Week 10: Reading Diary--To Love the Sky and Steal Its Colors (Tejas Legends)

Let's see what other adorable/depressing characters and stories we encounter in the second half of the Tejas Legends reading unit. . .

11. Why Hummingbirds Drink Only Dew-  Who would have guessed that hummingbirds and herons like to bet?  Certainly not me.  Also, why would you agree that the loser of the bet could not drink out of any lakes ever again?  Ridiculous birds, haha.  And why can't hummingbirds fly at night?  Curious.  This is a pretty amusing tortoise and hare story, though.


12. The Maiden Who Loved a Star- Anybody ever tasted prickly pear jam?  Delicious!  I've always loved the stars and the night sky, and have spent many a long evening staring up at the stars above me.  So I can understand falling in love with a star if you dream that a handsome young man lives in a star and is watching and winking at you; I get it, haha.  How sad to be unable to leave your realm, though, in order to join with the person you are falling in love with. . . so tragic.  What a beautiful ending: the maiden becomes a gorgeous shrub and the star youth shatters into starry bits which land on the shrub and turn to blossoms, so that they may always be together throughout eternity.  *sigh*

13. Old Quanah's Gift-  I always love the people who are able to take an injury or an obstacle and use it to discover something new about themselves, such as a new talent.  Now I doubt I could ever learn to make blankets (and if I did no one would want them anyway, haha), but good work Quanah, lol.  Such dedication going into a single blanket--either that or he just wants to build the suspense for a big reveal.  Oh, melodrama!  Tell them that the blanket is for the best member of the tribe and then die and leave them to fight over it.  Good work, Old Quanah!  Earning the honor as being the best of your tribe posthumously; that takes skillz, lol.  And then you left fire wheel flowers for everybody else to share in the beauty of your blankets--so sweet!

14. How Sickness Entered the World-  Anybody else wondering why there were already medicine men before there was sickness in the world?  Like, a shaman I could understand, but a medicine man?  Weeeeiiirrrddd.  Oooooooooo; a snake as a good messenger--tricky, tricky.  Not really surprising that the young Indians killed it, if unfortunate.  So basically by passing the "hot potato" around they only made the situation worse. . . good work, people!  More sicknesses for everyone!!

15. Why the Irises Hold Hands-  It's almost a cycle, this tribes good fortune and cleverness:  they're clever, so the Great Spirit watches over them and helps them, which allows the tribe to spend more time in prosperity and pursuits other than survival, which the Great Spirit admires, which results in him giving them an even easier life, etc. etc.  Until, you know, the tribe disrespects the Great Spirit and everything goes wrong, haha.  Proud in life, proud in death, proud in reincarnation--oh, wild irises, your hubris was your downfall and your salvation!

16. The Pecan Tree's Best Friend-  Good branches make good neighbors. . . or is it good orioles?  Good fences, maybe?  I always get that saying confused. . .Lol.

17. When the Rainbow Was Torn-  Even rainbows are afraid of getting pricked by cacti!  Who knew, haha.  And maybe the rainbow was right to be afraid, seeing as the cacti stole the colors of the rainbow for their flowers.  For shame, cacti, for shame!

18. Paisano, Hater of the Rattlesnake-  I thought that the road runner was supposed to taunt the coyote, not hate the rattlesnake--didn't these Native Americans watch cartoons?  Get it right, lol.  At least they got the running of the road runner right; you know, legs so fast they're a blur, tongue hanging out mockingly. . .  Steal someone's job and they might just eat your children--you've been warned!

19. Maidens Who Broke a Drought-  I volunteer as tribute!  Haha.  The one story where the maidens beg to be thrown over a cliff to be eaten by a great serpent.  At least the tribe wasn't lacking sacrificial victims, I guess.

20. The Cottonwood Remembers-  An owl falling in love with a swan. . . I guess I could see it. . . Jk, I can't, that's just. . . just. . . insane!  Who-who-who indeed!  Didn't see that one coming, lol.  Awwww, poor pigeon!  But you can't really blame the owl; I mean, pigeons are delicious.  No joke there.

21. Why the Dog's Ears Flop-  You know, this story isn't too far off about how the domestication of dogs probably occurred--granted, it would have happened over a much longer timescale, but not too shabby!  Aww, poor puppy!  He was just talking with his own friends, and not only was he betrayed, he was also beaten by those he had simply wanted to help.  So sad. . .

Whelp, that seems to be it--another week, come and gone!  Now I'm off to get some gelato, so peace out, peeps!

Arrivederci!



Image Information.  Night Watcher; digital photomanipulation by Zed Lord-Art.  DeviantArt.
RAINbow; photomanipulation by pauii.  DeviantArt.

Week 10: Reading Diary--The Children of the Plains and the Little Lost Cloud (Tejas Legends)

I decided to read this unit after hearing about it from some of my peers in their storytelling posts and reading diaries.  Hopefully it lives up to my expectations and is an interesting and sometimes adorable unit, haha.  Here are my thoughts on some Tejas Legends!

1. When the Storm God Rides-  A couple of things about this story:  First, it seemed kinda repetitive to me.  Things stated in the beginning were restated in the end, something would be said at the end of one paragraph and then again in the beginning of the next paragraph, and the style was just. . . different.  A lot of reused descriptions and monikers, which is new.  This was a good intro story for the unit, though, I think.  Secondly, I find it interesting that the Indians weren't necessarily afraid of their god, but instead afraid of the god's thunder bird (which he rode)--so they were only afraid of the Storm God by proxy.  An intriguing twist.  All in all, a good etiological tale for the islands along the shores of Texas and the origin of the term "hurricane," and with just a hint of flood story in there, haha.

2. How the North Wind Lost His Hair-  A fight between two opposing winds--intriguing, tell me more!  The contrasting imagery for these two winds is just fantastic!  A young, warm, kind and gentle wind from the south versus the harsh old wind blowing fiercely from the north--so beautiful and poetic.  A reference back to the Storm God; niceeeee.  I can just picture these two giant, semi-solid figures crashing together in the skies, tearing down everything in their path as they fight for dominance. . . Loving this tale!  Anyone else reminded of Matilda at the end of this story; you know, the scene where Trunchbull hurls the girl outside of the schoolyard by her braids?  This is a great etiological tale for Spanish moss, so descriptive and vivid you can just see it in your mind as you read. . .

3. The Plant That Grows in Trees-  This thunder bird just frightens everyone!  People, birds, mistletoe--who's next?!  Oh, just kidding.  The mistletoe isn't afraid of the thunder bird, 'cause the thunder bird was kind enough (?) to take pity on the plant.  It put the mistletoe up in a tree where it would be safe from harm; so sweet, haha.

4. Why the Woodpecker Pecks-  There was once a woodpecker which liked to peck on the roof above my bedroom closet every morning around 4 am.  For a while it actually had me convinced there was a ghost knocking from inside my closet--true story, especially since it was believable as we live in a really old house and all.  Yup.  But onto the actual tale. . . How odd that here it was a boy that initiated the "sin" of eating the mescal buttons, versus the woman who usually leads others to temptation (such as in the story of Adam and Eve).  Kind of a sad ending, but one fitting the actions of the parents.  Seriously, leaving the children alone while you go and get high is just stupid and frankly criminal.  Though now the sound of a woodpecker is always going to be a kind of melancholy sound, seeing as it's the sound of parents looking for their hidden and long-lost children.

