Week 14 Storytelling: The Miner

When I was a young man, my wife and I could barely get by. She stayed at home to cook and take care of the house, and I was a miner in the local mine. My job was tough and took its toll on my body. Some days the air would be so thick with dust and dirt, I could barely breathe. I'll never forget the time when I found something interesting down in the mines. I was working alone one afternoon, when my pickaxe struck something that wasn't rock. I stopped and got down on my knees to take a closer look. There was something shining through the rock. I took my smaller hand-pick and tried to chip away at the edges without hitting the object. It took me awhile, but I finally recovered it. It was a small, gold bottle.

I started to rub the bottle with my handkerchief to get the dust off of it. All of a sudden, a voice came from the bottle. I stood there for a minute trying to comprehend what I had just witnessed. A few minutes later, and I heard the voice again. It asked if I could put the bottle somewhere safe where no one could find it. I proceeded to ask why, but the only answer I got was the same question again. I decided I would sneak the bottle out at the end of my shift and hide it in the nearby forest.

When I returned home from work that night, I told my wife what had happened.

Miner: You won't believe what I found down in the mines today! I was chipping away and I came across a gold bottle. When I picked it up and dusted it off, it began to talk! It asked me to put it somewhere safe where no one could find it.

Wife: So, what did you do with it?!

Miner: Well, I snuck it out to the forest and hid it there.

Wife: Did you not make your wish?

Miner: No? Was I supposed to?

Wife: You fool! Do you know what that was?

Miner: ......

Wife: That was a magic golden bottle! Everyone knows that it has to grant any wish you ask, or at least most people know. You need to go back this instant and ask the bottle for a cottage! I'm tired of this small, drafty shack!

Miner: If you say so..

Even though I didn't really want to ask for an entire new house, I did because I knew it would make my wife happy. I went back to the bottle and began to shine it with my handkerchief. After awhile, i heard the voice again. I told the voice that my wife wanted a cottage, and it told me to return home and I would find my wife in our new home. I did, and when I got back I couldn't believe my eyes! Right there, where our old shack used to be, stood a new cottage. I entered and found my wife sitting near the fireplace, she was most content!

Wife: Do you see this?! I told you that was a magic golden bottle!

Miner: I can't believe it! This is beautiful! We'll be happy forever here!

Wife: We'll see about that.

Before I knew it, my wife asked me to return to the bottle and ask for a castle. She said the cottage was much too small for us now. I hesitated but eventually did as she wished. After I made my trip, I came home to find my wife on the steps of our castle. It didn't end there though. She then told me she wanted to be King, then Emperor, then Pope! Each time I returned to the bottle I was reluctant to ask for something else. We had already asked for so much and I didn't want to make whoever was granting these wishes mad. Each time though, the wish was granted. Until, my wife sent me to tell the bottle she wanted control over the sun and moon. As soon as I asked, the voice was as clear as ever, "Return home, and find your wife in your old shack." I headed home and just as the voice had promised, my wife was sitting on the porch of our shack with her head in her hands. To this day, we still live in that old shack.

Author's Note: This week I read some more stories from the Brothers Grimm unit. This story is based off the story The Fisherman and His Wife. In the original story a fisherman comes across a fish one day that claims to be a prince and asks the fisherman to release him. When he returns home that day, he tells his wife what had happened and she explained to him that he needed to return and ask for a wish from the fish. He does as she requests over and over. It all started with a cottage, then a castle, then she wanted to be king, then emperor, and then pope. Finally, she wanted control over the sun and moon and when he asked the fish for that, the fish sent him home and told him to find his wife in their old hovel. I re-wrote this story with a different profession. Instead of a fisherman, it was a miner. This was to show that the moral of the story is universal. No matter who you are, or what you do, don't be greedy!

(illustration by Walter Crane)

Bibliography: Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm, translated by Lucy Crane and illustrated by Walter Crane (1886).

Week 13 Storytelling: The Cottage in the Woods

A man by the name of Hans and his wife, Gretchen, had just moved to Storybrook. They were staying at the local hotel, but were quickly trying to find a new home so they could get settled. Hans picked up the Storybook Gazette on his way home from work so they could begin browsing the listings.

Gretchen: How was your first day, honey?

Hans: It was great! I think we made a really good decision moving here. The people are so welcoming and Storybrook has that small town charm!

Gretchen: I also noticed how friendly the people were today. All we need now is a place to call home, and we'll be set!

Hans: I picked up the local newspaper to search for listings. Let's take a look.

They browsed for a minute or two. Then, they stumbled across a listing that caught both of their eyes.

Gretchen: Look! There's a small single family cottage just outside of town, and look at the price! That can't be right!

Hans: Hmm. That must be a misprint. There's no way a house with that much land could be that cheap. I'll give the real estate office a call in the morning.

The next morning Hans phoned the local real estate office and set up a viewing for that afternoon. He couldn't wait to surprise Gretchen!

Gretchen: Well, you're home early from work! Is everything alright?

Hans: Everything is great! I got off a little early so I could surprise you! I called the real estate office this morning and set up a viewing for the cottage in the woods. Now hurry and get your shoes on, we're going to be late!

......

