Week 12 Storytelling: Heir to the Throne

Dear Journal,

I still can not believe that this happened to me; it seems like a fairy tale the more that I think about it. I have lost count of how many times I have pinched myself since Sir Kay and Sir Ector first kneeled before me. I never thought that it would be possible to hear more shocking news than that you are adopted in one day.

Well, I guess I had actually never thought about being adopted before. Sir Kay and Sir Ector treated me like I was kin. I still can not believe that they took me in to their home. Sir Ector has taught me everything I know about being a man; he has been a great father. I have to admit that this does make me curious about my biological dad, Uther Pendragon. Who would have thought that I was the heir to the throne of the grandest king in the land? Nobody can convince me that I am not dreaming right now.

It is going to take me a while to get used to how people interact with me now. I have people who do my chores for me now. There are people who are paid to wait on me hand-and-foot around the clock. I can not even get a midnight snack from the pantry without someone asking me if I need anything; I think I am capable of doing that without any assistance. Is it strange that I still do not know if it is necessary for me to have these people waiting on me? Maybe it is because I still do not fully understand the ramifications of everything that happened; it all just happened at lightning speed. Do not get me wrong, not having to do anymore chores is not too shabby at all.

I have heard all of my life that Uther Pendragon was the best king to ever reside in Camelot. The man has been dead for years and people still say his name in very high regards. How am I supposed to fill shoes that big? I gave the people my word that I would be the best king possible, but will that be enough to be the best king ever? I have to start preparing myself now! I need to learn as much as I can so I can make the best decisions for my people. I am unbelievably lucky to have Merlin in my counsel. He has actually been giving me homework to make sure I am prepared. Actually, I need to stop writing so I can finish my reading for the night.

King Arthur out!

(sword in a stone)

Author's Note: This story was based off of "The Drawing of the Sword." In the original, Arthur is trying to find a sword for Sir Kay, whom he thinks is his biological brother at that point. Arthur is unable to retrieve Sir Kay's actual sword, so he goes and pulls the sword out of the stone. Arthur is befuddled when he finds out that it was a big deal for him to be able to get that sword out. He is soon told that he is actually Arthur Pendragon, the heir to the throne since Uther Pendragon died. He immediately vows to do whatever his foster family wishes to show his gratitude. 

I wrote this from a first-person perspective with Arthur recanting everything that happened in his journal. I chose to do this since I thought it would be interesting to see what someone would be thinking about after finding out that they were king and that their whole life had been a charade. 

Bibliography: "The Drawing of the Sword" by Andrew Lang, from King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table (1902). Web Source: Un-Textbook

Storytelling Week 10: The Conniving Coyote

I am tired of Iktomi thinking that he is the best trickster in the land. He thinks that he can underestimate me just because I am a coyote. That big oaf does not even know what funny is. He just walks around all day looking for potential targets to try his shenanigans on. There is too much nuance and subtlety in pulling off the proper prank, something Iktomi will never grasp.

Everywhere I go I hear the other animals talking about how Iktomi is the best trickster around. I have had it with all of this malarkey! I am going to settle this once and for all; I will orchestrate my own prank that will befuddle that nincompoop Iktomi to no end. I want him to know that I am the top dog in these parts. If I can orchestrate my prank perfectly, he will quit his hijinks completely; this will be a lesson for him.

This is going to take a lot of time and effort to cook up something great. Wait, that's it! I am going to get him when he is looking for his next meal. He is going to go to bed hungry and duped. This is going to sound dangerous, but I think I am going to use myself as bait for his supper. He meanders around every evening looking for an easy meal since he thinks hunting takes too much effort. I bet my bottom dollar that he will take me home to eat if I just play dead. Once he carries me all the way back to his shanty, I will make my move. I am going to wait for him to stoke the fire and get his cauldron ready for his big meal before I spring into action. He will be entirely too exhausted from all of that work to stand a chance in catching me. I might even kick some embers in his face before I dash off into the night. I can not wait to see that dumbfounded look on his face!

This is going to be my finest performance ever! I know exactly where he will be today too since he is so predictable. I am already waiting for him by the sage patch that he likes to visit. I might even catch-up on some of my beauty sleep while I wait for Iktomi to stumble upon me. I should probably nap out here in the open since he is not the brightest chap in these lands. I think I hear him coming now!

