Week 11 Story Planning: Inner Beauty

Image coming soon...

     This week I read the "Canterbury Tales" set of stories. I noticed a romance theme throughout most of the stories involved in the first half of the reading and I thought this would be the perfect section for me to use for my storytelling this week. I love romance stories and I enjoy writing them, so it works out. I think I'm going to write a story based on "The Wife of Bath's Tale: The Unknown Bride" next week. I think there is a lot of potential for a more metaphorical style of writing and that tends to be something I like to do, so it fits. In the original story, a knight was condemned to his death because he treated a woman very poorly. However, for some reason all the women in the land particularly liked him and begged the King to spare the man. The King gave in and ended up leaving the man's fate to the Queen who determined that the knight could be spared IF he could come back to her in one year's time and tell her what it is woman wish for most. In the end, on the very last day of the year, the knight happened across an old lady that tells him the answer. Once he was freed from his death sentence, she announced that he would be in her debt since she saved his life. She wants him to take her as his wife and he's mortified because she is old and plain. He agrees to marry her, however, and in the end she turns into a beautiful woman. In my story next week, I'd like to rewrite this story in a unique way. I think my story will be more metaphorical than the original. The young man will probably just be a commoner and he won't be set to death or anything like that. He will just be searching for love in the wrong ways (looking for outward beauty) and will need to find his way to the right path eventually. I don't want to give too much away but it should be fun to write and hopefully fun for you all to read!

Characters
A young man, looking for love in all the wrong ways and a few love interests. I want to keep a fairly simple character set on this one. The love interests may even just be mentioned in passing, rather than actually described in any manner. I really want to focus in more on the young man and his journey to discovering what true inner beauty is and how much better it is to hold than outward appearances.

Plot
The young man will be looking for love by going after the most beautiful women he can find, but he will never feel satisfied with his romantic situation. He will eventually see that he's been looking for the wrong things all along and find his way to seeing his true love's inner beauty.

Setting
There probably won't be too clear of a setting with this one. Again, I just want to focus in on true inner beauty and how important that aspect is in life. I'd like to write this in a way that allows the reader to kind of place the story wherever they see fit. It could be in a small village or a big city or wherever the reader feels it fits best.

I’m hoping to use this story to exemplify all kinds of beauty and shine a light on the most important kind, the beauty we all hold within ourselves.

Source
"The Wife of Bath's Tale: The Unknown Bride" as retold by Eva March Tappan in "The Chaucer Story Book"

Week 10 Story: A Forbidden Love

(Young lovers; internet source, www.rudinahp.wordpress.com)

Whether they personally knew him or not, everyone in his small town knew the name Gael Ryder. It was often carried across town on the hushed whispers of the townspeople.

“I ran into Gael at the market yesterday. I wish he’d just leave this town behind and take his memory with him.”

“I reckon he walks around here just to get a rise from us.”

“A fine job he does of it too.”

Most everyone in town spread the rumors about Gael as if they were facts. Even years after the incident, the townspeople remembered what he’d done. Gael had a mental condition, known as bipolar disorder. To over simplify things, he experienced a roller coaster of emotions, often going from elation to severe depression in a moment’s time. Sometimes, out of nowhere, depression wrapped its cold grip around him for no reason at all. Other times, Gael would find humor in horrid situations and he couldn’t help himself. That time in middle school when Susana Wintles was crying in the cafeteria because her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, for instance. Gael understood the significance of the situation. However, a stray bit of hair sticking up from another girl’s ponytail threw him into a fit of laughter. Empathy, in that moment, was lost to him.

Gael had a tendency to make enemies because of his “unusual” personality. He bottled everything up for years, wondering what was wrong with him and never speaking of it. Left undiagnosed, the illness left him mentally exhausted. One day, left alone with his thoughts and feeling broken beyond repair, he decided the world would be better off without his presence. His mother, and only living relative, was out to work that day. He sat on the sofa looking at the lighter in his hand for a time. On – off – on – off... He flicked it over and over. On – off – on… “Everyone will be better off when I’m gone.” Off – on – off… “I can’t screw anything up if I’m not here anymore.” On – off… He wasn’t happy or sad or angry. He was just there. On…

He sat on the couch and watched as the flames overtook the house. When the firemen arrived, his consciousness had faded. Barely breathing, Gael opened his eyes just enough to see the face of a man making the ultimate sacrifice. He felt the respirator slide over his face as his world went black. The fire fighter never made it home that day, but thanks to his bravery, Gael did.

Melony was the only one in town that didn’t blame Gael for the fire fighter’s death. Her mother begged her to stay away from him. Her father forbade it. She didn’t listen to either of them, of course. She saw something in Gael that no one else did. She didn’t see the damaged, screw up that everyone else did. She saw a man who knew the smallest things about her without asking, a man whose touch lifted the weight right off her shoulders on a difficult day. She saw a man who, among so much more, had the kindest, most misunderstood heart she had ever seen. She saw a man who struggled to show affection but loved deeper than anyone else she knew. She alone saw the selflessness in the actions he took in his darkest hour. She understood that he wasn’t trying to numb his own pain or take the easy way out like so many others had said. She saw that he believed he was a burden to the world and he didn’t want to be.

Gael pleaded with her to keep their relationship a secret so the town didn’t turn against her too. For a long time, she did but one day she grew tired of hiding the happiest part of her life. She wanted a husband and children, maybe even grandchildren someday. She wanted all those things with Gael and that wasn’t going to happen if their relationship remained in the dark. She confessed her love for Gael to her parents, then her best friend. Before long the entire town knew she was in love with Gael. Nobody supported her at first. Some were even convinced that Gael had somehow tricked her into it. Eventually though, she was able to convince a fair majority that Gael deserved a second chance. The day they married, most of the town showed up, many of whom didn’t truly understand Gael until that day.

