Portfolio

Rama and Lakshmana

(source: writingcave)

The Ring of Fire - What happens when Sita's test of purity doesn't go as expected?

Blinded by Lust - What are Ganga's true intentions behind her wish to not be questioned?

Liquid Trust - Will young lovers survive an innocent afternoon in the forest?

Greed in Gold - What happens when a woman takes advantage of one man's generosity?

The Loyal Giant - What happens when a king discovers there is a giant in his kingdom?

The Boy and the Shopkeeper - How will a boy deal with his bully problem?

Story: The Boy and the Shopkeeper

The book shop

(source: mynewmaster)

There one was a boy who lived in a little town on the outskirts of Seattle. The boy was merely eleven but he yearned for a place to work. He had always been an active child, and this need to work was something he had wanted for a while. He wanted to feel accomplished like he was truly doing something with his time.

One day, the boy went into town and stopped at the various shops. He went into the bakery, the post office, the bank, and the coffee shop. All of the shop owners said the same thing. He was much too young to work in their shop. The boy was about to give up and begin his walk home when he passed by an old book shop. The boy eagerly opened the door and made his way up to the front counter. There was an old man sitting there reading a copy of War and Peace.

"Excuse me, sir," peeped the boy.

"Oh, yes? What is it?" the man said as he peered up from his book.

"I was wondering if you might have any work for me to do."

"Well, I only have one other employee besides myself. He sweeps the floors and reorganizes the shelves at night. I supposed I could see what you could do. Come in early tomorrow morning and we can get started."

"Thank you, sir!"

The boy squealed as he ran home. He ate his dinner as fast as possible and got ready for bed as he knew that the next day would be very important.

The boy arrived an hour before the shop opened so he could show the shopkeeper he was punctual. The shopkeeper recognized this as he showed up in the morning to let the boy inside. Once inside, the two instantly got to work. The shopkeeper showed the boy the way the books were organized, how to sell the customers on a book, and how to work the cash register.

The boy picked up on these traits quickly and his first day at work was a complete success. The boy sold almost fifty books to people of the town that day. The shopkeeper was very impressed with his work. He told the boy that he could not afford to pay him much, but he did appreciate the strong work ethic of the boy. He handed the boy his pay and let him off for the evening. The boy was walking down an alley on the way home when a older boy approached him.

"That's a nice hunk of cash you got there," said the bully.

"Oh, yes! I just earned it from my first day of work!"

"Well then, you won't mind if I take it!"

The bully was much larger and stronger than the boy so he sadly handed the bully his money. This happened every day after work. The boy would walk home and the bully would take this money. It didn't matter if the boy took a different route home as the bully always found him.

One day in the shop, the shopkeeper asked the boy what he had purchased with his first few payments. The boy told him that he had not bought anything as there was a bully that would take his money after work every day. The shopkeeper was appalled by this and demanded that the boy take him on his walk home tonight. The boy did just this as the two walked to the boy's home. Just like always, the bully found the two. Only this time, the bully's eyes grew wide with fear. The shopkeeper's jaw almost hit the ground.

"Is this the bully that is taking your money?" the shopkeeper said.

"Yes!" the boy replied.

"This so called "bully" is my sweeper at the store. I told you about him the first day you came in and asked for a job."

The shopkeeper was disappointed in his sweeper's behavior. He fired him immediately as he would not tolerate such evil behavior.

It seems to be clear that the bully truly learned his lesson that day as he was never seen again on the boy's walk home from work.

---

Author's note: This story was inspired by a Jataka tale called the mouse and the farmer. In this story, the farmer paid the mouse for his services in the payment of meat. The farmer's cat would steal the meat from the mouse each time. The farmer learned of this and gave the mouse something that would ultimately kill the cat. In my story, I made all the characters into humans as I feel like I write my best stories when it involves humans. Their behaviors are much more predictable and understandable than animals, so I find comfort in using humans as my characters over animals. One of the main things that I wanted to twist with this story was that no death came to the bully. A lot of my previous stories have involved death or some sort of destruction. The bully was simply fired and I like to think that this will teach him a lesson as he moves on in life. I liked the small twist that I added. In the beginning of my story, the shopkeeper mentions that he has a sweeper, but that is all we here of it until the shopkeeper reveals him to be the bully. I thought it was subtle enough to be on the readers' mind without being overly obvious with my intentions.

---

Bibliography: Rouse's Giant Crab
Link to this story

Reading Notes: Part B of Inayat's Twenty Jataka Tales

Book cover

(source: petama)

As I continue to read these stories, I feel like the stories that are written in a more simplistic sense have a much better chance to get the message across that it's trying to convey. I feel like the stories that have a good amount of length sometimes have the tendency to lose the message.

The patient buffalo was an amazing story. I feel like the message in that all came down to loving everyone. The buffalo did not want to hurt the monkey even though he was causing him pain. He understood that there were reasons in which the monkey acted in this foolish manner.

The goblin town was definitely an interesting one. I'm not sure if it had an exact message to take from it. If I had to guess, I would say that the message is to take truth in the words of your companions when it comes to sketchy situations as they are more than likely looking out for your safety.

The quarrelsome quails was a story with a clear message. The king gave the instructions for the quails to never be caught again. A few of them decided that they would not follow this advice and they were killed while the ones who followed the king's words were never caught and lived happily.

The forest fire story had be going for a second. I was almost determined that the little quail was going to be killed! Luckily, the story conveys the message that even the littlest voice can make the biggest difference and affect the people around him in the largest ways.

---

Bibliography: Inayat's Twenty Jataka Tales
Link to these stories

Reading Notes: Part A of Inayat's Twenty Jataka Tales

Book cover

(source: good reads)

I really enjoy the complete setup that has come with this portion of Jataka Tales. I almost prefer to read them out of the digital book because it provides somewhat of a connection between the stories and I. I think I've gotten more out of the stories when they are presented in this fashion.

