Week 3 Storytelling: A good, old-fashioned, story telling get together.

In early space travel, people just flew through space. Old friends were found, new friends made, fun was had by all. Those situations were rare, but not extinct. Yesterday, Sarah's brother, Gregor, tried to steal from her and managed to get thrown in jail. She meandered around the markets for the day, sampling exotic fruits, and eventually found herself in a story-circle. Her and Gregor had always loved to sit with their mother and listen to tales from the old scavengers and space-pirates.

"Might I join? I have some stories that you may enjoy." Sarah silenced the laughter as she strolled up.

"You's und ya brovah is dat bouny hunnah pair! Ol' Mama Snakeskin erd 'o ya two. She dun known ya mama too." Sarah smiled at the toothless woman. She remembered Old Mama Snakeskin fondly. The woman was covered in tattoos. Some chemical reaction hardened her skin like a snake's. Sarah walked over and sat by the woman.

"Hello again Mama Snakeskin. May I?" She nodded, taking Sarah's hands into her own. The men looked uncomfortable in Sarah's presence, seeing as most were pirates or outlaws.

"Calm down, I'm off duty!" The men nodded and went back to storytelling.

"'Ave y'all ever heard the story of the First Fliers?" the men shook their heads, "Well, it's like this. Once, when we was stuck on that rock Earth, there was this guy and his son. Now, the son was just a little tyke, but he was sure interested in what his papa was whippin' up for 'em. The daddy, he was tryin' to make 'em both wings! With feathers and everythin'! See, they was trying tah get away from their ruler and they didn't have cars or nothin' yet. The daddy finished and told his boy, 'Now son, you gotta follow me or else you'll die and daddy wont be able to save ya. You don't got too high up or the sun'll fry up them wings, but you can't get too low or the water'll get ya wet. You got that?', but the daddy knew his son might not make it. They left and the boy was doin' fine, till he got distracted by a bug er somethin', then he fell into the water and drowned! The daddy knew he couldn't look back or he'd fall too but he knew his boy wasn't there anymore. That's why it took humans so long to get back in the sky!" The man folded his arms, pleased with his story.

"I got a better story! Make your hearts warm and soft-like after hearing that story. See, Gods used to walk amongst humans, just to see who was nice and to make sure everyone was behaving real nice. Well, two Gods were walking through this village, asking for food and somewhere to sit. Everyone in town turned them away! Except the little old couple at the end. They took in the Gods, fed them, gave them wine and a place to rest with what little they had! The Gods were very pleased and told the two to follow them when they left and that they'd be rewarded. The couple did and when they looked back at their town, it was gone! Their shabby little hut turned into a great temple! The Gods granted them each a wish. One wished to watch over the temple as a priest and the other wished to die with his partner so they wouldn't ever have to be apart. The Gods agreed and the two lived happily!"

Sarah brushed away an escaping tear. More stories were told and Sarah did her best to remember them. She wanted to write them in her journal when she got back.

"There once was an angry fellow who went and chopped down a fancy tree in a fancy forest," started one man.

"Grove." called out another.

"Bless you. Anyway, he chopped it down and a beautiful glowing woman appeared! The Goddess lady she was friends with got angry and called on her sister's cousin or whatever. She called on this other Goddess to go make the man always hungry! It worked and when the man ate through all of his money he tried to sell his daughter! Well, somethin' happened to her and she turned into different things to trick people to make him money. Eventually, when he couldn't do that anymore, he ate himself up! " everyone chuckled.

Old Mama Snakeskin stood as did the man beside her. He was her translator as she spoke her native tongue.

"There once was a man who turned into many animals. He fell in love with another man's wife and went to fight for her love. The shifter man fought hard, using all of his animal forms to help, but in the end, he only ended up losing a horn. Another man, not a shifter, also went through a great tragedy for the woman. The same man who defeated the shifter, Hercules, struck the new man with a poisoned arrow as he tried to steal his bride. Hercules had gone home, thinking how to save his lady. His wife sent the poisoned shirt to show Hercules she was still alive. Hercules put on the shirt, not knowing it was poisoned. Eventually, the poison seeped into his body and though he cried to his Gods for help, the poison ate his flesh like a ravenous fire." Mama Snakeskin and the boy sat.

Sarah stood and the crowd fell silent.
"Last story, then I'll depart. There once was a daughter who loved her father as more than a father. She wanted to embrace him and love her like her mother. One night, when the mother was away for a week, the nurse caught the daughter hanging herself. The nurse asked why she was doing this, the daughter told her nurse about her incestuous love for her father. The nurse knew the mother would be gone and talked the father into seeing the young beautiful girl. The father didn't know it was his daughter until he decided to see who she was. When he discovered he kicked her from the house. The daughter, wandering and ready to die, turned into a tree. The baby that grew inside of her still was born and became a favorite of the Gods. One day, when he was older and out hunting, he tried to take down a boar too large for him. He ended up being killed but allowed to join his Gods."

The men clapped, Sarah said her good-byes, then went on her marry way.

Author's note:
So this story is based off of the first half of the Ovid's Metamorphosis III as well as one of my other stories. Basically, there are a bunch of Gods and Goddesses sitting around telling stories. The stories usually have patters between them and they are all mostly about something to do with humanity. The main characters are also a part of one of my other stories.

Bibliography:
Story source: Ovid's Metamorphosis III translated to English by Tony Kline (2000)

( Source: Pygmalion )