Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Ashliman), Part B

Today I finished the reading for the second unit of the Brothers Grimm stories. I again focused on one specific story to takes notes, but I went ahead and read all of the stories. I chose the one that I thought would interest me the most to write a story.

• I read the Lazy Heinz story and was a bit confused by it
• I decided to take notes over it because it was unlike anything else that I had read
• Fat Heinz was a lazy man that did not take a liking to tending to his goat
• He would begrudgingly take his goat to the field every day
• Heinz thought of his work as some of the most difficult on the earth
• He desperately wanted to sleep on the job and not pay attention to his "work"
• I like how Heinz is in fact actually that lazy
• He constantly thinks of ways to not do his "job", which is taking a goat to a field
• Somehow Heinz comes up with the genius idea to fix all of his problems
• I do not think I will ever understand his decision, but he believes that it would be best to marry "Fat Trina"
• I think this is definitely a harsh name to give your wife, but Heinz sees no problem with it
• He only cares about getting out of his work
• Heinz estimates that his wife will take out the goat to the pasture everyday
• However, his wife is somehow just as lazy as him
• I found this detail to be quite comical and it added some development to the story
• They decide to trade two goats for a beehive
• This is somehow a fair trade, but I do not quite buy that logic
• Their laziness continues to be fed because now they do not have to get out of bed
• Their surprising ambition drives them to want a child
• With this child they planned on making it tend to geese all day
• It is most likely a good thing that these two lazy people did in fact not have a child

This story was entertaining and very unique. I had a few good laughs while reading this, and I think it would be funny to retell.

(Another photo of the two Grimm brothers. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales translated by D. L. Ashliman. Source:UnTextbook

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Ashliman), Part A

So, this is the final week for reading and taking notes for me. I decided to read the fairytales that I was somewhat familiar with as a child. I took notes over the one that I thought would be the best for retelling.

• The story of the wolf and the children reminds me of Red Riding Hood
• I knew that the warnings of the mother would be of waste
• The wolf continuously comes back to the house to try and fool the children
• The children were smart but they were again only children
• The ploys of the wolf to enter the home were constantly delayed
• The children made the mistake of telling the wolf why he was not their mother
• In typical fashion the wolf kept returning until he had masked all of his wolf like qualities
• I expected the mother to return to a house with no children
• Surprisingly, one child was still left
• I found it a bit odd that the goat was able to retrieve all of her children from the wolf's stomach
• You would think that the wolf would have woken up during the cutting of his stomach
• I thought it was clever that they filled the wolf's stomach with rocks
• I thought it would be to just fool the wolf into thinking that he was full from eating the children
• Instead, he ended up drowning in the water as he bent down for a drink
• I did not expect the story to end in such a manner
• I think there were hints of darkness in the story
• When the kids were recovered I expected them to just go home and not try to kill the wolf
• I guess in the end the wolf got what was coming to him

I think there are a few details that I would change if I retold this story. I was not exactly thrilled with the idea of the wolf eating the children and then the goat recovering them. I also thought it was a bit odd to kill the wolf in the end. I would probably make my story a bit more realistic in that sense.

(The two brothers Grimm. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales translated by D. L. Ashliman. Source:UnTextbook

Reading Notes: King Arthur, Part B

I finished the second half of the reading today. The unit followed up withs some great stories once again. I took notes on a couple of the stories that I liked. I hope to incorporate them somehow into the story for this week.

• Sir Lancelot and his adventures took him many places 
• He encountered fortune and misfortune throughout his journey
• He was a great warrior that was compelled to help those in need of during battle
• The nun brings up a great point to Lancelot after his defeat in the tournament
• Lancelot was stuck with his earthly desires in the world
• He had come to the aid of those clad in black armor
• They were the manifestation of earthly sin and lust
• Lancelot learns of his vain and desire for glory
• The nun makes it a point to enlighten Lancelot of his earthly desires and boasting
• She tells him that he must begin to let go of such desires if he wishes to continue on his quest
• She basically tells him that he is the most sinful of all earthly knights
• Lancelot learns of his son Galahad and has great love for him
• He ultimately returns to his old self when he renews his love for the Queen
• The death of Arthur ends in such a sad manner
• It was difficult to see such a mighty warrior and king fall in battle
• I was a bit confused about this desire to return to the lake as his final resting place
• He commanded Sir Bedivere to throw Excalibur into the lake 
• I am assuming he did not want another to come upon such a powerful sword
• The ending of Queen Guenevere was also saddening
• She lived her life as nun and even turned away Lancelot as he came to see her
• Sir Lancelot ended up withering away as he came to terms with the death of Arthur and his beloved Guenevere

The ending to the story is very saddening and hard to read. The mighty had fallen so much since the days of their beginnings. King Arthur and his death was so tragic. The death of his Queen was also saddening to see.

(King Arthur holding his crown. Source: UnTextbook)

Bibliography: King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang. Source: UnTextbook

Reading Notes: King Arthur, Part A

I read the King Arthur for this week's reading. I decided to take notes over a couple of the stories that I really liked. I would not mind retelling either of these. I think that the unit has a lot of good stories to retell and recreate.