5. The Woodpecker's Stumpy Tail-  Poor woodpecker, letting your tail get bit off by a fish.  Whatever were you thinking?  Haha.  And another flood!  Not quite a creation myth flood story, but still!  Why are flood stories so ubiquitous and significant in religion and mythology?. . .

6. Old Woolly Bird's Sacrifice-  A story with a flood followed by a story with a drought; huh.  I am still reveling in the imagery in this stories; you can just see the scenes unfolding before you--you don't even have to try.  And yet the stories are short and simple, and the wording concise.  Fantastic.  Such altruism!  I'm picturing this feeble but kind old grandpa, you know, the one everyone adores and whose stories leave everyone in awe of his history.  So sad to think that he felt like a burden (even if a noble notion at its heart), though at least the people came and found him to show that he was worth something to them.  Gorgeous ending, just. . . gorgeous.  The sacrifice of noble elders bring an end to the drought, and the elders themselves are turned into lovely magnolia flowers as a show of respect for their bravery.  Wonderful!

7. A Tribe That Left Its Shoes-  This is the way the world ends, not with a whisper but a bang.  For some say the world will end in fire, some say in water.  (I apologize for the terrible adaptations of two fantastic poems, but I just had to.  It was the first thing that popped into my mind, as odd as that is, haha.)  And now Hansel and Gretel have left a trail of moccasins to lead them home--if only there was a home to go to. . .  That's fascinating; so do the lady slipper orchids always point south?  I would love to do some research and figure out why that must be.  <--Goodness, I'm such a biology nerd, lol.

8. The Cloud That Was Lost-  Poor clouds, shoved into each other like nothing so much as bumper cars by the pushy wind and perspiring due to the heat of the sun.  No wonder they get tired and rest on the mountains every night!  Haha.  A cloud described as chasing its tail like a puppy--O. M. G.  So freaking adorable, lol.  Awwwwww, don't cry!  It'll be okay, little lost cloud!  :(  I don't know whether this should be a happy or sad ending, because at least the little cloud is no longer lost--though the alternative is being drank up by flowers for the wonderful pink and lavender colors that had colored the cloud.  An adorable and yet somewhat sad little story.

9. The Swift Blue One-  I still find it hard to imagine a time when the Native Americans didn't have horses--I know that such a time existed, have learned it time and time again, but horses and Native Americans have been so closely entwined in all of the imagery and media we experience that it is still a somewhat difficult concept to grasp. . . Anyways, this was a really interesting story, but that's all I'm gonna write about it.  Read it on your own, lol.

10. Grandmother River's Trick-  I got to see some alligator gar in Lake Texoma this fall, and got to wonder about how I had been wading in those same waters a couple hours earlier and would be wading in them again a couple hours later; a terrifying thought, but gar are just so fascinating that I determined not to be scared and let my ecological curiosity get the best of me, lol.  But good work, Grandmother River, for relegating those nasty, greedy garfish to separate ponds away from all of the cute little fish!


And there it is, part A of my readings for week 10!  The semester is just going by so quickly. . . I mean, I'm only a week and a half or so away from finishing this class!  Like, what?!  Then you'll have to find some other random blogger's thoughts to read, haha.

Ciao!


Image Information.  Stormy skies; photo by Fir0002, 2005.  Wikimedia.
Summer Magnolia blossom; photo by Hans, 2014.  Pixabay.

Week 9: Extra Reading Diary--Myriad Creation Stories, Fires, and Floods (California and the Old Southwest)

Since I'm going to be an experiencing over a week with minimal internet access and only my nook for reading materials, I decided I should stock up on intriguing stories for spring break--so, instead of writing an essay, you all get to enjoy some more of my ramblings on random Native American tales.  Woo!  Haha.  Here are some notes on the tales of California and the Old Southwest!

1. Three Coyote Creation Stories-  (1) I can definitely see the imagery of an eagle's feathers making the trees, bushes, and plants--especially firs and ferns.  I find it interesting that man was created in a quarrel between Coyote and Fox, but I guess that's one way to explain why people die; at least Coyote was nice enough to bring us fire after granting us the privilege of death.  (2)  So this time, rather than Coyote creating the earth out of nothing, a mole does.  Interesting. . . And Great Man creates the people rather than Coyote and Fox!  Poor Coyote is really getting downgraded in importance here, haha.  At least he still got to bring us fire and save us from the cold!  (3)  What is it with ancient cultures and flood stories?  Or religions and flood stories?  Seriously, though, they're everywhere!  It really makes you wonder. . . And this time, the feathers create people rather than trees--then again, that's pretty much the same thing, right?  Lol.

2. The Creation of the World- To picture a god who is like nothing more than a "fluffy bit of cotton in the breeze" as he  decides to create the earth. . . Now that's an image.  And then you have the Earth Doctor trying four times--four times--to stand the creosote bush up without it falling over.  There's just something so perfect about such a human god. . .  To think that the creosote came first, the ants and termites next, and then the flat World; fascinating.  No Atlas here; instead, a spider wove the sky and earth together.  The moon and sun are naught but ice, apparently.  The stars are water droplets in the sky, and the milky way is ash from the end of the Earth Doctor's staff. . . I just love the imagery of this story!

3. Spider's Creation-  Spider creates woman first--smart choice, haha.  Interesting that the Indians had one woman as mother, while all other nations had the second woman as mother--it really sets the Indians apart as separate, other, doesn't it?  And here, while Spider creates all of the animals and plants and the waters and such, the mothers themselves create the sun, moon, and stars, an interesting departure from the themes of the other tales.

4. The Great Fire; The Origin of Light-  (1) Wow; a man so spurned by two women that he sets the world alight.  Harsh.  And Coyote only able to save two boys, and forced to make men and women anew. . . (2) Can you imagine all the animals bumping into each other because they are unable to see?  Hahaha.  But here, the sun and moon are balls of fire, so that's different.

5. Creation of Man-  A man with supposedly the best qualities of all of the animals. . . If only it were actually so, haha.

6. Old Man Above and the Grizzlies-  "Walk on two feet and carry a big stick!"--It's no wonder people compared Teddy Roosevelt to a bear, lol.  Awwwww!  But the Grizzlies only helped her, they didn't do anything wrong!  Old Man Above, why would you punish them like that?!

7. The Creation of Man-kind and the Flood-  Wow.  So when people run out of food and can't die, they are "obliged to eat each other."  I mean, I guess it's only a logical progression, but just. . . ugh *shudder*  I really don't blame the Earth Doctor for pulling down the sky and crushing everything yet alive on earth. . . And here comes the flood, 'cause apparently even the second model of man wasn't quite right.  But at least now we have Coyote!

8. The Great Flood-  So it is due to a flood that we got so many of our famous constellations, such as Ursa Major and the Pleiades--interesting.

9. The Fable of the Animals-  Well, the whole thing about a plan backfiring on a coyote is the entire premise of Wile E. Coyote, so there's nothing new there.  However, it is interesting that the backfiring of this plan led to Coyote gaining the greatest cunning.  Also, it's odd to think that while Coyote may be more cunning, technically he's weaker than even Frog, haha.

10. The Course of the Sun-  A story of not only how the sun came to pass from east to west (he liked that road the best!), how he stops for meals at various points (such as at his highest point at noon he stops for lunch), and what the sun wears.  A very intriguing story indeed. . .

