Week 12: Famous Last Words

Kobe Bryant

As we inch closer and closer to the end of the semester, things are getting busier and busier. I missed a ton last week in my classes due to being sick all week, which was absolutely no fun. With it being one of busiest week for work and school, it was definitely not a good time to be sick. But luckily I am feeling better and back to my normal schedule of not laying in bed and sleeping all day and feeling awful! I really liked the readings this week as I wrote my favorite story so far. Although it may be a little creepy and scary, I am a huge fan of the murder mystery/crime drama movies and shows, so I found an English tale called "Mr. Fox" that reminded me of one of those shows or movies and I wrote a story about a mysterious murderer who snuck out of his house every night and was later arrested for being a murderer. Check it out!

The picture at the top of the page is in honor of my favorite basketball player and favorite athlete of all time, Kobe Bryant, retiring this week. Last night he played in final away game right here in OKC, as I was there to witness my favorite player get cheered for by everyone in the arena. On Wednesday, he will play his final game of his 20 year career and I can't imagine what basketball would be like without him. He won five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and will go down to be one of the top 10 if not top 5 players to ever play the game. Kobe was the reason I started playing basketball and the reason why I am the basketball fan that I am today. He was known for his competitive nature among many things, one thing that people respect about him, whether they love him or hate him. Wednesday will be a sad night for basketball fans, but a night in which every basketball fan should look back and appreciate everything that Kobe did for the game of basketball. 

Week 12 Storytelling: The Mysterious Murderer

Author's Note:   My following story, The Mysterious Murderer, is based on the old English tale, Mr. Fox. Mr. Fox is about Lady Mary, who is in love with Mr. Fox and eventually they decide to get married. Mr. Fox asked her to live with him but never asks Lady Mary to come see it so she decides to take matters into her own hands. One night, as Mr. Fox was "away on business" she decides to go to this castle. The castle is in the forest and has high walls and as she walks in, she sees a sign that says "be bold, be bold, but not too bold, Lest that your heart's blood should run cold. She keeps walking and opens a door and sees a pile of dead bodies and skeletons. As she was running out of the castle, she sees Mr. Fox dragging another dead woman into his castle. He does not see Lady Mary, as she ran home and didn't mention it until the next day, which happened to be their wedding day. I liked this tale because it reminded me of one of those murder mystery shows/movies and those are my favorite types of movies. 

The Mysterious Murderer

The Fall

There once was a man named Mark, who lived a normal life. A man with a wife, two kids, one boy and one girl, a normal job working as a banker at his local bank. Mark's wife, Amy, was in love with Mark and thought she lived a perfect life until one night. Mark and Amy would always go to bed together, sometimes earlier, sometimes later but what Amy didn't know was that Mark didn't stay in bed. One morning, Amy is having breakfast and coffee and watching the news as the news was talking about multiple murders that have happened over the last few nights. The news anchor then said the area of which these murders took place and it was less than a mile from their home. Then, a sketch of the suspect came up on the TV, fitting every characteristic of Mark. Amy looked at Mark but thought nothing of it, as Mark rushed down the stairs saying bye, grabbing his coffee as if he were late for work but really he was shocked to see that the news had found out about the murders. As the day went on, Amy thought more and more about the sketch and how similar it looked to Mark. Later that night, Mark got home and they went about their normal routine. Mark read the kids their bedtime story while Amy watched the news again and had a glass of wine. Mark was tired so he went to bed a little earlier than Amy. Amy, suspecting something suspicious was going on then decides to act as if she was going to sleep. She walks into her bedroom, wakes Mark up to tell him goodnight so that he would think she was actually going to sleep. An hour passed and Amy was still awake as she heard Mark stand up from the bed and quietly walk out of the door. She heard some commotion downstairs, as if Mark was getting ready to go somewhere. She peaked out her door only to see Mark dressed in all black clothes and a black mask, walking out the door. Her heart is pounding, her blood pressure spikes as she thinks to herself, this can't be true. My husband cannot be a murderer. She decides to follow him quietly as Mark walks to a nearby house of a single woman who Mark and Amy are friends with. She witnesses through the window Mark go into their friends room and kill her. Amy stands there in absolute shock. She could not believe her eyes. She runs back to the house and gets in bed, acting as if she is still asleep, as she has no clue what to do about this. The next morning, after not much sleep, Amy refuses to believe what she saw until the news comes on once again, talking about a murder at the exact same house she witnessed Mark murder their friend. She then grabs the phone, runs into the other room and quietly calls the police. The police arrive shortly after the call and arrest Mark for multiple first degree murders. 

