Reading Notes B - The Three Goslings

Little Ducks

I think for this story, I would like to try something new. I kind of want to try to make this into a poem. Even though that will prove to be extremely difficult. I want to try it once before the end of the semester. Since this is such a familiar story, I don't think it will be as difficult as an unfamiliar one. 

Italian Popular Tales by Thomas Frederick Cane: The Three Goslings

Reading Notes A - The Fair Angiola

Wolfenglish - Rapunzel

I really am interested in trying to rewrite this story completely. I'd like to give it something different than the usual prince climbing up her hair plot that is most commonly known. Maybe Angiola can be knitting a blanket to escape or something and that is how the prince climbs up. I'm unsure of the details, but I know I would like to try something new. 

Italian Popular Tales by Thomas Frederick Crane: The Fair Angiola

Reading Notes B - The Little Mermaid Part 2

Little Mermaid Statue

I think in order to create something different than most people are familiar with, I want to write a story about all of the sisters going to the surface together. The mermaids have to be fifteen in order to go to the surface and the youngest is 5 years younger than the others, so I think creating a story with all of them going to the surface together would be something people won't already know. 

Fairy Tales and Stories by Hans Christian Andersen: The Little Mermaid Part 2

Reading Notes A - The Princess and the Pea

the Princess and the Pea

I think I would like to add more to this story to make it longer. I think I might want to add more about the Prince and Princess after they are married and make things not as great as they thought they might be. Maybe I could change the way the Prince discovers she is a true Princess. As far as specifics, I'm not completely sure what I would like to do yet.

Fairy Tales and Stories by Hans Chrisitian Andersen: The Princess and the Pea

Week 13 Storytelling - Catskin

Catskin

April 19

Dear Diary,

Today, my father has decided it’s time for me to get married. He told me any man can have my hand. He doesn’t care who it is. I know my father wished I was a son, but I don’t understand why he hates me so much. Since I was a kid, he has been distant towards me. Oh well. Soon, because of him, I will marry some strange man and never see him again.

April 23

So, it happened. A man came for my hand. He is the most atrocious man I think I’ve ever seen. I cannot believe father would let a man like that take me. He just wants me out of his hair. I went to the hen-wife to ask for advice. She said, “Say you will not take him unless they give you a coat of silver cloth.” And tomorrow, that’s just what I’ll do.

April 25

Dear Diary,

I told him what the hen-wife had said and he did it! He showed up the next day with the coat. Tomorrow I’m going back and trying again. Hopefully this time, she gives advice that will put an end to this man's advances. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Love,

April 29

Ugh, it didn’t work! Again! This time, she told me, “Say you will not take him unless they give you a coat of beaten gold.” And of course, he returns the next day with said coat. I cannot win. I do not want to marry him! He’s old, ugly and has a weird smell. Why can’t I marry for love? Father and Mother married because they loved each other. Why can’t Father let me do the same? Until next time..

Love,

May 3

I returned one more time to the hen-wife. Once again she told me to tell the man, “Say you will not take him unless they give you a coat made of the feathers of all the birds of the air.” This time when I repeated her message, he sent a man with peas to cry out to the birds, “Each bird take a pea, and put down a feather.” To which they obliged. He returned THAT NIGHT with the coat. He is relentless. I went back to the hen-wife asking her what I must do this time. She responded, “Say they must first make you a coat of catskin.” I did so and now I must wait. Hopefully this request is too much for him and he will give up. One can only hope though.

Love,

May 7

Dear Diary,

He returned with a coat of catskin…OF COURSE! I cannot marry this man. So I have decided to leave. I won’t be a bother to Father and I won’t have to marry that man. It’s a win win for everyone, except for the man, but I don’t care. He can find someone else.

May 13

Dear Diary,

Sorry it has been so long. When I left Father’s, I put my catskin coat on, grabbed the other coats and ran. Eventually I came upon a castle. I hid my dresses outside and went in to ask for work. The only work they could give me was scullion, which means I do all the dirty work in the kitchen, GROSS! It’s better than being married to that gross man I suppose. Anyways, the cook hates me. She is so cruel all the time. She has also given me the name Catskin, because of my dress. At least I don’t have to tell anyone my real name.

May 24

Oh my, so much has happened since the last time I wrote. The most important is that I met the love of my life! He’s so handsome and sweet. The only problem is that he is the young lord of the house. I can never be with him. A few days ago, he was returning home, so the lady of the house threw a grand ball to honor him. I snuck out that night, bathed in a crystal waterfall and put on my coat of silver. As soon as I walked in, nobody could take their eyes off me. I received so many compliments that night. I accidentally bumped into the young lord and we immediately fell in love. He asked me to dance and we did so all night. It was magical. Sadly, it had to come to an end. I hope to see him again.

