Storytelling for Week 11: Before Guenevere

"Slow down, Arthur! Geez, you know I cannot ride as fast as you," Isabella said through shortened breaths.

"I'm sorry, love, but time cannot be wasted! I have to get this sword back to my brother before it starts."

Arthur had been sent to go and fetch Sir Kay's sword before the tourney began because his brother forgot it as he was in a hurry. Arthur gladly obliged, always happy to help out. He felt like he had a purpose going to retrieve the sword and he was proud of it. With Arthur was his love, Isabella. They had been together for a couple of years and it seemed that everywhere they went, they went with each other. They were always by each other's side no matter what.

When they arrived at the house, they found the door to be locked. Isabella tried the doors on each side of the house but those were locked as well.

"So what are we to do now, Arthur? Your brother needs his sword to fight in the tourney. He cannot just defend himself unarmed," Isabella said.

"I am not sure. I have to do something. I cannot fail him because he is counting on me..." Arthur responded.

Isabella shuffled around and kicked her feet at the ground trying to think of an idea. As she kicked at the earth, she noticed that she had pushed a rock towards Arthur. At that moment, she thought of something.

"I have an idea! I remember a couple of days ago seeing a sword at the churchyard. No one has attended to it for months. I am sure you can take it and Sir Kay can borrow it for the tourney. It most likely will not be missed."

At this point, Arthur was desperate to find a solution as the tournament was to start in thirty short minutes. He immediately agreed and he and Isabella jumped on their horses and rode to the churchyard.

Once there, he ran to the large rock that oddly had a sword stabbed into it and easily pulled it out. He then went to the tournament and gave the sword to his brother. Arthur's father, Sir Ector, noticed that the sword came from the sacred rock that no one had been able to get out.

"Wait one second, son. Where did you get that sword?" Sir Ector asked.

"I got it from the rock in the churchyard, father. I figured I could borrow it for Kay since the house doors were locked," Arthur responded.

"That sword. Whoever pulls that sword from the rock is said to be King! That is you, Arthur, you are the chosen one. The King!" Sir Ector rambled on and bowed.

"Huh?" Isabella said.

"What do you mean?" Arthur inquired

***********************************

Soon after, many things changed. Arthur found out that he was actually the son of Uther Pendragon, not Sir Ector, and became King of the country.

"What about us, Arthur? So you are just going to abandon me is that what you are telling me?" Isabella argued.

"I am sorry, Isabella. I am. But I have been tied to Guenevere. It is said that we are to be married. There is not much I can do about these things."

Since becoming King, Arthur had been obligated to marry princess Guenevere. The two families were very powerful and it was agreed that in order for the people to accept the King, he needed the right Queen on his arm to lead and do great things for the country.

"Fine, Arthur. Go ahead and marry that one who you do not really love. To be honest with you, I regret telling you about that sword. If I knew you would throw away our love like this I would have never gave you that idea. Consider this the last time you see me. Enjoy your new life as King." Isabella mockingly bowed at Arthur and left.

Arthur did not want to lose Isabella but he had a job as King. He had to protect his country and serve them the right way. He had no choice. Arthur truly wanted to yell at Isabella to come back and tell her how much he loved her. But instead, he put on his sword, placed his crown on his head, and sat on his throne. Tomorrow was a new day.

"King Arthur drawing the sword"
Source: MythFolklore UnTextbook

 Author's Note: For this storytelling, I based it off of the original story "The Drawing of Sword" (and small bits from the entire King Arthur story) from the King Arthur unit. In this story, King Arthur is sent to get his brother, Sir Kay's, sword from their house so that he could fight in a tournament. Once he got there he found the door to be locked and no way to get in. So, instead of going back empty handed he took the sword from the rock in the churchyard. Unbeknownst to him, this was the sword that determined who the new king of the country would be. Eventually Arthur found this out, along with the fact that he was a foster child, and became King. In my storytelling I decided to add a love interest. In the original King Arthur story, he gets married to Guenevere. I thought it would be interesting to have Arthur be involved with someone else before Guenevere (which is why the title of my story is "Before Guenevere")! Of course, since he was to be married to someone else, I sadly broke the relationship off at the end with a snippet of an argument between Arthur and Isabella.

Bibliography: "The Drawing of the Sword," by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford from King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table (1902).
Web Source: Mythology and Folklore UnTextbook

Storytelling for Week 10: The Turtle, The Girl, The Revenge

Ever since the powerful Thunder Bird caused the demise of his poor turtle friends, Turtle would always remain in the water during a thunderstorm. He didn't dare to leave when this weather event happened, for fear of encountering the Thunder Bird himself and meeting the fate of the late crowd of turtles. As soon as a thunderstorm would begin, Turtle would shuffle to the lake and there he would stay until it was over. Eventually, it became routine and Turtle became very used to it. It became as normal as eating.

