Week 2: Storytelling

The Wolf and the Shepherd

The Wolf and the Shepherd

There once was a strong-willed, loyal and loving little boy. He grew up hearding sheep and helping on his families farm.  Working with the sheep was his favorite chore. Every morning the Shepherd woke up and went to take care of the flock. He groomed them, fed them and made sure they always had water. He spent most of his day with the sheep and would only leave to run errands in the early afternoon. He would always make them quick, just to make sure that his flock was safe. 

One particular evening as the flock headed back to their main area, the Shepherd heard the crunching of leaves and felt eyes on his back. He skimmed the tree line to meet glossy, yellow eyes. A Wolf emerged from the tree line. The Shepherd was scared that this would be the end of his sweet flock. To his surprise, the Wolf just casually emerged into the meadow. 

The Shepherd stood firmly a few yards in front, to protect his flock. He remembered as a little boy his father would always warn him of wolves in the meadow. His father would always say, "Once a wolf, always a wolf." 

The Shepherd and the wolf stared into each other's eyes as the wolf slowly came into the meadow.

"Stop," the Shepherd sternly said.
The wolf let out a little whimper and headed back into the tree line. Every evening after that the wolf would emerge from the woods. As the evenings passed, Chris let the Wolf come closer and closer to him and his flock. After two weeks, the Shepherd let the Wolf come into the meadow and be among the flock. He watched intently, as his father's advice played through his head. 

Although the Shepherd was hesitant, he trusted the Wolf. The Wolf would relax with the flock and walk the perimeter around the meadow. The Wolf's ears would perk up to listen to what was deep into the woods and it would look past the tree line when it heard something. It got to be the early afternoon and the Shepard had to go into town.  He was hesitant to leave the Wolf alone with the flock, but he had no other choice. 

A couple hours passed as he visited a friend, went to the market and got supplies for dinner. An announcement sounded throughout the small town that a pack of wolves were spotted near all the farmland. He dropped his grocery bag and started running. He was gasping for air, not allowing himself to stop running. He was so frustrated that he let down his guard and trusted the wolf with his flock. He replayed it all in his head and thought it was all an act. The Wolf was just waiting for the perfect time to allow the rest of the pack to come. 

He hopped over the fence and ran towards the meadow. He heard growling, whimpering and barking. Tears streamed down his face as it set in that his flock would be gone. As he ran down the small hill, he saw his flock running towards him.

"My flock! They're okay!" He shouted.

But he was confused to what the growling and barking was. Where was the Wolf? How was his flock still alive? He reached the edge of the meadow where he met eyes with a whole pack of yellow, glossy eyes. The Wolf snarled, barked and made the pack of wolves slowly go back into the woods.

His jaw dropped as he realized that the Wolf was protecting the sheep. 

"Once a wolf, always a wolf." he said as he chuckled to himself.

Author's Note
When reading the original fable I knew I wanted to use this one as my Storytelling assignment. I felt like it was a great lesson that I could turn into a positive message. I change the ending where the Shepherd thinks that the Wolf can't be trusted, but in turn the Wolf was protecting the flock the entire time. It is a story about trust and not judging a book by it's cover. 

Bibliography: This story is based on the fable “The Wolf and the Shepherd" Aesop for Children, by (anonymous), illustrated by Milo Winter (1919)

Week 2: Reading Diary: Aesop for Children continued

Week 2: Reading Diary: Aesop for Children Continued..

 Aesop for Children (Winter)

The Bear and the Bees

This story was a cute depiction of how it is important to always stay patient with your situation. The bear was curious so it went to explore the possibility of having honey from the bees. After getting stung and being enraged, the bear lashed out on the nest. He had to run away from the swarm of bees. Although it is silly, this reminds me of my childhood. Whenever my brothers and I would get frustrated at each other my parents would always tell us to not lash out and to go straight to our rooms to cool off.
It is wiser to bear a single injury in silence than to provoke a thousand by flying into a rage.

The Bear and the Bees

The Wolf and the Shepard

This story, although has a great lesson, is another one that has a strange way of portraying the message. The shepard got so used to the wolf being around that it didn't think it would cause any harm to the sheep. When the Shepard left the wolf to look out for them is when the wolf killed off part of the flock. Once a wolf, always a wolf. It reminds me of the saying that we all know of. "Boys will be boys" or "Some people never change."

