Week 14 Reading Diary continued: Brothers Grimm Hunt Unit

This week I decided to read the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) Unit! It was taken from Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm.

Bearskin - This is the beauty and the beast story, but just very different. The devil had put him in bearskin after he was not a nice man. He helped a poor father and his daughters did not want him. The youngest daughter gave him a chance. The man turned back into a handsome man and they were married while the other two sisters were left with nothing.

Hans the Hedgehog - It was a boy who was born as half hedgehog and half man. He had a lot of troubles in life but was taken to the kingdom. He was betrothed to the princess and he shed his hedgehog skin. Later on his father learned of his change and they all lived happily ever after in the kingdom. 

Snow-White and Rose-Red - This story of snow white is very different and very interesting. First, she has a sister who is her best friend and a loving mother. They take in this bear that needed warmth. They became friends. The dwarf that lived nearby was not nice at all and would trick the girls. He had actually turned the prince into the bear, which they found out later. Snow white was married to the prince and red-rose to his brother and they lived happily ever after. 

Snow-White and Red-Rose

Week 14 Reading Diary: Brothers Grimm Hunt Unit

This week I decided to read the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) Unit! It was taken from Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm.

Hansel and Grethel - The parents tried to get rid of them by bringing them into the forest. Hansel had grabbed white pebbles and threw them to make a trail so that they could find their way back to the house. The second time it happened he couldn't get pebbles but he threw crumbs instead, which the birds ate. They found the witch's house that was made of food. The witch was evil and tried to eat them but they killed the witch and got away. They brought presents from the house back to the father and they all lived happily ever after.

Thumbling - He was a child that was grown as small as a thumb. He would help his father and people found out about him. It was a long journey of tricking others and going through animals to come back home. He is smart, cunning, and just a boy who wants to get back home to his family.

Allerleirauh - It was a girl whose father gave her three beautiful dresses and lots of fur. She ran away from him and ended up working at this other palace. She would go and dance in her pretty dresses during the ball but then return to be the cook and give a gift to the king. This happened three times and on the last time he finally figured out it was her and they were married.

Allerleirauh

Week 13 Tech Tips: Twitter

I actually have a Twitter but I do not use it very often. I like to read others comments more than I like to post myself. Honestly, I think I just keep it around for updates on sports and funny videos. It is a great tool though. You can find out what is happening in the world so easily and it is even possible to directly contact an important figure. It is a way for the public and the people in charge to communicate and receive feedback. Sure, I do not use it as a search tool but it is very helpful. Some people are just hilarious too. The amount of wit and comedic relief that is on Twitter is just amazing. Someone could really spend just hours looking at everything. Technology is crazy these days and I can't even imagine what is coming next in the future. 

Twitter (pixabay)

Week 13 Learning Challenges: Health

This week I decided to work on health for my learning challenge. Recently, I have been studying a ton and have been neglecting a healthy lifestyle. I am not finding myself staying active and getting the amount of activity in one day as I should be. I also have been at the library so much that I have not been able to eat healthy either. I have even been having problems sleeping recently from all the stress that just keeps on building. I decided to take initiative and make time for my health. I made sure that I was eating healthy and if I didn't have time to work out then I would at least take the long walk to wherever I was going instead of the short cut. It has been nice to feel the sun and take a this small kind of break this week. I have been sleeping better and I just feel more rested. We should always pay attention to our health no matter how busy we are in life.

Health (youtube)

Week 13 Growth Mindset: Grow by Watching Others

This past week I have worked on my growth mindset. I have been watching others as my growth mindset approach. I have done this by just watching others and their daily activities. For example, when I walk to class now I put up my phone and observe every one else. You would be amazed at the amount of people that do not use eye contact when walking past a person. I would smile or nod my head and the amount of people that became uncomfortable was amazing. I also watched people study in the library and saw their little habits. I saw one kid who just would stop tapping his finger and another girl who would stretch her arms every twenty or so minutes. I learn people's quirks without even really knowing them. It made me think about if someone were watching me, what would they know about me? It is interesting to think about and I have had a lot of fun with it. It has been a fun growth mindset to try out and it has made me think more about my life as well.

Grow by Watching Others (flickr)

Week 13 Reading Diary continued: Brothers Grimm (LibriVox) Unit

This week I decided to read the Brothers Grimm (LibriVox) Unit! It was taken from Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm.

The Queen Bee - The dwarf had two older brothers. The brothers were selfish but the dwarf was kind. In the end he won all of the riddles and battles because all of those who he helped along the way helped him. 

The Twelve Huntsmen - A prince had offered this woman his hand in marriage but then left to see his dying father. He promised to marry this other woman for his father. The first woman and 12 other women disguised as men became the king's huntsmen. They had tests given to them and they passed. She fainted, however, when the new bride was to come. The king realized his mistake and told the other one to leave for he already had a wife. 

Jorinda and Jorindel - They were in love but she was turned into a nightingale by the witch. He had his flower and picked the right one to turn her back into a woman. He also changed back all the other birds. 

The Fox and the Horse - This old horse was cast away from his owner because he wasn't useful anymore. The fox tricked the lion into laying still so that the horse could drag him back to the owner. The owner was pleased and kept him there until he died. 

The Twelve Dancing Princesses - The princesses would dance all night and the king wanted to know where. One came and didn't drink the wine and had an invisible cloak and watched the princesses for three nights. He then told the king and chose the eldest as his wife. 

The Turnip - There was a poor brother and a rich brother. The poor brother grew turnips and one grew to be enormous. He gave it to the king as a sign of respect and was given riches in return. The rich brother was jealous and tried to kill his brother. Then there was something with him being in a sack in a tree.

