Week 15: About the Readings

I liked the different readings for the class, particularly once you gave the option for the "UnReadings," which allowed for a slight break from the normal readings of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.  I liked the way that the readings were set up and split up for each week.  I didn't really find any new diary taking strategies, as I generally stuck with summarizing the readings for the week to allow me to remember certain details.  The balance between the reading and the writing was well done, though it was sometimes difficult to find things to comment on for the storybooks.  I think that a reading assignment extra credit would be a great idea.  It would give students the opportunity to read some of the stories they might otherwise not get the chance to.  Looking back, I would recommend that students take advantage of the early option and work ahead on assignments.  I think that the ideas for next semester look good.  I would have liked to learn some more about the different gods and goddesses of India that were not really mentioned in our readings.

Week 14: Famous Last Words

Hi everyone! So, this week has been pretty crazy.  I am preparing to graduate on the 13th of December, which is coming up far to quickly for my liking.  I will, thankfully, not have to enter the real world too soon, as I was accepted into the University of Oklahoma's Human Relations program.  I am looking forward to coming back to OU, especially as I will finally be getting an apartment, rather than staying in the dorms again.  This week was difficult because I have a lot of papers due either this week or the day after Thanksgiving break.  One of the papers is due Wednesday by midnight.  Thankfully, I am almost done with this paper and just have to write about 2 more pages and add citations to it.  One of my other classes has a 20 page paper that I am only 5 pages into.  Unfortunately, this means that I will be spending Thanksgiving break working on final papers.  I am, however, scheduling time to go enjoy Black Friday with my brother.  It is crazy that right after Thanksgiving break is Dead Week, followed by finals.  I hope that my professors actually believe in Dead Week and will help review this year.  Many of my professors are of the mindset that they should teach right up until the exam, which is generally cumulative, and that it is our job to review on our own.  I don't mind studying on my own time, but it is definitely nice to have a guideline so I know what to follow.  This will be my last Famous Words post, as I am almost to the grade that I want.  I just have to do a Reading Diary or some other assignment and I will be done for the semester.  This is both a good thing and a bad thing, as I will be glad to have the time I would have worked on this free, yet this was my favorite class for the semester.  I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and Christmas!!

(Best way to study; Photo source Wikimedia)

Storytelling for Week 14: The Cruel Crane Outwitted

The Cruel Crane Outwitted

Once upon a time there was a very cruel, very rich man. He did what he could to benefit himself, not caring about how his actions might affect those around him. For a very long time he acted in this manner, not really paying attention to the other villagers, viewing them as below him. This all changed one day, however, when he discovered just how much he could gain by taking advantage of them. The day that this all began to change, for both Richard and for the poor villagers, was the day that the drought truly began to take effect. It had not rained in a week and the crops were beginning to do poorly, burning in the sunlight without any water. The villagers came to ask to use Richard's well, as the main well for the village had begun to evaporate. Richard, not caring what happened to the others, refused them at first. After turning them away, he realized that he could force them to work for him in return for having access to water. They would have to do as he said, unable to argue, so long as the drought continued. After another week of no rain, the people returned to beg him for mercy. He agreed, granted that certain conditions of his were met prior to them gaining access. He forced them to agree to work as servants within his house, as well as making them take care of his property and its orchards. Reluctantly the people agreed, knowing that they were at his "mercy" until the rains returned. After working under Richard for over a month, some of the people began to complain, saying it was unfair for them to be working so hard while Richard reaped all of the rewards. The next day, these people were not to be found. It turns out that they were dealt with by the hired thugs. A few days later a young man came from the village over, desiring to know what had happened to his brother, who had coincidentally been one of the protestors. Upon discovering the incident, Robin decided to deal with Richard. He tricked him into a game of cards, slowly upping the stakes as time passed. Eventually the house and all of its property was placed as a bet by Richard, going against the freedom of Robin and any children that he may one day have. Robin won, followed by him having the now destitute Richard thrown into the streets to be dealt with by those he had oppressed and taken advantage of.

Author's Note

I decided to tell this story as a man taking advantage of those around him, virtually enslaving them. This differed from the original story where a crane was taking advantage of the fishes' desperation to have water by offering to transport them, killing and eating them instead.

Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1912).

(Crane; Image source Wikimedia)

Essay for Week 14: Lessons

This week, the majority of the stories that I read for the Indian Fairy Tales unit contained a lesson of some sort for the reader.  These ranged from lessons that should be common sense, to lessons focusing on morality and the proper way that someone should behave in certain situations. One of the lessons that I remember clearly is that you should not let your greed overwhelm you. In the story The Gold-Giving Serpent, the brahman and the serpent started out forming a solid relationship. They created a mutually beneficial friendship, with the brahman giving the serpent milk and the serpent repaying him with gold. This was destroyed when the brahman placed his greedy son in charge for a few days while he was away. The son saw that the serpent gave gold, assuming that the gold came from the ant-hill the serpent guarded, and decided that he should kill the snake to get to all of the gold. The boy tried to kill the serpent, who retaliated by biting and killing the boy. When the brahman returned he discovered that his son was dead, yet rather than taking the time to mourn his loss, he pushed his grief away and returned to the serpent out of greed. The serpent told him to leave and not return, as their friendship was destroyed by greed. The story teaches that greed can destroy, even deep bonds can fail under its power.  Another story that I thought carried an interesting lesson was The Talkative Tortoise. I thought it was interesting to see how the future Buddha used the fate of a tortoise to teach the king that it is a good thing to be able to hold your tongue. He showed him, and also used a riddle, to tell the king that sometimes it is better to be silent and listen to those around you, rather than speak all the time and overpower and suggestions that may be made.

