Storytelling Week 11: Envy

Goldie here with an update on my current situation; it’s dark out and sprinkling.  Then again it’s always sprinkling here in Washington.  I’m turning 21 and supposed to graduate college this semester.

What’s holding me back?  I killed my step-mother.

~~~

AUGUST 2011 

High school is officially over.  Today's the first day of college and my dad's tripping out that I'm growing up too fast.

Even though I'll be going to college nearby, I'm actually more worried about how he'll be when I'm not home.  I know I'll get wrapped up in busy-work and working at my first job ever.  He's taken care of me so well.  I just want him to be happy and not alone.

OCTOBER 2011

I got what I wished for, but now I’m not so sure how to feel. 

Her name is Sylvia and she’s a receptionist at my dad’s firm.  First of all, I’m glad he’s found someone and he’s happy.  Secondly, I’m just not so sure how I feel about him dating someone that works for him.  It’s just too weird.  I mean, she seems nice from what he tells me, but still. 

This is the first woman he’s dated since I was ten.  My guard is up as much as I want him to be happy.  We can never tell with people these days, but I’m definitely intrigued to find out more about her.

Thanksgiving 2011

“Hi there!  I’m Sylvia, you must be little Goldie.  It’s so good to finally meet you.  I’ve heard so much about you.” She stands there with her arm stretched out towards me with her tote hanging off her other arm. 

“The pleasure is mine.” I smile wryly.  Behind her, dad widens his eyes at me.  I shrug back.  I can’t help my expressions, they just come naturally.

Thanksgiving 2013

Two years in at the University and my dad is still dating Sylvia.  I’m surprised they’ve lasted this long.  No offense to dad, but seeming how they’re constantly fighting when I’m around, I figured they would’ve broken up by now.

Hm…they’re walking towards me.  Oh no…it’s that look on dad’s face.  It’s the same look that he gives when he’s got bad news. 

They sit down on the couch across from me and begin explaining their love for me.  Then they hit me with a big whammy.

“We’re getting married!!” Sylvia screeches in excitement.  Oh…  

It was just the beginning of a horrible nightmare.

MAY 2014

*ding dong, ding dong* The wedding bells chime.  I finally have a mom…I shiver at the thought.  My grandmother and aunt, dad’s younger sister Eloise, are the most remotely close mother figures I have in my life.

As we wave goodbye to their departure from the church, Aunt Ellie nudges my left arm, “You think she’s after his money??”

“Aunt Ellie!”

“Well, someone’s bound to be thinking it.  I’m sure rumors have spread already.”  She laughs her maniacal laugh.

JUNE 2014

My dad’s been married for a month now and things seem to be sailing smoothly, except for the fact that my new mother is a raving bitch. 

I moved back in for the summer since I decided not to take any classes.  I asked them if it was okay, but I guess not. 

She’s been on my ass since the first week I moved in.

(Green with Envy.  Flickr.)

DECEMBER 2014

Christmas is close.  Aunt Ellie has been around more often.  I think she’s just as worried for dad as I am.  

A week before Christmas and we’re doing our annual tree-decorating-bonding-time.  “You know…your dad told me how Sylvia’s been acting lately.  He mentioned her being jealous of how he spoils you and takes pride in you…kind of strange if you ask me.”

I’m glad I wasn’t just thinking things.

FEBRUARY 2015

Valentine’s month and surprisingly I’ve met someone.  He’s amazing, but my new found evil step-mother won’t stop at nothing to ruin my relationship with him.

She’s always threatening me to come back home to help her with something or even using my dad as bait to get me to leave school.  She’s also preventing me from finishing my last semester.

Dad’s tried countless times to stop her, even threatened divorce.  His heart is too soft; he could never hurt her as much as he threatens her.

APRIL 2015

Something’s different in the air.

I walk inside the house, set my stuff down and head to the kitchen.  Sylvia’s sitting at the table holding a gun.

“Sylvia?  What is that?” 

“You have eyes don’t you?  I’m sick of you playing dumb and naïve.  You know damn well what it is and what I’m going to do with it.”

I bolt for the front door.  She chases after me firing the gun.  She misses.

I don't know what's gotten into her.  It's like a switch just flipped and she decided to go bat-shit crazy on me.  

I run out to the car and realize I left my keys inside.  So I run to the backyard. 

She creeps around to the back.  Hiding in the shed out back, I find a lug wrench.  I hear her inching closer so I hide by the door waiting for her to open it.

"Come out, come out wherever you are~~" she opens the door, looks to her left at me and I swing left, hitting her head.

She falls to her side.

PRESENT DAY

I’m supposed to graduate next month and turn 21 in two. 

I'm sitting in an ambulance, the police interrogating me.  Aunt Ellie is holding dad as he’s crying.  If only he knew. 

It all happened so fast. 

I was just a normal girl...she was just supposed to be my father's wife.  My new mother.