The Willow-Wren and the Bear - The bear mistreated and insulted the children of the wren king and queen. They started a war and cheated against the bear's army. Then the bear had to go apologize in the end. 

Week 13 Reading Diary: Brothers Grimm (LibriVox) Unit

This week I decided to read the Brothers Grimm (LibriVox) Unit! It was taken from Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm.

The Frog Prince - The girl lost her golden ball. The frog got it for her only if he could sleep and eat from her plate for three nights. They did so and then she awoke to him being a handsome prince. It was a curse cast upon him and now it was broken.

Rapunzel - She was born and taken by an enchantress. She lived in this tower and would use her hair to let the enchantress climb up. A prince had heard her and they fell in love. The enchantress cast her out to the desert and he roamed blind until he found her. He could see again and she married him.

The Straw, the Coal, and the Bean - They all escaped from the fire. They ventured but the coal and the straw were killed trying to cross the stream. The bean burst from laughing so hard, but a tailer came and stitched it up with black thread, hence why beans have a black lining.

The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage - They all used to live in harmony where they would get wood, water, and make the meal. One day the bird didn't think it was fair and then all turned for the worse. The sausage was killed by a dog, the mouse burned itself in the pot trying to do the sausage's job and the bird drowned in the water.

The Traveling Musicians - The ass, the dog, the cat, and the rooster all fled their deaths and became a band of musicians. They found this house to sleep in and made the robbers leave. They then scared them once again when they tried to come back. They still live there today.

Clever Elsie - She was going to marry Hans and cared for his safety. She was in charge of some task but slept instead. He played a trick on her and she has been missing ever since.

Briar Rose - This is the sleeping beauty story. The kingdom fell asleep when she turned 15 and for 100 years they all slept while briar rose formed all around the castle. A prince had come on the 100th year and kissed the princess. They married.

Portfolio

Hey everyone! I decided to do a portfolio and choose some of my best stories that I have written. Please comment on them with suggestions to help me make them better. Enjoy!

My first story, Small Gesture, Big Impact, reminds readers that even the smallest, gentlest people in life can help in a tough situation.

My second story, Who Would You Choose?, gives the readers the personalities of three different men running after the heart of one woman. You get to choose who you think should win her heart!

My third story, Little Friends, reminds the readers that even the most unlikely people can make a huge impact in someone's life for the better.

My fourth story, What Comes Around Goes Around, shows the readers that being nice to a complete stranger may positively change his or her life tremendously.

My fifth story, Best of Friends, introduces an old man and his beloved dog to remind the readers to enjoy the little things in life and the importance of having people around you that you care about.

Week 12 Storytelling: Henny-Penny

"Ouch!" I heard from down the field. 

I peeked out from the opening of my fox-hole home and saw a little hen staring up at the sky. She hen started to panic and run around. I laughed to myself watching this bird freak out about how it thought the sky was falling, when really an acorn had hit its head. This is the perfect opportunity to have this situation work in my favor, so I continued to watch and follow the hen. 

The hen had run into a rooster and told him of what was happening. I watched as the hen and the rooster both started to panic together and they went on their way. I heard that they were headed to tell the king (the eagle) at the top of the mountain. 

The hen and the rooster ran into a mouse and told it that the sky was falling. The mouse believed them and continued on their journey to the eagle with them. Later on down the road the hen, the rooster, and the mouse ran into squirrel. The squirrel listened to their story, believed them, and then continued on their journey with them. 

I stalked after them for quite a while until I decided it was time to set my plan into action. I ran up ahead to where they could not see me and had them walk straight into me. The hen, the rooster, the mouse, and the squirrel all warned me that the sky was falling and that they were headed to the king to tell him. I listened to them and then stopped them by saying,

"Why, this is the wrong direction to the king. I know a faster way to the top of the mountain. We don't have much time so you should follow me!"

Since they were all so panicked, they did just that and fell into my sly plan. I led them straight to my fox-hole and told them to come in one by one and that I would send them up a large stairwell that led straight to the king. 

The squirrel came in first and right as she came far enough in to where the others could not see I devoured her. She was so delicious! The perfect amount of muscle and fat to keep my stomach happy. I called out for the mouse to come in next. The mouse came in without any suspicion and then again I devoured her. She was delicious as well. Her tail I could've lived without, but still perfect for my hungry tummy. Then I called in the rooster and he came just as willing. I went to go bite his neck and accidentally missed. The rooster gave out a large yell and screamed for the hen to run away. After devouring the rooster I ran out of my fox-hole in search of the hen. The hen was nowhere in sight and I had missed out on another meal. Maybe next time I will drop the acorn myself on the hen's head. This situation worked out so well for me the first time! 

Sky (pexels)

Author's Note: This week I read the stories from the English Fairy Tales Unit. I have grown up hearing a lot of these tales and thought it would be nice to either hear them again or learn some more. I've always really liked the "Sky is Falling" storyline. Lots of different authors have used this tale in their stories. The movie, Chicken Little, is about this tale and I once read a children's book about a chacalaka bird instead of a hen. In my story, I decided to make the story in the thought process of the fox. He is the one that distracts the animals from reaching the king. He uses this scenario of the sky is falling to get yet another meal for himself. 

Bibliography: English Fairy Tales Unit written by Joseph Jacobs and published in 1890.

Week 12 Reading Diary continued: English Fairy Tales

This week I decided to read from the English Fairy Tales Unit written by Joseph Jacobs and published in 1890.

