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.

Reading Notes: The Ass, the Table, and the Stick

(Donkey via Wikimedia Commons)

-There was a boy named Jack who was miserable because his father wasn't nice to him

-Jack ran away to see if he had a better future elsewhere

-He basically ran until he felt like his legs were going to fall off

-He ran into an old woman who was gathering sticks (maybe make her a fairy godmother......)

-He was supposed to be her servant? He agreed hesitantly because he needed a home

-Change: when they get to her little house in the middle of the woods, he served her for twelve months and a day (to see if he was worthy maybe?)

-At the end of the day, she said she would give him his good wages so she gave him an ass

-He patted the donkey on the head and gold coins and gems fell out of his mouth....

-A golden stick that can grant one single wish

-Maybe make it to where he used the donkey to save his sister from their father? and then... have them build a kingdom of their own

-Even though he had all of the money in the world and it seemed like he had no problems left, he was still lonely. After a few years have passed, make him remember the golden stick so that he can marry someone

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

Reading Notes: The Stray Cow

(Holstein Cow via Wikimedia Commons)

-Opens up with a secluded spot in the countryside with a lake
-The lake was dark and swampy - no fish really lived in it
-The lake was supposedly haunted by elfin ladies
-The elfin ladies wear green and have hounds
-A farmer captured one of the elfin cows
-Word of the elfin cow and how the farmer caught it spread like wildfire across Wales
-The poor farmer grew rich
-However, he became so wealthy that he grew crazy
-He was afraid that the cow was going to be too old to make profit, so he fattened it up for the market
-The farmer was getting ready to kill the cow in front of an audience when he was halted by one of the elfin ladies
-Moral of the story - he basically was so ungrateful of the cow and his wealth that he was going to kill the very thing that gave him his wealth

Bibliography: "The Stray Cow" from The Welsh Fairy Book by W. Jenkyn Thomas; link to the reading online

Story: Tommy and the Fairy

(Image of a cockle-shell via Wikimedia Commons)

A few centuries ago, there was a little poor boy named Tommy who lived in a little town on the coast of Ireland. One sunny morning, Tommy was skipping to school on the stone pathway when he thought he heard a whisper. He looked around, and found nothing but the brick wall to his right. He proceeded to skip to school when he came across a boulder the size of a wagon wheel in the middle of the stone pathway. Tommy took the same path every day for the past three years and had never seen this boulder before.

            Curious yet hesitant, Tommy carefully tiptoed around the boulder to find a little twinkling fairy hiding behind it. The fairy’s long hair was platinum blonde and almost covered her ocean blue dress, which was the same color as her eyes. Tommy was about to say something when the fairy reached up and put a finger to his lips.

            “Shhhhhh. Be quiet. I am trying to hear something,” she said. Tommy was incredibly confused at this point. All of a sudden, Tommy heard a faint whisper that said, “Now is the time.”

            “Wait… you are the chosen one?” the fairy asked. Tommy was still confused.

            “I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about,” Tommy replied.

            “Well, I was waiting to hear from the wind fairy. That whisper you just heard was the wind fairy, telling me who the chosen one is,” the fairy said.

            “The chosen one? What does that even mean? I don’t even know who you are!” Tommy said.

            “My name is Ophelia. Let me explain,” Ophelia replied. She then told him that she had been looking for the chosen one for about a year. The chosen one was the child who could turn seashells into gold so that the fairies could all be freed from the giants. 

            “But why am I the chosen one?” Tommy asked.

            “Because the wind fairy told me so. And she knows everything. Now we just have to find some shells for you…” Ophelia said as she started fluttering away. Tommy quickly followed her, assuming she was heading towards the shore.

            Sure enough, Ophelia was in fact headed towards the shore. Once they arrived at the beach, Tommy could feel the cool sand underneath his feet. Ophelia picked up a few seashells and placed them in Tommy’s right hand.

            “What am I supposed to do with these?” Tommy asked.

            “Um… I am not entirely sure. Just try concentrating really hard. Maybe think of a really happy memory – your happiest memory,” Ophelia said.

            Tommy furrowed his brow and thought about the moment when he learned how to tie his shoes. Within a matter of seconds, the small seashells in his hand turned into little pebbles of gold.

            “YOU DID IT! Now we can save the other fairies from the giants!” Ophelia exclaimed. Over the next few days, Ophelia gathered enough seashells to turn into gold to finally save all of the fairies. To thank Tommy for all of his help, she gave him a little kiss on his cheek and he immediately blushed.

            From that point on, whenever Tommy needed help or guidance, all of the fairies were happy to help and look after him.            

Author's Note: In the original story of Tommy Pritchard, Tommy Pritchard heard a voice singing on the other side of a stone wall on his way to school. He noticed a rock, and looked underneath and found a sixpence and took it for himself. Every morning after that day, he looked under the same rock and consistently found a sixpence underneath the stone every single time. He used them to buy candy and his father grew suspicious because he had no idea where his son was getting the money for the candy. He threatened to beat him so Tommy told his father where he was getting the money. The next day when he looked under the rock, he only found a cockle-shell under the rock, instead of a sixpence. In my version of the story, I wanted Tommy to become a hero and befriend a fairy in the process, so I added the fairy named Ophelia. I gave Tommy special powers so that he could save the ending and make a happy ending (like I always do in my own stories). When I read the original version of the story, I was not entirely sure what cockle-shells were (I googled it of course), so I wanted my story to just have seashells instead.

Bibliography: "Tommy Pritchard" from Welsh Fairy-Tales and Other Stories by Peter H. Emerson; link to the reading online

Tech Tip: Canvas Mobile App

During the first week of classes this semester, I went ahead and downloaded the mobile Canvas app on my iPhone so that I could have access to it even when I didn't have my laptop with me. I did not have any problems with the installation. I really only use the mobile Canvas app to check my grades. I receive emails about any grade updates that I get on Canvas, so if I am on the go and running errands, I can just check any grade updates on my phone through the app!

Reading Notes: Tommy Pritchard

(Image of a cockle-shell via Wikimedia Commons)

-Tommy Pritchard was going to school when he heard a voice - make it the voice of a fairy
-He thought it was over a stone wall - have a fairy be on the other side
-He climbed over the wall and picked up a stone, where he found a sixpence - I want to change this to a silver dollar
-Every day he kept looking under the rock and found a *silver dollar*
-His father began to notice that he kept having enough money to buy candy so the father assumed Tommy was stealing
-Tommy wouldn't say where he was getting the money so his father threatened to beat him
-He finally told him where he was getting them
-The next morning, he only found a cockle-shell under the rock

Bibliography: "Tommy Pritchard" from Welsh Fairy-Tales and Other Stories by Peter H. Emerson; link to the reading online

Reading Notes: The Quest of the Holy Graal

(Sangreal, by Arthur Rackham via Wikimedia Commons)

-This is one of the adventures of King Arthur's knights
-Raises the question of the Holy Graal - I would maybe change it to a different object
-In stories it was a "holy vessel" used by the Lord
-It was then brought to Britain by Joseph of Arimathea
-However, it was often confused as a magical vessel full of food
-The relic became invisible because of sinners
-It sometimes became visible by angels or "floating in heavenly light"
-The Knights wanted to find the Holy Graal, even though King Arthur didn't want them to
-However, because they were sinners, they couldn't find it
-Over time, the kingdom grew weak because the Knights were neglecting their duties in order to find the relic
-If I were to use this story for my new story, I would make the story a lot more detailed and in-depth and focus more on the journey of the Knights and probably add a big plot twist per usual

Bibliography: "The Quest of the Holy Graal" by Andrew Lang; link to the reading online