Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Tech Tip, Weather Widget
I decided to add the weather widget to my blog. This way others, as well as myself, can see the weather whenever they look at my blog. It was super easy and I suggest others do the same for some easy extra credit!
Tech Tip: Quote
I chose this quote because it is one that has really resonated with me in my college experience and it never fails to make me smile. I have grown a lot throughout my past three and a half years here at OU and a lot of that is because I have branched out and tried new things. Even if I haven't ended up liking the things I have tried, I have learned from them. That, to me, is what this quote is all about. It also makes me smile because there is a The Office episode where Michael Scott has quoted this. The Office is one of my all time favorite shows and so this quote is perfect for me.
Tech Tip: Canvas Mobile App
This week I decided to do a tech tip by downloading the Canvas mobile app. I kind of hate technology so this was a big step for me. I would much rather just log onto my computer and only have to learn how to use Canvas in one location. I have found that I do like having the app because I do not always have my computer with me. It is not super helpful for me this semester because most of what I need to do for this class needs to be done on the computer. Next semester, more of my classes will be using Canvas so I look forward to using the app more then!
Reading Notes: Jataka Tales, Part A
These are from the Jakata Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt
How the Turtle Save His Own Life: I liked this story because the turtle is portrayed as a clever animal. I have not read many stories about turtles, but I liked that in this story he was portrayed positively. In this story, there is a father who wishes for his children to murder this turtle. The turtle begs the boys not to throw him into the river. In reality, the turtle knows that the water is a safe place for him so he is tricking the boys. Once in the river again, he is safe!
The Turtle Who Couldn't Stop Talking: I have read different versions of this type of story in the past. Basically, the turtle wants some birds to take him on their journey. They carry a stick while he holds onto it with his mouth. He is warned not to talk, but does so anyways. This causes him fall from the air to his death. The moral is for those who cannot stop talking to keep their mouths shut, or they will be punished. I think it is an interesting message and one I do not think is always applicable. I decided to do notes on it because it showed a different message and portrayed turtles in a different light than the previous story I talked about.
How the Turtle Save His Own Life: I liked this story because the turtle is portrayed as a clever animal. I have not read many stories about turtles, but I liked that in this story he was portrayed positively. In this story, there is a father who wishes for his children to murder this turtle. The turtle begs the boys not to throw him into the river. In reality, the turtle knows that the water is a safe place for him so he is tricking the boys. Once in the river again, he is safe!
The Turtle Who Couldn't Stop Talking: I have read different versions of this type of story in the past. Basically, the turtle wants some birds to take him on their journey. They carry a stick while he holds onto it with his mouth. He is warned not to talk, but does so anyways. This causes him fall from the air to his death. The moral is for those who cannot stop talking to keep their mouths shut, or they will be punished. I think it is an interesting message and one I do not think is always applicable. I decided to do notes on it because it showed a different message and portrayed turtles in a different light than the previous story I talked about.
Reading Notes: Russian Folktales, Part B
These are from the Russian Fairytales by W. R. S. Ralston
The Warlock: This story is about an old man, known to the village as a warlock, who gives his three daughter-in-laws orders for after his death. They are to look after him for three nights and that nobody should wear a cross in his wake. The first night, he wakes from his coffin and asks the daughter-in-law if she is there and spinning wool. She becomes so frightened that she doesn't answer and the man's ghost strangles her. The same thing happened to the second daughter. The third was smarter and wore her cross. When the ghost came after her the third time, she lays the cross on him and he falls dead. In his coffin, the family finds a ton of money that the father was wanting to take with him.
The Witch Girl: This is a story about a town with a strange and terrible custom. There is a witch girl who come around every night and the house she choses must have every member put themselves in coffins the next day, because they are to die. Basically, a man comes in and defeats this which and helps the chosen house survive.
I wrote about these stories because I thought they were sad and gruesome, like many other Russian Fairytales. I want to give one of these stories a happier ending in my retelling.
The Warlock: This story is about an old man, known to the village as a warlock, who gives his three daughter-in-laws orders for after his death. They are to look after him for three nights and that nobody should wear a cross in his wake. The first night, he wakes from his coffin and asks the daughter-in-law if she is there and spinning wool. She becomes so frightened that she doesn't answer and the man's ghost strangles her. The same thing happened to the second daughter. The third was smarter and wore her cross. When the ghost came after her the third time, she lays the cross on him and he falls dead. In his coffin, the family finds a ton of money that the father was wanting to take with him.
