Extra Reading Diary - Stories From The Congo

For this reading diary, I am finishing reading Stories From the Congo, which I first started last week with my extra reading diary for week 6.

The Antelope and The Leopard - This is why you always follow through with your word.  Whenever you do not do this, something bad will happen.

How The Spider Won and Lost Nzambi's Daughter - At the beginning of the story, the spider expressed his intent to marry the daughter if the others helped him.  They helped him and they complained, which they shouldn't have because they knew what the spider was going to do from the beginning.

The Turtle and The Man - When people don't share, and are selfish, bad things happen to them.  What goes around comes around.

(Wikipedia)

The Gazelle and the Leopard - This story confused me for the fact that I can't understand why there was a point of this story.  I couldn't find any moral of the story or anything like that.

The Fetish Sunga - Bad things happen to bad people that do bad things.  The great-uncle lied about the fish, so he then lost his ability to talk and could no longer speak.

The Rabbit and the Antelope - A lot of these stories are about bad people and what happens to bad people.  The good person, like the antelope, is always able to get back at the bad person and be victorious in the stories.

The Fight Between the Two Fetishes - Compared to the other stories, it seemed like this story was a lot more historical while the other stories were just stories.  It added a different twist on the story.

The Fetish of Chilunga - That is a rather powerful fetish and it seems like the fetish was the one who ruled the country, and not the princess.

The Leopard and the Crocodile - This, once again, shows that cunning beats brawn and might.

Why The Crocodile Does Not Eat The Hen - This is a creative way to show the link between all creatures, and it was certainly smart of the hen.

The Three Brothers - You never know what someone is capable of until they are nurtured and allowed to become the best they can be.

Oh So Troublesome: Storytelling Week 7

All of the other kids in the neighborhood did not quite know how to act around Anthony.  He was either a great friend, or he would stomp around and destroy everything he could.  Everyday was a different day with Anthony.  He could be happy all of the time or he could be happy and mad or he could be just mad.

(Flickr)

It got to the point where all of the mothers were scared for their children.  They went to Anthony's mom and said that the two of them could no longer live in the neighborhood.  They were scared of what Anthony could possibly do and they didn't want him to hurt their children.

After a lot of talking, Anthony's mother begrudgingly agreed to move out of the neighborhood.  She didn't want to leave their nice little suburban house, but she really didn't have a choice.  She found a nice ranch house just outside of town, where she could still make it to her job, and Anthony would be able to attend a nice public school that was nearby.

The first few months were fine.  Then Anthony started bringing home notes from teachers and requests to meet with her person.  When she finally agreed to sit down with the teachers, the principal was also there as well.

"We love having Anthony at our school."  Started the principal, speaking for the group of faculty assembled as a whole, "But we just fear what he temperament does to the other children.  Everyone is scared to play with him, no one wants to work with him on group assignments, and even a few teachers are scared or what he could possibly do."

"So what are you saying?"  Asked Anthony's mother, already knowing the answer.

"We would like Anthony to no longer attend our school.  While this is not something we wish we would have to say, we are just afraid for the other students, and anyone else who is in the school.  We have to look out of the best interests of the general public.  We hope you understand."

"I understand.  His temper can get a little bit out of control.  He is so much like his father in that way."  Anthony's mother smiled politely and walked out of the room.  From that point on, Anthony and his mother both worked from home on their ranch house.  Him being homeschooled by his mom and she, being a online supervisor for her company.

Author's Note: The story I used as inspiration was The Story of Lightning and Thunder.  In the story, Thunder is being described as the mother of lightning.  Whenever he is mad, lightning goes around destroying things in the village they live in.  The king then banishes them to the forest/outskirts of the village they live in.  This doesn't help because he still causes damage and destruction in the village.  Finally the king banishes thunder and lightning to the sky which is where they have stayed.

Reading Diary B - Nigerian Folk Stories

For this reading diary, I am finishing reading Nigerian Folk Stories.

The Lightening and the Thunder - I like the idea of making the lighting and the thunder a son and mother duo.  It is very fitting for how they got into the sky and how they happen with each other, most of the time.