English Fairy Tales, Mr. Fox by Joseph Jacobs (1890)

Week 12 Reading Diary, continued: English Fairy Tales

English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs 

"So they went along, and they went along, and they went along, till they met Turkey-lurkey. 'Where are you going, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, and Goosey-poosey?' says Turkey-turkey. 'Oh! we're going to tell the king the sky's a-falling,' said Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Duckydaddies, and Goosey-poosey..."

"So Molly took care and did not fall asleep, but waited till she was sure everyone was sleeping sound. Then she slipped out of bed and took the straw ropes off her own and her sisters' necks and took the gold chains off the giant's lassies. She then put the straw ropes on the giant's lassies and the gold on herself and her sisters, and lay down"

Mr. Fox, photo by John D. Batten (1890)

"Be bold, be bold, but not too bold,
Lest that your heart's blood should run cold."

Johnny-cake came up close, and leaning towards the fox screamed out: 'I'VE OUTRUN AN OLD MAN, AND AN OLD WOMAN, AND A LITTLE BOY, AND TWO WELL-DIGGERS, AND TWO DITCH-DIGGERS, AND A BEAR, AND A WOLF, AND I CAN OUTRUN YOU, TOO-O-O!'

"You can, can you?" yelped the fox, and he snapped up the Johnny-cake in his sharp teeth in the twinkling of an eye.

All of these tales, or most of them at least have little parts that build up to one huge part in the end. For example, in "Johnny Cake", Johnny-Cake first mentions out running an old man, then an old woman, then a little boy, etc. then in the end, he mentions all of them. He was a little too confident as he thought he could out run the fox and then was eaten by the fox. 

"So Lady Margaret went to bed a beauteous maiden, and rose up a Laidly Worm. And when her maidens came in to dress her in the morning they found coiled up on the bed a dreadful dragon, which uncoiled itself and came towards them." 

All of these tales have their similarities but I like them cause they all have their differences as well. They all have different styles and different story plots that are intriguing. 

"Up stick and bang them!' exclaimed Jack; where-upon the cudgel leapt up, and running along the line of girls, knocked them all on the heads and left them senseless on the pavement. Jack took all the money and poured it into his true-love's lap. 'Now, lass,' he exclaimed, 'thou art the richest, and I shall marry thee."

Week 12 Reading Diary: English Fairy Tales

English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs 

Tom Tit Tot, photo by John D. Batten (1890)

"Darter, put you them there pies on the shelf and leave em there a little, and they'll come again" 

The first tale, Tom Tit Tot, is a very interesting tale told in an interesting language style. This was a good foreshadow for what the rest of the tales might be like

My wicked mother slew me
My dear father ate me,
My little brother whom I love
Sits below, and I sing above
Stick, stock, stone dead.

'Oh, the beautiful song! sing it again, sweet bird,' said the watchmaker. 'If you will give me first that gold watch and chain in your hand.' The jeweller gave the watch and chain. The bird took it in one foot, the shoes in the other, and, after having repeated the song, flew away to where three millers were picking a millstone. The bird perched on a tree and sang:

My wicked mother slew me,
My dear father ate me,
My little brother whom I love
Sits below, and I sing above
Stick!

"As soon as the cat had lapped up the milk, the cat began to kill the rat; the rat began to gnaw the rope; the rope began to hang the butcher; the butcher began to kill the ox; the ox began to drink the water; the water began to quench the fire; the fire began to burn the stick; the stick began to beat the dog; the dog began to bite the pig; the little pig in a fright jumped over the stile; and so the old woman got home that night."

This was a really cool ending to the tale, The Old Woman and her Pig, as everything such as the rat, cat, rope, ox, fire, etc. all lead to the ending of the tale and tied together. 

"Fair and beautiful she looked as she lay there. In her golden hair were pearls and precious stones; you could not see her waist for her golden girdle, and the golden fringe of her white dress came down over her lily feet. But she was drowned, drowned" 

This quote gave you a good image of what they were seeing

"Mouse and Mouser" is an interesting animal tale as it has the cat and the mouse going back and forth back and forth until the end when finally the cat kills the mouse.

"It rose to the boy's knees and still more water was poured. It mounted to his waist, and Beelzebub still kept on bringing barrels full. It rose to his armpits, and he scrambled to the table-top. And now the water in the room stood up to the window and washed against the glass and swirled around his feet on the table. It still rose; it reached his breast. In vain he cried..."

This was a really interesting part of the tale, as it created much suspense. You can only imagine and hope to never be in a situation where water is rising on you and you can't do anything about it. This tale reminded me of the Titanic. 

