Chinese Fairy Tales
1. The Little Hunting Dog - That was the cutest story I think I heave read in any of the units so far! For a while I wondered if maybe the little soldiers and dogs and falcons were really the fleas and gnats and maybe the man was asleep. I was so sad when the little dog got left behind but even more so that he smooshed the little dog! I would have felt terrible!
2. Fox-Fire - I know that in Chinese and Japanese mythology, foxes are tricksters and are not to be messed with. I am surprised that the fox didn't kill the man for stealing his fire ball and instead let him accumulate his wealth. I also thought the fox would have killed the man because that seems o be the fate for all things that steal when it comes to fairy tales.
3. The Talking Silver Foxes - So I am seeing a trend that the fox spirits are not as mean and tricky as i was lead to believe. Really they are just treated poorly! I wouldn't blame that fox-spirit for never showing itself again! Not after being whipped twice and shot with an arrow and then killed and skinned! I wonder why the magical foxes are called 'Silver Foxes' when their coats are not silver.
4. Retribution - First of all, I wonder if that was the same Wang as in the Silver Foxes story. I doubt it, but it would be interesting. Second, I wonder why the boy could see the spirit of the water-bearer. Was he special or did he just happen to be at the right place at the right time? I think it was interesting that the boy did get revenge on Old Wang even without meaning to.
5. The Night on the Battlefield - These stories just keep getting better and better! I thought there was something fishy going on when the inn-keeper and everyone there turned the merchant away but I didn't expect the inn to just be a graveyard/battlefield!
6. The Maiden Who Was Stolen Away - I thought for sure that the girl would marry the boy! I was not expecting him to actually be an ogre! These stories are not like the ones I am used to reading and I love how they are written! I was so happy that she got to be saved, but I also thought it was funny that her brother happened to be the biggest and bravest in the land.
7. The Flying Ogre - I liked this story less than the others but I did still enjoy it! It was short, sweet, and to the point. I wanted to know who the sky messenger was as well as whether or not he was telling the truth about the girl being a flying ogre. And why was she so evil?
8. The Sorcerer of the White Lotus Lodge - So were the capsized boat, walk in the dark, and giant all tricks or did the sorcerer actually do all of those things? I can see the first two but I don't know how getting eaten by a giant is a way to trick the soldiers. Unless the sorcerer conjured up the mountain spirit in order to get out. Maybe him and his family were not really eaten?
9. The Three Evils - I was really impressed at how calmly the terror of the neighborhoods took to being called the third evil. I would have thought that, since he got into so many fights all the time, he would have just beat up the new mandarin and been on his way. But no! He took out the other two evils, enlisted as a soldier and atoned for his life when he was the third sin! I wonder if this is a cultural thing in how people respected their mandarins (honestly I don't know what status they held. I am not much of a history buff).
10. How the River God's Wedding Was Broken Off - I am still wondering if it is a cultural thing to not trust sorcerers and witches but hold the political figure to the standards of a hero. That seems to be the theme in most of these stories. I think that is really neat because it has regular humans, not super powered or humans with supernatural strength going off and killing the bad things.
11. Yang Gui Fe - I loved this story! I want to use some of the ideas in it in my own stories! I liked how the magician (note, not a sorcerer) could part with his spirit to walk in the spirit worlds. How there wasn't just heaven and hell but many places in between. I also liked how the two were really spirits sent to the realm of men and still united by love!
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Friday, September 26, 2014
Week 6 Essay: Japanese Mythology
This week I read Japanese Mythology as my unit. The main reason I chose this unit was because I looked through the chapters and saw that there was a story about a dragon, and I can’t really resist that. There were a lot of aspects of this unit that I really enjoyed and then there were only a few aspects that I would have preferred to have gone without. For the most part I really enjoyed this unit. I couldn’t say it was one of my favorites, but it was definitely enjoyable. The stories about Yamato and his wife Tacibana were my favorite part of the unit I think.
My favorite thing about this unit was, of course, the dragon. Along with the dragon though, I felt like the stories were very good at giving vivid descriptions of all of the creatures. It made me want to grab my sketchbook and draw all of them so I could actually see what that creature would have looked like. I love it when stories are really descriptive. It helps me to visualized what it is I am reading and the more I can visualize it, normally the more I enjoy it. The Labors of Yamato were my favorite set of stories from this unit. They reminded me of other stories where the heroes were made to perform gruesome trials to prove themselves.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Week 6 Storytelling: The Dragon and the Serpent
Once there was a brother who was not all that smart. His dear sister tried very hard to keep him in line and not stray from her, especially when she needed him most. Alas, Gregor was still a man and Serena was still an evil serpent siren with the beauty of Aphrodite. Serena wasn't any evil serpent siren, oh no, she was the daughter of the great and powerful Dave! He was the biggest and baddest dragon in the under-realms. He also loved his daughter very much. Almost as much as he loved scheming and shiny magical swords.
One day, Dave and Serena made a plan to get a magical sword that only a human could obtain. This is where the brother, Gregor Strike, came in. Serena lured him into her lair and laughed as he professed his undying love and devotion to her.
"Go and find me the Sacred Fruit of Dragons. Only then will I accept your undying love for me." Serena decreed. Gregor smiled and ran from her dwelling, off to find the "Sacred Fruit" for his love. After searching for several weeks and only obtaining a magical sword, which he used to kill a great bull terrorizing a town, he went back to his beloved Serena and confessed his misfortunes to her.
"Oh my dear, do not fret. You have brought a prize just as worth as the Sacred Fruit would have been. FATHER!" Serena called out. Gregor stepped back, confused. He could hear something heavy dragging across the ground behind him and large footsteps scraping the earth. Gregor turned around and saw the great silver dragon looming over him.
"I am Dave, greatest Dragon to exist in the Under-Realms! You, pesky human, have something I want. Give me the sword or I shall eat you whole!" Gregor wanted to snicker at the dragon's name, but he was too busy trying to not wet himself. He shakily drew the sword and took up a fighting position.
"If that is how you want to end your life, so be it!" Dave attacked and Gregor fought. After a long and difficult battle, Gregor walked out of the cave, leaving Serena to cradle her father's dead corpse. Gregor walked until he made it back to the village, which was now in flames and strewn with dead bodies. Instantly, Gregor ran to find his sister.
"Sarah! Dear God Sarah please be alive!" Gregor called out through the town.
"This is your fault isn't it stupid?" Sarah ran towards her brother and embraced him in a hug. "What the hell happened. A giant snake with wings just flew in here and started destroying things!" Gregor sighed and told his sister about what had happened. They agreed to go and fight the evil serpent together.
The siblings put up a great fight with the angered Serena, but in the end, they pushed the vile creature into the sea, never to be seen again.
Author's note: This story was inspired by the Japanese Mythology unit. Specifically, the Labors of Yamato: The Dragon. I changed the names of the characters, some of the character's relations, and what Gregor had to obtain for Serena. Other than that I kept pretty true to the original story I believe.
Bibliography:
Romance of Old Japan, Part I: Mythology and Legends by E. W. Champney and F. Champney, 1917.
One day, Dave and Serena made a plan to get a magical sword that only a human could obtain. This is where the brother, Gregor Strike, came in. Serena lured him into her lair and laughed as he professed his undying love and devotion to her.
"Go and find me the Sacred Fruit of Dragons. Only then will I accept your undying love for me." Serena decreed. Gregor smiled and ran from her dwelling, off to find the "Sacred Fruit" for his love. After searching for several weeks and only obtaining a magical sword, which he used to kill a great bull terrorizing a town, he went back to his beloved Serena and confessed his misfortunes to her.
"Oh my dear, do not fret. You have brought a prize just as worth as the Sacred Fruit would have been. FATHER!" Serena called out. Gregor stepped back, confused. He could hear something heavy dragging across the ground behind him and large footsteps scraping the earth. Gregor turned around and saw the great silver dragon looming over him.
"I am Dave, greatest Dragon to exist in the Under-Realms! You, pesky human, have something I want. Give me the sword or I shall eat you whole!" Gregor wanted to snicker at the dragon's name, but he was too busy trying to not wet himself. He shakily drew the sword and took up a fighting position.
"If that is how you want to end your life, so be it!" Dave attacked and Gregor fought. After a long and difficult battle, Gregor walked out of the cave, leaving Serena to cradle her father's dead corpse. Gregor walked until he made it back to the village, which was now in flames and strewn with dead bodies. Instantly, Gregor ran to find his sister.
"Sarah! Dear God Sarah please be alive!" Gregor called out through the town.
"This is your fault isn't it stupid?" Sarah ran towards her brother and embraced him in a hug. "What the hell happened. A giant snake with wings just flew in here and started destroying things!" Gregor sighed and told his sister about what had happened. They agreed to go and fight the evil serpent together.
The siblings put up a great fight with the angered Serena, but in the end, they pushed the vile creature into the sea, never to be seen again.
Author's note: This story was inspired by the Japanese Mythology unit. Specifically, the Labors of Yamato: The Dragon. I changed the names of the characters, some of the character's relations, and what Gregor had to obtain for Serena. Other than that I kept pretty true to the original story I believe.
Bibliography:
Romance of Old Japan, Part I: Mythology and Legends by E. W. Champney and F. Champney, 1917.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Week 6 Reading Diary: Japanese Mythology
Japanese Mythology
1. Izanagi and Izanami - The first thing I notice is how the writing is set up at the beginning of this story. I find it very interesting, but I am not sure of its purpose. I find it very interesting that the God of air and the Goddess of clouds are the parents of all living things. Normally it is the God/Goddess of the sun or sky, but not normally the air or clouds. I like it! Oh, but later on they call him "god of the heavens", so they are sticking with mythology theme!
2. Izanagi and Izanami (cont.) - So the daughter is really the ruler of the heavens while the father is still god of the "skies/air"? I find it interesting that the moon god is not happy and wise and calm like in most myths about the moon. I'm also surprised that Izanagi actually let the other gods banish his wife to the earth and take her immortality.
3. The Miraculous Mirror - Oh Amaterasu is the goddess of the sun! That makes so much sense now! I fell like most myths about the gods and goddesses of earthly things, like trees and mountains, are created to explain some sort of natural phenomenon. I have yet to figure out what this one could be about. Maybe some sort of eclipse?
4. The Eight-Forked Serpent of Koshi - Serpents in japanese culture normally means that there are dragons which means I am really excited! This sounds like a hydra, not just any dragon. Hydras are usually a bad symbol, being destructive and murderous. I find it hilarious that he just got the dragon drunk and then slashed him to pieces. The moral is don't get drunk enough to pass out. Bad things happen! I also think that the name of the sword is interesting because of the nature of the dragon that it was in.
5. The Heaven-Descended - Why didn't they just send the rice prince to tend to the rice fields first? Who better to look over things than the deity associated with that thing? I am also noticing the number eight appearing a lot. I know that eight is a large part of chinese culture, I didn't know it was also part of the japanese culture!
6. The Heaven-Descended (cont.) - They use the word 'august' a lot and I cannot always figure out what it means in the context that it is being used in. The only actually story I feel like I have read is the one about the dragon. Most of the rest of these have been telling about the family relations and feuds.
7. The Fortunate Fish-Hook - Talking about Ninigi's sons who, seem to have affinities with fire, makes me wonder what happened to the god of fire and his brother the god of water. I thought Susanoo (or however you spell his name) was god of the sea and ocean. This is the second actual story that I have read in this unit and it makes me very excited!
8. The Fortunate Fish-Hook (cont.) - I am curious as to why the fish-hook was so special or if it was actually magical. So is this where the godly emperors and their royal lineage came from?
9. The Labors of Yamato - The Rescue of the Princess - So now we are leaving all of the confusion of the heavenly world and going to the people on earth. So maybe we will be getting more stories instead of a history lesson on the gods and goddesses! Not that I don't enjoy learning about them, I just also enjoy stories about heroes.
10. The Rescue of the Princess (cont.) - Just a good old-fashioned princess rescue. It is a little refreshing! I am interested to see what will become of it as well as Yamato and his princess! Yamato is almost pulling a trojan horse level trick here! Is it good to be "stout-hearted"? When the bandit dies he calls Yamato stout-hearted and I have no idea if that is a good thing or not. Yamato doesn't seem to be disturbed by it.
11. The Labors of Yamato- The Grotto of Love - I think it is interesting how Yamato is looking for his "siren" and as he is doing so he hears music that leads him to this perilous grotto that is supposed to be a trap. It as if there is a parallel being drawn between the grotto and the siren's song. The poem like structure of the writing in the middle of the story is interesting. I don't under stand its purpose, but I like it! TIme for the horrible tasks to win a goddesses love! These are normally great stories!
12. The Labors of Yamato- The Golden Apple - So this is another story within a story. It makes me want to read myths from all cultures to see if this storyception is a reoccurring theme. I am looking forward to seeing how Yamato goes about getting the Golden Apple! I am really enjoying how the dialogue is written as if it is a poem. I don't know if that is on purpose or not, but I like it.
13. The Labors of Yamato- The Demon Boar - I wonder why boars in particular are so popular to test heroes and their strength. Boars show up in several stories from many cultures. So if Susa-no-wo normally rides the demon boar, will Yamato have to fight him as well? I am not putting my money on Yamato if that is the case... Okay, so no god battle, just the demon boar victory for Yamato.
14. The Labors of Yamato- The Grass-Cleaving Sword - Okay at the very end of this story the narrator changes. Who is narrating? Also, Yamato better start respecting his wife again! She just saved his life and got burnt to a crisp all to save him and his men!
15. The Labors of Yamato- The Sacred Sword - RUDE! She saved him Yamato and now Yamato his sending his roasted princess home cause she is ugly and roasty and he wants to go be with the siren! He may be a great hero but he is not cool in my books! And he still doesn't have the apple, so when will he do now? I was definitely not expecting the dragon to be Susa-no-wo! Or the fact that they really just wanted the sword not even the golden apple! Sneaky!
16. The Sacred Sword (cont.) - I wonder what importance stags and deer have in the japanese culture. I notice in a lot of japanese movies and in some anime and even in several of these stories, there are magical deer or demon deer or something to do with deer. I am glad Yamato got his sword back, but I feel bad that the stag had to die.
