Famous Last Words: Dead Week and Graduation

(Blank Pages in an Open Notebook via Wikimedia Commons)

For the purpose of this blog post, I would like to discuss a few topics, including other people’s writing, my other classes, and outside of school.

Other people’s writing: Throughout this week (and honestly throughout this semester overall), I have read so many incredible stories. I almost forgot how many different writing styles there were until I took this class. People sometimes wrote in first person, or wrote modern twists of older stories, or a variety of other techniques that I had never even thought to utilize before! If I had any more stories to write for this class, I think I would definitely try to use the technique of writing in first person. All of my stories that I wrote for this class were written in third person, so I think a good challenge would have been to try to write a new story in first person.

My other classes/outside of school: I am finally finishing up my final semester at OU. I am graduating one semester early, so I feel like I am not entirely ready to go into the real world, but I feel like I just kind of have to take it one day at a time and let everything fall into place. I do not have any actual final exams this semester (which is pretty typical for me because I am a journalism major so most of my “finals” are either papers or articles). I do have one take-home exam, but I feel like that does not really count as a final exam since it is open book and I do not have to study. In regards to graduating, I am in the process of finding a job. I am hoping to work where I interned at a few summers ago, but we will see what happens!

Tech Tip: Canvas Calendar

I honestly with I would have done this tech tip earlier on in the semester! I already do a pretty good job of time management, but I think this tool would have been really helpful all semester long! I typically just type down my to-do list in the Notes on my phone, but having it synched with my own digital calendar on my phone would have been perfect. If I weren't graduating in a week, I would definitely use this tool in the future!

Reading Notes:

(Grizzly Bear Yellowstone via Wikimedia Commons)

-Once upon a time, Grizzly Bear told Coyote that he has all of the power - more than anyone on earth including the people

-Grizzly Bear was complaining that he does not like how little time out of the year it is dark longer, so he wanted to change it

-He claimed that when he wished for something to happen, it happened

-Coyote explained how this would impact the people too much

-Grizzly Bear ignored him and didn't care because he was obviously really selfish

-Coyote tried to tell him no again

-Then Grizzly Bear starting dancing and singing about darkness and saying that it should be dark all the time

-At the same time, Coyote was singing and dancing about light

-When either of them was singing louder, it became what the louder was singing about

-It was a constant shift between light and dark

-Once Grizzly Bear got tired, he tried to compromise and say it should be half dark and half light

-Coyote agreed

-Then Grizzly Bear complained about how long the year is and was upset that winter was not long enough

-He tried to make it 22 moons long, but Coyote said people would die

-Coyote suggested they make winter 11 moons long, but Grizzly Bear wasn't happy

-They agreed for it to be the amount of feathers in Flicker's tail

-When they counted, there were 12 feathers in Flicker's tail

-In the end, Coyote saved people from the dark and cold 

-There would be six months of summer and six months of winter 

Bibliography: "Grizzly Bear and Coyote" from Myths and Legends of British Norman America by Katharine Berry Judson; link to the reading online

Class Improvements

Overall, I think this class has been structured very successfully. However, nothing is absolutely perfect of course, so if I had to suggest some improvements, I would say to:

Expand on the Story Planning Option: I think it is a great idea to incorporate the Story Planning Option because it gives students who are not used to writing very much a chance to write out their thoughts and plans for their next story. I am used to writing so I can typically sit down and just write an entire story, but I know that other students might not be able to do the same. By planning out the next story, students are able to get some clarity and be more comfortable writing their next story.

Change Review Weeks to Planning Weeks: I also think that this is a perfect new idea to change in the class. Although it is important to review what we have done, I think students would benefit more by planning what they are going to do in the future. This way students can figure out what to do next, what they need to do to get certain points, and how they can stay on track.

Reading Notes: Old Nick and Kitty

("Water mill near a farm" via Wikimedia Commons)

-There was an old maid-servant named Kitty who lived on a farm
-She really wanted to get married, but everyone avoided her
-She attended every single dance, but was never asked to actually dance with anybody
-Then Kitty said she would actually dance if Old Nick came to the dance
-Then some mysterious person came to dance with her and everyone was laughing at her
-They hid their faces with their aprons
-Kitty was angry but she didn't let it bother her
-It was late, so Old Nick wanted to go back home but Kitty refused to let him leave
-He took her to the pond, hoping to throw her in
-He tried to do it, but she clung to his neck and wouldn't let go
-They went to Hell and nobody wanted Kitty to stay there
-Even a shepherd didn't want her and suggested that Old Nick "pickle her"
-Then he offered the Shepherd a ton of money to take her off his hands
-The Shepherd tried to drown her too, but it didn't work
-Nobody could get rid of Kitty, no matter how much money they spent or how hard they tried

Bibliography: "Old Nick and Kitty" from The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis; link to the reading online 

Story: The Prince, the Princess, and the Corgi

(Pembroke Welsh Corgi via Wikimedia Commons)

A very long time ago, there was a princess named Piper. Princess Piper had just turned 21 years old and needed to find a husband that could help her rule the kingdom when she became of age. She had been looking for her potential husband for almost two years, but she knew she had not found “the one.”

