Week 14 Reading Diary B: Grimm Unit

The Queen Bee: I thought this story was interesting that the dwarf was the one who was able to complete all the tasks. If I were to write a Storytelling post over this story, I would write a story about someone who received help from other people who they helped in the past. I would also make it a more modern story so my readers would be able to relate to it.

The Twelve Huntsmen: When I read this story it immediately reminded me of Mulan because like the twelve girls, Mulan pretended to be a man so she could help her country fight in the war. This story also reminded me of Mulan because Mulan was injured and everyone found out that she was not a boy.

The Twelve Dancing Princesses: This story was honestly a little strange because of how the princesses would mysteriously disappear each night. I thought it was also weird that this whole world existed beneath their floor. I also thought it was sad that all of the previous men who tried to figure out where the princesses went each night had their heads cut off just because they could never figure it out. I also thought it was unfair that one of the princesses had to be married to the soldier even though she had a prince she liked much more.

The Willow-Wren and the Bear: This story kind of made me laugh when I started reading it because I honestly couldn't imagine insects, birds, and four-footed animals being at war with one another. I thought it was unfair that the birds and the insects won because they cheated. I wished the four-footed animals would have found out that insects and birds cheated so the four-footed animals could have won, or maybe they all would've given up on the war and would have all just apologized.

("Fairy Tales" by the Brothers Grimm, illustration by Otto Ubbelohde)

Week 14 Reading Diary A: Grimm Unit

The Frog Prince: This story was a little different than the story I've been told my whole life. I believe in the story I've been told the frog didn't turn back into a prince until the princess kissed him. I liked this version because even though the princess was reluctant, she still kept to her word. I think that if I were to write a Storytelling post based off of this story, I would write a story about someone who kept to their word even if they didn't want to.

Rapunzel: When I read this story I was afraid that it was going to have a sad ending. It's so sad that the enchantress wanted to keep Rapunzel to herself so badly that she shut her out from the rest of the world. I also thought it was extremely sad that the enchantress tricked the prince into thinking that Rapunzel was there just so she could punish him. I'm so glad that the prince eventually found Rapunzel and that they lived happily ever after. If I were to write a Storytelling post based off of this story, I would write a story about how good things can still happen to you even though bad things have happened in your past.

The Travelling Musicians: This story made me smile because animals that aren't supposed to like each other became the best of friends. I liked that they all found something that they had in common as well. This story reminded me of the movie "The Breakfast Club" because in "The Breakfast Club", a student from each social group in high school have detention together and in the end they all realize that they aren't that different from one another.

Briar Rose: This story was a little bit different from the original story I've been told all of my life. I believe in the story that I was told there were only four fairies instead of thirteen. I also think in the story I've been told that Sleeping Beauty was the only one who fell into a deep sleep for one hundred years. I don't think anyone else in the palace fell asleep for one hundred years. However, I like that everyone in the palace fell asleep for one hundred years because it made the story seem more mysterious.

("Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm", illustration by Walter Crane)

Week 13 Storytelling: Facing Your Fears to Accomplish Your Dreams

Natalie knew that she didn't want to live in Dallas her whole life and she was willing to do whatever it took to move out of the state to Chicago. She began to think about what she would have to do in order to establish herself in another state. Graduate from college, earn some money for the move, and sell some of her things.

She was the most worried about one of the courses that she would have to take before she could graduate from college. One of the courses that she still had to take was Statistics, and she had been putting it off until the last minute. She didn't understand math. It was like trying to understand a foreign language to her. However, Natalie knew that she couldn't continue to put off this class any more if she wanted to graduate.

On the first day of Statistics after class, Natalie approached her professor.

"Professor, I don't mean to keep you from doing what you need to do, but is there anyone you can recommend for me to seek tutoring from for your class?" Natalie asked.

Natalie's professor smiled and jotted down the name and contact information of the TA for the class before giving the piece of paper to her.

"Taylor would be more than happy to help you," he said.

The next day, Natalie called Taylor and scheduled a day each week that she could meet him for tutoring. By taking multiple practice tests and going over sample problems, Natalie understood Statistics more and more. Natalie took the extra step and spent many late nights in the school library studying for her Statistics exams. Natalie's hard work ended up paying off as she received a B as her overall grade for the semester. Natalie approached her professor on the last day of class.

Natalie's professor smiled as she approached him.

"For a student who struggled with math so much, I'm very impressed with your hard work this semester," her professor said.

"Thank you, Professor. If it hadn't been for your suggestion to meet with your TA I don't know if I would've done nearly as well this semester."

"Natalie, congratulations on graduating. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors," Natalie's professor said.

Natalie left her Statistics class for the last time grinning from ear to ear, and suddenly graduating in May and moving to Chicago seemed closer to her now than ever.

("Chicago skyline at dusk". Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Author's Note: I based this story off of "The Little Mermaid - Part 3" by Hans Chrisitan Andersen (1872). My story relates to "The Little Mermaid - Part 3" because Ariel, the youngest mermaid, was willing to do whatever it took to have the possibility of marrying the prince—even if that meant visiting the sea witch so she could help her out. Ariel greatly feared the sea witch because she thought she was scary and evil.
Like Ariel, Natalie was willing to do whatever it took to graduate and move out of state—even if that meant having to face her fears of taking that Statistics class that she had put off since she entered college. Like Ariel, Natalie was willing to put in some hard work even if that meant she could accomplish her dream. Just like Natalie had to suffer through weeks of tutoring sessions and many nights that consisted of long hours of studying, Ariel was willing to have her tongue cut out and endure the feeling of stepping on knives if that meant that she could have legs. Although the two girls went through completely different situations, they both learned that they could do whatever they wanted to do if they worked hard.

Week 13 Reading Diary B: Hans Christian Andersen

Little Mermaid - Part 1: I thought it was interesting to hear that each one of the sisters had a different perspective and experience of the world above. I think the youngest sister's experience in the world above will be very unique compared to her sisters'. I bet she will fall in love with a prince just like in Disney's version. I bet she will do whatever it takes to stay in the world above just so she can be close to him.

Little Mermaid - Part 2: I thought it was so sad that the prince never found out that the mermaid was the one who saved him. I hate that the mermaid went into a deep depression over a boy. That was a little silly. I'm really glad that she ended up telling her sisters about the prince, and I'm also happy that one of their friends was able to tell the youngest mermaid where he lived.