May 29

I saw him again! Word around the house is that the lord fell in love with the lady in silver and refuses to marry anyone else. They threw another ball and of course I had to show up. I snuck out again, bathed in the crystal waterfall (it makes my skin so soft), and this time I wore my coat of beaten gold. Once again, all eyes were on me. It made me nervous. I thought someone would recognize me as the scullery maid, yet nobody did. Again, we danced all night and it was magical. Afterward, I had to rush back to the kitchen before the cook realized I was gone. She would not be happy if she found out what I was doing.

June 6

Dear Diary,

So much has happened! They threw another ball. This time I wore my coat of feathers. Everyone was in awe of my dress. I felt like a princess. My love and I danced all night, yet again. Once the night came to an end, I had to hurry back to the kitchen. Only this time, he followed me. He saw me change into my catskin dress and immediately knew who I was. When he told me of his discovery, my heart sank. I knew this was goodbye. How could he love me? A dirty scullery-maid. I was wrong though. He told his mother that he wanted to marry me and fell ill when she told him no. The lord told the doctor that he refused to take any medicine unless it was from my hands. The lady of the castle had to approve or her son would die. Now, we are set to be married at the end of the month! My dreams have finally come true and I couldn’t be happier.

Author’s Note: For this story, I wrote it as a diary from “Cindy.” In the original story, she is known as Catskin. Since this is a version of Cinderella, I chose the name Cindy to hint at the readers. Most of the story is the same, but from the perspective of Catskin. The major part that I secluded from the story was the cruelty of the cook towards her. The cook gives her the name Catskin because of the dress she was wearing when she arrived. For each of the dances, Catskin mentions to the cook that she would like to go. The cook berates her and then abuses her in some way. For the first ball, the cook threw a basin of water in Catskin’s face. For the second, she broke a ladle across her back, and for the third she broke a skimmer across her head. After the balls, the lord would ask Catskin where she lived and she told him at the sign of the Basin Water, at the sign of the Broken Ladle and the sign of the Broken Simmer. He attempted to find those signs and after failing, he decided to follow her. That is when he discovers she is the scullery-maid.

After they were married, they had a son. One day a beggar and her child came to the castle and the little prince gave the child some money. The cook (which still didn't like Catskin) made a comment about beggars’ brats taking to one another, which struck a nerve for Catskin. She asked her husband to find out what happened to her father and they went to find him. Once they were reunited, her father regretted how he treated Catskin, and they brought him back to the castle to live with them.

More English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs; Catskin

Signature source: Cindy's Writing Update

Reading Notes B - Catskin

Catskin

For this story, I am interested in making a fool out of the cook for how she treated Catskin. I would really like to go more into depth on that part of the story. Maybe including more of Catskin's parents and the man she was supposed to marry before she ran away. 

More English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs: Catskin

Reading Notes A - The Golden Ball

The Golden Ball

For this story, I could write it more in a modern setting. Change it around so it fits more of today's rather than the old time. I could also change how she lost the ball and not being able to find it. 

More English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs: The Golden Ball

Week 11 Storytelling - Gold-tree and Silver-tree

King Bron

Hello there, my name is King Bronze-Stone, but most call me Bron for short. Many of you know the story about my wife, Silver-Tree (or Silvie as I call her), and my daughter Gold-Tree (Goldie). It has been the story of the land for as long as I can remember. I'm not sure exactly what I was thinking, bringing a woman such as Silver-Tree into my daughter and I's life. I should have seen the red flags beforehand. There was one event that made me realize that I had made a huge mistake and I am going to tell you about it.

One day Silvie and Goldie took a walk through a nearby glen. It was a favorite of theirs.  Goldie's mother used to take her there when she was younger and now she enjoys going with Silvie. In the middle of this glen, there is a well. During this visit, Silvie wondered over to it and noticed there was a trout inside. 

Out of curiosity she said, "Troutie, bonny little fellow, am not I the most beautiful queen in the world?" 

To which the trout responded, "Oh indeed you are not."

"Who then?"

"Why, Gold-tree, your daughter."

This answer infuriated Silvie. When I returned home later that night, she told me that she had pricked her finger on a rose bush while they were at the glen earlier that day and shortly after returning home, she began to feel very ill. 

I asked if there was anything that I could do to help her feel better, to which she replied (you might want to hold your hats for this one, it's insane), " If I get the heart and liver of Gold-tree to eat, I shall be well."

This lady is crazy. What kind of person requests a father to take the heart and liver of his own flesh and blood, just so she might get over an infection? Not going to happen. I had to think of something that would please my wife (she's not the woman you would want to upset), but also save my beloved Goldie. 

Luckily for me, a plan sort of fell right into my lap. It just so happened the next day a son of a great king from the other side of the land came to my home asking for Goldie's hand. Of course, I said yes almost immediately. This was it! This is how I save my daughter and "cure" my wife. Our countries might as well be on different planets, because before today, our paths have never crossed outside of a social gathering. I knew Goldie would be in great hands. 

I rushed her and her new prince out the door as fast as I could. I did not want Silvie to catch on to my plan. As soon as they were passed the horizon, I rushed upstairs to tell Silvie that Goldie and one of my men had made another trip to the glen, in hopes of finding something that might help her ailing step-mother. Silvie's face started to light up with deception. She knew what was coming next…or did she?