Week 10 Storytelling: The Human Dog Friend

Author's Note: The story that I have written, "The Human Dog Friend" is based off the tale, "The Dog-Husband" in the "Tales of the North American Indians" unit. "The Dog-Husband" is about a girl who has a dog that turns into a human at night. The girl becomes pregnant and discovers that the dog is the cause. I didn't get my story idea off the whole tale, but instead I got my story idea when I first read the part about the dog waking up in the middle of night and becoming a human. This tale was a very weird, unique style that I found really interesting. I used the animal as the storyteller in my story because it makes it a little more fun to read from a dog's perspective in my opinion. My main idea for the story is to create a different story told by a dog who lives a different life when the sun goes down. Another goal of mine was showing the passion that dogs have for their owners and how they will do whatever to please them. I have a golden retriever, so I know first hand how passionate they are and how all they want do is make their owner happy.

The Human Dog Friend

My name is Chance and I am a 3 year old Golden Retriever. I am not your average Golden Retriever, however, as I have the power of doing many different things that not any other dog can do. My owner thinks I am a normal dog, as well as everybody else too. What people do not know is that I am only a dog during the day. Thats right, you heard me, only in the day. I turn into a human at night. My owner is an elderly man who struggles to get around during the day. He is a cancer fighter who has recently been told he only has two months to live. He struggles with getting out of bed, cleaning up the house, getting groceries and running various errands. I believe I was meant to be with  my owner because he needs me. He needs someone who can help him with all those things, but he is too stubborn to hire someone to help him do it. I believe God placed me on this earth and in this man's home specifically to help him. 

During the day, I am the typical dog. I sleep, I eat, I poop, I whine because I want to go on a walk. Every day my owner wakes up and takes me outside to throw the tennis ball for about 20 minutes and after that, I am exhausted and nap the rest of the day. I only nap until the sun goes down and my owner crawls in bed. Once I hear a slight snore out of him, I turn into a human. After I turn into a human, I do all kinds of human stuff such as clean the house, go to the grocery store and get groceries and dog food of course (I of course only eat human food in the middle of the night but have to buy dog food, because I am a "dog" after all, right?), run various errands and all that good stuff. I do all this in the middle of the night because my owner is unable to do any of this stuff at any time of any day. The best part about being able to do this is seeing the confusion on his face when he wakes up to a cabinet and fridge full of fresh groceries, coffee already in the pot and a clean, good smelling house. He always looks at me and says "who in the world does this for me?" As much as I want to tell him, I can't. As far as I know, he believes someone in his family does all this for him. I do it because I love him. Because I see the happiness on his face. I see the stress free smile on his face when he sees all these things done. He loves me more than anything and I love him more than anything. I do all this stuff so that he and I can spend the day together, with no worries in the world. Just him and I spending as much time together as possible before he goes to Heaven. I am not sure what I will do when he passes, all I know is that its him and I for the next couple months and thats all I want him to focus on. That's all that matters. 

Chance, Golden Retriever 

Bibliography:
"Tales of the North American Indians: The Dog-Husband" by Stith Thompson (1929)

Week 10, Reading Diary, continued: Tales of the North American Indians

Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson (1929)

"Every night he would change into human form, and lie with the girl, and, in the morning, before it was light, would turn back into his dog shape so no one knew anything about it."
This first tale, "The Dog Husband" is a very interesting tale about a dog that could turn into a human and even got a girl pregnant. Definitely an interesting tale to say the least.

"On the following morning he put large antlers on him and gave him the body of a buck in its prime. That day the hunter beat off all the rival bucks, and kept his wife and also all her sisters and cousins for himself."

"Like the extremely poor everywhere and at all times, she was humble, and by her longing for kindness, which she never received, she was made kind even to the creatures that depended upon her, and lavished this kindness upon the Turkeys she drove to and from the plains every day."

"The sun had scarce begun to decline when the Turkey of their own accord turned homeward, and the maiden followed them, light of heart"

These tales are so interesting to read and imagine life as an animal. Each tale makes you think what it would actually be like if this kind of stuff happened, like I can't even imagine if my dog turned into a human during the middle of the night. The way these tales are told is very intriguing and something I think a lot of people should consider adopting in their writing.

"The youngest man asked her to spit, but she felt insulted at the request. She was vain and haughty. She thought they were fooling her... At last she spat and the spittle turned into a toe-nail and smelled like toe-nails."

"When she was about to give birth, her step mother made a hole in the floor, placed the young woman over it and, when the child was born, she cut the navel-string and let the infant fall through the hole. Then she put a cat in its place, and when the mother sat up and asked for her child, the step mother put the cat in her arms. The woman said, "it is strange that I should give birth to a cat!"

