Reading Notes: Ozaki Unit, Part B

The Goblin of Adachigahara:
-the cannibal goblin took multiple different forms, whatever was most effective to lure in its prey
-most often posed as a poor old woman
-everyone knew the forest was haunted but sometimes travelers would come in unaware
-a priest who was weary from traveling found a house in the forest and sought out shelter
-it was a poor old woman's house and he stayed the night there
-when she went to gather fire wood, the priest stayed in the house and slept
-when he awoke he was alone and cold
-for the first time he smelled the faint smell of blood
-he went around the house and discovered all the bodies and realized whose house he was in
-he tried to escape but the goblin was already on her way back and they met in the yard
-they battled until the priest was able to stab her with her own knife

(The Priest meeting the Old Woman)

The Story of Princess Hase:
-the Prince Toyonari and his wife Violet had tried for a child for such a long time without success
-they prayed and travelled to their temple every day and finally the gods granted them a perfect baby girl
-they named her Princess Hase
-Violet died when Princess Hase was 5 years old but on her death bed imparted all the qualities she hoped her daughter would possess, mostly being kind and genuine to others
-Prince Toyonari remarried but she was evil to Princess Hase and refused to accept her as her own daughter and never loved her as much as the children she had with the Prince
-the mother and daughter were invited to play for the emperor but Terute had not practiced and messed her solo portion up, while Hase played her part perfectly because of her dedication to the harp
-she even poisoned her own son in a botched attempt to kill Hase
-Terute never told her husband of her hatred for his first daughter but instead tried to get him to love their children more and have Hase be gone as often as possible
-the Prince went away on business so the evil step mother had Hase taken out to the mountains and left to die
-but a faithful servant followed her out there and remained with her until her father came back
-as soon as her father returned and found out the truth he went looking for her and banished his evil second wife

Bibliography:

Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki

Reading Notes: Ozaki Unit, Part A

My Lord Bag of Rice:
-Hidesato goes out on a warrior's quest to prove that he is a worthy fighter
-at the first of his journey finds his way is blocked by a great dragon sleeping on a bridge
-he decides to just go for it anyone and finds the dragon disappears and is transformed into a man
-he doesn't trust the man but decides to listen to his plea for help
-the dragon king has been waiting for a sign of bravery from someone to help him slay the monster who is terrorizing his family and he just passed the test


My Lord Bag of Rice cont:
-Hidesato felt that this would fulfill his warrior quest and decided to slay the monster by himself
-he went down to the dragon king's palace to wait for the monster to appear
-the king set a feast before Hidesato and it was so glorious that he forgot his purpose for being there
-suddenly everything started shaking because the monster had come to attack
-Hidesato showed no sign of fear but got his gear and prepared for battle
-he had a secret he didn't tell the dragon king, he was gifted from his father with three magic arrows before he set out on his journey
-he gathered his arrows and steadied his aim
-the castle was so chaotic that the first two arrows missed and everyone thought all hope was lost
-Hidesato knew this was his time to prove himself and save lives
-he took a deep breathe and let the arrow sail until it pierced the heart of the monster

(My Lord Bag of Rice)

The Adventures of Kintaro, The Golden Boy:
-the boy's father was killed and the mother feared for their safety so she escaped to the woods
-Kintaro was born in a cave a few months after they had escaped
-he had no real human interaction so he made friends with the animals and had special powers in communicating with them
-he would come up with games to play with the animals all while protecting them from the hunters that tried to ensnare them in traps when they came to the woods
-Kintaro earned money for his mother by cutting down trees with the woodcutters who came by every month, even when he was just a young boy he exhibited great strength
-his mother thought that he would be called back to go lead the people because of all the promise he showed and the gifts he had been given

Bibliography:

Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki

Week 6 Storytelling: The Stone Monkey Who Became King

Far away to the East and high above the clouds there was a range of mountains tucked away from view. These mountains were called the Mountains of Flowers and Fruits because of all the bountiful and lush greenery they had to offer. The legend goes that if you were within 1000 miles of the mountains would you know because the intoxicating aromas of the sweet fruits would draw you in and bid you to come taste of their treasures. The monkeys had been living on these mountains for several thousand years without complaint, but with the recklessness of the past generations supplies had begun to run low. They had not been faithful stewards of the beautiful mountains their ancestors had left in their care. If things continued on without change, the monkeys would be forced to relocate and abandon the place they had always called home.