One day while out on a beautiful, sunny morning, Turtle saw something nibbling at his usual eating spot. He shouted, "Hey! What are you doing there? That's my spot and that's my food!" 

He noticed that the figure turned out to be a female Turtle. She turned to look at him and replied, "Well, I apologize. I am not from here and I was just looking for a place to rest and eat! If you want me to leave, then I will." 

"Yes, I think that that would be best," said Turtle. After seeing and talking to her, Turtle began to develop some feelings. However, he was stubborn and pride got the best of him so he stood firm and stared at the girl, waiting for her to leave. 

Suddenly, thunder roared overhead and the sky that was once stunning and shining turned dark and gloomy. Turtle looked up and with immediate fear he exclaimed, "Oh, no! Another thunderstorm. I have to hurry and get back to the lake!"

The Girl Turtle asked, "What's the rush? It's just a little thunderstorm. Why are you hurrying off so quickly?"

"I must-I must go, I have to get back before-," mumbled Turtle.

"Before what?!" the Girl Turtle inquired. Curious, she followed Turtle to the lake that was not too far off. Turtle liked to keep his eating spot close by to the lake in case of incidents like this one. Turtle and the Girl Turtle waited out the thunderstorm. Once it was clear, they both returned to land. When the Girl Turtle asked what that was all about, Turtle reluctantly told her everything that had happened involving the Thunder Bird and his new friends.

"That's awful!" the Girl Turtle cried. "Why, we shouldn't let that dumb, old bird get away with that. We should come up with a plan to get him back. What do you say? You can't let that bird control you and keep you in fear for the rest of your life!"

"I guess you're right," said Turtle. "Okay, let's do it."

For weeks Turtle and his new friend became very close while devising a plan to take down their common enemy. They spent hours planning, perfecting, and practicing. Soon enough, their plan was complete and ready to be executed. With the help of some other friends, they got set up on a particularly rainy day. Turtle and the Girl Turtle stood by a very large tree which had a net concealed at the top and a rope that led from the net to them. Squirrel sat at the top of the tree positioning the net just right. From across the way, Bear stood at the top of a cliff, hiding behind a large rock. 

As soon as they heard the loud sound of flapping wings, the Girl Turtle yelled, "Hey, Thunderbird! Come fight me fair and square. If you're really so sure of your strength, fly down to my level and let's have at it!"

The Thunder Bird, always up for challenges, flew to the ground. With a menacing look on his face, he began to approach the tree where Girl Turtle stood firmly. Once he got close enough, Turtle released the rope, Squirrel stepped back, and the net felt over the Thunder Bird, trapping him. He struggled and screamed, furious at being tricked. Positioning himself just right, Bear pushed the rock from the cliff and it landed on one of Thunder Bird's wings. Thunder Bird screeched, managed to free himself from the net, and slowly took off. Turtle and the Girl Turtle thanked their friends for the help as they nodded and began to leave.

"So, should we return to the lake?" asked the Girl Turtle.

"No, I think I'd like to stay out here and enjoy the rain for a bit more, if you'd like to join me."

And so the Turtle and the Girl Turtle went off together and lived happily ever after as more than just friends. 

"Two red eared slide turtles.."
Source: Public Domain Images

Author's Note: The story that I retold this week is called Turtle and Thunder which is an Ojibwa legend. In the original story, a turtle living in a lake continued to get hit by something and didn't know what it was. So, he eventually went out and asked around for help from other animals. He asked a Deer and Bear to show him how they can fight. They both seemed an unworthy fit for the turtle because of little incidents. So, he asked again for help and a crowd of turtles came out to show him how they could fight as well. The turtle saw them able enough to protect him but when he returned to the lake, a big stone fell on the small turtles and they were killed. For this reason, Turtle decided to stay in the lake whenever there is a thunderstorm because he found out the Thunder Bird was the cause. In my retelling, I wrote it as sort of a continuation of the original story. In my story, Turtle meets a Girl Turtle and although he doesn't seem to want much to do with her at the beginning, they end up falling for each other in the midst of planning a way to take down the Thunder Bird. I wanted to add a female character to give the main character a love interest but still also having a resolution to the problem and helping Turtle overcome his fear as well.

Bibliography: "Turtle and Thunder," by Katharine Berry Judson from Myths and Legends of British North America (1917).
Web Source: Mythology and Folklore UnTextbook

Storytelling for Week 9: Coyote's Mistake

Silver-Fox and Coyote never really got along in the beginning. They had been living with just each other in the sky for some time now. Coyote was always jealous of Silver-Fox because he was able to make marvelous things that Coyote couldn’t. Silver-Fox was always experimenting here and there, taking trips to the land below the sky, and creating new things in the place that came to be known as the earth. Coyote always tried to make things himself, but he was never able to. He was envious and angry at the fact that he was not as talented. Each day the anger grew. 

