Storytelling Week 10: Unforgettable

It is six o’clock in the morning and I’m already going to be late for work.  Being the CEO of an advertising company isn’t an easy position for my 45-year-old self, on top of having a wife and teenage twin girls.  I’m surprised I’ve lasted this long.

Thinking of which…I look to my right.  My wife, Delilah, looks so beautiful sound asleep I’d hate to wake her.  I nudge her anyway.

Delilah half-opens her eyes and looks at me smiling with her arms stretching out.  “It’s already that time?”

“Yes ma’am it is.”

I walk to the bathroom and prep myself for the day ahead of me.  I walk down the stairs to the fresh smell of waffles.  We converse about how her day will be as I scarf down my breakfast.

“Well, I better get going then.  I’ll let you know when I make it to the building.”  I lightly kiss her on the forehead and get a whiff of her perfume as her hair falls forward against her cheeks.  Mm…the sweet scent of jasmine and honeysuckle, that’s my favorite.

~~~

Sitting in my office, I look down at my watch and the dial strikes 7 o’clock.  It’s getting late, I should get going. 

I arrive home to find Lila setting the table.  I made it just in time.  We have dinner together as usual.  

When we finish, she brings our plates to the sink and begins to wash them.  I decide to help her rinse this time rather than one of the girls.  We smile at each other. 

She leans in to drop a cup in my sink as I’m rinsing a plate and I smell something musky…

It’s not my cologne nor is it her perfume.  “So what did you do today?”

“I just went to the store and came back home to exercise, not a very productive day, truthfully.”  She seems distant.

We finish the dishes and head to the bedroom.

I lay in bed and my mind begins to wander.  I conjure up scenarios of whether she could be seeing someone else or just tired.  I try to sleep, but my heart and mind won’t let me.

(Following.  Flickr.)

A few days have passed and it’s still the same feeling and still the same scent.  I’m beginning to think that she goes somewhere else after work and on her days off. 

Though today’s the day I buck up the courage and follow her.  I know it seems crazy, even for me.  I’m a CEO of my own company for crying out loud.  I guess it won’t stop my pride in knowing whether she still loves me or not.

We say our usual goodbyes and I act as if I head off to work.   I drive down the street to the park and wait for her to leave the house.  I see her come out and duck my head in case she looks my way.

I peek up and see that she’s backing out.  I begin to follow her. 

She drops the girls off at school and just when I thought she’d go the direction towards home, she turns into the neighborhood behind the school.

We arrive at a nice home.  I park in front of the house down the street.  She pulls into the driveway and steps out of the car to await the person opening the door.  I inch my car closer…a man with similar build as mine, yet fair brunette hair, opens the door.  She steps in and he closes the door behind her…

I step out of the car and run to the house.  I scope the house to find the right window as I do, I see him undress her and they kiss…my heart stops.  Furious, I want to kill them both.  I know that would be wrong.  I contain myself and head back home.

~~~

I'm pacing the living room and the girls walk through the door.  In a stern voice I tell them to go to their rooms.  They look at each other with discernment and do as I say.

Lila walks through the door half passed seven.  I stop and look at her.  

"How could you do this to us?"

Her eyes filled with concern.  "What are you talking..."  It dawns on her what I ask of her.  

She tries to explain herself and I just can't let her.  I walk off toward the room and she follows.  Closing the door behind her, we enter a screaming match.  This lasts all night.

~~~

We're restless the next morning.  Once we simmer down, I go to wake the girls up and as I open their doors, they're gone.  Frightened, we both go looking for them.  Setting aside our fight to find our girls.  

We get a phone call from my parents and they tell us they're with them.  We head that way and once we arrive, we sit them down and discuss our concern about why they ran off.

They know why Lila and I were fighting and that we wanted to get a divorce.  There's nothing we can say to comfort them, because it's true.

