Reading Notes: Hans Christian Andersen

Bibliography:

Hans Christian Andersen  - Story source: Fairy Tales and Stories by Hans Christian Andersen, translated by H. P. Paull (1872).

The Mermaid

After finishing the second half of these fairytales the theme that stood out to me was tragic love. As I mentioned with the tin soldier he died and formed a small tin heart after losing his love. In the Little Mermaid the girl loves her prince so much but in the end he doesn't choose her. She still refuses to kill him, even to save her own life. 

I am going to write my story about a tragic love story incorporating both of these story themes. 

Read Notes: Hans Christian Andersen- Part A

Bibliography:

Hans Christian Andersen-- Fairy Tales and Stories by Hans Christian Andersen, translated by H. P. Paull (1872)

Little Toy Soldier

I chose to read the fairytales. While I was already familiar with most of these stories I love them so much that I could not resist revisiting them. 

The story of the Little Tin Soldier was the most interesting to me. I just loved how the little toy maintained his love and composer throughout the whole story and eventually melted down into a heart. 

I think I would like to base part of my story around this little man hanging on to dignity and love for his girl. My story will be a fairytale, full of whimsy and unrealistic endings.  

Reading Notes: Inferno- Part B

Bibliography:

Inferno - Story source: Dante's Divine Comedy, translated by Tony Kline (2002)

Harpy

As I already mentioned, I love Donte's Inferno. 

The theme that I want to use is the journey. It kind of reminds me of Alice falling down the rabbit hole and meeting a bunch of strange creatures. I love that so many creatures and people appear in this story. I think planning a story around someone traveling around with guide who continuously meets new and exciting people. 

Reading Notes: Inferno- Part A

Bibliography:

Inferno- Story source: Dante's Divine Comedy, translated by Tony Kline (2002).

Donte's Inferno by Gustave Doré

Donte's Inferno has also been one of my favorite poems and when I saw it on the reading list I knew this was the story I had to read this week. 

I love the language of this reading. It's all very big and poetic. I wish it would be something I could duplicate but I'm not sure that I could. 

The rings of hell are something that have always intrigued me. I would like to write my own story and incorporate the different levels in my own manner. Perhaps just someone traveling the earth and meeting all the different characters. 

Famous Last Words: I Barely Made It.

This week has been incredibly challenging for me. It is not that I have a lot of outside class work, because this is actually the only class I'm taking this semester, but that my full-time job and full-time life almost beat me this week.

I get easily frustrated when I cannot finish all the assignments in the time frame I want and so this week when I couldn't even complete the first portion of the reading I was stressed. Reading of any form is my relax time and missing it, especially when it's a subject I enjoy like this one, is hard on me.

My job has been over the top this week. I work in dispatch and have a partner that works on the opposite end of the week from me. Great coworker, but sadly, he was sick. When you dispatch buddy is sick, you get called up to bat so to speak. So, on top of my already long work schedule, I worked extra days. I have a wonderful family and needed to celebrate a birthday this week, that involved a lot of coordinating from me. My reading just fell through the cracks. I lose sight of the fact I can easily make up the points later by turning assignments such as the one I'm currently typing. I stress about the now.

After the stressful week I had, my reading assignments were the highlight of my day. I read some really amazing storybooks for the project feedback assignment. A favorite of mine was "Not to Touch the Earth" by Jenna. It was a really excellent story and reading it was such a joy. It was an escape from my stressful days. All of the storybooks I read were great, but this one really stood out to me. I think for these last couple of weeks I need to make a more concerted effort to get my readings done in my down time instead of just trying to squeeze them in during my work days.

Reading is Good for the Soul

Storytelling: Loyal and True

"DAD!" 

Levi heard his son call from upstairs. He raced up the stairs to find out what was scaring his little boy. 

"What's wrong? Why are you yelling?" He asked his little man. 

"Something is in my room." The child told his father, "Please get it out."

Levi began searching the room looking for anything that might have scared his child but he could not find anything in the room. 

The next morning Levi was up early to go hunting. He called his two dogs, Gellie and Hobbes, so that they could get on the road. 

"Gellie! Let's go." He called for the dog. Hobbes was already in the truck and Levi was anxious to get on the road. 

