Reading Notes: The End of the World, Part A

Reading Notes: The End of the World, Part A

The End of the World
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Plot:
One day a hare was sitting under a tree and was wondering about what would happen to him if the earth came to an end. Suddenly, an apple fell from the tree and hit the ground next to him! He ran home quickly and went to his brother and was baffled by what had happened to him. The hare kept running and told another and ran after him. He was afraid the earth was breaking to pieces and so they all started running until a thousand hares were running through the fields together. They raced through many locations and came to a jungle where a wise lion lived and told them that yes, this was true and they would die if he did not save them. So they went up a mountains and he asked why they would run at such a pace. They would continue giving the reason that the earth is breaking to pieces. They thought the elephants were doing this. The only one who actually saw the earth breaking was the one hare. Suddenly the great lion realized that the only thing the hare had seen was  fruit falling. He told the crowd and they lived happily ever after.

Characters:
A little hare
Another little hare
A thousand hares
A wise lion
Elephants
Rhinoceros

Setting:
Under a tree
The fields
Jungle
Mountains

Bibliography: The End of the World, Twenty Jataka Tales, Noor Inayat, The End of the World

Week 15 Story: The Golf Course Flood

Week 15 Story: The Golf Course Flood

The Forest Fire
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Once upon a time, in a golf course far, far away, there lived a family of geese.  The mother goose and father goose took very good care of their seven children and made sure they were protected from the golf balls that would come flying through the air daily. They made sure the goslings were well fed and were given plenty of nutrients through bread crumbs the golfers would use, or from what the earth had to offer.

They did notice one day that the littlest gosling would only peck at golf balls instead of eat his own grub. This fact concerned them. Why would the small gosling not eat? Did he not need to grow?

The parents discussed this and decided there was not much else to do besides wait on the young gosling to come to his own conclusion that he needed to eat. 

One day the mother and father were walking and talking and they passed by Badger and Owl. Both creatures were having a fine day and noticed how upset the mother and father goose looked. They began to speak to them about feeling as if the gosling might be preparing for something coming. Though they did not know what, the mother and father goose found comfort in knowing that there might be hope for their little one.

After a few days went by, the afternoon time arose and there was strange smell in the air. It was that of mud. It seemed like there was quite a few clouds in the sky and suddenly it was down pouring all around the lake. The geese family could hardly find shelter strong enough to keep them from the rain. It kept getting worse and over time, the pond began to fill up and the golf course was filled with water. Though the geese were made for water living, they certainly were not prepared for the winds and pressure coming against them. 

The little gosling, since he was so small, was able to duck in and out of the water and air and fly way up in the midst of rain and dodge the rain drops. It was as if something had taken over him! He eventually brought all other six siblings to be with him in a tree trunk at high ground to where they would not drown. 

After a couple of days, the waters dried up and they lived happily ever after! 

Bibliography: The Forest Fire, Twenty Jataka Tales, Noor Inayat, The Forest Fire

Author's Note: I took the story from the Twenty Jataka Tales by Noor Inayat of The Forest Fire and created my own by giving it a more modern style of writing and including a more "Americanized" version of the story. Instead of quails, I used geese but still kept the family unit strong and included the one gosling instead of the one duck. I tried to also include other characters to change the storyline a little by providing an intervention between the badger and the owl. 

Reading Notes: The Forest Fire, Part B

Reading Notes: The Forest Fire, Part B

The Forest Fire
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Plot:
Mother Quail told the seven little quails to stay while the mother and father brought them worms. The weird thing was that Mother and Father Quail noticed that the seventh only ate grass-seeds, rather than like the others that ate the worms and insects. The little one who only ate the grass-seeds did not grow wings like the others. One night the family was awaken by sad cries and the mother and father and seven little quails and they were fearful. They were sure it was a fire. The flames burned and glowed across the forest. The little quail said he is small with no wings, but he can speak to the flames. One by one the little heads came out of hiding and saw that the forest fire was gone! The family went and walked in peace and the little quail smiled as he saw the forest waking up again. They lived happily ever after!