"After running many days and nights, he came to the edge of the earth. There he saw a stretch of water and, on the other side, the house of the Sun."

Tales of the North American Indians, Stith Thompson

Week 10: Famous Last Words

Inspirational Quotes 

I came across the image above this week and found it very interesting considering we are coming up on the end of the semester and many of us are graduating. I thought it was a really inspirational quote and although there is a lot of stress about to come along with finishing the semester, finishing strong is biggest key and as long as you work hard and finish strong, you will feel good about yourself when it is all said and done.

I have done my week 10 reading diary and have to say I enjoyed the tales that I read. I read a series of tales about animals and the animals were the ones telling the stories so it was a different type of style. Any story involving animals is intriguing to me and I love when the animals are the ones telling the stories and living their lives as if they were humans. 

I have also read a few other peoples stories and it has been fun to read various peoples blogs over the last 8 or 9 weeks and see how they have changed and how people have learned from other peoples stories. People, including myself, have learned from other peoples writing and even adapted some of their writing styles to use on their own blogs. 

As far as my other classes go, things are really starting to heat up as far as projects, papers, exams, etc. I am trying to stay calm and relaxed and not get too stressed about everything because I know that I will finish strong. Oh the stress of being a soon to be college graduate! Not only school to worry about, but your plans for after your graduate is more stress than school itself. I still can't believe I am almost done. 

Perhaps the most exciting thing that took place over the last week is that OU Basketball is Final Four bound. I am a HUGE basketball fan and cannot wait for Saturday to watch us in the Final Four. What a year for OU athletics, with football and basketball BOTH making the final four in their own sport. 

BOOMER SOONER!

Week 10 Reading Diary: Tales of the North American Indians

Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson (1929)

Headdress of the Matoki Society, image by Edward Curtis

"The man stood perfectly still, and at the fourth time, as the cow ran forward to hook at him, she became a woman"

"The bears agreed and the fawns went in there first."
"Here is a skunk we killed in the log."
"Very well." said the bear mother.
This is an interesting storytelling technique using animals and giving them voices and considering them as humans

Splinter Foot Girl is a tale about a person who got a wound from a thorn plant while hunting and became unable to hunt. The leg swelled and eventually opened and then a child was issued from the leg. Yes, a child. Definitely not what I was expecting. This was a very intriguing tale.
"They climbed the three, each one of the men sitting on one of the branches, and the girl getting into the nest. So they waited for the bull who would pursue them."

"Thou mayst rejoice that thou hast already got a husband. I will have a while for mine."
"The Eagle and the Whale Husbands" was a very unique tale about eagles and whales who are husband and wife.

"After a while he saw a fox enter. He suspected that the fox was after food. He quietly slipped up to the house and on entering saw a most beautiful woman dressed in skin clothing of wondrous make. Within the house, on a line, hung the skin of a fox."

"As soon as she put her hands into the water, something seized them and pulled her underneath the sea. She had been taken by the Killer-Whales..."
This just gave me the chills reading this. One of my biggest fears is getting in water that I can't see through and being pulled under or something touching my feet. I think this part of the tale gave great suspense to the tale.

I find a lot of these tales very intriguing because they are about animals in which I fear but find very interesting. For example, I HATE snakes but it is interesting when you make a snake sound as if they were a human character.

"I will paint your face like that of a bear, with black marks across the eyes and at the corners of the mouth; then no one will touch you."

I love animals so these tales were really fun to read and they were told in a more simple style. The only thing I did not like was they were not as detailed as the Tejas Legends tales I read last week. I love imagery in stories and wish there was a little more in these tales.

Week 9 Reading Diary, continued: Tejas Legends

When The Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends retold by Florence Stratton 

Hummingbird, Illustrated by Berniece Burrough

The first story is about a humming fish and a heron betting on a race. I thought the author did a great job of describing the humming fish and heron in great detail, giving a good image of what they looked like and you can picture them racing one another.

"Again she stayed until the sun had gone down behind the distant hills on the far edge of the desert, and she watched her start winking once more at her."

Through the first two stories, the visuals/pictures have been really colorful and detailed which I love because you can really picture the story in your head. That is something I try to do in my storytelling as well. 

Quanah, who makes blankets spends a ton of time on this one blanket and is found one day laying on a mat, wrinkled face, eyes closed. He then opens his eyes to the Indians and tells them about this blanket he has spent so much time on and tells them it is for the person who has done the most for their people. Another simple, beautiful picture: 

Fire Wheel flower 

"There is a pretty blue and purple flower with a heart of gold which blooms in the early spring in the swamps and along the streams of the gulf coast"

This story, "The Pecan Tree's Best Friend" is another unique storytelling style talking about pecan trees and their family and friends, like they are people. It is definitely an interesting story style to consider moving forward. 

