Storytelling, Week 7: Why Wolves Howl

          Legend has it that in the lush forests of Minnesota, where the pine trees grew tall, lived a pack of magnificent creatures. The natives of this area called them wolves. No one bothered these animals because they were in control of the forest since the beginning of time. Each day this particular pack of wolves hunted, scaled the forest floor, and tended to their young in silence. The pack coexisted in peace for many years until the king of the pack grew older.

          This king was different than the ones before him because he had a hunger for power. He could not sleep at night knowing that other packs lived in forests adjacent to this one. Even though this pack controlled the forests for nearly a hundred miles, this did not satisfy the king. He wanted more land. Days came when he would attempt to drive the other packs away, but didn't have the strength to overthrow their lands. This frustrated him because he knew that he was the strongest wolf in all the land.

          The wolf king cried for days. Days turned into months and the wolf began to neglect his very own pack that loved him dearly. The crying continued until a being felt sorrow for the wolf's story. One night, a mysterious being came down from the stars and stood before the wolf king. The king pleaded his wishes and the being agreed to grant them, but only under one circumstance. In two years the wolf must leave this world and live among the stars.

          The king agreed to this vow and soon enough the rival wolf packs disappeared. For two years the wolf king lived in harmony and adored his wondrous land. The food and land was plentiful, almost too plentiful for such a small pack of wolves. Exactly two years later the being came back from the stars and reminded the king of their agreement. When this time came, the king refused to retreat into the stars and leave his beautiful kingdom. 

          The being grew angry from this deep betrayal and, out of spite, took the king's closest brother into the stars. This greatly saddened the wolves because everyone admired everyone. The wolves began shouting into the night sky. The story was heartbreaking to all packs of wolves living on this earth. To this day, the wolves still howl at the stars in hope that the king's lost brother will someday find his way back home.

Wolf Howling

Author's Note:

     I based this story as an adaption of stories based within the Nigerian Folktales unit. The unit is full of origin stories explaining why things are they way they are today. It is always great to hear an interesting back story to concepts. For instance, many of these stories were "Why the Bat Flies by Night," "Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky," and "Why the Moon Waxes and Wanes." When reading these stories I immediately knew I was going to use this concept. I thought of wolves and why they howl at night. I took this idea and went with it.

Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria

Elphinstone Dayrell (1910)

Reading Diary A: Nigerian Folktales

Here are my favorite stories from the second half of the Nigerian Folktales unit. I enjoyed reading the first half of the unit for my extra reading diary last week and wanted to finish the unit this week.

Lightning and Thunder: I enjoyed the story of The Lightning and the Thunder. I really liked that the storyteller made the thunder a sheep and the lightning a ram. It provided excellent imagery as I was reading. The ram gets angry and creates damage within the town. Soon after, the sheep yells and punishes her son by making loud noises. This irritates the entire community so the king banishes them into the sky. It is interesting that the ram still gets mad and creates lightning while his mother still punishes him with noise.

Why Dead People are Buried: I liked the story of Why Dead People are Buried. It was interesting to glance at the Nigerian burial story. It was almost amusing that the entire message on how people should be laid above the ground with wood and they will rise again the next day was lost in translation. Instead, the message changed to that people should be buried below the ground, but this way they cannot rise again. I found this a very different take on why a community buries their dead.

Why the Moon Waxes and Wanes: I really enjoyed the story of Why the Moon Waxes and Wanes. I always like stories of the moon and thought this was a great one. I found it interesting that the moon came down to give a starving woman food from her body, which is why the moon gets big and small. So in a way the moon is a being that eats more or less at different times of month. The moon is constantly changing its weight.

Tortoise, Elephant, Hippo: I liked the story of How the Tortoise overcame the Elephant and the Hippopotamus. I enjoy stories where the smaller character outsmarts the large confident characters. In this case, the small turtle outsmarted both the elephant and the hippopotamus. Also, this story gave the origin of why some turtles live on land and why some live in the water.

Hippopotamus

Extra Reading Diary: Nigerian Folktales

Here are a few of my favorite stories from the Nigerian Folktales unit.