The Fox and the Crab 

Be content with your lot.
A crab got annoyed with his surroundings and decided to venture off. In turn, he was spotted by a Fox and got eaten. This was such a short story and it was right to the point. It's important to remember to remember where you came from and always appreciate it.

The Boy and the Nettles

Nettle: is a herbaceous plant that has jagged leaves covered with stinging hairs.

"Son," said the Boy's mother, when she had comforted him, "the next time you come near a Nettle, grasp it firmly, and it will be as soft as silk."

When reading this story, I imagined myself as this child. Although I love the meaning of doing everything with all your might... the idea of grasping a nettle, is terrifying. 

Week 2: Reading Diary: Aesop for Children

Reading Diary A: Aesop for Children

Here are my favorite stories (with links) from Aesop for Children, illustrated by Milo Winter. After doing my first Storytelling assignment, I thoroughly enjoyed looking through the Aesop for Children Fables. When given the option, I chose it again so I got to read through more fables. 

The Wolf and the Kid

I loved this story because it started as a sad, almost scary story.  I thought the goat was going to be eaten. It ended up being okay because the goat convinced the wolf to sing a tune before he became his feast. this ended up saving the it's life. The moral of the story "Do not let anything turn you from your purpose." On both ends, the goat could've stuck with his heard and the wolf could've stuck with his original eating plan. 

THE YOUNG CRAB AND HIS MOTHER

"Do not tell others how to act unless you can set a good example."

 I enjoy the lessons of these fables. Although they are for children they are slightly on the negative side. This story shows a mom judging her son for not being able to walk straight. When she tries to do it, she is not able to either. These are all important lessons, but the way they are portrayed are funny because it has a negative connotation when I read it.

The Young Crab and His Mother 

THE BOY AND THE FILBERTS

Do not attempt too much at once.

Not only was this a cute story, but this is a story that everyone can identify with. It is a great metaphor of biting off more than you can chew. In this case, it's trying to take too many filberts from the jar.  The mom reminds to "be satisfied with half the nuts you have taken and you will easily get your hand out. Then perhaps you may have some more filberts some other time." I can hear my mom saying this about certain things in my life, like my work and school schedule.

THE PLANE TREE

This story reminded me a little bit of the Giving Tree, especially the image that went with this story. There is always something to be grateful for. Again. I found it kind of funny that the story had a negative connotation with how it was portrayed.

Learning Challenges

After watching the two videos, I was very surprised that I have never seen the Jelly Bean Video. It's an incredible example of how our daily routines take up such a huge part of our lives. From hygiene, to commuting... Putting a visual to those concepts gave me a slight panic attack. It makes me not want to be staring at my computer screen. It makes me want to jump out of my chair, grab my friends and go on a spontaneous adventure. This all relates back to time, the time we waste or spend a lot of time doing silly, fun, irrelevant, routine tasks. As a student, I identified with the Time Management side of Learning by HEART. 

The Truth

I procrastinate to spend time with friends. I justify it with creating memories.
I procrastinate because I know this task will take a long time.. and that's a lot of commitment.
I will find myself unconsciously on Facebook without realizing I left my homework assignment.

There isn't one solution to this problem. The Science of Procrastination encourages students to put a timer on your task to create a sort of deadline. This is a great idea to keep yourself on track. I think this would be beneficial for me because I makes me focus for a certain period of time instead of allowing myself to get side-tracked. At the end of the day, time is fleeting. It's hard to make sure you're living life to the fullest, and making the most use of your time.

Growth Mindset

Outside our Comfort Zone

I have never hear dog Carol Dweck and or the growth mindset before. After watching these videos, I was blown away by her insight and ideas. In the video "The Power of Believing That You Can Improve", she gave ten year olds problems that were slightly too hard. Some of them reacted positively, having a growth mindset. Others felt this was tragic, having more of a fixed mindset. They felt as if their intelligence was up for judgment. 

"They were gripped in the tyranny of now", she stated. 

No matter what age, I see this in the classroom. Whether it is volunteering with middle schoolers or looking around a classroom full of my peers. Some don't grow out of this mindset because for some people the goal is to get the best score they possibly can. There is a need for constant validation attached to this mindset. She mentioned this idea of a grade, "not yet". We are on a learning curve. Instead of receiving a failed grade, we can receive a "not yet". This creates the mindset that we are on the uphill climb to constantly improve ourselves. 

