Essay: Bad Guys

Link to reading unit
The Monkey and the Crocodile
The Tricky Wolf and the Rats

(Monkey and Crocodile illustrated by Ellsworth Young 1912)

This week I am going to talk about two bad guys in two different stories. I plan to show how similar and different they are with a couple of examples. So, in the monkey and the crocodile, the crocodile tries to be sneaky and give a ride to the monkey, but then is outsmarted. So, just note right now that the crocodile's plan worked until he was out witted. Similarly in the tricky wolf and the rats, the wolf was sneaky and lied to the rats and killed the last one every time they left. This worked until the king rat out smarted the wolf. So, as far as planning goes, the wolf and crocodile's plan worked up to a certain point. However, they eventually failed. The monkey told the crocodile his heart was back on the island and he believed the monkey. The king rat killed the wolf by anticipating his attack. They both failed extremely. 

Now. they are different in two major ways. The wolf is very smart in his story and the crocodile is extremely dumb in his. The wolf got something to eat part of the time at least while the crocodile got nothing. Secondly, the goals for both of the bad guys were different. The crocodile was trying to get the heart of the monkey for his elder and the wolf was just trying to eat. It is curious and funny that since the crocodile had a lot more to lose, that the writer made him dumb. Lastly, they both failed, but had very different endings. The crocodile failed, but still goes on living life. The wolf was bit in the neck by the king rat and died. These are two entirely different endings and I was shocked by the wolf ending. These stories feel like children's stories, so when I read the wolf died it felt a little extreme. 

Storytelling for Week 4: The Elephant and Dog

(Elephant and Dog, Illustrated by Ellsworth Young)

An elephant was being transported to a king in the jungle. The men had been traveling with the elephant for many days and started to get tired. It was time to stop and eat, but they all heard a sound. It was tree branches breaking on the ground and all fell silent for fear that it might be a jaguar. The sound kept getting closer and closer while everyone fell deathly still. The elephant keeps walk though. 

A dog all of a sudden, runs out of the woods and starts playing with the elephant. Everyone breathed regularly and acted normal again. The dog joined them for the rest of the journey. 

It was time to sleep so the dog and elephant rested with one another while the men kept look out for anything dangerous. The sun came up the next morning and they started the journey again.

As they kept walking the dog started sniffing in the air and then barked. The men were looking around to see what was going on. A man looking around said, "Its too quiet." The jungle was silent. Everyone looking around had their heads on a swivel. The elephant and dog stuck together side by side. Boom! a Jaguar jumped out of a tree trying to attack the men, but when it saw the elephant, it started heading towards it. The dog got between the jaguar and the elephant. Both growling, they leaped at each other. They fought and fought until both were in such bad shape they stopped. The dog couldn't walk. The elephant saw this and picked the dog up with his trunk and sprinted him the rest of the way through the jungle to the king so that he might be healed. 

When the elephant was doing so well, all of a sudden their was a drop off in front of him. It was wide and the elephant didn't know what to do. The elephant decided in his mind that he is going to save the dog or die trying. The elephant takes many paces back from the drop off and stares down his running path. With a serious face the elephant sprinted down the path and jumped over the drop off. Th elephant could see the king's palace in sight.

Th elephant made it and the king has the doctor come look at the dog. Time passes and the doctor shows the elephant the dog will be ok now that he has medicine. The dog just needs to rest. 

Finally, the dog healed. He and the elephant were reunited enjoying one another's company. 

Author's note: Elephant and Dog , I chose to tell this story in third person because its easier to give good descriptive detail in this way rather than first person. My main goal for the story I wrote above was to make it difficult for the dog and elephant to reach their destination and to make them build a relationship. Instead of the dog and elephant being friends for a long time and staying in one place, I changed the story to the two main characters taking a journey developing a deep relationship with each other in one moment. 

Bibliography: The Elephant and the Dog, Ellen C. Babbitt (1922)

Reading Diary B: Jataka Tales

Table of Contents

(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

Table of Contents Page

( 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.