17. The Labors of Yamato- The Dragon - If I am being honest, this is the main reason I read this unit, was so I could read the story about the dragon because I am horribly obsessed with dragons. This already shows the lesson of, 'you don't know what you have till it's gone'. So the siren is actually a dragon like her father? Cool! One thing I appreciate about this story is that Tacibana gets to save her dear hubby from an evil goddess dragon! Girl power! So now Tacibana is the princess locked in the tower guarded by an evil dragon. Sweet! I hope she isn't actually dead... I like her.
18. The Dragon (cont.) - If eh would have just listened to his wife, she wouldn't have died! Well, also if he hadn't cheated on her with the siren and then killed the siren's father, Tacibana might not have had to sacrifice herself. What shall he do now? Will he be like Hercules and go to the Underworld to save his beloved?
19. The Faery Robe - Oh we are done with Yamato and Tacibana! Darn, I was becoming very attached to them... Now this one is a poem. a very long poem. Though figuring out what poems are trying to say is normally very difficult, I still really enjoy how smooth they are when read. This one was not too hard to figure out though, which made me like it even more!
20. The Jewel of Heart's Desire: The Land of Morning Calm - I really like how, although we are finished with Yamato's story, we continue with his son. Though his son seems a little cowardly, I like that Benten is presented once again, tying the stories back together. Of course, she is still evil and wants what Yamato's descent has, the Jewel of Heart's Desire. I also love that, although women were not technically allowed to rule, the Empress was kicking but taking names and taking charge!
21. The Quest of the Jewel - Though it was smart to hide the jewel inside her wound because she knew the dragon wouldn't touch it, now she has to die, probably, so what good does that do her? She was nobly honored. I guess that is pretty good.
22. Urashima - So this is basically the japanese version of Pandora's Box. With the addition of a dragon, making it even better! Reading these stories makes me want to draw what I think all of the creatures would look like. I love the style this story is written in. It flows very smoothly when I read it, making it easier to understand.
1. Izanagi and Izanami - The first thing I notice is how the writing is set up at the beginning of this story. I find it very interesting, but I am not sure of its purpose. I find it very interesting that the God of air and the Goddess of clouds are the parents of all living things. Normally it is the God/Goddess of the sun or sky, but not normally the air or clouds. I like it! Oh, but later on they call him "god of the heavens", so they are sticking with mythology theme!
2. Izanagi and Izanami (cont.) - So the daughter is really the ruler of the heavens while the father is still god of the "skies/air"? I find it interesting that the moon god is not happy and wise and calm like in most myths about the moon. I'm also surprised that Izanagi actually let the other gods banish his wife to the earth and take her immortality.
3. The Miraculous Mirror - Oh Amaterasu is the goddess of the sun! That makes so much sense now! I fell like most myths about the gods and goddesses of earthly things, like trees and mountains, are created to explain some sort of natural phenomenon. I have yet to figure out what this one could be about. Maybe some sort of eclipse?
4. The Eight-Forked Serpent of Koshi - Serpents in japanese culture normally means that there are dragons which means I am really excited! This sounds like a hydra, not just any dragon. Hydras are usually a bad symbol, being destructive and murderous. I find it hilarious that he just got the dragon drunk and then slashed him to pieces. The moral is don't get drunk enough to pass out. Bad things happen! I also think that the name of the sword is interesting because of the nature of the dragon that it was in.
5. The Heaven-Descended - Why didn't they just send the rice prince to tend to the rice fields first? Who better to look over things than the deity associated with that thing? I am also noticing the number eight appearing a lot. I know that eight is a large part of chinese culture, I didn't know it was also part of the japanese culture!
6. The Heaven-Descended (cont.) - They use the word 'august' a lot and I cannot always figure out what it means in the context that it is being used in. The only actually story I feel like I have read is the one about the dragon. Most of the rest of these have been telling about the family relations and feuds.
7. The Fortunate Fish-Hook - Talking about Ninigi's sons who, seem to have affinities with fire, makes me wonder what happened to the god of fire and his brother the god of water. I thought Susanoo (or however you spell his name) was god of the sea and ocean. This is the second actual story that I have read in this unit and it makes me very excited!
8. The Fortunate Fish-Hook (cont.) - I am curious as to why the fish-hook was so special or if it was actually magical. So is this where the godly emperors and their royal lineage came from?
9. The Labors of Yamato - The Rescue of the Princess - So now we are leaving all of the confusion of the heavenly world and going to the people on earth. So maybe we will be getting more stories instead of a history lesson on the gods and goddesses! Not that I don't enjoy learning about them, I just also enjoy stories about heroes.
10. The Rescue of the Princess (cont.) - Just a good old-fashioned princess rescue. It is a little refreshing! I am interested to see what will become of it as well as Yamato and his princess! Yamato is almost pulling a trojan horse level trick here! Is it good to be "stout-hearted"? When the bandit dies he calls Yamato stout-hearted and I have no idea if that is a good thing or not. Yamato doesn't seem to be disturbed by it.
