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!