Week 11 Story: Why The Deer Has Horns

Why The Deer Has Horns

(Red Deer by Wiki Commons)

Long ago animals would come from near and far to battle in games. These games could sometimes be winter agility games or summer endurance games. The winner of these games would receive a wonderful prize for their family.

One year a team of two elephants won a tug of war against two lions and earned tusk.

The polar bear earned its white coat after winning a game of hide and go seek with a chimp.

Another year the cheetah outran a wolf and earned spots.

One of the greatest prizes ever given was a pair of horns. The game was very simple. Run as fast as possible and leap over any obstacles. First one to the finish line wins. This game required an ability to jump high and maneuver through the thick brush.

There were only two animals left in the competition, one would win the games. The two animals were the deer and the bunny. Both had out run their competitors easily. It was going to be a huge match up!

Before the race started the bunny asked if he could go look at the finish line so he was aware of its location. He blamed his short memory for forgetting. The animals decided that was fair and let the bunny go. After several minutes, the animals grew worried the bunny was in trouble or lost. They sent a hawk to search for him. 

When the hawk found the bunny, she saw that the bunny was clearing a path under the brush! The hawk flew back and told the animals of the cheating scandal. The animals were in disbelief and extremely upset. So upset, that when the bunny returned they could hardly say a word. 

The animals finally told the bunny that they knew he had cheated, and he was disqualified. It was quite the scandal in the animal kingdom. The bunny stormed off and the deer was given horns. This is why the deer has horns!

Author's note:
Hey guys! Thanks for reading my story. This story was actually inspired by one of my extra credit readings, How The Deer Got His Horns by James Mooney. To create my story, I simply added another dimension to the original. I added the annual games. These games were inspired by the Olympic games! That was honestly the only big change, but I feel like it added a fun flare. I would love to imagine all the animals coming together and competing together. It would be awesome to see the most talented animal in the world! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this story! 

Bibliography:
Myths of the Cherokee: How The Deer Got His Horns by James Mooney. Retrieved from Un-Textbook. 

Week 9 Story: A Letter from Fox-Fire

Author's note: This story takes place immediately before the Chinese fairy tale Fox-Fire. In the original story, there is a young farmer who takes an Elixir of Life from a fox. The boy is able to become very rich and bring happiness to many people. The fox ends up taking the elixir back in the end. The story left out how the fox found the elixir in the first place and why the fox was out in the open with it. To fill in those details I created a story that explains it. The story is written from the fox's point of view in mainly past tense. 

A Letter from Fox-Fire

(Fire-Fox by Creative Commons)

A long time ago I found the Elixir of Life.

I was only a small pup when an early winter storm stuck my family's forest. The temperature dropped rapidly, and my litter and I grew very sick. My mothered feared we would die, and she had no idea what to do. 

There was legend of an elixir high up in a tree guarded by wolves. This elixir could control life itself. If my family had the elixir, I knew we could stay warm and healthy during the winter. 

Out of my litter, my mom believed that I was the most cunning of my litter mates. As foxes, we are notorious for being tricksters, but some of us are more gifted than others. 

My mom sent me away to find the elixir and bring it back to my family. 

I had started my journey at dawn. The wind whipped against my fur and I remember growing cold very fast. I had continued my journey deeper and deeper into the woods. Further and further I got away from my family. 

By noon I had heard the howls of wolves. I let their ferocious sounds guide me closer and closer. 

Just before I had reached the pack of wolves, I ran into a man and a baby. They had hunting rifles and were watching the wolves very closely. The man had heard me instantly. He turned around and pointed his riffle at me. 

I begged for my life. Even so, the man showed no sympathy. I had no idea what to do. I decided to make a deal with the man. I saw how cold the baby was and how poorly dressed they both were. So, I told the man that if he shot all of the wolves I would provide comfort to both him and the baby for life. 

The man lowered the riffle and asked me how. 

I told him I could not say, but there is something very powerful in the tree that only a fox could get. 

The man turned around and shot all of the wolves. I ran to the tree and jumped from limb to limb. In the thickest portion of the tree was a hidden glimmer of gold. I reached in and found a golden sphere. It was the Elixir of Life. I swallowed it whole, so the man and baby would not see and take it from me. 

I emerged from the tree and warmed the baby and man. I made fruit trees grow from the ground instantly. The man and baby then ate. I created a warm stream running beside us. The man and baby drank. The man was very pleased but asked how I would take care of them for life. 

