Week 8 Reading and Writing

After looking through my previous stories and writings from the semester, I've realized several things.

1. I've gotten much better at condensing the stories into the 800-1000 word limit. My first few were awfully long, and now my last couple have started to get shorter. I think that's a good thing. I'm learning how to convey information in smaller quicker chunks.

2. I need to write better reading notes. Right now, my notes are basically a reminder of what story I want to retell that week with a few ideas. I bet if I added more to them, the writing process for the stories would be a lot less stressful and rushed.

3. My favorite section, by far, was the biblical stories one. I really enjoyed retelling those stories in a different way. It was just fun take take these stories from my childhood and make my own from them.

4. My project is going to be really tough when it comes to finding sources that are reputable. I'm actually falling behind because I can't get a hold of someone I was going to ask for a story from!

5. I'd say my biggest accomplishment was just staying on task and doing all the assignments, even when I really didn't feel like it. Usually by the time I finished, I realized that I really enjoy it. So I guess I've found my love for storytelling.

The picture above was the one I featured in my last story, "The Warrior, the Princess, and the Dragon". I like it so much because I'm a total medieval history nerd, I love the archetype of the hero slaying the beast to save the damsel, and the idea of the hero killing the dragon hearkens to the story of Christ and his victory over evil.

Image: Saint George Killing the Dragon by Bernat Matorell (1434); Source: Wikimedia Commons

Week 7 Storytelling: The Warrior, the Princess, and the Dragon

The warrior found himself wandering in the lands of the northern realms when he happened upon a trio on the road. He saw a crone and a codger and a beautiful young maiden. Her sight brought him to question why she and they should be upon this road. As he came near he saw that they cried with each other as though they were parting for a final time. "Hail, good people. Do you have want of aid?" he asked.

The old man turned to him, with tears welling in his eyes. He stood and stumbled to the warrior and said, "Aye, young swordsman. I was once the king of all this land, but a beast from hell has come upon us and we have lost all that we had. It devoured our warriors, our horses, and our surfs. It broke our castles, our strongholds, and our towns. The demon burned my sons but spared my wife and daughters. Since then, every fifth day, he would come back and devour another of my daughters. Three he has claimed, and now my final child now awaits the same fate. I have begged him to take my life instead, but he revels in my pain."

The warrior gave his word that on that very day the beast would die, but only if the princess would be his reward. She consented to wed him should her life be saved. So the warrior went from them, and began his work. He hunted one hundred stags and two hundred boars. He seasoned them with salts and spices he acquired on his travels to far away lands. The spices were known to be too much for even the mightiest man to eat.  He called upon the Lord and saints to bless the water of a nearby stream. As he finished his prayers a breeze swept through the land, and the sweet smell caught the attention of the great dragon that was on his way to eat the maiden. He turned and flew toward the feast the hero prepared.

The  warrior hid in the bushes as the hell-spawn ravaged the carrion. he ate until all the morsels were devoured, then let out a great roar. The pain from the spices made the serpent writhe and plead. It ran to the river and began to suck the water up. Only after the river was empty and the water no longer flowed was the beast at last satiated. It rolled onto its back and fell into a slumber, for it had eaten a great deal of flesh.

As the monster slept, the warrior fell upon it, striking at its heart. The dragon awoke quickly and lowered its jaw to bring fire upon the man. But his hell-fire was quenched by the blessed water of the stream. The dragon realized this only as the warrior's blade pierced into his heart. It let out one final roar as its life blood shot from the wound. 

On that day, the warrior wed the princess and built a new kingdom that was even great than his father-in-law's had ever been.

Saint George Killing the Dragon by Bernat Matorell (1434); Source: Wikimedia Commons

Author's Notes: The story this is based on was a Japanese legend about a warrior god fighting an eight headed serpent to rescue a goddess to marry. In that story, the warrior entices it with super strong alcohol and gets it drunk. I wanted to go in the same vein as that, but couldn't figure out where my warrior would get the alcohol. So I went with having him hunt a ton of animals and then trick the dragon into drinking holy water. 

Bibliography: Romance of Old Japan, Part I: Mythology and Legend by E. W. Champney and F. Champney (1917).

Reading Notes: Japanese Mythology, Part A

The Miraculous Mirror-

The poetic form this story takes is wonderful. If I retell this story, I deeply hope to recreate that ABAB Rhyme scheme. It could prove tricky, but I think I could do it.

At first reading, this story was hard to understand, at least for me. The flowery language really threw me off a bit. I suppose that can be expected when converting a language like Japanese into English.
If I retell this story I'd like to change the main character to be the one who makes the mirror to fool Amaterasu into coming out. I feel like the original story kind of ignores who actually made it, so that could be a fun direction to take. I might also change the ending to where they have to fight the dragon because he was also forgotten at the end of the story.

The Eight-Forked Serpent of Koshi-

Ah, the classic hero saving the beautiful damsel from a fierce beast. I have wanted to write a story about a hero saving a princess of sorts all semester, and I might have just found a great one to retell. My story would be set in medieval Europe, though because that's material I have somewhat of a grasp on. I might throw out the whole daughter of the gods thing, but who knows, maybe I can make it work. Also, The previous story about the mirror inspires me to write this one in a poetic form as well. I just might try it.

Miniature of St George and the Dragon, ms. of Legenda Aurea, dated 1348

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Bibliography: Romance of Old Japan, Part I: Mythology and Legend by E. W. Champney and F. Champney (1917).

Week 6 Storytelling: The Clever Jackal

A long time ago, deep in the jungle, there live a tiger. This tiger was fierce and terrifying, able to kill any man that wandered into his domain. Because of this, all the animals feared him. But one day, the tiger fell upon a man hunting in the jungle and ate him whole, and began to feel ill. The tiger, believing that his end was near had his most trusted servant, the hyena send a message out that all animal were to come pay their respects to the tiger. So many came and said their final goodbyes.

Meanwhile, the jackal was lounging about his den when he suddenly remembered about the tiger and his illness. He realized how late he was going to be, as the tiger was on the other side of the jungle than he. So he devised a plan to escape the tiger's wrath.

A couple hours later, the jackal arrived in the tigers home. The hyena scuffed at him saying, "The jackal finally decides to see the king then? Where were you when we summoned you? Surely, you should be punished for your negligence to the great tiger!" (For the hyena and jackal had always been great enemies)

The jackal replied, "I heard the tiger's summons and went out immediately. However, seeing that the tiger is deathly ill, I saw it futile to come empty handed."

He produced several roots and herbs to give tot he tiger, "Eating these should cure you, my lord. However," he smiled, "You need to lay on the skin of a freshly killed hyena in order for the cure to work."

So the tiger slew the hyena and lay on his skin. Soon enough, he began to feel better. For his deeds the jackal was rewarded by the tiger and became a close friend to him.

...

One day the jackal laid in his den playing his drum, when the tiger came forth and asked him, "Nephew, I was betrayed by the cat. I sent him into a village to bring me fire so we could cook a deer, but he never returned. I swore to eat him because he forced me to eat the deer raw, now he won't leave the confines of the village. The very same village is guard by dogs with nooses they can use to hang me! You are like a dog, perhaps you can parlay with them on my behalf?"

The jackal went with the tiger to see these strange dogs and laughed when he beheld them. He told the tiger, "Uncle, you're too foolish! Those are not nooses for which to hang you. They are the dog's tails! They're just curly. Go forward and get the cat, the dogs won't hang you."

And he went back to his den.

...

Again the jackal was in his den, when the tiger came and said, "I need your help once more, Nephew! I left my cave to hunt this morning, and when I returned, a strange beast made a dreadful noise at me from within. He had hemp tied onto his chin and great big horns."

The jackal told the tiger, "If what you say is true, then the beast that haunts your home is of a kind that I eat quite often. Lead me there!"

So they ventured to the tigers cave and tied their tails together, so if the beast grabbed one they could pull eachother away. Then, a small goat jumped out and yelled, "Hum pakpak!" 

The tiger was so started, that he ran out. As he did, his tail scraped all the fur off the jackal's tail. The jackal let out a howl of pain, which frightened the little goat, who quickly ran out of the cave as well. The jackal returned to the tiger with tears we

lling from the pain. He said, "You owe me now double. For removing the beast from your cave and tearing the hair off my tail! You should give me this cave in compensation."

The tiger agreed, and on that day the jackal acquired the home of the mighty tiger.

Author's Notes: This story is the conglomerate of three different stories. The first is about a tiger falling ill from eating too much and the jackals convincing him to kill the hyena to cure himself. The second is about a cat that goes to a village to get fire but realizes quickly that life among humans is much more comfortable than life in the wild, and his tiger friends try to kill him. The third story is about a goat that escapes a village and takes up residence in a leopard's cave. I decided to put all three together and make the jackal the main focus. The jackal plays some role in all three stories, so I figured it be easy to retell them from his perspective more or less. I also wanted to end it with him winning something for all he did for the tiger.

Bibliography: Folklore of the Santal Parganas by Cecil Henry Bompas (1909)

Images: (Top) A drawing of a tiger, Source: Pixabay

               (Bottom) A side-stripped Jackal, Photo by Brenard Dupont; Source: Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Santal Stories, Part B

The Tigers and the Cat
The Hyena Outwitted
The Brave Jackal
I think I could tell the story of the Jackal from several of the stories in the selected reading. I'd make them all focus on the same Jackal helping his Uncle the tiger out of various situations like the goat in his cave and the dogs with curly tails. The story could also hold elements from the other stories like the Jackal playing the drum and maybe even mentioning when the tiger was sick in the Hyena outwitted. My story would basically be a conglomerate of all those stories with a single Jackal being the main character. I'd probably start it with the story of the tiger being sick, explaining how the Jackal established a relationship with the tiger, then the story about the tiger being afraid of the dogs, and end it with the goat scaring both the tiger and Jackal.

Illustration by John D Batten for "Indian Fairy Tales" edited by Joseph Jacobs, 1892; Source: Wikimedia

Bibliography: Folklore of the Santal Parganas by Cecil Henry Bompas (1909).

Reading Notes: Santal Folklore, Part A

The Jackal and the Crow-

I really like this story, and want to retell it. My retelling might have people as the main characters. That would certainly make it harder to translate it into a human story, but I think I can make it work. Probably, I'd have the Jackal character betray his friend, the crow character. After he realizes how easy it was to do things on his own, he starts to 'screw over' other people as well. Then in the end it all catches up to him. The ending might be changed as well because I love happy endings and characters learning a lesson and not just dying. So I might have the Crow character come back and save his friend in the end and have the Jackal character learn a valuable lesson in friendship and treating others with respect.

The jackal and crow sharing a meal

photo credit goes to Yusuf IJsseldijk; Source: Wikimedia Commons

Bibliography: Folklore of the Santal Parganas by Cecil Henry Bompas (1909).

Week 5 Storytelling: Dan and His Luck

Dan was sitting in his chair, browsing his social media accounts. For a moment he glanced over to the classifieds, but quickly brought his eyes back to his screen. Maybe later, he thought to himself. He knew he needed money to pay several overdo bills, but he was too busy to get a job, in his view. I'll look through them tomorrow. 

Then his phone rang; It was his brother, Sherman, calling. Sherman was the owner of a successful restaurant in town. Dan had previously thought about working there, but hated the idea of working under his little brother. "Hey, Shermanistan! Whadup, brother?" Dan said with a forced enthusiasm.

Sherman's deep elegant voice replied on the other end, "Oh, not much. Just finishing up for the day, thought I'd invite you over for my house party tonight. I haven't seen you in so long, and knowing you, you probably need to get out of the house for a bit!". Sherman was always the brutally honest type.

"I don't know... I'm pretty busy right now," Dan replied, "I'll see if I can make it out there a bit later."

"Brother, come over! I'd like to see you."

"We'll see."

After a somewhat awkward silence, Dan heard Sherman sigh then say, "Alright, Dan. If you need anything, just give me a call. There's always a place here for you. And a job."

"Thanks. bye!" Dan said forcefully as he hang up the phone. He hated when Sherman talked down on him like that. I'm perfectly able to find a job on my own. I don't need his help, Dan thought bitterly. Sherman always seemed like everything went well for him. Dan had the exact opposite of that, and it drove him crazy.

After he cooled down a bit, he felt sorry for the way he snapped at his brother. He decided to make it up he'd go to the party. So he stood up, got dressed, and went on his way.

When he arrived at his brother's house, he saw a small woman cutting the lawn. She was elderly, but strong looking. She stood straight and proper as she moved the mower over the grass. Dan had never seen her before, and didn't know Sherman to be the kind of man to hire someone else to cut his own grass. As he walked by, she smiled and said, "Hello, Daniel."

Dan was thrown off for a moment. He forced a smile and said, "Hello, Ma'am." and continued walking toward the door. Eventually, curiosity got the better of him and he turned and asked, "Do I know you?"

"Oh, no. You know my sister, though. I am Sherman's luck, I watch over him. My sister belongs to you, but she is lazy and youthful. She sleeps under a bridge. The address by the bridge is 134 Proverb lane."

"Proverb lane? That's not too far from here! I'll go wake my luck, and then I'll have everything my brother has! Dan quickly ran to his bike and started peddling, but he got only a few feet before his chain broke and the bike ceased to work. I knew I should've replaced that earlier. I really need to wake my luck up! He thought.

As he walked down the street, he came across a young man staring at a small gold coin. The man looked distraught, so Dan asked him what the matter was. "My father died and only left me this stupid trinket. What am I to do with this!" The man replied.

Dan smiled, "I'll tell you what. I'm going to wake up my luck. When I do, I'll ask for some advise for you!" And he merrily walked on.

Soon after, he met a very beautiful woman sitting on the street curb. She was wearing an elegant dress and had her hair done up. Dan stopped and asked, "What is such a lovely young woman doing sitting on the curb?"

She said holding back tears, "I just got stood up again. I'm never going to find love!"

"I'm going to wake my luck! When I do, I'll ask if there's anyway I can help you." Dan said to reassure her, and started away once more.

In time, Dan was on a busy street when he met a poorly groomed man on the sidewalk. The man asked him, "I'm so hungry, but got no money for food. Anyway you can help me?"

Dan assured him that he would ask for help from his luck for the man.

Finally, Dan found his luck lying under the bridge. She stirred when he nudged her, and asked drowsily, "What is it? I want to sleep more."

Dan asked her, "Miss, I've come to get you to work. Also, I have several questions for you."

He asked her about the people he met on his way, and this was her answer:

"The young man with the coin, tell him that it is worth millions, as it is a relic from a long gone civilization. For the young lady, tell her that she must look for a man that will do something for her when he expects nothing in return and will care for her. For the poor man, tell him to rob the next fool who trusts a stranger. Now, go. I'll be with you."

So the man ran gleefully back to the young man, and told him about the coins value. The man was overcome with joy, and offered to give Dan a portion of this great discover, as he would've thrown it away otherwise. Dan replied, "No thank you, sir. I'm lucky now, and have no need to split money with you."

Dan then went to the young lady and informed her of what luck said. She said, "Well, you did that for me, and you seemed concerned for me. Would you like to meet up sometime?"

Dan declined stating, "Sorry, miss. You seem like a great lady, but I'm lucky now, and will surely meet my true love soon."

After that he went to where he met the poor man, and didn't see him. From an alley way, he heard his voice beckon him. So he went into the alley and found the poor man. Dan said, "My luck said, 'rob the next fool who trusts a stranger.'"

"Good advise," the poor man said as he pulled out a knife, "I think I'll follow it." and he stole what money Dan had left.

Infuriated, Dan went to find his luck, but she was gone. He went back his brother's home and knocked on the door. By now, the party was over and everyone was gone. His luck answered the door. Dan asked her, "Where were you? You told me all the advise for these other folk, but haven't helped me!"

"I was with you when you denied the money, turned down that lovely lady, and decided to walk into the alley. Believe it or not, I have very little to do with what happens to you. I can set you up for success, but your foolishness will get in the way!"

Dan opened his eyes. He found himself in his chair, his phone on the ground beside him. He had a missed call from Sherman. Dan got up and went to his brother's house. The party was going, and Sherman was talking with some of his friends. He turned and saw Dan approaching him. Before he could say anything Dan said, "I'd like to ask for a job."

Sherman blinked in surprise and said, "Well... of course! we can get you started as a dish washer and see where it goes from there! But let's not discuss this now. Here, meet some of my friends. This is David, Sam, Sherry, and Lisa."

Dan's eyes froze on Lisa. She was the girl from his dream. She gave him and shy smile. It was in that moment he realized, luck was with him, but it was up to him to make his dreams come true.

Author's Notes: The original story and mine differ in mostly the setting, the people he meets along the way, and the ending. The original setting was in ancient Persia, but I wanted to modernize this tale a bit. The people in the story originally were a gardener, a king who is secretly a woman, a thorn picker, and a wolf. I removed the thorn picker because his part of the story offers no opportunity for the protagonist to foolishly ignore. The king became Lisa, the beautiful girl, because I wanted to give the character a romantic interest that he would've been with because he likes her, not to become a king. The wolf and gardener became the man with the coin and the poor man, and they served the same function in my story. Except, the poor man didn't kill Dan, unlike the original story. The ending was a bit cheesy, I'll admit, but for good reason.  I understand waking up and it all being a dream is cliche, but Dan's luck is a symbol of himself, thus he is sleeping and only wakes up when he realizes he can't count on luck to make his life better. I hate it when the foolish characters die at the end of stories because I feel like there wasn't any growth, just death.

Bibliography:Persian Tales, translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer and Illustrated by Hilda Roberts (1919).

Image: (Top) Dan starts on his Journey. 'Making Light of a Dark Situation' by Ross2085. Source: Flikr
(Bottom)Dan needs to wake up and make his dreams come true. 'Asleep at the Wheel' by Aaron Jacobs. Source: Flikr