Week 14: Extra Reading

Extra Reading - Part B

Bibliography: Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt 1912

The Elephant Girly-Face - It makes me so sad that the elephant is so easily taught to be mean and murderous. I guess the moral could be showing how easily susceptible to things our children are and how they can pick up on the wrong things so easily.

The Banyan Deer - I have read another version of this story before and it both makes me so happy and sad at the same time. In the other version the king agrees to not harm any living creature again, which I felt was going to far, but I love that the great king of the deer is so willing to put his life on the line for one of his own.

The King's White Elephant - This is such a sweet story! I was so worried that the people were going to kill the white elephant because it was different, but they took it in and treated it well! This is the kind of story I like to read.

The Ox Who Envied the Pig - This story was sweet and simple! I don't have much to say about it, but I like it and I think it is a good lesson.

The Banyan Deer

Week 13: Extra Reading

Extra reading - Part A

Bibliography: Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt 1912

The Monkey and the Crocodile - I like this story because I like the fact that the mom croc is challenging her child to think outside of his limitations to achieve something great. I also like that, though the crocodile doesn't succeed in catching the monkey, the two gain a mutual understanding and respect for each other.

How the Turtle Saved His Own Life - Haha! I thought this story was great. It reminded me of small children being tickled where they clearly want to be but they just keep yelling, "No, don't tickle me!" while basically laying there waiting to be tickled.

The Turtle Who Couldn't Stop Talking - I think this story has been in every Jataka tale combination I have read so far and every time I read it, it makes me think of my lack of faith in humanity. At the beginning of the story I don't trust the turtle to stay quiet even to save himself, just like I don't really trust humanity to shut up or do something against what they want to do just to save themselves.

Turtle who saved his own life

Week 13: Storytelling - An Unwelcome Reunion

"Why do I have to go down and catch the bounty? I'd rather stay and tune up the ship's weapon system. Maybe clean my room..." Penny-Nichole wasn't convincing anyone. She never cleaned her room.

"You know the area. And we're getting too old for capture missions." Gregor gave a pointed groan as he placed himself in a chair with his cup of coffee.

"As far as I know, my brothers still live out there. If they do, then I have no interest in seeing them. They could be dead and I wouldn't care." Penny-Nichole crossed her arms, turned up her nose, and faced away from Sarah and Gregor.

"Pen, that's not true. You may hate them, but you don't wish them dead. You're not heartless." Sarah walked over and placed her hand on Penny-Nichole's shoulder.

Penny-Nichole let out a deep sigh, dropping her arms.

"Sarah, I haven't been home in fifteen years. The land's probably changed, I won't know my way." Penny-Nichole knew she was going to have to track their mark, but she wanted to at least try to get out of it if possible.

Sarah gave a warm smile. "You'll be alright, dear. Here's your pack. You better get a move on before you miss your target."

With another heavy sigh, Penny-Nichole left the ship and headed off. They had parked the ship in the same place she'd been picked up all those years ago. The same rock Penny-Nichole used to cry on when her brothers beat her, still stained with blood from her small wounds, was sitting quietly by the forest. The sight of it filled her with anger and disgust.

After a few hours of surveillance, Penny-Nichole spotted her mark. She followed the target for another hour until he entered a shabby, rundown motel. It didn't appear like the mark was going to be leaving, so Penny-Nichole went to wander around. She walked up and down the streets, looking in the shop windows and meandering past the market stalls. It was a little past noon and the streets were buzzing.

Penny-Nichole stopped at a stall with several nice looking jackets. "Penny? Little Penny? Is... is that really... really you?" Penny-Nichole spun on her heals, hand already gripped to the hilt of her flame-sword.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Penny-Nichole locked eyes on a small crouched man with a scraggly beard.

"It... it's me! Travis Bellmer? I... well I..." His words faded off.

Penny-Nichole scowled. "You were that wretch that hung out with my brothers and laughed at their side as they beat me!"

"Yes... I am sorry about that. We were all young and stupid. But I am sure your brother would be happy to see-" Penny-Nichole held one of her smaller daggers up to Travis' throat.

"They are still alive? Where do they live?"

"P-p-please Penny! Please, can we just put the past behind us and be friends?" Travis stuttered.

"I'd rather die than ever befriend you. Now where are my brothers?" She pressed the dagger closer to his stubbly throat.

"Well, you see, we were all playing once a couple of years after you disappeared and, well, I was hiding up in the Crystal Cave! Cameron forgot where the entrance was and when he tried to run at me, he smashed his head... he didn't make it... Jaden found Cameron and I got too scared to come out and tell him where the entrance was because he just got so angry! One of his rampages. He ran straight into the crystal and smashed his head in too. It was hours before Quinn found me... I couldn't stop crying. He... he still lives in your old house alone. I think you should go and see him, Penny. He's not the same as he was when you left. You look good thought. You look like you've taken care of yourself." Travis' voice was soft and sincere.