11. The Theft of Fire-  A more detailed version of the story of how Coyote helped man steal fire.  Also the story of how the ground-squirrel got its tail and stripes (it was charred during the theft, lol).  Additionally, can anyone here actually rub dry sticks/wood together to make fire?  I haven't tried often, but the couple times I did I failed miserably, haha.

12. Coyote, Tortillas, and Mesquite Beans-  (1)  Wow.  That woman just drowned Coyote because she didn't want to give him a tortilla.  I mean, really, she could have just ignored him and kept going rather than goading him into drowning.  Goodness.  (2) And this time, Coyote decided to eat a bug and mesquite beans that had survived the flood and exploded because of it.  At least this time he was warned not to do it rather than being goaded into his death. . .


That's all, folks!  Have a fantastic spring break!!!  :D

Arrivederci!


Image Information.  California Valley Coyote (Canis latrans clepticus); photo by Justin Johnsen.  Wikipedia.

Week 9: Reading Diary--Dog-Men, Deer-Men, and Turkeys--Why Not? (Native American Marriage Tales)

Getting right back to the violent fun of Native American Marriage Tales. . .

12. The Dog-Husband-  The whole thing with a person being fond of a dog I get, but then the dog being a werewolf-type thing is an interesting, Twilight-esque twist lol.  Wow; can you see racist?  Why can't a person have a relationship with a dog-man, anyway?  And I feel like leaving a person to die because of a relationship is a little extreme.  Can you imagine giving birth to puppies and then caring for them as if they were legitimate children rather than puppies?  What do you even do?  But you would have thought that she would suspect them of being dog-men as well, seeing as their father could change his shape--I mean, if a dog-men has sex with a full-woman, than you would expect that the children would be 3/4 man and only more likely to take human form, right?  (Don't even attempt to follow that logic, haha.)  You shame the woman for having dog-children, but then as soon as they start catching whales with their mother's instruction you come back to them and make them your chiefs?  Their logic/reasoning might be worse than mine. . .

13-14. The Youth Who Joined the Deer-  At least the man at first thought that what he was doing was wrong and that he should go back to his wife and children; I mean, that's a step in the right direction towards respecting your wife, right?  Oh, stupid, stupid, men. . .  "Go hunt for us, we will even send out some of our own people so that you can kill them and we can all dine on their flesh." <--this, the logic of deer-people.  Oooooh, okay.  So the deer can be killed as long as you keep their bones to throw in the water and bring them back to life.  Totally understandable and all.  And who wouldn't be anxious to be killed for the benefit of the people if you're just to be brought to life again?  It actually really intrigues me that the deer-woman would want to return with the hunter to his home tribe--though I guess they have to return sometime if they're to teach the natives the proper way to hunt deer.  Loved this story!  Very intriguing, if a little odd at times, haha.

15-17. The Girl and the Turkeys- Pretty sure this is going to be a Cinderella-esque tale, but we shall wait and see. . . They don't even give her hand-me-downs--no, they have to give her old, worn-out rags instead.  Why?  Why are people so cruel at times?  Beautiful but with ragged and dirty clothes, kind to all animals and longing for kindness, humble and poor--yeah, I'm guessing this is the Native American Cinderella story.  (I actually read this story once when I was a kid--the Zuni version--though not this particular version.  It's interesting to read it again and compare and contrast it with all of the Cinderella stories that I've read/watched since.  Who knew turkeys could be so kind and had such a great fashion sense?  I sure didn't!  Can I have a turkey to do my hair and makeup every morning?  Though, that would be such a weird ritual, haha.  Awww, noooo!  She abandoned her turkeys, they ran off to the hills and she is left as she was before. . . What a depressing ending.  :(

18-21. The True Bride- [This was an interesting tale, but since I commented so much on the other stories I decided to just read and enjoy this one rather than do my whole stream-of-consciousness thing.  Apologies if this disappoints you!]


And there you have it, folks!  Another unit come and gone, and just in time for a busy but insanely awesome spring break, haha.  Woooooo!!!

Ciao!


Image Information.  Girl with dog; photo by amayaeguizabal, 2014.  Pixabay.

Week 9: Reading Diary--Something Old, Something New. . . (Native American Marriage Tales)

I've picked this unit for many reasons:  one, I find it an intriguing concept to have a marriage between an animal and a human; two, I like that this unit includes stories from various tribes/traditions; three, why not?  Haha.  So here we go, time to read some Native American Marriage Tales!!

1. The Piqued Buffalo-Wife-  Soooo. . . This story just jumps right into it, now doesn't it?  It's almost like a reverse Zeus and Europa deal--a man raping a helpless buffalo-cow.  Though the mystery of the boy born of this "union" going into camps during the day but then disappearing at night is intriguing.  It's odd to think that a boy who never knew his father could recognize him so easily in large crowds of men.  Well at least this time the man allowed the buffalo the opportunity to change form; though how she could so easily accept him as a husband I don't quite understand. . . Can you say temper?  Striking out at your wife with a flaming stick because she doesn't want to cook dinner one time.  Screw you, man; you are really messed up.  So the boy could recognize his father without ever having seen him, but even after the father interacted with the calf-boy he still couldn't recognize him the third time?!  I honestly don't think the guy deserved to be resurrected after being trampled, cruel as that may sound; he is just a terrible person/father.

2. Bear-Woman and Deer-Woman-  Well now.  It seems the stories are not to get any less disturbing, seeing as this tale starts with Grizzly biting Doe's head off--and then cooking it in front of both her own children and those of Doe.  Naturally, this means Doe's fawns kill Grizzly's cubs and feed Grizzly her cubs' hands--and then taunt her for it.  And, in the end, Grizzly dies and the fawns live on.  Totally a "happy ending". . .

3-5. Splinter-Foot-Girl-  A child born from the infected leg of a warrior. . . that's a new one, haha.  You have this beautiful, miraculous girl and you name her Foot-stuck-child?  What?  Apparently, if you are unable to convince someone of something, you just need to send a series of more silver-tongued birds in as a proxy until the person finally agrees.  If it works for marriage, it must work in every other realm of life, right?  That was a very underhanded (or should I say undergrounded? what a terrible pun. . .) thing to do, stealing the girl from her bull husband using a tunnel through the ground underneath her.  Why does the girl have to be the weakest/first one to tire?  Stupid sexism.  Wow; so tired that she had a small hemorrhage, that's. . . intense.  How far did they travel?!  That is one brave talking tree.  I wish I could meet him.  Who would have guessed that a round rock would make a terrible husband?  I mean, he's just so stony and cold and harsh. . .  lol.  If I kick a ball into the air, does that mean I get to rise up in the air as well?  'Cause that could be aweeesomeee.  Oooooh, living in a tent of the stars in the sky. . . there could be no better ending than that, now could there?

6. The Eagle and Whale Husbands-  Am I the only one who is envious of the girls getting to play with animal bones on the beach?  That would just be fascinating. . .  Ooooh, stolen by an eagle and a whale, ouch.  Though the escape by kayak would be fun--I've always loved kayaking, haha.  A life of picking lice off of your husband's body while tied to the bottom of the sea--what more could you want?  (Answer:  everything and anything else.)  Taking off your clothing can be so distraction for guys. . .

7. The Fox-Woman- I love the stories of mythological creatures who shed their skins to become human!  It's just so. . . magical.  And I've always loved foxes, too, so let's just say that this story is pretty dang fantastic for me.  Though this story ended a little oddly and abruptly, so that was disappointing.