He stomped inside to find his dog, "Gellie!" He yelled when he saw his dog lying by his son's bed, "It's time to go. Get up!"

Gellie just laid there and growled a little. No matter what Levi did or said he couldn't get Gellie to leave his son's bedside. 

"Fine, just stay here. You weird dog."

Normally Gellie was his favorite. He was already for the hunt and raring to go. He loved being outdoors and was his best hound. Levi couldn't believe he didn't want to go this morning, and he never growled, "What is wrong with that dog?" Levi thought to himself. 

After a long day of hunting Levi came home to a terrifying scene. 

"Why is the door unlocked?" Levi thought to himself as he pushed it open to reveal a devastating picture. 

His entire house had been turned upside down. Pictures were broken on the floor, knickknacks were either missing or broken, furniture had been overturned and many pieces were missing legs or now had rips in them. 

Levi raced up the stairs to check on his wife and son. 

When he reached the landing he noticed something on the floor, "Was that blood?" Levi asked himself in terror. 

He raced into his son's room to find his wife tied to the rocking chair. 

"Levi!" She exclaimed, "Oh God, it was horrible. The came in so quickly and I couldn't stop them." 

"Where is Ryan? Why is there blood everywhere?"

"Gellie!" she panted, "Gellie saved him. The men were trying to take him and he fought them off." 

"Dad?" Ryan cried as he opened the closet door, where he was hiding. "Dad, Gellie is really hurt. He fought them and the hit him a lot." 

Levi checked over his wife and child for injuries and finally exhaled. He ran around the house looking for his god dog. 

How could the dog have known? Such good instincts. His hound had always had good instincts. 

Levi finally found Gellie out in the backyard badly beaten and bloodied. 

"Come on, boy, let's get you to the hospital." Levi tried to console the dog. 

While Levi carried the hound to the car he worried, Gellie was in bad shape. How would he ever deal with losing this precious dog. He had saved his wife and child, he owed this dog everything. 

When they reached the animal hospital he carried Gellie inside, "Please, please save my dog. He rescued my family today, and I just don't know what I would do without him."

The family sat in the waiting room anxiously while the vet checked over the dog. 

"He is going to need a lot of stitches and even more love and care, but after some recovery Gellie will be good as new." The vet told Levi and the family. 

"Thank you, thank you." Levi said, "That dog will get the best care any dog has ever received."

The family took Gellie home and began to pick up the pieces of their lives. Gellie continued to recover and eventually returned to the wonderful hunting hound he was before the break in. Levi was always grateful to the wonderful dog and never questioned his instincts again. 

Hunting Hound

Author's Note:

I wrote this story based of the Celtic Tales by Joseph Jacobs in particular I wrote it about Beth Gellert. In this story a king goes hunting and cannot find his favorite hunting hound. When he returns he find blood leading up to his baby son's crib and cannot find the sun. He immediately assumes the dog has killed his baby and stabs the dog with his spear. He then discovers the child hidden and a wolf caracas beside him. The hound had stayed behind to protect the child. When he realizes this it is too late for the dog and he dies. I really hated that the dog died in this story for protecting the child, so I wanted to change it and make a much happier ending.  

Reading Notes: Celtic Tales-Part A and B

Bibliography:
Celtic Tales- by Joseph Jacobs

Hunting Jackals by Samuel Howitt

Beth Gellert- this is the story that stuck with me most from these readings. This story was incredibly sad and as someone who loves dogs the chance to rewrite this story with a much happier ending really intrigues me. I also recently just acquired a new puppy so I think I could draw some inspiration from that as well. 

I would like to incorporate the feel and flow of these tales.  They are whimsical and read similar to nursery rhymes. 

Story Telling: Sisters

Author's Note:

This story is very loosely based on the English Tales-English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, published in 1890, and the story about the sisters, Binnorie. I really enjoyed the tale of the scorned sister and exacting revenge because the pretty one stole her man. While the younger sister did nothing but be pretty, I just find sister jealousy interesting. 

The Beautiful Sister

"O yonder sits my father, the king,

Binnorie, O Binnorie;

And yonder sits my mother, the queen;

By the bonny milldams o' Binnorie.

