Week 2 Story: The Wolf and His Treasure

Week 2 Story: The Wolf and His Treasure

There once was a trio of brothers that lived in a remote village in the desolate countryside. The two elder brothers were farmers and worked from dusk till dawn to provide for the younger brother. They were a happy trio of brothers and did not ask for much in life. The youngest, however, wanted a golden necklace more than anything in the world. One of his only possessions was a locket that his mother had left him before she passed away. Gold was also very scarce in this part of the country and only a wealthy few had any. The people of the country were ravenous for gold and would go to great lengths to obtain some.

One day, the youngest brother stumbled upon an unusual path while he was out taking food to his older brothers in the field. At the end of the path lie a cave. This cave was strange, as it had seemingly appeared out of the ground. The young boy soon discovered that the inside of the cave contained an unimaginable amount of gold. The guardian of the treasure, a cunning wolf, was waiting for the boy inside. The wolf offered the boy all of the treasure inside the cave, but at a great cost. 

"You can have all of my riches inside this cave. But first, you must offer that which you love in return." 

The boy was surprised and at a loss for words. In his mind, the only thing that he loved in the world were his siblings. The boy thought for a minute and replied.

"I cannot give you what you want in return. No amount of possessions are worth the price of family."

The wolf had suspected the boy to be greedy. Shocked by the boy's answer, the wolf sat quiet and thought.

"You are not like the others that belong to this country. For your honesty and love for family, I will let you part with one item from my treasure."

The boy told the wolf about his desire for a necklace. The wolf granted the boy what he desired and they parted ways. 

(Photo of a grey wolf. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Author's Note: This story was loosely based on the Czech fairy tale The Three Roses. The story follows a mother as she takes a trip to a nearby town. One of her daughters asked her mother to bring her back some roses. The mother finds her way to a palace garden and takes three roses. A basilisk appears and demands that the mother exchange her daughter for the roses. The daughter offers herself to the basilisk and ends up turning him into a prince. The daughter cuts off the basilisk's head to complete the transformation. In the end, the daughter and the prince get married and live in his palace.

I based the general idea for my story on The Three Roses. However, I wanted to include some kind of lesson that reinforced a positive trait. I also did not particularly like the ending of The Three Roses, so I took it in a different direction. It did not end like a typical fairy tale because I wanted to take a unique approach to a story and offer some kind of lesson.

Bibliography: "The Three Roses" from The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis (1922). Source: The Three Roses

Reading Notes: Fairy tales

I read through all of the stories and I liked the idea of The Fairytale (Three Roses) the best. I think that following a format similar to the classic fairy tale would suit my style of writing. I appreciated the story due to its surprising end. I was expecting something terrifying to happen to the daughter. Instead, the story took a weird twist and ended in a happy marriage. I think I could alter this story or something like it by changing the ending. I could make it end with an unfortunate event or take it in an entirely different direction. There are definitely a few ways I could go about retelling the story. We will find out tomorrow which direction I choose to take.

(A classic photo of Beauty and the Beast from 1913. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Reading Options for the Semester

When it comes to reading, I tend to be interested in things that are based on fantasy. I am a very big fan of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and I generally like anything that is similar to this kind of story. The first unit that grabbed my attention was Dante's Inferno. This story stuck out to me simply because I played the video game based on the story of Dante's Inferno years ago. I never actually read the book, so this is something I think I would be interested in reading. The second unit I looked at was the Egyptian Myth unit. This unit stuck out to me because I have some basic knowledge about Egyptian Mythology, and I have always wanted to learn more. The third unit that sparked my interest was the Monkey King. I have heard of the Monkey King before, but I have never taken the time to read the whole story. I think the intro to the story is very unique and something that makes me want to finish reading the unit. I am looking forward to reading all three of these units and many more during our class. 

(A film poster for Dante's Inferno. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Time Strategies

I think the current schedule that I have will work best for me. I did not get to stick to it 100% this week, but I believe from here on it will work great. The first time management strategy I looked at was the act of Just Starting. I tend to struggle with starting tasks when I am working on long term assignments. If I can start scheduling specific work at a specific time, then I believe I can combat procrastination. I believe this will be a great tool that will help me complete work in the future. The second time management strategy I looked at was Creating Checklists. I have noticed that in the past I tend to get enjoyment out of performing small tasks. I think that I will really benefit from creating a checklist that is filled with small tasks and large tasks. I will be able to motivate myself to complete the smaller tasks first and then move on to the larger tasks afterward. This strategy compliments the "Just Starting" strategy that I mentioned earlier. I think that if I apply this knowledge to all of my classes and life in general, I will become better at beating procrastination. In the past, I have usually just completed assignments the week they were due. This has worked for me, but I think a laid out plan will benefit me greatly. In the end, time is very valuable to us all.

(Time is something that we can never get back. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Technology Tools for the Class

I have been blown away by the amount of different tools and options available for completing assignments in this class. I have always known what blogs were, but this is my initial experience with creating blogs. I have also never seen blogs as a platform for class assignments. In this aspect, that it what makes this class very different from others in the past. Also, I have only been exposed to a limited amount of tools that this class will utilize. I am looking forward to familiarizing myself with graphics creation, image editing, and website creation. I believe that these tools will be especially useful outside of this class. I have never had that much experience with editing, and I am looking forward to that aspect. Overall, I think that I will develop a lot of skills that I can take with me beyond this semester. I feel like I am learning how to use a computer all over again with the amount of new options available to me.