The guilty dogs has an extremely scary message. I do not know if this was the intention, but I felt something very uncomfortable while reading it. When the king did not know which dogs to blame, he decided that they should all be killed. This seems somewhat familiar in our international world.

The tortoise and the geese is a story that I've read before, but I think it's somewhat important to write about it again. It seems like this is a representation that our words can be extremely deadly. Literally. The words in this story caused the tortoise to meet his death. We should be careful when we speak.

The golden feathers is another story that I have read with another name. I have also designed a story after this. Like the previous, I think it is important to write about more. It seems that this is basically a warning that there is no need to take advantage of a situation when one is being comfortably fed.

The empty lake was a wonderful story. I saw this as a story of leadership and outspoken fights. The king would not allow his home to be taken from his people, so he called for the forces of nature so bless upon him water. The queen promised that the lake would never parish again.

---

Bibliography: Inayat's Twenty Jataka Tales
Link to these stories

Reading Notes: Part B of Rouse's Giant Crab

Book cover

(source: tumblr)

Spend a pound to win a penny was a great story with a personal message. The monkey was so upset that he lost one pea that he ended up losing all of his peas. This story displays a message that if you get to greedy over one thing, you may end up losing everything. Be grateful.

Union is strength is another story with a great message. This tale allows for a message that is somewhat double sided. It's clear that it is trying to convey that there is strength in numbers. However, it also shows that the strength can either help or hurt a group.

Silence is golden was such a sad story. I understand that the cub was intending to scare the other lions, but he still did not deserve to be treated like that. He was just playing around. It was not the cub's fault that he was from a lion but also a jackal. They shouldn't treat him like that.

The quail and the falcon was a pretty solid story. The clear message was that one should not take advantage of the situation they are in if they have a good thing going for them. I was sort of surprised that the falcon was killed by diving into the ground, but I was happy the quail survived.

The bold beggar was easily my favorite story. I love how the king was so self-absorbed he thought his people would like to see him eat. I also loved how clever the beggar was in his pursuit of getting something to eat and drink of substance. I am shocked that the king only laughed.

The two last stories were entertaining to a certain degree simply based on some of the names that were used. I love how the quail was called quailie. It made him sound so cute. I also like how the king decided to call himself king dainty because of his love for food and drink.

---

Bibliography: Rouse's Giant Crab
Link to these stories

Reading Notes: Part A of Rouse's Giant Crab

Book cover

(source: amazon)

To start off this reading assignment, I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed the variety this book had to offer from the other stories. Because it was from an actual copy of a book, there were illustrations in all of the stories which provided an aid for visualization in all of these stories.

I liked the story of the giant crab. The crab was a murderer as he would take these innocent animals that were drinking from the lake and drown them. He would also eat them after he drowned them. I was hoping he would die because I felt it was sad that the animals didn't have anywhere to drink.

The hypocritical cat was an interesting read to me because I have read another tale that uses different animals. Instead of a cat, there was a wolf. I forgot what the substitution of the rats were. It's interesting because the plot elements and dialogue are practically the same.

The mouse and the farmer was a pretty good story. I loved the relationship between the two as it showed loyalty and friendship. I thought it was pretty weird that the farmer killed his own cat though because he was bothering the mouse. He could have talked to the cat instead of death.

The talkative tortoise was such a sad story. I was so sad to see that the tortoise died simply because he was talkative. I think any message would definitely believe to follow directions of others and make sure to not talk if the moment one is in presents an improper sense.

---

Bibliography: Rouse's Giant Crab
Link to these stories

Reading Notes: Part D of Shedlock's Eastern Stories and Legends

Book cover

(source: snapdeal)

The Crow that Thought it Knew was so sad. After reading this story, I was surprised that this was the ending that it decided to take. I appreciated the kindness in the warning of the crow to not dive into the water. I'm shocked that the crow decided against this advice!

The Judas Tree was sort of a weird story. I am not very aware of the lesson it was trying to convey. I understand the children were foolish in assuming they were all right about the status of the tree without thinking the incorporate that that all viewed the trees at different stages in its life. I'm just not sure of the message of the story.

The River Fish and Money was also somewhat confusing. The brother was a thief and not a very good person. There was a generous donation to the fish and this had its reward. I was just confused why the spirit warned him to keep it and he gave it to his brother anyway.

The Dreamer in the Wood had no message I'm almost sure. I don't think there was anything. It seemed that Buddha cared more about the animals being safe than there being no bad characteristics of man. I'm not sure, but maybe that was the closest thing to a message.

The Wise Physican had a fantastic message. It was easily my favorite of the reading. Basically, this woman wanted a cure from her dead child. Buddha told her to find an herb from a household with no death. She couldn't find one to show her that natural is natural and abundant.

---

Bibliography: Shedlock's Eastern Stories and Legends
Link to these stories

Story: The Loyal Giant

Giant of the Village

(source: legendary moonlight)

There once was a giant who guarded the entrance to a village. Everyone in this village worked together for a betterment of the community. They all supported each other's needs; they played to each other's strengths and aided in eachother's weaknesses. One day, one of the villagers was gathering water from a nearby river when he discovered a cradle floating gently down the stream. The man immediately dove into the water and retrieved the cradle. He brought it back to shore and was shocked at what was inside. It was a baby, but it was not the size of a normal infant. The baby was nearly the size of a teenage child! Without hesitation, the man brought the baby back to the village, and every single member of the community was in agreement that they should help the child. The villagers fed the child a healthy amount, they built him his own shelter, and they aided in his development until he became independent. Once the giant was a fully grown man, most of the village expected him to leave. The giant had no plans for this. Instead, he decided he would stay with the people that had saved and cared for him. He would protect them from any danger that they might come across. After all, the villagers were his family.