(coyote)

Author's Note: I decided to do this story from the first person perspective of the coyote. I wanted to show the thought process and resentment that he had for Iktomi in his own words. I also wanted to illustrate that he is only a trickster when he needs to be; he doesn't just do it for the sake of doing it.

This was based off the Sioux story Iktomi and the Coyote. In the original, it focuses on Iktomi finding the coyote playing dead and taking him back to eat him. The coyote comes to life once Iktomi throws him onto the fire. He kicks the embers into Iktomi's face and lets him know that you should never make a fire until you know your meal is dead. I modeled my story as being the precursor to the original story.

Bibliography: 

"Iktomi and the Coyote" by Zitkala-Sa, from Old Indian Legends (1901). Web Source: Un-Textbook

Storytelling for Week 7: A Bat's Regret

I still can not believe that the rat is dead. Did he honestly believe me when I told him to bathe in his boiling cauldron of soup to make it extra sweet? What an imbecile! I thought that every animal was smart enough to not willingly get into a boiling vat. I was just trying to play a little prank on him. I never would have pulled this stunt if I knew that it would have killed him. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I would be in this predicament.

To make matters worse, his wife went on and told everyone that I was the murderer! How was she able to spin that lie about? Better question, how did she convince the king that I was to blame for this? He has all of his men out on the hunt for me as we speak. I do not know how to convince them otherwise without them trying to kill me. I tried telling them what really happened as they chased me out of town; they thought I was lying and that I was just trying to save my hide. 

Why won't they listen to me? Nobody is taking me serious when I try to tell them what happened. The rat's wife is really pulling at everyone's heartstrings with her sob story. I do not know how I can possibly compete with that. Who would want to take my side after hearing that? I think they all have a grudge against me to begin with. Maybe my sarcasm rubbed them the wrong way? Nobody around here appreciates the art form that is comedy. Actually, maybe I do not need them after all. Why would I want to live around a bunch of stiffs that can not take a joke anyways? This could be a silver lining the more I think about it.

Living in the bush is not too bad now that I think about it. I do not have to live by the king's strict laws anymore; I am free to do as I please. I hope they stop their hunt for me soon though. I can not go out in the daytime without risking being spotted. Lucky for me, none of the king's lackeys can see good at night. It looks like I am going to have to stay on my nocturnal schedule until all of this blows over.

(bat)

Author's Note: This is based off of the story "Why the Bat Flies by Night." In the original story the bat tricks the rat into thinking that the best soup is made by bathing in it to make it extra sweet. The rat decides goes home and tells his wife about this, and he decides to make his own soup the same way. His wife later finds him dead in the boiling cauldron of soup. She tells the king what happened, and he quickly sends everyone out after the bat. The bat is only able to survive at night after this since everyone is hunting for him during the day.

I wanted to frame this story from the perspective of the bat immediately after everything unfolded. I also wanted to use him as a modern trickster by using comedy and playing jokes on people.

Bibliography: "Why the Bat Flies by Night" by Elphinstone Dayrell, from Nigerian Folk Stories (1910). Web Source: UN-Textbook.

Storytelling Week 5: A Wise King

King Vimbasara ran back to his chariot with more vigor than ever. He had to get back to his city, Rajagriha. After listening to Siddhartha, he knew was going to change the way he ruled his kingdom. He was going to be a king of the people for the people. He could not get the horse that was pulling his chariot to go fast enough. 

King Vimbasara had a new outlook on life now. The things he had learned from Siddhartha would stay with him forever. He no longer longed for wearing the flashiest jewelry or finest clothes. Material things were not of priority to him anymore. He just wanted to become more enlightened now. He now knew that he had much to learn before he could become the best king for his people. Vimbasara was determined to better himself now. He had never reflected on how he served his people before. He now realized he had been self-centered before conferring with the wise Siddhartha. He deeply wanted for Siddhartha to become Buddha; he knew there was much to learn from him. 

He finally arrived at the mighty gates of Rajagriha at dusk. He greeted the guards with a hearty hello and even shook their hands. The guards did not know what to say or do when their king embraced them like so. They looked at one another completely befuddled. They had never been allowed to touch the king before; that was an act that was condemnable by death if the king saw fit  He left the guards and walked up to the citadel in a way that no one had ever witnessed before. King Vimbasara was talking to every person that he saw on his walk. He did not care how poor, young or decrepit they were. All of the people were his people now. The citizens of Rajagriha were in disbelief. The king looked the same, but he was not acting like the king that they knew. He was listening to what his people had to say. He was treating them like equals with the way that he conversed with them. He longer perceived them as being lowly commoners; he was now thinking of how he could serve them.