I told the man that when the baby was in need, I would emerge to his eye. I would be invisible until then. Neither the man or the baby must ever shoot another fox, or I would never emerge. The man agreed and away I went. 

I found my litter and provided warmth to us all. I created food and shelter. My family was happy with me, but they had no idea that my tricks had failed me at that time. I had promised my power to a man. Until that time came though, I did everything I could for my family. 

Days ago, the time came. The baby has grown and is now a fatherless boy. I feel the need to find him. 

That is where I am now. I am on my journey to find the boy. Who knows what will happen.

Bibliography:

Chinese Fairy Tales Part B by Donald Mackenzie. Website: Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook

Week 7 Story: New Mom in Need of Advice!

Author's Note: This story is inspired from the Nigerian folk story the Lightning and the Thunder. In the story a mother sheep (Thunder) and her son, a ram (Lightning). In the story the ram causes a lot of havoc on a town. He killed people and destroys a lot of things. The king moves the sheep and the ram to the edge of town. When this doesn't help, the kind puts them both in the sky to protect the town. Lightning is still just as dangerous in the sky and Thunder always follows and yells at him to stop.  My story is a letter from the mom (Thunder), to her own mom asking for advice. This letter is written before Thunder and Lightning are put into the sky.


Mom,

It has felt like such a long time since I have had the chance to write you. I think the last time was Lightning's first birthday. I miss you lots and I know Lightning does as well. He has been so erratic and hot headed lately. Every time I sit to write you he storms in and throws a tantrum....and you simply can't ignore his tantrums. I write to you to ask advice. Let me start from the beginning.

Lightning was a fairly noisy baby, but he never hurt anyone. When I was on top of feeding him and putting him to bed he was a baby sent from the heavens. He was happy and would smile. He never fussed or cried. When he started teething nothing.....and I mean NOTHING...would calm him down. When he would get fired up, he shocked anyone around him. He even caught the crib on fire. I figured over time he would learn to control his tantrums. Mom...I was so wrong. Now he can talk back, storm off, and really do some damage. The kid is only two and the whole town is scared. The major offered me a house on the edge of town for Lightning and I to stay. He offered it in hopes that the extra couple miles would keep Lightning at bay. Lightning ended up getting so upset about the move he burned the major's house to a crisp. I included a picture of him destroying a tree earlier today.

(Lighting Hitting a Tree: caught by Creative Commons)

Everyone is telling me to get him under control, but even if I yell all night he won't stop. I think the major is going to send us away soon. Lightning and I can always go back to the sky and stay with his dad, Cloud. Cloud and I wanted him to have a normal childhood though. Plus, even if we are up in the sky...he is still just as dangerous. I wish I knew what to do. Please give me any advice you can.

Love you mom

-Thunder

Nigerian Folk Stories  by Elphinstone Dayrell . Website: Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook

Week 5 Story: The Tale of King Rhampsinitus' Son-in-Law

 The Tale of King Rhampsinitus' Son-in-Law

Author's Note: 
This story is based off of The Tale of King Rhampsinitus from Egyptian Myth and Legend Part B (link here). The original story is told in third person as a narrated story. I wanted to experiment with telling the story in a different way, so I decided to tell it as a dialogue. My story takes place three months after The Tale of King Rhampsinitus. In the story the brother, Peter, has escaped his ex wife and moved away. He is trying to find a new job, but is having difficulty being hired because in The Tale of King Rhampsinitus he murders his brother after they rob King Rhampsinitus and get caught. This story is told during an interview between and interviewer and Peter. 

(Interview: picture by Elegant Themes)

Interviewer: Hi, welcome Peter! 

Peter: Hi it is so nice to meet you, thank your for this opportunity! 

Interviewer: Well Peter lets just jump into it okay. Tell me a little about yourself and why you are applying for our company? 

Peter: Well I am originally from Egypt and I have been working for a construction company over there for the past few years. I made the move a few months ago after my wife and I got a divorce. I worked with her father and while he loved me, she would have probably killed me if I stuck around. That is besides the point thought. I have a mother back in Egypt and I had a brother and father who recently passed away. I feel as if this job can be my second chance. 

Interviewer: I am so sorry for your loss, that must have been really hard on you. But since you brought it up, when we ran a background check on you....on file you have been convicted for murder once and have been convicted for robbery numerous times. I don't know how seriously your other job took it, but it is very difficult for us to hire someone with that kind of record. What exactly happened?