Little Mermaid - Part 3: I'm glad that the youngest mermaid's grandmother was able to give her some insight on how she could become a human. If I were to write a Storytelling post this week over this, I would write a story about how someone was willing to face their fears in order to accomplish their dreams and goals some day.

("The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen (1872), illustration by W. Heath Robinson)

Little Mermaid - Part 4: I thought this was a rather frightening scene to picture the sea witch's home. It all seemed so evil. I hate that the witch said that she would have to cut off the mermaid's tongue in order to create this potion so she would be able to walk. I haven't seen the Disney movie in a long time, but I think that the mermaid was turned back into her original form if she could not get the prince to love her instead of dying. 

Little Mermaid - Part 5: This part of the story was really depressing because I realized more and more how dumb she was for being willing to give up her own life just to have the possibility of marrying the prince. I wish she could tell him that she was the one who saved him, and then he might realize that he loves her more than anything.

Little Mermaid - Part 6: I knew the ending of this story was going to be much unlike the familiar Disney version. I had a feeling that the mermaid would end up dying instead of getting married to the prince. I feel so sorry for her, but at the same time I don't feel that bad for her. She knew that there was a great possibility of never being able to get married to him.

Week 13 Reading Diary A: Hans Christian Andersen

The Princess and the Pea: I was expecting this story to be unlike the original that I had heard since I was little. I think it's crazy that she was able to feel a pea under twenty mattresses! I can relate to the princess because I am unable to sleep that well unless I have just the right amount of pillows and blankets. I hope that she wasn't mad that the queen and the prince wanted to make sure that she was a real princess by possibly causing her to sleep terribly! I think a great Storytelling post for this week would be to tell a story about how someone couldn't sleep well unless they were at home.

("The Princess and the Pea" by Hans Christian Andersen (1872), illustration by Edmund Dulac)

The Emperor's New Suit: I was also expecting this story to be different from the version I have heard my whole life. I hate how the swindlers charged the emperor all of this money only to not give him any new clothes at all. I thought that was so rude that they used him! It seemed that all of the people in town couldn't see the new clothes so they were being tricked as well! I think a good Storytelling post for this week would be to tell a story about these two people who made a scam and tricked everyone in town. However, one of the citizens was brave enough to turn them in!

The Brave Tin Soldier: I had actually never heard of this story until now. I now know why I had never heard of it before. This story was incredibly sad. I thought it was going to have a happy ending when the soldier found out that he was back in the same home that he had lived his whole life. I thought it was also sad that the little dancer melted into flames as she tried to save the tin soldier. This story reminded me of Romeo and Juliet because I believe that the dancer and the tin soldier were star-crossed lovers as well.

Week 12 Storytelling: An Alternate Dimension

Kristen was sitting at the kitchen table and slowly started to doze off to sleep while she was working on her homework. In her dream, she saw a long flight of stairs and a door at the top. Nothing else was in the room, it was all blank.

"Should I really open that door?" Kristen thought as she stared at the door ahead of her.

"Eh, why not?" she thought as she started to ascend the staircase.

As she opened the door, she stepped right into her kitchen at home—the exact same place where she fell asleep.

Her sister was always the one who kept to herself while she was at home—she never came out of her room. She now looked at her sister in the kitchen as she was relentlessly telling her dad everything that happened during her day.

Her dad always fell asleep watching TV when he got home from work every day. It was 7 p.m. and he was wide awake and talking to Kristen's sister in the kitchen. Her mother was always the one who was talking to Kristen at night and was passed out, asleep on the couch.

"Is this real life? Can they see me?" Kristen thought to herself.

"Oh, hi dear," Kristen's dad said as he ran up and gave her a hug.

Kristen gave him half of a hug back as she looked around the room at the two of them in dismay.

"Kristen, come join us at the table. Your sister was just telling me a story about how her ACT went today," her dad said.

Kristen followed him to the table and took a seat across the table from her sister.

"Kristen, oh my gosh! It went so well, and if I didn't get a nearly perfect score I'll be shocked!" her sister said as she looked at Kristen as her whole face lit up.

"Oh c'mon, Kristen! Tell your sister how happy you are for her!" her dad said as he patted Kristen on the back.

Kristen congratulated her sister, but immediately thought about how she missed how things were back in reality. She loved getting to talk to her sister and her dad like she normally wouldn't get to at this time, but she really appreciated how things were. She began to realize how she took her real life for granted. She loved her family. She loved having to practically pry her sister out of her room and have one-on-one talks about what was going on in her life. She loved talking to her mom in the kitchen as she worked on homework at night. She loved occasionally watching TV with her dad and talking until he fell asleep. She so desperately wanted to be back in reality.

Kristen closed her eyes and focused on her one wish.

"Please send me back home. Please send me back home," Kristen said as she began to notice her dad and sister's voices blend together. The whole room felt like it was spinning around her. Kristen opened her eyes and peeled her face from her textbook below her. She was back at the kitchen table again.

"Kristen honey, I made you your favorite homemade pizza," Kristen's mom said as she placed the scrumptious pizza in front of her.

Kristen glanced around the house. She saw her dad asleep on the couch with the TV on and heard her sister upstairs in her room talking to one of her classmates on the phone. Kristen sighed.

Life was perfect.

(illustration by John Tenniel)

Author's Note: I based this story off of the story "Looking-Glass House" from Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (1871). When Alice steps through the mirror above the fireplace at her house, she finds herself in an alternate dimension. I kept my story close to the original in this way by having my character enter an alternate dimension. When Alice entered her alternate dimension, she met people and creatures she had never met before in her life. I changed my story a little bit by having my main character meet the people she knew so well, but they acted the exact opposite of how they normally did.
The only thing I did change from the original story to mine is that Alice woke up from her dream by shaking the Red Queen and turning her into her own cat from home. My main character woke up by wishing that she was back in reality. Although they were both dreaming, Alice and Kristen both dreamt completely different dreams. I thought it would be cool to write a story about an alternate dimension because I think we all wonder at some point in our lives if everything we knew and everything that happened to us was totally different.