One day, a royal guard stumbled upon the village and immediately returned to his king to report his sighting of the giant. The king was completely outraged that there was a giant living in his kingdom. He would not have it. He immediately ordered a unit of his soldiers to take a visit to the village and dispose of the giant. The king wanted to see the giant for himself so he decided he would accompany the men on the trip to the village. It was not that the king was an evil man, but he simply believed that having a giant in his kingdom was an endangerment to his people.

The king and his men approached the village, and they gazed upon the twenty-foot giant that stood guard at the entrance of the community. All of the men got off of their horses and advanced toward the giant. The king led the large charge against the giant. They all removed their swords from their sheaths and made it quite clear to the giant what they were about to do to him.

"Wait!" the giant cried.

"What is it?" the king replied.

"If you strike me down here, I am afraid I will fall onto the village and squash many of the innocent people that reside here."

"What do you suggest we do?"

"Please, remove small pieces from my body. This way, I will not harm any of the people from my village. It will be much more painful, but I am willing to take the pain. These people have done so much for me."

The king let out a long sigh. There was absolutely no way he could kill the giant now. There was nothing but kindness in his heart. It was clear that the giant cared so much for these people to the degree that he was willing to experience an extremely painful death.

"Giant, we cannot kill you. You are much too virtuous. Please, continue to take care of the villagers in these small town. They seem very important to you," the king said.

With that, the king and his men left. The giant and the villagers were relieved that the giant's life was spared on this day. The giant took the word of the king and never let any harm come to the people of the village. He guarded the village with all of his heart until the end of his days.

---

Author's note: This story was completely based off of the Jataka tale called: The Spirit that Lived in the Tree. In this story, a king is clearing out a forest. He comes across a tree that is about the be cleared. The tree begs to not be cut down because he fears he will fall onto the grass and kill his kin. The tree requests to have all its branches cut off one by one so the grass below will experience to pain or death. The king is touched by this request and refuses to cut down the tree. In my story, it is clear that this is highly inspired by this story. I just changed the tree into a giant and the grass into people. I was also thrilled to end this story with a happy ending. All of my stories have had some sort of twist or filled with sinister plot points. This story was meant to be one of happiness where everyone wins. My favorite part of this story and the Jataka tale is the kind nature of the king. He spares the tree of giant in my story. I feel like a lot of these stories contain a king that is somewhat rude or evil. This king shows he his kind of heart and that is important for a happy ending.

---

Bibliography: Shedlock's Eastern Stories and Legends
Link to this story

Reading Notes: Part C of Shedlock's Eastern Stories and Legends

Eastern Stories and Legends cover

(source: internetarchive)

The Hawk and the Osprey story was also a variation of another Jataka tale that I've read. I think the most important thing to take from this tale is to take value from friendships. It's important to have these as the strength of friendship definitely has its benefits in everyday life.

The Elephant that Spared Life was also a good tale. I laughed a little at the line that said "And the King, without inquiring what they had done, gave orders to have them all trampled to death by elephants!" just because it seems somewhat extreme. I was happy to see that the elephant decided to not trample the villagers just because it showed he was good as character.

How the Antelope was Caught was somewhat sad. The antelope was just trying to enjoy a new taste for food and suddenly gets trapped in a palace that is much different from that of the forest. It is filled with men that has a scary sense for the antelope. I'm thankful it was let back into the wild.

The Man who Told a Lie was also an interesting story. I understand why the man decided to feel inclined to tell tales of false identity, but it was definitely a foolish choice. I also think that he deserved to be humiliated in front of his peers simply to have some sort of consequence.

The Pupil who Taught his Teacher was a great tale. I think the title is somewhat misleading simply because it was ultimately a test by the teacher to see if his pupil could teach him. I think that is the case, there is always the possibility that I read this story was some confusion.

---

Bibliography: Shedlock's Eastern Stories and Legends
Link to these stories

Story: Greed in Gold

Golden egg

(source: ammcollision)

Out in the countryside of Kentucky lived a family of four. Donnie was the father of the family who worked his tail off at a neighboring farm. His wife, Diana, was a stay at home mom. She also was responsible for homeschooling the couple's two daughters: Nicole and Christine. During one winter, Donnie began to grow dangerously ill. It wasn't before long that he ultimately met his fate. Diana was absolutely shaken as she had no clue how to live life without her husband. A few days after his death, the owner of the farm that Donnie worked at came to visit the widow and her children.

"How are you holding up, Diana?" the farm owner said.

"Not too well. We have no way of making money at the moment and I'm afraid the girls and I will starve," Diana replied.

"Well, I'll tell you what. Donnie was the hardest worker I have ever had the pleasure of having at my farm. It wouldn't be right if I didn't do something to help his family."

The farm owner reached into his bag and pulled out a golden egg. It was the normal size of a chicken egg, but it held its weight in gold. He handed the egg to Diana. Her hand dropped for a second as she did not expect the egg to be that heavy. It was solid gold.

"What is this?" Diana asked.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not sure. I know it's gold. It's the weirdest thing. About a month ago, one of my chickens produced that rather than a traditional egg. I wasn't sure what it was so I brought it into town. They assessed it as gold and I was paid in great value. It's been producing more and more ever since. I suggest you do the same, and bring it into town to sell."

"Oh...oh my. I don't know how to ever thank you."

"No need to, I would do anything for Donnie. I'll tell you what. Every week, I will bring you one of these eggs until you are able to get back on your feet."