Sandra: Hello there, my name is Sandra. I'm with Storybrook Realty! Are we ready to see this wonderful property?

Hans: Hello, I'm Hans and this is my wife, Gretchen, we can't wait to see the house!

Sandra: Great! Follow me! First things first, this isn't your typical cottage. As you're probably already noticing, the house is not made out of the usual materials. Why is this you ask? It's a very interesting story actually. A few years back, two young siblings got lost in the woods. They had been gone for weeks before they finally found their way back home. When they returned they had quite the story to tell. They claimed that they came across a house made of sweet breads and cakes, and windows of sugar. They said the house saved their lives, because they had gone days without food. It sounds absurd right? Well it just so happened they were telling the truth! They led the sheriff back here to this very spot and sure enough, the cottage they spoke of stands here to this day. It's been on the market ever since.

Hans: Is there a reason that no one has purchased the house? Is it.........haunted?

Sandra: Haunted? No, no, nothing of the sort. The reason no one has purchased it is because the children also claimed that a witch lived here when they stumbled upon the cabin. They said they were trapped here for weeks, until one day the younger sibling burnt the witch alive and freed her brother at last. Now, there is no proof that this is true or that witches are even real for that matter, but that's the rumor that has been going around for years.

Gretchen: Sandra, could we have a moment to discuss?

Sandra: Sure! Take all the time you need!

Gretchen: Honey, this house is perfect! It's super cheap and it's one of a kind! A house made of sweet breads and cakes? We'll become famous once we get the word out that we own this place!

Hans: You're right sweetheart. Sandra, we'll take it!

Sandra: Great! I'll have the paperwork drawn up and you two can move in immediately!

A few weeks had passed. Hans and Gretchen were slowly getting settled into their new home. After the first week Gretchen began noticing strange occurrences while she was home alone during the day. Doors began opening themselves, dishes started falling from the cabinets, and the most recent, the oven kept turning itself on. She decided that it was probably nothing and to keep it to herself.

One moonless night, Hans and Gretchen were suddenly awoken by a blood curdling scream. Hans immediately grabbed a bat and ran downstairs to see what was making the noise. When he got to the kitchen, he found the oven with flames bursting out of the cracks, and what seemed to be an old woman's face, screaming through the flames. He grabbed the water faucet from the kitchen sink and began to put the fire out, but it only made matters worse. The screams got louder and the flames more intense. He ran upstairs, grabbed Gretchen, and fled the cottage in the woods. They never returned, and never spoke a word of what happened in that house.

Author's Note: This week I read one of the Brothers Grimm units. This story is based off of Hansel and Grethel. In the original story, when Hansel and Grethel were lost in the woods they come across a cabin made of sweet breads, cakes and sugar. They were famished and began eating the house when the owner approached them. It was an old lady who tricked them into coming inside and then held them hostage so that she could fatten them up and eat them. She was a witch. One day Grethel tricked the witch into getting in the oven and burnt her alive. Grethel and her brother escaped and returned home. The story never mentions the house or the witch again, so I thought I would create a spin-off story that tells what happens to the cottage. Also, I thought I would incorporate the witch as well. Did Grethel actually kill the witch, or did she just think she did? Maybe she did kill the witch, but the ghost of the witch will haunt the cottage forever? You decide.

(illustration by Otto Ubbelohde)

Bibliography: Margaret Hunt's Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm (1884).

Week 12 Storytelling: Queen of Hearts

A procession of guards, children and others made their way over the hill. Alice had never seen such a crowd. Down the line, Alice could see two figures that stood out. They were dressed like royalty and were the only ones who weren't walking like the rest. It was the King and Queen of Hearts. After approaching Alice, the Queen made it clear immediately the type of person she was. She seemed harsh, rude and tyrannical. If someone did something she didn't like she would scream, "Off with his head!" Alice was irritated with the Queen, but also fearful that she would lose her head if she did something the Queen didn't like. The Queen eventually asked Alice if she could play croquet, Alice  reluctantly said that she could and joined the procession as the Queen instructed her to.

Along the way Alice carefully examined the Queen. She read her body language and just tried to get a better sense of who she was. One thing Alice had learned at a young age is that you don't judge a book by its cover. Sometimes people put up a front that is completely different than who they actually are. After a while, Alice thought to introduce herself and see if she could get to know the real Queen of Hearts.

Alice: My name is Alice! It's very nice to meet you! I'm not from this place, so I don't really know or understand everything yet. I hope that we can become good friends. What's your name?

Queen: My name is of no importance to you. You may address me as your Queen and that is that.

Alice: I'm just trying to be friendly. Why do you have to be so rude?

Queen: How dare you! OFF WITH HER......

Alice: Yeah, yeah. I know. Off with my head. That's all you say. When someone says something you don't like or do, you just behead them. That's not a very good way to make friends. Didn't your mother ever teach you that?

Queen: Well, uhh, you see....I never really had a mother when I was a child.

Alice: I'm so sorry to hear that! I don't know what I would do without my mother! Why didn't you have a mother?

Queen: Alice is it? Well, when I was very young both of my parents were killed. I don't really remember them. I was raised by my aunt, who assumed the throne when they passed away.

Alice: How tragic! I bet you are thankful your aunt was there to raise you after your parents died!