The pastor said, “We will now allow the bride and groom to exchange their vows. Gael, you’re up first.” Gael stared around the small church, before he began.
“Melony, I want you to know that you saved me. You lifted me up when others tore me down. When there were dozens of reasons to hate me, you found the smallest reasons to love me. You, Melony. The reason I’m here today is because of you. You gave me the second chance I never deserved but wouldn’t trade for world. I promise to be the best version of myself that I can possibly be for you, because you deserve that and more.” The pastor nodded slightly towards Melony. Melony smiled at Gael softly.
“Gael, I promise to love you for the rest of my days. I promise to stand by your side when you need me and to step away when you don’t. I promise that I will understand when depression pulls you in and I’ll be there to help you when you’re ready to fight. I promise to remember how much you love me in those moments when you think you don’t. I promise that no matter how much I want to fix everything for you, I’ll remember that I can’t. I will love you even when you can’t love yourself. Most importantly, in the brief moments when you’re in the dark, I’ll be your light, because every other moment you are mine.”

“Gael, you man now kiss your bride!”


Author’s note
I really hope this story wasn’t too confusing but I really wanted to write about something important with this one. There is such a stigma surrounding mental illness and I’m always looking for ways to bring light to this very serious issue. I based my story on “The Bear-Woman” because I really loved the story. The woman in the original is in love with a bear and wants to marry him. When her family finds out, they kill the bear. Then she ends up turning into a bear and killing several people in her village. I wanted to change the ending and make it more about hope and opportunity for change. I wanted to write the love interest to be someone with some sort of ailment that would make him undesirable, yet that one special person would still want him. Mental illness, bipolar disorder specifically, is something very personal to me. Someone very close to me has been diagnosed as bipolar with schizophrenic tendencies, along with having some other health problems. Most people don’t understand the severity of this disease (or any mental disorder really) unless they have personal experience with it. So, I wanted to shine a little light on how things can be for someone with this disorder and the ones they love. Then I wanted to show that having bipolar doesn’t make you a bad person or an unlovable person. It just means that sometimes love has to be shown in a different way when someone with a mental ailment is involved. The most important piece of this story for me was the wedding vows, specifically Melony’s. Go back and read them again… Through this character I hope to tell just a small portion of what a spouse or loved one must learn in order to help someone with bipolar or another mental disorder.
PS
I'm sick and really not very clear headed right now... So I hope this one isn't too terrible to read. I want to come back to it later this week and revise it but for now... I wanted to get the assignment submitted on time. ;)

Source

"Native American Marriage Tales", by Stith Thompson, online source

Week 9 Story Planning: A Forbidden Love

(Young lovers; internet source, www.rudinahp.wordpress.com)

     Next week, I’d like to write a story about a forbidden, unsupported, or unlikely love. I read the Native American Marriage Tales unit this week. “The Bear-Woman” jumped out at me when I read it and I thought it would be fun to write something along the same storyline. In the original story, a woman falls in love with a bear and keeps the relationship a secret to her family while continually insisting that she doesn’t want to marry. Eventually her family finds out about the affair and gathers all the villagers to kill the girl’s lover. I didn’t like that the story ended with both the girl and her lover being killed, so I’d like to make a different ending for my story. I also just watched beauty and the beast, which I think may be adding to my desire to write this story. Since I’m still not certain of where this story will head, I’m doing a planning post this week and hopefully will write this story out next week!

Characters

• A young girl in love, whom nobody takes seriously, except her love interest. 
• The girl’s love interest… I’m not sure yet what this character will be like just yet but they will have some sort of displeasing characteristic that makes the girl’s family and friends plead with her to stay away.
• The girl’s parents. Both will care for their daughter and have her best interest at heart. However, they won’t realize that they’re doing more harm than good by trying to protect their daughter from a nonexistent evil. 
• The girl's skeptical (but supportive)best friend.

Plot
     A young woman will fall in love with an unlikely suitor and her relationship will not be accepted by her peers, and most importantly by her parents. Eventually, the girl will tire of hiding her relationship from everyone and come forth with the truth. In the end, her family will either learn to accept her lover or will lose her forever. The actual story will reveal which way things go.

Setting
     I’m not clear on this yet either (hence the reason I’m doing a planning post, when I traditionally prefer to write right off the bat.) but I think it will be set in a small town where basically everybody knows everybody and everyone is interested in the outcome of the girl’s love life.

     I’m hoping to use this story to convey the idea of acceptance and to show that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

Source

"Native American Marriage Tales", by Stith Thompson, online source

Week 7 Story: The Dying Sultan

(Vervet monkey; online source, www.wikiwand.com)

     Once upon a time, a renowned sultan in southern Turkey grew very ill in a matter of hours. At night’s fall, he was perfectly healthy. However, the following morning he was far too weak to rise with the sun. He called out for his daughters, who quickly rushed to his aid. With their help, he was able to sit up in bed, propped against several pillows. His oldest daughter pulled the blankets back to cover his lower half and the grave look taking over her face told him something was terribly wrong. “What’s wrong, child?” he asked weakly. She hesitated as her eyes flooded with tears. Unable to speak, she slowly pulled the covers back, revealing a small green succulent covered with dark purple and black spots. They all knew what it was and what it meant. Someone had poisoned the sultan. His death would be certain in no more than three weeks time without a cure. Years of traditional teachings, carried down from generations before had taught him that his only escape from death at that point was to consume the heart of a monkey. Not just any monkey, though. He would have to consume the heart of a Chlorecebus Pygerythrus, better known as a vervet monkey. Unfortunately, vervets weren’t commonly seen in this particular region of the country. 