Week 12 Reading Diary B: Through the Looking-Glass

My Own Invention: This story reminded me of taking care of a drunk person when you're completely sober. This story reminded me of that because of how the knight kept on falling off of his horse all the time, and Alice would have to help him back up. She was also very frustrated about having to continue to help him, much like someone is when they have to take care of someone who is drunk.

Queen Alice: This story reminded me of two siblings having a fight over who would get to hang out with their friend. This story reminded me of this because The Red and White Queen kept on bickering over Alice and wouldn't stop. They were also saying mean things to her with no concern over what they had just said.

(Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll, illustrations by John Tenniel (1871))

Shaking and Waking: This story reminded me of Beauty and the Beast. It reminded me of Beauty and the Beast because of all the items in the dining hall coming alive. It also reminded me of Beauty and the Beast because all of the items in the dining hall also began to talk. It's weird that this was all just a dream; I thought Alice had actually entered an alternate dimension. It's also comforting that her cat was with her all along during this dream. If her cat had been the Red Queen all along does that mean that her cat is evil?

Week 12 Reading Diary A: Through the Looking-Glass

Looking-Glass House: This story reminded me of girls playing with a dollhouse since Alice took control of the White King and Queen. This story also reminds me of experiencing an alternate dimension, much like Tris did in the Divergent series when she had to pass her tests. That would be a great Storytelling post for this week--to relate this story to the Divergent series or to girls playing with a dollhouse.

"Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll, illustrations by John Tenniel (1871)) 

Tweedledum and Tweedledee: This story reminded me of the Weasley brothers from Harry Potter. Tweedledee and Tweedledum immediately reminded me of them because they seemed to be tricking Alice into not giving her the correct directions. The Weasley brothers were always up to no good; they were constantly tricking Ron and their peers and getting into trouble. That would be a great Storytelling post for this week--to relate this story to a story about the Weasley brothers!

Humpty Dumpty: It was so cool to read the original story of where the famous Humpty Dumpty rhyme came from! I didn't realize that Humpty Dumpty was so rude before I read the story as I do now. I imagine the heavy crash at the end of the story meant that Humpty Dumpty fell down from the wall and that the king and his men were coming to get him. I wish Humpty Dumpty wouldn't have been so rude to Alice! If I were to base my Storytelling post off of this story, I would write a story about how someone got what they deserved.

Week 11 Storytelling: The Girl Who Proved Them Wrong

One day as Tara was sitting outside on a hot summer day, she began to think about her future. She didn't actually know what she wanted to do with her life, but she knew she didn't want to live in Oklahoma her whole life. She knew that for sure.

Over the next couple days, Tara began to think about what she really wanted to do in her life. Her mom and dad always told Tara how great her writing skills were. Tara loved writing, but she didn't feel like that was something she wanted to do her whole life. She wanted to do something different---become a nurse. And that's when it hit her.

Tara rushed downstairs and saw her mom and her brothers sitting at the kitchen table.

"Guys, I've figured out what I want to do with my life! I want to become a nurse!" Tara exclaimed as she looked at her family members. Her brothers busted out laughing.

"You can't be serious! Tara, you're so afraid of needles and blood that you faint when you see either one of them!" Derek, Tara's younger brother, said as he laughed.

"At the sight of my own blood or when someone is giving me a shot! That's different!" Tara almost yelled.

She looked at her mom for reassurance, but she was looking the other way.

"I can't believe you all. One day I'll prove all of you wrong and then you'll be sorry for what you said!" Tara yelled as she stomped up the stairs and ran to her room.

Over the next few days, Tara moved out of her parent's house without their permission. She was eighteen years old and she could do what she wanted. Tara moved in with her friend Emily and began to search for good medical schools. As Tara was researching universities, the University of Wisconsin caught her eye. She quickly filled out the application and waited a couple months to hear from them. And sure enough, she got accepted.

("Bascom Hall on the UW Madison campus in Madison, WI". Source: Flickr)

Tara packed up her bags and left for Wisconsin. She was leaving everything she knew behind in Oklahoma, but she felt like this was going to be good. Over the next four years, Tara was making As in all of her classes and was recruited to be a heart nurse at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota following graduation. She quickly moved up in the ranks and was given a head nurse position. How well Tara took care of patients over the years was admired by many of her coworkers.

One day after a long shift at the clinic, Tara received a letter from her family back home. They had heard that she received the head nurse position at the clinic and wanted to congratulate her. Tara hadn't talked to them in years. Tara smirked when she read the end of the letter. She wondered if she should reply to them or not. She thought back to the day she told her family she wanted to be a nurse and they all laughed at her.

"You can do anything you set your mind to do," Tara thought.

Author's Note: This story is based off of The Drawing of the Sword from King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang (1902). In The Drawing of the Sword, everyone in England was told that if they were able to draw the sword from the stone that they would become the King of England. Many men tried but were unable to do so. One day, Arthur was told by his father, Sir Kay, to find his sword that he had dropped. Arthur couldn't find it, but he saw the sword in the stone. Arthur pulled the sword out of the stone with such ease and brought it to his father. All of the men were in shock that a little boy could have pulled the sword out of the stone when all of them couldn't. Even though the men were in complete shock, they watched Arthur pull the sword out of the stone again. Still in shock after watching him pull the sword out of the stone themselves, they made Arthur the King of England. This relates to my story because Tara's family doubted her that she would become a nurse and she ended up proving them wrong in the end!

Week 11 Reading Diary B: King Arthur

Sir Lancelot's Vision: This was a very sad story because Sir Lancelot was asked to leave the chapel. This story did remind me of the bible though. I thought the Holy Graal resembled Jesus Christ in this story because the sick knight was immediately healed when he approached it. I believe there was a story in the Bible where a blind man was able to see when he approached Jesus.

The Adventure of Sir Percivale: It made me sad that Sir Percivale wasn't able to catch the knight, but I am glad that he helped the lion escape the snake. I wonder if the woman who approached him in the middle of the night was an angel or a spirit? I would assume so because she appeared out of nowhere and brought Sir Percivale a horse that was majestic-looking. I am glad that the lion thanked Sir Percivale for killing the snake by returning to him. I thought that was very considerate of the lion.