(Wikimedia)

The Bush Cow and the Elephant - While a very interesting story and one that makes a lot of sense for why wild animals fight in the bush now, it is sad that the elephant and the bush cow had to die slow painful deaths in order to for it to happen.

The Cock Who Caused a Fight Between Two Towns - This was a story that turned violent quickly.  If Ama Ukwa was jealous of both brothers, he could have definitely found a different way to become better than the brothers than try to create a fight that ultimately led to his death.

The Affair of the Hippopotamus and the Tortoise - I think that it was sad the hippo did not want to share his feast with the other animals.  If you do not want anyone to know your name, or you are two embarrassed by it, you shouldn't have people try and guess it.

Why Dead People Are Buried - This story was short, sweet and straight to the point.  I wonder why the part about the dog not being liked was included. I am assuming because in Nigeria dogs are not as much liked as they are here in America.

Of the Fat Woman Who Melted Away - The woman who was made of oil, was basically forced to go into the sun for it melted her away.  But her sister was able to save her toe so she could become whole again.

Why The Moon Waxes and Wanes - Why were the people who lived in the town so concerned with the moon?  They did all of their work during the day, so what would the difference be if they could not see the moon?

How the Tortoise Overcame and Elephant and the Hippopotamus - This story shows that brains will always overcome brawn.

The King and the 'Nsait Bird - The female 'nsait bird is a very pretty bird and I can see how the king would want to marry her.

Concerning the Hawk and the Owl - It was certainly rather nice of the hawk to return the owlet to its parents and then find another source of food.

The 'Nsasak Bird and the Oududu bird - Once again, this is a story that shows that cunning-ness helps over all other things.

The Election of the King Bird - Sometimes, even if you are much more cunning than the others, you have to let the one with the most brawn and greatest strength be victorious.

Reading Diary A - Nigerian Folk Stories

For this reading diary, I chose to read Nigerian Folk Stories.

The Pretty Stranger who Killed the King - The line at the end really is what summarizes what the story is trying to show.  Even if you think someone is the most beautiful person on the outside, you do not know what they are like on the inside.  Thus you have to get to know the person before wanting to spend the rest of your life with them.

Why the Bat Flies at Night - This was an interesting story, and also shows what happened when you are misinformed.  If you are doing something new, you always have to know what you are going to do.

(Wikipedia)

The Disobedient Daughter Who Married a Skull - This is similar to the first story, in that the story says that you should really get to know the person who you want.

The King Who Married the Cock's Daughter - This was an interesting story.  I can't imagine what the cock's daughter would have looked like to have the king marry her.  Though you can't get mad at someone for doing what only seems natural to them.

The Woman, The Ape, and the Child - This story's interesting, but also it showed what happens when you let your anger get the best of you.

The Fish and the Leopard's Wife - This was certainly a strange story, but that is also what happens when you lust after something that is not supposed to be yours.

Why The Worms Live Underneath The Ground - All of these stories are creation stories, or stories about how animals are living the way they are.  These are always interesting to read based on each culture.

The Elephant and the Tortoise - This was certainly a unique story that included a cunning animal, and an animal that needed to learn a lesson.  I think this is a characteristic for all cultural folk tales.

Why Hawk Kills Chicken - This was a sad story that the young rooster could not jus try to get his own instead.

Why The Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky - I think these cultural folk tales are always fascinating because there is always a unique answer for why something is the way it is.

Why Cat Kills Rats - The poor cat, he just wanted to have his own way in the world and the rat would not let him.

Extra Reading Diary - Stories from Congo

For this extra reading diary, I chose to read Stories from Congo.

How the Wives Restores Their Husband To Life - This story had a very valid point in it.  While I do not think I will have to bring anyone back to life anytime soon, I still think that it was a valid point that the husband made when choosing which wife to join.

How Gazelle Got Married - I read this story previously in the semester, but I do think that this was a great story.  It certainly fit into the category of stories from the congo.

The Vanishing Wife - This story shows that sometimes, even if you do not want to, you need to follow directions that are given to you.  For if you do not, you sometimes may not be able to keep what you want.

Another Vanishing Wife - This story shows quite plainly what happens when you try to please other people and gain the appreciation of other people compared to the appreciation of yourself and those closest to you.

