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.