Characters:
Mother Quail
The little quails
Father Quail

Setting:
The Forest

Bibliography: The Forest Fire, Twenty Jataka Tales, Noor Inayat, The Forest Fire

Reading Notes: The Swan Kingdom, Part A

Reading Notes: The Swan Kingdom, Part A

The Swan Kingdom
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Plot: There were about 60,000 swans who lived in the kingdom. The swans were beautiful and everyone praised them, yet Brahmadatta, the king of Benares, was obsessed with the swans and wanted them more than anyone else. So he went to meet the king and then he let the king know there is only one way to go about this. He recommended the lake was relocated across near the gates of Benares. The lake was cleaned and finished and the birds and butterflies came souring around the lake. The call was heard daily and the many creatures came from far and wide to feast and dwell here. Two of the swans came and looked over and said "We wish this was our kingdom!" and they flew all over scanning the surface of the waters and of the land around them. They asked the king to take them to the lake at Benares and the king was advised not to allow such a thing. So the king let the swans go for a day. They went and swam and had the time of their lives. A trap was set and the foot of the king was caught. The 60,000 swans were alarmed by this and fled to the air, as if the king had passed and was killed. The king asked Sumukha to have the swans return to Manasa, for they could not be content alone. Sumukha however stayed by the king's side.

Characters:
King Dhritarashtra
Sumukha, the commander of the army
The Swans
Brahmadatta, the King of Benares

Setting:
The Kingdom

Bibliography: The Swan Kingdom, Twenty Jataka Tales, Noor Inayat, The Swan Kingdom

Reading Notes: The Empty Lake, Part B

Reading Notes: The Empty Lake, Twenty Jataka Tales, Part B

The Empty Lake
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Plot:
In a beautiful lake, many fish came together to hear a story told by one of their own. One time, the story began, there was a king who had a gold back. He lit the way through the waters and spoke in a whisper throughout all the earth. Queen Rain forgot to send showers so Mother Earth would need to replenish where there was a loss. King Wind would take all the drops away and the lake became a pool. Queen Rain heard the whisper and looked down to awaken the clouds, and King Thunder came as well. Then fire reigned down. Suddenly the earth shook and the cloud-leaders marched around the sky and the cannons were shooting lightning and the raindrops fell. The King was afraid that the water might be taken away before the lake filled up, so he spoke louder. Suddenly the water rushed from the sky and the fish recognized it was the King's love to shake the earth and allow water to pour into the lake. They lived happily ever after.

Characters:
Fish
A great king
Queen Rain
Mother Earth
King Wind
King Thunder

Setting:
The Lake

Bibliography:  The Empty Lake, Twenty Jataka Tales, Noor Inayat, The Empty Lake

Reading Notes: The Young Parrot, Part A

Reading Notes: The Young Parrot, Part A

Cover of Twenty Jataka Tales
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Characters:
Flood of Parrots
The King
The Queen


Setting:
The hill
The Field

Plot:
There was a hill with silk cotton trees and a flock of parrots

Bibliography: The Young Parrot, Jātaka tales, Noor Inayat, The Young Parrot

Reading Notes: The Stolen Plow, Reading B

Reading Notes: The Stolen Plow, Reading B

The Judge
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Plot:
Two traders came into town and needed a plow mended.  They figured out the mice had eaten the plow. So they took

Setting:
Small village

Characters:
Two traders (Village and Town)
Judge


Bibliography: The Stolen Plow, More Jataka Tales, Ellen C. Babbitt, The Stolen Plow

Reading Notes: THE GIRL MONKEY AND THE STRING OF PEARLS, Part A

Reading Notes: THE GIRL MONKEY AND THE STRING OF PEARLS, Part A

The tree of the monkeys
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Plot:
The king went for a walk and returned to his family to swim at the lake together. While they were swimming, the queen and her ladies left their jewels with the servants. When she did this, a Girl Monkey was watching her and wanted the string of pearls so she waited and hoped the servants would fall asleep eventually so she could make her move. The servant ended up falling asleep. The Monkey went jumped down, took it and went back up into the tree.

Characters:
The king
the queen
her ladies
A Girl Monkey
The servant
The Guards

Setting:
The Woods