Essay Week 11: The Welsh Fairy Book

This week I read the Welsh Tales with illustrations by Thomas unit.  I had read some of the other stories in high school so I thought it would be interesting to read something I haven't before.  I really liked this unit.  The stories were easy to read and understand.  The only difficult part was trying to figure out how to pronounce some of the names of people or places.  I guess I didn't realize how difficult Welsh is and assumed that it would all be translated to English or that the names would be changed.  The pronunciation guide was very helpful.  I think if it had audio so you could hear how to pronounce things would be even better.
I read Why the Red Dragon is the Emblem of Wales .  I was hoping for it to be really exciting and maybe some dragon slaying since I thought about doing a storybook on dragons, but this was actually about two serpents that represent dragons.  It was still a good story regardless, I just had my hopes up.  I think my favorite story was Owen Goes a-Wooing .  It was cute and I really like the idea of time displacement.  It's interesting to think that what seemed to be only a few hours under water for Owen was actually a month for his girlfriend Siwsi who was on land.  I'm really glad I read this section rather than reading Beowulf or the English Aesop stories again.  I remember learning about King Arthur in high school but I don't recall any of these stories so it was nice to read something different but also kind of familiar.

                                                 Image source: mythfolklore.blogspot.com
                                                                 The cover of the book.

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Reading Diary Week 11: Welsh Fairytales (Thomas)

The Welsh Fairytale Book (Thomas)

Part A:

Arthur in the Cave
I was expecting the Welshman to be Arthur at first even though I read the notes.  I think I was expecting something similar to the Disney version.  The part when the sorcerer said that they had all been asleep for a thousand years kind of reminded me of Sleeping Beauty since I think that's how long they were all asleep too.

Why the Red Dragon is the Emblem of Wales
I really liked this story, especially since it talks about Merlin and dragons.  I was hoping the story would be pretty focused on dragons.  Even though it didn't, I still liked reading this story.

Helig's Hollow
This was a little confusing at certain parts. "She was loved and wooed by the son of one of the barons of Snowdon, and she loved him in return as much as she was capable of loving anyone other than Gwendud, the daughter of Helig. But she would not wed him because he had no golden collar." This sounds like Gwenhwyfar wouldn't marry this guy rather than Gwendud. Also, is Helig's Hollow now under water because of Rhun's dishonesty?

Part B: 

Owen Goes a-Wooing

This was a very random story.  I don't really know what to make of it.  It reminds me of another story but I can't remember what.  Even though it says he didn't die, I really think he did since the water was clearer and he was able to breathe under water. 

The Fairy Reward

I don't get why he couldn't tell Betsi how he was getting money.  The fairies never told him not to tell.  Also, he didn't really tell her, she guessed and he confirmed it.  

Famous Last Words: Week 9

Well, I took the GRE this weekend.  It was about what I was expecting.  It wasn't completely awful I guess.  Considering I never made time to study, I did better than I was expecting to but I am going to have to retake it in February.  I really want to do a prep course because I know if I try and study myself I will put it off like I did this time.  Taking it on a computer made it kind of more difficult for me since I really mark up my tests a lot.  I think that since I know what to expect I will (hopefully) do much better the second time.  Also, one thing that I thought was crazy but I guess people cheat a lot, is that I couldn't take my water bottle in with me while I was taking the test.  I was so thirsty!

                                                     Image source: Life Festival


Anyways...

I really liked all of the storybooks I read this week.  Everyone in this class is really good at storytelling and creating a unique voice for their stories so it's really enjoyable to read.  People seemed to have liked my Cat and Fox Diaries story from a few weeks ago which really makes me happy since that was also my favorite!

I can't believe that it is now week 10.  This semester is really flying by.  It feels like it's been dragging and the Christmas break seems so far away but I have so much to do between now and then that it is making it fly by.  I am so excited for the break haha.  Four weeks is definitely not long enough.  I also just realized that I enroll for my last semester/next summer in a week from today.  That is just totally bizarre to me.  It doesn't seem real.  I never thought this day would come!  I need to stop worrying about next semester and just focus on the current one.

Week 9 Storytelling: Diary of a Maiden

Dear Diary,

I went to the desert today like I always do to gather up some of my favorite purple fruits, the prickly pear.  I ended up staying way too long and it was dark before I even headed home.  It was kind of scary being all alone in the desert at night but also strangely peaceful and calm.  The stars were absolutely wonderful tonight!  They were so bright and sparkly.  There was one star that was just so beautiful and seemed so much bigger and closer to the earth than the others.  I stared at it the whole way home.  I even thought I saw it winking at me.  Is it possible to be in love with a star?  Am I crazy?

Goodnight.

