Reading Diary B: Russian Folk Tales

(The Witch Girl)

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The Witch Girl was such a great story! Wow, I never thought I would see what they were writing about. The most interesting thing I found about this story is the people's resiliency. A witch would come into a house and all would fear knowing a witch is coming at some point. The witch comes silently and kills. So, I wondered why the people just let this continue to happen. Their resiliency was very low. This made the hero, the Cossack, even better though! The witch comes in and he listens to his natural instincts, which is to protect everyone in the house he is staying in for the night. The witch came in and the Cossack cut her arm off. Everyone was alive and they went to search for the witch and found a little girl missing an arm. Finally, one person stood against her and ended this dreadful streak! I couldn't believe it took so long for someone to do that.

The Two Corpses was a very interesting story. Its about a soldier that escapes two corpses that come alive and chase him. The corpses end up getting into a fight and fall lifeless leaving the soldier to leave safely. The most interesting thing I found about this story was the shock value. The story was flowing like normal and all of a sudden you hear that a corpse is chasing the soldier. That freaked me out pretty good. Could you imagine anything worse? You are headed home in the dark and get chased by a corpse? It would be terrifying. I thought the writer did a very good job in making this a frightful piece. 

Reading Diary A: Russian Folktales

(The Dead Mother)

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The Dead Mother was a very depressing story. A mother dies giving birth to a child, but then comes back as a ghost feeding the baby every night. The baby cries all day long and is soothed by the dead mother at night. The husband sees this and then finds that the baby is dead. What I find most interesting about this is that someone chose to write about this topic. Who would want to write about this? I think its someone trying to express their pain they have experienced. That's what I find most intriguing. I hope, whether the story is true or not, that individual who wrote this has found peace in some way. 

Friday had a happier ending thank goodness. A mother did not honor Mother Friday resulting in a consequence. Mother Friday came into the mother's house and filled her eyes with dust to where she couldn't see. The mother then passed out and woke up in shock. She cried out to Mother Friday for a pardon and Mother Friday cleared her eyes. I chuckled a little bit reading this because it seems like someone got in trouble with their mother! That's what's most interesting to me! How even a story about filling someone's eyes with dust can be frightening if your mother is involved in the punishment. If mom isn't happy, no one is happy. 

Both stories were polar opposites, but I think held great value. It is amazing what people will write about. I especially wonder what inspired many of the writings. 

Reading Diary B: Fables of La Fontaine

(Illustration in Steinhowel's Aesop)

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The Frogs Asking a King was very interesting to me because it was about frogs asking their king for a favor. The thing is though, they were too afraid to ask. The most interesting thing I found about this story is why the frogs are afraid of the king. When I picture being afraid of an animal king, I do not think of something like a frog. I think of something like a lion or panther. So, the fact that a frog was feared is interesting to me. It shows in the story the king's distasteful personality and I think that sells the character. I still think to myself though that he's just a frog and not a physical specimen that couldn't be dealt with. So, overall that was an interesting route I think that the writer took. 

The Tortoise and the Two Ducks

In this story, a tortoise takes two ducks up on an offer about flying. The tortoise bites onto a stick they are holding and then they take flight. The tortoise while flying sees a crowd and they cheer "the tortoise queen!" The tortoise replies in affirmation, but this leads to her death. Since, she spoke she lost grip on the stick and fell to her doom. So, the most interesting part of the story to me is when the tortoise falls. It tells me to always be thinking and stay on guard. You never know what action might be your last. We all think tomorrow is assumed. Be thankful for what you have and continuously recognize that. 

Reading Diary A: Fables of La Fonatine

(illustration by Salomon)

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The Horse Wishing To Be Revenged On The Stag was an interesting story because it tells how horses were before they were used by men. A horse sought to help a man and does so, but the man requests that the horse stays with him. The man wanted this because of how useful the horse was. The horse out of grief stayed, but ended up dying in  his stall after living a long life. The horse regretted staying wit the man. The most interesting part of the story to me was the human-like qualities of the horse. The horse understood everything and communicated with the man. I think this concept, even though animals don't talk, stays true today. What I mean is, that animals read what people are doing and many are treated unfairly. We tend to not think of animals as their own person. We think we own them. I think this story shows to respect animals or they will live a dreadful life. 