Why the Bat Flies by Night: I thought the story of Why the Bat Flies by Night was very interesting. I also like reading stories that speak of an origin or why things the way they are. It gives the animal or subject told great depth. I found it interesting that the bat tricked the rat and the reason he flies at night is because he is still searched by the community during the day. Overall, the story was an entertaining read.

The Fish and the Leopard's Wife: The story of The Fish and the Leopard's Wife was also interesting. Just like the story of the bat, this is also an explanation why fish live in the water. I like that the theme of the story is that adultery is bad, because most Hollywood films also follow this similar theme. Something horrible always happens to the person committing adultery. I also found it interesting that the story states the reason people and animals now hunt fish is because of this act and betrayal towards the leopard.

Why Hawks Kill Chickens: I liked the story of Why Hawks Kill Chickens. I found it amusing that the hawk refused to ever walk on the ground because he was too noble. Also, it was interesting that the story explains that it is the custom of the parents to repay the husband for the wedding if it does not work out like in this case. I wonder if this is true for the actual society or it is just a fictitious theme in the story.

Sun & Moon: I thought the story of Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky was a great story. I liked the idea that the sun and moon were married while the sun and water were best friends. It was entertaining that the water kept warning the couple that he will not fit in the large compound. The two continued to ignoring the water's warnings because they were excited he was visiting. It is actually a rather sad story because the sun and moon were forced to live in the sky far from the water.

African Leopard

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Storytelling, Week 6: The Tragedy of Termites

          In the broad African veldt, thousands of creatures coexist to create the perfect balance of life. Herds of elephants and buffalos graze the plentiful foliage. Crowned cranes soar over the savanna catching each change of wind. A family of meerkats poke their heads out of their underground homes to feel the breeze lifting off the tall grass. Noble lions yawn under the sun among the pride lands. However, the veldt is also home to the most odd of animals. Under the treetops and, more specifically, under the tall grass walks massive colonies of strange legged creatures. Lets call these small bizarre creatures termites. These tiny bugs are disliked by nearly all members of the veldt and have many enemies. The termites have much more enemies than any other animal on the savanna. Each day, various animals consume colonies of termites. Birds from the sky swoop down and snatch up hundreds of termites, while snakes and meerkats attack the colonies from the ground. The fate of these termites seemed hopeless until the new queen termite had a solution.

          One day, the queen termite stood in front of her entire colony and suggested an idea. She told the termites that they shall have no predators no more and divided them into three groups. Each group went to establish their colony in a new habitat. The first group found refuge under a giant baobab tree. This colony climbed up the tree and made it their new home. They burrowed and ate the tree's bark for many weeks. As the colony grew large, the termites needed more food. Since the termites ate so much of the bark, holes began to form throughout the entire tree. Flocks of birds from the sky noticed this unusual site so they came down and consumed the colony within minutes.

          The second group of termites formed a colony within a nearby village. They entered homes and began their lives living in the walls. This colony grew even larger than the colony within the baobab tree. The colony was ecstatic that they found a permanent habitat. However, as predicted, man discovered the termites were living in their homes. These termites created such a nuisance that man decided to burn down their homes and rebuild from the ashes. So one day the homes caught fire and the entire colony perished. The queen termite was saddened when she heard the fate of both the baobab and village colonies.

          The final group of termites decided that they would not find refuge within a giant tree or a homestead. The queen informed them that they would build a massive fortress, one that cannot be destroyed by any being in the world. The colony worked days and nights collecting soil to build this magnificent fortress. Once it was finished, the fortress stood at nearly twelve feet tall. Each day, the termites left the fortress in pairs to find food and brought it back to their home. They lived in harmony for many months until one evening a creature almost as bizarre as the termites discovered their home. An aardvark burrowed under the termite mound until he dug a route directly into the fortress' core. Within hours, a majority of the colony was consumed.