Henny-Penny - It is the sky is falling story. This time, however, the fox is the one that changes the direction instead of going to the king. Henny-Penny was warned by the rooster and she ran home safe. 

Molly Whuppie - She and her sisters were left to the forest by her parents. They found themselves at a giant's house and she was clever enough to escape from the giant once. They had accidentally made it to the king's palace. To marry off her sisters to the princes she had to return to the giant's twice to steal things from him. The last time she went he caught her and then put her in a sack. She was clever again and put the wife in there instead and she safely got home. 

Mr. Fox - Mr. Fox was engaged to this beautiful woman. She went one day to see his house behind his back and found out that he is a serial killer. She then showed proof and he was killed by her brothers. 

Johnny Cake - He ran away from the man, woman, and child then also outrun all of everyone else. He was too cocky and then a fox had tricked him. The fox "couldn't hear him" and ended up tricking him and ate him. 

Mr. Miacca - He was a bad boy and was caught by Mr. Miacca. He tricked him twice and was able to get home and never be a bad boy again. 

The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh - The stepmother had turned the daughter into a dragon. Her brother found the truth and kissed her three times to bring her back to normal. The stepmother was then turned into a toad.

The Ass, the Table, and the Stick - This boy was tricked with both the ass and the table having them stolen from him. Lastly, he got the stick and used it to get back his ass and his table. She then used the stick and found the love of his life in which he married her and they lived happily ever after.

Fairy Ointment - The man had called for this nurse to help his family. She had accidentally used the fairy ointment on her eye and could see him the whole next day. He then blinded her so that she couldn't. 

Fairy Ointment

Week 12 Reading Diary: English Fairy Tales

This week I decided to read from the English Fairy Tales Unit written by Joseph Jacobs and published in 1890.

Tom Tit Tot - This girl had eaten her mother's five pies. The mother had accidentally told the king that she could spin five skeins a night. A black creature helped her spin them and would continue to if she could guess his name. The king had heard his name and had told her the story about the black creature. She guessed his name right and he was never seen again so she was safe.

The Rose-Tree - A stepmother had killed her step daughter in vain. She then was buried by her step brother who mourned for her. She sang her song as a bird and got red shoes, a gold chain, and a stone from workers. The two gifts were given to the father and step brother, and the stone fell from the sky and killed the stepmother.

The Old Woman and Her Pig - It is a waterfall story. It took all the way till the cat to agree to her plan. From then on all followed through from what was happening to them and the lady finally got home.

Binnorie - One elder sister had married a knight. He started to fall for her younger sister. The elder sister took her sister to the river and drowned her. The mill's daughter had found her and a harper/singer had also been near. He made a harp out of her hair and bones. He went to the kingdom and let the harp sing for the first time. After singing what happened to her the harp broke and never played again.

Mouse and Mouser - The mouse had come to confront the mouse about eating its pudding then the cat confessed then ate the mouse as well.

Cap O' Rushes - Her father had asked how much she loved him and she said that she loved him as much as meat likes salt. He saw this as nothing and sent her away. She got a job at the kingdom and did a cinderella story and fell in love with the master's son. Her father was invited and made his meat not salted. He realized her love and she was there to hug him in the end.

The Story of the Three Little Pigs - The first two pigs were not smart enough to choose bricks for their houses. The pig then fooled the wolf many times because he was smart. Later the wolf was so desperate that he wasn't cunning enough to win.

The Master and His Pupil - The pupil always wanted to know what was in the master's book. One day the master was going on a journey and forgot to close the book. The demon came out and was going to drown the whole city because of the pupil. The master remembered, however, and returned home to make things right.

The Master and His Pupil

Week 11 Storytelling: Best of Friends

I had a neighbor named Hank. He was the old man that lived across the street. I would see him sitting on his porch every afternoon petting his old corgi, Harry. Both Hank and Harry were lethargic and overweight. They even almost looked like each other. They would sit on the porch all afternoon and watch the world go by. When I was little he would just watch us play and smile. We always liked going up to him because he would always try to trick us with some riddles. He knew millions of them and most of the time we would never get them right. Where he learned all of these I will never know.

Hank (Pixabay)

Hank would say with a twinkle in his eye, 

"I went to the wood and got it; 

I sat me sown and looked at it; 

The more I looked at it the less I liked it; 

And I brought it home because I couldn't help it."

My friends and I would sit there stumped. Then Hank would laugh after us giving up and say, "A thorn!"

We would yell and ask for another one and Hank would always agree. 

"Long legs, crooked thighs,

Little head, and no eyes." 

And there again, we would all be stumped.

Hank would laugh and say, "A pair of tongs!"

Again Hank would start on his next riddle.

"There was a king met a king

In a narrow lane;

Says this king to that king, 

"Where have you been?"

"Oh I have been a hunting 

With my dog and my doe."

Pray lend him to me, 

That I may do so."

"There's the god take my dog."

"What's the dog's name?"

"I've told you already."

"Pray tell me again."

Hank would then ask, "What is the dog's name?"

After sitting there puzzled for a little while and after having him repeat it twice more, I finally yelled, "Take! The dog's name is Take!" 

Hank laughed while congratulating me and then said, "Now that you have gotten one right go on and play and I can tell you some more another time."