The Ass and the Dog tells a similar story as above. A donkey seeks to rest while a dog seeks to eat. The thing is their master is sleeping on the donkey and neither can get caught resting or eating. The dog tempts the donkey to let him eat while the donkey lays down a bit. The donkey doesn't let the dog eat, but gets caught in the process of resting when his master awakes. The master disciplined the donkey for resting. Again, We forget animals have souls too. I think this story shows, like above, that people need to put animals regards into their minds. In other words, treat others how you would like to be treated, even if its a non-threatening animal. 

Reading Diary B: King Arthur Unit

(Gawaine, by Howard Pyle)

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Sir Gawaine and the Hermit

This story was very interesting because Gawaine and the Hermit are turned away from the Holy Graal. They are not let in because of their sins and are warned by a floating hand that the Holy Graal will bring them much dismay. They decide to believe in what they are told and leave. This strikes me as very odd. They go through every difficult circumstance, work hard, and just give up. I do not understand that. I think that it is good that they listened, but if they are as sinful as the mystical hand suggested, wouldn't greed take over their hearts? I feel like they would press onward. I will say though that I am glad they end up being safe. IT is a happy ending for them. That's the other interesting thing. Most of the time when a story is written, it has a happy ending. This one does and it makes it appealing to the reader. Maybe there's another correlation in our next story! lol

The Adventure of Sir Bors

The most interesting thing I found about Sir Bors in this story what happens when he runs into a good man. The man told Bors to he must confess his sins and live a pure life. So Bors confesses to the good man his sins. Next, the good man gives Bors a shirt to wear that is a sign of purity. Bors is sent to live a pure life and he gets tested. He almost hits his brother, but a voice tells him not too and both of their shields burn. Neither are harmed. I think that this was God being portrayed in the story to show how mysterious he is. It also shows you that he is always there with you. I do not think it means God will literally show up with smoke. It just means he is omnipresent. So, God saved him. I think it is very interesting because God could transport these men immediately to the Holy Graal with power like that. God understands the importance of the journey to the Holy Graal and that it in order to receive something holy you must prepare yourself by experiencing that holiness. The men not killing each other above is a prime example of this. 

Reading Diary A: King Arthur Unit

(Excalibur, by Howard Pyle)

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The Sword Excalibur

So, the thing I found so interesting is how the sword was found. In my mind, I was picturing Arthur pulling the sword out of a stone. It did not play out this way. Arthur shows up with Merlin and suddenly a hand grasping a sword comes out of the water. Neither Merlin or Arthur react like this is a strange thing to happen. It was like they are comfortable with seeing things. I am not criticizing the writer, but I feel like there needs to be a more shocked reaction for when the sword comes out of the water. 

The Coming of the Holy Graal

This story was surprising because it was extremely sad. I pictured a bunch of men getting together and deciding to go after the holy graal in huge uproar and vigor. I pictured men clanging drinks together, singing, and dancing. This was not the case though. The king announced their journey for the holy graal in a positive manner and his close friend spoke up. His friend gave the king a realistic outlook. He told the king to think about his wife and his friends. The king realized he would lose many lives, possibly his. He thought about his wife and what it would do to her if he did. However, the king still decided to go on the journey. Here's the thing though; they all left the next morning on separate paths for the graal. The king was deeply saddened. I would never have thought a quest for something so amazing would end so sadly.  

Reading Diary B: Aesop's Fables

(illustration from Steinhowel's Aesop)

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The Dog and The Wolf is very interesting because it shows two animals that just learn about each others lives. No one dies and the only thing gained is a good relationship. The wolf asks the dog how he is so fat when he is obviously the better hunter of the two. The dog show him his home and his owner that takes care of him. Then the wolf shows the dog how he lives. The brings the dog and shows him how he lives off the land. They both learn new things about each other and it feels like, if there were a sequel, they would have many adventures together. It is quite a unique ending having no one die. Most of these have ended in a sad way. It was nice to see animals, that are my favorite by the way, get along and get to know one another. 

The Faithful House-Dog is an interesting story that I think can speak to all people. A dog is found and a man takes him in. The dog is hesitant though because he doesn't know the man well. Here is the message in this story that pays off. I believe you should love everyone and be kind, but also, be cautious. I used to just trust blindly thinking everyone thinks the way I do. People do not think the way that you do. Be nice and courteous always, but protect yourself above all else. Do not be so quick to let someone in the door. Also, have you ever seen that dog's reactions to people are pretty accurate reflections of what kind of person they are? The majority of my dog's reactions are spot on and that I believe is why they are man's best friend. 