Peter: Oh it was not that serious. My father told my brother and I to rob my future boss's cellar as his dying wish. My brother and I robbed him several times, but in all honesty he should have caught us a lot sooner, he wasn't great at defense. Anyways, it was kinda a joke to us until my boss set out some traps in his cellar. They were huge and my brother stepped in one. It literally cut his foot to the bone and he was stuck bleeding out. To keep our identity a secret he asked me to chop his head off. He was kinda dramatic about the whole thing......but ...I cut his head off. Thats why I apparently committed murder. 

Interviewer:...........did your boss never know?

Peter: Oh no he definitely knew, but he didn't want to press charges. It is actually a funny story. He hung my brothers body up in the city to see who would mourn him. Well that part isn't funny, my mom was devastated. So devastated that she told me to go fetch his body in secret. So I did. I got the guards trashed on some of the wine from the cellar and took the body home. My boss was pissed and he sent my ex wife, his daughter, to get me to confess. She was so pretty and I wanted to impress her so I told her everything. When she tried to grab me I slipped away. My boss was so impressed with my cunning abilities that he forgave me and asked me to marry his daughter. 

Interviewer: How long had y'all been together before the split?

Peter: Oh me and my ex wife.......dang.....maybe 3 months. She really hated me for what I did. So much so that she ran away for about two months of that time. She said we could either get a divorce and I move, or she would kill me. 

Interviewer: Okay...oh my gosh....so how did you grow from that experience?

Peter: Um grow? I don't know.....I got great at sneaking around 

Interviewer: Well Peter, due to your history we cannot hire you, but I know a couple of guys who deal with robbery and murder if you want to talk to them?

Peter: That would be great! Who are they?

Interview: They are the police department.

Peter: Thank you, but I could never be a police officer.

Ex Wife: Oh not a police officer...... after that confession I was thinking you would be a great inmate. 


Bibliography: 

Egyptian Myth and Legend Part B by Donald Mackenzie. Website: Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook

Week 4 Story: Sancus and the Dog

Author's note: This is a retelling of Mercury and the Woodman from Aesop (Winter) Part B. The Aesop is a collection of short children's stories that are all followed by a lesson to be learned. The purpose of the story is to show that honesty is the best policy. Mercury is the God of merchants and in the originally story a Woodman ask him to return an axe he has lost in a river. In my story I changed the characters to Sancus, the God of honesty, and Dog. Both the Dog and the Woodman loose something, and are rewarded by their honesty. 

(Dog and the Bone: by Creative Commons)

Once there was a Dog who was gnawing on his bone under a big shady tree. As he continued to gnaw, he grew thirsty and he and his bone went to a nearby river. When he set down the bone to take a drink, the bone fell into the river. The Dog whined and howled to Sancus. Sancus heard these whines and howls and emerged over the river. 

"I will do anything for you to return my bone Sancus."

"No fear Dog, I shall return you your bone from the depths of the river."

Sancus dived into the river and pulled out a gold bone.

"Is this your bone Dog?"

"No it is not, I cannot claim such a fine bone."

Sancus set the bone at the dog's paws and dived back into the river. Sancus pulled out a silver bone. 

"Is this your bone Dog?"

"No it is not, I cannot claim such a fine bone."

Again Sancus set the bone at the dog's paws and dived back into the river. Sancus pulled out the dog's bone. 

"Is this your bone Dog?"

"Yes Sancus, thank you so much, I am forever grateful."

The Dog picked up the bone and began to walk away.

"Dog, please take all three bones. It is a gift for your honesty."

"Thank you Sancus, I do not deserve them, but I shall do as you say and be infinitely grateful"

The Dog went back under the big shady tree with his three bones. Several other dogs passed the Dog and asked where he found such fine bones.

The Dog would respond to every dog the same. "I was gifted these bones by Sancus when I dropped my old bone in the river."

Many dogs went to the river that day and dropped their bones in the river. There whined and howled to Sancus. Sancus heard these whines and howls and emerged over the river. 

"Great Sancus, I will do anything to have by bone back" 

"No fear, I shall return your bone from the depths of the river" 

Sancus would dive into the river and pull out the gold bone. He would ask if this was their bone and they would confirm it was indeed. 

"This is no bone of yours, you lie and have broken my trust."

Sancus would then disappear again and again and take the gold bone. He never returned any bone from the many dogs. All the dogs passed by the Dog's large shade tree empty handed and filled with anger and sadness.