I wrote about these stories because I thought they were sad and gruesome, like many other Russian Fairytales. I want to give one of these stories a happier ending in my retelling.
Reading Notes: Russian Folktales, Part A
These stories are from Russian Folktales by W. R. S. Ralston
The Dead Mother: I thought I would do notes on this story because it is not the typical type of story you think of when you hear "fairytale" or "folktale". It is about a mother who dies after having a baby. The baby cannot stop crying, except for at night. The family cannot figure out why, but they hear someone coming inside the house every night and the baby becomes quiet. The family stays up and catches the person...it is the mother's ghost coming in a breast feeding the baby overnight. It was a pretty grim story and not a typical one you would tell to your children, like you would other folk stories.
Friday: This story, I'm assuming, tell of the importance of disrespect. A woman disrespects Mother Friday and pays the price. Mother Friday comes in the middle of the night and shoves dirty into the woman's eyes so that she cannot see. The woman wakes up in a panic and begs Mother Friday for forgiveness. She is forgiven and gets her sight back, never disrespecting Mother Friday again. For me folktales and fairytales are those stories that you tell your children. This story was a little gruesome and cruel, in my opinion, for a child so I thought it was an interesting one to write notes about.
The Dead Mother: I thought I would do notes on this story because it is not the typical type of story you think of when you hear "fairytale" or "folktale". It is about a mother who dies after having a baby. The baby cannot stop crying, except for at night. The family cannot figure out why, but they hear someone coming inside the house every night and the baby becomes quiet. The family stays up and catches the person...it is the mother's ghost coming in a breast feeding the baby overnight. It was a pretty grim story and not a typical one you would tell to your children, like you would other folk stories.
Friday: This story, I'm assuming, tell of the importance of disrespect. A woman disrespects Mother Friday and pays the price. Mother Friday comes in the middle of the night and shoves dirty into the woman's eyes so that she cannot see. The woman wakes up in a panic and begs Mother Friday for forgiveness. She is forgiven and gets her sight back, never disrespecting Mother Friday again. For me folktales and fairytales are those stories that you tell your children. This story was a little gruesome and cruel, in my opinion, for a child so I thought it was an interesting one to write notes about.
Wikipedia Trail: From Zanzibar to Peroz III
This week while reading the announcements, I came across a proverb from Zanzibar so I thought I would start here and learn a little bit about this place. From here I clicked on a link leading me to a page on Fire Temples. From here I was led to a page on the Battle of Nahāvand. I had never head of this battle so it intrigued me. Lastly, I clicked on a link leading to a page on Peroz III.
Monday, November 14, 2016
Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (LibriVox), Part B
This story is from the Fairy Tales by Brothers Grimm
The Fox and the Horse: This story is about a horse who has become old. His owner turns away from him and says he (the horse) shall not return until he is stronger than a horse. Out in the wild, the horse meets a fox and he shares his story. The fox tells him that he can help him with becoming as strong as a lion. He tells the horse to stretch out on the ground and lie very quietly. In the meantime the fox goes and gets a lion and tells him he knows where he can come and find a horse. The fox ends up tricking the lion and ties all of his legs together. The lion freaks out and makes a ton of noise and the horse's owner can hear him roaring. He decides that the horse has done what he was supposed to and tells him he can stay in his stables forever. I really like this story and I am planning on using it for my story this week. I want to tell the story from the point of view from the fox. I plan to have him watching the horse and when he sees the rejection of the owner, he decides to try to help the horse. There are a lot of possibilities for the retelling of this story.
The Fox and the Horse: This story is about a horse who has become old. His owner turns away from him and says he (the horse) shall not return until he is stronger than a horse. Out in the wild, the horse meets a fox and he shares his story. The fox tells him that he can help him with becoming as strong as a lion. He tells the horse to stretch out on the ground and lie very quietly. In the meantime the fox goes and gets a lion and tells him he knows where he can come and find a horse. The fox ends up tricking the lion and ties all of his legs together. The lion freaks out and makes a ton of noise and the horse's owner can hear him roaring. He decides that the horse has done what he was supposed to and tells him he can stay in his stables forever. I really like this story and I am planning on using it for my story this week. I want to tell the story from the point of view from the fox. I plan to have him watching the horse and when he sees the rejection of the owner, he decides to try to help the horse. There are a lot of possibilities for the retelling of this story.
Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (LibriVox), Part A
These are stories from the Fairy Tales by Brothers Grimm
The Straw, the Coal, and the Bean: This was a story involving three inanimate objects: a piece of straw, a piece of coal, and a bean. They have all escaped the wrath of a woman who was cooking and are looking to get away. On their escape mission, the piece of straw gets burned and the coal joins. The bean, who was much more cautious, laughs so hard at the others misfortune that he bursts into pieces. His luck allowed him to be sewn back together by a tailor who was passing by. As a result, all beans in the future would have a black seam. I thought I would do notes on this story because it seemed different from the other stories this week. It was not a normal fairy tale that I am familiar with so I thought it would be interesting to come back to on Wednesday when I write my story.
The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage: This story was about three things that come together and live in one single household. They each have certain jobs and do their work nicely. One day the bird realizes that he does much more work than the others so they decide to all change jobs. The sausage ends up getting eaten by a dog, the mouse gets burned by a log, and the bird ends up drowning. I would like to retell this story from the point of view of each animal after the jobs have been switched and leading up to their deaths.
The Straw, the Coal, and the Bean: This was a story involving three inanimate objects: a piece of straw, a piece of coal, and a bean. They have all escaped the wrath of a woman who was cooking and are looking to get away. On their escape mission, the piece of straw gets burned and the coal joins. The bean, who was much more cautious, laughs so hard at the others misfortune that he bursts into pieces. His luck allowed him to be sewn back together by a tailor who was passing by. As a result, all beans in the future would have a black seam. I thought I would do notes on this story because it seemed different from the other stories this week. It was not a normal fairy tale that I am familiar with so I thought it would be interesting to come back to on Wednesday when I write my story.
The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage: This story was about three things that come together and live in one single household. They each have certain jobs and do their work nicely. One day the bird realizes that he does much more work than the others so they decide to all change jobs. The sausage ends up getting eaten by a dog, the mouse gets burned by a log, and the bird ends up drowning. I would like to retell this story from the point of view of each animal after the jobs have been switched and leading up to their deaths.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Wikipedia Trail: From Hansel and Gretel to Assyria
This week I started by looking up Hansel and Gretel. One of my readings this week reminded me of this story so I thought I would read a little more about the story. This brought me to a page on hags. From here I clicked on a link to the Persian people. Lastly, I went to a link on Assyria. It is amazing how one link can lead you to such a different place.
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Reading Notes: English Fairy Tales, Part B
These are from English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs
Mr. Miacca: I liked this story because it reminded me of Hansel and Gretel. A little boy leaves his house, even though his mother tells him not to, and gets captured by Mr. Miacca who wants to eat him. The boy tricks Mr. and Mrs. Miacca and escapes only to get caught again when he sneaks out of his house. He figures out a way to escape and is good after this and does not leave his house. I thought it was an interesting story and I thought it was funny that there are stories in many cultures about little children getting cooked for supper.
Fairy Ointment: Dame Goody is a nurse who takes care of babies and sick people. A man comes to her one night saying that his wife needs her help. She came and helped this family and rubbed oil on the baby's eyes. This turned them all into fairies. The family paid Dame Goody more than ever before in her life. This story caught my attention because I have not read anything with pixies in it before. It was very different from many other stories I have read in the past so I really liked it.
Mr. Miacca: I liked this story because it reminded me of Hansel and Gretel. A little boy leaves his house, even though his mother tells him not to, and gets captured by Mr. Miacca who wants to eat him. The boy tricks Mr. and Mrs. Miacca and escapes only to get caught again when he sneaks out of his house. He figures out a way to escape and is good after this and does not leave his house. I thought it was an interesting story and I thought it was funny that there are stories in many cultures about little children getting cooked for supper.