Reading Diary A: Aesop's Fables

(illustration by Osius)

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The Ass, the Ape, and the Mole is a short story. It is about a donkey that complains it doesn't have horns and an Ape that moans about not having a tail. A mole suddenly appears to both of them and says, "Were you, like me, deprived of eyes?" In essence, this story teaches one very valuable lesson. Be thankful for what you do have and do not wish for something that in the long run will not bring eternal peace. The mere want to have something new for a wrong reason is the insecurity in itself. When you actually verbalize that want is when the insecurity becomes a reality. So, be thankful for what you have!  

The Old Lion is a story that show how a lion's actions came back to bite him. This lion would hunt, but keep all the food for himself. As he got older, the animals remembered this and taunted him all the time. So, I think it is safe to say that this week's stories teach a ton about life. The main lesson in this story is don't be greedy and treat everyone equally well. You never know when how you treat someone might come back to bite you. I am not saying go and save the world. I am just saying think about how you live your daily life. Also, I think it is interesting that the characters are all animals. It shows how humans can be at times truthfully. We are not above anyone or anything. 

Reading Diary B: Cherokee Myths

(owl)

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The Owl Gets Married is interesting, but again I am rather confused. The form each character takes is not clear. I do not know if someone is an owl at one point or if they are humans the whole time. That was the other thing. The reaction of the wife seeing her husband turn into an owl (I think) is not realistic. The husband comes home  and she isn't weirded out by him being an owl. She is just mad that he doesn't provide enough food for her. The wife is extremely selfish and the husband gets kicked out. The logic of the story is just off. 

Now, I really did like the plot and the conflict elements. There is a ton of controversy to play with and use. 

I did not understand the last part. The husband gets kicked out and lives until there is no flesh left on any part of his body except his head. I don't know what that means. He is completely owl or what? 

The Rattlesnake's Vengeance was a really intense story for me to read. The wife killed a snake and the husband agreed with a snake clan to let one serpent follow him to kill her to equal things out. The snake killed her and gave the husband a song to sing that heals if he should ever be attacked by a snake. 

I could never do what that man did. I realize I would've died, but my wife would be alive. M mind doesn't work like that. I have noticed that these Cherokee stories are kind of heartless. Now, all Cherokee are not like this, but man it makes you wonder about their societies. I have studied Cherokee, the language and history, a while now. They do not seem like what these stories present them to be. 

Reading Diary A: Cherokee Myths

(Flint Arrowheads)

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In Flint Visits the Rabbit I thought it was okay, but I was pretty confused when I was reading the story. The ending particularly was confusing. The Rabbit stabs Flint with his make shift knife. Next, the Rabbit runs back into his hole and he hears an explosion. Suddenly, Flint is flying everywhere. I probably misread it, but I see no point where it makes sense for an explosion to occur at this time. So, the story for me needs a better clearer conclusion. Otherwise, it is not effective. 

In Why the Possum's Tail is Bare there is some heated action. I feel it is too short and does not have the best storyline. The story is only about the antagonist getting the protagonist. The rabbit makes the possum's tail bare and embarrasses him at a dance. The story ends right then when the possum rolls over and doesn't move. I think we need a longer plot that shows what the possum does after that situation. 

Secondly, it doesn't feel like a happy ending. Give the audience what everyone wants: a happy ending. Although this type of thing could happen in real, the story seems evil without a happy ending. It seems like a cynical way to view life. I wonder if who wrote this was jealous at one point. 

Also, the paragraphs could have been broken up to make the story easier to read. It would also move the story along even faster. I know it is a true story, but I think this suggestion should hold true in any form of writing. White space is not a bad thing. 

Reading Diary B: Filipino Tales Unit

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(Weaver Ant)

The Ant was interesting because it seems that the story was not written by a person that believes in the Christianity form of God. However, I will draw one correlation that was interesting. So, Satan used to be an angel of God. Satan was jealous of his power though and that got him condemned to hell. The correlation I see is that this story takes place (fictionally) before Satan's fall. The snake is Satan to me and takes the power God has given him, but abuses it later. He uses his new power for the wrong reasons and now only has venom to protect himself. It got me thinking about new ideas for my stories as well! 

The Lost Necklace  was interesting because I never have really thought about why chickens peck at the ground. It is kind of a sad story though. The crow takes a hen's chick each day until she finds the necklace. The story never concluded either. This means that to this day the crow is still taking the hen's little chicks. It was a very creative way to explain why chickens peck at the ground. However, I feel like there could be a better more unique reason that could be used to show why a chicken pecks the ground. Maybe a hen ate a special bean on the ground that made her larger than others chickens. So, to this day they continue to look for that bean. Many chickens find them now, so they are able to live in more wild environments. I don't know, just something a little different. 