(Two kids learning how to use a computer. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Assignments for the Semester

I think there are a few assignments that are of interest to me in this class. The storytelling and social interaction assignments involved in this class are new to me. I think they will definitely be interesting and something that I look forward to completing. I have never really had much experience with an online class that is structured this way. The other online classes that I have taken usually revolve around weekly quizzes, readings, and midterm exams. The extra credit is also something that is new to me. I think that the extra reading grabs my attention. I do not mind reading for class assignments, and I think it is something that I will enjoy.

(This is a photo of a man reading a book for entertainment. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

My Growth Mindset

I have never heard of the growth mindset and the work that Carol Dweck has performed. I was actually very fascinated with the idea of creating a new way of teaching and learning. I think that this unorthodox approach could become the norm for the future. It seems that it could be and will be super effective in helping kids that may not have the most confidence in themselves. I also believe that it could push kids who naturally perform well to achieve more than what they think is capable. I know that I could have used something like this to help aid me in my development as a child. I remember a lot of things came to me naturally as a kid, and I was not very comfortable with the idea of failing. I think a challenge that I could currently benefit from is the "Five Whys". A lot of times I get very invested into my studies, and I never take the time to think about what I am taking away from what I am learning or memorizing. I think that a challenge like this could really help my critical thinking skills and allow me to develop a deeper understanding of the topic I am studying. I believe that learning how to further develop critical thinking skills would benefit me quite a bit in my upper division biology courses. I struggle at times with taking in a wealth of material and relating it to knowledge that I have acquired from the past. I am looking forward to learning more about the growth mindset in the future of this course.

(Learning how to deal with failure promotes growth. Source: Growth Mindset Resources)

Introduction to a small town kid

Hey everyone! My name is Jake Boone, and I am a senior Biology major. I decided to major in Biology due to my natural affinity for anything science related. I think there is a lot of challenge that a science major presents, but I have enjoyed my classes at OU. I grew up not too far from Norman in the town of Ada, Oklahoma. I have been a Sooner fan since birth. I have attended almost every home football game since I was around the age of nine. My family is full of Sooner alumni, so it only made since for me to attend the University of Oklahoma. I enjoy being outdoors and spending my leisure time in the daylight. When I am home, I like to spend time fishing and relaxing outside. I will often read books on the back patio, or play catch in the backyard. There is not always a lot to do at home, but I enjoy the simplicity it offers.

I grew up with three brothers at home. I am the middle child, so I have always been the mediator when it comes to conflict. I think having three brothers offered me a unique perspective on life. I learned how to get along with others and how to deal with multiple people living in close quarters. I think having multiple siblings was a blessing. I always had someone that was willing to play video games, catch, or hang out. In the photo below, I am standing in the middle left.

(This is a photo with my siblings at my brother's graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy. Personal photo: June 2016)

I think that there is a lot to be said when it comes to introducing yourself to other people. I am not too sure what else to include in my post, but I am confident that I will draw ideas from others in the class. I hope that I am able to revisit this post in the future and add more to offer a better glimpse into my life. For now, I will leave you with this brief introduction about who I am.

My Storybook Favorites

I came across three different storybooks that offered a unique take on the social life of Olympus. The first storybook that I read was Real Housewives of Greek Mythology. I think that this storybook grabbed my attention with a great opener. It has a great image that pulls in the reader and brings life to the page. The introduction is also very good. The introduction does a great job of hyping up the story and getting the reader to stay interested. It is a great spin on the many different reality shows that fill up the current television market. This storybook also includes cool bits of information about each of the cast members for the show.

(The Greek Gods in heavy discussion. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

The second storybook that I found was High School Gods. I think this storybook does a great job of making the story relatable to actual high school. It includes the stereotypical characters that can be found in almost every high school in the United States. The overall design of the storybook lacked a bit of color. I think it would benefit a lot with some added variation. The title of the story is good, and it provides a straightforward image of the story. I think the idea for the script is pretty unique, and it is something that I found enjoyable.

The third storybook that I came across was Mount Olympus Gossip. This is another story that dives into the social dynamics of life on Mount Olympus and the relationships between the Greek Gods. The concept of the script reminded me of the shows that used to air on MTV back in the early 2000's. I find this kind of take on social life to be funny. The story follows the Mount Olympus "elite" and dishes gossip about the current state of affairs. The design for the storybook is a bit bland. I think it could also use some color and added graphics to make it appeal more to the reader.

Fenway Park: My Favorite Place

Fenway Park - 

I have been a die hard Boston Red Sox since the year 2003. I have grown up loving the game of baseball, and I enjoy every opportunity to head to the ballpark for a game. My favorite place to watch a game of baseball is Fenway Park. I have been able to attend a handful of Red Sox games over the years. I have a lot of great memories with my family that are attached to Fenway Park. It is an incredible stadium, and it holds a lot of historical weight. Here is a picture of Fenway Park taken at the top of the "Green Monster".

(Fenway Park from the Green Monster: Wikipedia Commons)

Test Post

This is a test post for my class.