Storytelling Week 3: The Horse and His Rider

The Horse and His Rider (From the Ass and His Driver)

There once was a horse named Jack.  He was a stubborn little quarter horse that has been traveling his whole life.  Day after day and night after night Jack traveled the same roads.  It was a sunny Saturday morning and Jack was chosen to deliver a very important package to the leader of his village.  His rider, Flynn, takes these missions very seriously and will not let anything stand in the way of him delivering this important message.

Needless to say, Flynn was not the nicest person in the village so he treated Jack very poorly.  Flynn bossed and he bossed Jack around until he couldn’t handle it any longer.  “Go this way! Now go that way! No do this!” exclaimed Flynn to Jack.

As they climbed up the tallest mountain in the village to deliver the package to the leader, Jack couldn’t listen to one more word that Flynn was telling him and he was fed up with walking the same roads over and over again.  Jack thought to himself about his dreams and all the other things and beautiful sights that the world has to offer.

With a cliff up ahead, Jack only had one thing on his mind and he wasn’t going to stray from that.  He wanted to look over the cliff to see the most beautiful views of the village from the tip top of the mountain.  As Flynn and Jack walked closer and closer to the cliff, Flynn knew Jack was going to stop listening to him because he started to disobey his orders.  Flynn hopped off the little horse and started pulling Jack towards the middle of the mountain and away from the cliff.  Although Jack was little, he sure was strong and he out-pulled Flynn and tumbled down the cliff. 

Fortunately, and little did Flynn know,  Jack landed in a giant hill of hay and he was finally free from any duties! Jack could now follow his dreams to venture out and explore the world like he always wanted to do.

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Author's Note:  I loved reading these tales.  They were a quick and enjoyable read and really kept my attention.  Out of all the tales I read, this one stuck out to me the most because it made me laugh and I thought it taught a good lesson about listening to others and the importance of not being too stubborn.  The story I wrote is much different than the original story because I changed the driver to portray someone that would be looked at as a "bad guy" and the horse (which was a donkey in the original) was the "good guy" in the story. It still has the same moral as the original until the very end when the horse actually ends up being free from his stubborn ways so that worked out to his advantage.  The characters differ slightly but the main thing that I changed for this story was the perspective. I wanted to change the characters mainly to create a more modern situation.  In our culture today, we are more used to hearing about horses rather than asses or donkeys.  I also changed the viewpoint at which the story was told because when I was reading the story I felt bad for the donkey and I wondered what made him want to go his own path and tumble down the cliff. 

Reading Diary B: Aesop for Children (Winter)

Aesop for Children (Winter)

The Bear and the Bees

Bears always tend to have a bit of a temper.  I love this character in the story because this happens so much in reality.  When something really little strikes the temper of someone, it can turn into something so much bigger if not handled properly.  Sometimes people with a bad temper create more problems because of the scene they create from the smaller problem.  The snow ball effect occurs and pretty soon, just like the bear diving into the pool of water after the whole swarm comes, a bigger problem will come with anger. 

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The Fox and the Leopard

The story of the Fox and the Leopard is a great moral lesson, especially in society these days.  So many people are just like the Leopard and get so caught up in what they look like and what they have.  The Fox realizes that there is more to life than having the best and most shiny things and being materialistic.  Some think the most attractive things about people are about what they have but the things you can buy and your outward appearance can always change but having a beautiful inside with the brains and a good personality can take you much further because those are the things you cannot buy. The person with the most attractive clothes or haircut is not always the most well-rounded and attractive person on the inside.

The Cat the Cock, and the Young Mouse

This is the perfect story to portray the moral of never judging a book by its cover.  The poor little mouse had no idea but the animal that looked really scary was in fact the animal that wouldn’t hurt him at all, rather the animal that looked gentle and sweet was the animal that could have eaten him.   There have been many times where I have thought someone looked really nice and friendly and they have actually been the complete opposite or someone that looked really mean and scary at first ended up being a great friend.  You never know the personality of someone or the behaviors of something until you really get to know them.  