Over the course of my life I had heard hundreds of riddles from Hank. I would go and sit there and listen while petting Harry the entire time. I started writing down his riddles once when I noticed that he was getting older. I wanted to make sure that his legend lived on because he was always so much fun. The day he died the whole neighborhood mourned and all showed up to his funeral. Harry sat at the bottom of his casket the entire funeral. He was sad that he had lost his best friend. After the funeral I took Harry home and made him mine. He wasn't mine for long though. I only had Harry as a pet for three days before he died as well. I guess Harry died of a broken heart. I buried Harry right next to Hank at the gravesite and hoped them well. Now, I am the one that knows all of these riddles thanks to Hank and Harry, the best of friends. 

Harry (Wikipedia)

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Author's Note: This week I decided to read the Nursery Rhymes Unit. I have always grown up reading and hearing nursery rhymes so I thought it would be nice to learn some more. When reading this unit, I discovered that I didn't want to just choose one nursery rhyme. I thought the riddles section was interesting and funny so I focused on them for my story. I decided to make this story about an old man and his dog. For me, I always think that older men and women have a lot of wisdom and have old phrases and sayings that they often use in daily conversation. I wanted to make this man a friendly fellow that had a best friend of a dog who loved to talk to people. Kids are always fascinated by older people so I thought that having the old man tell the kids riddles was going to be a good dynamic. I also wanted to show how close of a relationship the dog and the old man had together. I always love a man's best friend story as well. Lastly, I wanted the kid in the story to grow up to love the old man and have his riddles for the rest of his life. 

Bibliography: Nursery Rhymes Unit from the The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang in 1897.

Week 11 Reading Diary continued: Nursery Rhymes

This week I decided to read the Nursery Rhymes Unit from the The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang in 1897.

Jingles - cock-a-doodle-doo, hey diddle diddle, fat pig, rub a dub bub

Love and Matrimony - jack and jill, sylvia and simon, Canterbury, pippin hill, woman who loved swine, Willy

Natural History, Part 1 - pigeon, dog buffy, grey goose, pussy-cat, cuckoos, toad, robin,

Natural History, Part 2 - ladybird, Mary's bird, black sheep, little pony,

Accumulative Stories - the house that Jack built, key of the kingdom

Relics - little miss muffet, little boys, King Sutton, selling eggs, Daffy, Rain rain go away, little tommy tucker, wind in the mill

Love and Matrimony 

Week 11 Reading Diary: Nursery Rhymes

This week I decided to read the Nursery Rhymes Unit from the The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang in 1897.

Tales:
- Babes in the Wood - Kids got lost and died then the birds cried over them.
- There was a Crooked Man - Everything in his life was crooked
- Simple Simon - Rhymes about different people in the town
- The Lion and the Unicorn - They were fighting over the crown.
- Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son - Different people in the town.
- Three Wise Men of Gotham - Story about cows
- Chaucer's Little Hugh - Goose and the boy who bought him
- Taffy was a Welshman - He is also a stealer
- Little Jack Horner - Little boy eating a pie
- Solomon Grundy - Life and death of this man by the week

Proverbs:
- St. Swithin's Day - Raining for 30 days
- If Wishes were Horses - luck, sneezing, sunshiny shower, early to bed/early to rise

Songs, Part 1 - story of the fox, selling everything of his father's, sheep, story about Johnny, London Bridge,

Songs, part 2 - story about the crow, three blind mice, fruit when dad comes home, frog and the cat, three birds, I'll sing you a song, queen of hearts, three ships,

Riddles - tongs, wind, sunshine, walnuts, egg, star, candle

Paradoxes - kids sliding on ice, guinea pig, sailing ship, jumping Joan, tobacco

Charms and Lullabies - peter piper, bunting, dancing with daddy, rock-a-bye baby, hiccup,

Games - hunters, Jack nimble, queen ann, bat, hickory dickory dock, little piggy, blackbirds

Games

Week 10 Storytelling: What Goes Around Comes Around

"Why won't the car start?" I asked myself as I was leaving the house to head to my buddy Chase's house. The Thunder game was starting in the next ten minutes and I definitely did not want to deal with my car now.

"I'll just go on and walk. It's a nice day and he doesn't live far," I told myself and started on my way.

I briskly walked passing one house after another until I arrived at an intersection between two larger streets. I was almost to Chase's house by this point and the game was about to start. However, I noticed this older lady who was having difficulty stepping down from the curb to cross the street. I thought to myself, "I might as well help her across the street; I still have time till the game starts." I offered her my arm and she took it gladly.

Street Crossing (Pexels)

"What a nice man you are," she said to me when crossing the street. 

"Not a problem, ma'am. I figured you could cross the street on your own, but I thought you might like the company anyways," I teased. 

"What is your name, sweet young man?" she asked me. 

"My name is Tom. And what is yours?" I asked her. 

"My name is Louisa Potters, but you can call me Louisa," Louisa said.  

"Well, Tom, you look young and full of possibility. How old are you, son?" continued Louisa. 

"I am twenty-two, Louisa. I am a senior here at the University of Oklahoma. You may not answer, but may I ask how old you are? I'd say you are twenty-four tops!" I joked. 

"I'm too old for you, that's for sure!" laughed Louisa as we made it across the street safely on the other side. 

"Where are you headed, Louisa?" I asked still laughing over her last comment.

"Well.....I....uh.....over there I think. I am meeting my son for lunch somewhere around here," Louisa stood puzzled. 

The game started in five minutes and I could probably make it to Chase's house in time if I left now, but part of me knew that I needed to make sure Louisa got to where she was meant to go. 

"Do you know the name of the restaurant that you are looking for?" I asked Louisa. 

"I knew it five minutes ago, but couldn't tell it to you now. I just can't remember. I know that if I am on this block, though, that it's probably one of these restaurants," giggled Louisa. 