On the center mountain there was an egg shaped rock that was regarded as sacred, no one knew the beginnings of this stone egg for it had been there as long as anyone could remember. One evening there was a terrible storm. The thunder and lightning raged as the rain beat down for hours on end. All the monkeys were seeking shelter from the storm so no one noticed when the lightning struck the egg. The next day as all the monkeys were coming out to survey the damage from the storm, a little monkey cried out, "Look! The stone egg is alive!" As everyone turned in awe, the egg split open and a baby stone monkey crawled out. Now there was another legend that if the monkeys were ever in peril and needing rescue, that the stone egg would be their savior. The details of the rescue were never mentioned in the legend and these monkeys expected a little bit more than a stone monkey baby to save them from their plight.

(The Waterfall)

However as the stone monkey grew, he exhibited extraordinary skills. No one had ever seen anything as powerful or magnificent. The stone monkey was the most likely choice as it came time to choose another king because the current king was dying. The tradition was for the candidates to compete in some competition that showcased their strength and wit; whoever won would rule the kingdom. The competition this year included some intense obstacle courses and finished (as it did every year) with trying cross behind the waterfall. It was said that treasures of innumerable wealth lay in a cave behind the waterfall, but no monkey had ever been able to reach it.

When the day of the competition came, the stone monkey was the first one to compete. The other competitors knew that with all his strength and might there would most likely be a short ending, with the result being the stone monkey hailed as king. He breezed through the obstacles courses in record time, to him things of this earth are child's play. However when he reached the waterfall, his stone hands were trembling. He thought to himself, "What if I'm not all that these people have hoped that I will be?" He was anxious but he gathered himself and leapt off the cliff. Before he knew it he felt the coolness of the water followed by solid ground underneath his feet, he heard cheers and yells coming from the other side. He had made it!

The stone monkey was crowned king that day, for he had accomplished what no one before him could. He built a bridge so all his subjects could enter the cave and enjoy the blessings within. They praised him as their Savior, for even though they doubted at first, he had delivered his people from their woes and led them into a magical paradise with delicious food that would never run out.

Author's Note:

I used the same idea from the original story, where the stone monkey is born from a egg shaped rock and starts showing great promise and powers. I added in the part about the monkeys having to relocate because of their resources running low, so it gave the stone monkey more of a purpose for finding the cave filled with riches and food. Also in the original story everything in the cave was made of stone, but that wouldn't really do the other monkeys any good so I decided to make it where they found food that everyone could eat and enjoy. Like I said the part about the waterfall and cave was in the original story but I gave it a little twist. I also tried to give a glimpse into the stone monkey's thoughts, that while even though he was the most powerful he still had insecurities.   

Bibliography:

The Monkey King by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens

Reading Notes: The Monkey King Sun Wu Kung, Part B

The Lord of the Heavens:
-there were complaints brought to the Lord of Heavens from all over but none merited his attention as much as the Monkey King
-the Monkey King was out of control and needed to be taught a lesson in humility and how to act
-He initially wanted to take the Monkey King as one of his prisoners, but the Evening Star interceded on his behalf
-she said that he just needed to be shown the glories of heaven once again and remember where he came from and he would remember to be grateful and gracious again
-of course when he left his kingdom, the Monkey King had no idea he was even in trouble
-he thought he was just going to heaven to take a trip
-maybe make it where the Monkey King had to try several jobs before he was finally given the stable job where he thrived

(Sun Wu Kung)

The Great Saint:
-the disillusioned Monkey King finally realizes that he is not the most important person in heaven
-he becomes enraged when he learns that he is thriving in such a lowly position
-he escaped back to his mountain where his subjects would be sure to adore him
-there he found out that 10 years had passed on the mountain, rather than 10 days as he had experienced in heaven
-but luckily his loyal followers had waited on his return
-they hosted a banquet and fed his vanity
-he knew deep down now that there were others who were in higher positions in him out in the world so his need to compensate grew even more
-he would only let himself be addressed as "The Great Saint Who is Heaven's Equal"
-he waited anxiously for the Lord of Heaven to come back and find him but he let no one know his insecurities