            Once a month, Princess Piper’s mother and father, the queen and father of the kingdom, introduced Piper and her corgi named Chowder to a new guy. One by one, Chowder sniffed the young men and always barked angrily when she did not approve. Princess Piper’s parents were growing extremely impatient.

            “You need to choose a husband. We are running out of time! If you do not pick a husband, we are going to have to choose one for you,” her mother said.

            “It is not my fault! You should be thankful that I have such high standards,” Princess Piper replied. All Princess Piper wanted was a funny, outgoing, generous guy who got along with Chowder. The first three traits were a dime a dozen in the kingdom. However, finding a guy who got along with Chowder was a much harder task. Princess Piper insisted that it was not Chowder’s fault – Chowder simply was able to smell if someone was not a good guy deep down.  

            “Chowder just wants the best for me,” Princess Piper insisted when her father suggested that she meet the rest of the suitors without Chowder by her side. Piper’s mother rolled her eyes in frustration while the father looked defeated.

            One by one, Princess Piper and Chowder rejected practically all of the suitors in the kingdom. Princess Piper was already mentally preparing for her parents to choose her husband when she was getting ready to meet the next suitor. Princess Piper sat down on her throne with Chowder at her side, waiting for the suitor to walk in. There was a subtle knock on the door and the guard quickly opened it to reveal a handsome young man with deep brown hair and emerald green eyes.

            “Hi, sorry I am a little early. My name is William – but my friends call me Will,” he said as he bowed. The guard motioned Will to step closer to the throne so that Chowder could smell him. Slightly confused, he hesitantly stepped up the stairs towards the throne.

            Chowder slowly sniffed the young man, with a curious look in her eye. She paused for a few moments, and then remained silent. Princess Piper peered down at Chowder, waiting for her to bark – but she never did.

            Princess Piper’s parents Will all stayed quiet for a few minutes. A smile grew on Piper’s face, knowing that this was the man she was meant to marry. She looked over at her parents and nodded, silently confirming that Will was “the one.” The king and the queen sighed in relief and ran over to hug Will. Princess Piper and Will set a wedding date and lived happily ever after. 

Bibliography: "The Princess and the Pea" from Fairy Tales and Stories by Hans Christian Andersen; link to the reading online 

Author's Note: In the original version of the story, a prince is the main character. The prince is trying to find a princess but none of them are "real" princesses, so he had to test them all. The final princess he tested had to sleep on a ton of mattresses with a pea underneath to see if she felt it and she did, proving she was a real princess. In my version of the story, I wanted to make a princess the main character and add an animal to the storyline as well. 

Reading Notes: The Goat's Ears of Emperor Trojan

(King Midas via Wikimedia Commons)

-There was an emperor named Trojan who had goat ears
-The emperor asked a barber every morning if anything seemed off
-When the barber pointed out the goat ears, he was sentenced to death
-Eventually, there were hardly any barbers left to shave the emperor
-The Master of the Company of Barbers was supposed to shave Trojan, but he was sick so he sent an apprentice instead
-The emperor was confused at first but after the apprentice explained, he was fine
-When Trojan asked if anything seemed off, the apprentice didn't mention the goat ears at all
-The apprentice kept the secret of the goat ears for a really long time but it began to bother him
-He went to a meadow and whispered the secret into a deep hole three times
-A tree grew from the hole and someone cut a stem to make flutes but the flutes only sand the secret
-The apprentice confessed to whispering the secret to the earth and the emperor wanted to kill him but gave him mercy because he knew that the earth gave up its secrets
-The apprentice lived but never shaved for the emperor again

Bibliography: "The Goat's Ears of Emperor Trojan" from The Violet Fairy Book by Andrew Lang; link to the reading online 

Reading Notes: The Princess and the Pea

(The Princess and the Pea via Wikimedia Commons)

-Once upon a time, a prince wanted to marry a princess

-She couldn't be an ordinary girl - she had to be a real princess

-He searched around the world but could not find the right one

-Each princess he found had a flaw and some were not real princesses

-He so desperately wanted to find a princess

-One night a really bad storm passed through

-The king heard someone knocking at the gate

-It was a girl claiming she was a princess

-The queen had doubts but kept them to herself

-She hid a pea beneath twenty mattresses and twenty eiderdown beds

-The next morning when the queen asked the "princess" how she slept, the girl said terribly

-This proved that she was a princess because the real ones are really sensitive to stuff like that

