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.

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.