~~~

A year has passed and the divorce has finally settled.  Delilah moved out about two months after I found out and the girls were torn about our decision.  Though we were all upset about the situation, we still gave them the option of who they wanted to be with.  The end result, I gained sole custody.  Gena wanted to stay with me, but Gail and I weren't on the best terms.  With what her mother did to me, she couldn't bare to stay with her either, so she chose the latter.  

Our family may be torn apart and what happened that night was unforgettable, but deep down inside, I can say that I forgive her.

Author's Note:  The original story I decided to transform is about a man with a wife and two children who goes hunting for his family everyday.  The man paints his wife from head to toe before he heads off to hunt, much like a ritual.  The wife has been sneaky going to the nearby lake to 'fetch some water,' but instead meets with a snake.  This happens for quite some time until the man notices part of her paint smear off so he decides to follow her the next day, because he has a feeling she is lying to him.  He catches her bare herself naked for the snake and watches it coil itself around her.  Furious, he jumps the snake and kills it as well as his wife.  After killing his wife, he skins her and takes the meat to feed his kids.  The rolling head occurs in this moment after they unknowingly eat her and their father goes to fetch some more meat, their mother's head rolls towards them and apologizes to them.  Frightened, they attempt to run away from it and are saved by kind people as well as protected by their bears and panthers.  Some others find the children, because they have plenty food and they build a camp from thereon.  There father comes to live with them, but out of hatred towards him, they feed him to the lions.
I have kept some aspects of the original story in mine, but in a more realistic and less vulgar way.  In a sense I kept the affair and the struggle with the children, but not the killings or the cannibalism.  I decided to use first person to depict how the husband may have felt and what was running through his head all the while of not knowing and soon finding out.  It's written with a purpose of, though our families may be crazy and bad things happen at the end of it all we have to overcome the obstacle within ourselves.  It didn't end on a whole good note, but at least he could find remorse in some way and move on.

Bibliography:  Tales of the North American Indians:  The Rolling Head by Stith Thompson.

Reading Notes B: The Rolling Head

(A Head.  Flickr.)

This should be a narrative - first person? (would give for very intriguing insight on what the man is thinking about his wife); third person would suit well, though could be typical.

• A hardworking man - artist/carpenter/lawyer/businessman|CEO
• wife - stay at home mom/part-time teacher (substitute)/maybe a simple cashier just to make some $$
• two children - both girls, early to mid-teens (13+)
• Rather painting her body/face before going to work, he simply just helps her get ready in the mornings with the kids as a good husband, kisses her on the forehead before leaving.  Does a typical routine/ritual and does something to 'mark' her so he's sure she doesn't lie.  He may come off as a clingy/overprotective husband
• After taking the kids to school, she would go to 'work' or shopping for groceries or simply just shopping
• In fact she was cheating, so the snake is her affair (metaphor for 'lover' other than husband)
• He noticed a sent on her clothes one night? Or something else is different about her - attitude? jewelry? Sees a text/missed call on her phone?
• He follows her to wherever she states she is going, because at this point he doesn't trust her.  It's unlike her to act the way she acts.
• He catches them in the act - how?  Through the window of her 'lover's' place.  Possibly they go to the grocery store or a cafe to meet and they kiss!
• Not sure I want to keep the killing to give suspense and drama/thriller; maybe he won't confront them about anything.  Most likely NO killing.
• I don't think I'll keep cannibalism in the story...a bit much.  But after he talks with his wife about what has happened, they discuss divorce and sit the kids down to talk (that could've been the metaphor of feeding his wife to them)?
• Rather than them eating her and a talking head, her parents are having a discussion in front of the kids, arguing and talking about the divorce; OR she sits down with the kids to talk about it and apologize because they understand what's going on since they're old enough.
• The kids decide to run away together from what their mother has done - to the park?  Or they don't run away as that could add for a longer story...
• They run away to grandma and grandpa? Somewhere safe.
• Rather than killing him, they learn what happens and that they will be living with their father and they are unhappy with it because they didn't get to decide who they wanted to be with. Well, maybe one kid will be upset, but the other will be okay.