Monday, November 7, 2016
Reading Notes: English Fairy Tales, Part A
This week I chose readings from English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs
Binnorie: This is a very interesting story; one that stuck out to me from this weeks first reading. It is about a jealous sister who eventually drowns her sibling in order to get her love. After her death, someone finds her body and makes a harp out of her breast bone and hair. The harp sings and tells those that her sister drowned her and then the harp breaks. Jealousy is a cruel and powerful emotion that can drive people to do very crazy and unthinkable things.
Mouse and Mouser: This story kind of reminded me of the cartoon Tom and Jerry. A mouse is talking to a cat and telling him of how he went to market and bought some pudding. In the end the cat eats the mouse. It is told in a rhyme scheme that is very repetitive. I think it would be cool to tell the story in the same way but make it more humorous and have a happier ending...maybe one similar to a Tom and Jerry cartoon.
Binnorie: This is a very interesting story; one that stuck out to me from this weeks first reading. It is about a jealous sister who eventually drowns her sibling in order to get her love. After her death, someone finds her body and makes a harp out of her breast bone and hair. The harp sings and tells those that her sister drowned her and then the harp breaks. Jealousy is a cruel and powerful emotion that can drive people to do very crazy and unthinkable things.
Mouse and Mouser: This story kind of reminded me of the cartoon Tom and Jerry. A mouse is talking to a cat and telling him of how he went to market and bought some pudding. In the end the cat eats the mouse. It is told in a rhyme scheme that is very repetitive. I think it would be cool to tell the story in the same way but make it more humorous and have a happier ending...maybe one similar to a Tom and Jerry cartoon.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Tech Tip: Pinterest Embedded
Here is my Pinterest board I have created for this class. I have added some pictures from the different cultures we have been reading about. I love Pinterest because they have so many different ideas and articles from all around the world! It has really helped me visualize the different aspects of each culture!
Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales, Part B
The Crab and the Monkey by Andrew Lang: This is a story about manipulation and revenge. The monkey continually has the upper hand in his exchanges with a crab. The crab is even beaten by the monkey at one point. His friends help him to heal and they all plan an attack of revenge on the monkey. The monkey comes to make a half-hearted apology and finds himself stealing an egg from the crab. This backfires on him when the egg explodes, he gets stung by a wasp, and falls into a hole and dies. At the end it describes the crab living happily ever after and peacefully dying of old age. This was a sad story for both the crab and the monkey. If I were to retell it I think I would try to make it a little more upbeat.
Schippeiraro by Andrew Lang: This story was a little confusing, but I thought it was also quite interesting. It tells of a Japanese custom where boys are sent off when they become young men in order to find themselves and gain independence. This one young boy wonders and finds himself in a chapel where he decides to sleep. He wonders into the nearby village and becomes involved in something there. From my understanding, he takes this dog back to the chapel where the cats and their king are going to kill him. Instead of letting this happen, the boy and the other youth there cut off the cats head. This causes them all to be heroes and celebrated every year. If I were to retell this story I would make the people animals. I think it would be cool to tell of the animals journey before he finds himself in the chapel. It discusses how sometimes the men would chat and discuss their journeys, but other times these men would be robbers. It would be interesting to maybe make up a story about a robber and the man (animal).
Monday, October 31, 2016
Wikipedia Trail: From All Saints' Day to Pope Pius X
Since today is Halloween, that means it is also All Saints' Day. I am Catholic so I thought it would be interesting to do a little research on what exactly today is celebrating. I started out on the All Saints' Day page and followed it to the page on All Souls' Day, which is the day after Halloween. From here I clicked on a page about the Holy Day of Obligation. Although today is not one, there are often days during the week in which Catholics are expected to go to mass to celebrate something specific. Lastly, I clicked on a link to Pope Pius X. I did not know anything about him so I thought it would be interesting to read a little about him.
Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales, Part A
Japanese Fairy Tale Unit
The Violet Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
The Two Frogs: This story was about two frogs who wish to travel to each others towns. They meet in the middle and become friends. They decide to stand on each others shoulders in order to see the town they are traveling to. They are foolish and do not realize that they are looking at their own towns and decide to not travel any further. I thought this was an interesting and peculiar story. It would be interesting to do a retelling of it where they end up traveling to each others towns instead of turning around and returning home. I do not know much about Japanese culture, but I think it would be interesting to do some research on these towns and then write about the two frogs experiences and how they would differ from their home towns.
