guy said if we speak with him, we'll all get 4.0's!!" 

Ashley thought it was just a frat boy wanting some extra attention so she continued to head home without thinking further about it. Over the next few days, Ashley noticed all of the study areas on campus like the BIZ, the Union, Starbucks on Campus Corner, and the study areas of class buildings were more full than ever. There were more students in the library on regular class days than she had ever seen, even during finals. She sat down with a study group because everyone was making her feel like she should do some homework. "Why are there so many people here?" she asked. 

"Buddha has been sending out tips on how to be better college students! Look he even made an app for it!" a girl said. The app consisted of study tips, time management information, diet plans, and homework advice. It even suggested to stop drinking, go to sleep early, and exercise. "Was he trying to steal all our fun??" she thought. It's as if the entire campus had turned into boring, actual college students. 

As time went on, it got worse and worse. By the time midterms came around, Boren sent out another tweet, "Most 4.0's in the history of the University of Oklahoma, proud of our students for working so hard!" Ashley and Reagan were literally so deprived of fun they thought they would do anything to go to a party. They even tried to throw one and no one showed up! They were sick and tired of studying; they knew something had to be done.

They were determined to get Buddha to transfer so they could have their fun back...

(Photo from: Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold)

Bibliography: Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold

Author's Note: This story is based off of "Siddhartha becomes the Buddha" from the book Life of Buddha that I read for this week's reading assignment. While I was reading more about Buddha, I was thinking about my previous knowledge of him, which I realized wasn't very much. I knew that I had seen decorative Buddhas before and heard you are supposed to rub their bellies for good luck. I thought I would put a modern spin on the story of the birth of Buddha by incorporating the "here in Oklahoma" storytelling idea that was listed for the class. I figured all of us college students could use some of the teachings/lessons Buddha has to offer since college can be quite the struggle. Some readers may think the twist Buddha brought to OU is a miracle, while others may have the character Ashley's mindset and think it is absurd or unnecessary. I definitely changed up the tales of Buddha a lot, but kept his character intact. I had fun writing something unexpected and unusual for a story with Buddha in it. I wanted to do something that had never been done before, that would also be relatable for all of our classmates.