Eventually, Coyote had enough. One day when Silver-Fox was preparing to make his trip down to earth to add another new creation, Coyote sneakily followed him down. However, Coyote had never been down to earth-he often just admired it from afar, too ashamed to actually step foot on the land where he couldn’t contribute anything. Silver-Fox didn’t notice he was followed until he reached his destination. Here, he had planned to create beautiful trees.

“Coyote, what are you doing here? You never come down here” exclaimed Silver-Fox.

“Yes, well, today I decided to come and see up close what you were up to,” said Coyote.

“That is fine, but I think that you should go back, you don’t belong here. You couldn’t possibly understand how important what I do is and I need to do it alone.”

“You think you are so special don’t you? Just because you can wave your arms around, do this and that, and create things. Well you’re not that special! I bet I could do your job a hundred times better if I had the ability to. You are just lucky, that’s all.”

“Maybe I am lucky, but I am also intelligent and creative. I get that you are jealous but now is not the time. And since you are already here, just stay back and be silent while I finish this up and then we can discuss this when we return to the sky.”

Coyote huffed and took a couple steps back. This was not over. He knew he had talent too, he just had to take an opportunity when he saw it. Today, this moment, was his opportunity. 

Coyote watched as Silver-Fox began to concentrate and prepare. Coyote began to do the same. Once Silver-Fox began to move his hands, there was a shift in the atmosphere. Gorgeous tall trees began to sprout from the ground, reaching towards the two animals’ home in the sky. Coyote knew this was his chance. He jumped in front of Silver-Fox, pushing him down, and began to move his hands like he watched his companion do. However, when he broke Silver-Fox’s concentration, a loud noise rippled throughout the sky and the trees caught on fire. Coyote gasped and jumped back, realizing what he had done. 

Silver-Fox immediately got up and began whispering and shuffling his hands around. By the time he had finished, the fire was gone, but so was he creation. 

“I apologize,” said Coyote, “I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

Silver-Fox was obviously angered but did not have the energy to argue at this point. 

“I know, I know. It’s okay,” Silver-Fox sighed, “I’ll just try again tomorrow. Let’s go home.”

"Silver Fox"
Source: MythFolklore UnTextbook

Author's Note: This week, I retold, and took my inspiration from, the story "How Silver-Fox Created the World." from the Pacific Northwest unit. In the original story, the author tells of a Silver-Fox and Coyote who live in the sky together during the beginning of time. The Coyote did not approve of Silver-Fox making things and Silver Fox, tired of Coyote, escaped to an island below. After apologizing, Silver-Fox let Coyote come down to the island and stay with him. Silver-Fox made the island larger and continued to create things. Eventually, he had created the entire world. In my story, the main setting and creation theme is the same as the original story. However, I took the fact that Coyote did not like Silver-Fox making things and turned it more personal. I based it off of the idea that Coyote was jealous of Silver-Fox. This jealousy he bore eventually led to Coyote following Silver-Fox to earth, starting up an argument, and soon enough essentially ruining Silver-Fox's tree creation. I thought the story was really interesting to read and I decided to take a certain part of it (Coyote disliking Silver-Fox's job), expand upon it, and add a small twist to it as well.

Bibliography: "How Silver-Fox Created the World" by Katharine Berry Judson from Myths and Legends of the Pacific Northwest, especially of Washington and Oregon (1910).

Web Source: Mythology and Folklore UnTextbook

Storytelling for Week 7: Love Lost, Love Found

I remember the day we fell in love. Everything felt different that day. The sky seemed bluer, the grass greener, and I, happier. Ky was the first man I ever really fell in love with. I had some boyfriends from the past, but that's where I intended to keep them-in the past. With Ky, all I saw was a future-a bright, beautiful, shining future. Every time we walked through the village together, hand in hand, I could feel people staring at us. Whether it be from happiness, envy, jealousy, or even disappointment, we didn't pay them any mind.

We were so young.

Our youth flowed through us and we took advantage of it, making the most of every day. We didn't care that people thought we were too young to feel what we felt. We loved each other and that's all that mattered. Besides, when you know, you know. Even if we were just seventeen years old, we knew we were soul mates destined to find each other and live the way were living right then and there. How are other people supposed to tell you when you should fall in love? How do they know your circumstances? How do they know your feelings? It doesn't make any sense if you ask me.

We were so young.

The day he told me he loved me was the best day of my life. Those three words jolted through me like electricity and made me feel so alive. I had been waiting such a long time to tell him I felt the same way and now I had the perfect chance. It didn't take me but five seconds to tell him I loved him too. We were so happy. Except when we weren't.