Author's Note:  I chose to write my story over Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree.  It is a very similar take to Snow White, yet different.  Gold-Tree is the daughter of Silver-Tree and the king. Silver-Tree asks a trout in a well about who is most beautiful and he says Gold-Tree is. Filled with jealousy and rage, Silver-Tree wants to eat her heart and liver.  The king doesn't let her by feeding her a goat's heart and liver whilst letting Gold-Tree marry off with a Prince.  Silver-Tree finds out when she goes back to the well after a year and from that point she attempts to kill Gold-Tree with a poisoned needle.  She thought she succeeded until the Prince remarried and his second wife pulled the needle out of Gold-Tree's finger, bringing her back to life.  Silver-Tree tries to come back and poison her with a drink, but as she tries to pretend to take a swig, the second wife hits the cup causing her to drink it.  It poisons Silver-Tree and they leave her to die.

In my take of the stories, though my reading notes attempted to convey a tad different story, I ended up getting rid of the second-wife, but leaving a snippet of the Prince's character in.  Rather than it being her mother, I made it closer to Snow White's tale of an evil stepmother and a father that the daughter is close with.  I kept a death in the story to have everything lead up to it.  Overall, the theme of jealousy and rage can get the better of people and I attempted to depict just what it can do, much like the original story.  And not only does it affect the person that it enraptures, but it also affects other people especially the daughter in this case, not being able to finish school.  I left a lot out in the open with this version, as to have readers curious to know more and wonder what just happened or what will happen next.  So I know there will be plenty of questions, I hope it is still an enjoyable read! 

Bibliography:  Celtic Fairy Tales:  Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree by Joseph Jacobs.

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.

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.

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.

Storytelling, Week 6: Wishful Consequences

(Wishing Fountain.  Flickr.)

In a small village in Laos, there lived a man by the name of Cain, whom most call Ai Cain with 'Ai' meaning big brother, because he was the oldest of all those that worked as a bull and cattle herder.  Laos is considered to have tropical weather year-round and winter considered as monsoon season.  Because of the tropical weather, it can get quite hot in the summer, to the point of scorching hot.

Ai Cain was okay with his position, but hated the heat very much.  He hated it so much that he wished he could be a cow, because they live so leisurely and travel with whomever takes them.  They also don’t seem so bothered by the heat.  Ai Cain spoke of this to a worker of his and he happened to know someone who could fulfill his wish.  This person was the village’s lady shaman that lived in a hut-like home.

Ai Cain had gone to visit her beyond the village travelling by foot in the scorching hot weather and was even surer of wanting this transformation.  Nearing her home, he sees a short, little lady standing by the open door.  She had been waiting for him to arrive.  He asked her to change him into a cow for he wanted to live a simple life.  She scrunched her brows, looking concerned; she mentioned that there would be consequences.  He didn’t care for such as he didn’t believe in karma or fate.

Without hesitation, she brought him to her backyard and there she built a fire.  Ai Cain, as curious as he was, wondered why she created a fire when it was already hot.  She pressed her index finger to her lips, while closing her eyes.  She then pressed her hands together in the form of prayer hands, standing tall and still.  She reaches to her back pocket where she kept some herbs, knowing she would perform the ritual and grabs a handful dousing it into the fire and begins her chant.  Letting the fire burnout on its own in order for the transition to take place, Ai Cain passes out. 

He awakens the next day in the village next to his cart. He stands, confused, looking down and behind him; he sees hooves rather than hands and feet as well as a furry back and a tail.  He wants to scream for joy, but can’t and instead he snorts a few snorts of glee. 

Ai Cain notices that he is attached to his cart, not free to move.  His worker that helped him find the shaman has also taken his place in leading the herd.  They begin to move and herd the cattle and bulls.  As this occurs, Ai Cain’s worker whips him to move faster.  Though furious, there is nothing he can do.  They arrive at a stop and his worker feeds him some grass and water, not knowing that he is Ai Cain himself.  Ai Cain, hurt from the whippings, is still hot from the sun as well but after drinking his water, he realizes that this was his consequence.  Rather than living as a cow for the rest of his life, he decides that he wants to become the ocean.  He prays to be the ocean and hopes the shaman heads his prayer. 