"Just as soon as this happened the happy cactus flowers opened their petals wide and began to drink in the colored mists that were clinging to the plants"

"He watched the nest where Paisono had his little ones, and when the bird was gone he went to it and swallowed all the little Paisonos" 

"As soon as he had gone, the clouds which had been afraid to float over the land as long as the serpent was there sailed back. Rain poured down from them and the long drought was ended."

"His sharp ears stood straight up, always ready to warn him of an enemy so that he would be ready to fight" This is a description of a dog who was brave and full of pride, wild as a wolf and afraid of no man. 

Week 9 Reading Diary: Tejas Legends

"When the Storm God Rides and Other Indian Legends" by Berniece Burrough

When The Storm God Rides, Illustrated by Berniece Burrough (1936)

"The God of Storms did not live among the Indians, but lived below the warm seas of the Gulf of Mexico. And for the Indians were glad, for his terrible thunder bird, named Hurakan, filled the people with fear"

"Even today Hurakan comes back once in a while in the shape of a storm which people call a hurricane."

"The howling old north wind is afraid to come to the country around the Gulf of Mexico. Only now and then does this cold fellow dare to come into the south, and when he does he does not stay long."
This is an interesting story talking about two winds: the north and the south. Definitely a unique type of storytelling and a unique topic and also very fitting for this terrible Oklahoma wind we have right now.

"There was a time when woodpeckers used to be Indians"
"...The Indians who ate them had visions or dreams. They could see their Gods and talk with their ancestors"
How cool would this be? Being able to eat something and be able to go back to the past for a while. This could be a potential story idea.

"That night the rain began to pour down from the black sky. The river rose and rose. At last it tumbled over its bank and began running through the bushes and into the village."
I love the detail in this story, it gives the reader a great visual of what is going on.

"After a cold, windy spring in the days when the call of the wild turkey and the whoop of the Indian still sounded in the woods, a drought began."

"Then the old chief was happy because he knew that his grandchildren of the tribe could still find their way back home."
This story talks about a flower that looked like the toe of a moccasin and how it pointed different ways and if it pointed south, that meant it was home.

"Late one afternoon, one little cloud had sailed off from its brothers and sisters..."
Another interesting story, this one comparing clouds to people.

"He could skim across the prairies like the cloud shadows, and his flying hoofs beat the ground like the roll of thunder in the summer sky."
This was a great description of a horse talking about how fast he was and what it sounded like when he ran.

Week 9: Famous Last Words

Well, spring break has passed and here I am at the last lap of my college career. I cannot believe graduation is coming up so close. I don't think it has hit me quite yet that I will be done with school in just two short months. I hope everyone had a great spring break! I did not go anywhere as I stayed right here in Norman and worked and of course watched the NCAA Basketball Tournament. I am a huge basketball fan, so, March is one of the best months of the year for me. I spent all day Thursday-Sunday watching basketball and even went to OKC to watch OU play in person yesterday for one last time. As far as my classes go, some of them are really starting to pick up with tests, projects, etc. Oddly, graduation is right around the corner, yet I feel like I really haven't gotten down deep into some of my classes yet but I definitely will starting this week. As far as this class goes, I plan on keeping the same schedule I had last semester. I love the fact you can pick your schedule although we still have deadlines. I also love that we get all these extra credit opportunities, which is rare among teachers these days. I think it is important to have extra credit opportunities, especially in online classes where it is easy to mis-read something and forget a deadline or whatever it may be. We are definitely lucky! I hope people will share some of their spring break experiences on their blogs, as I love seeing where people go and love seeing pictures of cool places across the world. I look forward to finishing out this semester strong and look forward to reading a bunch of great stuff on everyones blogs!

Northern Iowa half-court buzzer beater - March Madness 2016

Future Reading

Here are some of my planned readings for the second half of the semester:

Tejas Legends- This story tells the story of Eastern Texans, Cadoan which means friend and is where Texas got its name. 

When The Storm God Rides - Tejas Legends

English Fairy Tales- I read many fair tales over the first semester and really enjoyed them. I tend to enjoy the fairy tales and the way they are written so I am looking forward to reading more throughout the second half of the semester. 

Dante's Inferno- Although we were not supposed to pick a story on the title alone, the title definitely caught my eye on this one. I have heard of Dante's Inferno before but do not know the whole story so I am looking forward to finding out about Dante's Inferno in detail (as this story is well known for being dense and detailed). 

