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

Reading Diary B: British North America

The link to this reading unit can be found here.


Turtle and Thunder

• Turtle in need
• "Let me see how you can fight"
• I like how it went from big animals you would expect to be able to protect the turtle, like the deer and bear, to a crowd of small turtles.
• The turtle decided the crowd of turtles will be most helpful to him
• His own crowd
• Crowd unfortunately killed by a stone
• Thunder Bird
• Reasoning behind why turtles stay in white during a thunderstorm
• Could add a female turtle for love story, change the plot around a bit

Coyote's Gifts

• "Powerful in magic"
• "The aurora is the light of Coyote's fire, shining through the ice, or the reflection of it cast by the ice."
• Word choice
• Coyote having the ability to create parts of the world
• Made different tribes to speak different languages
• Shape shift into a piece of wood
• Another story providing interesting reasoning for things

Wolverene and Rock

• "I can't walk, but I can roll."
• Rock is personified
• Funny story, I like the way the author wrote the story.
• I would probably expand on the story if I retold it 
• Add more background info

"Coyote Tule Lake"
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Reading Diary A: British North America

The link to this reading unit can be found here.


Raven and Moon Woman

• Stopping up every hole in the house
• "The box." This interested me. I might elaborate on this particular aspect
• Moon woman - guards moon, has a raven as a son - intriguing relationship choice. 
• "Turned himself into a raven"
• Switching between child and raven
• Fishermen saying what the Moon woman said at beginning of story
• I like the ending how the parts of the sky came to be are explained

Grizzly Bear and Coyote

• Opposing views
• The change between light and dark due to Coyote and Grizzly Bears very different songs.
• Came to a compromise 
• I think it's interesting how animals are characterized into being able to control such things such as light and darkness
• Feathers deciding how long a season is
• "Coyote saved the people from living in darkness, and from very long, cold winter."

Why the Sun is Bright

• Sad beginning..
• Sky Land
• The sun is personified
• Robe being the reason for the intensity of the Sun's light
• Interesting to read stories based on why something is the way that it is in the real world.

"Moon and Stars"
Source: MythFolklore 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

Extra Reading Diary: Eskimo Folk Tales

The link to this reading unit can be found here.

The Coming of Men, A Long, Long While Ago

• I like the beginning of the story -the first paragraph and how it was written. 
• "Earth, hills and stones, all fell down from the sky, and thus the earth was made."
• Focus on man being created
• Good visualization
• Intro of 1st person towards middle of plot
• "No day ever dawned"
• Intriguing take on the creation of men, dogs, children, women, death, light, etc. Nice read

The Woman Who Had a Bear as a Foster-Son

• Eskimo theme
• Interesting turn as she ate bear but once she saw the cub was alive she didn't immediately kill it but instead try to save it. 
• Bear gaining the mind of a human
• Deep "mother-son" type of relationship between the mother and the bear
• Had to let the bear go for his own safety

Isigâligârssik

•  Wizard introduced
• Singled out from hearing the wizard
• Very quick union between the girl and Isigâligârssik while in the house..
• Wondering why the wizard took away his wife
• Quick healing
• Wizard vs. Isigâligârssik

"Polar Bear"
Source: MythFolklore UnTextbook

Reading Diary B: Pacific Northwest

The link to this week's reading and my favorites can be found here.

Two Thunder Bird Stories

• "The beating of its wings was thunder. Its glance was lightning."
• How the simple touch of the Thunder Bird can create things so big.
• The Tinne
• Sacred Arrow is a cool touch to the story
• "The bird's wings darkened the sun. The flapping of its wings shook the earth."
• I like the descriptions of the birds
• Interesting how the Indians were said to be made from eggs

How the Ermine Got its Necklace

• Very abrupt how they just went and killed the porcupine when it didn't answer their question
• How pride got the best of one of the brothers.
• Monsters
• Thunder Bird reappearance
• Cool how the birds are the ones making the weather change
• Wondering why the boy kills all the birds. Fear?
• Didn't expect the other brother to have become an ermine.
• Saved the younger brother

Falls of the Willamette

• Not finishing what he started in many places
• I like how the Trap is given emotions
• Argument leading to use of spears

"Short tailed weasel ermine animal mustela erminea"
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Reading Diary A: Pacific Northwest

The link to this weeks reading and my favorites from it can be found here.

How Silver-Fox Created the World

• Silver-Fox and Coyote having issues
• Interesting how Silver-Fox came up with the idea to make a hole and climb down through it in order to live on the island below.
• Wondering how Silver-Fox made island larger
• Sunflower seeds
• "Silver-Fox did not reply" theme
• Silver-Fox seems very wise and it's interesting how he was able to make all that stuff and then send Coyote out to complete errands.

How Beaver Stole Fire

• Idea that animals and trees talked long ago before humans
• "secret of fire"
• I like how it tied in the pine trees that ran and all stopped in one place to the hunters hardly being able to get through the trees today. Cool connection.
• Beaver giving fire to different trees
• Nice how the moral relates to animals and Indians being able to get fire from the woods by rubbing two together
• Enjoyed this story, short but still told well

The First Totem Pole

• Wakiash - main
• The Raven taking him all around the world
• Animal clothes
• How the mouse turned and decided to help Wakiash
• Intriguing how the animals know what Wakiash is thinking 
• Goal- totem pole

"Beaver"
Source: MythFolklore Untextbook