So this arrangement worked well for several months. The farm owner would come to Diana's house and deliver her an egg from his bag. Diana would then go into town and exchange the egg for money. It was with this that she was able to provide for herself and her daughters.

One day, the farmer came to Diana's house just like any normal weekly visit. When he stepped into the home, he pulled out his bag and handed Diana an egg.

"Let me ask you something," Diana said.

"Yes?" the farm owner responded.

"How many eggs do you have in that bag? Why don't you just give me a few so I am even more well off than I already am?"

"I do not carry any more eggs with me than the single one I bring to you once week."

"You lie!" 

Diana grabbed the bag and shook everything out. A few common essentials fell out including a driver's license, cash, and a lighter. Diana looked down at the pile in shock. The man looked at her with a sense of absolute disgust.

"You have shown me something today that I did not think existed in you. You have doubted my good intentions. I do not think I can continue to honor our agreement." the farm owner said as he walked out the door.

Diana stood there with her mouth still wide open. She could not believe what she had just done. Now, she and her daughters were defenseless against the world. They still had some money for now, but that was eventually going to run out. What then? Nothing but hopelessness. 

---

Author's note: I modeled this story completely after the story with the title: The Mallard that Asked for Too Much. In this story, a husband dies and he is resurrected as a mallard with golden feathers. He flies to the home of his wife and children and claims to be their husband/father. He told them to take one feather from him each day. One day, the wife grew greedy and plucked every feather from the mallard. The golden feathers then became those of a normal mallard. In my story, I believe it is extremely similar to that of the tale with some details changed. I wanted to keep the lesson the same but changing how the gold is given to the wife. The story I wrote is modernized by the fact that they live in the state of Kentucky. I really enjoyed writing this story simply because I think the reality of the plot is extremely true in nature. A chicken that produces a golden egg is obviously fictional, but the fact that someone would take advantage of someone else's generosity definitely is not. People tend to grow greedy when they are continuously rewarded with objects of material wealth. It's human nature to want more of this new-found wealth.

---

Bibliography: Shedlock's Eastern Stories and Legends 

Link to this story

Reading Notes: Part B of Shedlock's Eastern Stories and Legends

Another book cover

(source: amazon)

It is still very assuming to me that every single one of these stories starts with Buddha. At the beginning, it always addresses that Buddha is in the form of an animal which becomes very clear to the reader that such animal is going to have some sort of good fortune.

The horse that held out to the end showed one of great bravery. There was a lot of violence in this story but it did not give the horse any misdirection. Instead, there was definitely a sense of confidence and perseverance that the horse would indeed make it until the end.

The faithful friend story sounds extremely familiar. I am almost positive the same story was in my reading for last week. I think there was a little variation, but the concept and message was the same. This story just illustrates the power of friendship and the effects it can have.

The elephant that was honored in old age was definitely uplifting. I felt so sorry for the elephant as she lost all of her value and honor just because she had grown weak from age. Of course, Buddha pleads a case for the elephant which causes the king to restore the honor.

The mallard that asked too much was so sad! This man just wanted to provide for his family! I really think the mother should have listened to her daughters. If she would have been patient, the family would not have to worry about money at all but greed was her ultimate downfall.

---

Bibliography: Shedlock's Eastern Stories and Legends
Link to these stories

Reading Notes: Part A of Shedlock's Eastern Stories and Legends

Eastern Stories and Legends cover

(source: snapdeal)

These stories are a little different that the previous tales that I used for my reading notes. Not only are they longer in length, but there are also figures from Indian culture used. For example, Buddha was mentioned very briefly in the first story of the book.

The story of the Hare that Ran Away was an interesting one. What I took from it is how far the word of gossip can travel. It was really clear that it is dangerous as well as quick in nature. One person can have a whole group believing a false fact.

The hare that was not afraid to die was sort of confusing. I guess that entire point was to illustrate bravery? Buddha is once again in the form of the hare. He was willing to give up his life in order to serve, but this was just a test. Courage seems to be what comes to mind.

The story of the parrot feeding his family was one I liked. Once again, Buddha is in the form of the parrot. It seems that whatever Buddha takes the form of, there is some wisdom from this character that sets the theme of the story. This was one that showed great character.

The spirit that lived in the tree was my favorite story of the first part reading. It was a fantastic simply because it showed a story of sacrifice. Buddha was a tree spirit and he did not want to be cut down because it would kill nature. The king saved the tree for this bravery.

---

Bibliography: Shedlock's Eastern Stories and Legends
Link to these stories

Story: The Three Friends

The abandoned house

(source: sherlocked)

Once there were three friends who lived in a suburban neighborhood. The friends were named Zach, Derrick, and Cody.  The three boys were entering the fifth grade, and they were beyond excited to finally be the top-dogs of the school. After each day, the boys would get off the school bus and all walk to Derrick's house. It was here they would all work on their homework and play basketball in the driveway. On there daily walk to Derrick's house, they would pass by an abandoned, decrepit house that resided on the same street. Zach would constantly tease the others on the idea of checking out the house and discovering any mysteries that might be inside. Of course, the other two would disagree and drag Zach to the safety of Derrick's home.

October rolled around and the boys had continued to stick to their daily routine. Even though the boys were remaining static, the world was changing around them. The leaves began their yearly transition of color and the air had a crisp chill.

The boys got off the bus just like any other day and began their walk to Derrick's house. As always, they passed by the abandoned house. Zach stopped immediately.

"Let's finally go in there and check it out!" Zach proclaimed.

Derrick looked at Cody as a secondary voice of reason, but he was surprised to see Cody had a look of curiosity upon his face. Derrick began to grow frustrated with Cody. He knew the house wasn't safe. The only reason he was able to keep Zach from the house was because he had Cody constantly supporting his decision

"Zach, no. It's dangerous. Don't you agree, Cody?" Derrick replied.