Blog Ideas

Below are the three blogs that I visited and really liked. All three are very different but similar in ways. One theme I liked about all of the blogs is that they were all pretty simple, which is what I have tried to do to my blog. I think simplicity gives the reader the chance to focus strictly on your posts, whereas too many pictures, weird colors, colorful backgrounds, etc. can end up looking like too much. Everyone has their preference but I enjoy the simplicity of these blogs and mine. One thing I will look forward to doing in the second half of the semester is adding more pictures, particularly of me. I love the blogs that have pictures of the actual person, so you can have a visual of whose blog you are reading. I will also look to add some videos of various interests of mine.



http://alexandrasmyths.blogspot.com/search/label/Comment%20Wall

http://codyjohnson58.blogspot.com/search/label/Comment%20Wall

http://macmythology.blogspot.com/search/label/Comment%20Wall

Time Management

As spring break approaches and we are almost halfway through the first semester, I look back at the first semester and would change some stuff but not much. Overall, I stuck to my schedule for the most part. There were some weeks where I got a little behind or missed a reading, but overall I think I did a good job of sticking to my planned schedule. I plant to keep the same schedule in the second half of the semester. One thing that will be very crucial is sticking to the schedule and getting work done EARLY versus just on time or late. This will be important as my other classes will start heating up and getting more busy! Good luck to everyone and hope you guys have a great spring break!

Do It Now! - 29 Best Motivational Quotes

Beowulf Storybook

Hello all,

I hope you enjoy my storybook, "The Daily Beowulf", which is a four-part interview with Beowulf himself! Beowulf will tell us all about his battles and challenges.

The Daily Beowulf

Storytelling Week 7: Two Frogs Swap Lives

Author's Note:
For this weeks reading, I read the Japanese Fairy Tales, out of the Violet Fairy Book by Andrew Lang. The first tale, The Two Frogs, was about two frogs who lived in separate places and didn't know one another. One day, somehow both frogs thought it would be fun to travel to each others towns, not knowing that both of them were thinking the same thing and not even knowing that another frog livd in that town. One frog lived in Osaka and the other lived in Kioto. On their journey, they ran into each other midway and were surprised to see that their reason for travel was the same; they wanted to see what each other's cities were like. They thought "if only we were bigger, we could see both towns from here." One frog got another frogs back so that they could see both cities from where they are and it turned out that both towns were identical and they both thought to each other "if I would've known they were the exact same, I wouldn't have traveled thus far" so they talked for a while longer and then parted ways to go back home. My story will take off from the very end of the original story, accept both frogs decide to switch towns for a day and go to one another's town to experience what they were like.

Two Frogs Swap Lives

"If I would've known that Kioto and Osaka were the same, I wouldn't have traveled this far" said Osaka frog. "They may look the same from here but I can promise you that both towns are very much different and have different things to offer" said Kioto Frog. "I'll tell you what, why don't you keep on going 'atta way to my town of Kioto and I will keep going to Osaka. We'll each spend a day in each others towns, exploring different areas and experiencing different things we don't get to experience in our own town. I've always thought it would be fun to swap lives with another frog for a day. We can meet up right back here tomorrow at this time" said Kioto frog. The Osaka frog at first hesitated but eventually gave in and headed toward Kioto while Kioto frog toward Osaka. Both frogs arrived in each other's towns shortly after parting ways and both were stunned at the differences of each of the towns. Osaka was much smaller than Kioto and had less people and Kioto frog loved the smaller population. Kioto was much bigger with more people and Osaka frog was known for being social so he fit right in with the community. Both frogs explored each others towns for a day, meeting new people, going different places and learning new things. After a day, it was time to meet back up with one another at the top of the hill at which they first met one another. After getting up to the top of the hill, both frogs realized that they did not want to go back to their hometown. They had experienced something different and both frogs loved the feeling of different that they decided to swap towns for good. "Osaka is so small for me. I do not like small. I like big communities with lots of people and lots of adventures" said the Osaka frog. "I would much rather live in Kioto with all those people. "Really?" said Kioto frog, "I find it stressful living in Kioto, as I have lived there for so long, the town is growing day by day and I do not like busy towns. I want to live in Osaka, where everything is quiet and peaceful." Both frogs thought from a distance that Kioto and Osaka were basically the same town until they traveled there and experienced new things, new opportunities and new people. They loved each other's towns so much, they ended up swapping for a week initially and then neither of the frogs wanted to go back to their initial town so they swapped for good. Both frogs found new life in each other's towns and lived happily ever after. This just goes to show you: never judge somebody or something from a distance, experience what someone is going through or experience something you've never experienced before jumping to any conclusions. 

