Reading Notes: The Language of Animals (B)

Birds; Flickr

The Language of Animals was filled with so many emotions. There were scenes of embarrassment, sadness, pride, guilt, and more. My favorite scene in this story was the end where the son comes back to his father, and mentions how he is the son that he wanted to kill. I was glad he came back to see the father, so the father could realize his worth.

I was not expecting the father to be so brutal towards his own child. I was a little shocked at the fact that he wanted him killed, and to have his heart brought back. I feel the moral of this story was that everyone is special in their own way, and sometimes it’s hard to understand how someone is special, but once it’s understood, others realize their worth. This is the take I got on this story, and something I could use to write my own version.

This story reminded me a lot of my brother and his two pet birds. He absolutely loves them, and takes care of them as if they were his kids. Haha. I can use my brother’s love for his birds as my inspiration on my twist on this tale. I also really enjoyed the journey the son was on after he was unwanted. I feel he also realized his worth on this journey. This was one of my favorite parts as I was reading, as well.

I feel this will be a fun story to put my own twist on! I look forward to writing about self-worth, and unique ways everyone is special. I also plan to include the many emotions from the original story into my own. One thing I wish there was more of was dialogue, so I plan to use dialogue and imagery. Wish me luck! 

Bibliography: Thomas Fredrick Crane's Italian Popular Tales: The Language of Animals

Reading Notes: Zelinda and the Monster (A)

Dragon; Wikipedia

Okay, so after reading this I immediately thought of Beauty and the Beast! I thought the story was super cute and really creative. My favorite part was the rose. Roses are my favorite flower, and I think it’s perfect for this story. I plan to keep a rose in my story. I also really admired Zelinda’s character. She represented selflessness, bravery, and courage. I would like to include these factors into my story, as well! I would like to apply imagery throughout my story to create a beautiful scene of romance and tragedy. I would like to make my story more tragic because I haven’t gotten to write a tragedy just, and I think this would be a perfect story for this theme.

I would like to make the sisters more complex b making the play a bigger role of evil in my story. However, I admire the father’s character, so I would like to keep him the same. One thing in the original story that caught me off guard was how the beast was a dragon! I feel like this would be a great detail to keep in my story. My favorite scene in the original story was how calm Zelinda stayed when she heard what happened to her father, and asked to be taken to the garden. This was such a mature scene.

If you can’t already tell, I’m a big fan of Zelinda. I think I will really enjoy making her grow in maturity even more, and I her character will allow me to write a fairy-tale like romance. The story of Zelinda and the Monster, and the many versions of Beauty and the Beast I’ve watched inspire me to create my own version. Wish me luck! 

Bibliography: Thomas Fredrick Crane's Italian Popular Tales: Zelinda and the Monster

Reading Notes: The Golden Ball (A)

Golden Ball; Flickr

I thought this story was adorable. I couldn’t help but think of chivalry when I read this story. Something that really stood out to me when compared to the other stories I’ve read in this class was the format of this one. It seems like the format is like any other story, but then there is a riddle towards the end. I thought this was very creative and unexpected. This is something I would like to keep if I wore to write my twist of this tale.

My favorite part in this story was the ending where her “sweetheart” saves the day. I thought this was precious. I also liked how they added giants in this story! I could picture the giant being cut in half as if this was a movie I was watching. I also enjoyed the drastic consequence of losing the golden ball. It made the story more dramatic than it already was. Haha. I did wish the characters were more complex. I guess that’s another thing I would like to change up because I wanted to know more about the girls as I was reading. This story had a little bit of everything—love, drama, fear, and more. I appreciated the different elements represented in this tale. Some things that kind of caught me off guard were all the gold on the man. I found myself wondering if he was just super rich, or had some kind of magical powers. Another thing was the bogles. I was not expecting the giants to be their master at all, but I thought this was a nice unexpected event. Clearly, this ball was worth a lot to the interesting characters in this story. Overall, I definitely enjoyed it! 

Bibliography: Joseph Jacob's More English Fairy Tales: The Golden Ball

Reading Notes: Mr. Miacca (B)

Sofa Leg; Flickr

Wow, I thought this story was such a good story for little kids. There was definitely a lesson to be learned—follow rules, or there will be consequences. My favorite part was when I realized that Mr. Miacca didn’t chop off Tommy’s leg, but chopped off the sofa’s leg. I also liked how Tommy finally decided to not break the rules the third time, and waited to go around the corner till he was old enough.