Bilbiography:  Tales of the North American Indians:  The Rolling Head by Stith Thompson.

Reading Notes A: The Rolling Head

• A man, wife and 2 children
• This will stay for the main of my story; the children will be early to mid-teens
• Man goes hunting and paints wife's face and body before hunting
• Rather than hunting, set in modern day and he is leaving for work - possibly a businessman or some other occupation
• Wife fetches water from the lake
• She takes the children to work and heads off to 'work' as well
• She always went to the lake and took off her clothes to 'bathe'
• She would always mention going to work, but had interesting hours that she would go in, telling her husband that is
• She would meet a snake and do this every time her husband went to hunt
• In fact she was cheating, so the snake will be her affair
• Her husband noticed that her paint was smudged and wondered why/how.
• He noticed a sent on her clothes one night? Or something else...
• He followed her to the lake one day with her thinking that he went to hunt
• He followed her to her 'work'
• He caught the snake wrap itself around her naked body
• He catches them in the act
• After seeing this, he jumps the snake, killing it and killing his wife.
• Not sure I want to keep the killing to give suspense and drama/thriller
• He takes his wife's meat and feeds her to the children, unknowingly to them
• I don't think I'll keep cannibalism in the story...a bit much
• He leaves her head alone and it comes rolling to the children, telling them that they ate her (talking head)
• Rather than them eating her and a talking head, her parents are having a discussion in front of the kids, arguing and talking about a divorce or not talking about it
• They try to flee from it and one child draws a line, digging a hole for it to stop rolling to them
• If they talk about it in front of the kids, the kids decide to run away together from what their mother has done or they don't know what she did, they just know that they'll get a divorce
• They save themselves from the head by meeting someone who could help them and had panthers and bears to protect them from all things
• They run away to grandma and grandpa?
• A camp of people were starving and heard that these kids had bountiful food and decided to camp with them/live with them.
• I will take this out of the story...
• Their father came to live with them, but they despised what he did so they had a lion jump him and kill him.
• Rather than killing him, they learn what happens and that they will be living with their father and they are unhappy with it because they didn't to decide who they wanted to be with. Well, maybe one kid will be upset, but the other will be okay.

(Snake in a lake.  Flickr.)

Bibliography:  Tales of the North American Indians: The Rolling Head by Stith Thompson.

Storytelling 9: Journey to the Moon

REKO & CHAR'S POVS

Day 55:
It's been almost two months and I still haven't reached the moon.  Leaving my family was hard, but we need food.  I must find the Raven to help me.

Day 60:
I still haven't found the Raven.  Where could he live?  There aren't many towns nearby.  I'm almost out of food, if only we had enough.

 

 (Raven's in the night sky.  Pixabay.)

~~~

Day 10:

It’s been ten days since my mother passed and I’m not quite sure what to do now.  I’m an only child and it has always been just my mother and I.

Day 12:

I keep thinking about what could bring people together and celebrate my mother’s mourning.  FOOD!  I shall throw a feast for all of the tribes in the town.  But where can I get food during this time of season.  Winter hasn’t come to an end yet, the Groundhogs haven’t peaked from below.  Hmmmm…

Day 13:

I’ve got it!  The Moon!  In all of its beauty, the moon has plenty to share.  We had a rough last meeting, but I’m sure he will understand and help provide for me.  I must fly to the west when his wife, the Sun, is ready to sleep.  I shall reach a lamppost, in the town of Great Stone, that will beam me to the Moon.  My journey begins tomorrow!

***

Day 70:

Finally!  After all of the questions asked and obstacles encountered, I have finally met the Raven!  What a nice bird he is as he goes by the name of Char since his feathers shine a deep charcoal grey when the Sun beams on him.  He explained how to reach the Moon, though no human has ever done it before.  He believes that I could be the first with his help of course!

Day 74:

We’ve reached the lamppost just in time as the Sun sets.  Because I am human, Char tells me to turn my back towards the lamppost as he is unsure how I will react to the beam that will lead us to the Moon.  I do so, trusting Char whole-heartedly.  He grabs the hood of my coat and we begin to float up the beam, fast enough that we reach the Moon’s home within seconds.