Dear Diary,

I can't stop thinking about that star from the other night.  I've tried telling my friends about it but everyone just thinks I'm crazy.  I had a dream about it last night too.  In my dream, the star was actually a tall, handsome boy that was a sky dweller.  I must go back to the desert to see him tonight to make sure I'm not imagining things.  I really hope I'm not or else I will be so upset and embarrassed for falling in love with a star.  My friends will make so much fun of me if I tell them I had a dream about the star.  I wish someone understood what I was going through and actually believed me.  I guess I'll just go look at it some more.

Dear Diary,

I have been to the desert every night this week and the star is still there.  I swear it's so close to the earth I could practically reach out and grab it.  I just know my dream is right and that the star is actually a boy.  I wish we could be together.  I even went to the old witch to kill me in a way so that I would be able to join him in the sky.  She told me I was much too young and I must live out my life.  Does she not know what it's like to be in love?  She did tell me there was a way for me to live forever in the desert under the stars, but I don't know if I believe her.  I'll have to think about it and go back to her tomorrow.

Goodnight.

Dear Diary,
I have given it some thought and I really think I want to go back to the witch and let her change me.  I love the star so much.  I just know I wouldn't regret this decision whatever it may be.  But what if the star does not love me back?    Maybe I should go back to the desert tonight to see if I can tell whether or not he loves me back.

Dear Dairy,
I went to the desert last night and I truly believe the star loves me back!  I have decided to trust the witch a let her change me.  I wonder if I'll have the ability to switch back and forth, and what exactly she'll be changing me to since she never really told me.  Anyways, wish me luck!

Dear Diary,
I turned the little maiden girl into a a purple sage bush and the star came down and dusted her, turning the leaves white.  They will now be able to be together forever.  I hope I made the right decision.

-The witch

                                               Image source: National Geographic

Author's note:  This is the story The Maiden Who Loved a Star from The Tejas Legends unit.  I thought it was a really cute story.  It stood out to me and not for a particular reason really.  I think I liked it because it was so unusual - a human and a star falling in love.  I don't think we've read anything similar to this story in previous units so it was a nice change.  We have read several love stories but most of them were with humans or a mortal with a God but nothing like this.  I was also expecting the witch to kill her or do something evil rather than help her.  In the original the witch turns her into a cenisa, which is a bush with purple blossoms and white dusted leaves that is able to survive in the desert.  The white dusting comes from the star.  I didn't include the ending in my story since it's a diary and the girl wouldn't have been able to write once she was turned into the bush, so I used a diary entry from the witch because it was her idea to keep the girl alive rather than kill her.  I used this image of stars because who wouldn't fall in love looking at those?  They are so glittery it almost looks fake.  I didn't think the girl would fall in love with some run-of-the-mill star so that's why I chose this image.

Bibliography: Tejas and Other Indian Legends retold by Florence Stratton and illustrated by Bernice Burrough (1936).

Week 9 Essay: Tejas Legends

I went to a high school that was once part of an Indian Reservation and took Native American History.  I hated it.  I was really not looking forward to this unit since I thought it was going to be the same thing but I actually really liked this unit.  The stories were much better than the one we read in high school.  I think we mainly focused on one tribe and one trickster for the year so I was tired of hearing all about him.  I liked that the Tejas Legends were all different and not about the same person over and over again.

These were all pretty sure and very easy to read.  I liked that the stories for the most part were creation stories.  It makes it more interesting to read I think.  I like reading different cultures' creation stories because they are all so different and unique.  I think that is what I was mostly expecting from this class overall.

My favorite stories this week were "The Maiden Who Loved a Star," "Why Irises Hold Hands," "The Cloud That Was Lost," and "The Plant That Grows in Trees."  In past units, I felt like a lot of the characters would do things selfishly or as a trick.  In "The Plant That Grows in Trees" I was surprised the bird was actually trying to look out for the plant and not put it in the tree for selfish reasons.  Same with "The Maiden Who Loved a Star."  I was surprised the witch didn't kill the young girl when she asked her too but gave her an alternate option that would keep her alive but just not in human form.

Overall, I really enjoyed the readings for this unit and am excited to see what the next unit will be like.

                                                        Image source: Un-textbook

Reading Diary Week 9: Tejas Legends

Tejas Legends

Part A

When the Storm God Rides
I liked this story.  I like how it tells how hurricanes got their name and why.  I also like how it explained how Texas was formed and how it protects all of the birds.

How the North Wind Lost His Hair
I like how this story not only explains the origin of Spanish moss but also the seasons.

The Plant That Grows in Trees
This was a cute little story.  I was surprised the bird was so nice haha.

The Cloud That Was Lost
This was pretty sad; that poor little cloud.  The flowers are a bit selfish for drinking up the cloud until there was nothing left.

Part B

Why Hummingbirds Drink Only Dew
This kind of reminded me of the Tortoise and the Hare, but the hummingbird isn't as smug as the hare.

The Maiden Who Loved a Star
This is probably my favorite story for this section.  This was so cute but also kind of dark for a children's tale.  I'm really glad the witch didn't kill the girl.