Queen: I wouldn't say that I was thankful. My aunt was an evil old lady. When she found out my parents had died, she cheered and said she was glad they were gone. She knew that there was nothing in the way of her and the throne. She ordered me to spend my days living in the attic and to be her own personal slave. I was required to do anything and everything she asked, and if my work wasn't to her standards I would end up in the dungeon for a week. It was awful, and the only thing I had to look forward to was my eighteenth birthday. I knew when I was eighteen I would be free from her forever!

Alice: What happened when you turned eighteen?

Queen: Well, the week before my birthday I was gathering up everything I could think of that I wanted to take with me. I didn't have much, but a few keepsakes of my parents and a change of clothes. I was ecstatic the whole week, and my aunt could tell. She would say and do anything to bring me down, but it didn't work. Nothing could bring me down because I knew by the end of the week I would be free, or so I thought.

Alice: Oh no, what did your aunt do?

Queen: On the day of my birthday, I woke up at daybreak. When I walked downstairs my aunt was sitting in the main room, waiting for me. She said, "Well you're up early. Oh right, it's your birthday today isn't it? I'm afraid we'll have to celebrate later. I need you to get down to the barn. My riding instructor is coming this morning and we can't have a barn full of feces when he gets here." I then reminded her, "You're going to have to find someone else to do your dirty work from now on. Today is my eighteenth birthday and I'm out of here!" I turned to leave and a guard stepped between me and the door. She said, "Oh honey, you didn't think that I would let you leave that easily did you? You have no money, no family and nowhere to go. You're staying here with me and there's nothing you can do about it!"

Alice: What did you do?!

Queen: I stayed. She was right. I didn't have anywhere to go and if I did leave she would've done everything in her power to make sure I was homeless and miserable. After that day though, something changed in me. I knew what I had to do. If I wanted to be free, I would have to get rid of my aunt. It was actually pretty simple. My aunt wasn't the sharpest thorn on the rose bush, so I just snuck something in her breakfast one morning and that was the end of her. The doctor ruled it a heart attack and I took my rightful place as Queen.

Alice: You killed your aunt.....but......that just makes you as bad as her, maybe even worse.

Queen: Listen little girl, you don't know what I went through. You don't know what its like to live like that. I did what I had to. Now go on and get your mallet, your holding up the game!

Author's Note: This week I read the readings from Alice in Wonderland. I've seen the animated movie and heard the story as a kid, but I didn't really remember it in much detail. For my story I decided to add in a little piece and kind of give a back story on one of the other characters. When Alice finally gets into the small door where the garden is in Wonderland, she ends up meeting the Queen of Hearts. All that we ever really learn about that Queen is that she is pretty malicious and continuously calls for the beheading of people. So, I thought I would add in a personal discussion between Alice and the Queen on the walk to the croquet ground. My story gives a small taste of the Queen's childhood and how that contributed to the way she is today.

(illustration by Arthur Rackham)

Bibliography: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865).

Week 11 Storytelling: How the Leprechaun Fooled Grandfather

Jack: Grandfather, would you tell me one of your stories?

Grandfather: Sure kiddo, which one would you like to hear?

Jack: Tell me a new story, one you haven't mentioned before.

Grandfather: Well, let me think..... Have I ever told you the story about the leprechaun that duped me?

Jack: No! Tell me that one!

Grandfather: Well it all started like any other day. It was harvest time. I was out in the field, checking the crops, when I heard a clacking sound coming from behind some of the hedges. It startled me! I almost jumped out of my boots! I decided to slowly and stealthily sneak up on the noise to see what was creating it. Can you guess what I found?

Jack: What was it grandpa? Was it a leprechaun?

Grandfather: It was! I couldn't believe my eyes! He was sitting in a pot made out of pure gold! I had always heard stories about them, but I had never actually seen one in person! I asked him what he was doing and he replied, "That's none of your business, move along!" I was shocked and a little irritated at his response. I decided to snatch him up and take the pot for myself. As soon as I grabbed him, he began to wriggle his way loose. I had a good grip though, he wasn't going anywhere. During the scuffle I knocked the pot over and it shattered to pieces. Now, I was angry. Leprechauns are notorious for stashing gold in different places so I knew he had to have more somewhere. I squeezed him a little tighter and told him to take me to his stash of gold! He seemed frightened, and immediately agreed to take me to it.

Jack: Did you find it grandpa? Did he show you where his stash of gold was hidden?

Grandfather: Slow down, Jack. There's more to the story. Now, I've always heard that once you spot a leprechaun, you can't take your eyes off of them or they'll escape. The whole trip I kept my eyes on him. There wasn't a chance I was going to let him get away. We finally made it to a clearing when he said, "We're here." It was a field of nothing but large yellow flowers. The leprechaun pointed to one of the larger flowers and said, "Dig under that flower and you'll find my stash of gold." It was then that I realized, in all the anger and excitement, I forgot a shovel. I tied my red handkerchief around the flower, so I would remember which one it was under. I made the leprechaun promise he wouldn't remove it while I returned home to grab a shovel. He agreed, so I hurried home. When I returned, the handkerchief was gone, and the leprechaun was nowhere to be found.