Sensing his prayer, the shaman knew he would regret being a cow and helps him in his transition to become the ocean.  She walks out to her yard and does the same ritual as before. The transformation is a process and so he must endure the rest of his day as a cow.  Arriving in a town near his village, unsure whether his wish was granted he falls asleep waiting for the next day.

It arrives and as he awakens, he feels a cool breeze and his body moving as a current beneath the sun.  He is the ocean!  Feeling blessed, he feels as if there will be nothing wrong from hereon.  

Enjoying the breeze he begins to feel the fish swimming within him and he notices a boat riding the waves.  He then feels sharp pains as the people try to fish with their sharp rods.  With the unpleasantness of this, he wishes no more to be the ocean.  As night falls, he sees the moon in all its bright, serenity.  He wishes to be the moon and hopes the shaman heads his prayer.

The shaman, growing weary of his wants, she gives him one last chance.  Unbeknownst to him, she changes him with the same ritual, but this time rather than letting the fire burnout, at the end of the ritual, she pours water into the fire to end his cycle.

With all of the turmoil, Ai Cain’s day has ended as the ocean and his soul is immediately transferred to the moon.  Cast out in the night sky, looking down on everyone, he smiles with pure joy that he no longer has to suffer the heat of the day and the torture of those around him.

‘Lo and behold the next day arrives, the sun is out and so is he.  Hiding in the sky, he opens his eyes, feeling a burning sensation.  He looks above him, not very far off the horizon, the sun is still beaming on him.  He can’t escape the sun!  Upset, he prays for the shaman to help him.  As the shaman walks out of her home, looking up she tells him she can no longer help and explains why. 

From then on he must suffer the heat of the sun in the day and lonesome nights above.

Author's Note:  I chose this story of The Man in the Moon, because it resonated with me.  Not only being a story from my parent's country, but just one that teaches all of us that you must suffer the consequences given to you.  The original story is about a man who was a blacksmith and he changed into various forms, because he hated the heat from working as a blacksmith.  In the end he becomes the moon and cannot change back, because he has changed too much.  I tried a different writing style this time around with no dialogue.  I felt this could be better off as a narrative, though it is long and may be a tough read, but I hope it offers a story-telling experience!

Bibliography:  Laos Folk-Lore: The Man in the Moon by Katherine Neville Fleeson.

Storytelling Week 5: The Power of Four

There once was a cottage in the woods of Germany where a witch, Heather, raised her four children, Alder, Baker, Ginjer and Blake.  Two sons and two daughters, a set of twins each.  Being a single mother and her children still in training, she told her children a story of a scary creature lurking in the night.  She wanted them to be cautious of answering the door, especially when she was gone running errands.

"Alright, kids, I'm on my way to fetch us something to eat. Be sure to keep the doors locked and answer to no one." The kids nodded towards her as she gave them each a kiss on the forehead.  "On second thought, I will mark the door with a seal and if you hear my knock to the chimes of a song, break the seal to let me in."

Alder, the oldest, asked, "How will we know it truly is you?  Anyone can knock with a song."

"If you are uncertain, ask me a question about old Clementine.  I should know the answer and you will hear my voice." They then agreed and she went about her way to the shops in town.

All the while, the creature was crawling near, listening to their conversation.

(In the Woods.  Flickr. )

Hungry and curious about how these kids would taste, the creature decided to go to a witch in order to transform into a human.  Unbeknownst to him, the mother and both twins were a family of warlocks and witches...

Crawling towards the witch's home he stood in front of the door.  "Witch!  I have a request to make!" 

The witch opened the door. “Oh?  Look what we have here.  What might that request be?” she asked him.

“I want to change my appearance to become human, but not my hunger for humans,” the creature demanded.  The witch then requested, “In return, you will give me your soul.”  And the 

creature had no choice but to accept if he truly wanted the children.

The witch changed him into a human.  He then went to search for Heather.  Not so used to being human, the creature struggled with his senses.  Unable to scout the mother with just a sniff, he kept looking. 

An hour passed and he finally found her in a market picking vegetables and fruits.  He had the idea to seduce her in order to trap them in their home, once he got close to her.

He picked up a ripe apple, paid the vendor upfront and took a bite.  “Mmm…these apples are quite delicious.”  He breathed in through his nose while chewing and smiled at Heather, who was standing next to him.  

She glanced back at him, smiling. “Yes, they are.  If you like their apples, you should try their strawberries.  They're just as sweet.”

They conversed as she was still shopping, walking side by side.  Smitten, she invited him back home to have dinner with her family.  Of course he agreed instantly.