When I told him I was pregnant, he changed. He didn't seem like the man who had just told me he loved me a few short weeks ago. The longer he just stared at me, the more he became distant to me. I already felt our love and happiness slipping from between us. I fought until I had no energy left in me. And the day the energy left me, so did he.

I was so young.

I didn't have anyone to turn to. My parents made it clear that I couldn't keep the babies. There were three of them growing inside me. There was no way I would be able to support them on my own. I didn't know who or where to turn to. I had never been so scared in my life. When I gave birth to my three sons, so healthy and so strong, I knew I had no choice but to give them up. They deserved a better life than mine. They just deserved better. I left them at a stranger's doorstep praying hard that they would give my boys a good home.

And they did. The fate that brought us back together will always have me forever grateful. I remember walking through the village, alone, heading towards the market to pick up a few things. While there, I overheard an older lady smiling widely and talking about her triplet sons. Although having triplets was uncommon in our area, I still felt as though there was a small chance the woman was chatting about my babies. Something inside pushed me towards her to ask, though.

When I found out I was right, joy and sadness rushed through me. My boys adoptive mother and I talked for hours. I'm glad we conversed for so long because it gave me time to work up the courage to see them, as she offered. It had been over twenty years.

Now, today, I look to all of my three sons and not only see his face, but also the determination, compassion, and humor, of my past love. I also feel the hurt and pain but still each day I see them, a little part of that pain is eased. My heart grows, and the missing parts are now filled.

They are so grown.

"Village; photo by Dennett"
Source: MythFolklore Untextbook 

Author's Note: In this week's storytelling I decided to retell the story of "The Three Brothers" from the Stories from Congo unit. In the original story, it starts off by telling how the mother of three boys didn't want them and decided to leave them in the grass one day. The three babies looked for food on their own and eventually grew up to be strong and eventually built themselves houses and found themselves wives. Then, one day, the father of the three boys found them and told the mother. The boys thought she was an intruder and planned to kill her, but the river-spirit (who helped them to grow), told them that she was their mother and to take care of her instead since she was old at this point. Even though this story was short I really liked it and had an idea of how I wanted to tell it. The way I changed it up is that I tweaked small things here and there and decided to give the mother more of a voice. It tells of how she was young, in love, and how she eventually became pregnant. With every story there's usually more than one side so I wanted to tell the mother's side.

Bibliography: "The Three Brothers" by Richard Edward Dennett, from Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort (1898).
Web Source: Mythology and Folklore Untextbook

Storytelling for Week 6: The Letter

Anansi had been trying to kill Nothing for months. It was a weird kind of situation, you see, because these two used to be very good friends. But along the way Anansi had become very greedy and wanted not just some of Nothing's wealth and fortune, but all of it.

There was one particular incident that lead to Anansi's thirst for his friends blood. Metaphorically speaking, of course. Anyways, I'm getting sidetracked. That is besides the point. On a day that the two were walking through the town market together, Anansi had seen many beautiful women and asked that they switch clothes so that he can gain the affection of them. Nothing agreed, for it would only be for a short time. Anansi succeeded in his mission and had four beautiful women follow him home, two on each arm. Nothing, in all his rags, did not expect to find someone, but there he found his wife who loved him for him and not what he had. Nothing had never found someone so special.

However, upon finding that Anansi was poor, the women left him. He had found out that Nothing still got what he wanted even pretending to be poor, so he became envious. And not a simple kind of envious, but an envious that takes over your whole being and clouds your mind. This is what became of Anansi. All he wanted was revenge.

So, every few days, Anansi would subtly try to kill Nothing. Whether it be a slip of poison, a sly trap, or random arrows shot from a far distance. It is said Anansi became the most clever in these days, because he spent all his time thinking of creative ways to execute his mission. To his dismay, though, each of his plans was thwarted either by Nothing's wife, or the extra protection from guards she sought for them to have. Anansi grew to hate her too, for she stood in his way.

Every time Nothing had caught a glimpse of his friend turned enemy, he saw the distraught, the anger, the weeping in his eyes. He knew Anansi was lost and any slimmer of hope of him returning was lost too. But somewhere, deep down, Nothing knew Anansi had hated who had become. He could see his old self screaming for help. But, there was nothing anyone could do for he had chosen this path himself. Nothing felt sorry for him. He was angry at Anansi for a long while but that anger was eventually replaced by pity.

Not long after, Nothing had gotten news that Anansi had been killed. It was believed that he died from working on his dangerous new plan and a large amount of grief and sorrow. And after that, he had become just a small memory in many people's minds.

Except mine.

I guess this is less of a story than it is a goodbye letter. My dear Anansi, I forgive you my old friend. Sleep well.

Sincerely,

Nothing.