Jack: Well grandpa, why didn't you dig under all the flowers until you found the gold?

Grandfather: Oh, Jack. There were hundreds of those flowers in that field. It would've taken me weeks. Also, I no longer trusted the leprechaun at this point. For all I know, he could've made the whole story up and lied about the stash of gold as well.

Jack: I'm sorry grandfather.

Grandfather: It's alright, Jack. I was angry for awhile, but I eventually got over it. One thing I did learn though, you can't trust a leprechaun!

Author's Note: This week I read some of the Celtic Fairy Tales. This particular story is based on one of the tales, The Field of Boliauns. In the original story there is a man that comes across a leprechaun in his field during harvest. The leprechaun has a pot of beer that he brewed, and when the man snatched up the leprechaun he spilt all of the beer. In his anger, the man demands to be taken to the place the leprechaun stashes his money. The leprechaun leads him, and the man keeps his eyes on the leprechaun the whole time so he doesn't escape. When they get to a field of Boliauns, a type of flower, the leprechaun points him to one he claims his money is buried under. The man realizes he forgot his spade and decides to return home to fetch it. He ties a red garter around the Boliaun and asks the leprechaun not to remove it, the leprechaun agrees. When he returns, the red garter is gone. There are too many Boliauns for him to dig them all up. He returns home and cursed the leprechaun every time he thought about what had happened. From the reading you can tell that my story is mostly the same, but with a few tweaks here and there to make it a little easier to understand for a reader in today's world. I also decided to have the setting as a grandpa telling his grandson a story about when he was younger. Was the grandfather telling a true story he witnessed, or was he just entertaining his grandson? You decide.

(Leprechaun)

Bibliography: Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs (1892).

Week 9 Storytelling: The Squirrels of OU

It was yet another beautiful, sunny day on campus. I had just grabbed some lunch from the Union and found an open bench outside. I normally don't like to sit outside because of the pesky squirrels trying to steal my food, but it was too pleasant to stay inside. I had just gotten settled when I saw a squirrel out of the corner of my eye. Before I knew it the squirrel had jumped down, grabbed my bag of chips, and ran off. I was livid. I knew this was going to happen and I didn't do anything to prevent it. I watched as the squirrel sat in the tree and mocked me while eating my bag of chips. 

Although I was mad, I decided not to let it get the best of me because it was too nice of a day. I went back to enjoying my sandwich and scrolling through social media when I noticed the squirrel sneaking up on me again. He was coming back for more. I decided to let him get close enough so that I could catch him before he had the chance to steal the rest of my lunch. He jumped on the back of the bench, and I quickly snatched him up. It took him by surprise and he fiercely tried to squirm his way out. He quickly realized that he couldn't budge and things got interesting. 
The squirrel said, "Let Me Go!" I jumped out of my seat. I couldn't believe it! A squirrel just talked to me! 
When I finally caught my breath I said, "Did you just talk?!"

Squirrel: "Yes, but you can't tell anyone that I can talk! Humans aren't supposed to know, and I'll be in major trouble if my family finds out!"

Me: "Okay, I promise I won't say anything if you tell me how it is that you can talk."

Squirrel: "Well it all started deep in Texas. A long time ago, there was a tribe of indians, the "Aggies". The tribe became obsessed with eating the mescal plant which caused hallucinations. The indians quit all of their obligations, such as collecting food, because all they wanted to do was hallucinate from the plant. One day the children became so hungry that they left camp to look for food. One of the mothers noticed that the children were gone and rounded up the rest of the parents to start searching. The parents came across the Manitou, who told them that he had hid the children in the hollow trees to protect them. He then told the parents that he would turn them into birds so that they could find their children, and when they did he would then turn them back into humans."

Me: "I think I've read about this legend before."

Squirrel: "You probably have, but there's a part the Manitou forgot to mention. The Manitou neglected to tell the parents that he turned the children into squirrels. The parents were never able to find their children because they weren't looking for squirrels. I'm the descendant of one of those children. That's how I'm able to talk."


Author's Note: This week I read about the Tejas Legends. One of the stories explains why the woodpecker pecks. In the story the indians become obsessed with hallucinating from eating the mescal plant, much like my story. They stop gathering food and drop all of their responsibilities. The children become so hungry that they decide to leave camp and go hunting for food. One of the mothers eventually notices and rounds up the rest of the parents to start searching. They come across the Manitou who explains to them that he hid the children in the hollow trees to protect them. He then tells the parents that he will turn them into birds, woodpeckers, so that they can search for their children. He will turn them back into humans when they are reunited with their children. In my story I kept the original story the same, but I decided to give it a new angle. The manitou actually turned the children into squirrels so they could fit into the trees, but he forgot to mention that to the parents. Since the parents were unaware, they never found their children, and these children eventually had children of their own. As they multiplied they began to scatter out and some even travelled as far as Oklahoma. 
Everyone at OU knows about our squirrels. They're famous for stealing food and sneaking up on you. I decided to make the setting of my story on campus, and have one of the squirrels end up talking to me, and telling me how it is that he is able to talk.

Bibliography: When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends retold by Florence Stratton (1936).