Sir Lancelot and the Five Hundred Knights: This story was a bit confusing to read at first, but I think I now understand the moral of the story. Many of the things that we encounter as humans on earth are tempting, but we must remember what our God we worship would do in our situation. We must remember that we as humans are meant to sin. I hope Sir Lancelot realizes that what he did was wrong, that he should have helped the white knights instead. We all learn from our mistakes, and I hope Sir Lancelot works on becoming a better person in the future.

Sir Galahad and the Mysterious Ship: This story immediately reminded me of "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" when they journeyed to the Fountain of Youth. It reminded me of the Fountain of Youth because of the whirlpool and two rocks. This story also reminded me of "On Stranger Tides "because Percivale's sister had to die in order for another woman to live. In "On Stranger Tides", Blackbeard had to die so his daughter, Angelica, could be given more life. This would be a great Storytelling post for this week!

("Sir Galahad" by Arthur Hughes. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The End of Arthur: This story was so sad to read; I felt like everyone I somewhat cared about in the King Arthur Unit died! I feel like I kind of lost a good friend when I read about King Arthur's death. I feel like what Harry, Ron, and Hermione must have felt when Professor Dumbledore was killed. I think it would be interesting to find out what the people did without a king. Who ended up becoming the new King of England? Who decided who the new king would be? That would be a great Storytelling post for this week!

Week 11 Reading Diary A: King Arthur

The Drawing of the Sword: I think this story would be a good one to write my Storytelling post off of this week. I could write a story about how a kid did something that no one thought he could do and that they all ended up being really impressed by him because of this. I think that would relate to this story because no one thought Arthur could pull a sword out of a stone; he was just a boy.

(illustrations by H.J. Ford (1902))

The Round Table: It's interesting that Arthur made both a man and his son knights so he could fill the two empty slots at the round table. I also thought it was a generous gift that the other king gave King Arthur the round table in exchange for marrying his daughter. I thought that was a very nice thing for him to do. 

King Arthur and Morgan le Fay: I thought it was sad that Morgan le Fay was trying to kill her own brother, King Arthur, for killing someone she loved. Couldn't she be the better person and forgive him? This story reminds me of Game of Thrones with all of the betraying of one's own family. I think that would be a great Storytelling post---to relate this story to Game of Thrones. 

The Quest of the Holy Graal: The Holy Graal reminds me of Lord of the Rings since pretty much everyone fought over this ring---to find it because it had magical powers. In fact, they would almost do anything to be able to be the keeper of this ring (just like The Knights of the Round Table). That would be a great Storytelling post---to relate this story to Lord of the Rings. 

The Coming of the Holy Graal: Again, this story greatly reminds me of the Lord of the Rings because all of the knights went their own separate ways in order to find the holy graal; they did not want to go looking for it together. I can understand why King Arthur was sad. He was sad because all of his knights decided to leave him to look for the holy graal. 

Week 10 Storytelling: The Girl Who Ignored a Severe Weather Warning

It was a dark and stormy night and Kate was at dinner with her parents. She knew that the weather was supposed to get pretty severe that night, but she wasn't worried. Her parents decided to take her to dinner at their favorite Chinese restaurant. Just after Kate and her parents had received their food, the owner of the restaurant turned the TV on to the news.

Kate heard the meteorologist say that everyone in the Kansas City area needed to take cover as a EF-4 tornado was about to move through the city. Soon after they had watched the meteorologist on TV, Kate heard the tornado sirens in the area begin to go off. Kate didn't worry. There had never been a tornado that had touched down in her hometown ever since she was born. Kate was pretty sure that they were going to be okay, but she had a weird feeling about this storm this time.

"Mom, are you sure we shouldn't take cover?" Kate asked her mom.

"Kate, I'm sure we'll be fine," her mom answered back.

After dinner, Kate and her parents returned home. Kate began to receive an influx of texts on her phone asking if she was okay during the storm. A tornado had just touched down in one of the towns right outside of Kansas City. Kate found out on social media that several people she went to high school had just lost their homes, their cars, everything. Kate was in total shock. She texted anyone in the area that she knew to make sure that they were okay. She was going to have to rely on social media for the rest of the people she knew.

("Dimmitt Tornado1-NOAA". Source: Wikimedia Commons)

That next morning, Kate learned that everyone she went to high school with was safe. The Kansas City area came together to donate clothes, food, gift cards, and many other things that victims of the tornado could need. People donated food and towels to animal shelters and posted pictures of animals they found in the debris of the damaged neighborhoods so they could be reunited with their owners.

As Kate watched the news and saw interviews of survivors of the tornado, she truly realized how lucky she was to still be alive. She began to realize the things that truly matter in life---to enjoy every day in life because you never know when that day might be your last. To hug your family members and friends and tell them how much you love them. Kate also knew that she would never take a severe storm lightly again.

Author's Note: I based this story off of two things: my own personal experience and "The Woodpecker's Stumpy Tail" from When The Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends retold by Florence Stratton (1936). Over this past winter break on the day after Christmas, my hometown was hit by a tornado. People I knew lost everything they had--and what really hit everyone the hardest was the fact that it happened the day after Christmas. The victims of the tornado had just spent the previous day with their family members and friends. Little did they know what was about to happen that next day. I remember that night when the sirens went off I wasn't worried at all because attending OU I learned that tornadoes occurred every May like clockwork. Needless to say, I will never take a severe storm lightly ever again.
This story was also based off "The Woodpecker's Stumpy Tail" from the Tejas Legends Unit. In this story, a frog warns the birds and the indians that a flood is coming. The woodpecker and the indians didn't listen to him. Many of the indians died and the woodpecker ended up getting his tail bitten off by a fish because he was too close to the water. Needless to say, being so close to a severe storm will teach you to listen to warnings in the future!

Week 10 Reading Diary B: Tejas Legends

Why Hummingbirds Drink Only Dew: I thought it was interesting that the indians have an answer for why the hummingbird only drinks nectar from flowers. I thought it was foolish of the hummingbird to assume that the heron could not fly in the dark as well. I like that the hummingbird has forever kept to his word to not drink from any bodies of water. I think that shows that the hummingbird has strength.

("Hummingbird". Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Old Quanah's Gift: I thought it was sad that Quanah could no longer fight with his tribe, but I thought it was incredible that he spent his whole life making this special blanket. I thought it was very kind of the tribe to want to give it to Quanah, and it showed that Quanah still cared a lot for his people when he gave them the fire wheel flower. 