(Sun Wu Kung)

Notscha, Son of Li Dsing:
-the Lord of Heaven was furious at the Monkey King's escape but he let him in live peace just long enough for him to believe he was safe
-after some time had passed, he sent two warriors to come capture him to bring him to prison
-whoever the Lord of Heavens sent, the Monkey King transformed to match that warrior and thus was never defeated
-the Evening Star went to the Lord of Heavens when she knew that the Monkey King would not be defeated this way
-she suggested that they validate the empty title he had bestowed upon himself, so as to appeal to his pride and settle the feud
-the Lord of Heavens was pleased with this and the Monkey King's pride and ego is so big that he never knew he was being duped

Bibliography:

The Monkey King by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens

Reading Notes: The Monkey King Sun Wu Kung, Part A

Handsome King of the Apes:
-maybe the stone ape was self-conscious about being different from the other apes
-the two apes that raised him were not stone and he always wondered why he was different from everyone else
-his adopted parents told him he was born the way he was for a purpose and they had to just wait and see what it was
-what he believes is a weakness is turned into a strength when he is the only one who can get across the water fall to all the glorious riches that lie in the cave behind the waterfall
-he is made their king because he provides for the other apes and is generous and peaceful

(The Monkey King)

The Great Sea:
-the King of Apes has been ruling for sometime and everything seems to be going his way
-he is not content however because he knows death will still reach him
-he leaves his kingdom in search to find immortality under the instruction of the wisest and oldest monkey in his kingdom
-he decided to humble himself and live amongst humans, not as royalty to see if he could learn the secret from one of them
-but he was disappointed and found that it was best to live the life you are given and make the most of the time you have rather than go searching for immortality

Bibliography:

The Monkey King by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens

Wikipedia Trails: from Turbans to Thalassinidea

Turban:
A turban is a type of headwear that is made of cloth and wound around the head. The style and reason for wearing the turban varies upon the region.

Batik:
Batik is wax-resistant dyeing that is applied to cloth. The design is made by either drawing the lines and dots with a tool or by using a copper stamp. The wax resists the dye so you can color selectively.

(Indonesian Batik)

Java:
Java is an Indonesian island and is the most populous island on the earth. Java is a tropical rainforest and is the fifth largest island in Indonesia.

Mangrove:
A mangrove is a small tree that grows in the tropics and subtropics. They are able to thrive in salty climates with low oxygen.

Thalassinidea:

These crustaceans are often called mud lobsters or ghost shrimps and they go back to the Jurassic Age. The greatest diversity of Thalassinidea can be found in the tropics.

(Thalassinidea)

Growth Mindset: feedback can challenge you, but you don't have to be afraid of it!

The Growth Mindset I read about was feedback and how it can be viewed as helping you to achieve your best self, not as something that is a personal attack on your character. Feedback may seem critical at times but it is okay to take people's advice and approach something differently that we are having trouble with. We might even find that sometimes they had our best interests in mind the whole time (shocking) and that another person's perspective is beneficial and not harmful to us! Feedback shows that we haven't truly reached the top yet and that we have room to get better, it would be kind of depressing to know that we are the best we are ever going to be and that it can only go downhill from here. It can also be fun to collaborate with others. However it is important to not put your identity in other people's comments and ultimately know your self worth is independent of their comments. 

I learned from:

Overcoming the Fear of Feedback

5 Tips for Taking Feedback Like a Champ

(cheezburger)

Week 5 Storytelling: The Parrot's Wish

In a beautiful land far away there lived a couple whose names were Miemun and Khojisteh. They were happily married and their joy radiated down like the sun onto every person they encountered. These two were inseparable and thought nothing could ever tear them apart. But life happens as it always does and about three years down the road Khojisteh decided that their family and her happiness was incomplete without a child. They tried for almost two years and went to every doctor in the country, but still without success. There was still love between them but the clouds had started to roll in and they felt like they were trapped in the middle of a storm of uncertainty and heartache. Miemun was hesitant about being a father, but he loved Khojisteh so dearly wanted so much to make her happy that he would do anything to try and ease the hurt.