King Vimbasara arrived at his keep, and he had a plan. He sent out an order for all of the people of Rajagriha to gather in the town square. His servants rushed to him bringing out exquisite wardrobe options for him to choose from. He declined to wear the fine garments that he was used to. He opted for some subtle threads that had been made in the city. He decided to walk to the town square instead of taking the royal chariot. He wanted to bond with his people again. Once at the town square, he declared for all of Rajagriha that he was going to change the way he ruled. He promised all that he would serve them as their dutiful king instead. No longer would he think of them as serving him. He promised to make Rajagriha the best city to live in. The people of Rajagriha rejoiced with their reborn king.

(Siddhartha and King Vimbasara)

Author's Note: This is based off of the story of Siddhartha and King Vimbasara. In the story King Vimbasara meets Siddhartha on his journey to becoming Buddha. He is encapsulated by the knowledge of Siddhartha. He wanted to bring him back to Rajagriha to rule with him. He wanted to know more from the enlightened Siddhartha.

I really enjoyed the King Vimbasara character in the story. I loved how he was so humbled by Siddhartha, a hermit at the time, even though he was a king. I chose to write this from a third person perspective to adequately tell the events that unfolded after his life-altering meeting with Siddhartha.

Bibliography: The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold (1922)

Storytelling Week 4 - The Frog General

Off in a distant pond lived a frog named Winston. Winston had dreamed of joining the mighty frog army since he was but a wee little tadpole. All he ever talked or thought about was military tactics; he was enthralled by the subject. All throughout his life Winston was one of the smallest frogs in his group. The other frogs often teased him about his size and his lofty aspirations of holding the highest title a frog can get, General. He could not jump the farthest or croak the loudest, but he would not let anything deter him from his dream.

He trained day and night in preparation for boot camp. Not only did he workout his body, but he did something that no other frog did, he worked out his mind. He read any piece of literature that he could get his hands on. It was not just military books, it was also mentally enlightening books so he could adequately handle any sticky situation that he might come across. He was instantly at the top of his class in boot camp. He excelled in every facet of the program; his determination had paid off! All of the drill instructors quickly took notice to the tenacity and resolve that Winston had. They honored him with the top of the class title at the boot camp graduation.

Winston was finally in his dream field now. He had proven himself in boot camp, and now it was his time to shine and climb the ranks to reach that highly coveted General position. Winston knew that the title would not be given to him, he would have to earn it. He continued to do all of the training that he did in boot camp so he could always be improving. He was not going to let any other frog outwork him, period. Times were changing around the pond. A hostile group of toads were trying to takeover the entire pond; It was time for war. Winston had been training for this scenario his whole life.

The toads proved to be a worth advisory for the army of frogs. They had such a size advantage over the frogs that they were able to start dwindling down the number of the regime. Nothing that the frogs were doing was working. They could not defeat the toads in one-on-one combat. Winston was witnessing carnage from all angles. His comrades needed his help badly. Suddenly, Winston had a stroke of genius.

Being smaller than everyone growing up made him adapt to different ways of combat. He knew how to use size as a disadvantage. He commanded the rest of the frogs to start targeting the lily pads that the heavy toads were perched on; Winston lead the charge. The toads began to topple over quickly, losing their leverage. Their large frames made it nearly impossible for them to keep balance when the lily pads would start to shake beneath them. The frogs took all of the momentum and were able to push the toads all the way out of the pond.

This frogs began to cheer in victory. They had defeated the ferocious  group of toads and take back control of their home. All of the frogs quickly took notice of Winston's valor and leadership. He was everyone's hero. Shortly after the war, Winston was brought in front of all of the frogs and named General. His dream had finally come true.


(the pond)

Author's Note: This story was based off of The Frog, the Bee, and the Bird from The Tales of a Parrot. That story starts out with a Saweh, a small type of bird, having its eggs knocked out of a tree and destroyed by an elephant. The tiny bird realizes that it needs to get help if it wants to have revenge against the enormous animal. The Saweh quickly enlisted the help of her friend the Longbill. The Longbill knows that they need to consult with his friend the Bee. The Bee has a friend that can formulate the perfect strategy, the Frog. All of the animals collaborate together and are able to defeat the Elephant in the end.