8. The Woman Stolen by Killer Whales- Kill a killer whale and your wife will be stolen by its friends as vengeance; true story.  Enter the helpful Shark, who helps all fisherman hunt down the orcas who steal wives.  Wow.  I mean, wow.  The husband didn't have to do anything, he just stayed outside the killer whales' dwelling while the clever Shark did all the work rescuing the wife.  I just hope that Shark was able to survive the severe fight that he was embroiled in when the fisherman and his wife ran off. . .

9. The Rolling Head-  Dang.  Can you imagine leaving your wife everyday to provide for the family, only to discover she was cheating on you with a giant snake in your absence?  Marriage can certainly be sordid and heartbreaking.  Not that that makes it okay to cut up your wife and serve her to your children, but still, that hurts.  And can you imagine being the children, eating your mother unawares and then being chased by her rolling head as she yells at you for eating her?  *shudder*  Nightmares, so many nightmares. . .  And then to have those children end up with such a great life, only to turn on their father by setting lions upon him--I'm not quite sure what I think of this story.

10-11. The Bear-Woman- Now I have a guess at where my sisters go when they need some time alone--obviously they go into the woods to meet their bear-lovers, lol.  Though I guess I shouldn't inform my dad of their indiscretions, or he might go out and kill all the bears in the area to make sure they couldn't marry my sisters.  You have to wonder: did the older sister use the opportunity of being turned into a bear to take revenge on all of the men in the camp who had killed her lover, or was she a slave to the nature of her transformed bear-self?  Just swim through the lake, stupid violent bear-woman!  Not that I want you to catch your innocent siblings, but at least fail with intelligence and common sense!  Oh, this is the etiological myth of the Big Dipper!  Cool beans.


And there it is, the first half of what is/will most definitely be a very fascinating unit!

Arrivederci!


Image Information.  Female bison with a calf; photo by Erwin and Peggy Bauer.  Public Domain Images.
Young Huntress with her Eagle; photo by Asher Svidensky.  BBC News.
The "Great Wain" seen from Berlin; photo by Manfred Wassmann, 2011.  Wikipedia.

Week 7: Reading Diary--Lots and Lots of Greed and Gold (Tibetan Folk Tales)

Let's continue reading the Tibetan Folk Tales unit, because I want to learn about the rabbit which killed the lion and the story of how the sacred duck got his yellow breast--doesn't that sound interesting?  Andiamo!

11. How the Rabbit Killed the Lion-  Once again loving the image at the top of this story.  Woah.  This starts out with a prediction of the apocalypse--melted mountains, burned trees, all animals dead, "sun so hot that the mountains all ran down level with the plains". . . That is some intense imagery.  Can you imagine having to get up and find a king every morning in order to bow/curtsy to him before starting your day?  Hard pass.  The Tibetans are a tricky folk, aren't they?  And with no qualms about lying, either.  I will really have to be careful what I say/do/believe if ever I meet a Tibetan.  Talk about a narcissistic end--jumping into a stream to attack your reflection because you want to prove that you are better than yourself.  Okay, maybe more egotistic and idiotic than narcissistic, but still.  You may have deserved to drown, oh proud lion king.

12. The Story of the Three Hunters- Anybody else just not understanding why you would get jealous over toasted bone marrow?  It just doesn't sound good to me. . .  Wow, and not just jealous, but jealous enough to kill.  That must be some supernaturally tasty marrow.  At least the sister got turned into a sparrow--there are worse fates, I guess.  Geez.  They just killed two of the wives.  Poor third wife, being spectator to all this carnage and then needing to attend to three husbands.  That is a harsh life, indeed.

13. How the Raven Saved the Hunter- Kill the raven and then go and investigate the causes of his actions.  That's fair.  It's not like you couldn't have spared his life since he saved yours and all.  All you had to do was figure out that the river was poisoned and came from the mouth of a snake.  Idiot.

14. The Golden Squash- Imagine how much different life (and folktales) would be if there was no concept of wealth.  Granted, that's not really possible, but just imagine. . .  I need to meet some of the animals from these stories.  Just give them a little aid and they make sure you are set for life; that's my kind of animal right there.  What?!  That was an unexpected and abrupt end.  Have good intentions or risk having a demon jump out from a squash and behead you--you are forewarned!!!

15. The Man with Five Friends with Different Colored Eyes-  If I was told that I couldn't tell my spouse any secrets until I had had 10 children that would just be dooming me to a life of lies and half-truths--who wants to have 10 kids?  Goodness.  Apparently I wouldn't be a good friend--you know, since my eyes are blue and not pitch black.  Life is rough.  Wouldn't his wife notice that he wasn't wearing any trousers (since they were on the pig)?  And last time I checked it would be pretty difficult to confuse a pig with a grown man.  So wait until you were almost executed and then tell the truth that you never killed anybody.  Solid plan.  (Then again, it did work, so I shouldn't really be criticizing you, should I?)http://mythfolklore.blogspot.it/2014/02/tibetan-folk-tales-man-with-five-friends.html

16. The Story of the Violinist-  Maybe it's just me, but a writer and an accountant are not the same thing, haha.  To say the violin is a beggar's trade--harsh, father dearest, harsh.  Wait a sec--so was one of the snakes the son of the devil?  Is that what this is?  And the fiddler is going to marry the daughter of the king of the netherworld?  Interesting. . .  I, too, feel the need to cover myself in chicken skin to cover my body; it's not at all a vain and ridiculous concept.  I love trying to predict what the random objects people take with them will play later on in the story.  For one, this girl is totally going to cover herself with fruit jam, feathers, and hair to disguise herself for some reason.  Makes sense to me.  Oooooh, so the lower kingdoms aren't lower as in lower, but as in down south of the other kingdoms?  Or no?   Hmmmm.  Basically this woman is clairvoyant, that's what I'm getting.  I seriously wish I had her skillz, lol.

17. How the Sacred Duck Got His Yellow Breast-  Clever froggy, playing the doppelganger trick--or should I say the trippelganger trick, haha.  (Forgive my terrible wordplay.)  So basically a duck decided he wanted some gold from a pot and smeared it on his chest 'cause what else are you going to do with gold if you're a duck?  Thus, the golden breast!

18. The Two Little Cats-  Who would drink tea without salt?!  What a crime that would be, especially for two little cats!  A Handre sounds like something I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley, or anywhere else for that matter.  Apparently every animal loves cats and hates Handres, so that's a win for cuteness right there!  Because all of these actions make sense since the Handre is moving into the house and not necessarily after the cats at all.

[Now to be quick and brief for the last few.]

19. How the Wolf, the Fox, and the Rabbit Committed a Crime-  I would just keep the cymbal and the boots.  Who needs food and idols anyway?  Though what use a wolf has for a pair of boots I have no idea. . . And a bell scared the fox kits to death?!?!  Awwwwwww, nooooo!

20. A Rabbit Story-  Poor little bunny!  All alone without your mother, then seeing your mother all cooked up like that by the mean old mother bear!  You must be traumatized for life!  Though killing the bear's son is no way to retaliate.  Goodness, everyone is these stories is so violent.  And just tearing out the tiger's eyeballs like that?  *shudder*  That is one creepy bunny, possibly creepier than the Handre. . .

21. The Man and the Monkeys-  Garden of Eden reference. . . Interesting.  Yes, because all the while during your strength-building it's not like the man is drowning or anything.  No wonder he doesn't feel well after his "rescue."  Could you really just shake monkeys out of trees while they were sleeping and kill them?  (I mean, obviously you shouldn't morally, but could you logistically?)  The questions these stories make me ask myself. . .