"A Yellow Rose"
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Author's Note: This week I retold the story of "Anansi and Nothing."  In the original story, Anansi convinced Nothing to switch him clothes so that he could pick up many wives. Nothing also picked up one wife. However when Anansi reached his home his wives found he was poor and eventually left him to stay at Nothing's palace. So, Anansi tried to kill Nothing and in time he succeeded by placing a trap (a hole filled with knives) outside of his house and luring him into it. In my retelling, I switched it around. Anansi is actually the one who gets killed and it was a result of his jealousy and envy. I also tried a new style of writing where it's third person but then in the very end it turn to first person revealing the identity of the speaker who turns out to be Nothing. I also added a yellow rose for my image because it's said that the yellow rose can represent friendship, which is what Anansi and Nothing used to be.

Bibliography: "Anansi and Nothing" by William H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair, with drawings by Cecilia Sinclair, from West African Folktales (1917).
Web Source: MythFolklore UnTextbook

Storytelling for Week 5: A New Start

Fayiz was unhappy. He had been noticing it along the way but today it really hit him harder than ever before. Things weren't the same and he knew they would never be the same from here on out.

"Fayiz, why won't you speak to me?" his wife inquired.

This had been going on for a while. The back and forth quarrels continued to increase as the days went on. He would usually take a small pause and then continue to argue with his wife. But now, he had grown tired of arguing, so he just said nothing instead. He kept quiet, hoping this would speak louder than any words he could've managed to utter. His wife stared at him a while, grunted and walked away.

At this point, Fayiz decided that enough was enough and went to his wife the very next day to end it. He simply explained that he was not happy with the situation and that they had been fighting for too long. Every fight their two boys would listen and watch and he didn't want that either. He felt that this was the best decision so he packed his things and left.

He wasn't sure where he was going but he knew he would figure it out as he went. For a while he went from town to town. He often stayed in small houses people would rent out for cheap and would take up quick jobs in order to get enough money to eat and survive. He didn't have much, but it was enough.

One day Fayiz was on his way traveling to yet another new town when he came upon a vast mountain area. He was very tired so he decided to stay the night there, under the protection of a big tree close by. When he awoke the next day he saw a beautiful girl standing above him, watching him. Startled, he jumped up.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Peri," she responded. "Are you lost?"

"No, I am not lost. I was just heading to a new town. I am sort of a drifter, you could say."

"Hmm. I see. But, strange man, why drift when you can comfortably stay in one place? Come with me. I live not far away. I can help you get settled and lead a normal, happy life."

Fayiz was not too sure about it, but he knew that he liked this mysterious girl. He somewhat hesitantly agreed upon her offer. There was something about her that he could not put his finger on but he knew he wanted to learn more about her and spend more time with her. Over time, they eventually fell in love and got married. It had been years since Fayiz saw his old family. He felt like a new person. He was happy again with his new life and new wife.

However, on one particular day, he witnessed something he had never seen before. As he was lying in bed, his wife got up and walked to the window across the room. He presumed that she thought he was still asleep, but he very much wasn't.

In the blink of an eye, wings grew from her back, she shrunk to the size of a faerie, and swiftly flew out.

Fayiz opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

Fayiz
Source: Mythology and Folklore UnTextbook

Author's Note:  For this story I decided to retell the story of Fayiz and the Peri Wife. In the original story, Fayiz was a married man who left his previous family, went to the mountains. fell in love with and married, a beautiful woman who was not human. She was a Peri-which is another word for fairie in Persian folklore. Eventually, Fayiz becomes unhappy once again and wants to go back home to see his other wife and two sons. His new wife, the Peri, agrees but tells him if he tells anyone her secret, he will never see her again and will only come into trouble. Well, Fayiz ends up breaking his promise of not telling and tells his old wife because he thought this would be best. Since he did, he never saw his Peri wife again and yearned for her. In my retelling I decided to give more of a backstory with Fayiz and his old wife and change the story up a bit but having him have an unhappy marriage and becoming happy again in his new life with the Peri. Then, at the end he randomly finds out that his wife is not human. I liked ending the story with a surprise because throughout the story one would never guess that his wife is not human although there is an inclination of something off from Fayiz's thoughts of her.

Bibliography: "Fayiz and the Peri Wife" translated by D.L.R Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer and illustrated by Hilda Roberts from Persian Tales (1919).
Web Source: Mythology and Folklore UnTextbook

Storytelling for Week 4: Consequence of No Good Deed

The lion and the crane never got along. The truth is, they just existed within the same area. The crane was very aware that the lion could hurt him severely, or even eat him, and for this reason he often kept his distance. However, today was different. As the crane felt a shift in the weather, the wind blowing cool around him, the sky a bit darker, he heard a quiet struggle not far off from where he was resting. The crane took flight, following the strange sound. Eventually the lion came into the crane's view. It was very apparent that there was something wrong with him. Curious, the crane flew in closer to the lion, making sure to continue to keep his distance.