(Wikipedia)

The Jealous Wife - Only bad things happen when you try to kill, or even hurt, children.  They are so precious and so innocent, that anything they do is not something that should become worth being jealous of.

Ngomba's Balloon - This story reminds me of something you would watch on CSI or SVU or some other tv show similar to that.  The fact the girl was kidnapped, married to her kidnapper, had to create a long charade to eventually escape from her kidnapper and then her village helped kill the kidnapper.

The Wicked Husband - Well, that is quite a terrible story.  But you if don't like someone that much, why did you marry them?  Or you could just not get angry over some pine nuts, even if they do take a lot of effort.

How Kengi Lost Her Child - I think that based on the agreement Kengi and Gunga had, Kengi would have been smart enough not to give birth to her child on Gunga's plantation.  She knew what the agreement was, so it is her fault that she lost her child.

The Twin Brothers - Brothers can be so violent to each other.  One saved the other and saved his wife as well, and they ended up killing each other.

The Younger Brother Who Knew More Than The Elder - It was certainly a clever way the elder brother was able to save the younger brother's wife.  And also the fact they ended happily, so they were able to live together peacefully for once.

The Horrors of Reality

Ben had always had aspirations to grow up and be famous.  He didn't care how he got that way, but he knew he wanted to be famous.  Seeing all of the movie stars and pop singers being swarmed by beautiful women, having money, and being able to do whatever they wanted, that is what he wanted.

But the problem was, Ben was from, Bancroft, Nebraska.  That meant there were very few prospects in his town.  There was barely anything to do in town, and out of town there were only miles of farmland to be found.

(Wikipedia)

One day, while on Facebook, Ben saw a post about a reality tv show that was having auditions.  It was a new show that hadn't ever been on tv before, something about a group of 20-somethings trying to make it in a big city.  Ben didn't pay that much attention to the details of the show.  All he saw was that the show was having auditions in a city just a couple hours drive from where he lived.  He realized that the could go, get on the show and become famous!

He didn't pay attention to anything else at that point.  He took note of when and where the audition was (it was tomorrow!) and then raced around his room grabbing things to pack.  His head was just in such a whirl from the excitement and opportunity that had been presented to him.  After he finished packing everything, he jumped in his car and raced off to where the audition was being held.  After getting lost a few times on the way, he finally made it.  He found where the audition was going to be held and realized he had to find a place to spend the night.  The sun was already setting and he was in a foreign city.  After driving around for a little while, he couldn't find a hotel or a place to stay for the night because every place available was full.  So he decided the next best option was to park in the parking lot next to where the audition was going to be and sleep in his car.  He was all settled to get a couple hours of sleep when he heard a rapping at the door.

"What are you doing here?!  You need to leave now!"  Startled, Ben jumped in his seat and looked out the window.  There was an old grumpy officer  glaring down at him.

"I'm sorry sir.  I'm here for the reality tv show audition in the morning and i didn't have anywhere else to sleep."

"I don't care why you are here.  You need to leave now!"

"Ok, ok.  I'm going.  I'm sorry sir."  Ben put his car into reverse and pulled out of the parking lot.  What was he going to do now?  It was just past midnight and he still had to find a place to stay for the night.  He drove around some and found a parking lot that was next to a hotel.  No one would ever think twice about another car parked next to a hotel, right?  Ben pulled up to a spot, turned off the car and settled in for the night.  Just as he drifted off to sleep, he heard a knocking on his car door window.  "Again?"  He thought sleepily as he turned around to see who it was.

"What are you doing here?!  You need to leave now!"  Ben stared at him in shock.  It was the exact same guy who had told him to leave the other parking lot!  Ben rolled down the window and stared up at the officer.

"I'm so sorry officer.  But, didn't you just tell me to move my car less than an hour ago?"

"No! What are you doing making up stories sonny?! Actually . . you may have run into my brother.  We are identical you see."

"That must have been it.  I'm so sorry for the confusion officer.  I will leave right away."  Ben said apologetically and pulled away from the spot.  "Great.  It is almost 2 now and I need to get some sleep!"  Ben drove around for a little longer and decided to go to the opposite side of town.  He finally found another spot just before 3 and settled in for the night.  Then, before he knew it, there was more knocking on his window.