Another week of reading diaries completed!  Woot woooot!  Ciao, folks!


Image Information. Rabbit in Field, photo by Dakota L., 2010.  Wikimedia.
Fulvous whistling duck, photo by Duncan Wright, 2006.  Wikipedia.

Week 7: Reading Diary--All the Same to Me. . . But in a Good Way! (Tibetan Folk Tales)

This week I shall be reading the Tibetan Folk Tales unit, because who doesn't want to read a unit with a story in which a frog is able to trick a tiger?  So, yeah, here we go!

1. The Tiger and the Frog- If all animals understood each other's languages, does that mean people could speak to animals too?  If so, can I live when the world was young?!  Alright, so a tiger is coming towards you, you're a helpless little frog, and you call out to the tiger even though you think it's going to eat you?  Maybe you aren't all that clever, little Kermit.  I'm reminded of the chameleon grabbing a hold of the hare's tale to win the race. . . Clever but cruel, Kermit, clever but cruel.  I've always thought a vomiting contest would be the best way to establish my superiority over people (*shudder*).  Poor fox, dragged along for the show. . . Though it would be amusing to see a tiger and a fox tied tail to tail trying to run in opposite directions, admit it, haha.

2. The Cony Who Got into Bad Company-  That moment when you realize Coney Island was named after a bunch of rabbits. . . Not sure how I feel about that, haha.  I want to have lived when the world was young!!!  Why can't we talk to animals now.  Boooooo.  :/  Happy lama, sad lama, mentally disturbed lama, super lama, drama lama, big fat mama lama, MOOSE!  (Apologies for that one, lol.)  Wow.  That escalated quickly.  I mean, I know the rabbit and rat were stealing from you, but couldn't you have given them a warning or something before you cut off their whiskers, ears, and tails?  Harsh lama. . . And the moral of the story issssss--don't hang out with rats; they be cray-cray.

3. The Story of the Donkey and the Rock-  Wow, just blame the donkey why don't cha?  It couldn't be that accidents just happen, could it?  Goodness.  How can you imprison a donkey and charge a rock with breaking a jar of oil that got knocked over and broken?  That's so ridiculous!  Can you imagine if the Supreme Court called a donkey and a rock into court?  It'd be almost as insane as the trial of the US v. 50,000 Cardboard Boxes More or Less, Each Containing One Pair of Clacker Balls.  (True story.)  Great ending though, charging all the people attending the ridiculous trial to pay up half a cent.  Though I also would have gone, just because of the spectacle of it, lol.

4. How the Fox Fell a Victim to His Own Deceit-  Who has ever heard of a tiger bringing home a calf as a playmate for her cub and a fox kit?  That would be so freaking adorable!  Playing both sides. . . That's some dangerous business right there, little Tod.  Wow.  I mean, wow.  They just killed the fox and ate him.  Geez, I was not expecting that. . .

5. The Ingratitude of Man- Let's just all be honest and accept the inherent truth in this title, right off the bat.  Snakes don't walk--get it right, people.  Trusting in the kindness and gratitude of a random human--that's where you made your mistake, buddy.  Once again I am reminded of a past story, this time another where a man was deceitful and ungrateful; how sad that that is a common theme between various cultures. . .  Ooooh, magic snake.  Annnnndddddd--the end.

6. Covetousness- I'm seeing a lot of dead animals, but no real link here. . . Woah.  Okay.  So we have a dead bear, fox, elephant, and 7 dead robbers.  I'm guessing that the Tibetans reallllly wanted to emphasize this lesson.  So don't be greedy and don't do what you aren't fitted for, or else YOU DIE!!!

7. The Wise Carpenter- Can I go to heaven to build a temple for a wealthy, dead king?!  It sounds like quite the awesome experience, haha.  Though I, too, would be doubtful of such a fortuitous turn of events--I probably wouldn't turn the opportunity down, but I would be suspicious.  Especially once I was told that I needed to burn all of the tools of my trade in order to get there--and informed so by my archnemesis, no less.  The implication here seems to be that washing every day is quite out of the norm. . . Ughhhhh.  The poor king here, getting just passed over by both the painter and the carpenter for no reason; he's the real dupe here, the poor soul.  The irony--even in not making it to Heaven, the painter ascends to Heaven.  Oh, sweet, harsh justice.

8. The Story of Drashup and the Goddesses-  Can I just start out by saying how much I like the word ineluctable?  This again reminds me of a previous tale, one in which a prince was annoyed that he was to marry a spinner's (?) daughter and tried to kill her.  So.  Many.  Parallels.  Insta-love.  How pervasive you are in both ancient tales and in popular culture.  I always thought that I would die if I ate the shoulder of a sheep.  Now I know for sure that it happens in folktales, so it must also happen in real life.

9. The Man and the Ghost- When I cause havoc, I also steal the soul of a kid and tie it up in a yak hair sack to give to a newly-made friend.  It's the prank that's all the rage today.  Yup. . .  And is disguising yourself as a holy lama sacrilegious?  'Cause it seems sacrilegious to me.  Is there such thing as customary etiquette between a man and a ghost?  These are the questions that haunt me, lol.

10. The Story of the Two Devils- Firstly, I really enjoy the image at the top of this tale in the UnTextbook; I do, I do!  One woman marrying seven princes--now, this story reminds me a bit of the Pandavas from Indian mythology (though there were only 5 of them and their wife was not a demon, so that bit is quite different, haha).  Way to give away your secret identities to a totally ignorant and luckily clumsy liar.  If you die, it's your own fault, demon spawn!

And there we go: half a unit down, half to go!  Arrivederci!


Image Information.  Tiger Striped Monkey Frog, by/from Gail Melville Shumway Photography.
Donkey, Beast of Burden; photo by LoggaWiggler, 2014.  Pixabay.

Week 6: Reading Diary--How the College Student Did Her Homework (West African Folktales)

Let us continue on with the folktales about the Wile E. Coyote of West Africa--Anansi!  More West African Folktales, here we come!!

12. The Moon and Stars-  And we begin today's readings withhhh--another famine.  Really?  Ooooooh, a DRAGON.  Now things can get interesting. . . And it has a castle?!  Things just keep getting better.  I wish had good enough eyesight to detect a fly moving miles away; when I take my glasses off, I'm barely lucky enough to be able to see a fist flying at my face.  Kweku Tsin, you are so much cleverer than your father it's not even funny.  Though hitching your entire plan on the hopes that the gods will catch your rope and carry you away--that's a little iffy.  And the bag of bones and magical fiddle are a little random.  Lol, he threw him a bone.  I love wordplay. . . Can't stop the boogie, either, I guess.  Hooray for magical fiddles and dancing dragons!  So, basically, what I got out of this story is if you climb up to the heavens you get to become either sun, moon, or star.  I'm cool with that.  Who has a ladder I can borrow?

13. How the Tortoise Got Its Shell-  I.  Love.  Yams.  Just saying.  Can I go to the festival, please?!  A fast, shell-less tortoise?  What does that even look like?  First moral of the story:  drinking too much wine makes you slow and sleepy.  Fact.  Wow.  That escalated quickly.  Second moral:  don't get stuck outside of a party in the rain for 2 months while carrying a load of wine and palm trees; you will get squashed and die.  Then again, if you have friends among the gods they can just bring you back to life, though you may end up as a creeping creature with a giant pot stuck to your back.  So that's a what-if to ponder.