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The Mouse and the Weasel

The Weasel really caught my attention in this story because he proves a good lesson.  Although, typically, people would show a little more sympathy, the mouse got exactly what he deserved.  He was eating food that was not his and ate way too much of it to the point that he could no longer fit through the hole he came through.  The weasel made it a point to tell him that he couldn’t help him but that he had to wait until all of his food had digested and he could fit through the hole he entered through again.  Poor little mouse probably learned his lesson about eating and taking more than he needed and I think that is a very important lesson in America today.  Too many people take as much as they possibly can even if they don’t need it.  For some reason we all have this mentality that we need to stock up on resources and food and other things just to get by but in reality, we usually have way too much and we could have given it to other people.

Reading Diary A: Aesop (Winter)

Aesop (Winter)

 The Wolf and the Kid

There was a little Billy goat that was really scared of the Wolf but when he came in contact with the wolf, all he really wanted was for him to play him some music so he could dance to it as long as he could.  The rest of the flock knew something was wrong when Mr. Wolf played his pre-feast song.  They ran back to the pasture but by then it was too late.  The moral of the story is to never stray away from the goal or the end of the tunnel.   Poor little kid didn’t listen to his mother from the very beginning and ended up falling into trouble with the wolf.  Sometimes I feel like I can take on more than I can handle, when in reality, I should have listened to my parents all along because they knew what was best for me.

The Tortoise and the Ducks

I can relate to this story in my life a lot because it is hard for me to keep my mouth shut.  The tortoise wanted to see the rest of the world and when he was made fun of for being lazy and never seeing what else was filling this world, he felt like he was missing out.  Sometimes when I’m feeling down, the easiest thing for me to do is open my mouth and talk about things that I shouldn’t talk about.  In this case, when the tortoise was sad, the ducks took him on a flight but he had to keep quiet the whole time or things would end very badly.  Sometimes in my case, there are many times that I need to bite my tongue and hold on to that stick between my teeth to not say something I know I would regret in the future.

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The Ass and His Driver

The Ass in this story is a perfect representation of many people I know.  He is very stubborn and only wants to do exactly what he thinks is the best thing to do even if that may not be the case.  The Ass also reminds me of myself sometimes.  When I have my mind set on something that I believe is the beet thing to do at the moment then nothing will change my mind, even if it is ultimately not the best option.  By not listening to the driver, the Ass fell into a lot of trouble and tumbled off the cliff.  Many people in my life are stubborn and, although they may not tumble off a cliff, I know they continue to do something stupid only because their mind is made up and set on an action they want to accomplish.

The Sheep and the Pig

I never thought about the difference between sheep and pig until this story.  The pigs cannot be brave when they are caught because they are captured to be killed when the sheep are only captured to trim their coat.  In reality, this makes so much sense because it is so much easier to be brave when you know your life is not in danger.  Such as soldiers getting sent off to war to risk their life to fight for our country and the people that sit and do the behind-the-scenes work for the wars that have little to no risk when they are doing their job.  

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Topic

Storybook Topic: Sea Creatures with Mermaids

Comments: One of my favorite movies growing up was the Little Mermaid (the Disney version) but ever since then, I have been fascinated by mermaids and I always wondered if there were really anything like a mermaid or how they interacted with the other creatures underwater.

Possible Stories: There are many stories about mermaids all around the internet because there are so many different thoughts about mermaids and on how people associate mermaids with so many different things.  I would love to include a story on how they are the at top of the hierarchy in the sea, how a little mermaid interacts with some of the other underwater creatures, how the families work, and other adventures from the mermaids.  I also want to include many facts from the legends of mermaids.

Sample Story:  This text explains the legends od the golden mermaid.  It has the powerful king and the hierarchy that I was looking for in my story as well as incorporating the legends of the mermaids.

Bibliography: 

Book Title: The Green Fairy Book

Book Author: Andrew Lang

Year: 1892

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Storybook Topic: Not Really A Happily Ever After

Comments:  I love fairy tales and from a very young age I have always watched the princess movies and read all the books about how the prince saves the princess and then they live happily ever after.  After growing up and realizing this relationship would be highly unlikely to work out, I wonder what would actually happen years down the line if they were to get married and spend the rest of their life together.

