Week 10 Story: The Forgotten Son

There once was a boy that lived in the deep woods of Japan. He was a child of nature and spent many hours outside with the animals that were native to the forest. The child's name was Kintaro. He was the son of a ferocious and brave warrior that had been crossed by old friends and nobles. Kintaro lived with this mother deep in the woods. She chose to flee the city after her husband's death and raise her child in secret. He was a gifted boy with many talents. Kintaro was smart and he had a very genuine appreciation for nature. He was friends with the animals of the forest because they respected him. He also had no one else to bond with.

The reality of growing up in the forest was different from a life in the city. Kintaro did not understand how gifted he truly was. There was no one else for Kintaro to compare himself to. He had incredible strength. His own strength rivaled that of a fully grown man. He would play games with the different animals of the forest and he would often wrestle and fight with them. Kintaro would always come out as the victor. He would even challenge his best friend the bear and never lose. He was a truly incredible child.

One day an old lumberjack saw Kintaro playing with his animal friends. The lumberjack was confused by this and decided to follow the animals and Kintaro as they played. He followed the group to a river without a way to cross. Kintaro casually pulled a massive tree out of the ground and used it as a bridge for the group to cross. The man was impressed and continued to follow Kintaro to his home.

The old man introduced himself to Kintaro's mother and explained that he was a general in the army of Japan. He explained that his duty was to find extraordinary children and train them to become warriors of Japan. With a bit of discussion and convincing, Kintaro's mother let her son join the man back to the capital. Kintaro would go on to become one of the greatest and most ferocious warriors that Japan had ever seen. He would return in his adult years to care for his mother and ensure her health and safety.

(A photo of Kintaro with the animals of the forest. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Author's Note: The story that I told was very similar to the source story. The original story is much longer and has a lot of details that I left out. However, the events that unfold are pretty much the same. Kintaro has many friends in the forest and the old woodcutter spots him the same way. Kintaro goes on to be trained as a samurai and great warrior. He becomes Chief of the Four Braves and serves the Lord Raiko well. 

Bibliography: The Adventures of Kintaro, The Golden Boy from Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki. Source: UnTextbook

Reading Notes: Mississippi Valley/Great Lakes, Part B

I finished the reading for the second unit. I enjoyed the stories, and I like the fact that each one can stand alone by itself. I have definitely noticed that the storytelling style is different from a lot of the other units we have had in this class. I took notes over a couple of my favorite stories from this unit, and I hope I will be able to craft a great story. My favorite story is the tale of how deer used to be man eaters.

• I really liked the description of each predator and its prey
• The story of the wolf shedding its skin to catch the deer was cool
• I also like the confidence of the fish 
• The Fish Hawk was still able to best the fish and track down his food
• The confidence of the second deer to best the human was surprising
• The deer was witness to the wit and power of the human hunter
• I like how the story ends with deer accepting the loss and settling to eat twigs and grass
• The story of the hare and the lynx was also similar 
• It seemed that the hare was determined to find its way back home
• The lynx constantly stalked the hare and made it afraid of its presence
• I really liked the constant riddle-like conversations the two had
• The lynx was just playing with its food the whole time
• The hare was finally confident enough to run without regard for the lynx
• The lynx quietly stalked the hare and devoured it in the end

I really liked the small stories in this unit. I think it is cool to see how the origins of some animals are presented. There are lots of riddles and conversations that occur between animals in these stories. This is something that I found particularly unique about this unit.

(A photo of a deer like the one from the story. Source: Pixaby)

Bibliography: Myths and Legends of the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes by Katharine Berry Judson. Source: UnTextbook 

Reading Notes: Mississippi Valley/Great Lakes, Part A

This week I chose to read the Mississippi Valle/Great Lakes unit. I am fairly familiar with some of the Choctaw stories because I took Choctaw 1-3 as my foreign language. I really enjoyed learning about some of the stories from my professor, so I decided to pick this unit. I took notes over a couple of the stories from part A. I might write my story over this reading for next week instead of this week.