(Woodpecker)

Week 6 Storytelling: A Mother's Instinct

Jack and Charlie met a few years ago at a mutual friend's birthday party. They immediately hit it off and became the best of friends. Even though Charlie was twelve years old and Jack was ten, they didn't mind the age difference. Jack really looked up to Charlie since he was an only child. They became inseparable. All seemed perfect, except for the fact that Jack's mother was skeptical of the friendship. One day Jack couldn't take it anymore and decided to ask his mother why she didn't like Charlie.

Jack: "Mom, why don't you like Charlie?"

Mother: "It's not that I don't like Charlie honey, I just don't think he's a very good influence on you."

Jack: "What do you mean by that?"

Mother: "I'm not sure how to explain this to you, but I just don't get a good vibe from him. I just get a feeling that he's not a good person, and that he's going to end up hurting you."

Jack: "Don't worry about me mom. I know Charlie, and I know he would never do that to me."

Mother: "Whatever you say, just don't say I didn't warn you."

A few months passed by and everything was fine. Charlie's sixteenth birthday was coming up and the two of them had big plans to go car shopping. They went on the day he turned sixteen and found the perfect car and drove it around all weekend laughing and blaring music. They were still the best of friends.

A couple weeks went by and it was time for school to start again. Charlie was a freshman this year and Jack was in eighth grade. They were at two different schools, Charlie was at the high school and Jack was at the middle school. After a few weeks into the semester, Jack hadn't seen or even heard from Charlie very much. Charlie said he was busy with schoolwork and football, and claimed that high school was a lot harder than middle school. One Friday night Jack and Charlie had plans to go see the new X-Men movie and Jack could hardly wait! Jack had his mom drop him off at Charlie's and told her that Charlie would bring him home after the movie. When Charlie answered the door Jack was surprised to see a small group of friends in Charlie's living room. Jack was bummed that it wasn't going to just be the two of them, but he also didn't mind making a few older friends.

Jack: "Are you ready to see the movie?! I can't wait! You didn't tell me you we're going to invite some of your friends to go with us."

Charlie: "Actually Jack, they invited me to go with them and I told them I would. I asked if you could come with us, but they said they don't hangout with middle schoolers. I'm really sorry, I can go with you tomorrow if you want to see it still?"

Jack: "Don't worry about it. Have a good time with your new friends."

Jack turned around and started walking home. He knew it was a long walk, but he forgot his cell phone at home so he couldn't call his mom. He was so mad at Charlie there was no way he was going to ask him for a ride either. By the time he got home the anger had passed and he burst into tears. His mother answered the door surprised to see him home so early.

Mother: "Honey, what's wrong?!"

Jack: (sobbing) "Charlie ditched me for his new high school friends."

Mother: "I'm so sorry Jack. Why don't you ask one of your other friends to go see the movie with you?"

Jack: "None of my friends except Charlie like X-Men. That was our thing."

The next day Jack walked into the kitchen while his mom was cooking lunch.

Jack: "Well aren't you going to say it?"

Mother: "Say what?"

Jack: "I told you so."

Mother: "Jack, I'm not going to be cruel. I'm sorry that Charlie treated you that way and I hope it never happens again. I love you and I would never want anyone to mistreat you. That's why I tried to warn you, so you would have your guard up."

Jack: "Thanks mom. Next time you tell me something like that I will. I love you too."

(Mother & Son)

Author's note: This week I read some South African Folk-Tales. There was one in particular that really caught my attention. It was about a lion that thought he was smarter than his mother. In the story the mother told the lion to beware of the man. The lion thought to himself, I know the man so why should I be afraid of him. He did what his mother warned him not to and went to the field where the man was. The man and his dogs attacked the lion and the man speared him. The man let him go and he went back to his mother. His mother told him again what she had said before. I decided to make my story about a childhood friendship. Growing up my mom would always tell me if she didn't have a good feeling towards one of my friends, and sometimes she would be right about them. No mother wants to see their children hurting, and no child wants their mother to tell them what to do. It's an on going battle, but I think most people can relate to this story.

Bibliography: This story is based on readings from South African Folktales by James Honey (1910).

Week 4 Storytelling: Brothers

Minister: "We are gathered here today to pay our respects to our friend, our brother, Blake. Blake was a bright young man, taken from us too soon. He is survived by his brother, Adam."

Adam: "I never thought I would be attending my younger brother's funeral. He was so young. He had so much life to live."

Sam: "I know cousin, it's not right. Who would've thought the youngest of eight cousins would be the first to pass on."

Adam: "There were so many things I needed to say. The last time we talked I accused him of something terrible and told him I never wanted to see him again. How can I move on knowing the last thing I said to him was that I hated him and I never wanted to see him again."

Sam: "I'm sure he knew you didn't mean what you said. We all get angry and say things just to spite. Your brother knew how much you care about him."

Adam: "Normally I would agree Sam, but this time was different."

Sam: "What do you mean?"

Adam: "I accused him of something so awful. I can't believe it ever crossed my mind that he would do something like that, I know better."

Sam: "Well, what did you claim he did?"