Always be honest 

Bibliography:

The Aesop For Children: Winter, translated by unknown, located from UN-Textbook. 

Week 3 Story: Cupid and Castor: the modern tale of magic and power

Authors Note: This story is inspired by Cupid and Psyche along with legends of Greek Gods Castor and Pollux. Cupid is female in this story and Psyche is a male named Castor. The general story line is similar to Cupid and Psyche, but condensed and simplified (if you wish to read a synopsis click here, if you wish to read the story click here). Essentially Castor falls in love with Cupid, but breaks Cupid's trust. Cupid, who was protecting Castor and fell in love with him, now must leave Castor to defend for himself. Here is the legend of Castor and Pollux: Castor is a Greek God that has a half brother Pollux. Pollux's father is Zeus and Castor's father was king of Sparta. The brothers were in battle when Castor was wounded and Pollux was attacked. Zeus saved Pollux. After, Pollux asked to share his immortality with Castor (read in greater detail here).

It was February 13th and a young man sat alone on his couch thumbing through Netflix. It was snowing outside his apartment, which squashed any plans of him going out to the bars with his buddies. He was an attractive man, possibly the most attractive man in the world. Even so, his handsome nature did him few favors when it came to woman. No woman had found him as a suitable companion. So there he sat, and after a few moments he fell into a deep sleep.

When he woke, he found himself in a meadow covered by the glimmer of the sun's first light. It was a place he had never been, nor could have ever imagined its beauty. In front of him grew a single white rose. He though it had to be a dream, a rose could not grow that fast. He looked for a thorn on the rose and pricked his finger. If it was a dream he should feel nothing, but the pain was excruciating and he drifted back into a sleep.

(Sea of Flowers: by Creative Commons)

The next time he awoke he was welcomed by blackness. He raised himself from where he laid. Clouds of interstellar dust wrapped around him and drenched him in the finest of clothing and sweetest of scents, and just like that they were gone. Back into the night sky the lovely magic went. He stumbled in the dark to open a door. Outside the door was nothing short of spectacular. It was space, moving around him at the speed of light. Planets spun. Stars twinkled. Constellations came to life, moving and talking to one another as if they contained life. Interstellar dust of every color came and went and then without hesitation one pocket of dust slammed the door on his face.

"You mustn't be stupid Castor, this space is not kind to a mortal, even one who has the potential to return to his seat with the Gods. Keep this door closed and resist temptation to light the room. It is due to your stupidity you must be hidden here, do not allow stupidity to rear its head and end your life forever."

The interstellar dust dissipated but confusion emerged. Before Castor could wrap his mind around the message sent a presence appeared in the room. He could not see it, but his heart longed for whatever it may be.

"After you tricked the almighty Zeus into stealing you brother Pollux from the stars he sentenced you to a new life as a mortal. Within his anger appeared a mistake and you were born with the capabilities that no mortal should possess. As you aged Zeus came to understand the power of his mistake and sent me to be your lover. You are destined to be a captive and to live entirety in a darkness without the light your brother may have brought you."

Fear rushed into Castor, but with the touch of an unknown woman all thoughts were erased and love filled him once again.

When he woke the next day, his lover was gone. Many months of this occurred. Castor and the woman would talk for many hours every night about his longing for the stars, and the woman told him more about his brother trapped within them. One night Castor begged the woman to let him see the stars once more, and breaking the rules of Zeus she opened the door and disappeared before her lover could see her. He begged again the following night, and the night after that. Castor felt a desire to return to his brother, but before he could think of a plan his lover would shut the door and flood his mind with love for her.

One of these nights however a cloud of interstellar dust made its way to the door, hidden within was Pollux. In haste he reminded Castor of the tricks of Zeus and how this woman he loved had veins of ice, powers of pain, and the singular job of insuring that Castor may never return as the God he is. Pollux demanded that Castor open the door the following night and shine the light of a thousand stars upon the monster.

The following night Castor did as he was told. He held his lover in his arms until she drifted off to sleep. Carful to not disturb the monster that lay there, he got up and opened the door. The brightest of lights made its presence in the room. The room was dripping in gold and silks. Castor glanced upon the bed to see the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her skin was dusted by gold and she had the wings of an angel. Beside her was a thin golden arrow. When Castor touched the arrow he was overcome with love once more for his Cupid. He touched her lips with his so light to not wake his lover, but her golden brown eyes snapped open and they pinned him against the wall.

