Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Reading Diary Week 14: Fables of La Fontaine

Fables of La Fontaine by Jean de La Fontaine

Rats hatch a plan to outsmart the cat, but none of the rats will actually carry it out. They are all too afraid. Turtle makes joke about bird, the bird picks the turtle up, flies high in the air, drops the turtle. A kite swoops down and catches a meal of flesh and fish.


I did not really enjoy the stories in this section, I don't plan to use any for my storytelling on Thursday. Which is why I did not take many notes.


The Cock, Cat, and Mouse
Source: UnTextbook

Reading Diary Week 14: Fables of La Fontaine

Fables of La Fontaine by Jean de La Fontaine

Donkey tricks everyone into think that he is a lion just because he is wearing lion skin. Man figures out, is not afraid. Frog tries to inflate himself to the size of an ox fails and blows himself up. Fox tries to get some grapes, fails, and decides he did not want the grapes anyway because he says that they are sour. Hen lays golden eggs, farmer gets greedy, wants all of the egg. Kills the hen, surprise surprise it is not full of gold.




The Hare and the Tortoise 
Source: UnTextbook

Friday, April 22, 2016

Storytelling Week 13: Marko the Miser

Author's Note: The Miser is about a man, Marko the Rich, who will go to great lengths to not pay back his copek. This story is about why he is so cheap, and how that made him rich. 

~~~

There was once a very poor man named Marko. Marko had never had much. He was born into to a poor family which had perpetuated itself due to the lack of social mobility, support programs and wealth inequality. However, Marko was a very hard worker and one day desired to be at the top of the social ladder. Marko saved everything he had, and did not spend any money unnecessarily in case one day an opportunity for investment presented itself. 

One day, an opportunity did present itself, and Marko jumped at it. A man came up to him, offering him incredible wealth if he could complete this one task for him. The man wanted Marko to safely deliver a package in a town nearby. The road to that town was a favorite place for bandits, and the strange man and Marko both knew this. However, the potential wealth was enough to motivate Marko to attempt to deliver the package. 

So the next day, Marko awoke after a long nights rest, eager to make the journey. He got the package, it was small and very heavy, and set out down the road on foot. Time passed rather uneventfully, as Marko did not run into anyone. About halfway through his journey his luck ran out. A man in all black jumped out from behind a rock with a sword in hand. The man demanded that Marko drop the package and all other of his belongings. Marko had worked too hard to lose like this. In one swift move, Marko threw the package at the man, hitting him in the head and knocking him unconscious. Marko grabbed the sword and package, and began to run to the next town. He made it safely there since he was armed, and delivered the package. 

On the way back he took a different road to make sue that he did not run into the same bandit. Since he was now carrying a sword, bandits did not attempt to rob him as there would be easier prey coming along the road later. Marko made it home with no problems, and delivered the news to the strange man. The man seemed surprised that he had made it, however did give him the large reward he had promised. Marko then used his economic and financial intuition to invest the money and move his way up the social ladder to become Marko the Rich. 


What I imagine Marko to look like
Source: Wikimedia




Bibliography: This story is based off of The Miser from Russian Fairy Tales by W. R. S. Ralston (1887).



Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Reading Diary Week 13 Continued: Russian Folktales

Russian Folktales by Ralston

Cossack cuts off a woman's arm, because she is a witch. He then proves who the witch is by finding a woman missing an arm. Cossack is rewarded. Father-in-law is strangling his daughter-in-laws, one of the daughters finally outsmarts him, gets his money. Man has a drink with his dead friend, three hundred years pass by, he then comes out and his bride is gone, everything has changed. God saves a man from two corpses that are fighting over him.


Monte Rio
Source: Flickr

Reading Diary Week 13: Russian Folktales

Russian Folktales by Ralston

Dead mother is taking care of child in the middle of the night. Upon discovery, she kills the baby and flees. Marko the Rich will not pay back his copek to the poor man, goes to crazy lengths to do so. Do not dishonor Mother Friday or she will put things in your eyes so that you cannot see. Flow of one river is faster than the others because of the determination of that brother to find his missing sisters. 



St. Basil's Cathedral
Source: Flickr

Friday, April 15, 2016

Storytelling Week 12

Author's Note: This story I have written is based on the fable below. The fable below just does not elaborate enough on such a promising story. 

The Faithful House-dog

A Man that's gen'rous all at once
May dupe a novice or a dunce;
But to no purpose are the snares
He for the knowing ones prepares.

When late at night a felon tried
To bribe a Dog with food, he cried,
"What ho! Do you attempt to stop
The mouth of him that guards the shop?
You're mightily mistaken, sir,
For this strange kindness is a spur
To make me double all my din,
Lest such a scoundrel should come in."