~~~

Day 20:

This journey is much longer than anticipated.  Though I ran into an Eskimo.  Reko is his name and he's a friendly fella.  He's looking for food within the Moon just as I am, we have become great help to each other on this journey.

Day 24:

We're finally inside the Moon's home!  They're surprised to see that a human has made it through the beam alive.  Though the Moon is in his usual form, Sun hides behind her fire.

They praise me and welcome Reko into their home with a delightfully, strange dance.  We tell them of our reason and they help us choose from their bountiful food.  They beam all the food I have chosen, through their crater, for they owed me a great favor.  I noticed that Reko was able to only chose two animals of which were the deer and seal.

***

Day 75:  

The Moon and Sun were a pleasure to have met.  I am now at ease with what I was able to choose.  Now my family and I can feast leisurely, without worry. 

As we came back down to Earth, the Sun is about to awaken from her nap after meeting us.  Char invites me and my family to his feast in celebration of the food we were able to replenish, for the life his mother lived, and the new found friendship that we gained.

Day 90:
My family and I have arrived at Char's home.  He kindly waited for me to celebrate with his feast.  Because he did so, I offered him a hat filled with many jewels and crowns as well as a blanket, all of which my wife had made and knitted herself.  He received it graciously with tears flowing down his face.

Reko:  After the years have passed, because of our journey, all Eskimos had every deer they could have and every seal they could find companionship in as well as every town and tribe feasting together they mourn the loss of someone and celebrate the life they lived.

Author's Note:  I chose to write about these two stories intertwined into one big story based solely on the fact that they gave the certain events and things in life a meaning.  In Raven's Feast, a Raven's mother passes away and he tries to gather up food when the season is ready and have a feast with all the tribes he could invite, especially one special person.  The Raven specifically wanted to invite a chief of a tribe, because of his special Chilkat hat and blanket.  Because this chief showed up with many crowns in the hat and blanket, they had to have feasts in mourning from then on.  With The Man in the Moon's story, the Eskimo travels to the Moon and actually goes inside of the Moon's home.  He sees many things that the Moon has, especially the herds of deer/deerskin and meeting the Sun, which happens to be the Moon's wife.  They dance for the Eskimo and don't offer him any deer to eat, but the chance to choose an animal to take back to earth.  The Eskimo sees a pool of seals swimming and chooses a seal.  From thereon, the seal and deer are on earth with the Eskimos.
I chose to encompass both stories as a journey that leads to friendship through their struggles and why we do the things we do in modern day, because of them.  I took away some elements of the stories to focus more on their purposes of the journey.  I also chose to write in journal/diary form for each character, because I wanted to give the perspective of how the journey is for each of them based on the days they begin their journey.  Though I decided to finish with the Eskimo's entry in order to show what he decides in the end.

Bibliography:   Raven's Feast and The Man in the Moon by Katharine Berry Judson.

Reading Notes B: The Man in the Moon

• Eskimo goes to the moon - faces away from lamps he turned on to let guardian spirit take him
• Moon's house:
• All white - bc of white deerskin drying
• upper body of walrus on both sides of entrance - dangerous bc long teeth to bite
• has only 1 dog - Red/white dapple living in the passage
• Moon lives in outer room
• Inside room lives Sun, Moon's wife
• She lit up & hid behind her fire so Eskimo couldn't see her
• Mood had piles of deer meat - didn't offer to Eskimo until a strange dance he & Sun did.
• On Moon Land:
• many herds of deer
• anything can fall through the hole to Earth 
• Moon let Eskimo choose 1 animal to drop to Earth
• house with many seals swimming
• Eskimo chose a seal & it dropped to the ocean - therefore Eskimos have deer and seal.

