Essay: Tricksters and Fools

(flint arrowheads)

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Flint Visits the Rabbit has a trickster that will also show up in the second story I analyze. In this story, the animals in the forest ask a rabbit to take care of a hunter called Flint. The rabbit asks Flint to go back to his place for dinner. Flint then says he's got to do something, but rabbit tells him he can do that later. When they get close enough to rabbit's home, rabbit stabs Flint and sprints into his home. The rabbit is the trickster in the story and is extremely persuasive with Flint coming up with anything as an excuse for Flint to make his way to his home. The rabbit knew he had to be fast since Flint had a gun. So, he waited until he was close to his home to attack and sprint there. He was very smart and saved the forest! 

Why the Possum's Tail Is Bare had a similar trickster from the last story. The rabbit in this story is jealous of the possum and his tail. The possum is extremely prideful about his tail and the rabbit is sick of hearing about it. So, like in the last story, the rabbit gets clever. The possum asked him to brush his tail and make sure it looks great for the dance (since the rabbit set him up to purposely be the center of attention after he is done with his tail). The rabbit does so, but asks the cricket (the dresser) to take the hair off the possum's tail. This happens and at the dance the possum notices when everyone is laughing at him. The main difference for this rabbit trickster from the last story is that the protagonist gave the rabbit an excuse and chance to shave his tail. In the last story, the Rabbit had to go persuade Flint to go with him. Also, the main difference in general is that in one story a character died from the trickster while the other story just had embarrassment involved. 

Week 9 Storytelling: A Possum Tail

(possum)

One day a possum named John walks through town to show off his glorious tale. All of the animals stand and stare when the possum walked by. There was one possum though that did not like John very much. This possum's name was Tuck who happens to be John's brother. Tuck never had a full glorious full haired tail like John. John always gets the girls and all the attention. Tuck is not the most popular and feels he isn't noticed. So, Tuck comes up with a plan to take his jealousy out on John. 

Tuck told John to come over for dinner one night and to bring food. So, a week passes and the day has finally come for Tuck's plan to unfold. John shows up to Tuck's house and knocks on the door. Tuck has put a flammable grease on the mat outside his door. Tuck's goal is to have John's tail glide over the mat. John walks in, tail dragging in on the mat, and sits by the fire that Tuck has made that evening. They both share in conversation enjoying the evening. Tuck has placed John where his tail is directly in front of the fire. Tuck waits any moment now for John's tail to catch fire. 

All of a sudden, John smells something. Tuck sees smoke rising from behind him. John starts screaming realizing that his tail is on fire. Tuck acts like he is trying to help put out the fire, but does nothing. John runs outside rolling on the ground to put the fire out. Finally, after three minutes of rolling the fire and pain John was experiencing are over. John looks at his tail and starts to cry. Tuck talks to him letting him know everything will be okay (as he smiles on the inside).  Tuck takes John home to rest. 

Tuck finally got his brother back and now he will get all the attention. Tuck strolls into town one day and see John and his naked bare tail. Tuck is shocked though and fins he is surrounded by girls still that sympathize for the guy whose tale got burnt. Tuck then picks up the newspaper that day and sees a story about John surviving catching on fire. Tuck's plan did the opposite of what he hoped. Instead of getting his brother less attention, he managed to give him even more attention by setting his tail on fire. Tuck goes home and is defeated. John called to him though. John told him to come hang with he and the other girls. Tuck couldn't believe it. Both possum's became even better friends through this situation. 

Author's Note: I chose the third person narration style for this story because it helped me simplify my writing more. It didn't make things too complicated. My main goal for the story was to have the antagonist fail and for their to be a happy ending. 

Why the Possum's tail is Bare originally is a story about a possum that gets his tail burned because a friend doesn't like the main possum. The story ends after the possum's tail gets its hair torn off by a rat and explains that's why the possum's tail is bare to this day.

In my story, I made the animal that didn't like the main possum John another possum Tuck who is his brother. Instead of ripping hair off of his tail, Tuck burned John's tail. The last change is that John ends up getting more attention and Tuck's plan is foiled. John calls Tuck over to him though so he can hang with him. They both start to get to know each other better and become even closer family. 

Bibliography: Why the Possum's tail is Bare, Myths of the Cherokee, James Mooney, (1900)

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.