"What are you doing here?!  You need to leave now!"  The SAME officer was before was staring down at him.

"Don't you know already?  I already told you that I am here for the audition for the reality tv show.  I then met you brother and he told me to move my car again."

"You never told me that!  You probably ran into my other brothers.  We are triplets and are all night watch in this town.  However, I don't give a flying flip about why you are here!  You need to leave now!"

"Ok, ok.  I'm going, I'm going." Ben grumbled, as he pulled out of the spot for a final time.  "You know, what?!  I am going home.  I can't handle this.  I'll find some other way to get my dream."  And he pealed off racing towards his hometown.  As soon as he got home, he landed in his bed and slept until the late afternoon.  A couple weeks later, Ben was looking through the newspaper and saw an article about the tv show he had been planning on trying out for.  It turns out that the show was canceled before it started due to the extreme amount of physical, mental and emotional stress it put those on the tv show through.

"Hmmm," mused Ben. "I guess it was a good thing after all that I never tried out for that."


Author's Note: This story is based on the story How the Raven Saved the Hunter.  In this story a poor man goes out to hunt to try to find something to eat.  In the middle of the day he stops for he is tired and hungry.  He spots a small stream with crystal clear water flowing through it.  He goes to drink the water when a raven stops him by knocking the leaf out of his hand.  The man tries to drink two more times and the raven stops him two more times.  Finally, the man becomes so frustrated he kills the raven.  After wondering if the raven was trying to stop him for a reason, he walks up the stream.  He finds that the stream flows out of the mouth of a giant snake and there are animals all around who tried to drink and died because it was poisoned.  With horror, the man realizes he killed the bird who was trying to save his life.

Reading Diary B - Tibetan Folk Tales

For this reading diary, I am finishing reading Tibetan Folk Tales.

How the Rabbit Killed the Lion - This story shows how wits and brains will always be able to help you much more than strength and pure force, since the wits kept the rabbit alive and the force is what caused the lion to drown.

The Three Hunters - This story shows what happens when you let jealously get the best of you.  Jealousy is a nasty trait that can either inspire you to do better or convince you to do evil things.

How the Raven Saved the Hunter - At least the hunter thought and was able to realize the raven did not want him to drink the water before it was too late.  It was very foolish of the hunter to just strike out at the raven like he did.

The Golden Squash - This story shows what happens when you try to get too much of something for the wrong reasons.  It will come back to haunt you in the end.

The Man With Five Friends - Sometimes your parents do know what they are talking about, even if it sounds like they are just talking crazy.  This is what happened here and it caused the man to become elected an official.

(Wikipedia)

The Violinist - In this story those who asked too much were eventually punished.  The king was an evil so it was fitting that the violinist was able to take control of the kingdom.

How the Sacred Duck Got His Yellow Breast - This is a very interesting way as to which the duck got his yellow breast.

The Two Little Cats - This story shows the power of team work and what you can accomplish if you work together.

How the Wolf, the Fox and the Rabbit Committed a Crime - This story is a perfect example of if you want to do something, you will have to do it yourself.  For the rabbit did everything himself in terms of distributing the items and he ended up with the best option.

A Rabbit's Story - This story is full of mean and spiteful things that happened to everyone else.  I understand why he did those things to the bears but not to everyone else.  The young rabbit was just a mean person.

The Man and the Monkeys - This story clearly and plainly shows that you need to, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  For if you are mean to people, they will come back and be mean to you.

Reading Diary A - Tibetan Folk Tales

For this reading diary, I decided to read Tibetan Folk Tales.

The Tiger and the Frog - This story was very clever for the frog was able to convince the tiger that he was more mighty than any old tiger.  And there was a little bit of humor added to the story to picture the tiger running as fast as he can and dragging the fox behind him.

The Cony Who Got Into Bad Company - This is a very just story for the bad people, who were caught doing something bad.  But they tried to get out of trouble by pretending they had been innocent in the whole thing when they actually weren't.

(Wikipedia)

The Story of the Donkey and the Rock - This story very much is an example of how curiosity killed the cat.  Except in this case, the villagers had to pay money instead of actually dying.  But it was a very clever way for the king to gain money for the man whose oil was knocked over.