~~~

As the sun was setting, they arrived back at the house.  Heather knocked on the door with the melody and Alder asked the question about old Clementine.  She shouted a German word only they would understand.

Alder opened the door and they ran, hugging their mother.  “You’re finally home!” Baker shouted gleefully.  

“Yeah!  We’ve been waiting forever!” Ginjer snapped at her.  

“Alright, alright.  I’m home now.” She gestured them to settle down.  “Well, I want y’all to meet…I never got your name,” she pointed to the creature.  

“Ah…just call me Taylor,” he nervously replied.

She smiled and said, “Say hello to Mr. Taylor everyone.  Be nice.”  She headed to the kitchen and began prepping for dinner.  Ginjer and Blake helped her while Alder and Baker entertained ‘Mr. Taylor.’

Taylor, growing impatient, finally grabbed Alder and Baker and bolted out of the house.  Heather realized what happened and chased after them with Ginjer and Blake. 

“Stop right there!” Heather sent a jolt of magic to stun Taylor.  Feeling uneasy, she shouted a revealing spell and turned him back into the creature.  “I knew it!”  The creature got back up and bolted toward Heather, jumping and biting her. 

Terrified, the children screamed and as they did, an aura formed around all of them.  Their powers were coming into light.  Though the youngest of them all, Blake reached her hand toward the creature and sent an electric shock stunning him even more; she was the first to reveal her ability to emit and control electricity.  Ginjer then lifted the creature without a touch, revealing her ability to levitate objects, throwing him against a tree.  Baker walked to the creature and with one touch, he killed him with the ability to emit pain, however and whenever he wanted.  Alder, although the oldest, was the most confused as to why he couldn't control anything. 

Crying, Alder walked up to his mother, picked her up and held her dearly.  With just a hug, she awakened.  Surprised, Heather looked up at him smiling weakly. “Of course you would have the power to heal with love.”

They trod home.  Though disheartened by what had happened, the children had finally become strong and didn’t need their mother to protect them anymore.

Author's Note:  I wrote my story based on the original The Wolf and the Goat, about a goat mother and her four goat children.  The mother was leaving to run errands and told the kids not to open the door unless they saw her red hoof, but the wolf heard the entire conversation.  He painted his paw red and tricked the children to open the door for him, which they did.  He took three, while the fourth hid.  Once the mother came back, the fourth kid told what happened and she went on a search.  Upon meeting the wolf, she demands a fight and as they prep for battle, she decides to trick him into drinking water prior to the fight.  He falls for the trick and falls into the stream of which they drink, leaving the goats free of harm and from being eaten.
My version of the story shows a more mystical side.  Not quite a lesson learned, but overcoming fear, working together, and fighting out of love can triumph in the end.  Being a single mom is hard.  I may not be one, but I know that they are smart and raise strong children that can grow to become better and return the favor in treating their mothers with the respect and love they deserve.

Bibliography:  Persian Tales: The Wolf and the Goat translated by D.L.R. and E.O. Lorimer.  Link.

Week 4 Storytelling: The Magic of Family

Hi everyone, my name is Kentigern Roberts, but y’all can call me Kent.  I have twin brothers (Sander and Sage) and loving parents (Virginia and Gary), we also have a pet robin named Red.  I’m only 12 years old and not your average kid.  My parents picked me out of a crowd of children, to be their new son.  Yes, I am adopted.  For this very reason I feel like they always give me special treatment.  I’m not sure whether I deserve it or not, but I know I never want to upset them because they might throw me away like every other family has.  But…this isn’t necessarily about my parents. 

(Being the Sap in the Family.  Flickr.)

Journal Entry #44

It has been a while since I have written.  Adjusting to my new family is a tad rough around the edges.  I don't think my brothers like me very much.  They've definitely been giving me crap since I moved a week ago.  I'm used to it since I've been around so many kids and teenagers.

--“Hey four eyes!  Mom told us to do their laundry and the dishes.  Why don’t you do the laundry while Sage and I do the dishes?” Sander asks, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

That’s strange, this is the first time he’s asked me something without throwing anything at me or bullying me. 

-- "Sure." I bravely accept.

I go into the parent’s room to grab their dirty laundry basket to put into the washer.  As I am loading up the washer, I notice the detergent jug looks tampered with.  I pour some into a cup and smell it closely.  It is pure bleach and baking soda mixed into it.  Hm….

