Reading Notes: Alaskan Legends unit; Part A

The Raven Myth is part of Alaskan Legends unit from  Myths and Legends of Alaska, edited by Katharine Berry Judson (1911). The Raven Myth simply narrates the creation of the world, of human and animal.

Raven

In the Raven's Creation, Man, a first human, was created from a pea pod of the giant beach pea. He drank water from the pool and ate salmon berries and heath berries which Raven brought for him. Raven, who in turn a human like Man but appeared under Raven's shape, had wings and beak. Raven showed Man about the sheep herd that Raven was created and many other animals. Raven also formed a girl from clay so that a Man would never be alone.

Raven created the shrewmouses, the mosquitoes, and the flies so that the earth would become more cheerful. He also created babies so that there would be more human on the earth. The baby boy and baby girl were growing so fast, just three days to become a man and woman. That was how Raven created people. Raven taught them people how to hunt, gather foods, and built house.

Raven took Man to see the skyland and the sea. It appeared much different than where Man lived, much beautiful, better planet but also the most dangerous place with monsters. the Man lived there three days and turned back to his home. He saw that the home now grew into a large village with so many people. So he and Raven taught the new people things that they supposed to know to support for their life. As the population growth, people killed much more animal. Raven got angry. He ordered a reindeer to come to the village, killed people and damaged the houses. Final, he decided to limit the day by placing people in dark. That how the sun and the moon appear. In the dark, people got rest and producing no activities but sleep.

Story Lab: Languages

Sources: Allie Vandersanden

I am not good at English, but when my family and I moved to the United States five years ago, I taught my mom and my dad one simple sentence. That was "I'm sorry! I don't know English." That sentences my parents used almost everyday whenever there was someone tried to ask or tell them somethings.
Back to the time when my parents just got their driver licenses, the most important problem was how they could fuel up the gas tank. It was such an easy task that people do regularly, but it was not that easy for my parents . They couldn't paid the gas using debit/ credit card at the pump since they didn't even understand the words on the screen. So they chose the "old method", paying the attendant inside the station. My parents couldn't remember the long sentences. To make it simple, there was the structure, "Pump number. Dollar amount. Please!" That actually works very well for both. "Pum number three. Thirty five dollars. Please!"
One day, my dad got home with his excited face. He told that  he overpaid for the gas and he came to the attendant, saying, "I'm overpaid. Pump three." He felt so happy because they could understand what he said.
Language barrier also creates so many awkward moments for me too. When i studied at Oklahoma City Community College, my professor in a Reading course told us a story, then all of my friend laughed so hard, except my sister and I. It turned out that it was a joke story. Inevitable awkward moments happens regularly since i am not influent in one's native language, in my case, English.
The video Does Grammar Matter?, Andreea S. Calude raises a question that are worthy to know, that is "Why it is matter if people can understand what's being said?" The video also explains the concept of prescriptivism and descriptivism and how speaking and writing have their own different rules.
The point here is if every people use the standardizes rule, it is easy to connect people all around the world together without interruption. It is also important in many formal situation, too.

Reading Notes: American Indian Fairy Tales, Part B

Sitting in the teepee was Iagoo and Morning Glory and her little brother Eagle Feather. In front of the fireplace of a freezing day, Iagoo told the children the myth of Dormouse, how could Dormouse become a small little mouse as of today. To be able to access the reasons, Iagoo started to tell about the Boy who Snared the Sun, which belonged in the American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned.

Dormouse

The story went back to the beginning of the world when there was more animals than man, and those animals was o big compared to man. The only people left was the girl and the little brother like Morning Glory and Eagle Feather. The girl was stronger than her brother since the brother was a dwarf.
One day, the brother shooted enough birds to make a coat that would be useful for the winter. However, the bird's skin of the coat, which was still fresh, shrinking under the sun, made the coat tighten and tighten. The little boy was angry and decided to catch the sun using the rob that made from her sister's hair. He snared the sun
At a result, darkness was all around, and the animal found way to release the sun. They came up with the idea that only the Dormouse, the biggest one, could resolve the problem, but the Dormouse was in his six months winter's sleep. The other animals had to ask Thunder to wake him up.
As Dormouse came closer to the sun to nibble the rob, the hot burned his back. Eventually when he released the sun, most of his body was burned into ashes, leaving a much smaller living creature like the normal mouse today.

Reading Notes: American Indian Fairy Tales, Part A

Iagoo, a story-teller in the series of American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned. Iagoo entertains the children by telling them so many bedtime stories. One of its is The Child of the Evening Star.

Source: cieliterature

The story narrates about a girl named Oweenee, the youngest and most beautiful girl in the family of ten sisters. her nine sisters are already married to nine mans, each of them are very strong, wealthy and handsome. Can not imagine how happy these nine sisters are.

About the youngest girl, she denies every propose that came to her. She said she is not gonna married one that not love her by the heart, despite of how wealthy, how happy they are. Finally, she finds the one that she is looking for. His name is Osseo. Oweenee's sisters start to chatter about the appearance of Osseo, as he is ugly and poor. They smile so ironic and sarcastic about her sister, but did not know that Osseo is a son of the King of the Evening Star. He was being cast a spell to come to the earth under the ugly appearance.

However, as the spell is being break, he turns into the most handsome and strong guy among the others, her wife, Oweenee became older and no longer a beautiful girl. However, they still agree to live with each other. As the King of the Evening Star finds his son, he summons Osseo back to the home of the Evening Star. Oweenee beauty is regained.