Adam: "It all started when I came home from work one night and I found Jillian laying in the kitchen floor unconscious. Her clothes were ripped and torn, and she was covered in bruises and blood. It looked like a pack of wolves had trampled her. I immediately began shaking her, trying to wake her up. When she finally came to she told me that Blake, my baby brother, had raped her and beat her. She begged me not to say anything to him. She said he promised that if she spoke a word he would come back, and next time she wouldn't live to tell the tale. I was enraged! Of course I was going to say something, I was going to kill him for doing such a terrible thing to my wife. All I could see was red, and all I could think about were all of the ways I was going to abuse him. The more I pondered the events that had taken place, the more irate I became. I couldn't believe that my own flesh and blood, that I had so graciously accepted into my home would do something so atrocious. He was still living with us at the time because he was in between jobs and couldn't afford a place of his own. I waited until he got home and then I lit into him. We argued, threw punches and I even threatened to kill him. No matter what I said though, he wouldn't admit to what he had done. I finally told him I never wanted to see him again and if I did he'd wish I hadn't. It wasn't until a few years later that I caught Jillian with another man, and finally learned the web of lies she had spun. She admitted to fabricating the story about Blake raping and beating her. She said that she tempted him, but he rejected her. That angered her so she self inflicted her injuries and blamed them on Blake so that I would get rid of him."

Sam: "I cannot believe someone that claims to love you would do something so low."

Adam: "At that point my feelings towards her were numb. All I could think about was how terrible I was to my baby brother, and by now he would probably never forgive me. I tried looking for him, but he had fallen of the map. I never imagined the next time I would see him would be in a casket."

Sam: "I know it's hard, but you have to forgive yourself and trust that he knows you love him. We aren't promised tomorrow. That's why you have to live everyday like its your last. You have to say and do the things you want while you still can. Life's too short to sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff!"

(Brothers)

Author's Note: This week I read about Ancient Egypt. One of the stories I read was about two brothers. In the story the younger brother lives with his older brother and his older brother's wife. One day she comes on to him, but he rejects her. She then fabricates a story claiming that the younger brother raped and beat her. The older brother tries to kill the younger brother until her learns the truth. I switched up the ending and made it where the younger brother died before the older brother could make amends. I also made the story more modern, made the setting his funeral, and ended the story with a life lesson. I chose the picture not because it was apart of the original story, but because I thought it was a good representation of brotherly love. When I first started writing my story for this week, I didn't know where I was going to go with it. When I got to the end of my story I decided to give some advice that I think we all need to hear every now and then. Sometimes the best stories are the ones that you don't have a plan for, you can let your imagination write the story. 

Bibliography: This story is based on readings from Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie (1907).

Week 3 Storytelling: Jack's Confession

Jack: "Let me start off by letting you know that I have no desire to be here today. I'm only here because I promised my wife I would attend ,and hopefully this will help save our marriage."

Therapist: "Why don't we start from the beginning..... Tell me about some issues you are struggling with."

Jack: "Well it all started when I flooded our entire town. I work for the water department in Olympia and I'm in charge of the floodgates at the local dam. One slow evening I was sort of drinking on the job because of a fight I had with my wife earlier that day. We've been having marriage problems for awhile now. So I was having a few beers, when out of nowhere one of my coworkers snuck up and scared me. I jumped out of my seat and since my balance was off from the alcohol I accidentally knocked a lever for one of the floodgates. You would think that I could just turn the lever back off, but unfortunately that's not how these work. When you pull one of our floodgate levers the floodgate has to cycle all the way open before you can close it. I sounded the city alarm system as soon as I realized what had happened, but not everyone had enough time to clear the area. In a town of 14,000 people, almost 800 perished. I never admitted to anyone that I had been drinking, and my coworker luckily didn't see the bottles so it was deemed an accident. My wife had her suspicions though, and she would never let me forget."

Therapist: "That is tragic. What an awful event for everyone involved, including yourself. Why don't you tell me more about your relationship with your wife..."

Jack: "After that, things only got worse. I took what happened really hard, and I held myself fully responsible. My alcohol abuse only worsened and I started looking for love elsewhere because my wife was disgusted with the person I had become. I ended up having relations with three other women, all of which bore a child of mine. When I found out each of these women were pregnant I tried to cover my tracks as best I could. The first woman I sent away to a farm and threatened that if she ever tried to seek me out I would have her and her child killed. As this child grew older he made a friend, a friend who also did not have a father. One day his friend started snooping around his mother's belongings and found the identity of his biological father. This just so happened to be one of my best friends. My best friend was unfaithful one time and the girl ended up pregnant. The child kept trying to reach out to his father, my friend, but my friend wanted nothing to do with him. I knew there was only one way to keep his secret as well as mine safe, and that was to get rid of his son.

Therapist: "So you sent him away as well?"

Jack: "If that's what you want to call it."

Therapist: "Oh, I see. Continue....."

Jack: "The second woman I sent into the mountains. I never saw or heard from her or her child ever again. The third woman was the real tragedy. She ended up falling in love with me, and wouldn't take no for an answer. She began stalking me and threatened to reveal the truth and ruin my life. I couldn't have that, so I did what I thought was my only option at the time. I "sent her away"."

Therapist: "Is there anything else you would like to talk to me about?"

Jack: "I just wish that none of this had ever happened. I'm truly sorry and I'll do whatever it takes to make things right. I just hope that my wife, the love of my life, can find it in her heart to forgive me. As well as all of the other families and people I've hurt over the years."