How the Fox Fell Victim to His Own Deceit - This is a great example to show what would happen if you were to meddle in things and become jealous of things unnecessarily.  When you do, and try to destroy things, it will eventually come back to you.  For as the saying goes, what does around comes around.

The Ingratitude of Men - This story shows that you really shouldn't guess what a person is capable of and what they are able to do to help you just by looking at them.  For your guess may be wrong and cause you to end up in trouble.

Covetousness - This story certainly had quite a few deaths in it.  But I do agree with the moral of the story.  People need to be willing to share (because there will probably be enough to go around) and also don't think that you are always getting the short end of the stick.  Because if you do, then you will always have that chip on your shoulder.

The Wise Carpenter - This story is reminiscent of the story before.  For if you try to ruin someone else, it will most likely come back against you.

The Story of Drashup and the Goddesses - This story shows that there really is no escaping your fate and what is in story for you in the future.  For if you try to, you will still always end up with the same fate.

The Man and the Ghost - I thought this story was really weird.  I understand that it has a point in the Tibetan culture, but I still thought it a strange, and maybe pointless story.

The Two Devils - This story shows a good example if you try to be something that you are not.  For when you do, it ends up coming back on you and then you will get in trouble for it.

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Extra Reading Diary - Turkish Fairy Tales

For my Extra Reading Diary, I decided to read Turkish Fairy Tales.

Fear - I was surprised how this boy never experienced fear, and did not understand the concept.  It was amazing how he was able to get through all of those different tasks.

Fear (cont.) - It is surprising that after all of the adventures the youth went through the youth was able to be surprised by a small act.  Having the bird flying out of the soup lid, was something he could have done at his home instead of traveling the world.

The Wizard-Dervish -I am surprised that the young Prince was not shocked or upset about being taken away from all he had known for the past 20 years.  He also was completely ok with being taken away to the strange place and marrying the young maiden.

The Wizard-Dervish (cont.) - I wonder why the young maiden had hid both herself and the young Prince from her mother.  There seemed to be no apparent reason for this.  Also, since they were getting married, wouldn't it be only right that they go and meet the mother of the young maiden?

The Fish-Peri - I wonder how the neighbor of the young man saw that there is was someone in the young man's house every day.  If the maiden was inside, how would it be possible for someone to tell?

The Fish-Peri (cont.) - I am glad for the happy ending to this story.  It was very rude of the Padishah to come in and demand the maiden and make the young man perform all of those difficult tasks just so he could keep the woman he wanted to be his wife.

(Wikipedia)

The Crow-Peri - The lala is a very cruel person.  All he wants to do is to make the bird-catcher be punished for not producing a certain special prize for the Padishah.  And this is all stemming from the fact the lala is just jealous of the bird-catcher.

The Crow-Peri (cont.) - The lala is such a mean hearted person.  I know I mentioned it before, but the fact that he is jealous of the bird-catcher and the Padishah no matter what they do shows just how spiteful he is.

Rain's Journey

Rain grew up with a nice childhood.  She had a loving family with a mother, father, a younger sister and an older brother.  She grew up with quite a few friends in school, and generally lived a happy life.

Rain in her favorite space (Pixaby)

But as she grew older, she felt that there was something missing in her life.  She felt this constant longing to be somewhere other than where she was.  No matter where she went, she wanted to be somewhere else.  She was always restless and the feeling never seemed to be satisfied.

Finally, Rain was a senior in college and it was time for her to start figuring out what she wanted to do after college.

"I can't decide what I want to do," she stated one day.  "Everything I think of sounds boring and dull.  I don't want to do something boring just because it is time to pick something.  I want to go see things!  I can't stand being stuck in one place."

"Well then, why don't you take off a year and go travel the country?  You always talk about how you want to explore.  My aunt makes jewelry and sells it around the country all summer following different fairs and festivals.  I could ask her if you could join her.  You have loved working at boutiques and all those little clothing stores ever since we started school,"  offered her friend Heather, who had known Rain since before they had become roommates freshman year.  The two had become inseparable since they were first matched through potluck.  They knew each other better than they knew themselves sometimes, so of course Heather would have some great ideas to help Rain figure out what she wanted to do.