I'd like to say that I have a growth-mindset when it comes to academics, but sometimes in the moment of taking a test or getting my test results back I find myself with "fixed" commentary running through my head. I can be too hard on myself or convince myself that I have failed. When I am able to take step back I realize that this isn't true. During my time at OU, I have been completely pushed outside my comfort zone. I feel more comfortable in smaller classroom settings, but at a big university I have been a part of large lecture classes. I have had to make an effort to get to know my professors without getting lost in a sea of students.  Every aspect of college is not easy. Whether it is putting yourself out there, applying or things on campus or applying yourself in the classroom. 

During "Make Challenge the New Comfort Zone" Dweck explains the idea of easy versus a challenge. If it was easy, every one would be doing it.

 "We should make the students feel cheated if the work is too easy." 

She showed us the idea that challenge should become the new comfort zone, not easy being the new comfort zone. This is an incredible idea of testing every individual to reach their full potential in all aspects of their life. I was raised in a home where my parents gave my siblings and I the freedom for challenge. They raised us on independence and determination. They encouraged us to challenge each other and ourselves. They never set a standard for us, but they expected us to set a standard for ourselves. Dweck's idea of challenge brings back moments of my childhood where I learned the most from doing things outside my comfort zone. I would love to continue learning about the Growth Mindset this semester. I think it is a great accountability tool to show that there is always room for improvement. 

Storybook Favorites

While browsing the archive of storybooks, I was just scrolling to see which one would catch my eye. I first realized the importance of the title. The title is always the first thing that will catch the reader. I skimmed over "Cupid on Trial". I immediately laughed because my friends and I were discussing earlier today what our Valentine's Day plans would be while our other friends go on dates with their significant others.

Cupid Called Ryan Gosling

I imagined Cupid being on Trial for being the god of love and attraction, and just giggled. The story did not disappoint. I loved the way they used different gods and goddesses. My favorite part was the perspective that it was told. I imagined me being that person sitting on the couch having the same thoughts and reactions. It was an amazing way to turn the idea of "women sulking on their couch on February 14" into a positive, light-hearted story. 

"I also help people find their true love. I know many people are upset that I have not made them fall in love yet but a lot of those people are just not ready. They may think they are ready but they are still lingering over a past lust or are not quite mature for true love. Yes, that includes you."

The second article that caught my eye was Live On University Legends. During my freshman and sophomore year I worked as an OU Tour Guide. I learned of all of these legends and spooky stories. It was refreshing to hear of them told from the person themselves. I love how she put them all together as if they are walking around on campus, as I type this story in Gaylord. Although slightly spooky, the story was a great reminder to enjoy time as a student because it is fleeting. 

Live On University Campaign

My next favorite was a cute, modern twist of Cinderella. The Latest and Greatest of Cinderella was an incredible storybook and extremely entertaining. I loved how they worked E!News into it, to give it a modern flare. It was a fun way to hear of legends and stories told in a different way.  The story of Rhodopis in the original Cinderella version was a great opening and made me excited to read the rest of the articles. Then bringing in the story of the Broken Pitcher was brilliant.

Good Question

Not so Un-Familiar Un-Textbook Overview

The first unit that grabbed my attention was Alice in Wonderland. When trying to come up with a name for my blog I searched through the different units to see if something witty and funny came to mind. I wasn't very successful, but I was curious when I saw Alice in Wonderland. The second unit that really caught my attention was Alice's Looking Glass. I looked up a brief summary online and decided that I would name my blog through the myth-folklore looking glass. Since it inspired my blog name, I can't wait to read more about the story and have concrete details. I have seen the Alice in Wonderland movie and grew up watching it, but have never heard of Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Alice Through the Looking Glass Movie Cover Image

The third unit that caught my attention was the unit that I used for my Storytelling assignment, Aesop (Winter).  I don't know what it was, but when I was trying to come up with a story I had a really difficult time. I decided to take a second look at the other options and as soon as I saw Aesop for children, it clicked. They were simple, easy and left room for any sort of creative direction that I wanted to take. I look forward to reading more fables! I also love learning about the women in the bible. I think there is such depth to each of them and something that we can learn from each one. For Week two, I will most likely be reading and writing an blog post on one of the women from the Bible. 

I look forward to using this class as a "Looking Glass" to discover new things and new perspectives.