Possible Stories: I would take my 3 top favorite stories and change the story and the endings to combine the stories and show that it is not always a happily ever after. 

Sample Story: This story has a little bit of a different viewpoint than what I want to write about but it has the right idea.  I want to look at these stories from a different perspective.

Bibliography: 

Book Title: A Prince’s Perspective

Book Author: Kate Brandon

Storybook Topic: What Animals Really Do

Comments: I have always wondered what my dog and my two cats do during the day while all of us are gone.  Surely they don’t just sit around and sleep all day.  I want to write story about what the animals in a house really do all day while everyone is away. 

Possible Stories: This will be a story with a section about the adventures of my cat, my dog, my bird, and my fish do all day.  Do they have other friends? Can they talk to the stuffed animals? Or can they talk to each other? We will see.

Sample Story: This is more information on what pets actually do all day to entertain themselves.  I want to incorporate some information and some legends together to form an entertaining story.

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Storybook Topic: A Once Heroic Ape Turns Bad

Comments: I have always loved monkeys and apes so any story about those interest me.  There are so many stories about Apes saving the day or becoming the King of the jungle, but what if this so called “king” was actually really bad.

Possible Stories: I would write a story building off of multiple stories about how the ape or the monkey becomes kind of the jungle, but then someone tragic in his life happens and this Monkey King all the sudden becomes very bad.  When that happens, the villages has to fight back and save their own species.

Sample Story:  This is the story about the King of the Apes.  This Ape was magical and became king of the jungle! He had the courage to force his way through the waterfall and become the king. 

Bibliography: 

Book Title: The Chinese Fairy Book

Book Author: R. Wilhelm

Year: 1921

Essay: The Gospel of Mark

Essay: Inspiration? Guidance? Model?

In my opinion, the Gospel of Mark is the perfect example of inspiration, guidance, and a model.  Jesus is the ultimate guide and this story shows how many people chose to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and he provided the guidance they needed for them to live out a follower of God. 

Jesus provided inspiration to many people as he healed the blind, helped the child on her deathbed, walked on water, and healed the injured.  Although no one can completely imitate the actions of Jesus, being the Son of God, but many tried to imitate the best they could and worshipped all the actions of Jesus.  The disciples taught what Jesus taught and did whatever he said to do.

He has been the ultimate model to follow for thousands of years now.  It’s crazy to think about how many people know the teachings of Jesus and whether they believe in Jesus or not, millions and millions of people all around the world know His story.  Jesus was perfect.  He never lied or fell into lust or became jealous.  The values that He shows throughout the whole new testament and Mark in specific are the values that every person to ever walk the Earth should follow.  Either a follower of God or not, these are great guidelines to live by regardless because this create a person that is as close to perfect that we can obtain. 

As humans, we are far from perfect, but after hearing the stories of Jesus and following the guidelines that are explained in the Gospels of Mark, we can be as close to Jesus as we can.  Personally, I need to work on myself by following these values that Jesus portrays.  I need to work on being more humble, less jealous, more trustworthiness, and not falling into lust.  I think these are values that many people need to work on and I hope I’m not alone, but after reading the importance of following Jesus and how important this is to him and god, it motivates me to become someone better.  I have flaws and Jesus doesn’t, therefore I know I need to follow Him if I want to become the person that I want to be. 

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Storytelling for Week 2: The Gospel of Mark

The Story of Mark from a Village person

I am a man by the name of Samuel from Jerusalem.  I keep hearing about the Son of God named Jesus but I only believe what I can see with my own two eyes.   I have never met this Jesus man, but I heard he has made miracles happen.  Miracles? Or magic tricks? Is this man trying to trick us all into believing that he is so much better than us? Half of the people worship the ground that Jesus walks on but the other half are set out to kill him.  What’s so great about this man and why is he such a big deal?  He’s just like any other man in my village…right?