"How about I help you find it so I'll know that you there safe and sound?" I assured her. 

"I know you probably have something better to do than helping this old lady," Louisa teased. 

"Maybe I just want to have a pretty lady on my arm for a little while longer," I said while giving her a wink. 

We spent the next twenty or so minutes walking from restaurant to restaurant asking for her son David. The entire time she asked me about my family, my studies, and where I was heading after graduation. I told her that I had not found a job quite yet and that I was searching for a great opportunity that I could excel in as a businessman. She told me of her past and said that she looked forward to the future as well. We walked up to the last restaurant on the block and walked inside. A man jumped up from his seat and gave Louisa a great big hug. We had found the right restaurant and I introduced myself to her son, David. 

"Tom, thank you so much for helping me find my son. I am most grateful and even happier for a new friendship," said Louisa.

"You are most welcome, Louisa. I'm lucky to have met you!" I responded.

I started to turn away when I heard her yell after me.

"Tom! Would you mind giving me your contact information?" she said with a glimmer in her eye.

"Are you going to take me out on a date?" I joked as I wrote down on a piece of paper that the waitress had brought over. 

"Oh, you're too young for me!" Louisa joked as we made our final goodbyes.

I left the restaurant and finally headed to my buddy's house. I arrived in the middle of the first half and had a great rest of the night. A week or so later I received a call from David Potters, Louisa's son. At first he thanked me for helping his mother and joked about how friendly she can be with everyone she meets.  

"I met you at the restaurant and you seemed pretty personable and you went out of your way and helped my mother when you most likely had other things to do. I would like you to come in for an interview with my business company," said David. 

A couple of months later and I had finished school, graduated, and officially started my first job at David's business company. It turned out that Louisa's son was a very successful businessman who had an incredible company where any of my classmates would have loved to land as a job. Louisa dropped by one day to give me a "Happy First Day of Work" gift. This was the first time I had seen her since that afternoon I helped her cross the street. 

"Oh, it is great to see you, Louisa!" I said as I gave her a big hug.

"Us friends have to stick together, you know. You helped me so I thought I'd help you," said Louisa with a twinkle in her eye. 

From that moment, I realized that it wasn't just David meeting me for the first time and seeing my potential. Louisa had made it her goal to give back to the person who helped her. From this moment in time, we were forever friends. It's the little things in life that can make a difference in the end. 

Louisa (Pixabay)

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Author's Note: For this story I used the story, The Pecan Tree's Best Friend, from the Tejas Legends Unit. In the original story, a family of orioles, a type of bird, saw a hurricane getting closer and closer to them. With not having enough time to escape, they were frightened. The pecan tree told the orioles that they could hide in the holes in his bark to keep them safe during the storm. The orioles ended up surviving the hurricane and were grateful as they continued south after the storm. Later the father oriole noticed that a last minute winter storm was headed towards the pecan tree in the beginning of spring. The bird flew back to the tree to warn him not to bud quite yet so that he would be able to produce pecans later. He was the only tree that listened and ended up being the only tree that season to produce pecans. From that moment on orioles and pecan trees became friends forever, which is why we often see orioles in pecan trees today. In my story I decided to make it about a boy who helped an old lady cross the street and help her find her way. In return the old lady ended up helping that boy in his future by helping him find a job. It is a story about caring for others and having lifelong friends. 

Bibliography: The Pecan Tree's Best Friend. When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends. Retold by Florence Stratton in 1936.

Week 10 Reading Diary continued: Tejas Legends

This week I decided to read the Tejas Unit. This unit is composed of stories from When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends retold by Florence Stratton in 1936.

Why Hummingbird's Only Drink Dew - The heron and the hummingbird used to share a lake. They made a bet who could get to the other side first. The hummingbird was faster but couldn't last as long. The heron won and the hummingbird can now only drink out of the dew in flowers. 

The Maiden Who Loved a Star - A maiden fell in love with a youth star in the sky. Instead of letting her life be cast away, the witch turned her into a bush so that she would always be under the stars with him. He leaned down and fell from the sky and made her flowers purple in the middle of the desert. 

Old Quanah's Gift - Quanah was a warrior that got hurt in battle and could not fight anymore. He became a blanket maker and was the absolute best. People from all around came to watch him make his blankets. He worked on this one blanket for many years. He died and the people wrapped him in it because he was the one who did the most for the community. His body turned into the fire wheel flower as a gift to the people. 

How Sickness Entered the World - The messenger from the god to people was killed. They tried to make it better but the snake's mate came back mad. All of her eggs hatched and brought disease and illness. 

Why the Irises Hold Hands - The storm god loved this one indian tribe because they were smart. They, however, started not praying towards him and he became mad. He flooded them out and turned them into irises. They live in swampy areas and always look up to the skies. 

The Pecan Tree's Best Friend - The pecan tree saved the orioles from a hurricane by putting them in his bark. Later the bird noticed a winter storm coming and told the tree not to put out his buds yet. He didn't and he was the only one to bear pecans that season. This is why orioles can be found in pecan trees because they are friends. 

When the Rainbow was Torn - The rainbow never reached down to the flowers in the cacti because it was scared of the thorns. One day it didn't notice it there and the thorns reached out to catch the rainbow. The flowers took in the red and orange colors before the rainbow got loose. 

Paisano, Hater of the Rattlesnake - The bird and the snake both wanted to be the messenger for the great spirit. They both got back at each other by eating each others babies. This is why both make nests and watch where they are going. 