One day when he went to the market place, he saw the most magnificent bird his eyes had ever beheld and he thought that might just be the thing to take Khojisteh's mind off their worries, if only for a moment. He went to the man who was selling the parrot to inquire about how much the bird cost. The man said he would give Miemun a deal because he seemed so sad and only charge him a thousand huns for the parrot, but this seemed like an excessive amount for a bird so Miemun decided against it. However when he turned around to leave, he heard a sing-songy voice cry out praises to him and foretell promises of great fortune if Miemun would only buy him and take him home to be a part of his family. At his point he was desperate for a miracle so Miemun took a chance and paid the man for the parrot and took him home to surprise Khojisteh.

(Khojisteh and the Parrot)

Khojisteh was delighted by Miemun's surprise of the parrot, mostly because it was his way to show how much he cared for her; little did she know what was in store for them both. The parrot adored his new home because he was so loved by Miemun and Khojisteh and finally after six months of being with them, he decided that it was time to tell them his secret. He gathered them together and began the story of how he used to be the traveling companion of a free genie. It took quite some time to tell all the adventures they had experienced together, but the point of the story was that before the genie left to go to another planet he left the parrot with one wish. The parrot could use the wish himself or give it to someone he loved. After finding his forever home with Miemun and Khojisteh, he knew that he would give them his wish so that they could cure their infertility issues. The couple was so overjoyed that they fell to their knees and wept. They could now have the family they had been so fervently longing for.

Author's Note:

So in the original story there were no infertility issues with Miemun and Khojisteh, I added that in to give more complexity to the story but they were an incredibly happy couple in both stories. In the original story the parrot foretells something that helps Miemun in a business deal and makes him money. I wanted their bond with the parrot to be based on more than money. I also added in the part about the genie and the wish. 

Bibliography:

Tales of a Parrot by Ziya'al-Din Nakhshabi 

Reading Notes: Tales of a Parrot, Part A

Miemun and Khojisteh:

-the couple is so in love but not quite ready for a child so Miemun finds them a pet parrot when he goes to the market

-the parrot sees that Miemun is about to pass him up because of his expensive price so he gives a glimpse into the future that Miemun could have if he had the parrot at his side

-the prediction the parrot gave turned out to be true and against Khojisteh's better judgement and hesitation they keep the parrot in hopes that it will bring great fortune to their lives

-Khojisteh does not believe in this get rich quick scheme that Miemun is going to use the parrot for

-She believes that everything comes with a cost and she might turn out to be right

(The Parrot and Khojisteh)

Khojisteh and the Parrot:

-Miemun had taken a long journey and Khojisteh missed him terribly because there was no end in sight

-A handsome prince came into town and seeing Khojisteh and not seeing her husband around decided that he wanted her for her own

-She her love for Miemun had faded because she had begun to believe he would never return so she agreed to meet up with him at his house

-She knew it was wrong but she wanted approval so she went to the sharuk 

-the parrot wanted to be the favorite so he had already warned the sharuk of Khojisteh's coming and that she wanted to sharuk to tell her not to see the prince

-Khojisteh was so enraged but the sharuk trying to guilt her into staying and telling her she would be a disgrace that she murdered her

-this was the parrot's plan all along and now he was the only bird of the house

-he told Khojisteh exactly what she wanted to hear, even though it might mean the ruin of her marriage because he had heard that Miemun was due to return any day

Bibliography:

Tales of a Parrot by Ziya'al-Din Nakhshabi 

Feedback Focus

These different approaches to reading were helpful and made me focus more intensely than I do when I just read through without any additions to assist with comprehension. I liked the reading aloud even though it took much longer than I usually take when reading in my head, I think it really does help not to miss important details. I also liked the copy and delete option because when I write notes as I read it helps me to pay attention and it also serves to have an outline for comments ready that you can build on.