"I love that idea!  Could you please?  Your aunt is such a fun person, and being able to just travel with her around the country for the whole summer would be so much fun!"  Rain, who had been lying  on the floor dejectedly, jumped up with excitement, giving Heather a giant hug in the process.

Before Rain knew it, all the arrangements had been made, the semester was over, and she was hitting the road with Heather's aunt, Cindy.  The start of the trip was great.  Going from city to city, meeting all of the different people, not being held down to one location or another.  One day, Rain and Cindy stopped at what looked like a festival.  Cindy had never heard the name before, but she thought it would be worth a try because there seemed to be a lot of people there.  After parking the truck they drove in, Cindy walked around to the back to start getting out all of their gear and Rain went to find out some information about the possibility of them selling their jewelry.

(Wikipedia)

Rain approached what looked like an information booth, when all of a sudden everything changed.  From seemingly nowhere and everywhere at once, there were gunshots.  Everybody around Rain burst into action running in all different directions.  Rain dove for the nearest booth and hid for what seemed like forever.  When the noise quieted down, she slowly got up from the booth and looked around.  There were small groups of people clustered around, but most of the people had already left, and in a hurry from the looks of the mess strewn around the festival site.  As Rain looked for Cindy's old, sky blue pick-up truck she realized that Cindy was not there!  Their stuff was gone, the truck was gone, there was not a sign of Cindy anywhere.

Rain momentarily started to panic.  What was she going to do?  How was she going to get back home?  How was she going to survive?  She looked around at the other people still standing around and recognized another booth owner who had been at several of the other festivals and fairs they had been up.  She went up, explained the situation, and asked if she could follow along with owner until she found Cindy again.  The owner readily agreed and they continued on their journey.

At the next city, as they pulled up to the parking area, a hint of sky blue poked out amongst all of the other cars.  Rain immediately jumped out of the car and ran to the truck.

"Cindy! Cindy! Cindy!" She yelled, weaving in and out of the parking spots.  She saw Cindy's head peek out above the cars and then locked eyes with her.  As they met they embraced with a giant hug.

"I am so sorry!  I panicked when I heard the gun shots.  I tried to call you, but your phone was in the truck and then people were screaming that there was a gunman coming towards the cars.  I didn't know what to do!" Cindy said, shaking with the tears and relief that was flooding out of both of them.

"It's ok.  I was scared too.  But, we are back together.  So let's go enjoy what is left of this summer by selling the awesome jewelry you have made."

And with that, they got back to work.

Author's Note: For this story, I used both parts of Sinbad's First Voyage as inspiration.  In this story, Sinbad goes on a trip with some merchants to sail around the world while exchanging and bartering for goods.  One day the ship finds a small island to rest on.  It turns out the island was a giant whale.  As everybody scrambles to get back on the ship, Sinbad is cast into the sea by the whale, unable to get onto the ship in time.  After a couple of days at sea, Sinbad found an island and was able to climb ashore and find food.  After wandering the island for a while, he comes to a trading city where he is reunited the captain of his ship.  After a joyful reunion, Sinbad obtains his earnings from the trip and then returns home.

Reading Diary B - The Voyages of Sinbad

For my reading diary, I am continuing to read The Voyages of Sinbad.

Fifth Voyage - I wonder what the other members of the ship were thinking, hacking the egg and killing the young roc.  Obviously there are parents who cared for the egg.  Did they not think anything would happen to them?

(Wikipedia)

Fifth Voyage (cont.) - Sinbad certainly has quite a bit of luck wherever he goes.  No matter what scrape he gets into, he is always able to make it out alive and unharmed.

Sixth Voyage - Even with the despair Sinbad faced, he wasn't the least bit excited to find the cave that was covered in gems and precious jewels.  Maybe he has seen everything that there is to see in the world.

Sixth Voyage (cont.) - I'm pretty sure that if anyone other than Sinbad was telling this story, they would not have floated out to safety, like Sinbad did.

Sixth Voyage (end) - I know it would never be possible, but I would love to ride an elephant just like the one mentioned in the story.  I think that would be amazing to be able to do.

Reading Diary A - The Voyages of Sinbad

For this reading diary, I decided to read The Voyages of Sinbad.