          The termite queen grabbed many of the survivors and retreated into the veldt's tall grass. They were saddened that none of their colonies survived to live a long life like many of the animals around them. The queen came to the conclusion that they must constantly migrate and build mounds throughout the savanna to survive. The remaining termites separated and formed colonies of their own within giant fortresses. The life of a termite is a cursed tragedy.

African Termite Mound

Author's Note:

     I based this adaption off of the South African Folktale story, "The Lost Message." I immediately enjoyed the story after I read it. The original story shows how unfortunate the life of ants is. I thought it was interesting that a story focuses on how harsh and unrewarding it is to be an ant. Ants are described to have many predators and cannot find a solution to defend themselves against the larger creatures throughout the forest. I replaced the role of ants with colonies of termites to provide a deeper sense of the African setting.

South African Folk-Tales

"The Lost Message"

James Honey (1910)

Reading Diary A: South African Folktales

Here are a few of my favorite stories from South African Folktales.

The Lost Message: I enjoyed the story of The Lost Message. I found it interesting that the story describes ants as small and destructive with many enemies. I liked how no matter what solution the ants used to escape predators, such as birds or anteaters, they never found one that fully escaped these animals. The conclusion of the story almost felt like each colony of ants is cursed forever and forced to live a life in fear of becoming consumed by a predator.

Tink-Tinkje: I really liked the story of the Tink-Tinkje. It showed that using your intellect always prevails in the end. I found it interesting that the small bird took refuge under the vulture's wing to "fly higher" into the sky than it. I found two aspects of the story pretty fascinating. First, I enjoyed how the birds used the flaws of each species of bird to state why they are unfit to be the bird king. Lastly, liked how all the other birds were disgraced by the tink-tinkje's intellect and thought it was cheating.

Jackal Fools Lion Again: I enjoy the tales about the Jackal, especially Jackal Fools Lion Again. I like how the jackal is portrayed as a witty and mischievous animal, while the lion is described as always noble, big-headed, and basically the leader of the savannah. It is always entertaining when the mighty lion is fooled or misguided by a more "inferior" animal.

The Lioness and Ostrich: Honestly I enjoyed the story of the Lioness and Ostrich because the ending took me by surprise. Throughout the entire story I thought the lioness would somehow betray or kill the ostrich, but this did not happen. The lioness challenges the ostrich to a fight and the bird quickly kills the lioness. It was interesting that the reason they fought was because the lioness' cubs said the ostrich had no teeth so the lioness could easily kill the bird.

Jackals

Extra Reading Diary: Jatakas (Babbitt)

Here are a few of my favorite stories from the first half of Jatakas (Babbitt) unit.

How the Turtle Saved His Own Life: I enjoyed the story How the Turtle Saved His Own Life. I found this story to be humorous, especially that the children were scared of a small turtle. I thought it was great how the turtle outsmarted all the men. Even though the title suggests that the turtle would live, I was almost sold on the idea that the turtle might be killed at the end. It is great when a fable has a happy ending because many of them don't.

The Quarrel of the Quails: I thought the story of The Quarrel of the Quails was very interesting. I really liked that the theme of teamwork was present within the story. The quails work excellently as a team to escape the hunter until they have a quarrel. Their teamwork quickly falls apart and they fall victim to the hunter. The story definitely shows that people work best as a team instead of by themselves.

The Banyan Deer: I liked the story of The Banyan Deer. This was another fable that had a happy ending. The king of the Banyan deer herd agreed to take the place of a mother (who recently had a baby) and be killed by the town's cook and King. The cook and King see this as such a good deed that they agree to stop hunting the deer all together. I liked how the king of the Banyan deer showed such bravery and sacrificed himself for a deer he did not know. It shows how good of a leader he was to his herd.

The King's White Elephant: My favorite story from this unit was The King's White Elephant. I enjoyed how the elephant and carpenters coexisted in the jungle. The carpenters fed the old elephant and his son, while the elephant helped the carpenters tear trees down. In addition, the old elephant teaches his son how to exist with the people. Later, the young elephant would play with the carpenters' children everyday in the river. The King sees this and gives the elephant a wonderful life. This story shows how closely this culture was with elephants. It portrays them in a great light.