(Focus)

I was not as much of a fan of the timer option. I found myself having read through it several times before the time was up and it was a struggle to keep reading the same thing for that long when I was ready to move on to the commenting part. I typically take notes when I read so the copy and delete option is something I am familiar with. In the future I would employ the reading out loud option perhaps if I was having trouble understanding a passage or trouble with coming up with something to comment.

Week 4 Storytelling: The Sisters Who Became Heroes

There once lived a Sultan named Schahriar who had a beautiful wife named Sahrita. The Sultan was a man of great strength with all the nation’s power at his fingertips, but he one weakness and that was his wife. Sahrita knew the Sultan adored her and she used it to her advantage to get whatever her heart desired; she had the finest dresses and jewels in all the land. She also had the finest men that she kept on the side for when the Sultan was away on business, but Schahriar was so in love with her that he never caught onto her adulterous ways. Until one day when he came home from a trip early and found her together with one of the younger men who worked in the palace, in a fit of rage and heartbreak he stabbed the man and strangled his wife. 

Ever since that day the Sultan was never the same, everyone knew how much he loved Sahrita and her betrayal caused him to go insane. He had no one to check his power so whatever rash rules Schahriar instituted became law and no one had the right to question (that is if they wanted to keep their head.) Schahriar became convinced that the entire female gender was evil and that it needed to be eradicated, but he was sensible enough to understand that killing off all of the women would result in the ending of his people. So instead he came up with a horrific punishment that he thought was fitting to pay for the pain he had endured. He wanted others to suffer the way he had and still did.

(Palace)

The Sultan issued that every day he would pick whoever he liked as his new bride and they would have the perfect day, but he would have them strangled the next morning before they could betray him or wrong him in any way. He believed that this way he would only experience the good and the woman he married would not even have time to show her bad side. His grand-vizir, Shoma, was the one the Sultan sanctioned to perform all the killings, even though he thought this law was as crazy and terrible as everyone else. What made it especially terrible to Shoma was that he had two daughters, Scheherazade and Dinarzade, who the Sultan could choose at any time and then Shoma would be the one who would have to execute his own flesh and blood. Shoma warned his daughters every day to stay inside and keep themselves hidden from the Sultan so that their lives might be spared another day.

(Scheherazade, Dinarzade, and the Sultan)

Scheherazade and Dinarzade had different plans than their father, they were not content to sit back and watch the daughters of their country being murdered one by one. So they devised a plan. Scheherazade had always enraptured her friends with her storytelling, her details and imagery made you feel like you were on a great journey every time she sat down to tell a tale. They approached their father and told him their idea to present the Scheherazade to the Sultan as his next bride; of course he was adamantly against the idea but the girls’ minds were made up and Shoma knew it was only a matter of time until the Sultan chose them anyway.

The Sultan was shocked to see his grand-vizir’s daughters before him, but they were both so beautiful, he was intrigued to listen to what they had come to say. Scheherazade offered herself up and told the Sultan she would be honored to be next bride, she only requested that her sister stay with her on her last night on earth. The Sultan accepted this offer, thinking that he would just take Dinarzade once he had killed Scheherazade the next day.

As the sun was setting and the day was coming to a close the girls began to put their plan into motion. Dinarzade begged her sister to tell her a story before they went to sleep. When Scheherazade began the Sultan was not paying her much attention, but without even realizing it he became completely captivated and two hours passed in what seemed like 5 minutes. Scheherazade told her sister it was time to get some rest, but the Sultan insisted she keep going. She told him they would have plenty of time to finish it tomorrow. And this is how Scheherazade was able to save her own life and the lives of all the other young women in her country. The Sultan fell in love with her and his hard heart was softened. He did away with his awful law and Dinarzade was granted a position in the palace for her faithful work to abolish the law.

Author's Note:

In the original story there in not any background on the Sultan and his first wife, so I tried to provide a glimpse of how in love they were and some explanation as to why he went so crazy when he found out she had betrayed him. I also wanted to give more of a dual role to the sisters in saving the country as opposed to just Scheherazade because in the story she is the favorite of her father but Dinarzade is neglected, even though she does a play a part in the original story by going with her sister to the Sultan's room like in my story. They both were brave and I wanted them both to be recognized for it. I also added the part of Scheherazade and the Sultan falling in love...because who doesn't love a happy ending?