11. The Labors of Yamato- The Grotto of Love - I think it is interesting how Yamato is looking for his "siren" and as he is doing so he hears music that leads him to this perilous grotto that is supposed to be a trap. It as if there is a parallel being drawn between the grotto and the siren's song. The poem like structure of the writing in the middle of the story is interesting. I don't under stand its purpose, but I like it! TIme for the horrible tasks to win a goddesses love! These are normally great stories!
12. The Labors of Yamato- The Golden Apple - So this is another story within a story. It makes me want to read myths from all cultures to see if this storyception is a reoccurring theme. I am looking forward to seeing how Yamato goes about getting the Golden Apple! I am really enjoying how the dialogue is written as if it is a poem. I don't know if that is on purpose or not, but I like it.
13. The Labors of Yamato- The Demon Boar - I wonder why boars in particular are so popular to test heroes and their strength. Boars show up in several stories from many cultures. So if Susa-no-wo normally rides the demon boar, will Yamato have to fight him as well? I am not putting my money on Yamato if that is the case... Okay, so no god battle, just the demon boar victory for Yamato.
14. The Labors of Yamato- The Grass-Cleaving Sword - Okay at the very end of this story the narrator changes. Who is narrating? Also, Yamato better start respecting his wife again! She just saved his life and got burnt to a crisp all to save him and his men!
15. The Labors of Yamato- The Sacred Sword - RUDE! She saved him Yamato and now Yamato his sending his roasted princess home cause she is ugly and roasty and he wants to go be with the siren! He may be a great hero but he is not cool in my books! And he still doesn't have the apple, so when will he do now? I was definitely not expecting the dragon to be Susa-no-wo! Or the fact that they really just wanted the sword not even the golden apple! Sneaky!
16. The Sacred Sword (cont.) - I wonder what importance stags and deer have in the japanese culture. I notice in a lot of japanese movies and in some anime and even in several of these stories, there are magical deer or demon deer or something to do with deer. I am glad Yamato got his sword back, but I feel bad that the stag had to die.
17. The Labors of Yamato- The Dragon - If I am being honest, this is the main reason I read this unit, was so I could read the story about the dragon because I am horribly obsessed with dragons. This already shows the lesson of, 'you don't know what you have till it's gone'. So the siren is actually a dragon like her father? Cool! One thing I appreciate about this story is that Tacibana gets to save her dear hubby from an evil goddess dragon! Girl power! So now Tacibana is the princess locked in the tower guarded by an evil dragon. Sweet! I hope she isn't actually dead... I like her.
18. The Dragon (cont.) - If eh would have just listened to his wife, she wouldn't have died! Well, also if he hadn't cheated on her with the siren and then killed the siren's father, Tacibana might not have had to sacrifice herself. What shall he do now? Will he be like Hercules and go to the Underworld to save his beloved?
19. The Faery Robe - Oh we are done with Yamato and Tacibana! Darn, I was becoming very attached to them... Now this one is a poem. a very long poem. Though figuring out what poems are trying to say is normally very difficult, I still really enjoy how smooth they are when read. This one was not too hard to figure out though, which made me like it even more!
20. The Jewel of Heart's Desire: The Land of Morning Calm - I really like how, although we are finished with Yamato's story, we continue with his son. Though his son seems a little cowardly, I like that Benten is presented once again, tying the stories back together. Of course, she is still evil and wants what Yamato's descent has, the Jewel of Heart's Desire. I also love that, although women were not technically allowed to rule, the Empress was kicking but taking names and taking charge!
21. The Quest of the Jewel - Though it was smart to hide the jewel inside her wound because she knew the dragon wouldn't touch it, now she has to die, probably, so what good does that do her? She was nobly honored. I guess that is pretty good.
22. Urashima - So this is basically the japanese version of Pandora's Box. With the addition of a dragon, making it even better! Reading these stories makes me want to draw what I think all of the creatures would look like. I love the style this story is written in. It flows very smoothly when I read it, making it easier to understand.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Week 5 Essay: Arabian Nights
For the assignment this week, I read Arabian Nights' Entertainment. One of the main elements in this set of stories was the layering of stories within stories. Another, was how the elements actually tied together somehow or were used in order to get an idea across, not just as elements of entertainment. Though I complained about how the overlapping of stories made my head hurt, I really did enjoy it. It was hard to go back to the original story one the second layer of story telling was over, but each time a new story was started I felt like I was being transported to another world.
One of the things that I noticed in the stories that I really like and might actually use in my writings sometimes was the usage of stories, not just as entertainment, but also as a means of communicating different ideas. In the story The Story of the Parrot/The Story of the Ogress, the king and his vizir are exchanging stories in order to explain how trusting someone you barely know could either be beneficial (as the king believed), or a very dangerous (as the vizir believed). They use the stories to convey a situation or circumstance in order to persuade the other person.