(Eskimo dolls with Seals.  Flickr.)

Another version of the Man in the Moon, except different concept.

Maybe combine the Raven's feast with this story?  Rather than Raven scavenging for food at a local farmer's market, he can travel to the Moon with the Eskimo.  The Eskimo and Raven run into each other and become friends.  They go on a journey to find 'food' to feed their family and friend. 

They both come across the 'Moon' - which can be a local market/shop/farm that has many things.  

There can be someone that works in the 'Moon'.  Possibly with powers that can provide the Eskimo with seals and deer as well as the Raven with enough food to feed plenty people.  Before giving them food and items to survive, they must give up one important thing - what is the important thing?

Much like making a deal/sacrifice for something more.  Will it be worth it?  Will both give in or just one?  This can cause the reason for why the Eskimos have what they have and why there are feasts during times of mourning.

They're both going through times of hardship - so food feeds the soul. BAHA! 

These are what bring people together.  Eskimo and Raven invite each other to their events before parting ways.  Or maybe one will die along the way?

Bibliography:  Myths and Legends of British North America:  The Man in the Moon by Katharine Berry Judson.

Reading Notes A: Raven's Feast

• Raven went to get food from Groundhogs to throw a feast because his mother died.
• Groundhogs throw winter food out when there is a snowslide from the mountains.
• Raven wanted the food they throw out.
• No one knew about the snowslide, though Raven says there will be a great big one.
• It happens during the Spring and the Groundhogs throw their herbs out of their burrows.
• He then decided a great feast, inviting everyone in the world
• The Gonaqadet - because they had a Chilkat Hat and a Chilkat Blanket
• All the rest of the chiefs of the tribes
• They came at the right time
• With the Gonaqadet, the Chilkat hat had many crowns and with it, his blanket.
• He was surrounded by fog, but not inside the Raven's house
• Because of the feast, especially a burial feast, everyone must have a feast now and during burial feasts, there will be a many-crowned hat carved into the grave post. 

(Raven eating.  Flickr.) 

I can utilize this story as a way to showcase funerals.  The Raven will standstill as the creator of feasts during funerals.  Or it can be a simple man back in the 1800s.

Rather than the Groundhogs, there will be farms/crops of food that will grow and be put out when ripe at the Farmer's Market.

The Raven/Man will go and pick and buy the food at the market and he will invite everyone in the town because he has no more family.  He is all alone in this.

He meets someone at the market, a woman, and invites her to the feast.  She happens to be a jeweler and comes bearing gifts to the feast in honor of the man's mother.

All of these come together in the end, to provide offerings/gifts to the person who is in mourning, feast when someone passes, and through all of this, gain people that can become family.

Bibliography:  Myths and Legends of Alaska:  Raven's Feast by Katharine Berry Judson.

Week 8: Growth Mindset

Looking back at my previous post on Growth Mindset, I told myself that I'd learn more and that I wanted to as the semester progressed.  I haven't kept to my word.  After realizing the workload that I've encountered and dealt with, it seemed difficult to learn more about it.  I'm grateful that this Review Week is giving me the opportunity to dig a tad deeper into the topic, since I haven't been lately.  

I reviewed the different dimensions of growth chart and it reminded me a lot of what I learned in my sessions.  I discussed in my previous post that I was deemed with 'fear of failure.'  Though I have this issue, that doesn't mean that I can't grow out of it.  And all of what I've marked off for myself, usually related to my past experiences and even some now.  The reason why I chose this image below is also the reason why I have difficulties with progressing out of the fixed-mindset as I am comfortable where I am.

(Comfort Zone.  Link.)

The few dimensions that seem to have grown within me are: finding motivation within myself, attempting to set my own goals, being open to any/all feedback, and willing to learn from my mistakes.  These are very important, granted that they are all important, but they speak to me.  I've opened up to each of these little by little and it has worked.  Though I still struggle in finding motivation and lack setting goals, I am still trying to get through them.  Each of the other aspects are also ones that I will slowly be improving on as the year goes on.  The most that I am trying to push through this semester in all of my courses and with handling work is staying completely positive.