White Elephant

Storytelling, Week 5: The Three Jaguars

          Many years ago in the jungles of South America, three jaguars live beneath a giant waterfall. These cats have resided under this waterfall for many years. Ever since the three cubs left their mother, they searched for the perfect place to relax. Finally, they came across the falls and decided this was the perfect place they were looking for. Every day they relax and hunt around their home. Despite each jaguar being from the same mother they are all very different. One brother always uses his intellect to solve problems, while the second brother only uses his intellect some of the time. Now the third brother never uses his intellect.

          During this time period, jaguars were valued for their beautiful coats. Poachers flooded areas of the jungle where jaguars might live, but they were difficult to catch. One morning the three brothers went out to hunt some fine game. For some reason beyond their control, there was no game within their territory. The smart brother came to the conclusion that they should wander past the river and search for food. The three jaguars swam across the river and entered the unfamiliar jungle. After hours of prowling, the smart brother caught sense of an animal.

          The three creep through the forest and come across a strange looking pile of brush. Inside this strange pile is a wounded bird. The smart jaguar's eyes glisten with happiness as they found something to eat. However, he begins to notice something strange about this pile. He looks a little deeper inside and notices that bars line the inside of the brush. The smart brother realizes this pile of brush is a trap for their fur. He turns around and shakes his head, "no." The second brother who uses his intellect some of the time walks up to the trap and glances inside. He almost steps inside the brush, but his intellect tells him not to. The second brother follows the smart jaguar as he walks away. However, the third brother approaches the trap. He immediately licks his lips and pounces on the wounded bird. A door falls, which closes the third brother inside.

          The two smarter brothers continue to walk through the jungle in sadness as they lost their dear brother. However, each jaguar knew that this day would come for their less intellectual brother. Intellect is the key to survival.

Jaguar Painting

Author's Note:

     I based this adaption on the Tales of Bidpai story "The Three Fish." I enjoyed the story when I read it. I liked the message at the end of the original story that intellect means everything when it comes to survival. I thought it was interesting that the story seemed very basic, but had a fairly deep meaning. I changed the setting and animals from the original story.

The Tortoise and the Geese and Other Fables of Bidpai

"The Three Fish"

Maude Borrows Dutton (1908)

Reading Diary B: Tales of Bidpai

Here are a few of my favorite stories from the second half of the unit Tales of Bidpai.

Three Stories About Snakes: I enjoyed the excerpt, The Frog, the Crab, and the Serpent, within this story. This story consists of a frog that laid her eggs within a serpent's den, but the serpent always eats the mother's eggs. She befriends a crab who tells her to set a trail of minnows to the serpent's den so a weasel will follow and kill the serpent. The plan works and the frog inhabits the den. All is well until the weasel returns one night and eats the frog and her eggs. I have noticed a lot of stories containing animals have their plans backfire on them. The initial plan between the frog and crab worked, but took a sinister turn in the conclusion.

The Crane and the Crab: The story of The Crane and The Crab was my favorite from this unit. This story was a great example of deception. A crane convinces fish that fisherman are coming to fish the pond dry so she promises to fly them to a safe pond where they can flourish. However, each day she carries a few off and eats them. In turn, she receives effortless food. A crab notices what the crane is doing when she tries to transport him so the crab kills her. The crane deceives all the fish, but the crab deceives the crane. It was an entertaining read.

Three Stories About Birds: I enjoyed the excerpt, The Hen and The Falcon, from this collection of stories. I liked the meaning behind this story. It shows the great difference between wild and domestic animals. This story reminds of the the Aesop Fables regarding dogs and wolves. Domesticated animals are viewed as fat and spoiled, but never free. Both animals, the wild and domesticated, envy aspects of each other, but are proud of their purpose.

The Three Fish: I enjoyed the story of The Three Fish. This story was short, but I liked how it featured three fish who were brothers. They grew large together and lived harmoniously within a small pond. However, when fishermen came to the pond it was survival of the fittest. None of the brothers helped the other escape the fishermen. Undoubtedly, the fish who never used his intellect was caught by the men.