     At once, the sultan called for every man, woman, child, and animal in the area to gather around. With his daughters’ help, he took a seat on the balcony just outside his bedroom window. The first to bring him this particular monkey, alive and well, would be granted a lifetime of riches. He promised, “If any of you bring me this monkey, you will never worry about finances or where your next meal might come from. Anything your heart may desire, you will have. Finally, I will assure your protection from any enemies to the best of my ability.” With that, most every being around, animals included, set off in search of the much sought after primate.

     As the days passed, the sultan began to lose hope. People from all around brought him monkeys of many different species, none of which were living vervet monkeys. On the fourth morning a lynx appeared at the sultan’s door, carrying a half dead vervet between his teeth. Had he owned the strength, the sultan may have berated the lynx for bringing such a pitiful thing to his door. However, he simply sent him away, warning him not to come back unless he could bring a monkey that was both alive AND well to him. By the eve of the eleventh day, the sultan had effectively given up. He grew weaker everyday. He knew he was going to die soon and he was ready to accept that. His daughters, however, weren’t ready to let go. On the eleventh morning, the eldest called for all to gather around once again.

     She swore to build a house made of gold for the victor. “I’ll surround the house with a spring with the most crisp, clean water one could wish for and anything else that might be desired.” Furthermore, she promised her own hand in marriage to any man that came forth with the desired creature. With a new rush of enthusiasm, they all set out, searching further and wider for a vervet monkey to bring to the sultan.

     With such extravagant gifts at stake, the rivalry became fierce. Men attacked each other in hopes of lessening the competition. Friend and foe alike were left for dead, their conqueror hoping for victory over the thousands of others in the race. The sultan soon saw his country falling apart before his eyes. For what?, he thought, to grant myself another decade or so before I succumb to old age? He decided then what he would do. He mustered up the strength to sit up in bed and scratched out a quick note, explaining his choice the best he could. He didn’t have the strength in his legs to walk to the balcony, so he crawled. His last thought before his death was that he hoped his daughters and his followers would understand this final selfless act. He used the last of his remaining strength to shove his body through the barrier and over the edge. His daughters, standing below, watched in horror as their father’s body fell hard against the ground.


Authors note
In the original story a monkey and a shark become unexpected friends. The monkey feeds the shark delicious fruits from the tree where they first met and the shark eventually tells him he feels bad that he has nothing to give back. So, he convinces the monkey to travel home with him so he can show the monkey all the glorious things his home land has to offer. Then, halfway through the twelve day trip through water, the shark announces that he hasn’t been completely honest with the monkey. He tells him that the sultan of his home is very ill and the only thing that could possibly cure the poor man is to eat the heart of a monkey. The monkey then tells his so-called friend that he’d left his heart at home that day and he would gladly help the sultan if he could go home and retrieve it. Then, once the shark takes him home, he admits that he never intended to allow the sultan to eat his heart and runs away.

The way their unlikely friendship ended made me sad and I wanted to allow the possibility of an alternate ending for them. So, I decided to explain how the sultan became sick and the circumstances surrounding the search for a monkey’s heart. I liked the emotional value of a friendship ending in the midst of the sultan’s illness, so I kept that conflict in my story, although I didn't use the original two characters. Then I chose to have the sultan end the madness by taking his own life in the ultimate self sacrifice, because it would allow for friendships to possibly be mended.

Source
"African Stories from Lang's Fairy Books", by Andrew Lang, online source

Week 6 Story: Old Soul, New Tricks

(Old Soul, New Tricks; online source, thepetworks.net)

     The last set of footsteps splashed heavily against the wet stone road and quickly faded away. Cautiously, I stepped out from behind the statue that concealed me. Have they all gone? I wondered as I clutched the excruciating stitch in my side. Running was never my strong suite. I’d always found my way out of sticky situations with ease but this time my victory was uncertain.

     As I slowly approached the end of the temple wall and peered around the corner, my lungs betrayed me. I heaved out a breath much louder than intended as my eyes darted up and down the street, focusing on the slightest sign of movement. The road appeared deserted under the pale moonlight. Maybe I’ve eluded them afte– My thought was left incomplete.*WHAM* the blow cracked hard against the back of my skull. I fell to my knees and my elbow slammed into the hard wall. I was frozen in a daze, my vision blurred almost to nonexistence. I barely made out the shout from directly above me, “I’ve got him over here!”

     Damn. This might just be the end. I thought but I pulled together every ounce of strength I had and focused my energy on bringing down the ornate wall above. With a loud crash, the wall submitted under my power. I barely registered my attacker lying unconscious beneath the rubble as I stumbled to my feet and staggered as quickly as I could back down the path. I found a back entrance to a deserted building and summoned the energy to manipulate the lock. I slipped in and slammed the door, sliding the mechanism back into place just in time. I could hear them all gathering just outside. There was no way out. I knew I would be held captive and tortured for my magical gift. I knew they would show me the same lack of mercy I’d bestowed upon any number of them. I fell against the wall and slid down to the cool floor, hoping for oblivion to consume me. Damn. I thought again.

     I didn’t allow the pounding on the door to startle me. I knew they would get to me soon and my life would effectively come to an end. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I waited for my captors to retrieve me. I can’t be sure how much time passed before I looked up but it seemed like an eternity. They were still banging on the unyielding door. Having regained a bit of my strength, I glanced around. I hadn’t paid any mind to my surroundings when I entered and to that point I had assumed the building empty and abandoned. As I scanned the dark room, I noticed a shining metal sword lying on a wooden work table across the room. That’s when I realized my fate wasn’t sealed. My life was over anyways. Once captured, I would be tortured until I begged for death.