• The Earth Maker had a lot of cool details and analogies
• I would like to look into the different story details implemented
• I thought the tortoise was an interesting creation
• Tortoise made war and did not destroy the evil as instructed
• The advice of the grandmother is very notable
• She explains to hare that we cannot all live forever
• It was a painful realization for hare
• Death is a part of our lives and we cannot escape it
• The Creator story was really cool
• I like how the Creator is similar to many different creation stories
• He taught man how to surive
• The earth was created with water first and land later
• The crawfish created the lands by bringing mud
• The animals were foolish to ridicule man
• Creator taught man to hunt and cook
• I like the connection that the animals and man have during council
• The animals would give advice because they were much wiser

(A photo of a hare similar to the Earth Maker story. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: Myths and Legends of the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes by Katharine Berry Judson. Source: UnTextbook 

Tech Tip: Blogger Template

I was able to play around with my blogger template and background for my portfolio. I wanted to change the dull and basic background, and I was able to do just that. I added in a background image for my portfolio homepage. I also changed the color scheme to something that I thought was more visually appealing. I think visual representation is crucial for your readers. I would encourage everyone to mess around with the creative options until they find something that they like.

Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales, Part B

I read the second half of the Japanese Fairy Tale Unit today. I specifically wanted to focus in on one of the stories. So, I took notes over The Goblin of Adachigahara story from the unit. I really enjoyed this story.

• The story is very good at creating an eerie atmosphere
• You can tell from the beginning that the hut belongs to the cannibal goblin
• The description of the hut and its inhabitant creates an uneasy feeling
• I really liked the thoughts of the traveler being included
• The author does a good job of giving the reader the emotions of the traveler
• I was hoping to see the traveler doze off as he stayed in the hut
• I thought it was funny how the goblin made such a point to not wander to the back side of the room
• This only invoked curiosity for the traveler
• The room of bones was filled with this ominous and revolting presence
• I appreciated the amount of detail put into that scene
• The emphasis on the traveler's religion was interesting
• That seems to be a light theme of the story
• I liked how the goblin transformed during the escape scene
• This ensured that the true nature of the beast came to light
• I would like to expand on this story
• I think there could be an altered ending or a continuation of the story
• It was pleasing to see that the rumors of the old goblin woman were actually true
• I could write a story about people confronting the goblin once and for all
• That would have a very climatic ending

(A photo of an old goblin woman. Source: Max Pixel)

Bibliography: The Adventures of Kintaro, The Golden Boy from Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki. Source: UnTextbook

Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales, Part A

This week I chose to read the Japanese Fairy Tales Unit. I really liked The Adventures of Kintaro, The Golden Boy story. That is what I chose to take notes over today. There is a lot of cool elements to this story that I hope to bring out in my retelling.

• Kintaro is like a child of the forest
• He has befriended many different animals and they watch over him
• Kintaro and the animals have quite a bit of dialogue
• It seems that the animals are his best friends
• I am surprised at how strong Kintaro truly is
• He is just a boy, but he is able to achieve incredible feats of strength
• Kintaro completely uprooted a tree to create a bridge across the river
• Kintaro was soon found by a general in the army
• He had seen what strength Kintaro possessed and brought him to the capital
• It was a bit sad to see Kintaro leaving his mother and friends in the forest
• The story did a good job in capturing the emotion of the moment
• Kintaro was trained to be the head of the Four Braves
• This was a testament to his strength and ability as a child
• I think I could even make my own story about Kintaro

After reading this story, I feel like there are a lot of possibilities. I could retell the upbringing of Kintaro. I could also create my own story about his adventures. The story ends with Kintaro beheading a monster in a cave. I could create a story from this and make it a great adventure that Kintaro embarks upon. I will try to brainstorm about this for the next couple of days.

(A statue of the Golden Boy, Kintaro. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: The Adventures of Kintaro, The Golden Boy from Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki. Source: UnTextbook

Week 8 Progress

I am satisfied with my progress so far. I have kept up to date on all of the assignments. I have a fairly good weekly routine, but I could do better about sticking to all of the outlined times. I enjoy doing the reading the most. I always enjoy reading a cool new story. I have not utilized any of the extra credit options. I plan on completing at least one every week.

I would like to complete more extra credit in the future. I want to avoid waiting until the end of the week to take advantage of these extra credit opportunities as well. I would also like to maybe read a different kind of adventure story. I tend to read stories that revolve around action and conflict. I definitely enjoy these kinds of stories. However, I think I can work on branching out to different kinds of stories.

(Just keep it up. Source: Flickr)

I chose this image because the message is simple. Just "keep it up". We are almost done with the semester, so we just need to keep pressing forward. It is a nice reminder to never slack off and get behind on school work.

Week 8 Comments and Feedback

Overall, I think the quality of the feedback comments have been great. I find the most useful ones to have suggestions in them. I appreciate advice that offers me a new perspective or idea on how to tell the story.