(Positivity Jar.  Flickr.)

Positivity can be very difficult to uphold and maintain, but just thinking and believing in yourself can get you far.  So far it has helped me stress just a tad less and it is helping me get through my assignments without thinking of the end result as failure, but that the process is worth it in the end.  Whether I receive a good grade or not, I will take it in terms of learning from my mistake and receive the feedback that I need.  This course is great in that aspect.  I am able to receive the right kind of feedback and also provide myself with the chance of redoing an assignment to better improve on my work.  The overall task and process of the assignment is the goal rather than the end result as a whole.

This class, like the rest, has definitely given me the challenge of setting my own schedule/priorities and goals with all of my homework and with managing my social/work life as well.  Not only that but they also provide me with the ability to learn that I can try new things, take risks, practice, ask plenty questions and improve my confidence through all of those without feeling as if I will fail at the task in the end.  There is still a lot of room for improvement overall and I am willing to take on these challenges one at a time, until I can reach my full potential.

(Just believe.  Flickr.)

Week 8 Reflections: Reading Notes

This class has opened plenty of doors for me in the reading department, since I don't get to read very much outside of school and work.  So far I've enjoyed a lot of the readings that I've chosen over the course.  I would have loved to find more options to choose from, though I just haven't found quite the right schedule to get into the zone.  Not the right rhythm either.  I basically just work with my surroundings.  Wherever I have to be or can find a decent place to work, like Starbucks or Barnes & Nobles, I do my readings and notes in due time.

(Reading and Notes.  Pexels.)

If I had to choose a specific reading that I enjoyed most, it would have to be between the last reading of Fox-Fire, The Man in the Moon, and The Tree of Knowledge.  I can't quite pick a specific reading that I enjoyed above all.  These have their perks and differences of why I like them the most.

Recently reading Fox-Fire, I didn't quite get to do a storytelling on that story combined with The Monkey King, just yet but I am planning to.  It's just something I can't pass up.  I'm hoping I can transform it greatly, because the way the story was told about the Elixir of Life just gets me thinking.  It gets me thinking in ways of how people can be so greedy in power and it happens in real life, that's the unfortunate reality.  I didn't realize that the Chinese had a fairy-tale about the fire fox as well, much like the Kitsune.  I want to incorporate that type of story into my own.  I've only heard the brief retelling of it in a T.V. series called, Teen Wolf.

The Man in the Moon is a lot of karma in one and not being appreciative of the little things that life has offered us.  It also conveys not appreciating the abilities that we have, just because of one thing we don't like about our lives.  The Tree of Knowledge in turn provides a sense of enlightenment.  As the story is of Siddhartha becoming Buddha.  We all want to understand and know what it is like to have reached that point.  Hopefully we do, but we know that not all of us can.  That's the interesting thing about this spiritual story, because there are so many chances that it offers us in reincarnation.  At some point we will be able to reach our own sense of enlightenment, whatever that may be.

(Reading like a Writer.  Pixabay.)

Aside from these readings, I definitely feel like I am reading like a writer and taking notes like one, because these notes do help me in my writing process.  Whether I stick to it or not, that's the beauty I find in these notes, they help me transition into something else if that's what seems better for me.  I don't always have to stick to my notes, they just help enhance my creativity.

Looking into the reading options for the next few weeks to come, there are plenty intriguing ones that I can't wait to dig into.  Some readings I've noticed from the Native American readings are the Alaskan tales about the Ravens and the Native American Hero tales.  The British and Celtic unit have many readings that have caught my eye, such as Alice in Wonderland, Beowulf, Robin Hood, King Arthur, and more of Aesop's Fables.  This unit will be difficult in choosing which story I will want to write about next.  The last unit of the European stories also peaks my interests the most of all as it has the Brother's Grimm tales and many tales from other countries.  These tales have been rewritten in modern-day, completely different compared to these originals.  It's exciting the read the originals and have our own take on it.