I chose to go with a third person storytelling approach to tell the tale of Winston the frog. I thought this was the best way of documenting his feats and climbing of the ranks amongst the frogs. The Frog in the original story is a wise General for the army of frogs. I really fell in love with his character when he was able to develop a tactic to take down an elephant. It made me wonder how he was able to become so wise in military strategy and what kind of back story he could have.

Bibliography: The Tooti Nameh or Tales of a Parrot, by Ziya'al-Din Nakhshabi (1801) 

Storytelling for Week 3: A Captain's Log

Captain's Log, April 25, 1174 BC:

We narrowly escaped the clutch of Polyphemus in his cave. He even pleaded to his father, Poseidon, to strike us down. His words echoed far and wide, but they could not possibly reach the ears of anyone that mattered. You could hear the anger and pain in his voice as he called for our undoing. He is nothing but a savage brute living on a remote island. He was just wallowing in his own pain since he could no longer see. My crew seems to be in decent spirits since we were able best the cyclops. They have been pouring libations and recanting the tale of how we tangoed with the cyclops and took his vision. I do not revel with them; the burden of losing some of my men hangs heavy with me. Why could I not save them? I am, in fact, Odysseus. Tales of my trials and conquests have swept across all of Greece. The mighty Odysseus should have been able to keep all of his men alive. How can I live up to this standard that these tales have set for me? I must stay strong in the face of adversity. If I were to show any signs of weakness my men would surely lose their hope.


Captain's Log, May 1, 1174 BC:

It has been days since our last meal at the land of the Cyclopes. I can sense the doubt and discouragement starting to plague a few of my men. I put on my bravest face and assure them that it is storm season and it is expected to hit some rough water during this time of year. At first I actually believed that, but now I am unsure. The way we have been thrown around by sporadic gusts of wind and turbulent water is as if the gods are playing with us. Was Polyphemus' prayer heard? I laughed at the thought of him actually doing anything when he swore upon us. Why would the gods listen to the prayers of a savage cyclops? Why did I let my ego get the best of me? We were set to escape the island without Polyphemus ever knowing who bested him. I am beginning to think that I might have doomed my crew with my braggadocios ways. Athena, if you can hear my prayers, please grant me and my crew a safe voyage home. Please do not punish them for my lapse in judgement. With all of the gods as my witness, I swear I will change my ways if I can ever return to Ithaca.


(Odysseus and his men fleeing from Polyphemus, by Bocklin)

Author's Note: For this story, I wanted to focus on how Odysseus would write about his epic journey home to Ithaca in Homer's Odyssey. The Odyssey focuses on the ten years that Odysseus endures before he is able to return home from the ten-year Trojan War. Odysseus travels all across the Peloponnese facing adversity after adversity. The hero faces encounters with the gods, the dead and a plentiful supply of mythical characters and beasts all while trying to return home from war. One segment of The Odyssey delves into Odysseus encounter with Polyphemus, a cyclops, on the Island of the Cyclopes.

I wanted to specifically focus on the period right after all of the Cyclops stories. I wanted to do it from the perspective of Odysseus since his private log entries would be the only time he could fully express his thoughts, emotions and feelings about the series of events that unfold. He always has to have his guard up since he is leading his crew back home. It is interesting to note that Odysseus translate to "trouble" in Greek; this helps to explain why he is constantly getting into dangerous situations.

I thought the image I used gave the best visual of how daunting and angry Polyphemus is. I also really liked it since it shows just how close Odysseus and crew were to being obliterated by the mighty cyclops.

Bibliography:
The Odyssey, translated by Tony Kline (2004)

Storytelling for Week 2: A Dynamic Duo

Author's Note: I chose to write my story based off of "the Dog, the Cock, and the fox" in Aesop (Winter.) I wanted to go with a writing style that was able to make two seemingly dark characters more appealing to a reader. I wanted to give a backstory that the reader could understand, and possibly sympathize a little more for, but not wholeheartedly. I like having a flawed protagonist.

Far off on a distant farm lived a dog, Drake, and a cock, Chandler. The two became a tandem at a young age when they lived on the farm. Drake was strong and intimidating, but he wasn’t the brightest or fastest animal in the neighborhood. Chandler was cunning and could think of the perfect schemes to get what he wanted, but he lacked the muscle to make any of his plans come to fruition. They soon grew tired of the rules and regulations of the farm, so they decided to run away to the forest to live a life like bandits. They had personalities and traits that were able to mesh together to make the perfect dynamic duo for their dastardly deeds along the main path through the forest, Central Road.