Bibliography:

Arabian Nights: Scheherazade by Andrew Lang 

Reading Notes: Arabian Nights, Part B

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 1:
-Aladdin did not want to be a tailor like his father
-he fell in with the wrong crowd and did not find any job at all
-maybe make it where both his parents are dead so that when this magician comes who claims that he is Aladdin's uncle, he jumps at the chance to have a family again
-once the magician tricked Aladdin and left him in the cave to die, he realized that it was not his uncle and that he had been taken advantage of
-when the genie comes out of the ring, Aladdin is so relieved that he can escape the cave he can think of nothing else

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 2:
-Aladdin used the genie to provide him with riches and food like he had never known as the son of a poor tailor
-the sultan's daughter, the princess, was out walking one day with her guards and as soon as Aladdin saw her he fell desperately in love with her
-he wanted the chance to win her heart without the genie's help but the grand vizir went behind his back and married his son to the princess when he caught word of Aladdin's intentions
-Aladdin took out his revenge on the grand vizir's son by kicking him out on his wedding night and spending it with the princess

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 3:
-the grand vizir's son was afraid of the magic Aladdin seemed to possess so he left the princess
-Aladdin gave the princess some time and then he started to woo the princess again and approached the sultan to ask for her hand in marriage
-the sultan made all kinds of ridiculous demands and Aladdin was able to deliver on every single one of them thanks to the help of his genies
-the princess, the sultan, and the people loved him because of his wealth and his charm - however they did not know it was all deception
-the grand vizir was still bitter because of what Aladdin did to his son, and he was determined to ruin Aladdin

(The Palace)

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 4:
-Aladdin's wealth and fame spread throughout the world and the magician who abandoned him in the cave knew that the source had to be the lamp
-he travelled all across the world to find Aladdin and steal back the lamp
-the magician waited until Aladdin was out of the palace and went to steal the lamp, with the stealing of the lamp the palace disappeared as did the princess

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 5:
-Aladdin goes to Africa to rescue his wife and find his palace
-together Aladdin and the princess devise a plan - the princess will pretend to seduce the magician and poison his drink

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 6:
-the magician is dead and the palace restored back to China with the princess in it
-the evil magician's brother came to avenge his brother's death
-he found his friend Fatima, a well known holy woman, who agreed to let him imitate her but she did not know that to ensure her silence he was going to kill her
-the false Fatima was desired by the princess, to be her personal companion
-the faithful genie knew by the request for the roc's egg that the request had come from the evil brother and that Aladdin and the princess were in danger
-Aladdin invited the evil brother to dinner and as he welcomed him in Aladdin plunged a dagger into his heart

Bibliography:

Arabian Nights by Andrew Lang

Reading Notes: Arabian Nights, Part A

Scheherazade:
-go into more detail about how the sultan's first wife betrayed/deceived him
-he at first ordered all women in the land to be killed ...but shortly his grand vizir reminded him that their people would die off with no women to produce children
-so he settled on marrying a new woman and killing her the next day to quench his need to revenge
-the grand vizir thought the sultan might just end this horrific policy when he offered his own daughter because of how faithful he had been in all his time with the sultan but that was not the case
-Dinarzade saw helping her sister as a chance to liberate all the women who lived in fear of becoming the sultan's next wife
-Dinarzade also wanted to prove to her father that she was worth something because he had always favored Scheherazade over her

(Sheherazade by George Barbier)

The Merchant and the Genius:
-Scheherazade and Dinarzade continue in their plot to save Scheherazade's life
-each story she tells she adds a cliffhanger so that the sultan is curious as to the ending and won't kill her
-her father has more anxiety the longer this is drawn out and the longer his two daughters remain in the chamber of a murderer
-the sisters contrive stories each day and then at night time they are told to the sultan with the dramatic flair that Scheherazade gives that draws the sultan in
-they eventually convince him into recanting his order for a new bride because he falls in love with Scheherazade and also because she foretells of the peril that will fall upon him if he continues and he believes her

Bibliography:

Arabian Nights by Andrew Lang