Many people travel through my village, but recently, I heard a very interesting story that is hard to explain.  I heard Jesus healed someone that was blind.   Unless someone was tricking everyone that he was blind for his entire life, I don’t understand how a regular man could heal someone’s blindness.  Maybe this Jesus guy is pretty spectacular after all.  Although, I need more to convince me that Jesus is really the Son of God.

Jesus is coming to Jerusalem today!  Could this mean that Jesus is coming to make miracles happen in my village? Maybe I will listen to his teachings if I’m convinced.  After hearing the stories about the people he has healed, maybe this Jesus guy isn’t so bad after all?  I was able to sneak into the temple that Jesus rode his horse into today.  I tried to eaves drop on the conversations but I was unable to make out everything.  I overheard John talking about his baptism from Jesus, but they were deciding whether Jesus was from man or if he was from the Heavens.  Well this changes it all! I need to know this answer and I will tell all my village whether or not Jesus is the real deal or if he is a hoax. 

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Many weeks went by and I still didn’t know my answer.  But how could anyone be so perfect and selfless?  He told us to follow commandments that will make us better and create a more peaceful world.  Who else would teach such a thing if there was nothing in it for them?  Questions raced through my head like a bullet coming out of a gun.  I was more confused about this than anything else I had ever been confused about.  For some reason this was more important.  After hearing about the prophecies, Jesus must be the Son of God.  There is not other explanation to explain the miracles that have happened and the teachings that he has taught and the things that only Jesus can do.  I must believe in him and follow his teachings and I know I will live a more peaceful life if I follow the footsteps of Jesus.  Suddenly, in that moment, everything became so clear.  This is what I needed to do to become who again.  I was confused and lost and now my mind is set at ease and I know exactly what to believe and understand.  This all makes so much sense.  I must go spread the word to the rest of my village and make disciples to teach about the wonderful and spectacular Jesus. 

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 Author's Note:

I read the Gospel stories of Mark for my week 2 reading diary because this is something that is always very interesting to me.  I love reading the Bible and stories from the Bible so I chose to learn and dive more into Mark.  I wrote my story from the eyes of a normal villager.  Not someone that was particularly a follower of God or Jesus but someone who was very skeptical about the whole thing from the very beginning.  I wanted to write my story through this perspective because I feel like so many people these days are very skeptical about whether or not Jesus was real or if He was the Son of God.  Samuel, in my story, did not believe that Jesus was special in any way at the beginning of the story, but soon he was convinced.  

Reading Diary B

Mark: The Teachings of Jesus

I always enjoy reading the book of Mark because it shows a lot of the teachings and miracles that Jesus does throughout his life.  In this story, Jesus shows the importance of not acting in His name.  He is the only one that can create the miracles that he does and you would be talking in ill-will if someone tried to say they could do the things that Jesus can do.  My very favorite part about this whole story comes at the very end when he talks about how the salt is important, but if the salt loses its saltiness, then what good is it? If anyone is interested in learning more about the teaching of Jesus, I would recommend reading Mark along with some other books from the New Testament.

Mark: Jesus and the Blind Man

This story is opened with the brutal remarks from the people in Jerusalem.  The rumors that were spread around the city were that once the Son of God came, they were to spit on him and condemn him until he dies.  They also added that the third day He should raise again.  Unlike any human, Jesus is the only one that they can crucify on a cross and he can rise back again in three days.  This truly solidified this for many people that he was, indeed, the Son of God.  In this situation, I don't know how I could react to such an amazing event.  This is not human and unless I saw it with my own two eyes, I'm not sure if I would completely believe it.  Because of these stories, the Bible, and my faith in God, I do believe that all of this happened, but in the moment, I would be so confused. Jesus comes upon a blind man that is begging for help. Just as Jesus has already done many times, He made miracles happen and gave the blind man sight again.

Mark: More Parables of Jesus

Jesus embarked on many journeys, taught a lot of people, and made many miracles happen.  Even though He did so many amazing things,  there were still many people that were skeptical about the things that they witness.  I think I would have to believe and I would have faith in someone that creates miracles right before my very eyes.  People worship the ground that Jesus walks on yet there were still people that didn't believe.  He ends the story saying that He is the God of the living.

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