I just scrolled down the list until I found the Sioux stories. I am about 1/8 Sioux, although with my naturally blond hair and inability to get a tan you'd never know. I read a story about how a war began with the Chippewas, called The Wonderful Turtle. Being a huge animal lover, I went straight for the title with the animal. This was a sort of odd story as it was told more in the rhythm of a song, which was explained at the beginning, but still it was different to read. I actually kind of liked the way it flowed once I got used to it. Being a Native American tale, it did not end in the happy sort of finite way that people in the U.S. are used to having their stories end. It was open-ended which I never really thought of as an option before.
The second unit I clicked on was English Fairy Tales I. I decided to check out the Three Little Pigs. I was curious to see if it was in fact the story that I remember, being told in the way that I remember. Obviously the books that I has as a child made the language a bit easier to understand for a child. This was written in more of an old English type diction. i perfectly understood, but for a child I can see why they decided to update the language. The standard "not by the hair of my chiny chin chin" was still in there which I was pleased to see. The ending was A LOT different than the one I recalled as a kid. The pigs end up boiling the wolf, and eating him! I dig it. They were clearly not afraid to be brutal back then.
The last unit I clicked on was Welsh (Thomas), which caught my eye because my last name is Thomas. The name "Thomas" comes from my grandfather, who just so happens to be Welsh. I chose the story Arthur in the Cave, which seems to be a continuation of the story of King Arthur. I really liked the way that it was written, in modern literary prose. It was easy to read, but it still kept sort of a song like rhythm to it. It sort of reminded me of reading the Harry Potter books. This story was essentially saying that King Arthur did not die, as in previous stories, but that he and his knights were just asleep for thousands of years, awaiting the proper time to continue their quest to defend their crown. I liked that this story was kind of hitched to another already well known story. I feel like I would be more comfortable doing something like this because I am not so creative.
Fairy Tales
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