"Listen, we pass by this place every day and we never go inside. It's almost Halloween. Why don't we try it? We're fifth graders, we can handle anything," Cody said.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Zach screamed as he ran toward the house.

Derrick sighed as he realized he was outnumbered. He better go with his friends. At least he could do his best to keep them out as much danger as possible. Cody and Derrick jogged ahead to catch up with Zach. Once on the front porch, the boys turned the knob and entered the house.

The house looked just as dilapidated on the inside as it did on the outside. Zach looked around the foyer and was instantly drawn toward a white door that seemed in better condition than the rest of the house. Zach opened the door and motioned for Derrick and Cody to join him. The boys used the flashlights on their iPhones to illuminate the the stairway down to the basement floor. After they reached the basement floor, Zach shined his light on the wall and let out a gasp. He began frantically shaking his phone as he gazed upon the horrors that filled the room. The basement was filled with medieval torture devices. The basement had been transformed into a dungeon. Zach shined his light to the corner of the room and saw a skeleton shackled to the wall.

"Let's get out of here!" Zach screamed.

The boys began to head for the stairs when they heard the basement door slam shut. Cody let out a blood-curdling scream. Zach felt a hand touch his shoulder. He turned around and shined his flashlight to find himself face-to-face with the skeleton that was previous shackled to the wall. Zach fell to the ground and looked up at the corpse. Derrick saw that Zach was in trouble and scanned the wall for anything he could use as a weapon. He instantly spotted a medieval flail and grabbed it off the wall. He swung it at the skeleton, instantly causing the skull to break into pieces. The skeletal body fell limp. Derrick grabbed Zach's hand and called for Cody to follow after them. They approached the closed door and Derrick wasted no time using the flail to break open the door. The three boys ran straight out of the house.

"Derrick, you were right. We should have never gone in that house. From now on, we're going to stay far away from this house on our walks house," Zach said.

The boys never returned to the house. They all valued the safety Derrick's home had to offer even more after their haunted experience.

--

Author's note: This story was based on a Jataka tale called The Three Fishes. In the tale, three fish leave their life in the safe waters and go to visit dangerous areas. In this place, the two fishes are captured and it is up to the third fish to save them. He does and they return to the safety of their old water. I basically used this plot and converted the fish into humans. It was a fun story to right as I also modeled it after Halloween.

--

Bibliography: Babbitt's More Jataka Tales
Link to this story

Reading Notes: Part B of Babbitt's More Jataka Tales

Jataka Tales cover

(source: ebay)

The hawks and their friends was a fantastic story. I honestly think the message that the story was trying to get across was the importance of friendship. It is difficult to roam the world alone and friends are there to help in one's time of need.

The brave little bowman was a story that just goes to show that big things come in small packages. I think it is interesting that the big man became so arrogant and attempted to get rid of the little bowman even though he wasn't doing any work.

The foolhardy wolf had a very clear message. It seems that it is not wise to abandon a situation in which one is treated with luxury. It is not smart to grow arrogant from benefits and to believe that one can do the tasks of others just because of a false sense of comfort.

The stolen plow story was strange. It says that the traders are great friends but the town trader does not act like a fan in the least. I really like how the village trader was able to spin the situation in his favor to get his plow back. He was not fooled by the town trader's tale.

The lion in bad company story seemed a lot like peer pressure. It seemed like the wolf encouraged a negative behavior that the lion's father disagreed with. The lion became addicted to the negative activity and it eventually resulted in his death.

The wise goat and the wolf story was another of story that resembled the weaker character being much wiser and having the ability to outsmart the stronger character. The wolves were too eager and foolish to successfully fool the wits of the wise goat.

The elephant and the dog story was adorable. This was one of the first stories where the animals were friends and did not watch to hurt each other. I liked how the king practically turned his entire kingdom upside down in search for a wolf only to make his elephant happy.

--

Babbitt's More Jataka Tales
Link to these stories

Reading Notes: Part A of Babbitt's More Jataka Tales

Jataka Tales cover

(source: amazon)

The story involving the girl monkey and the pearls has a very interesting lesson to take from it. I feel like it initially may seem like the lesson involves the guard's clever trick. However, it turns out it is more about the girl Monkey's reveal of the pearls. It is always better to keep what you have to yourself even if there are others boasting about. A treasure hidden keeps its valuable when it is not known by the masses.

The three fishes story has a pretty simple meaning. The lesson taken from this tale seems to be that it is always a safe bet to stay in a place where there is comfort. Venturing to parts unknown without taking risks seriously may lead to destruction.

I thought the wolf would outsmart the rats in the story of the tricky wolf and the rats. It turned out that the rats were able to get the last laugh on the wolf. It seems somewhat challenging to take a lesson from this tale. I think this is simply a story of good and evil. Karma seems to be evident here as the wolf takes advantage of the rats' compassion and this causes his death.

I have no idea where to begin with the tale of the stupid monkeys. It may be the gardener's fault for thinking he could trust monkeys to properly water his trees. There was no malicious intent, but the monkeys had no clue how to take care of the trees.

I really enjoyed the story of the cunning wolf. I feel like this is a match of wits. The man was completely outsmarted by the wolf king. The man should have looked for different methods of food rather than believing he could outsmart the animals by the water. His arrogance got the best of him.

The story of the woodpecker and the lion was odd. The woodpecker had a certain sense of entitlement with the lion. The lion seemed somewhat ungrateful for having his life saved. I understand he also saved the life of the woodpecker, but this situation was only created because of the lion's dire need of a savior.