The crane settled on a tree above the lion and asked him what was wrong. The lion grunted and explained to him that there was something stuck in his arm, something too large and too deep for his large paw to get out himself. He had been trying to get it out for hours before giving up and attempting to endure the terrible pain. After hearing this, the crane offered to help the lion on the condition that he does not eat him. The lion quickly agreed, eager to have the large object taken out of his arm and be relieved of his agony. So the crane slowly flew in closer and used his large, thin enough beak to get the object out. The thing causing the lion pain turned out to be a bone from meat he had been eating earlier that day.

Taking a deep breath and sigh of relief, the lion shortly thanked the crane and began to leave. The crane called out to lion asking what he would get in return for helping him. Turning around for a short few seconds, the lion reminded the crane that he spared his life by not agreeing to eat him. And, with that, he continued walking on.

However, this was not the last the crane and lion would see of each other. The lion seemed to get himself into all kinds of trouble pretty often. He was always needing, and seeking, help. Lucky for him, the crane was always around to help him out. Though, every time he helped the lion, he would ask for a favor in return, and the lion would just brush it off. On another gloomy day, the lion came into the worst trouble he had been in. He had gotten in an attack with another animal and he had many open wounds with various things stuck in them. Again, he had asked the crane for his help as he was certain he would not survive without it. The crane was near by, watching. As it appeared to the lion, he was no where to be found. Little time passed and the fate that the lion had predicted overcame him.

The Lion and the Crane
Source: Mythology and Folklore UnTextbook

Authors Note: For this retelling of "The Lion and the Crane," I chose to keep the main parts of the story the same, but I expanded on more aspects. I gave the story a little more of a background, edited parts of the plot, eliminated the dialogue and continued the ending. In this version, the lion doesn't get away with not returning any favors of the crane. He was selfish and sought help only for his benefit. So, in the end, this bad part of who he was, was what caused his ultimate demise.

Bibliography: "The Lion and the Crane" by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten, from Indian Fairy Tales (1912).
Web Source: Mythology and Folklore UnTextbook

Storytelling for Week 3: Captured by Circe's Magic

Hermes had given me the herb and just as it was powerful in it's abilities, I too felt particularly strong. The beautiful goddess, Circe, had taken many of my men and made them into her own personal pig pen. I was not going to fall into her trap and be made a fool of. Very thankful of Hermes, I reached the steps to Circe's house prepared for whatever she thought she had in store for me.

As quickly as I had knocked on her door, Circe answered, a large grin showing on her face. She welcomed me in warmly and innocently, as if that was her intention. I followed her inside and she led me to a big room filled with many trinkets and wonderfully crafted furniture. She sat down in an enchanting carved wooden chair with vines delicately weaved throughout the holes within it and motioned for me to sit across from her in an identical chair. As we sat, she called for her maid to bring us drinks. The maid brought us similar cups, but I knew my drink was different. Unbeknownst to Circe, I had eaten the herb to prevent her magic from affecting me.

I politely snatched the cup from the maid's hand, eager to feel the power of not absorbing the effects of Circe's evil magic. I thanked Circe and her maid for the drink and great hospitality they presented me with and easily drank the whole cup. As I was getting up to show Circe how she was not able to trick me, Odysseus, of many resources, scion of Zeus, and Laertes' son, I felt a shift within me. Confused, I examined myself just in time to see me changing. First, my hands, then my feet, and finally, the rest of my body. Immediately, I fell to the ground.

A pig! This evil woman, Circe, disguised in an attractive outward appearance had turned me into a wretched, dirty, pig! But how? I wondered. Just as my thoughts poured in to my mind Circe exclaimed how her maid was out gathering ingredients for the drink and saw my encounter with Hermes. Upon seeing this, she went back and told Circe, giving her the opportunity to add in more magic to make Hermes herb ineffective.

Frustrated, I began squealing, fighting and struggling against Circe as she carried me to the back of her house where I found the rest of my men hopelessly wandering around the yard. As she put me down, I yelled to my men telling them to gather around. Of course, Circe and her sly maid, were not able to comprehend the animal talk. This gave me the perfect chance.

"Listen up men, I came to rescue all of you with the help of Hermes, but Circe and her sidekick were able to get around my plan. She thinks she has won, but she has not. The maid heard the conversation between me and Hermes but left before it was truly over. As I will always do everything in my power to protect my friends, this situation is no exception. Hermes told me something else. With the help of all of us, I believe we can make it out by dawn. Here's the plan..."