I informed her that when they were far enough into the glen he would take her heart and liver to bring back to Silvie. After I finished that statement, Silvie was glowing with delight. I quickly turned around to hide my disgusted face. I wish one of my men were following her into the woods for her heart and liver. She is such a heinous woman. 

Later than evening, my man returned and prepared Silvie’s dinner. After she ate it, she was magically feeling well and practically jumped out of bed when she was finished. Little does she know, it was the heart and liver of an everyday farm goat.

About a year later, Silvie had returned to that same glen she and Goldie used to visit. Once again, she happened upon the trout and she asked, "Troutie, bonny little fellow, am not I the most beautiful queen in the world?"

I'll be damned if that trout didn't ruin everything I had worked hard to protect. He responded, "Oh! indeed you are not."

"Who then?"

"Why, Gold-tree, your daughter."

Silvie was shocked and shook with anger. "Oh! Well, it is long since she was living. It is a year since I ate her heart and liver."

"Oh! Indeed, she is not dead. She is married to a great prince abroad."

Silvie rushed home and almost demanded that I set up a ship that will take her to see her "dear Goldie". She used a tone that almost mocked me. I did not like this, but I did as she asked. As I set up Silvie’s ship, I sent a small ship ahead to give warning to my daughter and her new husband.

Gold-tree received her father’s warning and when she saw his long-ship approaching she panicked. She rushed to her husband, telling him, "my mother is coming, and she will kill me."

"She shall not kill you at all; we will lock you in a room where she cannot get near you."

Silver-tree came ashore and as lovingly as she could, cried out, "come to meet your own mother, when she comes to see you."

Silvie managed to find her way to where Gold-Tree was being held. She was informed that Goldie was locked in and unable to get out.

"Will you not put out your little finger through the keyhole so that your own mother may give a kiss to it?"

Gold-tree, being the obedient daughter that she is, obliged her step-mother. Silvie then pricked her with a poisoned stab and Gold-tree fell dead, or so they thought.

When her husband found her, he was furious. He and his men gathered Gold-tree and placed her in a secret room to which her husband was the only one with a key.

Silver-tree returned home and went straight for the trout. Once again, he told her that she was not the most beautiful queen and that it was Gold-tree. She again, came to me a few months later with a new plan of action. Once again, I did as she asked, as well as sent a warning ship to my daughter and her husband. Completely unaware of the events that had taken place during the last visit.

After a long journey back to Gold-tree's home, Silvie finally arrived. This time she brought with her a "precious drink". I had caught wind of Silvie's new plan and sent another warning to the prince. Once he heard of the queen's plan, he went to visit Goldie's body and told her of my message. As he was leaving, he kissed her gently and she slowly began to awaken. The prince was almost in tears when he saw life coming back in his beautiful bride. They hugged each other so tightly and kissed once more.

The prince once again told Goldie of Silvie's plan. Shortly after he finished explaining, they saw my ship approaching shore. They went outside and heard Silvie calling out, "Come down, Gold-tree, love, for your own mother has come to you with a precious drink."

"It is custom in this part of the country, that the person who offers a drink takes a draught out of it first," the prince explained.

As Silver-tree brought the drink to her lips, the prince struck it so that some of it went down her throat and she fell dead (actual dead).

Author's Notes: For this story, I tried to incorporate as much of the Celtic version as much as possible. I also brought in a few details from the Disney version of the story. One major change that I made to the story was that I wrote it in the point of view of the King. He knows his wife is bad news and he devises his own plan to fool her. I wanted to get another point of view, rather than changing the story line. The aspect that I took from Disney, was that Silver-tree was the step-mother instead of her actual mother. I thought that gave a little more to the jealousy aspect than being her own mother. I also changed it to the prince kissing her to wake her up.

In the Celtic fairy tale, once they believe Gold-tree to be dead, the prince eventually remarries. One day the prince left his key at home and the second wife sneaks into the room Gold-tree is staying in. She tried to wake Gold-tree and she noticed the poisoned stab in her finger. She took it out and Gold-tree woke up. Instead of it just being Gold-tree and the prince meeting Silver-tree, it was actually the three of them. The second wife was the one that struck the drink that killed Silver-tree in the end.

As far as the ending, I'm still unsure about it. I thought I would try something new and just ending the story. At a point where good wins and evil fails. After reading it, I almost feel like it should continue.   

Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs: Gold-tree and Silver-tree

Reading Notes B - The Shee An Gannon and the Gruagach Gaire

The Laughing Goblin

For this story, I could write a different version of why the Gruagach Gaire lost his laugh. Or make the story a little more cheerful. 

Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs: The Shee An Gannon and the Gruagach Gaire

Reading Notes A - Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree

Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree

For this story, I could write about the King's take on his wife's reaction to his daughter. I think making a story based off the King's perspective would be entertaining. Hiding his daughter and sending men out in front of his wife in order to warn his daughter of her visiting. 

Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs: Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree