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 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 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 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 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 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 Reading Diary: Chinese Fairy Tales

This week I decided to read the Chinese Fairy Tales Unit by R. Wilhem and translated by Frederick H. Martens in 1921.

The Little Hunting Dog - This group of tiny men, the size of bugs, came into the Buddhist temple. The man watched them go about. He took care of the left dog but in the morning accidentally squished it. 

Fox-Fire - The man accidentally took the fox's powers. For thirty years he used it and then finally the fox took them back.

The Talking Silver Foxes - The Silver foxes could speak to humans. All people were scared and confused of them talking. A hunter came to down and caught it, killed it, and sold it's fur. This is why they no longer talk anymore.

Retribution - An old man had died and he did nothing about it, as years went by, the man that had died was reincarnated as the neighbor's young boy. Time went on and one day the boy turned to old man had slipped and fell just like the other. 

The Night on the Battlefield - A merchant was staying at an inn in a side room. The general had come in and had taken off each body part. The innkeepers said later that it's a battlefield and weird, spiritual events happen on these grounds. 

The Maiden Who was Stolen Away - Girl was stolen away and the ogre wanted to marry her in disguise. The maiden never said yes. A neighbor had found her clothes and the her brother went with other neighbors to bring her back safely. Now she was back all safe and sound. 

The Flying Ogre - A woman was fleeing for her life. The person running after her was chasing her because she was an ogre and needed to be killed. 

The Sorcerer and the White Lotus Lodge - The students kept on breaking their promises. They tried to get the sorcerer in trouble but in the end were just tricked by him.

The Three Evils - The guy knew he was part of the bad luck for the community. He killed the dragon and then killed the tiger. In the end he ended up killing himself as well for the better for his people.

How the River God's Wedding was Broken Off - They would throw a girl into the river each year to marry the river god. One year this guy came and showed them all a lesson. The sorcerers and witches confessed and all agreed to never do this evil tradition again.

Yang Gui Fe - The emperor had to kill this girl who he loved dearly. He sent a magician into the world of death to see if she had become blessed. She did and the magician brought back her ring so the emperor knew it was true. 

Yang Gui Fe

Week 7 Reading Diary: Chinese Fairy Tales

This week I decided to read the Chinese Fairy Tales Unit by R. Wilhem and translated by Frederick H. Martens in 1921.

The Favorite of Fortune and the Child of Ill Luck - A man of good luck and a princess of bad luck married. He found his fortune and she loved him for who he was. She ended up dying very soon and he lived a long happy life.

The Cave of the Beasts - The selfish father outcasted his daughters in the forest. The girls found a cave full of jewels. The father went to look for them when he decided he missed them. They all returned home wealthy with these jewels and lived happily ever after.

The Panther - The beginning of it is a reverse red riding hood where the panther dressed up as the mother and walked into the kid's home. The girls realized it wasn't their mom and the whole neighborhood helped out to get rid of the panther for good.

Why Dog and Cat are Enemies - The dog and the cat both came up with the idea to bring the magic ring back to their owners. The cat on the way back could jump on houses but the dog had to run around. The cat got all the credit when they both helped out.

Yang Oerlang - He loved his mother and the gods rewarded him for it. The sun must always shine now.

The Lady of the Moon - This man built a bridge to the moon to meet the lady that lived there.

The Girl with the Horse's Head or the Silkworm Goddess - The horse wanted the girl to keep her promise and marry it. The father killed the horse, but the remaining had took the girl. The girl became a silkworm and now looks over all silkworms from heaven.

The God of War - This man had died and everyone who had something of his or were his also found death.

The Miserly Farmer - A man wouldn't sell a pear to a priest. Some other man bought the priest one. The priest tricked everyone and "grew his own pear tree" and divided the pears amongst everyone. In the end, the priest stole all of the farmer's pears and taught him a lesson.

The King of Ants - They had all returned from a hunt and the scholar was paying close attention to everyone. He got mad and released all of his ants.

The Chinese Fairy Book

Week 6 Reading Diary: West African Folktales

This week I decided to read the West African Folktales Unit! This is from the West African Folktales by William H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair.

The Moon and Stars - When you help friends and put yourself in danger for them, they will trust you with the world. This is how he became the sun, his father the moon, and his friends the stars.

How the Tortoise Got His Shell - When life gets crazy and you can sometimes take it too far, you are left with a burden for the rest of your life. In this story, the burden is the shell on his back.

The Hunter and the Tortoise - This man loved this tortoise's song so much that he wanted it for himself. He then wanted to show off his singer, which led him to death. He wanted too much and was punished for it.

The Leopard and the Ram - The leopards were very curious of the rams and how they lived their lives. The day that the rams discovered that the leopards were spying, the leopards ran into the forest and never came back out. This is why they live in the jungle and the rams live at home in the open.