14. The Hunter and the Tortoise-  It's like the beginning of Snow White--a hunter enchanted by a beautiful song.  Though this song is sung by a tortoise rather than a princess, which is a major difference.  Plus the hunter wasn't ordered to kill the tortoise. . . Yeah, I guess it's really not like the beginning of Snow White at all.  If I had a magical singing tortoise, could I keep the secret to myself?  Hmmm. . . Probs not.  Oh, bad call hunter man.  Risking your life on a scorned tortoise to sing for a crowd whom she specifically told you not to tell of her?  Bad call.  Wow.  That tortoise totally let the hunter get beheaded.  I mean, I expected it, but still, that's harsh.  Especially seeing as she talks to all the other people after he's dead.  Goodness.

15. The Leopard and the Ram-  When people get my work get done for me, I always just assume I've been sleepwalking or something.  Fairies are just too obvious an answer.  (Then again, no one really does my work for me, so I've never been as confuddled as this pair of animals.)  Awww, they decided to live together!  How adorable!  Since when do rams eat meat?  Weirdest ending; did not know where that was going, but cool.

16. King Chameleon and the Animals- The animals all lived together in friendship, and yet wicked deeds were constantly being done. . . Sounds like a very twisted kind of friendship, haha.  Why is the hare always the fastest animal?  What about the cheetah or something?  Lol, I love this chameleon! Very clever, Pascal, very clever.  Aww, Pascal!  No one values your cleverness, do they?  Then again, you're a real cheetah here, so it's kinda your fault.

17. Elephant and Wren-  I've always wished someone would pay me with an elephant rather than money.  It just seems so much more practical.  If you actually want the tree cut down, why would you require they use a wooden axe be used?  That makes no sense. . .  The oldest trick in the book; madest thou look!  Haha.  Apparently Anansi is hungry enough to eat an elephant; I mean, I've been hungry enough to eat horse before (and honestly, horse meat is pretty tasty), but elephant?  *shudder*  So Anansi gets an entire elephant to himself and his children get to share a tiny wren?  That seems fair.  I'm glad his paternal instincts are in working order.  Run, elephant, run!  Esc-a-pay!

18. The Ungrateful Man-  You have to wonder how all four creatures ended up in the hole; I mean, you would think once the first one fell in the others would have had enough warning to realize that there was a giant hole there.  "I need the blood of a traitor."  "Well then, just behead the guest that turned on his kindly host.  That should do the trick."  I feel like there was a bit of an overreaction there.  They totally could've just nicked the guy's finger or something.  Not saying he didn't get his just desserts, but still. . .

19. Why Tigers Never Attack Men Unless They Are Provoked-  Richard Parker, there you are!  And here I thought you just wandered off into the jungle and abandoned the human race entirely.  Also, can I have a friend tiger?  I could ride it like I was playing Crash Bandicoot in real life, go walking through the jungle with it, and intimidate all of my nonexistent enemies.  It could be a fun time.

20. How Mushrooms First Grew-  Birds really have no honor, do they?  First I come across a chicken willing to give its offspring up as food, now I find a bushfowl willing to sell its offspring for profit--what is up with that?!  At least the ants are practical.

21. Farmer Mybrow and the Fairies-  Fairies are just so helpful.  I wish there were some around to do my homework assignments for me.  Mmmmm, yams. . .


Tadahhhhh!  Another week of reading done, and more fascinating etiological stories learned!  Now people get to think I'm even crazier as I pull more fun facts/tales about random objects out of my bag of tricks. . .

Ciao!!!



Image Information.  Anza Borrego Starscape; photo by Anthony Citrano, 2009.  Flickr.
African Spur-Thigh Tortoise; photo by Cheryl, 2008.  Flickr.
Veiled Chameleon; photo by Jarek Tuszynski, 2009.  Wikimedia.

Week 6: Reading Diary--The Itsy, Bitsy Spider Climbed Up the. . . Palm Tree? (West African Folktales)

This week we will be learning about West African Folktales because I enjoy stories about tricksters and spiders and animals and such.  So hold on and get ready for the ride!


1. How We Got the Name "Spider Tales"- This is the tale of how a conceited spider got his way.  But at least he is a clever conceited spider; that makes up for some of the lessons antithetical to traditional morals contained within the tale.  (Wow.  That totally sounded conceited.  I'm becoming like Anansi. . . Let's just hope I don't grow 6 more legs or something.)  You have to wonder:  why bees, a boa constrictor and a tiger?  What did Nyankupon want with those three creatures?  Playing to the pride and curiosity of various creatures--how Frank Underwood of you, Anansi.  Can you imagine the pain of sewing your eye(s) shut?  *shudder*  That's just frightening, and totally reminds me of Coraline (which is a totally creepy children's movie--how can you even consider that a children's movie?!).  But good work, Anansi!  You beat the challenge of the chief of the gods, so that's pretty cool and all.

2. How Wisdom Became the Property of the Human Race- No wonder Anansi could complete that challenge, if he posses all the wisdom in the world.  What did Nyankupon really expect?  Goodness, what terrible logic; if only he had had the wisdom to see the fallacy there. . . If all the wisdom is trapped in a pot, how does anything in the world get done?  Sheer dumb luck?  And I think this story is totally confusing the difference between wisdom and common sense--I sometimes find that people can be completely wise and have no common sense, and vice versa.  But 's'okay, Anansi, how can I expect you to tell the difference when you locked all the world's wisdom in a jar out of anger?  The same anger which resulted in all the anger being released into the world.  You should really work on the whole common sense and anger management issues there, Anansi.  I know some great Psych majors if you need some references. . .

3. Anansi and Nothing- That's what I think to do when I have no plans for a day; I mean, why not just go looking for a husband randomly?  It's what all the cool kids do.  Ahhh, polygyny, how I've missed your misogynistic tendencies.  Why not just wait for the bananas and peppers to ripen?  Goodness, where is all the common sense?!  For a second I thought it said that he smeared the palace steps with okra and I was very confused. . . Great origin story for the saying "crying for nothing," but honestly quite a horrific surprise ending.  Like, what?!

4. Thunder and Anansi- I'd climb the palm tree for fun even if I wasn't starving.  Yup.  Try, try again--even if that means attempting to sail across the ocean in a broken boat; no one said Anansi was the sharpest machete in the jungle.  I'm really starting to wonder why all of these stories focus on Anansi.  He's kind of a . . . well, a bastard, if I'm feeling kind.  He deserved to be beaten by a bewitched stick.

5. Why the Lizard Moves His Head Up and Down-  Ooooh, a Rumpelstiltskin-esque tale.  Let's guess these names!  Rapunzel?  Belle?  Aurora?  Jasmine?  Wait. . . they aren't Disney princesses?  Well, shucks, I have no idea, then.  And how many wives does Anansi need?  Jeez.  And poor Lizard. . .

6. Tit for Tat- So.  Many.  Famines.  At least Kweku Tsin recognizes how wicked his father Anansi is; I guess the coconut falls farther from the tree than the apple.  Wow, just. . . wow.  Anansi, you need to get your vision and head checked.  You're just. . . just. . . stupid.  You're stupid, Anansi (even if you are known for being clever).  Goodness.