     Barely able to stand, I struggled over to the table and picked up the sword. Running my finger down the precious metal, I reflected on my past. I was not a good person. I was a selfish, vile excuse for a human being. I’d been gifted with the power of sorcery but I used it for my own benefit. Even in my brightest hour, I was a pathetic waste of life. Worst yet, I was a coward. I deserved any punishment I had coming, yet I would not accept that fate. Feeling the cool, sleek metal beneath my finger made my heart race. I truly felt guilty for the life I’d led. I looked up above with a final thought, Have mercy on me, ancestors. For if I could make amends now for my wrong doings, I would. Then, I picked up the sword as the door finally gave way and men came pouring in. It’s now or never. I thought as I thrust the sword into my own stomach and ripped it sideways. I collapsed to my side on the floor immediately and barely noticed the cursing as the cold consumed my body and my world went black.

     I woke in a panic, lying on a cold, hard floor. I was soaking wet and freezing. Did they revive me just so they could torture me to death? I thought. Even I wasn’t that cold in my darkest moment. It took me a moment to realize that I wasn’t inside. I was outside, sleeping in a dirty nook. A sharp pain shot from my hip down my leg as I tried to stand upright, so I cowered back down. Looking down, I realized my arms had been replaced with fur covered paws. On all fours, I crawled over to a puddle nearby to look at my reflection: that of a scruffy old dog looked back at me.

     “Hey there little guy. What are you doing out here by yourself?” an old woman called to me. I eagerly accepted the affection as she scratched beneath my chin and fastened a rope to my neck. She took me home to her husband and they decided to keep me around. They didn’t have much in the way of wealth but their love and affection was abounding. I knew this was my chance for redemption. So, I’ll live out the rest of my canine existence serving my new masters, attempting to right the wrongs I did in my last life. 

Authors note
     In the original story, an old man and his wife care for a small dog because they have no children to care for. The dog soon finds gold coins and makes its owners rich. Then their envious neighbor asks to borrow the dog, hoping it will bring him the same luck. When the dog only finds some nasty old bones for the neighbor though, the neighbor kills him in a rage. The dog later comes to the old man in a dream and brings still more good fortune to him. The neighbor continues to copy the old man’s actions, hoping for the same fate but it never works out in favor of the neighbor.

     I felt like there had to be something extra special about this dog for him to be able to do everything he does for his owners, so I created a back story to explain why he was able to find the gold and bring his owners so many blessings. Since the dog died in the original story, I wanted to create a story about his life and how he came to be. I decided to make him a bad guy in his past life, so all he does in this life would be for a reason: to make up for a life of horrible actions.

Source
"Japanese Fairy Tales", retold by Andrew Lang, online source.

Week 5 Story: An Unexpected Adventure in the Rainforest

(Birds in the Amazon rain-forest; online source, amazontoursbrazil)

Marc had dreamed of the Amazon Rainforest since he had learned of its existence. He and his sister Kira had talked about going together “one day” for the longest time but it remained a dream, not soon likely to become reality. Little was he aware that the dream would become a reality sooner than expected. Unfortunately, opportunity arose from an unfortunate event; Kira’s wedding was called off due to her (now) ex fiancé having a girlfriend! Rather than wallow in self-pity, she chose to use the money she had saved for her wedding and treat herself and Marc on their dream vacation.

They arrived in Peru on a cool, dreary afternoon. The anticipation of locating their lodge consumed Marc as they boarded the second and final boat that would deliver them to their destination. Marc and Kira exchanged glances, eyes filled with enchantment as they watched the gleaming water ripple away under the weight of the boat. Two boat rides and a crowded van ride later, they came to rest just outside their lodge.

Emotionally drained, Kira was overcome with exhaustion and decided to retire early, in hopes that she would wake rejuvenated and ready to explore the next morning. On the other hand, Marc couldn’t wait to get out and tour the forest and opted to take a quick stroll, in spite of warnings to stay out of the forest without a guide. It wasn’t until his stomach began to grumble along the way, that he realized he hadn’t eaten in over six hours. *Maybe he should have stopped to eat at the lodge before running off in excitement.* he thought. Then, along his chosen path, as if it was left there just for him, sat a small bush full of lush berries, dark pinkish purple in color. As he’d seen the guide on the boat eating some that looked identical not an hour before, he felt safe in snacking on a few… He devoured a few in one sitting, then grabbed a small handful for his journey and headed off.

He wasn’t sure what to expect as he entered the forest but figured he should stay close by the lodge, just in case he got into any trouble. Still, he ventured forward along a well trodden path, keeping his eyes peeled for any movement. Birds flew across the path as his eyes took in what he could only guess to be hundreds of different plants and the air heavy with moisture filled his lungs.

Just as he began to think he should return to Kira and heed the advice to stay with a tour guide for all outings, a young girl came gleefully running along the path, hand in hand with a small monkey. “Good evening.” Said the monkey as they skipped on past. *I must be more tired than I realized.* thought Marc as he mumbled “hello”. *Did that monkey just talk to me?* Intrigued, he carried on down the path where he’d seen the little girl disappear just a moment before.

Not 20 feet down farther, he heard a conversation just off the beaten path. “Of course a lowly creature such as you can’t beat me in a race. One step forward for me must be hundreds for you.” Peaking through the brush, he couldn't believe his eyes; right in front of him, there was a huge elephant arguing with what appeared to be a bug on the ground, if anything at all. Okay Marc, get it together. *There is NOT an Elephant standing there talking in front of you.* He swiftly decided he should get some rest and turned back down the path in the direction from which he had come.

He began to wonder how much further it was back to the lodge when he heard a woman crying just over a small hill. As he topped it, he was frozen in place. A tiger stood in front of a cave, accompanied by a young woman, dressed in a wedding gown. And was that tiger wearing… a bow tie around his neck? “Please wife, don’t embarrass me in front of my friends. Go and start dinner right away and when I return with my friends, we can celebrate together. Give me the chance to show you my kindness.” said the tiger. And with that, Marc had had enough and took off as fast as he could, without looking back.