Maidens Who Broke the Drought - The girls wanted to sacrifice themselves to save the rest of their tribe for rain. They all jumped in bravery and the gods turned them into honeysuckle bushes so that they could live. The rain came and saved their tribe. 

The Cottonwood Remembers - The owl tried to swim in the lake but couldn't. The pigeons laughed at him and he got mad and killed one of the them. The great spirit made it to where the owl could only come out at night and only say "who" while the pigeons were never accepted by the cottonwood. 

Why the Dog's Ears Flop - The dog became a friend of the indians but always was proud. One night the wolves tricked him and stole all of the meat. The indians beat the dog and for the first time his ears flopped and hid his tail in-between his legs. This is the relationship dogs and humans have today 

Dog's Flopped Ears

Week 10 Reading Diary: Tejas Legends

This week I decided to read the Tejas Unit. This unit is composed of stories from When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends retold by Florence Stratton in 1936.

When the Storm God Rides - The storm god would fly to the towns to pick up feathers for his cloak. A group of killing indians would kill all of the birds. The storm god was angry and made a huge storm to where the birds would live on islands away from the indians from now on. This is why the Texas Gulf coast has a bunch of many islands along it.

How the North Wind Lost His Hair - The North Wind and the South Wind were often angry with each other. After a long, long winter the South Wind finally decided to fight the North. When fighting the South Wind pulled out some of the North Wind's hair. In celebration he threw out the hair, which created spanish moss on all the trees.

The Plant that Grows in Trees - Mistletoe started off growing on the ground but a bird took pity and started making it grow on trees. The seeds would stick to the limbs and forever grow. This way birds can ever be plentiful with lots of mistletoe berries.

Why the Woodpecker Pecks - The indian tribe went against the medicine man's orders and ate the magical berries. They stopped hunting, gathering, and caring for children. The children had wandered away and the medicine man took pity on them and put them in the hollow trees to save them from the sun and wolves. When the indian tribe realized that the children were gone they pleaded and he turned them into birds so that they could look for their children. This is why they continue to knock on the wood.

The Woodpecker's Stumpy Tail - A frog had told an indian tribe and the birds that a flood was coming. The indians and the woodpecker were the only ones that didn't pay attention. When the flood came he tried to get to higher trees but a fish had seen him and bit off the bottom part of his tail. That is why the bird's tail looks like its been bitten off.

Old Woolly Bird's Sacrifice - Drought had come across the land. A group of elders went out to find new land for growth. There was none and death came upon them. The spirits saw their bravery and turned them into magnolia trees instead.

The Tribe that Left Its Shoes - An indian tribe lived on this island until a volcano erupted. They were forced to leave and found another land. They left their painted shoes behind so that they could find their way back. The medicine man turned them into flowers that pointed south. The children finally were able to find their way home by the flowers.

The Cloud that was Lost - The clouds hang out during the day but in the morning and evenings become fog to rest in the clouds. The little cloud got lost and went to sleep on the ground. The flowers were tired of being white and drank up the colors of the cloud, which is why they have soft pale colors.

The Swift Blue One -There was a horse that was very majestic and the people feared it. They tried to ride it but then respected it enough to let it roam. Other horses finally joined him after escaping.

Grandmother River's Trick - The garfish were eating all the little fish. The river did a trick and raised her waters to where the gar started searching for food on land. She brought back her waters and made the gars live in the puddles making her fish safe from them.

Grandmother River's Tricks

Week 9 Storytelling: Need of Help

"Be careful on the slide, honey," said Molly.

Molly is a single mother of a beautiful daughter named Elizabeth. Elizabeth had curly blond hair and a smile as big as the sun. Today, in the gorgeous New York City, she decided to take her daughter to the park nearby their house. 

"Mom, look at me!" Elizabeth squealed while climbing up the rock wall. 

The weather had been so nasty recently with thunderstorms and hail that Molly decided to get some fresh air the second the sun peeked out. Molly sat reading a book she had just bought at the bookstore a couple of days before. 

New York City (pixabay) 

"Watch me, watch me!" yelled Elizabeth from the swing. 

The park was fairly small but there were many other kids there as well. Everyone had been so cooped up because of the weather that everyone was wanting to enjoy the sunshine. Molly sat on her bench watching Elizabeth, reading her book, and enjoying the fresh air.

"Is anyone sitting there?" asked a woman looking for a place to sit. 

"No one is sitting here. Please, sit down!" said Molly. 

Molly started a conversation with this other woman who had also taken her kids to the park to play. They talked of mutual friends, life in the city, the struggles of being a parent, and more until Molly noticed that Elizabeth wasn't calling out for her like she usually did when playing at the park. Molly searched for Elizabeth and she wasn't in sight. She had been so distracted meeting a new acquaintance that she didn't check on her daughter for quite some time. 

"Elizabeth! Elizabeth! Where are you? Can you hear me?" shouted Molly. 

As much as Molly screamed there was no answer. In panic, she asked all of the children and adults who were at the park if they had seen where she might of gone and no one really knew. 

"I think she was on the swings. It looked like she was with her dad. They left a little bit ago going towards the hot dog stand," said a little boy named James. 

Hot Dog Stand (wikipedia)

James' father, Roger, heard his son and graciously told Molly that they would help her find Elizabeth. 

Roger was a single dad who's wife had died the past year. He took his son James to the park to get him away from the television in this nice weather. Roger grabbed his son and asked if he had seen a little girl named Elizabeth while playing in the park. 

"Ma'am, I will help you find your daughter; she must not be far." reassured Roger. 