(Image of the Buddha; Photo Source Wikipedia)

Week 14: Reading Diary A and B

Indian Fairy Tales

The Lion and the Crane
A lion was eating and ended up getting a bone stuck in its throat. It got the bone taken out by a crane, who then decides to ask for recompense. The lion says the crane is lucky to be alive after being within his mouth. The crane says he is ungrateful, flying away.

The Broken Pot
A brahman has a pot full of rice. He starts making plans on how to make money, and how he will spend the money and wind up with a wife and son. He acts as if in anger to his imaginary wife, breaking the pot. The lesson of not counting your chickens before they hatch.

The Magic Fiddle

A girl lives with her brothers and their wives, who dislike her because she cooks for her brothers. They plot to have her taken out of the way, making a deal with a Bonga to drown her and make her his. The girl drowns trying to collect water, coming back as a Bonga. She enters a branch of bamboo, eventually being cut down and made into a fiddle. She exits the fiddle and is caught by the chief of a village, who makes her his wife. When her family comes to the house they see her, but they don't recognize her. She reprimands them for allowing their wives to treat her as they did, then allows them to leave without punishment.

The Tiger, the Brahman, and the Jackal
A tiger gets trapped in a cage, where he then cries out for help. A wandering brahman passes by and is moved with pity. He agrees to free the tiger after he receives a promise from the tiger that he will not be harmed. The tiger tries to eat him once free, saying the man must abide by the decision of the first three things he sees. A tree, an ox, and a road all talk about how they provide for man, yet man uses them without repayment. He goes to die when he meets a jackal, who pretends to be stupid. The jackal goes with the man so as to discover what happened, and tricks the tiger into re-entering the cage, where they then leave him.

Harisarman
A foolish man goes with his family to find work in a wealthy man's house. They succeed, but the man is generally ignored. One day the wealthy man celebrates his daughter getting married, yet Harisarman is not invited to the party. In retaliation he hides the groomsman's horse, telling his wife to pretend he is a wise man who can use magic to determine things. He tells the men where he hid the horse, making them think it was done by bandits. The king of the region hears about this and makes him come to the palace to solve a series of thefts that have occurred. Through sheer dumb luck he succeeds at getting the thief to confess to him, then through even greater luck he solves the king's puzzle, winning a life of luxury for him and his family.

The Talkative Tortoise
The future Buddha lived in the palace of a king who would not stop talking, acting as his advisor. He used the example of a tortoise, falling to its death from its inability to remain silent, to teach the king that sometimes silence is better and that he should listen to others.

The Gold-Giving Serpent
A brahman discovers a serpent guarding an ant hill and decides that he must be a deity of some sort, leaving a bowl of milk for him. In the morning he discovers a gold coin in the bowl. This continues for a time until the brahman must go into town and places the duty with his son, who tries to kill the serpent and is bitten in return. The boy dies, yet the brahman eventually returns in order to get gold. The serpent says the bond they had was broken when he killed the boy and the brahman chose to bring him milk in return for gold, rather than mourn his son.

Pride Goeth Before A Fall
A group of ten merchants were going through a forest on their way home when they were accosted by bandits. As they were unarmed, they gave their belongings to the thieves, who then took everything but their underwear. They were then commanded to dance. One of the merchants was very clever and used the dance and singing to get the other merchants to attack the thieves, who had laid down their weapons. They overwhelmed them, capturing them and regaining their belongings.

Prince and Fakir
A king went out and laid on a crossroads, where many passed over him until he met a fakir. He told him he did this in hopes of begetting a son. The fakir made a deal with him, giving him to magic cakes in return for the promise of one of the king's sons. The deal was made and the king had two sons. The fakir returned and took the oldest, who defeated him later. The son then went on to marry a princess of a neighboring country, as she fell in love with him when she saw him bathing.

How Sun, Moon, and Wind Went Out to Dinner
The Sun, Moon, and Wind were all invited to dinner at the house of their aunt and uncle, Lightning and Thunder. They were treated to a sumptuous feast, yet their mother Star remained home alone. Sun and Wind were selfish and did not think to save anything for their mother, believing that she should take care of herself. Moon, however, brought back bits of every dish for her mother to try. As a result, Sun and Wind were cursed for their selfishness while Moon was blessed to remain beloved to the people.