First Voyage - In this story, it was basically by pure luck that Sinbad found the men who were herding the goats.  Without them, he surely would have died from a lack of food and water after floating in the ocean for a very long time.

First Voyage (cont.) - If I was Sinbad, I would have been offended if the captain of the ship did not recognize me.  While yes, it may have been a while since the ship took off, it had not been multiple years which would have caused him to be hard to recognize.

Second Voyage - I feel bad for Sinbad, that no one paid attention to notice that he was left behind on the island.  You would think with a ship, that they would need everyone back on the ship, however some how or some way, Sinbad was not needed.

(Wikipedia)

Second Voyage (cont.) - If this story happened in real life, and I was in Sinbad's position, I don't know how I would react.  I am sure it was terrifying to see all of those giant animals.

Third Voyage - Even though Sinbad wants to be up and active, he has the worst luck on these voyages.  There is always something to cause issues on his voyages.  This time he could possibly get eaten by a giant with one eye!

Third Voyage (cont.) - If I was a merchant, I wouldn't travel anywhere with Sinbad.  It seems like everyone who was with Sinbad died on this trip!

Third Voyage (end) - It really is a miracle Sinbad ran into that captain from his second voyage.  Not only is he able to make the captain feel better, knowing he is alive, but Sinbad is also able to collect his earnings from the last voyage and have a small amount of money for himself.

Fourth Voyage - Sinbad really just needs to stay home.  Whenever he goes on some sort of voyage, he always ends up in some situation that could cause him to die.

Fourth Voyage (cont.) - Sinbad really does have the worst luck, no matter where he is living.  Even if he is not on a voyage, he still is put to death because of his wife, who was even a wife he wasn't looking for

Fourth Voyage (end.) - I wonder how the woman knew about the crack in the cave to get through.  No one else wanted to help Sinbad in his predicament before he was lowered into the cave, and the men even tried to hurry the process.  I wonder why they let everyone be put into the same cave.  Because, what would happen if there are multiple people alive in the cave.

Egypt Myths - Extra Reading Diary

For my extra reading diary I decided to read the first half of Ancient Egyptian Myths and Tales.

Creation - I liked reading this story.  It is always interesting to see how each culture tells the creation story.

The God Ra (Wikimedia)

The Secret Name of Ra - I think that this story showed how mean Isis was and how willing she was to get the power that she wanted.  Even if it meant that she poisoned her father.

Ra and Hathor - I liked this story because it is the Ancient Egyptian version of how the Great Flood happened.

The Sun's Journey - I liked reading this story for the glimpse into the Egyptian culture that it gave.  I have always loved learning about that time period and the culture that comes with it.

Osiris - I liked this story because it showed the law and order Osiris was able to put into the world and cause it to be no longer ruled by Evil and sin.

The Death of Osiris - This story was a sad story because Osiris just wanted men to live happily and in read, however Set did not want that to happen at all.

The Journey of Isis - This story was inspiring for all of the things that Isis did to protect her child.

King of the Dead - This story was inspirational because Horus was able to take back the throne and take revenge of his father from Set.

The Wax Crocodile - The idea of having a wax crocodile to do whatever you wanted whenever you wanted, and have it be a small wax figurine whenever you did not want to deal with it, would certainly be a great way to get what you wanted.

The Green Jewel - I think this story shows that the scribe is a very powerful person.  It would be awesome to have his powers.

Reading Diary Part B - Persian Tales

This is part B to my reading diary post on Persian Tales.

Fayiz and the Peri Wife - This is a sad story, like was explained in the introduction to this story.  Though it was still the Fayiz's fault because he was originally married when he first married the Peri wife.

The Hemp-Smoker's Dream - This was an amusing story and certainly shows how far the imagination can take you.

The Story of the Wolf-Bride - This was a rather short story.  I am not sure what the point of the story was, but it just had the prediction of the boy's fate, the boy's fate and then the story ended.

The Man Who Went to Wake His Luck - The man in this story, certainly had this coming to him.  The man was specifically told about how the Wolf would eat a foolish man.  Since the man acted foolish, he obviously was going to be eaten.

Tortoise Bowl-On-The-Back and the Fox - The moral at the end of the story shows that anyone who is greedy will not have much success for greediness does not get you anywhere.

