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)

Extra Reading Diary - Saints and Animals

For this reading diary, I am finishing the unit Saints and Animals.

The Fish Who Helped Saint Gudwall - I appreciated this story for all the imagery that was provided.  As a person who can somehow be cold in rather warm weather, aka 70 degrees, I was able to picture what the shore line is like the winter and how miserable it must have been.

The Welsh Coast (Wikimedia)

The Wolf-Mother of Saint Ailbe - I enjoyed this story because of the tale itself.  It reminded me slightly of the story-line in the movie The Jungle Book.  I felt bad for the wolf-mother and the wolf-brothers, because all they wanted to do was get Ailbe back and the Prince was just trying to help.

Saint Ailbe and the Wolf-Mother (Stanford)

The Wolf-Mother of Saint Ailbe (cont.) - I liked this story because it was a happy ending that the first half of the story was lacking.  While not much happened, it was still nice to have all of that come together and to not leave any pieces hanging.

The Ballad of Saint Athracta's Stags - This story had a nice, romantic feel, for the fact it was made as a poem and not as a story.  While there was a story overall, it was a nice change to have this one become a poem instead.

The Ballad of Saint Felix - I liked this story because it was in the format of a poem, just like the last one.  It is also allowed the good guys to be victorious while the bad guys were unable to do what they wanted.

Saint Felix (Wikimedia)

The Ballad of Saint Giles and the Deer - The picture painted at the beginning of the story is something I would very much like to experience.  It just seems so relaxing and calming and definitely something anyone would enjoy.

Saint Giles and the Deer (Wikimedia)

Saint Francis of Assisi - Saint Francis was a great inspiration to many people and it is great to read a story that goes more into detail about his life.

Saint Francis of Assisi (Wikimedia)

Saint Francis of Assisi (cont.) - This is another story showing why Saint Francis was such a great man and one who should both admired and used as an example for other men.

Saint Francis of Assisi (end) - Just like the others, this story is a great example of Saint Francis and the kind work he was able to do for others in the world.

Week 3 Storytelling: Where did Caramel go?

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Mackenzie.  She was a very bright child and very hard working.  She had big dreams for the future and wanted to grow up and be the best person she could be.  She liked the idea of possibly being a doctor or a lawyer, or something else successful like that.  However, she just couldn't decide which one she liked the best.  So she worked as hard as she could in school in order to do whatever she wanted when she grew up.

Mackenzie went to Saint Maria's School for Girls, which was a boarding school that her aunt had brought her too.

Saint Maria's School for Girls 

(Wikimedia)

The headmistress, Headmistress Elizabeth, was rather fond of Mackenzie.  She saw the little girl's determination and work ethic, even at such a young age.  Headmistress Elizabeth always encouraged Mackenzie whenever she could and took special favor with her.

The other girls, who were in the same class at Mackenzie, had become jealous of the attention that Mackenzie was receiving and of how well she was doing in her classes.  They were lazy girls who never wanted to do any work, so the fact that Mackenzie always wanted to do work for class, made them not like her even more.  They always wanted to find a way to cause Mackenzie to not look as good in class.  They tried calling her mean names, but she would just ignore them.  They tried ignoring her, but she was unfazed by it.  They slyly tried to convince her to break into certain rooms after hours, but she knew that was against the rules so she did not.

All of the girls thought and thought and thought of a way they could get Mackenzie into trouble.  Finally, they decided they should trick Mackenzie into thinking she did something that she did not do.  And they all knew the perfect way to do that.

At Saint Maria's, each class had a pet for an entire year and each of the girls took turns caring for it.  They would bring it to the classroom each day, feed it and play with it, and then at the end of the day the girl would take the pet back with her to her dormitory room.  Every week the girls would rotate so someone else would take a turn taking care of the pet each week.  That particular year, Mackenzie's class had a hamster for a pet.  Everyone was so fond of the hamster, they decided to name it Caramel for the color of it's coat.

Caramel the Hamster

(Wikimedia)

The girls decided to use Caramel as a way to make Mackenzie get into trouble.  So they waited and waited and finally it was Mackenzie's week to take care of Caramel.  She was so excited!  She brought Caramel back to that first night and made sure she was all cozy and snug in her little cage.  Then it was time for dinner.  Mackenzie left her room and headed down to the dining hall.  The other girls used this opportunity to come in and take Caramel from her cage.  They knew that is Mackenzie, who was usually so responsible, had lost Caramel then she would be in big trouble.  So they took Caramel and left her wandering the hallways of the dormitory, far away from Mackenzie's room, and then proceeded down to dinner.

When Mackenzie came back from dinner, she saw that Caramel's cage was open and Caramel was not there!

"Oh no!"  She cried. "Caramel has escaped and will surely be killed roaming around this big school." So, in a flash, Mackenzie hurried down the hall in search of Caramel.  She had wandered up and down all of the nearby halls and rooms to try to figure out where Caramel had gone to.  After search for a while, Mackenzie still had not found Caramel.