I think any little kid would be a little scared if you said, “Don’t go around the corner, or else this man will eat you for dinner.” This reminded me of when parents say if you don’t eat your tomatoes, then you won’t have rosy cheeks. I thought this story was very easy to follow, and I appreciated that. I also appreciated how there was some dialogue.

For my story, I would like to keep the lesson in the story, but have Tommy’s escape be a little bit more dramatic. I think it would be fun to write about what all happens on his way back home. I’m exited to write this story because I found it humorous and cute even though it was kind of scary and definitely unrealistic. I think I can really use my imagination in this story. I want it to be funny and unrealistic. I also think Mr. Miacca’s wife’s character is something I can elaborate on. I feel she isn’t given much importance in the original story, but I would like to include her in my story more. Wish me luck! 

Bibliography: Joseph Jacob's  English Fairy Tales: Mr. Miacca

Reading Notes: The Promise of Dorigen (cont.) (A)

 

Loyalty; Flickr

 

I thought this was an interesting story. I have not read the previous story, and started in the middle I feel like, but as I was reading this section of the story, I wanted to know more. My favorite part about this story was the loyalty and faithfulness for the main character’s husband. I thought there was a lot of emotion and love in this tale. It was almost like a love triangle, and who doesn’t love a little drama in a love story?

I feel this would be a fun story to write because of the love, loyalty, and desire. These are topics that create a very interesting story. I think I would like to include all these elements in my own writing. Something I do want to change is the magic. I feel I’ve written enough about magic and unrealistic events, so for this particular story I would like to incorporate Gossip Girl!

I think this would be a perfect story to put my own twist on with a popular tv show. I would like for there to be two men fighting for one girl. I’m super excited to write this story. I think I’ll also include symbolism with having a heart be the symbol of the story. In this story, the heart there is a lot of emotion coming from the heart, and in Gossip Girl Blair attaches a heart pendant on a sweater for the love of her life, so he can have her heart wherever he goes. It’s a little cheesy, but I think this would be a perfect element to add into my story! I’m super excited to write this little love triangle. Wish me luck! 

Bibliography: Eva March Tappan's The Chaucer Story Book: The Promise of Dorigen (cont.)

Reading Notes: The Old Woman and Her Pig (A)

 

Pigs

Picture by Thanos Georgiou

Source: Flickr

“The Old Woman and Her Pig” was an interesting story I have never read before, or heard about. My favorite part was the end where everything falls into place with all the things the old lady asked the animals she encountered to do with a riddle like paragraph, and gets home that night. I thought this was so different. I liked how everything that happened previous to the end of the story was built up for that ending. I think this is a unique writing technique I could use in my own version of this story.

Something I would like to change is the relationship between the pig and the lady. I want their to be a friendship between the two in my own story. I think this would create a happier vibe. I want to keep the rest of the animals because they were all interesting characters in the original story. I also would like for my main character to encounter bigger obstacles on the journey.

I found this story to be an opportunity to think of better strategies to better my writing. I’m looking forward to writing something of my own with the help of this interesting little story. I thought the repetitive theme was also something fun to read. I could picture this story being told to kids, and them catching on what the words would be next.

One thing I think my readers would really appreciate is the attachment to the pig I want to portray after the old lady buys the pig because let’s face it—pigs can be adorable little animals. I’m excited to see what I can do with the theme, writing technique, and characters as I write my own version! Wish me luck! 

Bibliography: Joseph Jacob's English Fairy Tales: The Old Woman and Her Pig

Reading Notes: Fairy Ointment (B)

Magic Wand; Flickr

I thought this story was interesting, and a little weird. I just never pictured ointment to be part of a fairy-tale like story, but I guess that’s what makes this story unique and different. One thing I definitely want to change is the ointment part. I know that is the main part of the story, but I want to change it to a magic bubble! I want what the ointment does to the baby and the nurse to be something a bubble does when it hits the eyes of the baby and the nurse.

I think this will be more fun than an ointment doing the magic. I thought the nurse was also an interesting character. I would like to add in her internal thoughts into my own story because I found myself wondering more about her personality and her intentions while I was reading the original story. My favorite part was when she tries to see what the ointment does for herself. This reminded me of the popular phrase “curiosity killed the cat.” I feel this was the moral of the story. I would like to include this phrase into my story.