Week 9 Story: The Pain of an Immortal

Source: True Happy

The Pain of an Immortal

A Japanese Sentaro, who had inherited a huge fortune from his parents, became a billionaire at the age of thirty two. He owned many endless rice fields, and many facilities as well as precious jewels. At first, he was happy because of his wealth, he bought a bigger house, a new car, and everything he wanted without considering the prices. He brought his little family (his wife and his son) to many different places and interested in trying different cuisine. They went on a lot of cruise to the West and celebrated a lot of parties just for risk people.

But, the joy and the pleasure did not last very long, Sentaro felt tired after so many days stay out all night for the parties. Sentaro's health did not allow that. He felt himself growing weaker with age. Then, he started worry about his death and his fortune after the death. Sentaro had heard about the legendary of the King who sought for prolong life with the "Elixir of Life" magic. Although he was not totally believe in the tale, he still prayed for it every night before sleep.

At the age of forty, his business went down a bit, but he didn't care much about it. He kept thinking about the Elixir of life. He wished if there was some power to give him what he wanted in exchange for the money.

At his Fifty year-old, he felt the pain when the Death eventually took his wife away.  She got a blood cancer. Despite of how much money he put on the treatment, there is no medical solution to cure. This was the first time he clearly experience the pain of losing his close relative. And he knew  that the Death would come for him, one day. He continued to pray.

Another ten year passed..

And another ten year had passed...Not only nothing happened to him, but also his business grew larger and larger. Sentano could not describe how happy he was to attending his son's wedding with his strength. He thanked to God that replied to his desire.

At the age of eighty, his friend, one after another passed. He eventually felt alone and he also forgot to wish every night for a Perpetual Life like before. He still lived with his son.

Then, one again he experience the pain of losing his only son when he turned to ninety. Sentano had never thought that he would be the only one saw his loves passed away with his own eyes. This was the first time he experienced the pain of a long-lived. He had quit to wish long time ago.

Now, only him was left in his big and luxury house. His business growth bigger. He had a lot of money, but there was no one joined him. People who belong to his generation had went to another life.

Now, he realized that he had been forgot how to live in a right way because he scared of the death, the thing that everybody would experience in some point in time, and valued money. He was supposed to be happy with his little family giving the chance that he had inherited, but he was not. He forgot to enjoyed his happy life with his wife and his son. He wished, one again, let him go with them so he could build a truly happy life forever. It is meaningless to live alone with the money.

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Author's Note: I modified the story based on The Man Who Did Not Wish to Die. This story is part of the Japanese Fairy Tales (Ozaki) unit. Story source: Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki (1908).Sentaro in the original version wishes to have a perpetual life, so he sought for a hermits, he could fill his desire. Then a God, Jofuku, ordered a paper crane to take him to the immortal life, where people had never died. However, in this world, people believed that the only truly happy life is the life after death, where they could come to the Paradise. Therefore, they sought for many way to die including drink a toxic chemical or eat the poisonous foods. However, despite of their desperate to die, they still alive. Sentaro after along time lived there, got bored and no longer wanted a immortal life.
It turned out that the whole adventure was just a Sentaro's dream that the God Jofuku relied to his desired. Jofuku wanted to show him that  his desired was not mortal.

Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales (Ozaki) unit; Part B

The Ogre of Rashomon

Source: Fandom

This story is part of the Japanese Fairy Tales (Ozaki) unit. Story source: Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki (1908).

Watanabe was a brave warrior in the band of five knights. One time, he heard one of his friends saying that the residences in the Rashomon was terrified by the ogre. The ogre killed the people who set the foot to the occupied place.Watanabe could not ignored this. He prepared everything to find the orge.

At he headed to the gate of Rashomon, the ogre stood behind him and seized his helmet. He suddenly cut off the arm of the ogre as he grabbed it. Then, the ogre ran in painful. Watanabe brought the ogre's arm as a booty, but really worried that the ogre would be back one day to take the arm back. He made a steel box, hard and safe, and hid the arm in it so nobody would know it.

One day, Watanabe had a special guest coming to his house. He was very happy to meet his nany, who had been out of contact for so long. The nanny came and asked to see the ogre's arm for one last time. Although, Watanabe was skeptical to show, but could not denied the begging of his beloved nanny. He opened the box and allowed the nanny see it in the distance.Unfortunately, the nanny came closer to the box and picked up the arm and turned herself into the big ogre. 

Watanabe  realized that this was the same ogre he fought with last time, and aimed to cut off  the ogre's head this time. However, the ogre ran away and disappeared.

Although Watanabe lose a chance to kill the ogre, the people of Rashomon thanked to him since the ogre was no longer dared to come to this land.

Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales (Ozaki) unit; Part A

The Man Who Did Not Wish To Die

Source: Google

This story is part if Japanese Fairy Tales Unit by Jei Theodora Ozaki (1908) along with the story of My Lord Bag of Rice and The Adventure of Kintaro. Among these three, i very much enjoy "The Man Who did not Wish to Die", since it teach me a mortal lesson, which is live in the present, and let go of the past or future.

The story told about a rich man named Sentaro. Although he lived in a prosperous life, he was not happy. He spent most of his time a day just worrying about the death, afraid he would lose everything he had because of the death. So, he seek for an immortal life.

Some legendary had told that there was a King, who also had the same desired, ordered his courtier to bring him the hermits living in the peak mountains. So they could teach the King how to have the "Elixir of Life".

Knowing that, Sentaro left the home and sought for the hermits.

Although there was no sign for the hermits, Sentaro still headed to a immortal world on the paper crane, which was created by a deity. In the place Sentaro headed, people all sought for the dead because they believe the life after dead is the most happy life in the Paradise. However, Sentaro still felt excited to begin his new perpetual life and to growth his business in this new land.

Time passed...things happened... Sentaro recalled his original life with his family. He got bored with this immortal life since time passed by with no impacts on him. He felt meaningless to live a life like that forever.

He really wanted to come back home.