King Chameleon and the Animals - The chameleon tricked the other animals and held on to the hare. He disguised himself and sat down on the stump before anyone else. All the animals didn't accept him as king and he climbed up to the tallest tree in embarrassment.

Elephant and Wren - The spider was being selfish and wanted to save all the food to himself. He tied up the elephant to go catch a small wren instead. Both had escaped and he had nothing to bring back to his family.

The Ungrateful Man - The hunter saved all in the pit. The animals were very thankful for him and gave him gifts. The man became jealous of the man and framed him. The hunter ended up using the animal's gifts to save the prince with help from the ungrateful man's blood. The hunter was then rewarded for being trustworthy.

Why Tigers Never Attack Unless They are Provoked - The tiger was abused by his friend's friend. The friend told the tiger to never trust a man that puts him into harm.

How Mushrooms First Grew - This story is a waterfall story. One thing affects the next thing and so on. Mushrooms were created because men were trying to make money and things kept on going wrong. The white ants were the ones who officially paid their debt.

Farmer Mybrow and the Fairies - The wife did not keep her promise and caused a great mistake for her husband and their crops. They ended up suffering from her forgetfulness. 

West African Folktales 

Week 6 Reading Diary: West African Folktales

This week I decided to read the West African Folktales Unit! This is from the West African Folktales by William H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair.

How We Got The Name "Spider Tales" - This story is about a spider who wants all the stories to be named after him. In order for that to happen he is wise and smart and fulfills all of the chief's wishes. He tricks the bees to get inside the jar, the stick to wrap around a stick, and the tiger to be caught. All of the stories are named after this spider for his cunning creativity.

How Wisdom Became the Property of the Human Race - There was once a man who had all the wisdom in the world. He tried to hide it from the world when his son was wise enough to outsmart him. The father threw the pot down on the ground, which broke and then spread throughout the world. Now everyone has some wisdom.

Anansi and Nothing - There were two men, Anansi and Nothing. Anansi was poor and Nothing was rich. They both went to the next town to find wives. Anansi pretended to be rich and Nothing seemed to be poor. The wives they chose were both confused when they saw the truth. Anansi was so mad that Nothing had everything that he planned to kill him. After killing Nothing, Nothing's wife brought out stew to all the children in the town to help her mourn her husband. This is why when a kid cries and people saying that he or she is 'crying for nothing'.

Thunder and Anansi - A starving man went to a near island to find food for his starving family. After not having any luck he found the god Thunder. Thunder heard his tale and gave him a magic pot that would bring everlasting food. He was selfish and hid the pot to himself. His son found it one day and his family tried to get back at him and feed the whole village. The pot melted and Anansi was very upset. He tried to go back to Thunder, but after this he gave Anansi a stick that beat him instead. Anansi learned his lesson.

Tit for Tat - Anansi's son found where all the animals lived. Anansi was jealous that his son was becoming rich off meat. He tricked Anansi and was able to follow him to his spot. Anansi's son got back at him by pretending to be the gods and making Anansi give up all the meat. 

Why White Ants Always Harm Man's Property - The leopard, the tiger, and the spider were all tricking each other. In the end, the spider ended up tricking the leopard and the tiger the most making the family of white ants mad. This is why the ants are the ultimate pests of mankind. 

The Squirrel and the Spider - A squirrel had harvested a whole field. The spider and his family tricked the squirrel and took all the harvest. In the end a crow took all the harvest and the spider family gained nothing from thieving. 

Ants and Their Bundles - Anansi killed the king's dwarf and the king was so mad he made him carry a load. The ant was a nice fellow and held the box until Anansi would come back. He never came back and the ant was left to carry twice his weight for the rest of his life. 

Why Spiders are Always Found in Corners of Ceilings - A farmer was selfish and was going to steal all of his harvest for himself and not his family. The son saw that some of the harvest was gone and had the town come and help try to find the thief. The father got stuck in the trap and changed into a spider so they would not know that it was him. That is why spiders are generally in the corners. 

The Grinding-Stone - The spider tried to steal the stone that was providing his cousin with food. He tried to carry it and got stuck under it. This is why we often find spiders underneath rocks.

West African Folktales

Week 5 Reading Diary continued: Twenty-Two Goblins

This week I decided to read theTwenty-Two Goblins Unit by Arthur W. Ryder. I thought it was interesting to read about a bunch of riddles and to see if the King would get them all right! 

The Snake's Poison - A man died from accidentally consuming snake's poison in his food. He tried to blame all others for his death, but in reality he was the one who accidentally killed himself. The others did not know what was happening or were just trying to be charitable. 

The Girl and the Thief - A girl fell in love with a man who was being put to the stake. He both wept and laughed when seeing his fate. He was brought back to life to fulfill the rest of his life and marry the merchant's daughter.

