Week 14 Extra Reading: Georgian Folktales Part A

I decided to do an extra reading this week, and came across Georgian Folktales! Below are the notes I took from some of the stories I really liked and would consider retelling during the last week of class!

(Image Information: On The Wings of a Snow White Dove

Liz West Source: Flickr)

Master and Pupil

• The character of the pupil not only showed what it means to be overconfident but then also that those who cause harm are punished eventually (the devil).
• I would retell this story from a daughter's point of view. This whole story was spent on boys and the master is the devil, but how different would this story be if they were all daughters, or a mother came to the devil?

Fate

• It's interesting to see how this story worked out, and how the weaver's daughter never actually knew the person who put the dagger in her was now her husband
• This story does a good job at showing how fate cannot be escaped, and what's meant to be will happen
• I think I might want to make this story more modern, and maybe instead of the prince putting a dagger in the daughter make it where he breaks up with her. She would be devasted, but fate would bring them back together!

The King and the Apple

• This story reminded me of Aladdin, where a genie comes out and three wishes are granted
• In this case, there were three questions that were to be asked, and if the boy answered, the king would not lose his head
• If I were to retell this story, I would definitely combine the story of Aladdin and this story together to come up with something completely brand new 

The Shepherd Judge

• I can just imagine retelling this story from a modern point of view, with more modern English dialogue
• This story was super fun to read! I liked how the judge listened to both sides, and then made a judgment as to the decision. It would be fun to retell this story as if it were "Judge Judy" or some modern judge TV show. 

Mingrelian Proverbs

• Just from the old English, I couldn't really understand what all of these meant
• It would be really fun to tell this from a modern point of view, or make it more college-related

Bibliography: Marjory Wardrop's Georgian Folktales Reading Guide Part A

Week 14 Story: A New Partnership

(Image Information: Report Card

Amboo Who Source: Flickr)

Two girls in their Organic Chemistry class had not done well on their past exam. They decided to go visit the professor during office hours but little did they know they would walk out forming a new partnership. While walking out, one of the girls, Ally,  asked, "Okay, so let's make study guides for the next exam and share them over a Google Drive?" The other girl, Anna, replied, "Sure, and I'll even make practice questions that might help prepare!"

This plan was followed, and it was 2 weeks before the exam. Both girls had already created a study guide, practice questions, and even uploaded handwritten notes. They both had every desire to pass this next test with an A. Anna and Ally walked out of class that day, and Anna asked, "So, when do you want to study together?" 

Ally hesitantly replied, "Well, see, I have to go to my parent's house this weekend. It's my mom's birthday. But, you could keep the stuff that you prepare for the exam in the drive! I'll take a look at it." Anna had no idea that Ally was actually just making up an excuse to go study with a different group of people. 

Ally avoided Anna the whole weekend and studied with another group. This group had an old test file for the upcoming exam, and Ally knew she needed to have a copy in order to do well on this next exam. 

Anna and Ally met up after class the next week. Anna said, "So, I don't think the SN1 and SN2 reaction mechanisms will be asked on the test." Ally, having seen an old test file replied, "You know, I actually think we should know it. I heard it would be on the test for sure." 

Confused by how Ally was so confident with her answer, Anna replied, "Well, alright. I will make sure to upload my handwritten notes about those tonight. Want to study together tomorrow?"

Ally hesitantly replied, "Uhhh, well. I have to go to my friend's birthday dinner tomorrow night. So, I don't think I'll be able to study. But, you go on ahead. I'll just take a look at what you put in the drive."

Ally had overheard a separate group earlier that day talk about how they had a more recent test file. Hearing about this, Ally made arrangements to study with them the next day. Ally was going to do anything she could to do well on the next test. 

After class later that week, Anna asked, "So, how was your friend's birthday?" 

"Oh, it was, you know. Just like any other birthday dinner," replied Ally. 

"Well, hey, I was looking through the notes and I doubt the professor will ask any questions about E1 or E2 mechanisms," said Anna. 

"Uhh.. you know, I think I heard that this test actually will. I mean it's such a common mechanism," said Ally. 

Confused again as to Ally's weird tone in her response, Anna began to think something was going on. "How do you happen to be so sure about what's going to be on this test? Do you old test files?" asked Anna. 

"Yes, I do. Doesn't mean I have to share them with you," said Ally.

Disbelief was shown all over Anna's face. Anna worked long and hard to create all that was in the Google Drive, thinking that Ally would be her partner in studying. Instead, Ally was selfish about her own grade and just used other resources to gain her own grade. You see, that is the way of the world. 