Maidens Who Broke a Drought: I thought it was disturbing that the medicine man said the only way to end the drought was for the maidens to be eaten by the chief of the snakes. It made me cringe reading about them lining up and jumping off the side of the cliff. I thought it was nice for the goddess to turn them into flowers instead of letting them die. I am glad that the chief of the snakes was afraid of this because I didn't think he sounded that nice to begin with. 

The Cottonwood Remembers: I thought it was rude that the owl decided to attack the pigeon because he thought that they were talking to him. I thought it was rude for him to kill the pigeon. The pigeon didn't do anything to him and it was just a misunderstanding! I thought it was fair for the Great Spirit to make the owl blind during the day as his punishment. I also thought it was fair for the Great Spirit to make the loon only able to swim at night alone. Those who laugh and make fun of others are often suffering themselves. 

Why the Dog's Ears Flop: I thought it was mean that the wolves decided to pick on the dog since they used to be friends. I also thought it was rude of the indians to beat the dog to the point where he became weak and ashamed. I wished the indians would have given the dog a chance to tell them what had really happened. 

Week 10 Reading Diary A: Tejas Legends

When the Storm God Rides: I like how this story told how the islands on Texas's coast were formed. I also like that the Storm God created the islands as a safe haven for the birds to be able to escape the indians. I thought that was nice of him. I also thought it was interesting that the indians were afraid of the Storm God's bird even though they killed smaller birds themselves. I also thought it was interesting that the indians think that the Storm God's bird takes the shape of a hurricane. That is so scary!

(illustrations by Berniece Burrough)

Why the Woodpecker Pecks: I thought this story showed how stupid people can be when they get addicted to drugs. They forget about everything else in life and just focus on how they can get more of the drug. I think this would make a great Storytelling post--to tell a story about someone who gets addicted to drugs and forgets about everything else around them. I also thought it was a good punishment for the god to turn them into woodpeckers. However, I thought it was mean that the god to this day still keeps the indians' children away from them. I think the parents should have been given a second chance to make things right.

The Woodpecker's Stumpy Tail: I thought it was interesting that the woodpecker has a stumpy tail because it got bitten off by a fish. I thought it would have been wise for the indians and the woodpecker to listen to the frog like the other birds. I bet they will listen next time they hear the frog say that a flood is coming! If I were to use this story for my Storytelling post this week, I could tell a story about a natural disaster that struck and no one listened to any of the warnings about it.

A Tribe That Left Its Shoes: I thought this was a sweet story in the end. It was horrifying to picture the indians' island literally collapsing underneath them and the people losing their homes. I thought it was sweet that their moccasins that they left turned into orchids so the young tribe members could find their way back to the island when it came back. If I were to use this story for my Storytelling post this week, I would base it off of Hansel and Gretel because they left a trail of crumbs so they could find their way back home just like the indians did.

The Swift Blue One: I thought this story was really a story about a horse that could not be tamed. I think that if I were to use this story for my Storytelling post, I would tell a story about how someone couldn't change the way they were. I think this story is important because it shows that sometimes you just have to let things go and accept the way they are.

Week 9 Storytelling: A Night Out, a Test, and a Mom's Advice

One day after Audra got home from her college classes, she got a text from one of her best friends asking if she would want to go bar hopping that night. It was a Wednesday night, and she had a test in her 9 a.m. the next morning.

Audra went downstairs and told her mom that she was going to go out with her friends that night.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Audra. You have a class early in the morning and staying up late means that you might miss your class tomorrow," her mom said.

"Mom, I'll be fine. I'll just drink some coffee before I head to class tomorrow," Audra assured her.

Audra didn't want to miss out on tonight. She would be seeing friends she hadn't seen in years.

Against her mother's advice, Audra left the house around 9:30 p.m. and didn't return until 3:30 a.m.

When she got back to her house, she started to feel nauseous and dizzy. She laid down on her bed and forgot to set any of her alarms for the morning.

When she awakened the next morning, she peered over at her alarm clock. The numbers read 11:13.

("Alarm clock". Source: Pixabay)

"Oh no! I've missed my class! I've missed my test that I had today," she thought as she ran downstairs.

Audra knew that her professor had strict rules about exams. If a student missed an exam they weren't allowed to make it up.

She ran down the stairs and found her mom working on her work in the living room. Audra's mom pushed her glasses on her nose and glanced at her daughter coming down the stairs.

"Audra, I told you it wasn't a good idea for you to go out last night," she said as she typed on her laptop.

"Yes, mom, I know you didn't think it was a good idea. But I knew if I stayed home last night that I would miss out on seeing friends I hadn't seen in years," she said.

Audra pulled out her laptop to email her professor to see if there was any way that he would let her make up the exam.

"I should have listened to my mom when she told me not to go out last night," Audra thought as she emailed her professor.

Audra never got an email back about making up her exam from her professor, but despite receiving a zero for her test, she ended up passing her class at the end of the semester. Audra never went out on a night before a test ever again.

Author's Note: I based this story off of Coyote, Tortillas, and Mesquite Beans  from Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest by Katherine Berry Judson (1912). In this story, a coyote decided that he wanted to eat a black bug and mesquite beans after the Elder Brother advised him not to do so. The Elder Brother told the coyote not to eat the black bug and the mesquite beans because they were the only things that survived after the flood. The coyote ate the beans and the bug, even though the Elder Brother told him not to and ended up dying because of that. I wanted to tell a story that was similar but not as harsh. In my story, I didn't want the main character to end up dying because of her choices, but I wanted her to learn a lesson from her decisions. I also changed the main characters in my story to be a girl and her mom instead of animals so my readers could relate to my story. I also wanted tell a story about something that most of us college kids can relate to. I also think a lot of us can relate to going against our parents' advice and then realizing that they were right in the end.

Week 9 Reading Diary B: California and the Old Southwest

Origin of the Sierra Nevadas and Coast Range: I thought it was interesting that the Yokuts have origin stories for how the mountains were created on the west coast. The bible doesn't have any explanation for any mountains (at least I think), so it was interesting to hear how they were created. I kind of thought it was mean that Hawk put his mountain range where Crow's was, but I guess Crow didn't mind that much.