"Is there a problem here, you two?" A gruff voice broke the moment. Penny-Nichole sheathed her dagger and turned to the police officer. She had forgotten where she was and hadn't realized that they were making a scene.

Travis quickly grasped Penny-Nichole in a hug. "I am terribly sorry for all of the pain I caused you." With that, Travis disappeared into the crowd.

Penny-Nichole knew she needed to check in on her mark, but she felt that seeing her brother was more important.

A short walk away from the market, Penny-Nichole made it to her old home. The sight of it reached into her chest and gave her heart a painful squeeze.

She walked with determination to the front door and, with a small hesitation, burst through it. Unlocked as always.

"Quinn! Hello? It's me! Penny!" Her voice echoed through the house. It was so empty compared to how she remembered it.

"Penny? No... it can't be... You disappeared. We lost you." A broken voice snaked its way to Penny-Nichole's ears. It was Quinn. A skeleton figure turned the corner and Penny-Nichole sprang back, battle ready.

"Quinn?" Penny-Nichole couldn't believe the frail figure cowering before her. Quinn began to cry like a small child as he draped his arms over her shoulders and sank into her shoulder.

"I am so sorry for how awful we were to you, Penny. We were so angry at our parents leaving and then you left. We didn't know that to do with ourselves. Please, sister, I am so sorry. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness and I don't blame you for leaving." Quinn wailed into her shoulder for a long time. Once he seemed out of tears, Penny-Nichole grasped his shoulders and held him back at arm's length.

She looked him in the eyes, searching his soul. "I forgive you, brother."

"Also, the Strike siblings are real.That's who I've been with for the past fifteen years." Penny-Nichole and Quinn chuckled happily.

Author's Note: This story is loosely based off of "The Jackal Would A-Wooing Go" by W. H. D. Rouse. In the original story, there is a group of lions made up of three brothers and one sister. The sister would always stay home and clean and the brothers would go out and hunt. A jackal that lived in a crystal cave nearby fell in love with the lioness and eventually asked her to marry him. She was disgusted and turned him down. Saddened, the jackal went home. The brother lions returned one at a time and offered food to the sister. When she refused and told them of the jackal, the first two lions ended up going to try to kill the jackal. But they both broke their skulls on the crystal walls of the cave. The third brother was smarter and found the entrance and scared the jackal to death. He went back to his sister and they lived happily. Penny-Nichole is a less dramatic version of the sister lion, and her brothers represent the lion brothers. Travis is supposed to be the jackal but asking for friendship instead of marriage and just disappearing instead of dying. While the lions were protecting their sister, P-N's brothers were just being stupid. I mostly used this story because I felt it would be a good way to end the stories of P-N and the Strike siblings. It would give more back ground to how long she had been away, how old the Strike siblings were, as well as give some closure to P-N and her brother. Hope you all enjoyed the adventures of the bounty hunter Strike siblings and Penny-Nichole!

Bibliography: "The Jackal Would A-Wooing Go" by W. H. D. Rouse

Little Penny's Rock

Week 13: Reading Notes - Part B

Part B
Bibliography: "The Giant Crab and Other Tales" by W. H. D. Rouse

Lioness from 'The Jackal Would A-Wooing Go'

Union is Strength - This story is interesting and I like that the group works so well together at t first and then starts to fight. I feel like I could use my trio somehow, but mostly I just found the story to be interesting.

Silence is Golden - I think it is so sad that the little lion has to hold his tongue around others just because he doesn't have a lions roar! He should be able to be himself as a little jackal-lion... but I guess that would defeat the moral of the story that silence is golden.

The Bold Beggar - For some reason I could totally see a young Gregor do this. I don't think I would write a story after it, but I found it entertaining!

The Jackal Would A-Wooing Go - This could make for an interesting story with P-N going back to visit her home planet earth and running into either a fan of her stories or a friend of her brothers (she would find that pretty repulsive) who proposes to her. She could end up seeing her brothers and telling them something about the friend. I would have to change their interaction, or maybe the brothers have changed and after they lost their little baby sister they had changed! I think I could do a good amount with this story.

Week 13: Reading Notes - The Giant Crab and Other Tales

Reading Notes Part A

Bibliography: "The Giant Crab and Other Tales" by W. H. D. Rouse

The Giant Crab

The Hypocritical Cat - I think this could be a good story to do something with my trio being with some sort of army or large clan and they have a mysterious problem losing their troop and the trio figures out its the strange statue siting outside of the entrance of the camp! Or something like that.

The Crocodile and the Monkey - I think this would be a fun story with either P-N or Sarah as the monkey out witting the crocodile.

The Dishonest Friend - I could possibly use this story. Mostly I thought it was an interesting story.

Week 12: Storytelling - Only a Girl With the Moon at Her Back

Penny-Nichole snuggled down for bed one night, flipping through her old journals. She liked to read some of her oldest entries as bedtime stories to herself sometimes. As she flipped through one of her very first journals a large grin spread across her face. 

"I remember this one." Penny-Nichole spoke softly to herself as she started reading the tale of how she used the moon to fend off hungry murderous giants.