The Violet Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
The Two Frogs: This story was about two frogs who wish to travel to each others towns. They meet in the middle and become friends. They decide to stand on each others shoulders in order to see the town they are traveling to. They are foolish and do not realize that they are looking at their own towns and decide to not travel any further. I thought this was an interesting and peculiar story. It would be interesting to do a retelling of it where they end up traveling to each others towns instead of turning around and returning home. I do not know much about Japanese culture, but I think it would be interesting to do some research on these towns and then write about the two frogs experiences and how they would differ from their home towns.
Reading Notes: Aesop's Fables Part A
From Aesop's Fables by Christopher Smart
These notes are from the chapter on foxes.
The Fox and the Grapes: This is a pretty famous story that I heard many times as a child. Essentially the fox cannot reach the grapes on a vine. As a result he concludes that the grapes are not ripe and that he will move on to a better place to find food. I like this story because I think it is easy to relate to the fox, even if we do not want to admit it. I think it would be fun to retell this story with a different ending...maybe have the fox find a way to reach the grapes instead of just giving up and walking away.
The Fox and the Goat: This story was a little harder to understand due to the language. From my understanding the fox falls into a well and is trapped. A goat comes along and the fox coaxes him into the well. From here he uses the goat to climb on and escape the well. This is another story that exemplifies how foxes are cunning and use others in order to get their way. I think it would be interesting to tell this story from the goat's perspective.
The Fox and the Eagle: I liked this story because it is not a typical fox story. Instead of being the cunning trickster, the fox is the one who is preyed on. Her children are stolen by an eagle, intended to be fed to her young eaglets. The fox is desperate to get her children back. I think it would be interesting to tell this story as is, but then have this be the reason why foxes become so cunning. Maybe they have to be in order to keep themselves and their families safe.
These notes are from the chapter on foxes.
The Fox and the Grapes: This is a pretty famous story that I heard many times as a child. Essentially the fox cannot reach the grapes on a vine. As a result he concludes that the grapes are not ripe and that he will move on to a better place to find food. I like this story because I think it is easy to relate to the fox, even if we do not want to admit it. I think it would be fun to retell this story with a different ending...maybe have the fox find a way to reach the grapes instead of just giving up and walking away.
The Fox and the Goat: This story was a little harder to understand due to the language. From my understanding the fox falls into a well and is trapped. A goat comes along and the fox coaxes him into the well. From here he uses the goat to climb on and escape the well. This is another story that exemplifies how foxes are cunning and use others in order to get their way. I think it would be interesting to tell this story from the goat's perspective.
The Fox and the Eagle: I liked this story because it is not a typical fox story. Instead of being the cunning trickster, the fox is the one who is preyed on. Her children are stolen by an eagle, intended to be fed to her young eaglets. The fox is desperate to get her children back. I think it would be interesting to tell this story as is, but then have this be the reason why foxes become so cunning. Maybe they have to be in order to keep themselves and their families safe.
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Reading Notes: Alaska, Part B
The Ghost Land by Katharine Judson: This story was very peculiar and strange. I have found that many of the Alaskan Indian tales are sad and include death. This story in particular is about the wife of the chief's son that died. He goes to ghost land and finds her and brings her back, but others can only see her shadow. I think this could represent the fact that when a loved one dies we still see them everywhere. We are reminded of them in our everyday lives and it is easy to still picture them being with us. For others, they may only see the shadow, not the full picture.
The Boy in the Mood by Katharine Judson: This story is how the sun and the moon came to be and how they rotate about the world. A boy was in love with a girl and tried to follow her into the sky. He was unable to keep up though and so he became the moon and she became the sun. When he began to fade, she would feed him and make him whole again. This story seems to be about how a woman provides for a man, instead of the other way around which I thought was interesting.
The Boy in the Mood by Katharine Judson: This story is how the sun and the moon came to be and how they rotate about the world. A boy was in love with a girl and tried to follow her into the sky. He was unable to keep up though and so he became the moon and she became the sun. When he began to fade, she would feed him and make him whole again. This story seems to be about how a woman provides for a man, instead of the other way around which I thought was interesting.