The General's Wife - A beautiful woman had married a general and the King had fallen in love with her. The husband offered his wife to the king but the king refused saying that that was against his virtue. The king is the hero in this story because he deprived himself of having everything that many kings wouldn't have done in his place.

The Four Brothers - These four brothers all learned different skills. The first three were making the lion but not realizing what they were making. The fourth brother is the one who realized what animal it was and brought it to life. The fourth brother is the reason why they all died. 

The Old Hermit - The hermit saw that a young boy had died and he decided to take over his body and continue his life. He was sad to leave his old body but excited for the future. 

Father and Son, Daughter and Mother - The riddle of where the son married the mother and the father married the daughter was finally the riddle that stumped the King. He could not answer. Because of him being able to answer so many riddles and take up so much time, the goblin them saved his life by telling him of the monk's plans. Without the goblin, the King might have been hurt. 

Conclusion - He did as the goblin had told him and killed the monk. The goblin and everyone else was happy and the king told him that he wanted all of these stories to be heard. The king was now the god of fairies. 

God of Fairies

Week 5 Reading Diary: Twenty-Two Goblins

This week I decided to read theTwenty-Two Goblins Unit by Arthur W. Ryder. I thought it was interesting to read about a bunch of riddles and to see if the King would get them all right! 

Introduction - A monk had been giving the King fruit for many years as an offering. One day the King realized that gems were inside all of these fruits and asked the monk why he was so generous. The monk needed the King's help and here starts our story. When taking the body down from the tree like the monk had asked, a goblin is what the King had to bring back to the monk. The King is very wise and answers all of the riddles correctly

The Three Lovers - Three brothers all were in love with the same girl. When the girl unexpectedly died, the three brothers dealt with it in different ways. The first boy laid on her ashes and was with her always, living a beggar life. The second brother dipped her bones in the sacred river. And lastly, the third brother became a monk and found a spell that could bring her back to life. After bringing the girl back to life they all fought over her again. The King knew that the first brother was the one who deserved her love since he was the one who acted like a husband would.

Brave, Wise, Clever - A girl had said that she would only marry a wise man, a clever man, or a brave man. When she was kidnapped by a giant, they all helped save her. In the end she should end up with the brave man because he is the one who physically saved her, the others just helped.

The Girl, Her Husband, and Her Brother - This girl had married this man and she and her husband went and visited the house of a goddess with her brother. The husband had sacrificed himself to the goddess by cutting off his head. When the brother went inside, he himself also sacrificed himself. The girl prayed to the goddess and was allowed for both of them to come back to life. She accidentally switched the heads. She should stay with the one with her husband's head because that is the most important part of the body.

Food, Women, Cotton - Three men were trying to get out of removing a turtle from their father. The first brother impressed the king by saying that the food tasted like ashes. The second brother said that the woman spelled of goat milk. The third brother had the scar of a hair in the couch cushions. The man of cotton was the most clever because the other two could have researched before talking to the King.

The Four Scientific Suitors - The girl said she would marry the man of science. Out of all of them she should choose the warrior who does true science.

The Three Delicate Wives - This man had three wives and all of them were hurt. The first was hurt by a lotus flower, the second was burned by moon beams, and the third was bruised by just the sound. The third is the most delicate because she didn't even touch anything and she was hurt.

Brave, Wise, Clever

Week 4 Reading Diary continued: Jataka Tales

I chose to read the Jataka Tales Unit and I enjoyed it quite a lot! Story source: Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt, illustrated by Ellsworth Young (1912). I love hearing all these famous tales that have influence on stories today

The Golden Goose - In this story there was a goose who wanted to help out this mother in need. He was being very generous and the mother was grateful. The mother, however, became very greedy and wanted all of his feathers. Taking too much advantage on a nice gesture will only leave someone into poverty and loneliness yet again. 

The Stupid Monkeys - The gardner should have taken responsibility for his job and not placed it into the monkeys hands The monkeys were only trying to help, but didn't have enough information and guidance to perform the job well. We must take the time to educate others. 

The Cunning Wolf - This story shows how important it is to pay attention to your surroundings or someone might outsmart you. The wolf was able to get away by thinking ahead and noticing that something wasn't right. 

The Woodpecker and the Lion - The woodpecker did a nice thing for the lion and was upset that the lion never said thank you. When asking the lion about it later, the lion said that keeping his mouth open was the thank you itself. Sometimes the thank yous in life are silent and only noticeable if we take the time to pay attention. 

The Otters and the Wolf - The wolf helped the otters in their dispute but took advantage of them for it. The otters were so busy with fighting that they let the wolf leave with the best part of the fish. 