Reading Diary A: Filipino Tales Unit

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(macaque)

The Enchanted Prince intrigued for many reasons. So, in short a witch curses a prince, but the destiny of the curse was what is unique to me. The prince gets turned into a monkey for marrying another girl than the witch he was in love with. The witch he was in love with was the daughter of the king's arch enemy Queen witch. The young witch the prince was in love with is the one who turned him into a monkey for five centuries until a girl falls in love with him to break the spell.

That last part was so interesting to me because most people would not even offer a way out from hatred and anger towards someone after a situation like that. So, the witch still cared about her prince and wanted him to be happy. That is amazing to me and what true love is all about. True love is loving someone even when they've wronged you.

The Monkey and the Turtle was intriguing because how easily it was for someone to write it. The monkey and turtle become great enemies and the monkey dies in the end. This kind of hatred does not sit well with me and kind of makes me cringe that someone could just come up with this idea so easily.

These stories feel like they were written to send a moral message, not just to entertain. In movies its expected to see things like this to portray reality. This story I think shows what happens if you do not reconcile with people period as a warning. I didn't expect to see something like this in the story. How its different from other entertainment to me is that it felt personal. I feel like someone didn't get along with someone and wrote this as an outlet to purge emotion. Hatred builds and relationships are broken. It was very sad and its important to be accountable to your actions.

Reading Diary A: Nigerian Folk Stories

(bush rat)

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I read Why the Bat Flies. So, overall I thought it was an interesting story, but there were a few things missing from it. The story said from the beginning that the bat was jealous of the bush rat. It never said why he was jealous though. So, that did not hold any meaning to me. If you show something pivotal between the protagonist and antagonist you must explain it. Secondly, it was not a very satisfying ending. Search parties were sent for the bat to bring him to justice. The bat decided to hunt at night for safety. Apparently, that is why you never see bats flying during the day. I like the creativity of the story, but there has to be a more satisfying way to end the story. 

I also found the story Why a Hawk Kills Chickens interesting. First, it was interesting that the marriage structure as an exchange was the dowry. I believe it is because this story came from Nigeria where that is a custom consistently used. The story also ended in a way I did not think it would, but the surprise made me enjoy it. The hen ended up marrying someone else rather than the hawk. The bride's family would not pay the hawk back his dowry though. So, the hawk's king gave him permission to kill any children that the hen and her new husband might have. This is why hawks attack chickens. That's quite a formal way to start a cock fight right? 

Reading Diary B: Jataka Tales Unit (Shedlock)

(crow in Assam, India)

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The first story that really stood out to me in this section was The Crow that Thought It Knew. First I thought it was interesting that the main characters were crows. Buddhists believe in reincarnation so I wonder if this was written as a message to show the consequences of one's actions. I 'll explain. The crow seeks the king,Viraka, crows help for getting food. After a while though, the little crow thinks he no longer needs Viraka's help anymore for hunting in the water. So, he died from his pride by trying to go into the water and drowned. Biddhism is all bout reaching Nirvana. I think possibly that this story was written to show that even after a person is reincarnated, their actions still effect them. The road to nirvana is a long and hard one. Also here's a side note. You are reincarnated into a certain animal based on how you have lived your life. 

The second story that caught my attention was The Poisonous Trees.  A group of men decide to journey through the wilderness, but their greatest threat is not the wild. Their greatest threat is the trees. Much of the fruit on the trees are poisonous and only the men's leader can discern what is and isn't good to eat. Again I am fascinated at the creativity of these writers! I took world religions class at my first college and we talked about Buddha and his awakening experience underneath a tree. Shiva, known as the destroyer, showed up to Buddha when he was under the tree for his awakening experience. Shiva tried to stop him from reaching nirvana. So, I think that's what the writer reflected in this story. They showed trees as being the destroyers of men as a symbol/message I believe. I think the writer tried to show that all men must watch how they conduct themselves because they never know where something may be hiding seeking to "destroy" them if you will. This could be a person being destroyed emotionally, mentally, physically, etc. 