Sweating, panting, clutching a stitch in his side, he emerged behind the lodge. “Kira!” he screamed, “Kira! We’ve got to leave, now. Something crazy is happening!!”… “Kira, WAKE UP!!!” He burst through the front door and Kira came running from her bedroom, struck with fright. “What are you on about?!” breathed Kira, exasperated. She’d barely drifted off to sleep before she heard his screams. “There. Are. Talking. Animals and. And.. a girl who’s married to a tiger... And. And…” With that, he fainted.

He woke to Kira slapping him in the face. His eyes sprung open and he couldn’t believe it; Kira was hysterically laughing at him. “What is so funny?” he demanded. To which, “You believed there were talking animals in the forest and a human girl married to a tiger but of course, such things aren’t real.” She paused for another fit of laughter before explaining, “Lucky those berries you ate were hallucinogenic, rather than poisonous.” Then, to Marc’s ever more confused look, “You dunce, they’re listed in this pamphlet they gave us at the registration office saying DO NOT CONSUME as they will cause incredibly vivid hallucinations. It was rather stupid to eat something you knew nothing about, especially out in the middle of the forest all by yourself…” “Take some aspirin and go to sleep you goof,” she giggled “maybe that will teach you not to eat things when you don’t know what they are.” Then, quite thankful for the brief comedic relief, she sauntered back to bed in search of some much needed sleep.

Authors note

The inspiration for this story came in large part from my own inability to comprehend any of these stories. I felt oddly perplexed as I read most of them and, although I tried, I couldn't really make sense of most of them and the ones that I could see a purpose in, didn't inspire me to write. So, I decided to pull from my own reaction to the stories to make mine. "The Monkey and the Girl" is where I took the bit about the little girl running with the monkey. Although I was confused by this story, I loved how the girl sacrificed herself because she was so committed to the monkey. So, I decided in my story, they would be happily running along in Marc's hallucination. Then, I wrote in the talking elephant from "The Elephant and the Ants" mostly because I love elephants and the idea of an elephant arguing with and being tricked by two tiny ants made me laugh. The elephant in the original story died, so I decided to change his fate! :) Finally, I took the part about the tiger and his bride from "The Tiger's Bride" because I couldn't help but imagine a tiger in a tux and bow tie when I read this story and it also made me laugh. My hope in this story was to inspire laughter with a light hearted comedy about a foolish boy who unintentionally takes a hallucinogenic trip through the rain-forest. 

Sources
Santal Folklore, recalled and translated to English by C. H. Bompas, online source.

I also took inspiration for the description of their arrival from this website's information about tours: http://www.amazontoursbrazil.com/photo-gallery.

Week 4 Story: Amelia's Wisdom

(The Enchanting Land of the Fairies; online source, forgottenrealms.wikia)

Hey there! My name is Amelia. I grew up in an enchanting palace, more beautiful than words can describe. The walls are lined with ancient art, haled from all over the world and telling many stories of love, life, & tragedy. There are kind hearted servants in every shadow, waiting to serve those who stake claim to the place and their guests. It’s an incredible place and I was blessed to be born of noble blood and hold a rightful place within its borders. You’re probably wondering why you should care, right? Well, once you know my story, you’ll understand.

First, there is another facet of this estate that I forgot to mention; the enchanted land of fairies. Our home sits on a huge plot of land, with scenery farther than the human eye can behold. Among the acres of our land, there flows the waters of a breath-taking Caribbean blue fall into a small, magnificent pond. I’m captivated with ecstasy when my eyes consume the picturesque scene. It gets better though. When you dive in and swim beyond the fall, you emerge in another dimension.

The sweet smell of dewy foliage washes over as you surface. Greenery and flowers presents for miles around and the intricate tangle of roots threatens tragedy if care isn’t taken. Sparkling yellow lights loom about, suspended by magic in mid-air. The fairies live throughout, among the trees in tiny homes custom made for each. The fairies themselves are what you might expect; small, graceful flying beings, adorned with the characteristics of the most majestic of human beings, with the extra advantage of tiny wings used to flitter about. Blessed with magical powers, they can grant most anything you might wish for. Indeed, this is their life’s purpose.

Each fairy has its own specialty. Amorette, the fairy of love can grant you anything that deals with your hearts deepest desires. Felix is a fairy with whom you would speak for a request of a prosperous nature. The one to seek when you’re searching for joy is Euphoriella. The list goes on, from luck to friendship to tranquility and beyond.

Throughout my family’s history women have married, moved in with their lover, & birthed their first child before the age of 20. I was nearly 3 years past and the kindness of romantic love was lost to me. My parents told me not to worry. Love would take me off my feet soon enough and until such time, I could stay in the palace. One day in the not too distant past, I visited the land of fairies as I have so many times before. This time, however, I went in search of a blessing and asked Amorette to bless me with a suitor and of Euphoriella, I asked for our happiness in matrimony. Soon enough, a handsome prospect crossed my path. We fell fast and hard in love and my happily ever after had arrived.

I did what my parents had urged me against for years, “Be warned child; leave with nothing, less the pleasure of the land’s magnificent sights. Seek not from the fairies, blessings of body or soul, for in you, regret will eventually grow.” I tried to heed the advice but alas, loneliness had taken a toll. I went to the fairies amid desperation, forgetting my parents’ words. It soon became clear there was a part of all of this that I didn’t know.

My parents were displeased with my interest in a man born of common blood. They forbade me to see him. If I were to marry him, they said, I would be exiled from my family. Broken hearted, I returned to Amorette in search of a solution. “Could you bestow my parents with endearing affection for my fiancé?”, I requested. Only then did I learn why my parents have urged me not to make requests of the fairies all these years.