The Crane and The Crab

Reading Diary A: Tales of Bidpai

Here are a few of my favorite stories from the first half of the unit Tales of Bidpai.

The Rustic and the Nightingale: I enjoyed the story of The Rustic and the Nightingale. I liked that the rustic was irritated that the nightingale was unknowingly ripping roses out of his tree so he entraps her. However, the nightingale persuades to let her go and informs him there is a pot of gold beneath his garden. I have enjoyed stories where both characters help out each other and each one benefits in the end.

The King, the Falcon, and the Drinking-Cup: I liked the story of The King, the Falcon, and the Drinking-Cup. The story is sad, but also fairly meaningful. The King's dearest companion, the falcon, makes the King drop a cup of water twice that he had taken from a small stream. The King is furious and kills the falcon. However, the King soon learns that the stream was poisonous and the falcon was, in fact, saving the King. It is a sad story that the falcon was only trying to save the King. I'm glad that the story did not end with the King dying, but instead him realizing that the falcon saved his life twice. In conclusion, I really enjoyed the story and how it ended.

Three Stories About Apes: Within this story I liked the excerpt, The Apes, the Glow-Worm, and the Popinjay. I found it interesting how moronic the apes were perceived in this story. The entire group of apes thought that a glow worm was actually a spark of fire. Even though the story ended tragically for the popinjay, it is funny that the apes continued to think the glow worm would start a fire.

Three Stories About Foxes: Within this small collection I enjoyed the story of The Hunter, The Fox, and The Leopard. The story was short, but I enjoyed it. I found it interesting that the fox was portrayed as being much more clever than the leopard. Moreover, the fox is even seen as being more clever than the hunter. I think it is neat that in most stories from various cultures the fox (or animals like it) is viewed as being clever, swift, or witty. It is interesting that many cultures share this same view.

Bidpai and the King

Extra Reading Diary: Indian Fairy Tales

For my extra reading diary I chose half of the unit, Indian Fairy Tales. Here are a few of my favorite stories.

The Lion and the Crane: I enjoyed the story of The Lion and the Crane. The story shows the unlikely relationship between a lion and a crane. The lion gets a bone wedged into his mouth and the crane pops it free. There was a small sense of suspense to see if the lion would end up devouring the crane. However, the lion kept his word and did not kill the crane. The turn of events is that the crane wanted a favor in return, but the lion did not give one to the crane. It shows that if one gives a good deed, they should not ask for one in return. Good is good unless you ask for something in return.

The Tiger, The Brahman, and the Jackal: I really liked the story of The Tiger, The Brahman, and the Jackal. This story contained plenty of twists. First, a tiger is stuck in a cage and pleads to the brahman to let him out. The brahman agrees only if the tiger will not attempt to eat him. The tiger agrees, however, he turns on the brahman and says he will eat him. The brahman pleads to various creatures, but they all say to basically "take it and be a man without crying." Finally, the brahman comes across a jackal. The jackal pretends to not understand the story and makes them act it out again. The tiger gets back into the cage and the jackal traps him in it. I like that the tiger put himself as the highest threat, but a small jackal outsmarted him. It was a good ending twist to a wonderful story.

Harisarman: I enjoyed the story of Harisarman. I have never read a story like this before. Every aspect about this story and the events that happen in Harisarman's life is pure coincidence. It is interesting that he started as a poor beggar, but ended as a rich "sorcerer." It is a surprising that his riches were given to him because him and his wife lied about performing real divination, but he was never caught for it. Even though Harisarman is not a bad man, he is a villain because of his acts. The villain wins in this story by mere coincidence.

The Talkative Tortoise: I liked the story The Talkative Tortoise. I found it interesting because it is so similar to one of Aesop's Fables in that a tortoise grabbed a stick, but fell because he couldn't hold his tongue. However, this story is far less sinister and includes a palace of people explaining how one must hold their tongue when other people speak. I like how the concept of "holding your tongue" is visualized in this story. Ultimately, it is sad that the turtle had to meet his demise to explain the overall point.