I like to think that I give good feedback comments. I try to focus on little things that might improve their story and offer suggestions if they want to continue the story. I get some ideas from other people's work, but I usually stick with what I am feeling. I like to try and maintain my creative touch.

I feel like I have been getting to know people better. I try to go back and read some people's stories that I liked from weeks before. I think my introduction is good, but it could use a bit more detail. I think the blog has been a fair reflection of my personality.

I think I should continue with what I am doing. I will try to leave more focused feedback for others, but I feel I have been doing a good job with that. If I was to make a change to my blog I would add more to the introduction and add some visual elements to the blog.

(Feedback Cat on criticism. Source: cheezburger)

I chose this image because it emphasizes an important point. We can all learn from criticism if we have the right mindset. You should be open to other people's suggestions. Most of the time people are trying to help and not put your work down. 

Week 8 Reading and Writing

I think that the reading and writing has been going really well. I was a bit unsure of myself at the beginning and it took me a couple of weeks to find my rhythm. My favorite reading so far has probably been the Adventures of Sindbad unit. I just thought it had so much variety and creativity. There was a new story with each voyage. I also had never read anything related to Sindbad before, so it was definitely a refreshing read. My reading notes have definitely been helping me. It took me a couple of weeks to find the best method for note-taking. However, I think my bullet point lists have been a lot of help. I am certainly happy with the class project. The portfolio has been such a cool way for me to refine my stories. I think my biggest accomplishment has been learning to be creative in my writing. I am always looking for new ways to tell a story.

(A photo of Odysseus driving his stake into the eye of the cyclops. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

This is my favorite image because it came from my first story in the portfolio. I think it is a really cool image and represents the situation perfectly. This was definitely an awesome find for me.

Looking forward there are a couple of things I want to do. I would like to continue to develop my creative writing skills and think of new ways to tell stories. I would also like to work on developing more dialogue in my stories. I think it would also be beneficial to work on developing my portfolio site and add cool images and colors in the background.

Week 7 Story: Trip to the Nether

You can find the updated version of the story here.

I awoke from my dream in a mysterious place filled with the stench of death. There were souls wondering the plagued ground and they were searching for someone to smother and take their life. However, I did not fear such incompetent creatures. "I am the Venerable Sun Wu Kung!" I yelled this as I walked past the creatures. I did not and I will never fear such foul creatures. I am Heaven's equal, and I did not forget that I was the chosen one to lead my people. So, I ventured forward into the pitch-black night and stopped when I came upon the gates to a very large and ominous city.

I soon realized where I had wondered. The guards at the gate informed me that I was now in the realm of death known as the Nether World. However, it did not take the words of the guards for me to realize I had been led to the realm of the forsaken and dead. I pulled out my staff and lengthened it to ten feet. The guards were frightened by this act of aggression, and I did not hesitate. I quickly struck down the guards and gained entrance to the city.

I stormed through the city without regard for the patrons. "I am the Venerable Sun Wu Kung!" I yelled this through the streets as I was searching for those foolish enough to bring me to such a disgraceful place. I was met by a party of 10 men and their bodyguards. They claimed to be the ten princes of the Nether Realm. I was not amused with their titles. "You are no princes! You are weak and feeble spirits, and I will not take orders from you fools!" I yelled this at the princes as they clamored backwards in fear. I ordered them to bow in my presence. They were very quick to oblige to my demands and knelt before my feet. They were scared, and I planned to take full advantage of my position of power.

The princes spent some time trying to appease me. They were afraid that I would bring harm to them and their people. I knew what I was fully capable of doing, so I showed them mercy. "Bring me the Book of Life and no harm shall come to you!" I yelled at them to do so with urgency. They did not hesitate in bringing me the book. I thumbed through the pages until I came across my name and the name of my people. Once I found the names I marked through the day of our predetermined deaths. I freed my people of any fate that was going to become of them.

However, I knew that there was still more to achieve on earth and in the heavens. So, I quickly made my way out of the city and awoke from my dream. I was back with my people on earth. I told them of the good news and my astoundingly easy victory. We celebrated with a giant banquet that night. I had secured the lives of my people, and we all knew it was a great time to rejoice.