Balance, you see, must be maintained. For every blessing bestowed by one fairy, another dispenses a tragedy. For manipulating one to love, hatred befalls another. Joy is opposed by sadness, good luck by misfortune, tranquility by chaos, and so on. Ordinarily, my parents would have approved so long as I was happy but Heine, the fairy of hatred as he is, set their hearts afire with loathing. Amorette could not interfere with the cursed actions of another fairy.

I return home this evening with a heavy heart. I bade my lover farewell and assured him I will never forget his embrace. I knew this was a lie but he, as well as I, will remain ignorant of such. For when the sun brings a new day, I will rise filled with wisdom. I will not know this heart break, nor the comforting feel of his warm and caring touch. He won’t recall the pain of this separation, nor the joy of our union. Tomorrow, my parents will recollect nothing and their hearts will be freed of judgement. This is how things must be so that when my heart is again enamored, joy will find my parents’ as well.

I will appreciate the fairies’ beautiful domicile from this day forth but I will not again ask of them to interfere with my fate. I know now; without sadness, we can’t fully appreciate our joy. Without knowing hatred, we cannot truly cherish love. Without poverty, in wealth we are apt to be consumed with greed. If we know nothing of judgement, we will not value acceptance.

Author notes.

I took my inspiration for this story from "The Evil Eye of Sani" (3 parts), one of the first stories in "Folktales of Bengal". The original story is about a god of bad luck and a goddess of good luck. They have a disagreement about who is higher in rank and call upon a wise human to solve the debate. When he symbolically tells them that the goddess of good luck is higher in rank, the god of bad luck is infuriated and thus curses the man with bad luck. 

I liked the use of opposition in this story and I was immediately inspired to write about the art of opposition at work helping us appreciate things in our daily lives. When something good happens in our lives, it is typically sweeter when we have something bad to compare it to. For example, if we are born into riches and handed everything in life, we may not appreciate it as much as someone that is poor & works hard to obtain wealth. 

That was the whole idea behind my story; to show that we can find positivity even in negative things. If nothing else, the negative things in life help us value the good things more when they happen. I didn't stick very closely to the original story, in fact I didn't take much from it. I took some creative discretion and really made the story my own, only using  an overarching idea that came to me during the original story. 

Source.

Folktales of Bengal, recounted and translated to English by Lal Behari Day, online source.

Week 3 Story: A Kingdom of Love

(Lion in the dark; online source, pinterest)

The Ways of the Pride.

Taking place many years ago, our story begins in an area known today as Tanzania, in a deep valley nestled in the grasslands not too far from Mount Kilimanjaro. A rather large lion pride colonized the space, maintaining 6 or more males and around 50 females of varying ages at one time. Not too different from other prides, this was a polygamous society. Females generally mated many times throughout the year & the males even more because of a high female to male ratio. Once they hit an age appropriate for mating, young lionesses were expected to breed to maintain the longevity of the pride. They were allowed, if they wished, to maintain a more intimate relationship with one male; a husband of sorts. If this was their chosen path, they would typically breed with multiple males but spend quality time with and nest with their chosen mate at night. Most of the lionesses were content to follow a life of solitude and breeding with no strings attached but a fair few would decide to take the path of romantic companionship.

Amoralite and Enoc.

When a young lioness chose the path of love, she would often venture a visit to Enoc’s cave. Enoc was known well in every pride within a 400-km radius as the god of love and persuasive charm. A lioness would visit Enoc when she chose to take the path of love. He would concoct a potion specialized to the love seeker. She would share the potion with the mate she chose and both would be overcome with passion for one another. Lions are keen hunters but they’re not prone to intimacy. So, most often, when a lioness desired an endearing relationship, she would have to turn to Enoc to help promote loves alluring pull; much the same as a lioness lacking the fertility to help populate her pride would visit Amoralite. Amoralite was blessed with heavenly beauty and throughout her youth, the males in her pride would beg of her to be their mate. Amoralite however, didn’t think any of her prospects were worthy of one of such beauty and she soon left her pride in favor of a life of solitude. However, unbeknownst to her, she would soon find herself impregnated with a son. “How is this possible?” she pondered, as she hadn’t mated in quite some time. “I can’t be carrying a cub.” Eventually, Enoc was born. Word spread about the lions that Amoralite had conceived without a mate. Every day after, she became known as the goddess of fertility. So, son and mother, lived alone in a cave far from any other lions. Prides from areas all around provided food and provisions to Amoralite and Enoc in exchange for their blessings of fertility and love. By this way, the two could live in solitude, hunting unnecessary as they were provided with more than enough from their servants, very unlike any of the other lions.

A Fit of Jealousy

Back to our pride in the valley of Tanzania, one summer three daughters would be birthed to the leader. All three were blessed with natural beauty but one was more beautiful than anything any of the other lions had ever seen. Cyrilla’s coat, smooth and sleek, shined in a bright caramel brown. Her back and sides would shimmer in a glittery fashion when she moved. She was so beautiful that the males in her pride began to fight over who would be her mate. This overwhelming affection shown to Cyrilla angered Amoralite and she ordered Enoc to ruin her. He was to watch her and create a love potion that would insure she fell in love with a foul, hideous beast! “That will teach her not to flaunt her beauty!” breathed Amoralite with a heavy cackle inside her own head. “I’m the most beautiful one in all the land. Who does she think she is?” To her son, she bade, “You will set her heart to flutter for that on which she should feast. A hyena should do, I would say. She’ll be disowned in no time and, with any luck at all, she won’t live to tell this tale.”

A Betrayal of Loyalty.

Enoc meant to do as he was ordered. He watched the young Cyrilla for days. He couldn’t help himself though, and he began to have affectionate feelings for her. She was beautiful and majestic, graceful, and quaint. Enoc couldn’t help but to be taken aback by her magnificent allure. He caught her alone, not too far from her pride one day and approached. After giving her the sleeping drought his mother had created, Enoc was soon looking at her unconscious body. Dragging her away in haste, the decision to betray his mother wasn’t his to make. He was enchanted by her charm and without a thought, he had dragged her body to secluded cave. He would sow the seeds of humiliation later. He regretfully informed Cyrilla’s father that she had ran off, in love with a hyena. She would never be accepted in her pride again. Enoc, of course, gave her the love potion. It wouldn’t improve her affections for a hyena, however, as his mother had ordered. Cyrilla would wake, overcome with lust for Enoc.

The Confusing Matrimony.

Cyrilla woke just before dusk with a rush of panic. “What happened? Where am I, and how did I get here?” she wondered. “And why am I overwhelmed with such feelings, of which I’ve never felt before?” She didn’t know the name of her love interest but she was certain she was meant to be with him. Suddenly, she heard movement at the cave entrance. She wasn’t afraid though. Somehow, she knew that she was with her lover, even though she knew nothing of his face. Enoc spoke softly to her, “My love. You’ve finally woken. How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling rather content to be here with you but I’m not quite sure how I got here or why. I’m overwhelmed with affectionate feelings for you and I don’t even know your face.” she whispered, tilting her head and squinting in attempt to see her newfound companion. “You shouldn’t try to see me, Cyrilla. For if you do, we shall be separated forever. Can you promise me, love, that you won’t try to reveal my identity?” He vowed to return to her side every night, so long as she remained ignorant to his identity. Cyrilla was contented with her lover’s proposal. She was overwhelmed with all these fluttering feelings for her new husband and could see no reason to betray his trust. She could smell his scent when he was nowhere around, feel his touch in the soft wisp of the wind on a breezy afternoon, or hear the melodic hum of his whisper in her ear as they dropped off to sleep. She was rather content. So, why should it matter if she didn’t see him? The couple could live in eternal bliss, if only things would continue in this way.

Author’s notes.

I chose to use this section as a challenge to myself. I’m glad I did, because I feel like I pushed myself a little harder on this one and I think it paid off. I tried to write in a similar style this time too. I wrote in sort of small chunks with an overall theme for each piece and I tried using some more direct dialogue here. I took my inspiration from the original story of Psyche and Cupid. I wanted to retell this story, because I feel that it’s a beautiful story of compassion. Cupid for Psyche and Jove for Cupid. I also really liked the suspense of the story. Who is Psyche’s lover? Will she ever find out it’s Cupid? Will she be driven to betrayal of her husband by her sisters’ jealous actions? There are just so many aspects to this original story and that’s what I wanted to capture here. I chose the lion pride storyline, because I wanted to use strong characters that give off confidence and power. The lion is often referred to as “king of the jungle”, because they’re strong and have no fear. I thought that a perfect fit for the characters I wanted to portray here. The names I chose are just a play on the original character names. Cupid is known in Greek mythology as Eros, so I went with “Enoc” for him. I had a difficult time coming up with something for Psyche but I think Cyrilla is a fun and unique name and I believe it works well in this story. Finally, venus’ name in Greek mythology is Aphrodite, so I went with Amoralite for her. My intention was to portray the entire story, because I think it is a beautiful testament and I believe the story suffers if pieces are removed. However, this ended up quite longer than I intended it to be and it’s now 1:30AM and I would like to write about the same amount more to complete the story. I think this portion is okay along as a short little love story but I would like to finish writing to conclude the conflict between Enoc and his mother, whom he has betrayed. I’d like to bring a bit more closure to the story.

Resource.
Cupid and Psyche by Apuleius, online source. Translated to English by Tony Kline

Week 2 Story: The Tangled Web of Love We Weave

(Zig Ziglar quote; internet source, anonymousartofrevolution)

Jacob Crutchfield would often daydream about meeting the perfect woman to take as his bride. More often than not he thought "Maybe there is something about me that deters women." for he always wound up alone. In fact, alone was basically all he'd ever known. Although he'd had many love interests throughout the years, something always seemed to get in the way of his love life moving forward. Marietta had moved away with her parents before he got up the courage to ask her out, the girl at the local coffee shop "wasn't interested in dating right now", and Charlotte's father supposedly forbade her to see boys until she was forty (although oddly, he fully funded her nuptials to a rich entrepreneur whom she had known for only 9 months before taking the vows). The more Jacob's love life stagnated, the more he would dwell on the future and the idea that he may never have a woman to call his wife; may never have a child or children to carry on his legacy. Jacob began to feel bitter about his situation, which would eventually prove to aid in his own self destruction.

Nola was a beautiful young journalist, traveling in hopes of finding the inspiration she needed to write.  She was beginning to believe she wouldn't find the ingenuity she was looking for when she stopped in at a small town grocery store on the way to her hotel. There just behind the store was a calm, steady flowing creek tracing the outer edge of a quiet quaint little park begging for a visitor to pilfer the radiant beauty of the surroundings. It was an odd little place with features screaming of antiquity but Nola instantly knew that this was what she had been searching for. She would sit out on the rickety little bench by the creek and listen to the song birds sing and she would see the characters of her novel spring to life before her eyes. Walking around the outside of the store in a daze, she didn't see the young man she would wind up bumping into. Awkwardly, she walked right into his arms without realizing what was happening until the mortification had set in.