Two Frogs: A Japanese Folktale 

Bibliography:  Japanese Fairy Tales: The Two Frogs by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H.J. Ford (1901)

Week 7 Reading Diary: Japanese Fairy Tales

The Violet Fairy Book

Japanese Fairy Tales Unit, The Violet Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

Two Frogs: Photo by Jon Sullivan

"What a pity we are not bigger...for then we could see both towns from here and tell if it is worth our while going on" The first tale, "Two Frogs" describes the journey of two frogs who lived in separate places but wanted to visit each other's town on the SAME day. The frogs did not know each other and they happened to run into one another while both of them were traveling. 

"The sun is mightier than I; oh, if I were only the sun!"

"Your wish is heard, the sun you shall be"

The Stonecutter wishes to be the sun and gets his wish granted

"And because it was more difficult for beautiful women to pass unheeded than for others, she bade her fetch for a wooden helmet out of the next room and put it on her head and pull it low down over her brows so that nearly the whole of her face should lie in its shadow" 

This tale is about a man and a wife who had a happy life but they grew apart and the only thing that kept them together was their daughter, who was beautiful. However, the husband eventually passed away and the wife and daughter wept for weeks and weeks. 

"The Envious Neighbor" is a tale about a man, woman and a dog who had no children but treated the dog like their child. The dog led the man to a pot of gold underneath the ground. On another day, the dog led the man to a parcel of old bones and the man ended up killing the dog. This tale was one that was full of turns of events that I was not expecting. And a sad one at that. 

"The sparrow hopped about as usual, twittering happily, and thinking no evil, and all the while the woman's brow became blacker and blacker and at length her fury broke out" 

This tale was told with great imagery, detail and creativity, which are things that I look to include in my writing.

"The wanderers by this time were very hot and tired, and the grass looked very soft and inviting, and the trees cast cool deep shadows..." Another tale with great imagery in their writing. 

Week 6: Famous Last Words

Another week has gone by and I can't believe it is already week 6 of the semester. Each semester of school goes by faster and faster and before we know it, we will be taking finals. Some of us (including myself) will be graduating, which is crazy to me.

This week, I read the Brer Rabbit unit for my reading. I will admit I was not a huge fan of it but I realize I am not going to be a fan of every single reading on here. Brer Rabbit was told in a different style of writing that was kind of hard to read but the overall plot was not bad. I enjoyed writing my story, however, as I was able to write it in my own way and I did an alternative ending, which I love doing to stories. Hopefully I can get some helpful feedback from you all on my story and I hope you enjoy it!

As far as my other classes go, they haven't been too bad. I feel like all my classes are kind of slow right now and it is only a matter of time before the rush of tests, projects, presentations, etc. all come crashing in at once. I am sure all of you know how that feels, especially if you are a senior like me. I finally am adjusted to all my classes and have my own little schedule of how I do things and when I do them. I am taking 3 online classes so while there are still deadlines, I am able to have a pretty flexible schedule, which I enjoy.

This weekend, I am headed to Breckenridge, Colorado for the weekend for a little mini vacation. I have been once before, just not too long ago and cannot wait to get back up there. Breck is a really relaxing ski town with a lot of cool shops and restaurants downtown. I think it will be a perfect little getaway. Since we don't get many breaks in the Spring semester, I thought; I am just going to create a break on my own! Haha. My family and I will be the ones going up there for a few days so it should be fun. I do not know if any of you have been to Breckenridge but this is one of my favorite pictures and one that I saw by searching "Breckenridge" on Google way back before I ever went because I was curious what it looked like and was so eager to go.

Downtown Breckenridge, Colorado 

Storytelling for Week 6: Tar Baby Saves the Day

Author's Note: Brer Rabbit consists of 16 different tales, each tale telling a different story of Brer the Rabbit, who is known for his tricks and witty personality and getting away with different things. In one particular tale, The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story, Brer Rabbit comes across a pile of tar and constructs a doll out of it. Brer Rabbit wants the doll to respond but never does the doll. Brer gets so frustrated that the doll won't respond so he begins to punch it and kick it and the more he punches and kicks, the more stuck he gets into this doll. Then, Brer Fox comes along and throws Brer Rabbit into a briar patch. Eventually Brer Rabbit uses the briers and all the thorns to escape. My story below consists of an alternate ending in which the pile of tar actually comes to life and saves Brer Rabbit. My main goal of this story was to produce an alternate ending because every time I read something, I think "what if this happened?" or "what if that happened?" so this gives the reader a different perspective and a different story in a way.