Reading Diary A: Jakata Tales (Shedlock)

(gold statue of Buddha in Sri Lanka)

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The first story that really caught my attention was The Spirit that Lived in a Tree. So, the King ordered this tree to be cut down, but the tree (in spirit) goes to the king and persuades him otherwise. So, this is intriguing to me because Buddha had his greatest spiritual connection by a tree where a king spirit was and I wonder if that was somehow incorporated into this story. I had read that these stories had a more Buddhist influence and I believe it shows. It said in the story that people had worshipped this tree for many years. Even the men sent to cut it down said prayers that their children or family would not be effected by their duty. They were just doing their job, but felt the need to show reverence in its presence. So, the most interesting thing to me about this story is the Buddhism influence on it. 

The second story that really caught my attention was Grandmother's Golden Dish. In this story a hawker meets a grandmother with a golden dish to trade, but he takes it and throws it to the ground. His plan was to make them believe it was worth nothing then come back and buy it cheap so he could sell it for a larger amount of money. Another man saw its value though and gave the grandmother what she deserved. This intrigued me again because it reflected another Buddhist belief, karma. The hawker tried to catch the man who beat him to the grandmother, but he was on a boat leaving already. The hawker's plot was foiled. I believe this was karma purposely put in the story to reflect a moral lesson from Buddhism. 

  

Reading Diary B: Jataka Tales

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(dog and elephant play, illustrated by Ellsworth Young)

The first story I read was the Golden Goose. What was most intriguing about this story is how the jeopardy built in the middle. You see the goose went to help the family with his golden feathers so they could live in comfort, so how does it not end there? I'll tell you, the mom gets greedy and tries to take all the feathers off the goose. If a goose's feather is taken though in a manner they don't wish, the feathers are just regular ones. So, I thought this was a very interesting transition into a climax. I mean it just sounds like everyone will live happily ever after, but this isn't so. This story is extremely realistic too though. People get greedy and put their needs above others. This story truly shows what happens if you choose to act in that manner. You will loose. So, I really like the realistic nature of this story in short. 

The last story I read was The Elephant and the Dog.  I chose this story mainly because it had a dog in it. So, I really liked the length the writer took to build the relationship between the dog and elephant in this story. Without that time seeing them both get along, it would make the jeopardy of the story pointless. So, after the characters have developed and the dog and elephant are best friends, a man comes to buy the dog. The man takes the dog away and the elephant is sad. I hate seeing animals in any kind of hurting situation so this resonated with me. The writer from here on out had me rooting for the dog to come back. So, I'm waiting and waiting. Eventually the king hears word about this and says he'll take care of it. Not only does he send out word for the dog and say he'll pay what the man paid for it, he sends out word to his whole country for one dog. The things we will do for our pets.  Again, I like this part of the story because of how real it is how people deal with their animals. The dog finally comes back, which may not be as realistic, and lives happily ever after with the elephant. You have to have a satisfying conclusion for the reader and the writer did just that. Overall, really enjoyed the writer's layout of each story. 

Reading Diary A: Jakata Tales

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( Monkey and Crocodile, illustrated Ellsworth Young)

Oh my gosh I really like stories with animals in them. This unit was perfect for me. In The Monkey and the Crocodile, I loved and hated at the same time the jeopardy in the story. The crocodile tries to get the monkey's heart for his mother, but is very stupid. I really liked the personalities of the crocodile and monkey. The crocodile was so dumb that he believed the monkey when he said he left his heart back on the island. The crocodile also listened to him when he said he'd jump right into his mouth if he just opens his mouth. A crocodile's eyes close when they open their mouth and the monkey jumped on him passing by. Oh, also a good note, monkeys are mischievous. This monkey stayed true to the real monkey personality by messing with the crocodile. So, I like all the different fictional and non-fictional personalities the writer used in this story. 

My next favorite story in the unit was The Tricky Wolf and the Rats. The ending is what I liked best. The wolf had been eating the last mouse every time they left him and they did not notice until there were a large amount of mice gone. So, the king mouse decided to be the last one to leave this time. The wolf was too slow and the king mouse jumped and bit him in the neck killing him. I never saw that coming. The surprise is what made the ending so great. The whole time you are wondering how the king mouse will fair because you know the attempt on his life is coming. So, due to the build up and the mouse overcoming the villain in this story, it makes for a happy ending. Even with a clear size advantage the king mouse still wins. That is crazy and I love it. 