The Lion and the Crane

Jackals of Africa: Styles Brainstorm

Topic: My storybook would revolve around the animal folklore within Africa. I chose this to be my final topic because I have travelled to Africa and have been to the massive Kruger Park where I saw these animals run wild. I want each story to focus on an encounter with a Jackal, but each encounter will be different. Each story will feature different African animals, but the Jackal will remain constant throughout each story. I could take the direction similar to Jackal Fools Lion Again and Jackal and Monkey that show different interactions with the African Jackal. I would look much deeper into the South African folklore and include different animals within each story.

Bibliography:
Jackal Fools Lion Again - South African Folk-Tales, James Honey (1910)
Jackal and Monkey - South African Folk-Tales, James Honey (1910)
The South African Unit within the un-Textbook is a great place to look for story ideas. In addition, wikipedia is full of facts about Jackals that I could somehow incorporate into the stories.

Possible Styles:

Narration. This could be an interesting way to tell the story of the jackals. I could use the "third person storytelling" style and narrate the story from an outside perspective. Imagine an unknown source looking over a nature reserve and observing what happens as jackals interact with various animals. Each story could be of a jackal outsmarting animals until maybe the most unlikely animal (such as a meerkat) outsmarts the jackal in the final segment. This would be an interesting point of view to write a storybook.

Jackal's Perspective. I could even write the story in the jackal's perspective too. This would obviously be first-person and could turn out to be very useful. It would be interesting to write about how the jackal feels internally when encountering other animals around a nature reserve. I would enjoy giving the jackal a good sarcastic and foolish personality.

Nature Reminiscence. I think one of the best ways to tell the story of jackals is to have different animals within a nature reserve have a meeting, maybe around a watering hole, and tell various stories of the jackals. This could be both entertaining and engaging. Therefore, each story within the storybook would be from a different animal's perspective. With this changing perspective, each story will have its own personality.

Village Festival. My final idea for a storytelling style would be to have some sort of festival within a village. During the festival, the elder could potentially tell various stories of jackals to the youth of the village. He could tell stories that he witnessed while he walked around the savannah during his younger years. This would be interesting because it would be mixing human form with animals. Stories that correlate both humans and nature are always entertaining.

Jackal of Africa

Storytelling, Week 4: The Blood Ruby

          In the majestic land of Remora, there are mountains that fall and peak all the way to the horizon. Within each mountainside fall dozens of waterfalls, both big and small, that run to rivers full of crystal clear water. These rivers contain the most copious amount of trout that actually glow purple in the full moon. When these winding rivers turn into streams they trickle upon massive lakes. Most of the lakes within Remora are still as glass on the surface, but nearly four hundred feet deep. On the edge of Lake Winniepeak sits a castle. This is the only castle in Remora, but it is said to be the largest castle in the world. Its sides are lined with large blocks of limestone and the peaks are made with gold.

          One morning the King of Remora, King Sheftfield, sat atop the castle walls and listened to the songs of his top servant Peter. Every morning the King listened to Peter sing songs and tell tales of creatures within their land. Today the servant saw that the King was not interested in his singing like normal so he said: "Your majesty, we should take the largest windseeker in Remora and boat in the wonderful waters of Lake Winniepeak. We shall round up the prettiest girls in all the land and set sail by noon!"

          The King was delighted by this suggestion and immediately sent for twenty of the prettiest girls in Remora. At noon twenty of the land's most beautiful, King Sheftfield, and Peter set sail on the wondrous waters of Lake Winniepeak. The windseeker was nearly one hundred feet long and thirty feet wide. Its sails seem to pierce the sky. The group sings songs and laughs as Buckerfish flip and glide out of the water. The girls row the King and his servant to all edges of Lake Winniepeak. A blonde with golden hair steers the windseeker from the back. Suddenly, an oar brushes the blonde girl's hair causing a red jewel to fall into the water. Immediately, she stops singing and steering. The rest of the girls stop rowing and the windseeker comes to an abrupt halt.