Legend of Tu-tok-a-nu'-la (El Capitan): I thought it was cool that the worm was the only one who could reach the top of the rock. I bet all of the other animals were taken back by that. I also thought it was weird that the boys continued to sleep while the rock grew taller and taller. You would think that they would have realized this and would have tried to cry for help to their tribe below.

("Yosemite El Capitan". Source: Wikimedia Commons) 

The Boy Who Became a God: It's weird to me that when the young boy tried to kill one of the sheep that he couldn't. It was also weird to me that his brothers told him to kill one of the sheep. Did they know that they were gods so they could trick their little brother? I also thought it was weird that when the young boy tried to kill one of the sheep that they wanted him to come learn from them. Why would you be so kind to someone who just tried to hurt you? I bet when he came back his brothers thought he was now a god and they worshipped him. I bet a lot of people didn't believe that the young boy lived among the gods for such a long time.

Origin of the Raven and the Macaw: I thought it was so fun to read about the origin story of two birds, especially the macaw. The macaw is such a colorful bird, and I think it is one of the prettiest birds. I think this story discusses the famous saying: "slow and steady wins the race" because the people who waited got the macaw eggs. I think if I were to do a storytelling post based off of this story I would write a story based off of that saying.

How the Bluebird Got its Color: I thought this story was really interesting because I got to find out why the bluebird is the color blue. Was it named something else before it became the color blue? I figured that the Coyote would be envious of the bluebird for its beautiful color. If I were to write a storytelling post over this story, I would write something over how the Coyote was too busy wondering if people noticed its blue coat that it kept on running into stumps and getting dirt on itself. Life won't go well for someone if you are too focused on what people think of you.

Coyote's Eyes: I thought it was rude that the Coyote thought he could boss the bird around. I was kind of shocked to find out that the bird would follow the Coyote's orders over and over again. I was a little disturbed that both the bird and the Coyote took out their eyes so they could have brighter ones. I also thought it was cool to find out why the Coyote's eyes are yellow. If I wrote a storytelling post over this story, I would write a story about how it is not good to depend too much on others because they will become tired of you.

Week 9 Reading Diary A: California and the Old Southwest

Three Coyote Creation Stories: I think it's interesting that the indians of the Southwest credit the Coyote for the creation of the earth. It reminds me of Christianity since only one being is credited for the creation of the world as well. If I were to do a storytelling post off of this story, I could relate it to Noah and the Ark, since in this version, the coyote was the only person left after the flood. Noah, his family, and all the animals he saved were the only ones left after the Great Flood.

The Creation of the World: I thought it was interesting that the Pimas say that the name of their creator is Earth Doctor. I also thought it was interesting that he made the sun and the moon both from ice. It's weird that something that is so hot could be made from ice. I think if I were to make a storytelling post from this story I would talk about how God created the galaxy, but I would put a spin on it.

(Perseid and Milky Way. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Creation of Man: I thought it was funny that the animals argued as to what humans should look like. I also thought it was funny that each of them thought that humans should look like them. I admire the Coyote for thinking that humans shouldn't look like any of the animals but should have some of each of their characteristics. I thought it was rude that the Coyote threw water on all of the other animals' models, but I also thought the Coyote had the best looking model for what humans should look like. 

The Fable of the Animals: I thought Coyote deserved to get the last stick because he tried to stay up all night just so he could be the first one to meet the human. I also thought it was very nice of the human to tell Kareya that the Coyote should be given more than the shortest arrow. I thought it was also nice that the Coyote felt like he had to repay the human by being nice to humans for all of time. I think if I were to write a storytelling post about this story, I would relate it to some story where someone felt like a person was given less than they deserved. 

The Course of the Sun: I think it's interesting that the Pueblo indians believe that the creator of the world is a spider and the sun is his son. I also thought it was fun to learn that the sun's east to west path wasn't his original path in the sky. I also thought it was fun to learn that the reason why people can't look at the sun is because he has hair that moves like fire. If I were to use this as a storytelling post, I would talk about how the sun and the moon collided in their paths back in the day and had to figure out different paths to take so they wouldn't collide in the future. 

Coyote, Tortillas, and Mesquite Beans: I wonder if Elder Brother is the creator of the world to the Pima indians. I also wonder how the Coyote was able to continue to live after he drowned. I thought it was very foolish of him to eat the black bug and the mesquite beans after the Elder Brother told him that he shouldn't. I also thought it was rude of the lady to purposely trick the Coyote so he would drown. Even if someone is mean to you, that doesn't mean that you should be mean to them back! If I were to use this story as a storytelling post, I would tell a story about someone who did something even though someone warned them not to do it and they suffered anyway. 

Weeks 9 & 10 Future Reading

I really like Tejas Legends. Even though I grew up in Texas, I've never heard of how Texas actually got its name. I've also never heard of the Tejas Indians so I thought it would be cool to research more about their background before I read this unit. I am really excited about learning more about my home state!

(Source: The UN-Textbook)

For my second choice for my Native American reading, Alaskan Legends really stuck out to me. I've never heard any stories about Alaskan Indians, so I feel like learning something new this week would be really good for me! The Raven Myth and the Origins of the Winds stories sound like fun to read!

Here are my blog ideas

I really liked Austin, Ashley W., and Sarah's blogs. What I noticed about all of their blogs that I liked is that they all have simple images for their backgrounds and used font colors that compliment their background images well. I've learned that I don't like blogs that have bright colors. For some reason when I see blogs that have bright colors it makes me squint at the screen when I have to read their stories. I think I will look at my blog again and make sure that my font color compliments my background image nicely. I really don't want to change my background image since it goes with the Harry Potter theme of my blog!

Here below are the links to Austin's, Ashley W.'s, and Sarah's blogs.