Author's Note: In the original story, "Cat and Mouse in Partnership", a cat and a mouse become acquainted and decide to get a pot of fat for the upcoming winter. They knew it would be long and hard, so they decided to share it and wait to eat it. However, the cat got greedy and started eating the fat before time even came to eat it. Every time the cat went out to go eat the fat from the pot, the cat made an excuse as to why he was leaving the mouse. He would say that he was going to visit his godchildren, and upon his return, would tell the mouse the new god child's name as a result of how much fat he ate from the pot (e.g. Half-Gone, All-Gone, etc). The mouse caught on that the names of the godchildren were actually representing how much the cat had eaten from the pot. Winter had arrived, all the fat was gone, and the mouse was in shock. The cat told the mouse not to utter another word, and ate the mouse. In my story, I decided to take a modern approach with studying and showing how the same greed can be represented among students trying to make good grades.

Bibliography: Dan Ashliman's Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales Reading Guide

Week 14 Reading: Brothers Grimm (Ashliman) Reading Guide Part B

(Image Information: Mt. Fox and Mt. Dawson with Dawson's Glacier

Photocrom Prints Collection at Library of Congress Source: Wikipedia)

Here are some notes of the some of the stories I really liked in Part B of Ashliman's Brothers Grimm unit!



The Fox and the Cat

• Short, sweet, and simple - I like how this story is able to deliver a great message to children about character and humbleness without directly stating it
• I think it would be interesting to make this story using people, different animals, etc. This story could easily be retold from a various amount of perspectives - all while still delivering the same message 

Simeli Mountain

• I am still confused as to when the rich brother was in the mountain why he said "Open up" instead of "Close". The whole time we have read that they say "Open up" before going in and "Close" on their departure. Maybe this would be something I could clarify in my retelling.
• I like, again, how the story was short, simple, sweet - and left a great message regarding greed and its consequences. 

The Duration of Life

• I absolutely LOVED this story - what a cute way to talk about how different animals and people live different lengths of life
• It would be fun to somehow incorporate cats and their nine lives in here, or make the story adhere more to my religion and somehow bring in reincarnation 

The Peasant and the Devil

• I certainly did not expect the peasant to be the one who had the good luck and was the one who taught the life lesson in this story - I certainly thought the devil would cause some harm but this had a happy ending
• I might retell this story and twist it to where it's not a happy ending and has to do with the devil!

Bibliography: Dan Ashliman's Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales Reading Guide Part B

Week 14 Reading: Brothers Grimm (Ashliman) Part A

Below are some notes for the stories in Brother Grimms Part A of the Ashliman Unit that I found interesting, and would probably consider using in my storytelling post this week.

(Image Information: House Cat with Bow

Free Vintage Illustrations Source: Flickr)

Cat and Mouse in Partnership

• This title was interesting because for once, I thought it would be a story about a cat and a mouse getting along - but it was to catch the attention of readers
• To create a new story, I would have to use two animals that supposedly don't like each other - cat and dog, mouse and elephant, snake and mouse, etc. 
• The story was predictable the whole time, and using the amount of fat eaten as names for the godchildren was hilarious - this would be a fun story to retell!

The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids

• This story was nothing I had expected from the wolf disguising himself to pulling out whole children goats and replacing it with rocks in the wolf's stomach 
• It would be fun to completely turn the story around with baby wolves fearing a goat, and just seeing how that would play out. Usually, wolves are deemed as the "villain" characters but it would be interesting to make them the "good guys" for once.
• I liked how unpredictable this story was the whole time from the beginning until the end and included a great amount of detail to allow for imagination 

The Seven Ravens

• I am still in disbelief how casual the daughter just cut her finger and gave it to get the door open
• We also never really find out what happens to the bone, so if I were to rewrite the story, I might include more detail on that 
• I would also want to make this story more reflective and have some type of take-away message instead of just ending. 

Little Red Cap

• I have never heard of a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood in this way, and it's hilarious how they call her Little Red Cap
• The story also gives background information about why her name is that way, and I'm not too sure if in the story we are accustomed to that we are ever told why her name is Little Red Riding Hood
• It's also nice that the ending concluded with what happened to everyone in the story
• I might want to change up the name just as this story did - Little Red Hat, Little Red Scarf, etc.

Rumplestiltskin

• I was really excited to read this story because I wanted to compare it to Tom-Tit-Tot
• There were quite a few differences as there wasn't much of background story to developing the mother and daughter scene as in Tom-Tit-Tot, and in Tom-Tit-Tot, there wasn't any mention of the girl giving anything in return for the services provided. 
• After reading Tom-Tit-Tot, and this story, I might just even consider making my own version and keep some of the same elements from the stories of both. I can now understand why different fairytales are interpreted differently around the world. 

Bibliography: Dan Ashliman's Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales Reading Guide Part A