-The prince and the princess got married

-The pea was put in the museum 

Bibliography: "The Princess and the Pea" from Fairy Tales and Stories by Hans Christian Andersen; link to the reading online 

Reading Notes: The Ingrates

(Pinus palustris forest via Wikimedia Commons)

-A man was searching for wood in a forest

-He came across a snake who was stuck under a big rock

-The man lifted the rock up with his axe to help the snake get free

-Once the snake was free, he told the man that he was going to eat him

-The man said they should ask someone if this was fair

-They came across a starving horse who was tied to a tree

-The horse agreed that it was right for the snake to eat the man

-The horse claimed that those who do good deeds are rarely rewarded properly

-Then they asked an aged tree if the snake should eat the man

-The tree also agreed that the snake should eat the man

-Then they came across a fox, and the man begged for the fox to take his side

-The fox wanted a proper explanation

-They went back to the original location of the situation

-They re-staged the scenario and the man said he would leave the snake under the large rock

-The man told the fox he would pay in hens

-The man filled a bag with dogs and told the fox to wait until he was far away to open it

-The fox waited until she was in a valley to open the bag and she was eaten by the dogs

-Moral of the story was the person who does good deeds is often ill rewarded and the person who does bad things is always rewarded

Bibliography: "The Ingrates" from Italian Popular Tales by Thomas Frederick Crane; link to the reading online 

Portfolio Introduction

("Old Books" by David Flores)

This is where all of my stories for my Portfolio are going to be located for this class. I am excited to see all of the different stories that I am going to accumulate based on what inspires me from week to week. I am mostly interested in fairy tales that involve magic, princesses, gods/goddesses, and happy endings. I am hoping to create a unique, interesting Portfolio over the course of this semester, and I hope you enjoy reading my stories!

Portfolio Story 1: This is my first story that I wanted to include in my Portfolio because I felt that it was one of my stronger stories that I have written so far. It is originally from Homer's Odyssey, specifically the Cyclops episode, but I made a few changes along the way in order to make it different from the original story but still fun to read. Click on the link to read about Odysseus and his men trying to capture a herd unicorns.

Portfolio Story 2: This is the second story that I wanted to include in my Portfolio because I really liked the changes that I made to make my version of the story different from the original story. Click on the link to read my unique twist of Aladdin and The Wonderful Lamp. 

Portfolio Story 3:  This is the third story that I decided to include in my Portfolio because I wanted to add a really simple story to my Portfolio. The story is based off of the story, “The Cloud That Was Lost," from Florence Stratton's "When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends." The first half of my story is similar to the original version, but the second half is completely different, with a very different ending as well.

Portfolio Story 4: This is the fourth story that I wanted to include in my Portfolio because I thought it would be an interesting addition. The original story is about a young boy named Tommy Pritchard who has good luck and finds a sixpence every single day. In my version of the story, Tommy has something a little more than just good luck.

Portfolio Story 5: This is the final story that I wanted to add to my Portfolio. I wanted to include it in my Portfolio because I felt that it added another unique and dynamic story to it. The original version of the story is about a boy, a donkey, a table, and a stick, but my version of the story takes the main character in a completely different direction.

Story Planning: The Fox and the Horse

(Majestic Stallion via Wikimedia Commons)

-There was a farmer who had a horse who was loyal and hardworking. Maybe change the farmer to actually be abusive and the horse is really lonely

-Sadly, he was becoming too old so the farmer starved him so that he would leave. Change this detail to the horse being really lonely so that he wanted to leave and get away from the abusive farmer/owner.

-The farmer didn't want the horse to come back until he was stronger than a lion àThe horse does not want to come back at all

-The horse was sad and wandered into a forest and came across a fox

-The fox asked the horse what was wrong àthe horse wants to go find friends so that he is not lonely anymore

-The horse replied and said that after everything he had done for the farmer, it meant nothing now that he was oldàThe hose did not have a family so he never knew what it was like to be lonely

-Make the horse run into the fox in the forest. The forest should be scary so that the horse and the fox do not want to walk in it all alone.

-The fox offered to help himàThe fox is just as lonely as the horse, so they should become best friends and basically because siblings?