Reading Diary B: Gospel of Mark Unit

(Jesus and Disciples, by Duccio di Buoninsegna)

As I read The Teachings of Jesus, things became more interesting. First he started with lessons like the first shall be last and the last shall be first. He means that those who serve themselves more, but ignore others throughout their day who might need their attention must become more selfless. I absolutely agree and am guilty of being first for sure at times. What really caught my attention, was when Jesus went from explaining stories like that to saying things like it is better to cut off your right hand than let it offend you. Why the change all of a sudden? I think maybe it was to intensify the teachings and really get them through to his people. Also, the way they talked back then was entirely different than how we speak today. I don't think he means to literally cut off your hand. So, this made me take a good note to make sure that anything I write, even though I am sure all vernacular in each time period is understood well, will be easily understood. 

The next couple stories that caught my attention dealt with The Last Supper, The Arrest, and Peter's Denial. The thing that boggles my mind the mot about this story is Judas's betrayal of Jesus. Jesus, the one who loved Judas more than anything, gave Judas everything he needed and it still was not enough. Also, Jesus predicted that Peter would deny him three times. Peter did in fact deny him three times. What makes these stories captivating is the relationship the disciples have with Jesus before everything tumbles down. The writers of this story, although I'm sure were sad, wrote it very well. They captured the essence of what makes stories entertaining, humans and their struggle to live in peace with one another. I believe this is why we still have these teachings today. These men believed in their cause and many others have also. Now, we have Christianity because of a message passed down. Think about how powerful words are now when you write anything.  

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Reading Diary A: The Gospel of Mark

(John the Baptist, by John Lorenzetti)

I chose The Gospel of Mark unit because the gospels were recorded by more than one person. Now, it was recorded by one person that was not there at the time. So, I decided to read John the Baptist and Jesus as one story to see what similarities and differences their would be. 

Their were not many differences from the original recordings, but this got me thinking. If a number of people have similar accounts of Jesus, does that make them accurate? You see I believe that these things did happen, but a part of me wonders if there was some embellishment for creativity similar to how we write in our assignments. I don't believe if this is so that it would make the stories any less true. Perhaps they just thought they'd grab our attention more using certain visuals. Either way, its helping me  take stories that have already been written (lets call them true stories or originals) and think about how to change them in a positive way that doesn't take away from the original story's purpose. 

Next, I read about Jesus and the miracles he performed. The one that stunned me the most was how He fed thousands of people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Since it is not explained how this miracle transpired, I reminded myself of my earlier theme of how to change stories in a positive way and keep their theme. Now, maybe we are not supposed to know about how the miracle happened, but I started brainstorming how I could write an explanation for the miracle. I will not reveal what this is since I plan to use it in my next story so you will have to wait and see! The bottom line is that the more I read stories that are believed to be true, the more I start to think how to turn them into fiction. This class has made me think outside the box and take stories people have known their entire lives and make them entirely different yet pleasing. 

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Reading Diary B: Bible Women

(Witch of Endor by Martynov)

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The three stories I found the most interesting were Esther, Bethsheba, and The Witch of Endor. 

The key difference between many of these stories and the first unit is that God is not present very much. The prophesies about God and of others are there, but these stories take a more humanistic approach. 

In the story of the Witch of Endor, Saul goes to the Witch after he has forbidden witchcraft. He thinks God has left him and therefore does not know what he is to do about the war he is in. He meets someone he did not think he would though, Samuel. Saul inquires Samuel, but he gave him no wisdom. Saul inquired the witch, but she gave him no wisdom either. The witch told him there are reasons God is not happy with you and she cannot fix that. So, Saul got himself in this mess. This is the first example of how these stories took a humanistic approach.

Next, King David falls in love with a woman who is married named Bethsheba. He gets in bed with her and then she gets pregnant. What does David, the guy who is in God's favor, do next? He makes Bethsheba's husband Uriah carry his handwritten death sentence to Joab the general. The order was to leave Uriah on the battlefield so that he will be killed.  The story only mentions God at the end and it said He was not pleased with David's actions.

Lastly, Esther had to be the greatest of all women I have ever known. Esther knew her whole race of people were going to be killed by Haman the King's servant. Esther is the wife of the King and entering the King's quarters without approval of him is death. Esther entered and told of Haman's evil plot. The King had Haman hung on the barracks he was going to hang the Jews from. Mordecai, Esther's family, pushed her to talk to the King because she was frightened before. So, again here there is an example of humans saving one another without God interacting the whole time. 

That is the most interesting thing to me about all of this. Saul got himself into his problems with the war and being far from God. King David killed a man to have a wife. Esther saved everyone because of her courage and wisdom from Mordecai. I am sure God was there for them, but no one really speaks about God in these stories at all like they did in the first unit. This is why this unit was exciting for me to read.