For years they lurked along the Central Road swindling all the travelers that came along the treacherous road by themselves. They were the perfect one-two combination to take-out any weary travelers that stumbled into their neck of the woods. They were able to be so effective because Chandler was able to lure any hungry travelers in with ease since he could let out a very boisterous crowing noise at ease, he actually one first place at the county crowing contest in ‘95, and most of the travelers thought he would be an easy meal. His call could be heard from miles away. Once a would-be predator came close enough, Drake was ready to pounce and take them out. They had the perfect system working for them.

Like everything in life, their dream scenario could not last forever. Word began to spread all across the forest that there was a pair of thugs creeping along the shadows of the road waiting for vulnerable travelers to eat. After the word spread about all of the missing people that traveled that part of the road, a new trail was formed to circumnavigate Drake and Chandler’s stomping grounds. Soon their cushy life of luxury became a lot more difficult. They would often go days without eating, and they even had to resort to foraging and eating insects on occasion.

They were growing tired of eating plants and bugs since it was not even close to the feasts that they had grown accustom to over the years. They decided they would have one last meal as bandits, and then they would return to the farm to live an honest life. Luckily, Chandler was in his usual pattern of crowing every morning when he awoke from his slumber. It finally paid off again one morning when a hungry fox, Frank, happened to be trotting along around their area of the Central Road. Frank was not from the forest, so he had no idea about the trap that lay ahead for him. He quickly followed the echoing sound of Chandler’s call. He finally got close enough to turn Chandler into his breakfast, but Drake sprang from the shadows and made quick work of Frank. Drake and Chandler were finally full again. They decided to return to the farm after their food digested. 

 

(the dog, the cock, and the fox illustration

Source: Aesop (Winter) 1919)

"The dog, the cock, and the fox" - from Aesop for Children, with illustration by Milo Winter (1919)  Source: Un-Textbook

Week 1 Storytelling- A piper named Tom

“Tom he was a piper's son,

He learn'd to play when he was young,

But all the tunes that he could play,

Was "Over the hills and far away;”

There once was a boy name Tom who had a dad that was a piper.

His dad wasn’t just an ordinary piper, he was grand.

The music he made was so great that people traveled from across the land.

Every note he played came out seamlessly.

He could play any song on his pipe by ear.

His son was destined for great things by playing the pipe.

People from all across the land were eager to hear Tom play when he was of age.

Unfortunately for them, Tom was more interested in becoming a mage.

Out of respect for his father he told him that he would learn one song.

The song of father’s choice was “Over the hills and far away.”

Tom hated playing the pipe with a passion.

To him the instrument was of truly little satisfaction.

Yet, he had promised his father that he would learn the song.

He didn’t just learn it, he memorized it.

The song flew beautifully from his pipe every time he played it.

His father pleaded with him to realize his true skill.

Tom could play the song without any will.

Still he refused to learn any other song.

He had no interest in learning any other songs besides the one he promised his father.

Soon Tom realized there was something missing in being a mage.

He found out very abruptly that it came with no wage.

Tom could do something that would pay the bills.

He decided to take a page out of his father’s book and make money from music.

Tom was a stubborn man still.

He would only play “Over the hills and far away”

(Pied Piper)

One day he saw a lady pretty enough to cause him a distraction.

She soon become the object of his attraction.

He quickly tried to swoon her by playing her a song.

But he wouldn’t change the tune that he played all along.

“He met old Dame Trot with a basket of eggs;

He used his pipe, and she used her legs;

She danced about till the eggs were all broke;

She began for to fret, but he laughed at the joke.”

Authors note. This story is based on the nursery rhyme "Tom, Tom, The Piper's Son."

In the rhyme Tom is born to a father who is a piper. He can play the pipe exceptionally well with one caveat, he only knows one song on the piper. He travels across the land playing his pipe and having people follow him around as he does so. His skill on the pipe was so great that he could even please the ear's of animals when he played. You can find this rhyme in "The Nursery Rhyme Book" edited by Andrew Lang (1897.)

I always find it humorous that he only knew one song on the pipe when he is known as a piper's son. I always imagined being one of those scenarios where his father forced him to play even though there were other things that interested him. I decided to go in that route to explain why he can only play "Over the hills and far away."