• The country was in a state of disarray after the death of the King
• The tale is similar as to how I remember it when I was a child
• I like that the old legend remains true in the original version
• Merlin and the lords gathered to devise a plan to find the true king
• It is still funny to think about all of the knights and men that tried to remove the sword from the stone
• I like the idea of a tournament being held to find the true king
• I did not remember the part bout Arthur going back to get his brother's sword
• I think this bit of information shows how genuine and kind he is
• When he returns he pulls the sword from the stone to give to his brother
• He does not even realize the feat he has just accomplished by doing so
• I think it shows just how kind and naive he is a boy
• He tries to help another but does not realize what he has accomplished
• I also like how many knights did not believe that such a boy was the true king
• The story of Excalibur was foreign to me
• I was under the impression that the sword Arthur pulled from the stone was Excalibur
• It was in interesting story, and I really enjoyed how the sword was a legend in its own right
• I also did not know that the scabbard would make Arthur immune to wounds
• It was really cool to read that for the first time

I really liked the King Arthur stories and units. I think the stories are so great, and they bring back a lot of childhood memories. I would like to retell them for my storytelling this week.

(A photo of the Boy's King Arthur cover. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang. Source: UnTextbook

Reading Notes: Robin Hood, Part B

I continued to finish the reading of Robin Hood and his adventures today. I liked different bits of a few of the stories, so I took notes over what I liked. I think that I am going to create my own adventure. I might retell one of the adventures, but I will probably create my own account. I will also most likely not use the ballad format seen in the stories.

• Robin Hood prides himself as a great game hunter
• The encounter with the Bishop shows Robin Hood's true character
• He is clever enough to recognize that the Bishop is trying to make him appear before the King
• The terms for meeting the King would have not gone well
• The Bishop presents it as a privilege but Robin Hood knows he will be cast in a cell or killed
• Instead, Robin averts the situation and brings forth his men
• Robin shows how merry and fun he can be by letting the Bishop go free after drinking with him all night (he also took all of his money)
• The story of the bishop is very creative and possibly my favorite
• The irony and complete confusion is funny to see unfold
• I really liked seeing something like this
• I think that it fits my writing style
• I could recreate a version of my own that I think would be funny
• I love writing about heroes, and I think Robin Hood fits the description
• Throughout the stories he is very keen and cunning
• He enjoys messing with his enemies and then enjoying the fruits of a hard day of work
• I think Robin Hood has some elements of Sindbad to him
• He also has his own unique characteristics that make him exciting

I really enjoyed the Robin Hood Unit. I think I will try and craft my own adventure from all of these stories. I want to get creative with the writing, and I think this is a perfect opportunity.

(Another photo of Robin Hood in statue form. Source: flickr)

Bibliography:  Robin Hood Unit from The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child. Source: UnTextbook

Reading Notes: Robin Hood, Part A

I read the Robin Hood unit for this weeks reading and storytelling. I am somewhat familiar with Robin Hood and his adventures. I decided to take notes on things that I found interesting throughout some of the stories. I might end up combing multiple elements from all the stories to create my own. I also might just retell one of the classic Robin Hood tales. I enjoyed the Ranger story the most.

• The stories are told in a ballad format
• I am not sure how easy this would be to recreate in my own story
• I like the commitment to the format and the way the author is able to describe the adventures
• Robin Hood is a showman and that is a point of storytelling
• I really like how he displays his skills with confidence and assurance
• The banter between Robin and his opponents is hilarious
• I like how neither Robin nor Little John back down from each other
• It seems Robin met a true match and a true friend that day
• The rhyming and singing pattern of the story can sometimes make it difficult to understand
• I do appreciate the element that this adds to the stories
• The combat goes back and forth between Robin and Forester
• I really like how Robin enjoys the competition of another competent fighter
• Robin Hood shows great resolve during combat as he never concedes when he is down
• I like how Robin values friendship and brotherhood so much 
• He offers competent fellows a place among Robin and his archers
• I think it is respectable and also makes Robin Hood a more likable character when he includes others

I think that after reading all of these different stories I will most likely create my own. I do no plan on recreating the ballad format, and I think I can get creative with a new adventure that Robin Hood and his friends embark upon. 

(A man dressed as Robin Hood. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography:  Robin Hood Unit from The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child. Source: UnTextBook

Reading Notes: Native American Hero Tales, Part B

I finished the reading for this week and took notes over the first two stories. I found that these stories were again very unique, and I have not read many things that are similar to these stories. This was definitely a cool week of reading.

• The two boys of the man were raised by themselves for a short period of time
• I like the fact that a reunion does take place
• The boys are discovered by their truthful father and he raises them
• The red woman was very brutal, and I was not expecting the mother to be murdered like she was
• It seems that death is an integral part of some of these stories
• It is presented in a way where you can still contact your loved ones even after they pass
• The boys constantly disobey their father
• However, they destroy many terrible creatures and things during their disobedience
• Their father always warns them of another bad thing in the world once they return
• It seems that he almost wants them to disobey, so they can rid the world of another terror
• In the end, nothing terrible actually comes to they boys
• The Wemicus character is very evil for a father-in-law
• It seems that he never wants his daughter to marry anyone
• I like the fact that Wemicus is constantly fooled by his new son-in-law and cannot seem to trick him into his death
• The story ends with the origin of the pike being explained, so I thought that was interesting
• I did not expect the story to end in that matter
• I thought Wemicus would eventually die due to the amount of people he had killed

(An image of a pike similar to Wemicus. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson. Source: UnTextbook