--“Stop kidding yourself Sander, I’m sure he’s found out already.”  Sage nudges Sander’s elbow as Sander’s snickering while rinsing the dishes.  “What?  I’m sure he fell for it, it’s pretty easy to miss.” Sander snarks back.

All of the laundry finishes and I begin to fold the clothes, “You’re already done?”  He asks me, his eyebrows scrunched in with wonder.  “Of course, it shouldn’t take more than two hours to finish a couple loads.”  I smile back in response.  “Dang…”  He muffles to himself as he walks away.

--“Arrghhh! Sage you were right, he figured it out!”  Sander shouts at Sage as he enters their room, slamming the door behind him.   “I told you, he’s smarter than he seems.”  Sage replies, laughing. 

Journal Entry #47

I was right from the start.  They have definitely been giving me crap because I’m new to the family and they don’t want me here.  I just don’t get it.  I mean I know I’m not their real brother, but I haven’t done anything wrong to them.  What could it be?  Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut and go along with whatever they tell me and try not to upset them too.  Let’s see how this goes.

Journal Entry #48

It’s warm out..a little breezy, just like Spring should be.  Our parents decided to take my brothers and I to the park with our little Red in her cage.  Red’s incredibly smart for a bird.  They’re never afraid to let her fly free, because they know she will always come back to us.  I am truly lucky to be a part of this family….

--“Catch!”  Sage shouts as he’s throwing the football towards me.  I reluctantly catch it, letting it hit my chest.  “Nice catch!” He shouts again, smiling.  He seems to be the friendlier one out of the two, but I still don’t know about him.

--“Meow~~” A cat appears, purring and rubbing it’s body against my legs.  “You’re cute.”  I tell him as I pet him behind the ears.

Sage and Sander notice the cat and whisper to each other. 

Sage and I play catch with each other and I realize Sander and Red are missing…the cat too.  Mom and dad are on their picnic blanket just enjoying each other’s company. 

--Sage stops us, “I need to go to the bathroom.” I nod my head towards him.  Sage runs toward the recreation building and I decide to search for Sander.  I go behind the building and see Sander running passed me towards Mom and Dad, he smirks at me, “Mom!  Dad!  Look what Kent did!!”  Showing them the cat, a piece of Red’s feather sticking out of its mouth….

--“He fed Red to the cat!!”  Horrified, mom begins to sob, while dad sullenly walks toward me and asks if I did such a thing.  “I promise I didn’t! I was only gone for a brief moment!”  I tell him distraughtly, shaking my head and my hands at him, tears slowly forming.  Sage heads over from the bathroom.  “What happened??”

I don’t know how else to prove that it wasn’t me.  Out of impulse, I grab the cat, kneel on the floor and open its mouth to see if Red is there or swallowed.  She was swallowed so I squeeze his body and try to get her out. I squeeze and squeeze, suddenly she pops out!

--“Please don’t be dead…please don’t be dead!” I sob as I pick Red up.  Tears rolling down my cheeks, my glasses fogging up, I rub my eyes and with a flinch…Red perks up and by God’s graces..she starts talking!  My tears brought her back to more than just life!  Not only does she begin to talk, but so does the cat.  They begin to tell us all what truly happened…

Journal Entry #60

It’s been a few days since the incident.  I think they’ve learned their lesson, because they haven’t messed with me since.  After bringing Red home, we decided to take the cat in as well, seeming that he didn’t have a collar or tag.  Becoming a part of the family wasn’t so bad after all.

Author's Note:  I chose to write about the story of Saint Kentigern and the Robin for this unit.  It is a story about a young boy who went to an all boys school and was praised by one of their elder Saints.  He was always a good kid and the other boys envied him.  So jealous, they always bullied him and tried framing him.  In the end, they never got what they wanted.  My story is quite similar.  I didn't want to stray away too much because the base of the story tells true that we shouldn't bully anyone for anything.  The truth will always come out in all sorts of ways unimaginable.  I decided to write it in first person, because we often don't understand why we get bullied and sometimes we just have to stay strong.  Most people keep to themselves when it happens, though I was limited by how much to write, I tried conveying his hurt and struggle.  Not so much in a way that he couldn't come out of it a stronger person in the end.  I also wrote in a way that everyone could differentiate between his narrations, journals and present conversations.  I hope you all enjoyed my version!! 

Bibliography: Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown.  Link to reading.