Entry (the date had been long since smudged off),

I have been traveling with my heroes, the Strike siblings, for about six months now and I couldn't ask for anything more in this great universe. They have taught me so much and have never shown me an ounce of meanness. 

Sarah and Gregor bicker a lot, but I can tell they still care for each other a great deal. Gregor likes to push Sarah's buttons even though he knows Sarah will win. I like it most when they are bickering and Gregor is smiling the entire time. It drives Sarah mad! I think he does it just to make me laugh sometimes. Sarah will come down and read me bedtime stories every few days, which makes me so happy! It's like I finally have the family I always wanted. Ma and Dad tried their hardest and I loved them for it, but with so many kids, it was hard to give us all the time we needed. 

Penny-Nichole's smile grew. Her handwriting had been so atrocious when she was younger, and the page was covered in strange little doodles that easily gave away her age at the time of the entry.

She continued to read on.

Entry (some time a few weeks after the previous entry)

We have been on this strange planet for a couple weeks now and I really like it here! The natives we found are so adorable. They are small and fluffy with long ears that stand straight up usually! They have these giant hind-legs that they use to hop around on and squishy little tails. They have been ever so kind to us as we fix the ship up but a few nights ago a horrible thing happened. Apparently a family of giants decided to move into the patch of woods that lined the fluffy creature's land. When they made it to the land, there was a horrible sound that is still stuck in my brain. When we went to investigate we found three whole families had been squished to death by the giants! It was awful. Although, I remember everyone getting so sad and crying but I just got really angry. I think it reminded me too much of my brothers.

Penny-Nichole saddened a little at the thought of her brothers. She hadn't seen them or spoken to them since the day she left Earth. Pushing the thought aside, she continued on.

I couldn't understand why the fluffy creatures didn't seem to want to do anything so,when everyone started heading back to the village I turned right back around and walked into the middle of the giant's family! I think I scared Gregor and Sarah just a little when they realized where I'd gone. In fact, everyone seemed startled! They shuffled up behind me and watched. I remember I yelled out to the brutes to go away! I told them that I was a goddess child from the moon come to vanquish them if they did not leave the land of the fluffy creatures! They just ignored me though, which just made me more angry! I remember looking over and seeing the large full moon reflected in the lake they were splashing in. Haha, I was so excited! I had formed quite the plan in no time at all. I wanted so badly to avenge the squished fluffy things! 

"You see? My lady, The Moon, has come down from the heavens herself to make you leave! If you don't leave soon and she manages to get a hold of you,she will surely drag you back up to the sky with her so that you can never smoosh one of her little creatures again!" When I yelled that to the giants they finally looked down and became so scared of the moon they they ran away! the fluffy creatures cheered and bounced all over the place! I remember we had a sort of party that night to celebrate the giants leave but also to celebrate the poor squished fluffy creatures. It was a lot of fun! I got to stay up way past my normal bedtime. 

I can't wait to see what adventures I will get to have tomorrow! 

Penny-Nichole giggled to herself as she closed the journal and set it beside her bed.

Author's note: This story is based off of The Hare in the Moon by Devi Shovona. In the original story, a herd of elephants moved into an area that was already inhabited by hares and so, when they settled in, they trampled and killed a lot of the creatures. One hare in particular stood up to the elephants and used the moon's image to help drive them away again. I kept the same premise of the story but instead of elephants I have giants and instead of the hare saving the day, I have my little Penny-Nichole! I thought this story would be a really cute way to start going over some of the earlier stories with young Penny-Nichole and the Strike siblings. It also gets to show that P-N was just as much a little spitfire when she first joined the siblings as she is in the other stories. I noticed, with this story, that I am not particularly good at doing journal entry like stories, nor do I particularly like doing them. That may stem from all of the horrible journal entries I had to do when I was younger. I now respect those who's entire storybook or portfolio is in this style! 

My take on the giants

 

Week 12: Extra Reading Part A & B

Bibliography: Twenty Jataka Tales by Noor Inayat (Khan) - 1939

Part A

The Monkey-Bridge - This could be a good story to do if I wanted to make a long journey like series of stories. The monkeys and the monkey king with their fruits and then the humans and the human king going off to find the fruits. I could change the fruits because they seem so much more mystical until they name them as mangos.

The Guilty Dogs - This could also be another easy story to use. I'm not sure if I would necessarily have to use my usual characters, this could be a fun story to use to bring up new characters for a short time.

Banyan - I liked this story too, but I feel like if I used this story, I would change the ending just a little bit because I feel like the deer asks a lot to have the king spare all of the living creatures.

Part B

The Two Pigs - I like this story because I like that it has a happy ending. I like that the brother is so supportive and loving of his brother but also still loving of the woman who took care of them for so long.

The Forest Fire - This story is so cute! It made me sad that the last little quail only had weak little wings but I thought it was so cute that he stood down the flames and was able to live happily in his little nest.

Forest Fire