They first called 911 and told the police officers the whole story, but Molly could not wait around. Molly, Roger, and James all took off towards the hot dog stand and asked pedestrians as they walked by if anyone had seen Elizabeth. There wasn't much luck at first but a man had recognized a picture of Elizabeth and said that they had turned down the next block to the right not took long ago. 

"I am going to run ahead to see if I can catch up. Look after James and continue on this way. Give me your number so that if I find them I can give you directions. We'll find her." said Roger. 

They exchanged numbers and Roger took off running and turned onto the next block to the right. He ran and ran, searched and searched, until he saw in the distance a man holding a little blonde, curly haired girl's hand a couple of blocks ahead. He took off on a sprint and gradually caught up to Elizabeth and the man. He followed them down the street for a little while so that he could come up with a plan to safely retrieve Elizabeth while not losing the man as well. 

He called Molly and told her of the news. Roger told her of his location and a rough estimate of where they were headed. 

"Call the police back and tell them of where we are so that the man will not get away," Roger told Molly. 

Police (flickr)

After a couple of minutes when the police were in sight driving down the street, the man holding Elizabeth's hand noticed the sirens. Before trying to maneuver and go a different way, Roger grabbed Elizabeth and forced the man to let go. Roger safely held Elizabeth in his arms and told her that he was a friend of her mom's and that she was on her way. While the man was trying to run away the cops caught up to him and arrested him on the spot. Minutes later Molly and James came running down the street in search of Roger and Elizabeth. Elizabeth ran into her mother's arms being happy to see her. 

"I'm sorry!" cried Molly to Elizabeth. 

Because of the help of Roger, Elizabeth was safe and back with her mother. He didn't have to be the one to help them, but he did anyways because he knew that if it were him in that situation he would want the help. 

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Author's Note: This week I read the story, The Woman Stolen by the Killer Whales, from the book, Tales of the North American Indians, located in the Native American Marriage Tales Unit. In the original story, a woman is stolen from her husband by killer whales and taken into the ocean. She was captive there underwater. Her husband found the help of a shark to save his wife. The shark came up with a plan to save the wife and tricked the whales. The husband and wife swam to safety while the shark stayed behind to fight off the killer whales. This story is about a person giving up his or her freedom and helping people in need. It is not their job to but they do it anyways. In my story I decided to make it about a mother who lost her child at the park. A kidnapper steals the child and the mother is hopeless by herself. Roger becomes the shark in the original story and goes out of his way to help Molly, the mother, find Elizabeth, her stolen daughter. In the end they find Elizabeth making it a happy story, just like in the original story. I decided to also not hurt Roger as much as the shark probably was in the original. 

Bibliography: The Woman Stolen by the Killer Whales. Tales of the North American Indians. Stith Thompson. 1929. 

Week 9 Reading Diary continued: Native American Marriage Tales Unit

This week I decided to read the Native American Marriage Tales. I always think cultural wedding traditions are so interesting because they are way unique and have very important, symbolic aspects to them. These stories can be found in Tales of the North American Indians, by Stith Thompson (1929).

The Dog-Husband - A girl had a dog who would become a man at night. She became pregnant and the village left for her to die. The girl gave birth to four boys and one girl that were dogs. Later she found that they as well could be human and burned their dog clothes. The children grew up to be whale hunters and great men. The village heard of them and returned. They all became chiefs of the people. 

The Youth Who Joined the Deer - This hunter followed a deer but she turned into a woman. She brought him back with her to her deer people. They taught him that he must preserve all meat and bones when killing a deer. Putting all the bones in the water will revive them and bring them back to life. He taught his human family that as well but lived the rest of his life as a deer. 

The Girl and the Turkeys - A poor girl had a herd of turkeys that she took care of. There was a dance in town that she wanted to go to but was too poor to attend. The turkeys helped her and did a Cinderella type of story to her. She went to the ball and for a moment forgot all about her turkeys. They left to the mountain to spend their lives in the canyons away from the Turkey herder. 

The True Bride - She was hated by her stepmother. Good luck found her and was married to the chief. The stepmother tricked both the chief and her and got her killed. She was cared for by her dog, the four brothers, the bird, and the sun. Eventually, all was restored and the stepmother and that daughter were killed. 

Week 9 Reading Diary: Native American Marriage Tales

This week I decided to read the Native American Marriage Tales. I always think cultural wedding traditions are so interesting because they are way unique and have very important, symbolic aspects to them. These stories can be found in Tales of the North American Indians, by Stith Thompson (1929).

The Piqued Buffalo-Wife - A boy buffalo calf went on the search for his human father. After finding him, he his wife, and his father lived a good life as humans. After getting angry he accidentally turned them back to buffalo. He then went to search for him and had to identify his son 4 times before he could have them back. He picked wrong and was trampled. Mercy was finally given to them and they could live happily ever after.

Bear-Woman and Deer-Woman - The woman grizzly ate the mother deer and lied to the doe's children. She then also tried to trick the children and eat them as well. The deer ran away with the help of the crane and the grizzly got stuck in the river.

Splinter-Foot-Girl - The girl was born out of a man's leg. The family cared much for her and didn't want to marry her off to the buffalo. She ended up being taken away but with the help of friends was able to escape. Buffalo will now be scared of humans from now on. She also was taken by the rock but escaped him as well. She now lived with her family underneath the stars.

The Eagle and the Whale Husbands - The girl who was taken by the eagle was saved by her family who shot it. The girl who was taken by the whale was saved by throwing jackets at it to stall it.