Week 7 Story Planning: Laotze & Fox-Fire

I am melding two stories into one, because both involve two men who are greedy for eternal life by obtaining the ‘Elixir of Life’.

One is of The Monkey King/The Great Saint, who isn’t invited to a gathering by this Queen-Mother in the Heavens.  So he becomes upset and does everything to attend the banquet.  He stumbles upon the Elixir of Life and drinks some, never getting caught, and shares it with his fellow apes in the end.  Whereas, the other is of a poor farmer who sees a Fire Fox blow out a crystal-like fireball which ends up being the Elixir of Life and he steals it in front of the Fox.

The Monkey King, doesn’t appear to utilize his abilities for anything but himself and the farmer utilizes the abilities of the Elixir for helping others, yet still for his own gain.

(Elixir of Life.  Flickr.)

This will about the two men, but they know each other, brothers or best friends who want the Elixir of Life as heard of stories from many around them.  The Queen-Mother will remain a queen that has a pet fox whom breathes fire/the Elixir of Life.

The fire can be crystalized and transformed into a liquid form for potions.  Motives for the two men will be to live freely, for however long, and obtain much treasures/gain great wealth with the elixir.  They are not common civilians; they are well-known, wanted thieves.

The fox is originally a human that just transforms into a fox in order to create the elixir and whenever she is angry and needs his powers.  Staying as a fox can consume her and she will never turn to a human again.

The Queen will be supporting role as she helps the fox, whom is her daughter, retrieve the elixir from the thieves.  Her past conveys that she was once a fire fox as well and that is how she became Queen.

Styles of writing: 

• First person, narrative with/without dialogue
• Third person, narrative with/without dialogue.  
• Not sure other styles would work.  
• Narrative with dialogue seem to suit best with the action that will entail the story.

Bibliography:  The Ape Sun Wu Kung in The Chinese Fairy Book: Laotze by R. Wilhelm and The Chinese Fairy Book:  Fox-Fire by R. Wilhelm.

Reading Notes: Fox-Fire, Part B

(Fire Fox.  Flickr.)

• Farmer left late evening
• Stays a man/human
• Came across wealthy man's gardens with tall buildings around
• can be park, not a person's garden
• Saw 'crystal ball floating' in the garden, went in & saw no one around
• Appeared to be like dog looking at the moon
• Breathes out, ball of fire comes out & floats to the moon
• Breathes in, ball came down to its jaws; kept going back & forth
• Farmer realized it was Elixir of Life
• all of those elements can be kept (wondering how I should entail the 'fire ball')
• Because Elixir of Life I can meld the Laotze story with this one
• He waited til the ball dropped to about his height & out of hiding, reached out to grab it 
• He swallowed it & could feel the glow pass his throat to his stomach
• The Fox saw him, grew angry but was afraid of his strength & didn't attack; he walked away
• Fox can be Monkey King in a different form? Or the man can be him...
• Man became invisible
• Saw ghosts & devils
• intercourse with spirit world
• Brought back souls to the sick/unconscious
• Pleaded for sins
• He earned $$ doing this
• Grew old - 50 yrs old; he quit exercising the arts
• He lay in his courtyard enjoying cool air, drinking plenty wine til he fell asleep by midnight
• Woke feeling ill; someone pat his back, the ball came out
• 30 yrs he kept the 'treasure' from the Fox; Poor Farmer became Wealthy, so time for Fox to take it back
• Fox disappeared when he realized who it was.

Since both stories are quite similar I can create the two men and fox as DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder).  Could be for interesting read.  How to intertwine their lives to reach that point, because it still can't be one man.  Must be one man becoming two as punishment for utilizing the Elixir of Life for material things.  It's not something sacred, but punishment.

Bibliography:  The Chinese Fairy Book:  Fox-Fire by R. Wilhelm.