Reading notes, extra credit, week 2

The Turtle and the King I like stories like this where the main character gets what he wants by outsmarting his opponent. I could probably write something like this, but I don't think I would be able to add on to it so much.
The Crocodile and the Monkeys Heart- I liked that the monkey out-witted the crocodile, but the end where the crocodile just left sad felt a little open ended to me. I feel like it could be added on to. The monkey could have gotten revenge I think. I did like the little poem that the monkey told to the crocodile at the end.
Goblin City- This one felt closest to a fairytale. The language used and the mythical creatures. I could not really find a moral to the story though. I guess that "there is no such thing as a free lunch", or "don't believe everything you see" would be close, but those are not as profound I suppose as I am used to. I'm trying to figure out what I would write or add onto, and while I liked this story, I don't think it is so much my style.

Goblin on a Frog

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Reading notes B on week 2

The Man in the Moon- I like the ending to this story. It seems familiar in a way, like I've read stories where the main character doesn't get what he wants right away or is taught a lesson and left to live with the consequences.
The Hare that was not Afraid to Die- This story I did not like as much. I felt like the language was a little too old in style. If i were to write something, I would definitely update the language. I am also not a fan of following multiple story lines in a shorter story.
The Eight-Forked Serpent of Koshi- This story really did remind me of a Greek tale, which I liked. While the language was older in style, it wasn't a distraction and I felt it added more to the story. I find the stories interesting where other worldly beings get to participate in mortal lives.
The Indian Who Wrestled with a Ghost - I liked the ghostly element of this story. I did notice that it was not a traditional spooky ghost story, but more of a teaching riddle. And the values were clearly Native American.
Pygmalion- I was a little confused by the line "art hides his art".  This story was honestly a touch creepy because it's a man who is in love and worships a statue, but the Greeks were a little creepy. I like the style in which Greek stories were told. This story has a clear beginning, middle and end which I liked.
The Tiger, The Brahman, and the Jackal- I liked that the tiger got what was coming to him in this story. The jackal was cleaver. and this story did a great job of making me feel sorry for the good hearted Brahman.
The Lions Share- I liked that this was short and sweet, and you still got the point that the lion was greedy.
Androcles and the Lion- The lion reminds me of a loyal dog, and I love that. This was an all around feel good story, and I feel like that's rear in these types of stories. I like the loyalty element in the story.
The Lion and the Statue- I like that the lion was clever in this story. He seemed wise, and the man seemed boastful and willing to believe what he wanted to in his superiority. I don't think I am capable of writing a story so short, and straight to the point, but I like that someone else wrote it.
 The Lion in Love- This story made me so sad! That poor lion. I do not like stories that make me feel this way. I would never write something like this. I could however add on to this to make it a happier story.
The Three Roses- This was definitely a less romantic version of beauty and the beast, and I happen to really love love. But, I enjoyed the fairytale aspect of this story. It didn't have a lot of back story, but the ending made it clear that the Basilisk was supposed to be a real boy all along.

Story Book

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Reading options, Part A

First of all, wow! That UN-textbook is awesome! I love the freedom and choices it gives us. Really really cool!
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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