Within each story I noticed that the main character or plot of the new story resembled that of the character who was telling the story. Some of the stories were very similar to the situation that the Sultana was in. The character would have to tell a story in order to save their life. I also feel like there was a genie/genius in every single story. The genie could be good or bad but there was always one there either in the actual story, or that the story was being told to.
One of the things that I noticed in the stories that I really like and might actually use in my writings sometimes was the usage of stories, not just as entertainment, but also as a means of communicating different ideas. In the story The Story of the Parrot/The Story of the Ogress, the king and his vizir are exchanging stories in order to explain how trusting someone you barely know could either be beneficial (as the king believed), or a very dangerous (as the vizir believed). They use the stories to convey a situation or circumstance in order to persuade the other person.
Week 5 Storytelling: Arabian Nights
Damn it. Damn it damn it! Why the hell did I think lying to my sister was a good idea? If I had just used my damn brain, I would be sitting at home with Sarah, probably having a nice hot meal and rolling in our bounty. Now I am stuck in this hell hole for three weeks. Damn it.
Gregor sulked through the dining hall of the prison, lost in his own thoughts. Not paying attention, he crossed the path of the worst criminal in the entire place.
Sloan was a convicted murderer, drug lord, thief, bad-joke-teller, and all around awful person. When he died he was going to that special place in hell reserved for the worst criminals and people who talked in movie theaters. Sloan ran the prison. Everyone new had to be approved by him and put into their place. If he didn’t like you, you would probably end up dead within the next few days.
“Oy, space brat. Watch where you’re walking.” Sloan drawled.
“Oy, prison brat, why don’t you?” Gregor spat back and continued to walk on. Gregor was never good at settling under authority. Especially when that authority deserved to be dead.
Sloan cracked a wicked smile and leaned in to his right hand man Bear, “Bring him to me tonight. We will give him one more chance, since he is new and I am feeling gracious today.” Bear grunted and the group of abnormally large men walked off.
Gregor continued to be lost in his thoughts through the day and was glad when lights-out finally hit. He curled up, thought of home, and drifted off to sleep.
In the wee hours of the night, when all was dark and everyone was sound asleep, Bear set out to snatch Gregor. Bear snuck into the cell, unlocking it using a key he had stolen from the guard, quietly made his way over to Gregor and whacked him over the head to be sure that he was unconscious.
When Gregor came to he was laying on a rug, hands tied behind his back, and a sack over his head.
“What the hell…” Gregor grumbled as he sat up.
“Ah, so you are awake! Good. Sit him up and remove the bag.” Sloan barked to Bear.
Bear followed his orders.
“Oh great. It’s you again. What do you want?” Sloan frowned at Gregor’s disrespect.
“I know you…” Sloan leaned in and looked Gregor over very carefully. When he realized who was sitting in front of him his frown turned into bared teeth and clenched fingers.
“YOU! You are the brother bounty hunter who threw me in here in the first place! You better hope my anger subsides after I murder you, otherwise i’m going after your precious little sister too when I get out of here.” Gregor laughed. Sloan stood, walked over to Gregor, and grabbed him from under his chin, lifting him from the ground.
“Why are you laughing?” Sloan demanded.
“My sister would kill you faster than you could say ‘Oy, space brat!’. And I am sorry about throwing you in here. It is just a job! Let me at least try to make it a little more bearable here for you. Though you seem to be doing pretty well…” Sloan growled.
“How could you do that? I have been here for seven years and still have eighty-two to go. How will you make my days better?” Sloan threw Gregor to the ground, letting him speak. Sloan was genuinely curious what the space brat had to say to him.
“Let me go back to my cell and go back to sleep. In the morning I will come to you and tell you a story. It will-”
“A STORY? You want to be my story-teller? Ha! You ridiculous brat! What do you take me for? Some moronic lug who can be so easily entertained?” Sloan stalked the room and made his way back to sit in his chair.
“These aren’t just stories. I am a bounty hunter remember? And before that, my sister and I traveled with our mother all over the galaxy. I have seen places you couldn’t imagine! How about this. I tell you a story each day. If you like it, you don’t kill me. If you don’t, fine! Kill me!” Sloan stared at Gregor for a long while.
“Fine. Tomorrow in the dining hall you will tell me a story. It had better be good though. Your life depends on it space brat.” With a flick of his hand, Bear dragged Gregor out of Sloan’s cell and back down to his.
Thank GOD Sarah and I have been to so many planets and have collected so many stories. I am going to have to think up my best ones. And my longest ones. Maybe if I can drag out the stories so they last a few days, that will keep me alive just long enough that I can get out of here. This had better work…
Over the next three weeks, Gregor would eat his lunch then sulk over to Sloan’s group. He would tell his story and then when lunch was over he would leave and go about his day. Each night, in the wee hours, Bear would show up outside of his cell and report on what Sloan thought of the story. Three weeks later, Gregor was released and Sloan was still in prison.
As soon as Gregor saw Sarah he grasped her in a full on hug, “It is so good to see you Sarah. I am SO sorry about lying to you. Will you please forgive me sis? Please please please?” Gregor bounced up and down while still hugging Sarah.