Jacob saw Nola at the little park behind his regular grocery store frequently after their ignominious first encounter. She would come into the store occasionally and Jacob would say hello and crack a joke about her first day in town and the way they first met. They formed a friendship of sorts before long. Jacob began to recover hope and decided that maybe he would take another shot at love. Nola soon realized that she couldn't afford to live out of a hotel here for much longer, but didn't want to leave this place where she had finally found the inspiration she had been searching for. She decided to take a chance and ask Jacob if she could stay with him for a while. Jacob, thinking that this was a chance to spin things in his favor agreed, with one condition. Nola had to agree to go on a date with him. "In fact, I'd like you to go on one date a week with me as long as you stay here." he added.

Weeks let to months and somewhere along the line, their arrangement turned into a more serious thing. Jacob wanted nothing more than to have a woman to call his wife. Nola wasn't completely opposed to the idea but she wasn't sure she was really looking for a serious thing either. However, she needed a place to stay and Jacob was willing to provide that place so she went along with the arrangement. Soon enough, she found herself feeling obligated to accept his marriage proposal because he had done so much for her in the beginning. Jacob, began to feel comfortable and didn't show Nola the affection he did in the beginning. He allowed his bitterness of being alone for so long to effect the way he treated his wife and he didn't appreciate her as he should. Eventually, Nola feeling underappreciated, began to think her marriage was a mistake and Jacob was taking advantage of her. Finally having the wife he'd always yearned for, Jacob no longer worked to earn her. Their marriage would soon fall apart but each would leave with a harsh lesson learned.

"You can only reap the goods of the seeds you have sown." Jacob realized. "Perhaps if I had continued to show her the affection she deserved, I would have kept my wife happily by my side."

"If you allow a man to use you for your own benefit, he will also see fit to use you for his." was Nola's realization. "Maybe I should not have used Jacob for my own benefit when I wasn't ready to accept his side of commands. I could have found a happy life with a husband by my side if I had shown myself the respect I expected from him."

Author's note. My inspiration for Jacob came from the Dog and the Wolf (6th story, here). I really like the message that you need to put in the work and effort for the things you want in life. In the original story, by Joseph Jacobs, a starving wolf wants the spoils afforded to his canine friend. The dog kindly agrees to show him the ropes, working for his master and share his rewards. The wolf agrees, however, as soon as he realized that he would have to be chained up at night and would be required to do work for the master, he decides that he would rather starve and be "free" than to live the way of the dog. Then for Nola, my inspiration came from The Horse, The Hunter, and The Stag (1st story, here). In this story, a horse has a disagreement with a stag and wishes to get revenge. So, he goes to a hunter and asks him for help. The hunter agrees to help the horse if only the horse will allow him to saddle him and use a bridle to control him. After conquering the stag, the horse wishes to be freed but the hunter now has control over him and uses the horse for his own benefit. So mostly my story took inspiration from the broad message that I took home from these two stories.

Biography. "The Dog and the Wolf" and "The Horse, The Hunter, and The Stag" from Aesop's fables by Joseph Jacobs

Week 1 Story: The Hay Isn't Always Greener on the Other Side

"The Hay Isn't Always Greener on the Other Side."

(Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Web source)

Dominick Wilkerson, as a young man of 16, agreed to work as a farm hand for a poor farmer. “I can’t pay you much” stated the farmer “but I’ll do my best”. At first, the boy was grateful. He exclaimed to his mother, “I’ll bring home the weekly bread”! Soon enough however, he became frustrated with his meager restitution. On his 21st birthday, Dominick decided by the end of his next full turn around the sun, he’d be working somewhere else, making a much higher salary and the little farm would be long gone.

He began to keep his eye out for any opportunity to leave the old farm. He searched for a while, his efforts apparently in vain. Then one day, “finally!” he thought, an opportunity came. A big corporate warehouse in the next town over was searching for someone they could bring over. “In need of a strong young lad that will work very hard.” the ad read, “He should be good with his hands and not bothered by occasional dirty work in the yard.” Dominick was sure he was perfect for the job, so he set up an interview to talk with the boss.

The interview came and things seemed to go well. The boss said he was impressed and asked him to come back the next week for interview two. Dominick agreed and went straight to the farmer. “I’m quitting this job for 3 times the salary of a farmer” he said. With no notice or warning, he left the poor man with no farm hand. Too old and feeble to do much work himself, the farmer would be in quite a rough spot if he didn’t find some help.

The following week, when he returned for his interview, Dominick received some bad news. The director had decided to promote from within and cut out a position, so there was no need to hire him. Dominick returned to the old farmer, wanting to resume his job at the little man’s side. “No thank you Dominick. I have found someone else. She is grateful for the salary and occasional spare grain and most import she’s promised she won’t leave me high and dry again."

Author's note. I chose a story with a generic message that I believe is very important in live. Basically, don't depend on something that hasn't happened yet. The story "The Milkmaid and her Pail" is about a milkmaid that gets a little too ahead of herself on the way to market. She begins daydreaming about what she will do with the money she gets from selling her milk, which she is carrying on her head. As she fantasizes about snubbing another woman because of her fortune, she accidentally pours all of the milk out of her pail. The young milkmaid made a mistake that many people make on a regular basis; she allowed money to drive her actions which resulted in an unpleasant end result for her, so I found the story relatable and felt there were a lot of directions I could go with it. Honestly, who can truthfully say that money doesn't at least in some way drive their everyday thought process and actions? I doubt there are many! I chose to write about a poor farmer and his ungrateful farm hand, because I live on a farm and have been around a lot of the work that goes into farming and I have seen many people take for granted the work that goes into the upkeep of a farm. Finally, I thought a woman taking over the job Dominick threw away for a "possibility" that didn't pan out would add the ultimate humility to the story. 

Bibliography. "The Milkmaid and her Pail" in Fables of Aesop by Aesop.