"Circe, 14th-century illustration"
Source: Mythology and Folklore UnTextbook

Author's Note: This retelling is from the story "The Moly Defeats Circe," from Homer's Odyssey. In the original story, Circe, a goddess, turns all of Odysseus' men into pigs using magic. On his way to go save his men, Odysseus comes into contact with Hermes. Hermes gives him a herb that will stop Circe's magic from working on him. That way, Odysseus will not be turned into a pig, which will surprise Circe and lead them to making a deal where Odysseus' men are changed back into humans. However, in this retelling I decided to have the herb not work! I thought it'd be interesting to have it not go the way it was supposed to since a lot of the stories I had read went just how predicted. I think in this way, it gave the story a nice twist and would make the reader wonder how Odysseus would get him and his men out of the predicament. This story is just a part of a longer story line so that's why I decided to end it the way I did. The continuation could go anyway. They could possibly escape, or they could be trapped forever. Who knows! I also chose to add the above picture because it shows Circe and multiple men-turned-pigs just as in the original and in my retelling of the story.

Bibliography: "The Moly Defeats Circe" translated by Tony Kline, from Homer's Odyssey (2004).

Web source: Mythology and Folklore UnTextbook

Storytelling for Week 2: The Misfortune of Pyramus and Thisbe

Thisbe, young and beautiful, lived a very lonely life. She was an only child and lived with her parents in a rather big house in Babylon. It was very large. People would always walk by it slowly, staring at it in awe and admiring its massive size and delicate structure. Some would even dare to compare it to a castle. Although many people loved it from the outside, Thisbe grew to hate it from within. It was filled with many things, but she felt as though she was living in an empty space. She craved to travel to a different place filled with more possibilities. However, her parents would never allow this. They were very strict and protective of Thisbe.

One cool morning, Thisbe stared out of her bedroom window fantasizing about a life she believed she was destined to have. In the midst of her imagination running wild, she saw more people passing by. 

"Oh, great, more have arrived to admire something they know nothing about. If only they grew up in my position, they would know and they would soon grow tired of this place, too."

She continued to watch them, but something else grabbed her attention. Her eyes drifted to a young man. He caught sight of her and smiled softly. She let out a little gasp. His beautiful smile invited her. He was like no one she had ever seen before. As she was just making sense of this odd, but wonderful, connection with the stranger, he turned to leave, returning from the direction in which he came.

Thisbe, captivated by the man, ran downstairs, exclaiming to her parents that she was going for a walk as she moved towards the front door.

"Okay, but Thisbe, don't take too long. Be back within the hour," her mother replied.

Thisbe went outside, turning this way and that, looking for the mysterious man she had seen moments ago. She then spotted him, not far off, sitting under a tree. It was as if he was waiting for her to find him.

"What is your name?" Thisbe blurted out.

"Pyramus. And yours?" he replied.

"My name is Thisbe. I live in that house back that way. Where do you come from? You don't look familiar. I see a lot of people in this city but your face seems new."

"My family and I just moved here from Esar. My father was looking for a better job and thought he might be able to find it here. Personally, I was hoping to make some new friends here. Maybe you could be my first and possibly show me around?"

Without hesitation she replied, "I'd be happy to."

************

Thisbe and Pyramus spent a lot of time together. Thisbe began to take more "walks" as she would tell her parents. She was now also eager to run errands. Not long after, they fell in love. It was an inexplicable kind of love. A love so strong it could lift a thousand earths. They were sad to be apart but happy they were able to feel that for they knew their love was one that would last an eternity. 

Even sooner than they realized their love for each other, Thisbe's parents found out about them. They were quick to express that they did not approve of the relationship and would not accept it. Thisbe's father, especially, grew to hate Pyramus. Many arguments with Thisbe would lead to him losing his temper. Time and time again Thisbe would explain to her parents how she could not, and would not, stop loving Pyramus.

One day, after the worst argument she had with her father, Thisbe decided to pack her things and run away. She went to Pyramus' house and told him what had happened. Pyramus, always willing to stand by his love, ran away with her. They fled the city in search of a new life together.

************

It had been months since Thisbe and Pyramus left Babylon. Thisbe had heard talk of her parents trying to find her but she and Pyramus went far away to a city where they believe they could live together in peace. This peace that they hoped for, though, would soon come to an end. Thisbe's father became very worried, desperate and angry as he knew that his beloved, only child, had run away with Pyramus. So, he sent many men to find Thisbe and bring her back. But they were also under very strict orders to find Pyramus and kill him.

Late one evening, Pyramus left the house he and Thisbe were living in to get more food. Halfway to his destination some of Thisbe's father's men stopped him. 

"Where is she? Where is Thisbe?" the men shouted.

Knowing that the men meant nothing but trouble for her, Pyramus refused to respond. Without wasting any time, the mean began beating him up. He attempted to fight back, but to no avail. One pulled out a knife and stabbed him in his side. Pyramus lay on the ground, bleeding, and from the corner of his eye he watched the men storm off.

