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