7. Why White Ants Always Harm Man's Property- Another famine--go figure.  I have to say, if I find a dead antelope in the forest I don't think that I'd pack it up to eat.  That's like eating roadkill--not that eating roadkill is totally unacceptable, it's just. . . yeah.  No Scat the Roadkill Cat for me.  If I ever need a henchman, I'm definitely going to take the time to sharpen his/her teeth.  It just makes the chase that much more exciting.  And if I ever see someone with filed teeth, my first thought is going to be, "Wow that's so beautifully done!  Where can I find the 'Filing Spider' to do my own teeth?!"  True story.  I'm also going to hang people from trees just so I can mock their gullibility.  I just need to make sure I have a pulley system worked out in advance. . . Any volunteers for trials?  Huge twist at the end there; who saw the ants dying by boiling water coming?  Anyone?

8. The Squirrel and the Spider- Something to keep in mind:  you cannot legally have a farm unless there is a road leading to it under your domain.  The courts of law said so to Squirrel, so it must be true.

9. Why We See Ants Carrying Bundles As Big As Themselves- How small must a dwarf be to seem tiny to a spider?  Is it like a Atom Ant-sized human?  Maybe even with a little helmet and everything?  Pretty please?!  (Also, don't be an ant, because they are too honest for their own good.  They might as well all be named Abe, or something.  Yup, I went there.)

10. Why Spiders Are Always Found in Corners of Ceilings- Who needs scarecrows when you can have a creepy, sticky, rubber man?  That way all the crows and things get stuck to the scarecrow even if they aren't scared off and can't steal your corn or whatever.  You just might have to deal with more enraged animals than may be dictated as "safe."

11. The Grinding-Stone That Ground Flour By Itself-  Seriously, I don't think a week goes by without a new famine arriving in whatever region Anansi and friends inhabit.  Additionally, always check your bags to make sure they aren't leaving a trail of ashes behind you; that seems to be Anansi's favorite way to track people.  And the moral of the story is: don't carry a magical grinding stone on your head because it will grind you to bits before you can manage to put it down.  Also, tiny spiders like to gather under large stones (just in case you hadn't already noticed that sometime in life).  Cool beans.  Both of those are very applicable lessons, admit it.


And there you go!  Some fun etiological-type stories from West Africa!  Arrivederci!

Image Information.  Araneus diadematus; photo by Hochgeladen von Quartl, 2010.  Wikipedia.
Zitterspinne (Pholcus sp.); photo by Achim Muller, 2007.  Wikipedia.

Week 5: Extra Reading Diary--Pirates and Old Men and Rocs--Oh, My! (Voyages of Sindbad

Once again, rather than an essay, I decided to read the Voyages of Sindbad, just because I was curious about how Sindbad's voyages ended--does he get left behind more times and forgotten for good?  Does he lose all of his wealth?  Or is he really the luckiest man alive?  Let's jump to it!  (Especially since I have a marathon of House of Cards starting shortly, haha.)

11-12. Fifth Voyage- Well, Sindbad, at least if you have your own ship they can't really leave you behind. . . right?  How dare you let them kill the baby roc, Sindbad!!!!  What kind of monster are you?!  Poor momma and poppa roc. . .  How can a ship outmaneuver rocs dropping giant boulders?  That's totally unrealistic (whereas rocs are definitely real. . . I definitely have my facts straight).  Awww, Sindbad, your ship is dead!  You really need to find some better merchant friends.  Sindbad might make a good Aeneas, just saying. . . Poor Sindbad!  Now you're stuck with a random old dude on your back.  If only it was that easy to make wine in real life.  And now we are back to uncommon good luck and coconuts.  Woo!  Who knew you could make a living throwing stones at monkeys?  And, once again, Sindbad is rich with practically no effort.  Wish I was him!

13-15. Sixth Voyage- Yes, Sindbad, it is a marvel that you would risk more trouble after having shipwrecked five times.  And yet, there you go, venturing off once more.  Annnnnddddd there you go, wrecking yet another ship; for shame, Sindbad, for shame!  Way to outlive all your companions!  Are you going to extend your life further by reverting to cannibalism?  No?  Awww. . . Look at that--the power of logic!  Raft away, my dear Sindbad!  Thank you, random "friendly-looking black men"!  You saved Sindbad from certain death!  (He seriously has more lives than a cat.)  I'm Sindbad, the Sailor Man--*toot, toot*!  Fameeee, without love, fameeee, can't get enough. . .  Random mention of Adam; okay, then.  And Sindbad gets more wealth from entertained hosts--it's whatever.  How rich were these random friendly men?  Day-um.  Plus, just because he delivered gifts from one monarch to another, Sindbad receives yet more wealth.  Cool beans.  Return home, my fortunate friend!

16-17. Seventh and Last Voyage- You vow never to leave Baghdad again?  Bah!  You get to deliver a present back to the Serendib peoples.  Go forth, valiant Sindbad!  A bed is definitely the first gift I think to give a foreign leader.  Wow, Caliph, just wow.  Oooooohhhh, pirates.  Sorry, Sindbad, but I might be changing sides here, even if they do kill and enslave people ruthlessly. . . Okay, so maybe not.  Poor Sindbad.  :(  Killing an elephant just for its tusks?  Gahhhhh!  I no longer like you, Sindbad--bad!  (Don't ask why Sindbad has basically becoming a dog in this post--just go with it, haha.)  Such smart elephants!  Take him down!!!. . . Or carry him away!!!  That works too!  More good fortune and wealth for Sindbad--big surprise.

And Sindbad lived happily ever after.  The end!

Arrivederci!!!



Image Information.  Final Frontier; oil on canvas by George Grie.  Wikimedia.

Week 5: Reading Diary--Escalating Ridiculousness (Georgian Folktales)

Now to continue on with the somewhat nonsensical and random Georgian folktales!


11. The Strong Man and the Dwarf-  It's totally going to be a David and Goliath-esque story--I'm calling it now!  Awww. . . Just kidding; it's just another story reminiscent of the valiant little tailor. . .  :(  Basically just another clever little person taking advantage of a less clever but more physically imposing person.  For shame, little people, for shame.  Especially reusing each other's tricks like that!  At least be original!  (Though the sneezing-criticism thing was new; just goes to prove that dwarves are bullies with Napoleon complexes.)

12. The Grasshopper and the Ant- "Hen, give me chickens to give to the kites"--does the grasshopper not realize that he's asking the hen to give over comrades/offspring to be eaten?  Good luck with that one. . . This whole thing could be so much less complicated if the grasshopper just used a leaf or a twig or a blade of grass or something; why does it need to be the bristle of a sow?!  Oooohhh, the barn talks.  Nice use of a random inanimate object. (Just a side note, I consider plants like oaks somewhat animate as they are alive, if not vocal.  I'll still eat them and chop them down and all, but they are animate. . . )  Why wouldn't you just use the grass?!  Gahhhhh.  I'm just glad that my friends are (at least slightly) more effective in emergency situations than that grasshopper.  Poor little ant. . .

13. The King and the Sage-  RIDDLES!!! WOOOOO!  Awwwww--they weren't actually riddles.  Boo.  (Also, who says that it is possible for his wife to give birth to a pig and himself to turn into a weird panther-goat amalgamation, but it isn't possible for a poor-looking guy to have been wealthy once?  Whattt?!)

14. Teeth and No-Teeth-  Ummmmmm, okay.  So we have a toothless but clever old man inhaling food and an athletic and proud young man weeping that he doesn't get as much food.  Cool.