-They tricked a lion into being tied up and dragged back to the farmer, proving that he was able to get "the better of him"àMaybe they can come across a lion who was lonely too… I just want there to be a happy ending

-Therefore, the farmer let the horse stay in the stable and eat until he diedà Change it to where the horse never comes back to the farmer. He was not happy at the farm so he made a new family and home

Bibliography: The Fox and the Horse from Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm; link to the reading online 

Reading Notes: The Fox and the Horse

(Majestic Stallion via Wikimedia Commons)

-There was a farmer who had a horse who was loyal and hardworking
-Sadly, he was becoming to old so the farmer starved him so that he would leave
-The farmer didn't want the horse to come back until he was stronger than a lion
-The horse was sad and wandered into a forest and came across a fox
-The fox asked the horse what was wrong
-The horse replied and said that after everything he had done for the farmer, it meant nothing now that he was old
-The fox offered to help him
-They tricked a lion into being tied up and dragged back to the farmer, proving that he was able to get "the better of him"
-Therefore, the farmer let the horse stay in the stable and eat until he died

Bibliography: The Fox and the Horse from Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm; link to the reading online 

Reading Notes: Dante and Virgil

(Illustration by Gustave Doré via Wikimedia Commons)

-Main character comes upon a dark wood with no clear path
-It was so terrifying that just thinking of it brings fear to a person
-"Scarcely less bitter than death"
-The narrator is not quite sure how they entered the place
-The narrator was practically overwhelmed with fear on multiple occasions
-He ran into a spotted leopard
-Then a lion appeared
-Then the narrator meets Virgil
-Dante began to weep and Virgil told him to take another route in order to escape
-The creature he talks about is never fully satisfied by food and only grows hungrier with more food
-The Greyhound is the only thing that will make the creature die in pain
-Virgil offers to be the guide
-The journey will be tough and they will see a variety of things along the way
-Dante just wants to escape that place and see the Gate of St. Peter
-Virgil began to leave and Dante followed

Bibliography: Dante and Virgil from "Dante's Divine Comedy, translated by Tony Kline; link to the reading online 

Story: The Boy and the Old Lady

(Valley View via Wikimedia Commons)

Several centuries ago, there was a young man named Jack. He had a sister named Jill and a father. Jack loved his sister with all of his heart, but absolutely hated his father because he was always mean to Jack and his sister. Because Jack was so miserable, he felt that he had no choice other than to run away from home.

            So Jack started running as fast as he could for as long as he could. He ran until he felt like his legs were going to fall off. Jack finally reached a little town in a valley when he suddenly ran into a frail old lady at the market. All of the food she had just purchased went flying.

            “Oh my goodness! I am so sorry!” Jack exclaimed.

            “It is no trouble, my dear. It was just an accident,” the old lady said.

            “But still – I just wasted all of your food. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you? My name is Jack,” he said.

            “Well, Jack, I just want to know what you are running from and then maybe we can make a deal. My name is Margaret,” she replied.

            Jack then explained how he was running from his old home, trying to escape his terrible father in the hopes of finding a better life. Margaret felt pity for the young man, and took him under her wing. Margaret took Jack back to her little house deep in the forest.

            “You are more than welcome to live here for as long as you would like, as long as you just do some chores for me like cutting down trees and gathering berries,” Margaret said. Jack nodded quickly without hesitation.

            For the next 365 days, Jack did whatever Margaret asked of him. Jack was so happy with his new life. He had a quaint home and a nice person to talk to. The only thing that seemed to be missing was his sister Jill. On the 365^th day of living there, Margaret could tell that Jack was a little sad.

            “What is wrong, my dear?” she asked.

            “I absolutely love my new life here! I just feel like something is missing – my sister to be exact,” Jack said. Margaret gave Jack a soft smile.

            “Well, I was going to wait just one more day to tell you this, but now seems a good a time as any. I am actually your fairy godmother. I meant to bump into you a year ago so that I could take care of you and make sure you live a happy life,” Margaret said. Jack was filled with excitement as Margaret said this. Because Jack had treated Margaret with such kindness and love over the past 365 days, Margaret said that she would grant Jack one wish.

            “I wish for my sister to live here with us if that is okay with you,” Jack said. Margaret smiled, snapped her fingers, and then Jill appeared. Jack explained to Jill that Margaret was his fairy godmother who had been taking care of him for the past year. Jack also told Jill that she could live with them if that made her happy. Jill was overjoyed with this new opportunity. From that moment on, Jack and Jill lived with Margaret, knowing that they would always be safe, happy, and loved.

Bibliography: "The Ass, the Table, and the Stick" from English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs; link to the reading online

Author's Note: I based my story off of Joseph Jacobs’s “The Ass, the Table, and the Stick.” However, my version of the story is completely different from the original version - the only similar parts are that Jack is unhappy at his house because his father treats him poorly, so he runs away from home and runs into an old lady who takes him to live with her and work for her. I also kept the part where Jack worked there for an entire year before something major happened. In the original version of the story, there was a donkey that produces coins and such from his mouth, as well as a table that was covered in food and drinks once commanded. I liked both of those elements as I was reading the story, but I realized that I wanted to take my story in a completely different direction. The original version of the story ended with Jack claiming that he wanted to find the richest lass in town to marry, but I honestly did not really like that ending because it seemed kind of anti-climactic to me since it ended so quickly. The girl Jack really wanted to marry was not rich, so he had all of the girls who were waiting to meet him get knocked out so that the girl he really liked could get all of their money and become the richest lass.