The story of the wolf and the otters was easily my favorite. The otters were extremely greedy when fighting on which side of the fish they should get. Each side was large and equal in size. The wolf was able to take advantage of the situation and show them that greed will get them nowhere.

For my story this week, I think it would be wise to look at the various lessons and situational pieces found in this Jataka tales. I can manipulate one of the stories into my own. I could also use a lesson from one of the tales and use that in my own story.

--

Babbitt's More Jataka Tales
Link to these stories

Week 8 Growth Mindset

Working mind

(source: .youcubed)

I definitely think it's wise to revisit the topic of a growth mindset after traveling this far along in the semester. There was a certain analysis that this topic was seen more as a preparation to the course. After working through eight weeks, it's clear the growth mindset was meant to do much more. After really getting knowledge about this, I was able to apply this to work done. This is a course where there is freedom in what you are able to do for your assignments. At first, I considered doing what would play to my strengths. This would be a safe bet as I would have a comfort zone surrounding my grades. After thinking a little more in depth, I recalled the idea of the growth mindset. I realized that it would be interesting to challenge myself and take part in assignments that would take me out of my comfort zone. From this, I think I have been better at taking criticism and applying it correct when I go through revisions. I have been able to learn from others and using that knowledge for my own progression.

Week 8 Reflections

Reflection art

(source: saschina)

To start, I believe my reading notes are extremely successful. I have made it a priority to only include what I admire in the story as well as pointing out specific plot points that seem intriguing. In doing this, I am am to look back at my reading notes when I am trying to begin my story so I can find inspiration. Every week this as worked as I have been able come up with story ideas while using my reading notes. The reading notes present the perfect tool to craft the story. I have taken full advantage of the situations in these stories as well as specific characters traits so I can decide how I will manipulate and morph them in my story. For future readings, I definitely want to read the graphic novels as this visual representation of the two epics would allow my brain to get a better idea of the characters. As for my stories, I am completely satisfied with the reception. I have been able to use the comments from other students as well as the comments from my emails to enhance my stories. Picking the portfolio project was a wise decision as I am never content with sticking to one theme. With the portfolio, I am able to add several different kinds of stories and display them in one place. After reading the stories of my classmates, I have really admired how they are able to combine daily situations with the characters from the epics. I really want to focus on this in the upcoming weeks. Most of my stories have taken place in the epics and I think the idea of sending these characters into our reality would be exciting. Overall, I am pleased with how this semester as gone and I'm eager to see what awaits.

Reading Notes: Part B of Epified's Mahabharata

Drona approaching the Pandavas

(source: Youtube)

I really like the fact that some of the videos have a little introduction at the beginning called the story so far. It was nice to get to view that before starting today's reading notes so I was refreshed on the topic at hand. Even though they are not crucial, it is definitely a great luxury to have them.

The entire scene with Kunti summoning the god of the sun was exceptional. It allowed me to have a better visualization of what was actually happening. She was so startled that the summon actually worked and she was embraced by the god. You could see the emotion through the art and I loved it.

The narrator suddenly changing threw me off quite a bit. It's not really that important but it was interesting that the voice over suddenly as a complete change. The art style remains constant and that is all that really matters when watching these videos.

The display of Pandu's curse looked a little funny to me. Basically, Pandu murders this couple by sending an arrow through their bodies. I guess it just looks a little strange because it's extremely difficult to depict the arrow going through both bodies without a some flaws. Pandu's face is absolutely priceless.

The birth of the Pandavas was such an exciting video to watch. Kunti just starts summoning god after god and children are just being produced at a rapid pace. It's interesting getting to see the creation of these beings at the moment after knowing what ultimately happens to them later on in the story.

Bhishma makes another appearance as being the stand in father figure. It's odd because Bhishma seems like he is instantly given responsibilities after he is introduced as a character and he is constantly at work. It was nice getting to see Drona drawn out as I was curious how he would be depicted.

Drona training the children was probably my second favorite video of this section of reading notes. We get to start identifying how the Pandavas differ from each other. Each of the children begin separating and really focusing on their true strengths under the expert training of Drona.

---

Bibliography: Epified's Mahabharata

Link to this reading guide

Reading Notes: Part A of Epified's Mahabharata

Shantanu's despair

(source: YouTube)

I just wanted to begin these reading notes with expressing my excitement with the portrayal of this series. Watching this first series has allowed myself to get a better understanding of the epic through the use of hand drawn pictures. I am very content with this reading choice.

I actually felt bad for Shantanu after watching the first video mainly because of the drawing style of the artist. Shantanu looked so incredibly depressed with his single tear dropping down his face. This effect definitely allowed me to sympathize with him.

Continuing with the details surround Shantanu, I had great joy in seeing happiness bestowed upon him after all this time. He was able to see Ganga again and he was also reunited with his son that was taken from him several years ago. Again, there was a relation of emotion.

The music in these videos was something else. I really enjoyed the start of the epic music that began in the fourth video. There was a sense of suspense as the drawings were happening which mixed in with the music allowed for a more captivating view.

I loved the portrayal of Bhishma kidnapping wives for his half-brother! The art in this was so entertaining for the simple fact that Bhishma looks so determined in his quest for a successor should his brother parish. I love the way he is literally dragging the women out of the court. It's my favorite art piece so far.

I completely forgot about Amba! It was one of the main connections I made between the Mahabharata and the Ramayana as there was a conflict with women spending time in the home of another man. I related Amba to Sita as they were both met by a rejection of sorts.

In this series of videos Bhishma seems like the ultimate operator behind everything. He is out arranging marriages and raising children as if they were his own. He really is the sort of like the father figure of every character we have met and he's trying to make everyone happy. This is very selfless of character.

