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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Week 3 Storytelling: A Child with Purpose

"Go James, Go!" John yelled to his son as he chased after the soccer ball, just a few strides away from actually kicking it for once. 

If you have never been to a toddler's soccer game before, they can get pretty intense. After a close game with a score of 3-4 James' team was getting closer to a win each and every game. James dreamt of winning his first ever soccer game. "Patience, son," John told him. He made sure James knew a win would be earned with hard work and dedication, not just handed to him. 

James was a determined 6-year-old with more drive than most grown adults. He was a special boy, full of life, too nice to strangers, and like most kids, constantly charged with energy through the roof. His heart of gold was what made him stand out compared to the other kids. It is amazing how a heart so big and full of love could fit into someone so small. James has been through a lot compared to most other kids his age. 

His mom sure was a fighter. 

When James was just three years old and John was still new to being a father, a husband and a man, she got the news that turned their world upside down. She went for a typical check-up at the doctor and later received a call that left them all in shock. She had stage three breast cancer and would begin treatments immediately. She went to chemo after chemo, hoping, praying, even begging for her life. John and James stayed by her side day in and day out. The two of them went to every single appointment, helped her as she lost her hair and grew weak, and loved her more and more each day. The boys stayed strong for her and John and his wife decided not to shield young James throughout the process. Cancer can be a confusing thing for a three year old to understand, but they did their best to be honest with him and help him understand in the most positive way they could possibly think of. They showed him courage, passion and strength. They showed him that life didn't stop because of the challenge thrown their way. They also showed him that John was going to be his rock, his best friend, and his most influential teacher. Throughout the process, John's wife wrote letters to James that he would open throughout his life. The first was for his 10th birthday, she figured at 10 years old he would be more curious than ever about what happened to his mother and she wanted to remind him that she was an angel watching over him and that she loved him more than anything in the world. The next was for his his first day of high school, the one after that was for his graduation day. Then, his wedding day shall he ever get married, and finally for when his first born child would come into the world. 

She wanted to use each of these letters to teach him something valuable, give him a mother's advice, and the feeling you get when you hug your mom after a rough day. 

Although he hadn't received them yet, John let James know each and every day how special his mommy was. John stayed strong and did not ever let the mourning of his wife change the way he treated his son. 

A few weeks later at James next soccer game, he was playing harder than ever. He had a look in his eye that day and John knew today was the day. Sure enough, they came out with a win and James had scored the winning point! John ran over to his son and threw him into the air with joy. He held his son and congratulated him and James looked up toward the sky and said, "that was for you, Mommy." 

That night at dinner, James blurted out in a moment of silence, "I want to make sure other boys don't lose their mommies." 

"Where did you think of that, James?" John asked.

He replied and said, "I was talking to Jesus about it like you taught me and he told me I could do anything if I just believe." 

By the time James was 10 years old, him and his father had created the JJ Foundation which raised millions of dollars for cancer research and treatments. 

(Photo from: John the Baptist and Jesus by Lorenzetti)

Bibliography: The Gospel of Mark King James Version from the Bible

Author's Notes: After reading the Gospel of Mark for my week 3 reading, I decided to use some of the names from the Bible in my story. John played a big role in the Gospel of Mark, so I decided to use his name as one of the main characters in my story. In the Bible, his brother is named James, but in my story this fit well as the name of John's son. I was inspired to incorporate the teachings of Jesus, so at the end of the story Jesus is the one who guided James through prayer in his decision to want to make a difference in the world and believe his age wouldn't stop him from changing peoples lives. I wasn't originally planning on making the story so emotional, but I thought it could still be considered positive because of the way they used a hard challenge in life to do something good in the world.

Week 2 Storytelling: Relentless Love

Relentless Love

Andromache loved Hector more than she ever thought was possible. He was the son of King Priam and the leader of the Trojan forces. His name and power were very important to many, but she loved him for him. She would have cared for this man just as much if he were poor and powerless. They dreamt of spending their life together raising a family and exploring the world together, but as the leader of the Trojans, Hector couldn’t focus all of his attention on the lovely, but a bit high strung, Andromache. As time went on, the couple had their ups and downs, but for the most part they had a strong, happy relationship. The two spent all the time they could together and eventually had a baby boy. Hector loved his little son more than anything in the world. They were like two peas in a pod. I don’t think the boy could’ve been any more like Hector even if he tried. Andromache loved to watch them spend time together. Her heart throbbed at the sight of Hector with their precious child.

One day, there was trouble with the Greeks and all the Trojan soldiers geared up for battle. Each time Hector had to go fight the Greeks, Andromache would get worried sick about him. She would even travel to the top of a nearby building and watch the fights happen, just to make sure she was there if anything were to happen to her husband. As usual, she watched from her spot and hurried home when the fighting ended so her husband would think she had never left the house when he arrived back.

When he returned home, he had a grim look on his face.

“What’s wrong? I thought today went well?” Andromache asked.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news,” Hector replied, “It looks like I’m going to have to leave for a while.”