Austin: http://austintfreeman.blogspot.com

Ashley W.: http://myth33ou.blogspot.com

Sarah: http://trapps-myth-folklore.blogspot.com

Always Running out of Time

I desperately need to make a new plan for this class! I've found that I don't use the schedule I originally made at the beginning of the semester. Below is my new plan:

Tuesday: 1 hour

Wednesday: 1 hour

Thursday: 1 hour

Sunday: 3 hours 

I've learned from this class that I shouldn't wait to put off the project assignments until last minute! I always underestimate on how much time my Storybook assignments will take and I always end up racing the clock. That is terrible...especially when I want to make sure that my Storybook assignments are the best they can be when I turn them in. I definitely want to work on managing my time better for the second half of the semester, especially with the growing amount of Storybook assignments! I also want to work on trying different styles of writing for my Storytelling posts. I hope I am able to manage my time better the second half of this semester!

I also really connected with this motivational poster. 

(Time management. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Time really is our most precious resource. We can either spent it wisely or abuse it and lose it!

Week 7 Storytelling: Defense Against the Dark Arts Lesson: Bogarts

Ron thought about yesterday how he, Hermione, and Harry all got detention for using magic on Professor Snape. They were all punished because he and Hermione got Harry out of detention so he could study for the Triwizard tournament.

Ron shook his head. He knew that if they used magic on a professor again, they would all get banned from Hogwarts.

He heard Snape's voice in his head say, "If you do it again, you all will be EXPELLED!"

Ron couldn't allow himself to get banned from Hogwarts. His mum and dad would be so disappointed in him.

Today in his Defense Against the Dark Arts Class, Ron was going to have to face a bogart. A bogart is a shape shifting creature and will turn into the thing you are the most afraid of.

Ron just hoped that it wouldn't be a spider. He hated spiders, and if the bogart turned into one he wasn't sure what he'd do.

He caught up with Hermione and Harry right before class.

"Hermione, I'm scared for today's lesson...what if the bogart turns into a spider when I approach it?," Ron asked as he sounded frightened at the thought.

"Oh, Ron! You can't just live your life in fear! You're going to have to face your fears eventually.," Hermione said.

"Yeah Ron, who knows what the bogart could turn into for me, but I'm just going to have to face it when I get there.," Harry said.

Ron, Harry, and Hermione took their seats in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Ron felt his palms start to get really sweaty at the thought of that bogart turning into a spider.

("Defense Against the Dark Arts Classroom" Source: Flickr)

"Alright, class as you know today we will be practicing with bogarts. Everyone please stand up and form a line," Professor Lupin said.

Ron kept on thinking about the bogart turning into a spider. It couldn't be that bad. He could do this.

"When you face the bogart, I want you to all say, 'RIDICULOUS!' But you must think of the bogart turning into something funny. Otherwise it won't work," Professor Lupin said.

Neville Longbottom was first. Professor Lupin released the bogart from the closet and the bogart turned into Professor Snape. Neville's eyes got big and he waved his wand and shouted, "RIDICULOUS!" and Professor Snape was suddenly wearing Neville's grandmother's clothes. The whole class including Lupin laughed.

Ron was next. As he approached the bogart, it turned into a huge black widow. The large spider scrambled across the floor towards Ron. The whole class laughed at Ron because they all knew how afraid he was of spiders. They knew Professor Lupin would probably have to interfere because fear would get the best of Ron.

But Ron knew he could do this. Ron took a step closer to the bogart and pulled out his wand.

"RIDICULOUS!", Ron shouted as his voice echoed in the room.

("Ron Weasley" Source: Flickr)

The laughter from his classmates came to a halt. They had never heard Ron have so much confidence, including Harry and Hermione.

The spider instantly was given a pair of tap shoes as it stumbled around on the floor.

The whole class erupted in applause.

"Well done, Ron!", Professor Lupin said as he patted Ron on the back. Ron joined the rest of his classmates in the back of the classroom.

And all of a sudden, Ron didn't feel afraid anymore. He felt like he could overcome anything now.

Author's Note: What inspired me to write this story was Mr. Terrapin Shows His Strength from Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris (1881). In Mr. Terrapin Shows His Strength, Mr. Terrapin, a turtle, tells Brer Bear that if he pulled on a rope that Mr. Terrapin was attached to at the bottom of the river that Brer Bear wouldn't be strong enough to pull him out. Brer Bear, as well as all the other animals, laughed at this thought. Sure enough, Brer Bear wasn't strong enough to pull him out of the river. I also related this story to Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban because there was a lesson in the students' Defense Against the Dark Arts class where they all had to face bogarts. Everyone knew how afraid Ron was of spiders but just like Mr. Terrapin, I wanted Ron to show everyone that he could do something they think he couldn't: face his fears. I did change this story from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban a little bit. In the original story, Professor Lupin never told any of the students ahead of time that they would be facing bogarts that class. Also, no one doubted Ron that he would be able to change the bogart.

Week 7 Reading Diary B: Brer Rabbit

Mr. Fox and the Deceitful Frogs: I thought it was weird that Mr. Fox fell into the pond because he thought that the frogs were another fox. I also thought it was very clever that somehow Uncle Remus was able to mimic the sounds of the animals by saying words but not actually saying onomatopoeia. It gave the story more depth.

Mr. Rabbit Meets His Match Again: I wonder if Brer Buzzard purposefully laughed so that Brer Rabbit would get hurt. After all of the trouble that Brer Rabbit has caused his friends, you would think that by now they would try to get him back. I hope that was the case. I thought it was weird that Uncle Remus said that Brer Rabbit walked around like he was hurt for a month afterwards, but I guess when you get hurt like that it would take a while for you to heal.

A Story about the Little Rabbits: I thought it was mean that Brer Fox was trying to take advantage of the little rabbits just so he could eat them. I understand that their dad, Brer Rabbit, was mean to all of the other creeturs, but that doesn't mean that Brer Fox should pray on them! They didn't do anything to deserve that! It baffles me that the little rabbits would take orders from a stranger. For some reason when the bird was singing his song to help the rabbits, it made me think of the cleaning song from Snow White when she would sing to the animals. That would be a great storytelling assignment for this week!

Mr. Terrapin Shows His Strength: I thought it was funny that Brer Tarrypin knew that the bed cord could have held up anything even though Brer Bear didn't know that. I also thought it was funny that Brer Bear thought he was strong enough to pull Brer Terrapin out of the water. It kind of reminds me of How to Train Your Dragon. No one thought that Hiccup was strong enough or brave enough to possibly become the ruler over his town, but he proved them all wrong.

(Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris (1881), illustrations by A.B. Frost) 

Week 7 Reading Diary A: Brer Rabbit

Brer Rabbit: The Calamus Root: I thought it was rude that Brer Rabbit slammed the door on Brer Fox and wouldn't let him come to dinner even though he had invited him over for dinner earlier that day. I also thought it was rude that somehow Brer Rabbit got Mr. Fox sick. If I were Brer Fox, I'd stay away from Brer Rabbit and wouldn't continue to be friends with him.

The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story: I thought it was great that Brer Fox finally got Brer Rabbit back. He honestly got what he deserved. I actually thought it was impressive that Brer Fox could come up with something that looked so lifelike and that he didn't get stuck while he was making the tar-baby! I hope Brer Rabbit learned a lesson from this.

Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris (1881), illustrations by A.B. Frost)

Mr Wolf Makes a Failure: I thought it was weird that Brer Fox actually believed Brer Rabbit when he said that the dead holler, "wahoo!" when someone comes to visit them when they're dead. I wonder why instead of giving Brer Fox a hard time, Brer Rabbit darted out of the house. That would be a good Storytelling post: to tell why Brer Rabbit darted out of his house and what ended up happening to Brer Wolf after he thought he had tricked Brer Rabbit.

Mr. Fox Tackles Old Man Tarrypin: I was glad when I found out that Old Man Tarrypin was okay. It makes me laugh that Brer Fox thought that he could actually drown a turtle! Turtles are used to living in the water so it makes sense that Old Man Tarrypin was pretending like he was drowning so Brer Fox would leave him alone. 

Week 6 Storytelling: The Invisibility Cloak

Harry, not having slept the night before from trying to crack the next clue for the following round of the Triwizard tournament, started to doze off in Professor Snape's class. Instead of taking notes during Potions class, he kept on trying to write down thoughts as to what the next clue of the Triwizard tournament could be.

A golden egg...a golden egg..., Harry thought.

Snape continued to lecture and lecture, but quickly observed that Harry was not focusing on his teaching.

"What is this, POTTER?!", Snape asked.

Snape glared down at Harry and snatched his notebook out of his hand. He tore out the page Harry had been scribbling notes on about the golden egg clue for the Triwizard tournament and crumpled it in his hand.

"Not taking notes on my lecture I see," Snape said. "I'll see you for detention after third period."

At this point, the whole class was staring at Harry including Ron and Hermione. Hermione just shook her head at him. Ron glanced at him and then looked away.

"This is just what I needed," Harry thought as he was reminded about all the work he had to do on solving the next clue for the Triwizard tournament.

After class was over, Harry ran to catch up with his friends.

"Harry, you can't let this tournament take the best of you," Hermione said. "You have to focus on your studies."

(Hermione talking to Harry. Source: Flickr)

"Yea Hermione, I know but I have to solve this clue before the next round of the Triwizard tournament. I don't have much time, I've got two days. I've got to figure out a way to get out of detention today.," Harry said.

The three friends were on their was to Professor Trelawney's Divination class...it was not Harry's favorite class to say the least.

"Harry, there's no way we can get you out of detention. You know how Snape is.," Ron said.

"Well...I actually may have thought of a way.," Harry said.

Ron and Hermione both stopped walking.

"What?," Hermione asked.

"Okay, I know this might sound a bit much but after third period, Ron, if you could run up to the boy's dormitory and grab my invisibility cloak under my bed and get it back to me. And you, Hermione, meet up with Ron, use the invisibility cloak to sneak into Professor Snape's office and cast a spell on Professor Snape and distract him.," Harry said.

"Are you kidding, me?! Harry, all the trouble we could get into for using magic on a professor!"

"Hermione, he wouldn't know what was going on if you distracted him!," Harry assured her.

"O c'mon, Hermione! You know you would want us to help you if it was the other way around.," Ron said.

Hermione pondered this idea for a second.

"Fine, Harry, but promise me that you won't let this tournament continue to get the best of you," Hermione said.

After Professor Treelawney's class, Harry went to Professor Snape's office. Professor Snape turned around in his chair.
  
"Ah Potter, nice to see that you showed up. Have a seat., " the professor said as he pointed to a chair in front of his desk.

"Now pull out a piece of paper and write a summary over chapter three of your textbook.," Snape said.

Harry sighed as he pulled out his notebook. He was hoping in the worst way that his friends would come through for him.

Harry heard a slight thump in the room. He sort of hoped that it was Ron.

All of a sudden, Harry saw a head of curls peak out of the corner of Snape's room behind Harry's invisibility cloak. Hermione pulled out her wand and yelled, "IMPEDIMENT JINX!" as her wand shot out a bright light towards Professor Snape.

Snape froze almost as if time had stopped in its tracks.

"HARRY, RUN!", Ron shouted as he peaked his head outside the invisibility cloak.

Harry ran out of Snape's office and Ron and Hermione pulled him under the invisibility cloak with them. They ran through the corridors of Hogwarts, not even glancing at the professor's office behind them.

Author's Note: I based this story off of Mr. Fox is Again Victimized from Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris (1881). In Mr. Fox is Again Victimized, Brer Rabbit decides to ride Brer Fox like a horse in order to try to impress the ladies in town. Brer Fox got tired of this and decided to seek revenge on Brer Rabbit. He got mad at Brer Rabbit and chased him into a hole. Brer Buzzard comes along and Brer Fox tells him to watch the hole while he is gone. Brer Rabbit tricks Brer Buzzard into thinking that there is a squirrel in the hole and if he came around to the other side of the tree where there is another hole to where Brer Rabbit and the squirrel are (which there really wasn't), Brer Buzzard could catch the squirrel. When Brer Buzzard came to the other side of the tree, Brer Rabbit darted and ran home. I thought I could somehow relate this to a story about Harry Potter because Ron and Hermione are always trying to help Harry get out of trouble. They are willing to do whatever they can for their friend (even if that means they might get in trouble as well), and in this case this was to help Harry get out of his punishment so he could solve the clue for the next round of the Triwizard tournament. This wasn't actually a story in Harry Potter (although the Invisibility and the Triwizard Tournament were both parts of the series), I thought it would be cool if I told a story with the Harry Potter characters because instead of Brer Rabbit tricking Brer Buzzard to escape home, Harry Potter had the help of his friends.