          King Sheftfield: "Why have we stopped rowing? Let's continue to see the Cliffs of Manner!"

          The girls exclaim: "The one who steers has lifted her oar from the water!"

          King Sheftfield: "Why have you lifted your oar?" 

          "I have lost my red ruby," the blonde said. "It fell from my hair into the water and someone must get it! It is a blood ruby given to me by my grandma. The jewel was found within the Mountain of Tollison and dyed with the blood of a dragon. It means the world to me." 

          The King laughed boastfully, "I have millions and will give you another when we arrive back at the castle. I will give you five in fact!"

          The blonde girl pleaded, "I would rather have my own because it means so much to me. I appreciate the offer, but that blood ruby is mine."

          King Sheftfield glances at Peter and gives him a nod. Now Peter is not an ordinary servant. He was born into a family of sorcerers that live within a cave only accessible through the largest waterfall in Remora. The King adores Peter's magical powers. Peter steps to the edge of the windseeker and glances at the clear water. Peter whispers a spell and suddenly the water begins to part. Now the jewel is visible from the edge of the windseeker! The girls cheer as they can see the blood ruby from nearly four hundred feet above. Peter summons a Golden Nighthawk and flies to the bottom of Lake Winniepeak. He grabs the blood ruby and rides the Nighthawk back to the windseeker. He gives the King the blood ruby and the King gives it to the pretty blonde girl. The girls continue to row across the far edges of the lake until they returned to the giant castle.

          Twenty years later, both King Sheftfield and Peter passed. The tale of King Sheftfield, the sorcerous servant Peter, and the blood ruby was told for centuries and offerings were placed at the base of their tombs. 

Windseeker

Author's Note:

     I based this story on the Ancient Egyptian story "The Green Jewel." The adaption follows the same premise, but I took the story to a more fantasy setting than an Egyptian setting. I enjoyed the content of the original story in that it was basic, but the ending pulls together the entire tale. It shows that the magical acts of the original scribe brought great respect to both him and the King at the time. 

Egyptian Myth and Legend

"The Green Jewel"

Donald Mackenzie

1907

Reading Diary A: Ancient Egypt

Here are a few of my favorite stories from Ancient Egyptian Myths and Stories.

Creation: I really enjoyed the first story in this unit, The Creation. I thought it was a very interesting take on how the world was created. I liked the imagery that was present within the story in how Shu sets the western sun and brings darkness with stars. I also thought it was interesting that Tefnut is known as "the spitter" because she brings rain onto the land. I wonder if that is where the word, spit, originated from.

Osiris: I liked the story of Osiris. I enjoyed the fact that "men were savages" and unorganized before Osiris came upon them. He made the chaotic kingdom into a peaceful utopia giving him the name "Osiris the Good." I thought it was really interesting how highly his wife, Isis, was viewed. She was known as being full of wisdom and even took over the thrown while Osiris was gone. She is portrayed as his equal.

Journey of Isis: I enjoyed the story Journey of Isis. In actuality this story is incredibly depressing. First, her son Horus dies from a scorpion sting; however, he is brought back to life from the heavens. The story is about Isis trying to find the coffin of her dead husband, Osiris. She travels many lands to find it and finally does. Unfortunately, when she returns Set finds the coffin and throws fourteen fragments of Osiris' body into the Nile. I thought this was just depressing, but Isis shows her dedication and love for Osiris then finds all parts of his body. She creates tombs around them, which later turns into temples that were used for worshipping Osiris for centuries. This story is one of my favorites because of the depressing content, but then delivers such an uplifting ending.

The Wax Crocodile: I liked the story of The Wax Crocodile because it was different. I have never read a story like that. I enjoyed that this story had a moral behind the act of adultery. Both of the "wrongdoers" (scribe's wife and the youth) were seized in the end. The ending kind of surprised me. When I thought the story was almost over the scribe's wife was suddenly burned at the stake. It was a brutal surprise, but that is where the moral came into the story.

Egyptian Goddess Nut