“What?!” Andromache shrieked. “How long do you mean, Hector? You can’t leave me here with our son, take us with you!”

“I’m afraid I can’t. I think you two will be safer here. The Greeks are relentless and they won’t stop until they are satisfied. I know they will attack wherever I am, and I don’t want my family to be harmed.”

            Andromache cried herself to sleep that night, and every night for what seemed like eternity. She knew she had to do something about it; she wanted the life she had dreamed of with her family. As soon as Hector left, she began plotting what she was going to do to make sure the Greeks stayed away from the Trojans so her husband could come back. She knew her husband wouldn’t leave the forces because they didn’t stand a chance without him.

            She took matters into her own hands.

            First, she figured out what exactly the Greeks wanted. They wanted the city that she lived in, but obviously she couldn’t agree to give away the place so many people resided. So, she thought of a backup option. There was a neighboring town, just a few miles away, with not much civilization at all. She had a plan now, and would stop at nothing to make sure she was successful. She wanted to build up the abandoned city with houses and all the other places people needed to live off of. She wanted all of her friends to help pitch in to building this new town… and she was going to give it to the Greeks so the Trojans could have their life and safety back in their own city. It wasn’t going to be easy, but with everyone in the city there to help, she knew it would be possible.

            Sure enough, after just a few weeks around 20 houses had been completed. After that, they kept building more and more until there were hundreds. They were so proud of all that they had accomplished they didn’t want to stop. They built tons of places and after only 6 months, the city was a place worth living. Instead of telling her husband what she had accomplished, she went straight to the grounds the Greeks were staying in, and told their leader she built them a city. At first he was furious, they didn’t want any old city; he just wanted what the Trojans had. But she convinced him to at least come look at it. To her surprise, he was quite satisfied and agreed to move his people there!

            Andromache was so excited to tell her husband the news. When she got to the location of the battle, she explained to him everything she had done. He cried tears of joy and she felt so proud, she had never seen him so emotional before. All of the troops praised her and thanked her and they built her the most beautiful palace anyone had ever seen to show their gratitude to her. She proved that anything was possible and her husband thought more highly of her than ever. Hector finally realized she was much more strong and determined than the weak, sensitive woman he saw her as before.

The palace Andromache earned for her family after solving all the problems between the Greeks and Trojans.

(Photo by: Flickr)

Bibliography: Homer's Iliad- "Hector and Andromache" by A.J. Church.

Author's Note: I read the story "Hector and Andromache" from Homer's Iliad in my Week 2 reading assignment and I really enjoyed it. It gave me the inspiration to make up a new story about the relationship Hector and Andromache had. It was clear in the original story that Andromache truly loved Hector, so I used the same characters and some of the same information from the story to recreate it in a new way. I wanted to put my own spin on it, so I made the wife the hero, which is unique because stories often give men all the power. I thought it would be inspiring to have a women accomplish so much, even though no one really believed in her. My story is meant to portray the idea that anything is possible if you set your mind to it and don't doubt yourself. Andromache is able to prove to Hector just how much she is capable of by using her emotions as fuel in her plan and ends up never having to worry about being underestimated ever again. The message this story sends is more important than the actual story itself.

Week 1 Story: Robbin the Bobbin

(Photo From: Pixabay) 

Robbin is most definitely the largest man in the entire world. He is a man who is demanding, controlling and just plain pushy. No one ever wants to be around him because, to put it simply, he is a big burden. Not only that, he eats everything in sight. Robbin lives in a small neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts and none of his neighbors like to associate with him. Most people say they don't see Robbin anywhere except the grocery store and restaurants. The problem is, he is eating all of the food that is supposed to be for the entire community and there is never enough left to feed anyone else. He eats enough to feed about 100 people each day. Every time he makes a trip to the grocery store, he almost clears out every aisle. His home is filled with food; each room has been made into extra pantries to store all his food in. If someone doesn't put this man on a diet, the food shortages will never get better! His neighbors are worried about him hogging all the fresh food. They say, "He doesn't care about anyone but himself!" 

One day, a women is determined to put a stop to his ridiculous eating habits. She puts on her favorite workout outfit and marches over to his house with her personal trainer by her side. They pound on his door until he dramatically swings it open. The two women couldn't help but stare at Robbin in shock. He just never stops getting bigger and bigger. They start by asking if they can come in. He scolds, "What do you two want, I'm busy!" The trainer took a deep breath and asked the man if they could discuss a dietary plan. 

That was a big mistake. The man roared with anger and slammed the door in their face. Although their plan was not successful, a moving truck was seen in front of his house just a few days later. Men were loading up all of his food into the truck and he took off, never to be seen again. 

Author's Note: 

In the original tale, Robbin the Bobbin eats a cow, an ox, the church, the steeple and all of the people. I recreated the story, using the same character and theme, but I changed the plot to something a little bit more realistic (but still very exaggerated). 

Bibliography: This story is based on the nursery rhyme "Robbin the Bobbin" in The Nursery Rhyme Book edited by Andrew Lang. Web Source.