(Jupiter and Juno, by Annibale Carracci)

Author's Note: This week I read Ovid's Metamorphoses I. I was really thinking hard of a way to retell this story that was completely different. If you've read the story you'll see in my retelling that I didn't stick to the storyline at all hardly. In my story, Jack (Jupiter) ends up flooding his town and then having affairs with three women and getting them all pregnant. Also, he murdered a couple of people as well. In the original, Jupiter floods the earth, rapes three women, gets them all pregnant, and murders a few people. I thought the idea of Jack (Jupiter) confessing to a therapist his mistakes would make for an interesting read. I also wanted to put the story into more modern day terms. I hope you enjoy.

Bibliography: This story is based on readings from Ovid's Metamorphoses, translated by Tony Kline.

Week 2 Storytelling: Monster-In-Law

Our story begins with a girl by the name of Penny. She wasn't your ordinary girl. Penny had a beauty that was unmatched, some would even say goddess-like. Penny had two older sisters that were also very beautiful young women, but their beauty was no match for Penny's. Her sister's had both recently married very wealthy and powerful men, but Penny had yet to find a husband. Her parents and sisters had put a lot of pressure on her to find someone of status, but Penny wanted something more. Penny wanted a love that you only hear in stories and dream about.

As Penny grew into a young woman, her beauty intensified. Bachelor's became infatuated by her allure and news began to spread of the gorgeous young bachelorette. Although most found her looks intriguing, there was one in particular who was not impressed. The news of Penny had spread like wildfire and a woman by the name of Vicky had overheard her son, Casey, and two other young men discussing the young siren. Vicky was overcome with fury. She thought this day would never come. She sat and pondered the thought of losing her son. She decided that she would do everything in her power to make sure that Casey and Penny would never have a chance. Vicky called one of her close friends and began to spread a rumor that Penny was pregnant out of wedlock and that her family was a disgrace. Word spread quickly, and Penny's family was humiliated. Even though the rumors were false, the damage was done. They decided to take Penny to one of their vacation homes up in the mountains until things settled down. Her parents worried about her being all alone and decided to arrange a secret marriage. They found a promising young man that agreed to the secret marriage, but he asked for one favor. Penny nor anyone else could ever be made aware of his identity. He would be by her side every night, love her, provide for her, keep her safe, but before dawn he would leave and not return until nightfall. They accepted and the two wed.

At first Penny was petrified about the marriage arrangement, but after the first few days she fell in love. She didn't understand how she could feel so deeply for someone that she had never even seen, but she did nonetheless. It wasn't long before Penny's sisters found out about her secret marriage and they insisted on seeing her. Penny begged her husband to let her sister's visit and at first he resisted, but he eventually gave in to her demands. Although, he did warn her, "Penny, your sisters will try to trick you into revealing my identity. If you make that mistake I will leave your side and never return and you will live out your days in lonesome misery." Penny assured her husband she would never betray him and made arrangements for her sisters arrival. 

Her sisters arrived and immediately began to question Penny. They demanded to know the identity of her husband, how he provided for her, and any other details they could think of. Penny quickly created a false identity for her husband, handed them gifts, and sent them on their way. The sisters sensed that something wasn't right in the relationship and began to plot their younger sister's demise.

Weeks later the sisters made a second trip to see their sister. Casey, again, reminded Penny that her sisters were trouble and that she must not disobey his wishes and reveal his identity. Penny, again, assured Casey that she would never betray him. Her sisters started with the usual small talk, but the conversation eventually turned to a more serious manner. They again questioned the identity of Penny's husband. Penny quickly made up another false identity and attempted to change the subject. Her sisters didn't buy into her story, and claimed that she didn't even know the identity of her own husband. Then, they began to tell lies of a dreadful man that had been spotted nearby her home. A deceitful and cunning man, that only meant her harm. They began to convince Penny that this man was her husband, and she started to believe it to be true. Her sisters advised her to hide a knife nearby at night, as well as a flashlight. They told her to take this man's life with the blade, but only after revealing his identity with the flashlight. She agreed and sent her sisters on their way.

The sun had set and Penny had her plan set. Just as her husband fell asleep she grabbed the flashlight and turned it to him, she then gasped in utter dismay. Before her very eyes was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Shaking with fear she accidentally dropped the flashlight and awakened Casey. He was outraged. He reminded her of his warning and immediately fled the scene. Penny was distraught. She headed directly to her sisters for comfort. Her sisters welcomed her warmly until they realized why she had come to visit. She told them of her mistake, and how wrong they were about her husband. Her sisters then revealed the truth behind their intentions.

Meanwhile, word had made it back to Vicky about what happened. Vicky was livid. All of her fears had come true. Vicky sought out her son, and unleashed her wrath. She scolded her son, but saved her fury for Penny. Vicky then set out to locate Penny, all the while Penny was already searching for Casey to beg for his forgiveness. Penny decided to go to Vicky in hopes that she might get a glimpse of Casey one last time. Just as Vicky had started to threaten Penny, Casey intervened. Vicky saw a new side of Casey that day. He had finally taken a stance against his mother for something he believed in. He told his mother, "You can threaten and complain all you want mother, but it won't make a bit of difference. I've finally found someone that loves me for who I am, and I'm not willing to let that go so easily. Penny and I are in love and you can either support us and be a part of our lives, or you can spend the rest of your days in solitude." Vicky eventually came around and supported the two love birds. Although, there will always be tension in a mother-in-law, daughter-in-law relationship.