(A photo of the venerable Sun Wu Kung. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Author's Note: The story that I retold was sourced from The Monkey King Unit. The Monkey King, Sun Wu Kung, is a popular figure from Chinese folklore. Sun Wu Kung was born as a stone ape. He possessed the powers of both the earth and the heavens. His birth place was high on a mountain top, and the mountain had taken in powers from all of the elements. This gave him his natural abilities and powers that far exceeded those of any man. Sun learned the secrets to immortality during his travels. He possessed the ability to shape-shift and walk amongst the clouds. The specific account I retold came from Sun's adventure to the Nether World. I kept most of the details of the story fairly similar. I told my version in first-person. I felt that this makes a more detailed and engaging story than the traditional third-person perspective. I also changed a few small details here and there to add some variety to the story and put my own mark on the retelling.

Bibliography: "The Ape Sun Wu Kung" from The Chinese Fairy Book by R. Wilhelm and translation by Frederick H. Martens. Source: UnTextbook

Reading Notes: The Monkey King, Part B

I continued my readings today with the Monkey King Unit. I think that the second half of the unit presents a lot of more intense conflict and resolution. I was really excited to dive into the stories and find out what becomes of the Monkey King and his people.

• As I suspected Sun Wu Kung was called to the heavens
• It seems that Sun is letting his guard down too much
• He assumes that he is indestructible and not bound to the rules of life
• Sun definitely proved himself to be an equal to the heavens
• I did not suspect Sun to better the warriors of the heavens, but it did not surprise me
• Sun becomes very ignorant and complacent once he has achieved heavenly status
• He does not take into account the effects his actions have on others
• I think this is a very important character flaw
• Sun's inability to see what is best for others constantly causes issues
• Sun Wu Kung loses control of his desires and emotions
• Sun wages war on the heavens and does not seem to have a reason for doing so
• It seems that Sun's only amusement in life is besting others
• Sun constantly searches for a new challenge and is never satisfied with what he has
• This is another character flaw that is vital to the development of the story
• I really like the fact that Sun constantly causes conflict
• Sun's inability to law low is what makes the stories engaging
• It really seemed that Sun's defeat was of his own ignorance
• He became tame once Buddha arrived and humbled him
• I think Sun could have achieved so much if he had just realized his impolite manner

Overall, I really enjoyed reading about Sun and his adventures. I think I will probably retell one of his adventures or great battles. There was a lot that took place in this unit, so I definitely have a lot of options with this week's story.

(A cool photo of an ice sculpture of the Monkey King. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: "The Ape Sun Wu Kung" from The Chinese Fairy Book by R. Wilhelm and translation by Frederick H. Martens. Source: UnTextbook

Reading Notes: The Monkey King, Part A

This week I read the the unit of The Monkey King "Sun Wu Kung". The Monkey King is a very popular hero in Chinese culture. The Monkey King is so popular that he even makes appearances in various video games. I really liked reading about the legend of the Monkey King. I had always heard of him, but I never knew the actual origin story. I have been looking forward to reading this unit for a few weeks.

• Born of a magic egg on a mountain top
• He possessed the magic of the earth and the heavens
• He was the stone ape before becoming the King of the Apes
• The Monkey King was a very curious individual
• He was always pondering thought and considering the deeper meanings to life
• The Monkey King attains his name Sun Wu Kung from his master, the "Discerner"
• It seems that Sun is always over-eager to obtain answers
• Sun is always curious and seeks the truth, but at times he can become very eager
• Sun Wu Kung was always after the blessing of immortality
• He was so clever that he was able to obtain the means to immortality
• The gifts and abilities that Sun Wu Kung possess and learn are something of imagination
• I really like the emphasis that is placed on Sun's drive to obtain immortality
• I also like the pure talent that Sun possesses
• It seems that Sun's ability to understand the unordinary is what makes him so special
• Sun is very brave and courageous when it comes to saving his people
• His ability to transform himself by using a single piece of hair is remarkable
• I like the fact that the story constantly progresses to new events
• The story of the Dragon King is particularly interesting and shows the true might of Sun Wu Kong
• The venture to the Nether World sets up the second part of the reading

I am really excited for the second part of the reading. I think Sun's actions in the Nether World could be a cause for possible conflict in the future. It seems that the story continues to foreshadow events that will take place in the heavens. I am very excited to see what becomes of Sun Wu Kung once he is confronted by the Gods. There is a lot of originality in this story, and I want to give an accurate retelling.

(A cosplay of The Monkey King Sun Wu Kung. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: "The Ape Sun Wu Kung" from The Chinese Fairy Book by R. Wilhelm and translation by Frederick H. Martens. Source: UnTextbook