"I'm sorry my love," he whispered into the darkness.

As the night carried on, Thisbe became worried as Pyramus had not returned. She went to look for him and found him lying on the ground, dead. Realizing this, Thisbe, broke down and with tears streaming down her face took his body to a close friend of theirs who she knew might be able to help. Attempting to talk through her tears, she begged their friend, Theo, to bring Pyramus back. Through stuttered words and short breath, she exclaimed how she could not live without him. Theo was eager to help. He brewed a magical liquid and spread it across Pyramus' open wound. 

*************

Although it took months of waiting, Pyramus eventually woke up, and Thisbe was the first thing he laid eyes on. Knowing the danger they were still in, they immediately got their things together, thanked Theo, and fled to another city.

"Pyramus and Thisbe by Hans Baldung"
Source: Wikipedia Commons

Author's Note: I decided to retell the story of Pyramus and Thisbe (which can be found here). The original story tells of Pyramus and Thisbe, two characters that have fallen in love with each other but their parents denied their love and marriage. They decide to meet in the night one day, and Pyramus, believing a lion killed Thisbe, kills himself with his sword. Thisbe, completely fine, finds Pyramus and then kills herself with the same sword. I retold the story in a way that has a more positive ending, but still not a happily ever after as they are sort of "on the run," with no idea when the next group of men will come and try to kill Pyramus and return Thisbe to her parents. I personally really like romance stories like this one, so that's why I decided to retell it with my own touch. I liked the "Romeo and Juliet" aspect of the story and how they put their love above all else, but I wanted it in a way where they're still able to be with each other. Well, at least for a while. That's why I had Pyramus escape death in my storytelling!

Bibliography:

"Pyramus and Thisbe" translated by Tony Kline, from Ovid's Metamorphoses I (2000). Web Source: Mythology and Folklore UnTextbook  

Week 1 Storytelling: The Downfall of the Conceited Jackdaw

Somewhere far away there was a wide open space of land, with two large trees that were set close to each other. In one tree an Eagle was calmly resting with her children in his nest. In the other tree, a Jackdaw was also in his nest. The Eagle and the Jackdaw never got a long as the Jackdaw always attempted to cause trouble with the Eagle. He would challenge him, pester him, and cause all sorts of mischief. Even though the Jackdaw was smaller than the Eagle, he had a huge attitude.

On one cloudy day, the Jackdaw flew the short distance to the Eagles' tree where he and his children were minding their own business.

"Hey! Are you up for a little fun today?" the Jackdaw eagerly asked the Eagle.

The Eagle took a deep sigh and said, "Not today, Jack, not today. I'm really not up for it."

"Oh, come on. It's just a fun little challenge. Hear me out. I'm betting you can't go over there and pick that lamb up. I bet you're too weak just like everyone thinks you are!" said the Jackdaw. "I, on the other hand know I could easily pick it up!"

"Jack, I don't care. I don't want to do your little challenge."

"Ha! If it's so little then why not do it? Is it because you're too weak? Are you afraid of some competition? Are you afraid I will show you up?"


Usually the Eagle wouldn't give in to the Jackdaws numerous antics and challenges, but today he was fed up and decided to go about things differently in order to hopefully make living where he did calmer for both him and his children.

"Fine," the Eagle exclaimed.

The Eagle flew over to the lamb and easily picked it up. Seeing this, the Jackdaw scoffed and said:

"Pfft, that's nothing. That's too easy! Let me show you how it's really done. Let me show what real strength looks like"

The Jackdaw spotted a ram nearby and believed he could pick it up. He flew over to the ram and attempted to lift it. He pulled and pulled, but ultimately failed. Not only that, but he was stuck!

The Eagle, laughing, swooped up the Jackdaw and flew back to his nest where his children sat waiting for their father's return. The children saw their father with the Jackdaw and grew curious.

"Did you teach him a lesson, father?" one of them inquired.

"I sure did, son, and I hope you all will learn something from this as well."

"Western Jackdaw"
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Authors Note:

"The Eagle and the Jackdaw" is a fable telling the story of a Jackdaw who believed he was much stronger than the Eagle. He saw how the Eagle was able to pick up a lamb and thought he could do better. Therefore, he tried to pick up a ram but couldn't. Instead, the Jackdaw got caught up in the wool of the ram and the Eagle clipped the Jackdaw's wing, took him back to the Eagle's nest, and made a mockery of him to his children. I decided to put more of a background to the story and give the characters more of a voice. The way I remade it, readers can see more of the Jackdaw's vanity and how he got himself into that mess and how the outcome came to be what it was.

Bibliography:

"The Eagle and the Jackdaw" by Asop, from The Asop for Children (2006). Web Source: The Project Gutenberg Ebook