However, luck was on Mackenzie's side.  It was currently quiet time, where all of the girls who attended Saint Maria's could either be in the library reading, or in the study doing homework.  Mackenzie usually finished her homework early and was normally so quiet that none of the teachers were ever concerned about where she went.  So as Mackenzie walked up and down the halls, she heard a faint squeaking.  Immediately she knew it was Caramel, for none of the other years had a similar pet and the school certainly did not have mice.  As quietly and carefully as she could, Mackenzie traced the sound along the hallways until she finally found Caramel, on the other side of the dormitory.  Mackenzie was so relieved Caramel was not harmed, that she rushed her back to her cage and gave her an extra ear of baby corn to have that night.

The next morning, all of the other girls rushed to class early.  For they certainly did not want to miss an opportunity to see Mackenzie get in trouble.  As they sat in their seats in eager anticipation, Mackenzie walked in carrying Caramel's cage.  They were shocked to see Caramel, alive and well in the cage as well!  Mackenzie put the cage in it's appropriate spot and sat in her seat, ignoring the shocked expressions on the other girls' faces.  She knew that the other girls were the ones who had put Caramel on the other side of the dormitory, no hamster could travel that far, but did not say anything.  She was much to patient and kind to hold any anger against them at all.

Author's Note: This story is based on the story Saint Kentigern and the Robin.  In this story, Kentigern is a boy who is doing well in school.  The other boys who are in school with him are jealous of his success.  They try to find a way for the teacher to get mad at him.  They use the fire that is supposed to remain lit by Kentigern and pour water on it.  Kentigern is able to light the fire, thus thwarting the other boys' attempts to do well.

Reading Diary Part B - Saints and Animals

For part B of my Reading Diary, I realized that I mistakenly chose a random unit to use, and did not think to look at the unit we were supposed to be choosing from.  That is my mistake so I am correcting it, the best way I can by choosing the unit Saints and Animals.

Saint Kentigern and the Robin - I enjoyed this story because in the end, the good guy won.  The boys were trying to get Kentigern in trouble, were unable to do so.

(Wikimedia)

Saint Kentigern and the Robin (cont.) - I liked this story for reasons similar to why I liked the story above.  It not only allowed the good guy to be successful in the, but also the mean boys were punished for what they had done.

Saint Blaise and His Beasts - I liked this story for it reminded me a lot of Snow White.  Saint Blaise was a good man who was able to talk to any of the animals and thus help them to become better animals.

(Wikimedia)

Saint Blaire and His Beasts (cont.) - This story was inspirational for the fact that Saint Blaire lived so passionately and so strongly in his faith.

Saint Comgall and the Mice - I liked this story because of Saint Comgall's presence.  His presence was one that made everyone love him and want to be near him.

(Wikimedia)

Saint Comgall and the Mice (cont.) - I enjoyed this story because Saint Comgall was friends with enough animals that he was able to help everyone in Ireland to prevent them from starving.

The Wonders of Saint Berach - This story was a happy story because Berach was not only able to help the situation with the cow and the wolf, but he was also able to make his way to find the apples and sorrel he needed to help the sick child.

The Wonders of Saint Berach (cont.) - I was enjoyed this story because Saint Berach was able to help his monastery, stop the rich man from trying to take over his land, and he was also able to teach those boys a lesson.

Georgian Folktales - Reading Diary Part A

For this reading diary, I chose to write about the Georgian Folktales unit.

Master and Pupil - This story was interesting for the part at the end where the pupil was constantly thinking of ways to get away from his master.

Fate - I enjoyed this story, for it reminded me of the story of Oedipus where Oedipus' mother tries to make him avoid his fate, however he ends up fulfilling his fate.  That is the exact same thing that happened in this story, when the prince tried to avoid it, but ended up fulfilling it.

The Serpent and the Peasant - I liked this story for the fable that was told at the end.  It is a fable that is very true of the life most people currently live and what happens around them.

(Wikimedia)

The Two Brothers - This story also tells a story about how people live through life.  Most of the time, we do not heed the cautions that are given to us by other people who have been through the experiences we have been through.  Even though we know that they know better, we still believe that we will be unharmed in the situation.

The King and The Apple - I liked this story for the mystery and intrigue that it included with the story.  It was a story that kept me reading and guessing the entire time.

The Three Precepts - This story was memorable because the wise man, took the young man in, taught him for three years, and helped him learn all of these wise things to help make him a success.  However, the man did not pay attention to those so it caused the young man to lose his wealth and end up dying due to his not paying attention.

The Cunning Old Man and The Demi - This story shows that sometimes the clever person is not always the good person in the story.  That then causes the person who is just trying to do right by the world to be punished for the other man's cleverness.

The River in the Story (Wikimedia)

The Shepherd Judge - The story is almost a fable to show what happens when people treat each other with justice and dignity.  While the judge did not partake in the man's bribe, he did pay attention to both sides of the story and was able to give a fair judgement.  That fair judgement led to him regaining his eyesight.

The Priest's Youngest Son - This story shows the value of listening to one's parents, no matter how old you are or in what condition they may be in.  If the youngest son had not listened to his father, then he would not have been able to marry the beautiful princess and he would not have been able to save his mother from the illness she suffered from.

Mingrelian Proverbs - I thought these proverbs were very interesting to read.  Though some of them I did find it hard to understand what they were specifically talking about.  I feel like that might be due to the fact that I am not living in Mingrelian culture.