The Fox-Woman - A man would return to his house to find it clean. He watched one day and saw that a fox had transformed into a beautiful woman. After staying for a while, he started to not like her oder and she left to never reveal herself to a man again.

The Woman Stolen by Killer Whales - Killer whales had stolen the wife. When the husband went down to see who would help him, the shark agreed. The shark played a trick and filled the place up with smoke. He then continued to fight the whales to let them escape.

The Rolling Head - The wife was lying to the husband and he killed her. He then fed her body to their children. Her rolling head was telling them the truth and the children took revenge on their father.

The Bear-Woman - A girl had a bear for a lover and people found out, which got him killed. She also would turn into a bear. She killed most of the town and the little sister and 6 brothers all escaped. The elder sister was killed by them and they went to live in the stars - the big dipper.

North American Marriages 

Week 7 Storytelling: Little Friends

I was seven when I was first visited by my miniature friends. I remember the night just like yesterday. I was in trouble with my parents because I started a fight with a couple of kids at school. After scolding me, they sent me to my room for a time out. While sitting on the floor I heard some noises coming from the corner of my room. To my great surprise I saw miniature people coming out from a hole in the wall.

There were four miniature people, two miniature horses, and a miniature dog. The horses were about as big as grasshoppers, the dog as big as a small ant, and the people about the size of flies. I scooted against the wall in both terror and curiosity.  They walked closer and closer to me, which made me uneasy.

"Don't be afraid.  We come in peace," said one of the miniature people.

They told me that they liked to visit kids who seemed like they needed some extra friends. They introduced themselves as Jeb, James, Janice, and July. They introduced the horses as Pete and Pat and the dog as Rufus. I introduced myself as Henry, they climbed into my hand, and we became friends. 

That day we talked about dreams, aspirations, friends, and about life in general. They listened to what was on my heart and cared for what I was saying. They were fun too! We played soccer with a red bead and with me using only my finger. We played and talked until we all heard my parents walking down the hall. My miniature friends told me to be well and said that they would return when needed. They also told me to keep them as a secret, or the magic would be gone and they wouldn't be able to return. I watched them crawl back into the hole in the wall and disappear. My parents came in and noticed my strange behavior, but just tucked me into bed. 

Little People

I didn't see my friends again for another couple of weeks. They came into my room one night after I had had a not very good day. I found out my so-called friend Timmy didn't invite me to his birthday party even though everyone else was invited. I picked them all up and placed them on my bed. They listened to me and helped me feel better. Rufus, the dog, curled up on my finger while I talked and comforted me.

"It will all turn around. Try to find true friends to confide in other than us," said Jeb.

They left later that night and life got a little bit better. 

Over the next couple of years I only saw my miniature friends when I was in trouble or in a bad place emotionally. They were my safety net and wanted to see me go down the right path in life. I missed them greatly when they were away, but I knew that they were always watching over me. As I got older and older, I saw them less and less. They helped me through elementary school with finding new friends, through middle school during my parent's divorce, and even through high school with puberty and peer pressure. 

Right before l left for college and moved away from my childhood house for good, they came and visited me for one last time. We all sat on my bed surrounded by boxes and they told me that they would always be there for me wherever I am in life.

"Try to use your head and follow your heart and to never forget who you are," said Janice.

"Why can't I ever see you again?" I asked

"It was time for you to move on so we could help the next kid that needs their own set of extra friends," they all said together.

I said goodbye to Jeb, James, Janice, and July and pet Pete, Pat, and Rufus for the last time. They disappeared into the hole in the wall and I finally understood that it was time to start the rest of my life. I am forty years old now with a family of my own and continue to appreciate all that my little friends did for me. They kept me on the right track and made me the man I am today. I hope that everyone has that support group for them as these friends were to me. 

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Author's Note: This week I decided to read the Chinese Fairy Tales Unit. This story in particular is called The Little Hunting Dog. In the original story, it is about a scholar who wanted to live away from all other people. He went to go live in a Buddhist temple by himself. One night he woke up to noises of two little knights riding on two horses, a hawk, and a hunting dog. They were all the sizes of insects and walked into the temple. The scholar pretended to be asleep while they walked around. They later disappeared but accidentally left behind the hunting dog. The scholar picked up the dog and they became friends. They snuggled in bed together and enjoyed each other's presence. In the morning the scholar accidentally rolled over in the bed and killed his little dog. This is how the story ends. I really liked the sense of using little people in my story, kind of like the movie, Honey I Shrunk The Kids. I wanted to do more with the story so I made the little people and the human friends. I made them more into a support group that helped the boy, Henry, through life. The stories are not very similar by their story lines, but I liked the idea of the people involved. 

Bibliography: The Little Hunting Dog. The Chinese Fairy Book. By R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens. 1921

Looking at Other Blogs

I really like Cassie's Blog in the fact that it is so bright and easy to read. The contrasting colors bring a type of excited spirit into her stories, which makes it more enjoyable. Her blog shows part of her personality.

I also really enjoyed looking at Alexandra's Myths because it has lots of personality as well. It has a pattern in the background that shows hobbies that she likes to do and it's a really calming color blue. Blue is my favorite color so I enjoyed reading from it a lot.

Another blog that I really enjoyed looking at is Austin's blog because it seems very calm. He has a wood background and it shows that he is natural. It is simple yet beautiful at the same time. I think he captured his personality with just the look of his page.

For me, I like how my blog looks but I still don't have a title for it. At first it started out with me just putting something there till I thought of something, but now half of the semester has gone by and I still haven't changed it. If anyone has any ideas, let me know!