"The trust of love has been broken and your desires to see you brother have overcome the love for me. Zeus will certainly send you to an eternity as a servant of Pluto, but because my love for you was genuine and true I shall save you from Hell and send you back to your mortal land, stripped of all power you possess."

(Goddess of Love: by Dreaming and Sleeping)

Castor tried to reach for his lover but a cloud of interstellar dust wrapped him in darkness.

When Castor woke up he was back in his apartment. He glanced at his phone to see it was the morning of February 15th. He longed for both his brother and his Goddess of love. He could no longer believe it was a dream and he knew that in another year he must go find them both when the portal for love opens once again.



Bibliography:
Cupid and Psyche Part A by Apuleius. Website: Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook

Week 2 Story: The Cat, The Goddess, and the Bunny

Authors Note: This story is inspired by The Tiger, The Brahman, and the Jackal. I replaced the Tiger with the Cat, the Brahman with a Goddess named Hestia, and the Jackal with a bunny. The Goddess is opposite of the Brahman in terms of personality. The general flow of the story stayed the same, but there is a greater emphasis on the setting now. I wanted to create a story that explained why the Earth is the way it is, so less emphasis was placed on the lesson. The trickster is still included, along with similar conversations leading up to the trick.

Many years ago, and many worlds away, the Goddess of fire traveled throughout our galaxy in anger. Her name was Hestia. Hestia set an everlasting flame to occupied planets. These are the stars you see in the sky. She went to billions of planets and not a single creature could stop her anger. When she reached the solar system she stopped at Sol, a planet covered in life, and burned everything. Hestia went to many other planets but there was no life, until she came to Earth. Earth was covered in ice and snow, but after Sol went up into flames, the ice began to melt. Hestia had grown tired after her travels and decided to rest on Earth.

While searching for a place to rest, she came across a large white cat like creature. It was six times her size. The Cat was stuck on a floating piece of ice moving far from the coast. It peered at her with big blue eyes.

"Please bring me to shore Goddess"

"And what should you do on this shore? All ice will melt the same when I set Earth to flames."

"I will serve you eternally. I am the Cat of great power. I will protect you Goddess."

Hestia saw the power of having the Cat and set her hand in the icy water. The water began to boil and a dessert emerged in its place. The Cat pinned Hestia down, "What a fool you are Goddess, I will destroy you like you destroyed my ice and snow." The cat was too powerful for Hestia and she cried out for her life. Seeing that Hestia was much too weak to do any harm, the Cat lifted his paw and told Hestia to bring him one animal that could explain why she should not die for her actions.

The first day Hestia found a small white fox in a dark icy cave. She told the fox about the cat and explained herself. She explained how she was a fool and promised the fox she would not burn the Earth. The fox exclaimed: "You and the Cat are one in the same. You are both liars. I used to hide in my cave from the Cat, and now I must hide from the heat. Go away Goddess."

The second day Hestia found a large whale in the water. She told the whale about the Cat and explained herself, begging for forgiveness. The whale exclaimed "You boiled my home away to save the cat, now you are enemies. You and the Cat are one in the same, liars. Go away Goddess."

On the third day a small white bunny with floppy ears emerged from the snow, "You look quite cold, you will die out here, let me help you Goddess." Hestia told the bunny what occurred and the bunny tilted its head in confusion. Frustrated, but out of options, Hestia picked up the bunny and took it to the Cat.

The Cat stood, revealing itself from the snow. "You have been away much too long Hestia. Set the bunny down. I have put off killing you much too long"

Hestia set the bunny down reluctantly, "The bunny is here to justify what I did." She glanced down at the bunny "Please tell the Cat why I should not die." The bunny tiled its head at the Cat. "But how did you get on the ice?"

"The Goddess"

"But how did you swim to it?"

"I do not swim Bunny, I was on the ice and it melted"

"Are you the ice?"

"No, I am the Cat"

"I do not understand, how did you get on the ice?"

"You stupid bunny, I will show you what happened" the cat hissed as he jumped on an iceberg next to the coast.

"Why did you not jump back?"

"Because the ice floated away"

"Like this" grinned the bunny as it pushed the ice far away "please enjoy the swim home Cat"

After the bunny saved Hestia, she swore to return home, but much of the Earth had already become hot and dry from her presence. The source of her anger may never be known, but the destruction she left still remains today.

(Bunny Tracks by Creative Commons)

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

The Tiger, The Brahman, and the Jackal by Joseph Jacobs. Website: Indian Fairy Tales