Tortoise (Independent.co.uk)

The Shepherd Who Found Treasure - This story shows that people can pay attention to the world that is happening around them and that will cause you to be successful in life.

The Merchant and the Saffron - This story was a very satisfying story because it showed that if you show kindness to the world and do business with the world, then the world will be kind back to you and help you.

Shah Abbas and the Poor Mother - This story, while sad at the beginning, ended on a high note because the family with the poor mother was able to obtain wealth and food for the rest of their days.

The Apparition of the Prophet Khizr - This story was a very interesting story to read.  It was entertain but that was about all I could obtain from it.  However, I do not understand why the poor man using the money to prevent embarrassment caused the Prophet Khizr to appear.

The Story of the Baker and the Grateful Fish - This story shows that it can be very helpful to be nice to all of the people around you.  You never know when they will be able to help you with a situation that you are currently in.

Reading Diary A - Persian Tales

For this reading diary part A, I decided to read Persian Tales.

The Wolf and the Goat - I enjoyed this story for the moral that the story shared.  It shows the gifts you give out are the ones you receive in turn.

Mama goat with a baby goat (Dailymail.co.uk)

The City of Nothing-In-The-World - This was a very interesting story, but it was a little long-winded. That made it seem like a lot was being thrown at the reader at once.  However, it was a very imaginative story to read.

Susku and Mushu - This was a sad story.  Susku and Mushu we're so happy in the beginning, however it did seem like Susku was carried by the wind easily and also was put into water by the wind very easily as well.

The Boy Who Became Bulbul - This was a sad story, for I do not know what kind of parents would kill and eat their own son.  Obviously it is a tale, nothing else, but I do not know what the purpose behind the tale is.

The Wolf-Aunt - This story, while on the dramatic side, is a great way to explain the idea that you should always pay attention to those who you love.  For they do know what is best for you sometimes.

Nim Tank or, Half-Boy - This story is a great lesson, that you should always love those in your family, no matter how they are connected to you.

Muhammad Tirandaz, The Archer - This story tells the story of how you should follow your dreams, and how it will allow you to accomplish things you could have never imagined before.

The Praying Baker - This story was confusing for the fact that I did not understand why the King decided to test the Baker by giving him the ring worth so much.  I know that sometimes it can be good to have a test of faith, but that seemed like the wrong way to go about it.

The Sad Tale of the Mouse's Tail - This was certainly a sad tale because the mouse never was able to have his tail sewn back on.  I am certain that he misses his tail quite a lot.

Princess Stories From Around the World: Styles Brainstorm

Topic: My topic is going to be about different princesses around the world.  My goal is to find four different princess stories from different cultures around the world.  One story I definitely want to include is How the Raja's Son Won the Princess Labam. Another story I plan on using is The Princess of the Tower.  I do not think I will have any issue finding stories of princesses, for there are already quite a few to choose from, I just will have trouble trying to determine which stories will be the stories I want to use in my storybook.

Bibliography:
1. How the Raja's Son Won the Princess Labam from Indian Fairy Tales on Sacred-Texts.com, author Joseph Jacobs in 1912
2. The Princess of the Tower, from Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends by Aunt Naomi, on Sacred-Texts.com

Possible Styles:

Princesses at a Ball: This is a rather simple idea because it could be different princesses who are making small talk at a ball they are all attending. This would result in them swapping stories about what has happened in their lives.

Meeting Up At A Coffeeshop: Another possible idea is that a group of princesses, who have been long time friends, decided to meet up as a group at a coffeeshop.  They have not seen each other in quite some time so they want to meet up and catch up to see how each others lives are going.

Girls Night: A third possible idea for me to use as a style is to have it so that the princesses are having a girls night together, complete with playing some of their favorite games, eating their favorite food, and enjoying spending a night away from the royal duties that each is required to do.  The girl talk turns into different girls swapping stories about different things that have happened in their lives.

Out In The Park: A final idea is that the girls are outside, getting together to enjoy a gorgeous day outside, and spend time together.  Throughout the course of their time in the park, they come across the topic of events that have happened in their lives. So they decide to turn it into a picnic where they socialize and talk about their different life events.

Princess Labam (via Pinterest)