Monday, October 24, 2016
Reading Notes: Alaska Part A
These stories are from a collection of Native American folktales. I chose to do the ones focusing on Alaska. My brother traveled her a few years ago and loved it so I thought it would be cool to learn some of its native history through its stories.
The Origin of the Tides by Katharine Judson: As the title discusses this is a story of how the tide came to be. Qa, the Raven, built a house under a rock and twice a day someone would open and close a door causing the tide to go in and out. Then the stories discusses a man who goes out into the waters and is affected by the tide. The tide is something that will forever confuse me so I thought it would be interesting to somehow incorporate this story into one of my own where I can make the tide make sense.
Raven's Feast by Katharine Judson: This story was quite interesting to me. It told of how everyone followed what Raven did. When he had a feast, so did everyone else. When he had fancy hats, others followed. This story helps to tell of how people felt about others and how respect was of great importance in Indian tribes. Even if things may have seemed excessive, wasteful, crazy, etc., if you respected the person and were to follow what they did, then you did just that.
The Origin of the Tides by Katharine Judson: As the title discusses this is a story of how the tide came to be. Qa, the Raven, built a house under a rock and twice a day someone would open and close a door causing the tide to go in and out. Then the stories discusses a man who goes out into the waters and is affected by the tide. The tide is something that will forever confuse me so I thought it would be interesting to somehow incorporate this story into one of my own where I can make the tide make sense.
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Portfolio Introduction
For my portfolio I plan on using stories from Aesop's Fables or other folktales that include stories on animals.
Individuality:
This story is about embracing your differences and your insecurities. Although they are the things that, many times, we wish we could change about ourselves, they are the things to be admired. While growing up it is hard to fit in and that is something that is so important to people as they go through high school and college. What is important to remember is that what makes us different is what makes us stand out and these are the things that other people will learn to appreciate.
The Origins of Lightning and Thunder:
Have you ever wondered how the sun or the moon got in the sky? Or maybe where the wind and the rain originated? Well, this story is here to tell you exactly how lightning and thunder wound up in the sky. Would you believe that they were not always natural elements of the earth, but instead were one of its inhabitants? To find out exactly how all of this happened, read this Nigerian Folktale and all of your questions can be answered.
The Woodpecker's Tail:
There are many different sides to one single story. Each person, animal, object, etc. has its own point of view; one person's opinion of exactly what happened will be different from another person's. This story tells how the woodpecker's tail became the way it is, but tells it from a surprising point of view. To find out how this happened to the woodpecker and the difference point of view can make, check out this unique Tejas legend.
Individuality:
This story is about embracing your differences and your insecurities. Although they are the things that, many times, we wish we could change about ourselves, they are the things to be admired. While growing up it is hard to fit in and that is something that is so important to people as they go through high school and college. What is important to remember is that what makes us different is what makes us stand out and these are the things that other people will learn to appreciate.
The Origins of Lightning and Thunder:
Have you ever wondered how the sun or the moon got in the sky? Or maybe where the wind and the rain originated? Well, this story is here to tell you exactly how lightning and thunder wound up in the sky. Would you believe that they were not always natural elements of the earth, but instead were one of its inhabitants? To find out exactly how all of this happened, read this Nigerian Folktale and all of your questions can be answered.
The Woodpecker's Tail:
There are many different sides to one single story. Each person, animal, object, etc. has its own point of view; one person's opinion of exactly what happened will be different from another person's. This story tells how the woodpecker's tail became the way it is, but tells it from a surprising point of view. To find out how this happened to the woodpecker and the difference point of view can make, check out this unique Tejas legend.
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Storytelling: The Woodpecker's Tail
Have you ever looked at a woodpecker before? I mean really
looked at one. They’re pretty intriguing if you ask me. They have beautiful red
heads and white bodies. Their backs and wings have black splotches or stripes,
making each one unique and special in its own way. Each one really does look so
different and distinguished from the next, but one thing they all have in
common is their stubby tail. It really doesn’t match the rest of their stylish
look. Would you be surprised if I told you that long ago they used to have a
brilliantly long, embellished tail? Well, sit back and relax because I am going
to tell you exactly how this transformation occurred.