15. The Fool's Good Fortune-  Okay, these stories are just getting curiouser and curiouser.  So we have a fool who is happy with a cow, a cow who rips up a tree and finds a pot of gold, a fool who gives said pot (now filled with rocks) to a king, lots of people beating on a fool for various ill-timed remarks, a fool who decides to steal a bell, a bell which frightens robbers, a fool which cuts off a robber's tongue, a fool who steals the robbers' wealth, and a fool who builds three palaces with said wealth.  Which means, overall, he had good fortune, I guess?  Huh.

16. Two Losses-  Another story of an erudite making fun of the laymen and then perishing because he has no common sense/basic skills.  Oh, well.  Looking at the silver lining, though, there is now one less snobby scholar in the world. . .

17. The Story of Dervish-  Where was the explanation about the other magical happenings in the region--such as the skinless deer running away after being killed?  Instead we get told a tale about a man turned into a dog who basically kills everything he sees for reward, before being turned back into a man and turning his wife and her lover into donkeys--of the opposite sex.  I just. . . I don't get any of these. . .

18. The Father's Prophecy-  Basically, rank and glory are two very different things, as are virtue and fortune.  The father might as well have been paraphrasing Machiavelli's The Prince.  (Also, respect your elders, people; come on!)

19. The King's Counsellor-  First off, the ambiguity of the word "kid" here worries me; I'm just going to cross my fingers and assume they were talking about another goat.  Also, why does this tale lead to the moral of "beware, above all us, of our wives"?  It should be something else such as "be grateful of good counsel and acknowledge it as such," or "don't go up in arms over a favored goat."  (And of those two, obviously the latter is the more appropriate and logical.)

20. The Hermit Philosopher-  He didn't understand. . . and then it hit him!  Haha, ha, ha. . . Yeahhhh, I think I've read a few too many of these stories today. . .


Ta-dahhhhhh!  Another unit down and more random knowledge acquired!  Now to tell a story. . .   A piu tardi!



Image Information.  Ant on tree; photo by Thomas Quaritsch, 2005.  Wikimedia.
A pair of donkeys, Cloghfin; photo by Kenneth Allen, 2012.  Geograph.

Week 5: Reading Diary--The Devil's In the Details (Georgian Folktales)

This week I will be reading the collection of Georgian Folktales--let's get ready to outwit the devil, people!  And then not escape a terrible fate!  Wooo!  Haha.


1. Master and Pupil- Anybody else love the wife's dig at her husband, saying that he's completely ignorant?  That's one way to introduce a character, haha.  Why does the devil appear when the peasant praises how good water is at a random spring?  So confused. . . Not to deny the legitimacy of this story, but who can't recognize their own kid after a year?  I'm really curious how old this kid is that he will change so much in a single year.  Also, why would this kid want to go back to his poor father who left him in the care of the devil?  Where is the logic there?  I might possibly want to be apprenticed to the devil just so that I can shape-change.  Yup.  This son is so greedy he's just asking for trouble; he deserves to be sold back to the devil.  "Variegated eyes;" great description, right there.  But stupid, avaricious father. . .  I'm loving this chase scene--so many transformations!  And why not change into inanimate objects occasionally?  Burn, devil, burn--disco inferno!  (And they lived happily ever after.)

2. Fate- Apparently people have been objecting to arranged marriages for eons--go figure.  Random devil in one story, random angel in the next.  So classist of them, leaving the poor people's fates out in the weather like that; how cruel.  How terrible, to marry a weaver's daughter!  Stupid prince, for all you know she could weave straw into gold!  "A guest is a gift of God"--unless your guest is an in-law, an ex, pesky relatives, or a serial killer.  (Woah, that escalated quickly. . .)  He totally just killed the weaver's daughter!  What the heck!  And after the weaver was so kind to him!  He just turned into a killer, if not a serial killer.  Goodness.  Okay, so maybe he wasn't totally cruel.  He just seriously wounded the weaver's daughter and left bags of money as compensation--and then married her unknowingly.  Guess you really can't escape your fate, even if you try to murder your future.

3. The Serpent and the Peasant- Begin with a vision of utopia and you can only go downhill from there.  Let's watch this train wreck!  A fox suspended by the tail obviously means that your chickens are going to be especially prosperous in the near future (you know, since the fox can't steal them and all).  Just go with it. . . Cunning, hypocrisy, and treachery--prosperous chickens was close.  The one story where a snake is the good guy and man the one who's treacherous--I knew I liked snakes for a reason!  Awww, what a sweet ending!  Such a kindly and generous snake!

4. The Two Brothers- Bears and wolves and jackals, oh my!  I think the mouse should actually be a dragon hoarding gold; it's much more exciting that way.  How dare he just callously kill the mouse like that!  I should beat him with twigs. . . And the brother said, "Let there be water!" and it was done. . . Save the princess, rule the world. . . And after all of that good fortune, let's just end the tale with a grisly murder!  That's all, folks!


5. The King and the Apple- First line makes no sense; great start!  The ultimatum in this story also makes little sense--basically, just repent and then decide whether or not you want to enter. . .  I want a talking apple!  What?!  Totally did not see that one coming.  Why not ask questions such as "what is 2 + 2?"  I don't understand this tale at all. . .

6. The Three Precepts-  So much repetition--why?!  I think, I think, I think that this story is odd, is odd, is weird.  Though I wouldn't mind, wouldn't mind, would like a snake that lays precious stones.  But I definitely do not want the fate of the youth by the end of this tale, I'll tell you that.  (Though I really enjoy the random poem/song thingy at the end of this tale, haha; "Thou hast drunk bad, stale, wine,/ And eaten a rotten walnut."  The end.)

7. The Cunning Old Man and the Demi-  The beginnings of these stories are just so great; e.g. "He might have worked, but he was lazy." <--Story of my life, haha.  Clever lazy old man.  It's like the valiant little tailor who killed 7 in one blow, lol.  How do you not see a guy throwing a deer, a goat, a boar, and then another deer into a river?  Seriously, how do you miss that?!  But poor demi, he didn't deserve the fate that he got. . .

8. The Shepherd Judge-  "Yeah, man, I'll be a judge--but only if you blind me first."  Who says that?  Who?!  And why he can still judge after his sight has been restored, when he had to be blind before?  What is going on?!


9. The Priest's Youngest Son-  I. . . just. . . don't. . . understand. . .  Read the psalter over your father's grave, jump a wall, milk a doe, and you will live happily ever after?  Is that what I'm supposed to get out of this?. . .


10. Mingrelian Proverbs- My personal favorites:  Turn to the right, or turn to the left, 'twill all be one in the end; Wish thy neighbour to have an ox, and God will send it to thee; The hen scratched and scratched till she dug up a knife, with which her own throat was afterwards cut; If the bear overcome thee--then call him Papa; The dog took fright at a wolf, and barked all the year round at a stump; I say it--but whether it happen or no 'tis nothing to do with me; My father I love, my mother I love, but myself I prefer before all; A heart-kiss is better than a lip-kiss; Our granny has no teeth, so she likes not others' teeth to see.  BEST.  PROVERBS.  EVERRRR.


And that is all.  Ciao!!!



Image Information.  Path in forest over water; wallpaper.  Superb Wallpapers.
Dog treeing; photo by Scochran4, 2010.  Wikipedia.
Horse jumping ditch obstacle; photo by Henry Bucklow, 2009.  Wikipedia.
All hail the apple king; photo by MisterMadHatter.  DeviantArt.