(Cupid and Psyche, by M. Simoncini)

Author's Note: Basically Cupid and Psyche is a strange and interesting love story. In a world of gods and goddesses there is a mortal girl who has immortal beauty, her name is Psyche. Her beauty does not go unnoticed and Venus, the goddess of beauty and also Cupid's mother, learns of Psyche's beauty and becomes jealous. Venus sends her son to make sure Psyche ends up living a miserable life, but Cupid has an idea of his own. Cupid secretly marries Psyche, but Psyche has to promise to never learn of his identity. Psyche  ends up betraying Cupid and uncovers his identity. In the end though, they are publicly married and Psyche becomes the goddess of the soul. After reading Cupid and Psyche this week I decided that I wanted to give it a modern, comical twist to make it a little more relatable. Everyone knows mother-in-law relationships usually tend to be an issue for the wife in a new marriage. I thought it would be funny to make Vicky (Venus) a jealous mother-in-law. Penny (Psyche) and Casey (Cupid) would fall in love in a similar way, but I removed all of the gods, goddesses, suicides, and unrealistic aspects from the story to make it fit into a more modern day, real life setting.

Bibliography: This story is based on the love story Cupid and Psyche, from the Roman novel, The Golden Ass, by Apuleius, translated by Tony Kline.

Week 1 Storytelling: Diddle and his Imagination

HEY! diddle, diddle,

The cat and the fiddle, 

The cow jumped over the moon; 

The little dog laugh'd 

To see the sport, 

While the dish ran after the spoon. 

(Traditional nursery rhyme)

---------------

There was once a boy named Diddle. He lived on a farm in rural Nebraska. His head was always in the clouds day dreaming of a place where all of his animal friends could talk and play with him. His parents always told him his thoughts were nonsense, and that he needed to focus on working the farm so he could take it over one day. Even though his parents tried and tried to keep him grounded, it never worked. He continued to daydream and hope that one day he would prove to them all that his dreams were real.

(Boy on a Farm)

Late one night he was suddenly awoken by a faint voice outside his window saying, "Hey Diddle, Diddle!" He jumped out of bed to see who was there, but the only thing he saw was his cat sitting by the hay stacks staring up at his bedroom window. He heard the voice again, "Hey Diddle, Diddle!" He thought to himself, "I know I shouldn't go out late at night by myself, but I have to see who is calling my name."

He walked out on the back porch and waited for the voice again. Minutes went by, still nothing. He decided to call out, "Hello, is anyone there?" All of a sudden his cat jumped out from behind a hay bale and exclaimed, "Hey Diddle, we've been waiting for you!" Diddle couldn't believe his eyes! His cat, Charlie, was sitting on a hay bale playing a fiddle! His emotions ran wild! He was frightened, ecstatic, shocked, and overcome with joy! His dreams had finally come true! One of his animals could talk, and not only talk, he could play the fiddle!

(Cat playing the fiddle)

He ran out into the yard to see if any of his other animal friends had changed. His favorite cow, Bessie, began dancing around. She told him how long they had waited to reveal themselves and how happy they were to finally be able to open up to him. Bessie was so excited that night she did something no cow had done before, she jumped over the moon! Not everyone believed that Bessie jumped the moon that night. Even Diddle's dog, Simon, laughed at the thought of Bessie making it over the moon. Simon was always jealous because he wanted Diddle all to himself. Even though some didn't believe Diddle knew what happened because he saw Bessie make it over the moon.

The next day Diddle was doing his afternoon chores still thinking about all he had witnessed the night before. He was so happy and couldn't wait for his parents to get home so he could tell them the good news over dinner. His parents were running late and his mother had called and asked him to set the table before they returned. He was just about finished setting the table when, BANG! He heard a loud noise in the kitchen. He ran to the kitchen to see what happened and was greeted by one his mothers expensive spoons from the cabinet he wasn't allowed to open. The spoon said, "Diddle you cannot tell anyone about the things you have recently learned! If you do, Mr. Dish will catch me and if that happens very bad things will happen to all of us! Please! I'm begging you! DO NOT tell anyone what you have witnessed!" Diddle was so scared that he promised before he even had time to think! He then watched as Mr. Dish chased the spoon back to his home. Diddle was sad he had to keep all of this a secret, but he knew that he would always have these special friends. Even if no one else knew, he knew.

(Dish and Spoon)

Author's Note: I had always heard this nursery rhyme growing up, but I always thought it was too short and left too much to the imagination. For example, why was a cat playing a fiddle? How did a cow jump over the moon? Why would a dish be chasing after a spoon? Most importantly, what is diddle? Is it a person, a nickname, or just slang? So I thought it would make sense to make up a boy named Diddle and tell the story of how his imagination could sometimes get the better of him.

Bibliography: This story is based on the nursery rhyme "Hey! diddle, diddle" in The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang (1897).