I did find this story to be not something I liked as much, but it did show how different fairy-tales can be. I can’t imagine how many more tales I have not readin my childhood after reading this. This story makes me want to read more fairy-tale like stories! 

Bibliography:  Joseph Jacob's English Fairy Tales: Fairy Ointment

Reading Notes: The Three Little Pigs (A)

 

Wolf and Piggy; Wikipedia

Wow, this is one of my favorite classic stories! This tale definitely took me back to my childhood. My favorite part as a kid was actually the wolf he was so mean. I wanted him to stop being so mean to the piggies. I guess this is my chance to finally have the ending be what I wanted as a little kid. I’m super excited!

I feel the majority of people are familiar with the story of the three Little Pigs. That being said, I want the familiarity to still stay, but change up the ending and possibly the three piggies! I had no idea this was such an old classic tale. I also did not know it was an English fairy tale—learned something new today! I feel this will be so much fun to rewrite because theirs history behind it, and I see myself telling my own kids in the future the same tale. I might even be able to tell them my own version!

I want to include a family in my story for my main characters. I think this will make the story a little bit more interesting and complex. I also want to include more dialogue between the characters. One thing I want to keep the same are the phrases “no, no, by the hair of my chiny chin chin” and “The I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house in.” I think these are classic phrases that have to be included! I’m super excited to go back to my childhood as I write this story, and share it with you all. Wish me luck! 

Bibliography:  Joseph Jacob's English Fairy Tales: The Story of the Three Little Pigs

Reading Notes: The True Bride (B)

 

Tiara, Wikipedia

This story was very interesting because there were so many emotions as I was reading this story. At first, I thought this was going to be a Cinderella like story, then it was a happy story with hope, and finally it was just sad and a bit disappointing. However, at the end of the story it says the story continues! This made me excited for some hope for the poor girl in the story. I think this is something I can use in my own story where I write the first half one week, and perhaps the second half in an extra credit reading.

My favorite part about the story was when she had a whole new outfit, and was able to spit out gold! That was such a different idea. I think I would like to keep the idea of gold in my own story. I would like to change up how she had to pick berries. Instead, I would like to have her go pick some bizarre things like other rare fruits found in different countries.

I’m super excited to write this story because I get an opportunity to go back to my childhood, and write a princess like story of my own. I think this will be so much fun. If I don’t end up writing a “to be continued” story, I would like to change the end to something happier, and have a happy ending to my first story about a princess. I’m looking forward to this story! 

Bibliography: Stith Thompson's Tales of the North American Indians: The True Bride

Reading Notes: Legend of the Corn (A)

 

Earth; Wikipedia

Wow, this was a fun story to read. I think I would like to keep the concept of con in my story, but also add in how corn can be used for cereal. There will be a family with a corn farm, and how they struggle to survive. I think this story will allow me to write a more serious plot, which I don’t think I have done just yet. I’m looking forward to writing about cereal, because who doesn’t love cereal?

I also would like to keep the buffalo in my story! It would connect my story to the original, and I think it would be a nice element to add. It would be a buffalo that the family in my story owns with the farm. I think I would like to have the buffalo talk, as well. Some of my favorite things about this story was how a plant can give so much. I think this is something we take for granted sometimes. I feel we tend to overlook natural products, and how important it is to save these natural food because in the future they may become scarce due to global warming and business industries. I’m looking forward to writing about this topic.

Bibliography:  Katharine Berry Judson's Myths and Legends of the Great Plains: Legend of the Corn

Reading Notes: The Red-Eyed Duck (B)

 

Duck; Wikipedia

I think this was an interesting story. It kind of reminded me of going to the park with my grandpa and feeding the ducks. However, this story was a little dark. I think some of the things I can change up is the man in the story. Instead of making him sound evil, I want him to be nice to the ducks. I would like for the ducks to always be waiting for him and maybe have him be someone that grew up going to that same park, and singing to the ducks.

I would like to make this story more relatable to people, and not so scary. I think it could always be written like a children’s book where all the characters have their own personality, and talk to the man.

I think this would be really cute, and something fun to read. My favorite part in this story was the singing part. I would like to include familiar songs that the old man sings. I think I’ll have fun writing this story, but it will be a difficult to stick to the original story because the original story I wasn’t a fun of as much. However, I think I can be creative with this story. The songs will definitely be my favorite part. 

Bibliography: George Bird Grinnell's Blackfeet Indian Stories: The Red-Eyed Duck