How the Monkey Saved His Troop - When the king and his troops were taking all of the monkey troop's mangos, the monkeys were upset. When the king ordered for them to be shot, the monkey king strained his own body and saved his entire troop. The king noticed the monkey king's courageousness and decided that they will leave the monkeys in peace. 

The Hawks and Their Friends - It is nice to have friends who will look after you in your time of need. Having good friends is even better because they will put themselves in harms way to help you out. The kingfisher, the turtle, and the lion all cared for the hawks and kept them safe in a time of danger. 

The Foolhardy Wolf - The wolf learned from the lion and wanted to be like the lion. When the wolf of tired being the sidekick, he let his ego take control which led to his death. 

The Stolen Plow - These two men were taking advantage of each other and lying to each other. When the truth finally came out, everything was right again. It is a story of a small revenge. 

The Lion in Bad Company - This story is about peer pressure and having a bad influence in a person's life. The Wolf was a bad influence on the young lion, and after so many bad decisions, it was too late. The lion died alone while the wolf left him in his misery. 

The Wise Goat and the Wolf - A person who is fooled by tricks easily will find herself in trouble, but a person who is wise and takes caution will end up okay. This goat outsmarted the wolves twice to where the wolves gave up and never tried again. 

Beauty and the Brownie - Beauty was smart and listened to her father's instructions very carefully. This is why her herd came back with no one hurt. Brownie, however, did not pay attention to her father and lost many. Bad things can happen when we don't pay attention and do what is best for our families. 

The Elephant and the Dog - This is a story of true friendship and how hard life is when that friend is gone. When someone knows us so well and is taken away, we fall into depression. 

The Elephant and the Dog 

Week 4 Reading Diary: Jataka Tales

I chose to read the Jataka Tales Unit and I enjoyed it quite a lot! Story source: Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt, illustrated by Ellsworth Young (1912). I love hearing all these famous tales that have influence on stories today.

The Monkey and the Crocodile - The crocodile is not the brightest and tried to trick the monkey into getting into the water with him. The monkey outwits the crocodile by saying that his heart was left back in the tree. The crocodile again tried to trick the monkey into falling into a trap, but the monkey was smart yet again and jumped over the crocodile to get back to safety. After this the crocodile finally decided to leave the monkey alone. I thought this story was pretty comical and shows the innocence of the young crocodile.

How the Turtle Saved His Own Life - I think it is comical how these people could be so afraid of a turtle. By using his wits, he persuaded the men to throw him into the lake where he is most save in order to "kill him". He is one smart turtle.

The Turtle Who Couldn't Stop Talking - After being told not to talk during the flight and promising the geese, the turtle still talked. This broken promise of his is what led to his death. This shows that there are consequences for broken promises.

The Ox Who Won the Forfeit - When the man was mean and beating his ox the ox did not respond well and was hurt by his owner's actions. Better outcomes happen when people are kind to each other and live life full of peace and love.

The Quarrel of the Quails - When people work together the outcome is great! But when we start only looking after ourselves we can find ourselves in trouble. This story reminded me of the scene in Finding Nemo when the fish swam down in the next to escape.

The Foolish, Timid Rabbit - This is the same as the story about how the sky is falling. One person overreacts to something or is dramatic about an event it can affect all other people as well. This also shows how gullible everyone can be when new information comes about.

The Banyan Deer - This story shows the courage of the King of the Banyan Deer and how being courageous can save yourself and others. This can be seen in many movies like Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and even in real life like the story of St. Maximilian Kolbe.

The Princes and the Water-Sprite - This story shows that being wise can save many lives. He is kind hearted and cares deeply for his brothers, which in fact bring them back from the water-sprite.

The King's White Elephant - Helping others is very important and leads to great things in life. In this story the elephant became friends with the carpenters and later led his son to be helpful as well. Because of how nice the elephant was he was able to live out the rest of the days with his nice king that looked after him. Being helpful and caring for others can lead to great things.

The Ox Who Envied the Pig - Lavishing oneself with all the selfish things in life does not last long and will lead to an early death. The people who live life normally and give thanks for what they have will live a longer life full of content.

The Crab and the Crane - The crane was very clever in the beginning by tricking the fish into hopping into his mouth. But in the end after getting away with so much, the liar finally found his match and his punishment for lying for so long and hurting so many.

The Girl Monkey and the String of Pearls - The monkey had something great and would've been able to keep it if she wasn't jealous in having everyone talk her down. She wanted to show that she was better than everyone else and ended up having her gift be taken away because of it.

The Three Fishes - Everyone should think before they act, because if not we can get into a lot of trouble that we never want to be in.

The Tricky Wolf and the Rats - Liars can always be caught if we are brave enough and smart enough to question them. We must be courageous in order to save our lives and not let the liars bring us down.

The Turtle Who Couldn't Stop Talking