Once, long ago, in the plains of Texas, there was a very
large pond surrounded by tons of grasslands and trees. About every ten years a
heavy, long-lasting rain would come through and flood the lands, wiping out
everything in its path. For the animals living on the ground, this was a big
issue. They had to prepare for these floods and plan their course of action
before the rains occurred. The animals living in the waters on the other hand were
much better off, excited even, when they heard a heavy rain was coming. This meant
a replenished water source and no Indians out potentially catching them on a
hook to eat for dinner. It had been a long while since the last major storm had
blown through. So all the animals knew it would only be a matter of weeks.
One day, a frog came
hopping and splashing through the waters in a panic telling all the animals that a flood
was a-coming and that everyone should run for their lives. All of the fish
gathered together, looked up, and watched as all of the land animals scrambled
to find their families and get to higher ground. As the fish were watching they
turned to each other in excitement and imagined all of the new water coming
their way. Knowing how rough the waters could be during these storms, they
decided to all try and stick together and protect one another until the winds
calmed down. It’s not fun in the slightest to get knocked to and fro up against
the side of the pond during these storms. Each fish grabbed a buddy to make
sure they were always together and they all huddled close as they watched the
sky turn from bright blue to green and finally to black.
There was one small fish that could not find a buddy! He was
the only young fish without any siblings and he could not find his parents. He was
very much a loner and did not have any close friends so he just decided to
stick very close to the large pack and crossed his fins that he would be okay. When
the storm first started it really wasn’t too bad. The waters swayed, but it wasn’t
anything too rough to handle. As the hours dragged on, though, the pack was
really getting tossed around. The winds were savage and not letting up at all.
At one point the little fish could not take it anymore and
tried to swim deeper into the water, hoping this would help get him farther
from the rough waters. As soon as he broke away he was swept into a current and
tossed up towards the surface of the water and thrown against the edge of the
pond. The little fish had no idea what to do and had never experienced such
rough waters. He looked around for something, anything, for him to grab and
anchor himself onto. Surprisingly, he saw something just above his head, but he
couldn’t tell exactly what it was. It was definitely not seaweed or moss, but
it was something for him to hold on to so he went for it. He shot himself upward
and grabbed onto the mysterious item. It was a soft and a bit slippery, but if he could just hold on for a little bit he would be okay. He immediately felt a strong tug, which caused him to bite down tighter. When he did this, he went spiraling though the water spitting out the soft, slippery item as he tumbled through the water.
This right here is exactly how the woodpecker lost its tail.
This bird had decided not to hop high into the trees like the others and when
the waters rose, a little fish tried to grab onto his tail dangling in the water
to steady himself. Had he been smarter and hopped higher into the trees, he
would not have been so close to the water and the fish would not have been able to bite off his tail. Now don’t worry, the little fish ended up fine and his parents found
him just after this little incident. The woodpecker, on the other hand, was
extremely sad for his loss and decided for the rest of time, he would peck as
loud and as hard as possible and do his best to annoy every fish nearby.
Author's Note: This story is originally from a Tejas Indian legend. As the name
suggests, the story takes place in Texas and gives a great description of the
different natural aspects that the state has. The story is called The Woodpecker's
Stumpy Tail and it was written by Florence Stratton. The
original story is from the woodpecker's point of view and tells how his tail
got to be so short and stumpy. Like my story, there is a flood coming and all
of the animals have been warned. One woodpecker does not take this warning
seriously and decides not to take precautions. He regrets this when he cannot
climb higher than the flooding waters and a fish takes a bite out of his tail.
My story is from the fish's point of view, but has the same story line. I
thought it would be interesting to give the fish a background story since he
sounds like the bad guy in the original story. I also wanted to tell it from
this point of view to show the importance of perspective. Originally it sounds
like the fish is the bad guy for biting off the woodpecker’s tail. In my story
you can see that the fish was simply trying to survive the harsh storm. I chose
this specific image because when I originally read this story I was not exactly
sure what a woodpecker looked like. Of course, I have seen them before, but I could
not remember all of the details. I thought it was important for readers to see
a good picture of their beautiful bodies and stumpy tails in order to get the
full effect of the story. I added this story to my portfolio because it
includes a story about animals I have not used yet in my other stories.
Bibliography: The Woodpeckers Stumpy Tail by Florence Stratton
Bibliography: The Woodpeckers Stumpy Tail by Florence Stratton
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