---

Bibliography: Epified's Mahabharata

Link to this reading guide

Story: Liquid Trust

The lake inspiration

(source: wikipedia)

A young couple sat on the floor of their studio apartment with eyes full of boredom. It was a Sunday afternoon and the two lovers spent their weekend the same way they usually do. Netflix, takeout Chinese food, and abnormal amounts of sleep dominated their Friday and Saturday hours. Paul was a studio art major whose wit did not match his immense artistic talent. Michelle was studying psychology which was greatly inspired by the fact that she had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. The two had been dating since their senior year of high school and they were now entering their junior year of college. They attended the same university where Paul was given a full ride for his art and Michelle obsessively followed. She was absolutely infatuated with him. Her mental disorder would occasionally cause her to go into periods where she did not trust him and thought he might be acting unfaithful. Paul would always stay strong as he was dedicated and even though she could be a little much, he loved her. Michelle was itching for activity as staying inside for long periods made her slightly uncomfortable.

"Paul, I really want to go out and do something," Michelle said abruptly. 

"What did you have in mind?" Paul replied.

"You know that forest about a mile south of our complex?"

"I think so."

"Let's go explore it!"

Paul eagerly agreed and the couple decided to walk to the forest as they both preferred walking over mechanical transportation. Once they arrived, they immediately made their way into woods. Paul, being an artist, was amazed at the pure beauty of the forest. He was mentally capturing inspiration for potential art pieces. Michelle, on the other hand, was busy taking pictures with her phone to post on Instagram. 

"Let's go deeper!" Michelle yelled.

She grabbed Paul's hand and the couple traveled farther into the woods. The two continued their same actions with Paul's mental notes and Michelle's photo chaos. It was beginning to get dark and Paul looked at Michelle with concern. 

"I think we should go back. We've been here for a few hours. I also really need something to drink."

"Fine."

The couple agreed that it might be smarter to completely travel through the forest rather than backtrack as they would reach the street at a faster rate. The wooded area was only a mile long and they both figured they were more than half way through it. They walked and suddenly came across a small body of water.

"I'm getting a drink. I can't wait any longer."

Paul walked down to the edge of the water and formed his hands into a makeshift bowl.

"Paul, no!"

"It's just water, Michelle."

"You don't know what's in there. Please, don't drink it. If you love me and trust me, you won't take a drink of that water."

"Michelle, you're being ridiculous."

Paul reached out his hands and placed them into the water. He drank a few portions and then walked back up to where Michelle was standing. She was sobbing. He was about to ask what was wrong, but then he felt a stinging in his chest. His vision became fuzzy until his body completely shut down and he collapsed to the ground.

"Paul, you idiot!"

Paul's life left his body. Michelle began to cry hysterically as she knew exactly what had happened. She had gone to the forest the day prior and completely contaminated the water with a toxin that would kill any living thing. It was a trial for her boyfriend. She led him there to test his love and trust for her. She requested that Paul not drink if he loved and trusted her. Since Paul drank, he obviously had none of this for her. She was so hurt. She walked over to the water and took a drink of the water herself. Michelle walked over to Paul's corpse and curled up beside him to meet death.

---

Author's note: This story is very loosely based off the reading as compared to my other stories. I used the idea of the Pandavas and their own test they had by the lake. They were thirsty so they decided to drink at the lake. When told not to, they disobeyed and drank anyway. This resulted in their temporary death. I decided to completely dissociate from the epic and try and create my own story with my own characters while somewhat referring to aspects from the Mahabharata. This creation of my own story was inspired from reading the stories of others in this course. A fair share of students in this class have used certain situational pieces from the epic and morphed them into a modern-day scenario. This is where my story took place as I used two college-aged kids living in their own apartment. The setting is clearly modern as pointed out by my reference to Instagram. I also would like to explain why the murder occurred. Michelle's actions were explained due to her mental condition which caused her to act illogically and reluctantly murder her boyfriend. Knowing my fair share about mental illness, I know there are delusions and hallucinations associated with schizophrenia. These misfortunes cause paranoia which are more than likely to trigger erratic behavior. 

---

Bibliography: Narayan's Mahabharata

Link to this reading guide

Reading Notes: Part D of Narayan's Mahabharata

Bhima after killing Duhshasana

(source: tostrength)

There is a certain sadness to this opening of the reading simply because the Pandavas are still very hesitant about this upcoming war. Eventually, they realize that is it practically unavoidable and there best option is to engage so there are not at a disadvantage.

Death is everywhere. It's odd to read about these characters being killed off one by one after reading about them for such a long time. I understand that this was bound to happen, but there seems to be much more death than that of the Ramayana.

Continuing a small comparison to the Ramayana on the topic of deaths, it seems like there is much more violence in this epic. The deaths are overly violent which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's definitely a change of pace from the previous reading.

Bhima sort of lost me after his murder of Duhshasana. The death didn't bother me but the actions that followed seemed a little extreme. It didn't necessarily disgust me, but I guess I was just caught off guard with the violence post-death.

After reading the end of the war, I was really impressed with the suspense that was created and successfully carried out in a way that should satisfy the reader. There was so much going on during the battle that my levels of engagement were top-notch.

Dragging in another comparison from the Ramayana, it seems like life after the war in this epic was just as chaotic after the war. There seemed to be somewhat a sense of peace after the great battle in the Ramayana. In the Mahabharata, many deaths followed which was interesting.

Overall, I definitely think this was a lesser favorite of mine. I had a little harder of a time keeping up with the characters as well as the family ties in this epic. It was not as clear-cut as the Ramayana. However, I did enjoy the epic as there always seemed to be tension which is my preference in reading.