And yonder stands my brother Hugh,

Binnorie, O Binnone;

And by him my William, false and true;

By the bonny milldams o' Binnorie.

And there sits my sister who drowned me

By the bonny milldams o' Binnorie."

"Bonnie! Bonnie where are you?" Allie yelled up the stairs at her sister. "You will never guess what happened to me today!"

Bonnie came rushing down the stairs, "What?" she asked, her cheeks were flushed and she looked as pretty as ever. 

Bonnie and Allie had always been close. They were best friends as well as sisters. While Allie was lovely, her younger sister Bonnie was the angelic one. She had pretty, soft blonde hair; big blue eyes, and rosy cheeks. 

"I met the perfect boy in class in today. His name is William and he's just so amazing." Allie gushed to her sister. "We have a date Friday night. I cannot wait for you to meet him."

"Oh! Tell me more!" Bonnie exclaimed, "What does he look like?"

"Well, he has pretty green eyes...." their voices trailed off as they went upstairs to their room for more girl talk. 

.....

Friday night finally arrived and William knocked on the door of the big brownstone house. 

"I'm here to pick up Allie" he said when Bonnie opened the door.

"Come in, come in! She will be down shortly." Bonnie said excitedly. "Tell me more about yourself as we wait for her."

As William and Bonnie talked Allie finished getting ready and made her way down the stairs. She smiled to herself when she saw them engrossed in conversation on the couch. She loved that her sister and boyfriend were hitting it off. It was so important to her. 

William and Allie had a wonderful date and soon became inseparable. The best part for Allie was that he also loved inviting her sister along on their adventures. 

Soon you couldn't find them without each other. The three were always hanging out and Allie could not have been more happy until one day, four months later William wanted to talk. 

"Allie, I need to tell you something." William began, "you know I like you, and I think you're great; but I have fallen in love with Bonnie." he stammered. 

"You WHAT?!" Allie asked in disbelief. 

"I have fallen in love with Bonnie." he said, while staring at the floor. 

"Does she know?" Allie asked. 

"I haven't said anything to her yet." he responded. 

"Leave." Allie demanded. "Do not contact either one of us ever again."

"I have to tell her, Allie, I love her." he pleaded. 

"I said leave and never contact us again." she said.

William finally left and Allie ran up the stairs, flung herself on the bed and began to cry. 

This is where Bonnie found her later that day.  "What's wrong?" Bonnie asked, "I thought we were going to the movies with William tonight. You better get ready." 

"We broke up." Allie told her, "He likes someone else." 

"Who?!" Bonnie exclaimed. "How could he do this to us?"

"Us? How could he do this to me, you mean." Allie stated as she narrowed her eyes at her sister.

"Right, how could he do this to you?" Bonnie corrected herself. 

"I don't know, I..." Allie cut off as Bonnie's phone began to ring. "Answer it." 

"Umm, no, we are talking" Bonnie stammered, "I'll call them back."

"Answer it."

"Allie, please, I don't know why he's calling me." Bonnie begged. 

"He loves you. He told me. That's why we broke up." 

"Allie, I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

"Just leave me alone. I hate you. I hate you both. You've always been prettier and you practically threw yourself at him. You came on all our dates." She yelled in anger at her sister. "JUST GET OUT OF MY ROOM. I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU EVER AGAIN."

"Allie, please don't do this. You're my best friend and my sister. I would never do this to you on purpose. Please." Bonnie pleaded. 

"Get. Out." 

Bonnie turned and left the room, form that moment forward their relationship was never the same. Allie moved out of the brownstone for college and Bonnie graduated high school a year later and moved to New York to pursue her dreams. Sadly, the sisters were never close again, Allie could never forget losing William. She thought he was the one, and her sister stole that from her. 

Reading Notes: English Tales-Part B

Bibliography:

English Tales- English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, published in 1890.

Gingerbread Man

While I was again familiar with most of the themes the story I enjoyed most was the Johnny Cake story because it reminded me of the gingerbread man. The story of the gingerbread man was one of my favorite tales growing up as a child. I am a sucker for nostalgia so I am hoping to use this theme with the themes from the sisters story I mentioned in my first reading notes post. I doubt I actually use a gingerbread man or Johnny Cake but something similar.