Tar Baby Saves the Day

There he was, Brer Rabbit, lying in the briar patch all stuck with thorns in his body, bleeding and desperate to get out. He begged and begged Brer Fox to let him out but Brer Fox had no mercy and decided to walk away, leaving Brer Rabbit all by himself to suffer. Brer Rabbit never thought he would get out, although rabbits are somewhat at home in briar patches, this one was thick. This briar patch was essentially a death trap, any rabbit who previously got trapped in there ended up dying a slow death. So there lies Brer Rabbit thinking his life was about to end in a short period of time when he sees something moving just about 20 feet away. Brer Rabbit thought surely that couldn't be what he thought it may be, the pile of tar that he created into a baby. The Tar-Baby wasn't responding to him, there was no way he could've come to life, Brer Rabbit thought. As the large, sharp thorns slowly dug into Brer Rabbits body, he couldn't go on for much longer. Someone had to help him soon or else he would die, just like all the other previous rabbits that had died in that briar patch. Soon enough, he sees the Tar-Baby rise from the ground and run the other way. Brer Rabbit thought that was the end, his only chance of survival was the Tar-Baby somewhat coming to life and saving him. The Tar-Baby came to life, but didn't want to save Brer Rabbit's life after all the punching and kicking he did to the Tar-Baby. After about ten more minutes of extreme suffering of lying in the pile of thorns, Tar-Baby suddenly appears in the distance dragging something of what appears to look like a fox. Eventually they got close enough for Brer Rabbit to realize that it was Tar-Baby dragging Brer Fox toward the briar patch. Tar-Baby slowly dragged Brer Fox to the briar patch and threw him in there, making Brer Fox suffer what Brer Rabbit had been suffering for the last hour. Tar-Baby, once a simple pile of tar that had no life, walks over to Brer Rabbit, gives him his hand and lifts him up out of the briar patch. "Why are you doing this?" said Brer Rabbit. "Why are you doing this after all I did to you? All the kicking, all the punching..." "I am not doing this for you, I am doing this because I hate Brer Fox. I may have looked like just a pile of tar but I have always been alive and I have seen Brer Fox throw several rabbits into that briar patch and I am not going to watch it anymore."

Tar-Baby and Brer Rabbit

Bibliography: Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris (1881)

Week 6 Reading Diary: Brer Rabbit

Brer Rabbit by Joel Chandler Harris (1881)

Brer Rabbit and Fox, illustration by A.B. Frost

"Den Brer Rabbit scratch one year wid his off hinefoot sorter jub'usly en den he ups en sez, sezee: All a setting Brer Fox. Spose'n you drap roun' ter morrer..."

This.....is definitely a weird type of writing that i am not a fan of so far but we will see as the story goes on. 

"Mawnin!" says Brer Rabbit. "Nice wedder dis mawnin" Although it is kind of hard to read, it is funny picturing them all talking like this and the way they write

 really gives you an idea of what it actually sounds like versus writing in a normal way. 

"Who's enny cowerd?"

"You is. Dat's who. I aint soshatin wit dem, w'at lays down on the groun' en plays dean w'en dar's a free fight gwine on." 

This was one of my favorite quotes of the story so far, as I write in a normal way... i loved how he said "soshatin" at first I was like...what in the world is he saying until I realized it was associating. 

"Bimeby he up'n say, sezee: "Well, I speck I got you dis time, Brer Rabbit,".... "maybe I ain't, but I speck I is. You been runnin' roun' here sassin atter me a mighty long time, but I speck you done come ter de een' er de row. You bin cuttin' up yo' capers en bouncin' roun' in dis neighberhood ontwel you come ter b'leeve yo'se'f de boss er de whole gang."

"Nobody 'roun' fer ter look atter Brer Fox, not even Brer Tukkey Buzzard ain't come ter de funer'l," sezee. "I hope Brer Fox ain't dead, but I speck he is," sezee

I think its funny too that they say "sezee" In this quote they are talking about Brer Fox and how nobody has seen him or looked after him and don't know whether he is even dead or not. 

"Oh, do pray save me, Brer Rabbit!" sez Brer Wolf, sezee. "Do please, Brer Rabbit! De dogs is atter me, en dey 'll t'ar me up. Don't you year um comin'? Do please save me, Brer Rabbit! Hide me some'rs whar de dogs won't git me."

This is an interesting story and way or writing but honestly I can't sit here and say I really know whats going on in the actual story. When you have to read the words and try to understand what they are trying to say and then trying to keep track of whats going on in the story, its a little complicated. I would definitely not adopt this in any of my writing but thats just me!