---

Bibliography: Narayan's Mahabharata

Link to this reading guide

Reading Notes: Part C of Narayan's Mahabharata

Bhima killing Kichaka 

(source: pinterest) 

I thought the entire situation involving Duryodhana was excellent. It was a pure joy to read simply because I love reading about subject matters that involve the art of backfire. The entire ordeal was amusing because Duryodhana was so desperate for his act of belittlement that he absolutely gets destroyed in the process. The icing on the cake was the method of his freedom.

The lake portion might have been my favorite up to date simply because it was outrageous. I didn't expect the siblings to be killed simply because I thought if they were to die, it would be in the hands of their enemy family members. Their resurrection was shocking as well but ultimately I'm happy it happened as a more progressive indication of more variety in their deaths.

I reminded somewhat of a scene from Harry Potter  when the siblings were visually altered after their resurrection from the death in the lake. This was to use as a tool to aid them. Harry was also given this so he would not be recognized by the death eaters.

Bhima has a moment in this section of reading that was particularly needed. He still remains my favorite character and he completely confirmed this fact based on his actions. His murder of Kichaka as a punishment of rape was utterly heroic and I commend him.

Excitement is starting to grow as a reader based on the anticipations of war. It was really easy for me to visualize the scene at the wedding where it was known that the war was on the brink of the horizon. The recruitment of allies really forces those to choose a side.

I was somewhat surprised to see the Pandavas be so keen on keeping the peace. At the end of the last section, the recruitment of weapons of weapons seemed to allude that they were ready for war. It is somewhat warming to see that they would rather there be no bloodshed.

There is a sense of suspense as this epic is about to conclude. I'm really hoping that there will be lives spared but I'm afraid there is going to be events that involve a plethora of deaths. I'm not sure I'm prepared to read the conclusion of this story.

---

Bibliography: Narayan's Mahabharata

Link to this reading guide

Story: Blinded by Lust

Shantanu meets Ganga

(source: wikipedia)

Shantanu, ruler of Hastinapura, was taking his weekly stroll down by the river when his eyes nearly jumped out of his skull. On the edge of the river was a woman who was so beautiful that words simply did not do her appearance proper justice. Shantanu could feel his body increase in temperature as he was simply infatuated by the woman. His mind raced with activity as he wondered if he was even worthy of approaching a woman of such beauty. After a few moments of panic, Shantanu decided that he would forever regret missing out on a chance to engage with a woman with such a flawless appearance. He took a step forward which caused the woman to jump in a startled sense as it seems she too was not familiar with seeing anyone by the river.

"I did not mean to scare you! I am Shantanu, king of Hastinapura and I thought it would be proper to introduce myself. It's not every day I see another being down by the river," Shantanu said.

"It's an honor to meet you, your Highness," the woman replied.

"The beauty that defines you is something I could not conceive in my wildest dreams. I must know your name!" Shantanu said bluntly.

"My name is Ganga."

"I know this may seem sudden, but I wish to marry you."

"Well, I am honored, my king. I will agree to marry you under one condition."

"Anything, my love."

"You may never question my actions. If you agree to this, I will marry you."

Shantanu instantly agreed as his attraction to Ganga was blinded any sort of logic. The couple married the next day and the citizens rejoiced as the king was overwhelmed with joy. All seemed well with the new marriage until Ganga started to behave abnormally.

Ganga began to burn all of the crops being grown in the city as well as killing all of the animals. These two resources made up a majority of the city's food. Ganga also added poison into the town's water supply which caused several deaths until the citizens learned not to drink the water. This destruction caused an obvious panic in the city. Shantanu refused to question his wife as he remembered the agreement they made which resulted in their marriage.

Ganga then turned her attention to the homes of the citizens. She participated in small acts of sabotage which included poking holes in the roof. When rain came over the city, the homes would flood which destroyed the homes of many innocent people. The king once again refused to question his wife as he honored their agreement.

The citizens were absolutely outraged by Ganga's destruction. They constantly demanded to speak to the king, because they wanted to know why their queen was destroying their city. Shantanu refused to speak to anyone as he felt like his agreement with his wife may seem foolish to his people.

Ganga then focused on the finances of the city. She took every last piece of the gold until the city was left in economic shambles. Shantanu was in a state of confusion. He watched as wife destroyed his beautiful city piece by piece. It was at this point where Shantanu finally had enough and had to ask his wife the reason behind her actions.

"My love, why are you performing these acts of destruction?"

"You naive man, I told you the only way I would marry you was if you never questioned me. You have gone against your word and for that I must leave you."

Shantanu stood there as felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. He simply did not understand. How could one question result in his wife's departure? He watched his ex-wife leave the room as he soon realized he would never see her again.

Ganga walked out of the room with a smile on her face. She was the wife of the king from a neighboring kingdom. Shantanu was notoriously known as being gullible. She was easily able to infiltrate his city, destroy everything in her path, steal all his riches, and make it out completely unharmed. Her husband would be so pleased.

---

Author's note: For this story, I thought it would be interesting to have a completely different motive for Ganga's wish to not have her origins known. In the original story, she still asks to not have her actions or origin questioned. This is only so she can successfully drown her royal children. I realize there is some confusion with her name still being Ganga even though she was not the human incarnation of the river. It seemed wise to still call her by this name for simplicity. I thought it would be fun to make Ganga somewhat of an infiltrator to destroy a neighboring city under her husband's wishes. She was very evil in nature as she did not care for the lives lost. She just wanted to please her husband. I also made Shantanu foolish so it made the evil acts of Ganga even easier to complete. I enjoy the unique nature of this story simply because it's so rare to see the queen of a city openly ruining the area she rules. If I were to ever expand on this story, it might be interesting to see a revolution of sorts developing. It is unlikely for the citizens to sit around and do nothing as their city is destroyed. 

---

Bibliography: Narayan's Mahabharata

Link to this reading guide