Sarah giggled, “Yes dork. You lied to me, but you are still my brother. Come on. I have a job for us to do.”
And with that, the two set off on their next big adventure.
Author’s note:
For this unit I read Arabian Nights. As is my running theme, I used Sarah and Gregor Strike, my bounty hunter siblings. I changed the characters, obviously, as well as the setting but the the basic plot I kept the same. I knew I wasn’t going to have enough room to retell the stories in the same depth that they were told originally, but I tried to make it so the reader knew that Gregor’s stories were amazing enough to keep him alive.
Bibliography:
Arabian Nights' Entertainment by Andrew Lang and Illustrated by H. J. Ford. 1898. .jpg)
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Week 5 Reading Diary: Arabian Nights
Arabian Nights Reading Diary
1. Scheherazade - although the names are hard to pronounce, I am already engaged in this story! I feel bad for the fathers who have to lose their daughter, I feel bad for the daughters that have to lose their lives, and I feel a little bad for the sultan who was hurt so badly by a woman. But of course! There are two daughter but one must be more extraordinary than the other! It wouldn't be a fairytale otherwise! I am very intrigued as to how the telling of a story will get the daughter out of being murdered. Ah, she distracts him with the charming stories, very smart! This reminds me of another story I just read, but I can't remember the name...
2. The Story of the Merchant and the Genius - just by knowing the name of the next three stories, I know that I have already met the "first old man", the "second old man" and "the fisherman". I am both saddened and pleased that the man kept his word to go back to the genii to be killed. On one hand, he has to die. On another, he kept his word which I appreciate. I am also curious to see how long the daughter can keep up the stories and what will happen when she runs out or the Sultan becomes bored.
3. The Story of the First Old Man and of the Hind - Oh my goodness this makes my brain hurt... This is now a story in a story in a story. And I think I get what the old men are doing. If each man tells a story and the genii likes it enough to take away a third of the punishment, eventually the entire punishment will be gone! I am also getting the vibe that the stories of the old men are reflecting that of the Sultana.
4. The Story of the Second Old Man, and of the Two Black Dogs - I really enjoyed this story too! I am liking the running theme of people with good natures. But I REALLY want to know what the third story was! Though I like this transition between stories, I am so curious!
5. The Story of the Fisherman - Oh my goodness here we go again with the story-ception. I can't read these stories fast enough though, they are so good! They are so engaging I love it!
6. The Story of the Greek King and the Physician Douban - I am curious as to what the physician used to cure the King and I can not believe that we are going into ANOTHER layer of stories! I have lost tract of who is telling who what almost! I have never understood inception better than I do right now.
7. The Story of the Parrot; The Story of the Ogress - I find it so interesting that these characters are using stories to get their point across to someone else. I know that that isn't what is happening in all of these stories, but I think it is cool when it does happen. I got just a little confused when reading about the ogress. I thought the prince escaped but then the ogress was telling him how to get home? I don't understand why she would do that...
8. The Story of the Physician's Revenge - I am amazed that the physician, knowing he would die, also made sure that he took the king down with him. I wonder how the vizir feels knowing that the king still ended up dying! I know he was jealous of the physician, but I don't think he had intended to have the king killed. If only people actually kept their word as readily as the characters in these stories do... I was sure the genii was just going to kill the fisherman when he was released.
9. The Story of the Sultan and the Fish - I think if I was half stone I would be crying too... Even if the sight was so beautiful, I wouldn't be able to run around and that would be awful! GAH. Another story-ception moment. I groan about this, but I find it rather fascinating how easily these stories move in and out of each other. Each one has some underlying tone that is significant to whoever is telling the story.
10. The Story of the Young King and of the Black Isles - That was one of the best stories! Everyone who deserved to live did, everyone who deserved to die did, everyone who deserved splendid rewards did! It was beautiful! I can't wait to read the second half and find out what happened to the Sultana! I hope the Sultan gets some sense knocked into him and stops killing his wives.
11. Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 1 - When I was younger I saw a movie that was sort of like Aladdin, but just a little different. So far, this story is matching it almost perfectly! I wish I could remember what the movie was called... I want to know how the magician found out about Aladdin. I like how the genie came from the ring and not the lamp! But is there a genie also in the lamp?
12. Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 2 - The fruits turning to precious stones was in the movie too! I wonder what Aladdin is going to do with two genies! And if there could be a conflict between the two genies.
13. Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 3 - I feel bad for the genie having to do all of Aladdin's bidding but I do wonder which genie he is using. Does he only use one or does he switch back an forth? And what will the consequence be of using the genie so much. There are always consequences I feel like with that sort of stuff.
14. Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 4 - See! Consequences. Always happens with genies. I am not surprised that the lamp was stolen, or rather given away.
15. Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 5 - I don't understand why Aladdin had to give his clothes away in order to get kill the magician. It isn't a big problem to me, I just don't understand it. I am kind of glad to be rid of the magician though. He was irritating!
16. Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 6 - Will the princess still love Aladdin if he tells her that all of his wealth came from a genie? I don't know if that question will be resolved here or not, it is just a question I have. I have definitely seen a movie that was this exact story. Now I must find it! Anyway, I really liked this story! I would like to know how the Sultana's story ends but I can go and read through that some other day.
1. Scheherazade - although the names are hard to pronounce, I am already engaged in this story! I feel bad for the fathers who have to lose their daughter, I feel bad for the daughters that have to lose their lives, and I feel a little bad for the sultan who was hurt so badly by a woman. But of course! There are two daughter but one must be more extraordinary than the other! It wouldn't be a fairytale otherwise! I am very intrigued as to how the telling of a story will get the daughter out of being murdered. Ah, she distracts him with the charming stories, very smart! This reminds me of another story I just read, but I can't remember the name...
2. The Story of the Merchant and the Genius - just by knowing the name of the next three stories, I know that I have already met the "first old man", the "second old man" and "the fisherman". I am both saddened and pleased that the man kept his word to go back to the genii to be killed. On one hand, he has to die. On another, he kept his word which I appreciate. I am also curious to see how long the daughter can keep up the stories and what will happen when she runs out or the Sultan becomes bored.
3. The Story of the First Old Man and of the Hind - Oh my goodness this makes my brain hurt... This is now a story in a story in a story. And I think I get what the old men are doing. If each man tells a story and the genii likes it enough to take away a third of the punishment, eventually the entire punishment will be gone! I am also getting the vibe that the stories of the old men are reflecting that of the Sultana.
4. The Story of the Second Old Man, and of the Two Black Dogs - I really enjoyed this story too! I am liking the running theme of people with good natures. But I REALLY want to know what the third story was! Though I like this transition between stories, I am so curious!
5. The Story of the Fisherman - Oh my goodness here we go again with the story-ception. I can't read these stories fast enough though, they are so good! They are so engaging I love it!
6. The Story of the Greek King and the Physician Douban - I am curious as to what the physician used to cure the King and I can not believe that we are going into ANOTHER layer of stories! I have lost tract of who is telling who what almost! I have never understood inception better than I do right now.
7. The Story of the Parrot; The Story of the Ogress - I find it so interesting that these characters are using stories to get their point across to someone else. I know that that isn't what is happening in all of these stories, but I think it is cool when it does happen. I got just a little confused when reading about the ogress. I thought the prince escaped but then the ogress was telling him how to get home? I don't understand why she would do that...
8. The Story of the Physician's Revenge - I am amazed that the physician, knowing he would die, also made sure that he took the king down with him. I wonder how the vizir feels knowing that the king still ended up dying! I know he was jealous of the physician, but I don't think he had intended to have the king killed. If only people actually kept their word as readily as the characters in these stories do... I was sure the genii was just going to kill the fisherman when he was released.
9. The Story of the Sultan and the Fish - I think if I was half stone I would be crying too... Even if the sight was so beautiful, I wouldn't be able to run around and that would be awful! GAH. Another story-ception moment. I groan about this, but I find it rather fascinating how easily these stories move in and out of each other. Each one has some underlying tone that is significant to whoever is telling the story.
10. The Story of the Young King and of the Black Isles - That was one of the best stories! Everyone who deserved to live did, everyone who deserved to die did, everyone who deserved splendid rewards did! It was beautiful! I can't wait to read the second half and find out what happened to the Sultana! I hope the Sultan gets some sense knocked into him and stops killing his wives.
11. Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 1 - When I was younger I saw a movie that was sort of like Aladdin, but just a little different. So far, this story is matching it almost perfectly! I wish I could remember what the movie was called... I want to know how the magician found out about Aladdin. I like how the genie came from the ring and not the lamp! But is there a genie also in the lamp?
12. Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 2 - The fruits turning to precious stones was in the movie too! I wonder what Aladdin is going to do with two genies! And if there could be a conflict between the two genies.
13. Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 3 - I feel bad for the genie having to do all of Aladdin's bidding but I do wonder which genie he is using. Does he only use one or does he switch back an forth? And what will the consequence be of using the genie so much. There are always consequences I feel like with that sort of stuff.
14. Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 4 - See! Consequences. Always happens with genies. I am not surprised that the lamp was stolen, or rather given away.
15. Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 5 - I don't understand why Aladdin had to give his clothes away in order to get kill the magician. It isn't a big problem to me, I just don't understand it. I am kind of glad to be rid of the magician though. He was irritating!
16. Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 6 - Will the princess still love Aladdin if he tells her that all of his wealth came from a genie? I don't know if that question will be resolved here or not, it is just a question I have. I have definitely seen a movie that was this exact story. Now I must find it! Anyway, I really liked this story! I would like to know how the Sultana's story ends but I can go and read through that some other day.
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