~~~



Spudz and his owner Ryan had the best relationship. They did everything together, spending every moment they could together. Spudz absolutely adored Ryan, and would do anything for him. So whenever Ryan asked that Spudz do a favor for him, it was without hesitation that Spudz said, "Yes". Spudz could also talk, which made communicating this need that Ryan had to him much easier. Ryan then explained that he had stolen a large sum of money from someone very wealthy, and that people would be coming after him very soon. Ryan needed Spudz to help him guard the money whenever he wasn't home. Spudz knew that theft was wrong, but his loyalty overrode his morals, so he happily agreed.



Ryan then led Spudz to a small shack on the back of their property where he had hidden the money. A large wall surrounded the shack, and the wall had a gate. Ryan instructed Spudz to stand by the gate, and not allow anyone through until he returned. Apparently Ryan had another heist to do. Ryan also used the motivation of higher quality dog food to motivate Spudz, like he needed more motivation.



Spudz had been by the gate, standing at alert for several hours when the sun began to set. As it did, naturally, Spudz began to be able to have trouble seeing far. He also began to grow very tired, and very hungry. However, his determination for guarding the cash overrode these feelings of fatigue. Suddenly, he began to hear some footsteps. They were very far away, however drawing much closer. Spudz perked up, and began to prepare himself for either Ryan, or a confrontation. Since the shack was so far out of the way, this was the only reason that anyone would be approaching.



Suddenly a figure emerged into his field of vision. It, in fact, was not Ryan but rather some grungy looking man. The man approached the shack quickly, seemingly knowing what was in it. Spudz began to yell at the man, warning him that he should turn away or Spudz would be forced to attack. The man stopped, staring at Spudz. He then reached into his backpack and pulled out the most delicious looking turkey leg that Spudz had ever seen. "How could he have known that turkey legs are my weakness??", Spudz thought to himself. The man began to brandish the turkey leg, holding it out in front of him as protection and deterrent from being attacked. This tactic was working, because Spudz was incredibly conflicted. He was starving. And turkey legs were his favorite. He really, really wanted that turkey leg. He had to make a decision because the man was getting close.



Suddenly, in one quick move, Spudz jumped towards the man, biting his forearm that was holding the turkey leg. The man yelled in shock and pain, dropping the turkey leg, and turning and running. Spudz chased him for a bit, then turned back to the shack. He knew the man would not bother him again anytime soon, so he returned to the shack to his prize. The turkey leg was awaiting him upon his return. It was one of the most satisfying meals that Spudz had ever eaten, because of how delicious the turkey leg was, and he knew that he had done his job and Ryan would be proud upon his return. 


 


Dog that is ride or die like the dog in the story
Source: Wikimedia

Bibliography: This story is based off of a story from Aesop's Fables by Sir Roger L'Estrange, written in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries and. 

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Reading Diary Week 12 Continued: Aesop's Fables

Aesop's Fables by Sir Roger L'Estrange

Sheep tricks both a lamb and wolf. Wolf dresses up like a Shepard, is very crafty but eventually caught. Whenever he is caught, he is punished. A pack of dogs is undone by their own hunger and greed. Dog does not trust the felon who has food, he instead guards and does not fall for his tricks. An old weasel that does not have the energy to chase mice any longer instead uses tricks to catch them. Hawk feels bad and tries to repent for his sins. Gnat is afraid that it's weight is fatiguing the ox, however the ox did not even realize that the gnat was there. Fly thinks that the wind that is kicking up dust is actually him. Cautious frog saves the reckless one.


Wolves
Source: UnTextbook