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

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

Week 10 Storytelling - The Woman Stolen By Killer Whales

Whales at night

One evening a family of killer whales were out for a late-night swim. There was a mom, dad, two sisters and a brother. Of course, the brother loved to pester his sisters, as most brothers do. Tonight was just like any other night. The water was calm, the sky was clear, and there were no boats around. It was peaceful.

Brother wanted to swim closer to the shore so he could get a better look at the sky. He had always had a fascination with the stars. Since it was so quiet out, Mom and Dad agreed. He was so excited to see what constellations would be visible this time. Last time he looked, he saw the Revolving Man and Revolving Woman, as well as the Black God and Great Bear constellations. 

He swam as fast as he could towards the shore, like most kids do when they’re excited about something. Mom and Dad just chuckled as they watched their son light up as he swam ahead. They never minded letting him look at the stars. The thing that always held them back were the people that lived not far from the shore line. They had always heard stories about the people catching whales and not letting them return to the water. Since it was a calm and peaceful night, they decided to let their son follow his passion.

As Brother was looking up at the stars, trying to pinpoint exactly what he was looking for, he heard a rustle in the bushes right off the water. At first, he thought nothing of it. There was a slight breeze so he brushed it off. He continued to admire the sparkle of the stars. With each twinkle, he felt they were trying to talk to him. That was their way of communicating. Their twinkle was a little different tonight. It almost seemed to be panicky, as if they were trying to warn him.

Mom, Dad and the sisters were still a couple hundred feet away. Close enough to see Brother, but far enough not to be near the surface. Sisters were always scared to get near the shore because of the horror stories their friends would tell on the way home from their swims. Soon, their fears were going to be proven correct.

Brother was fascinated with everything he was seeing. It was such a clear night that he could see The First Slender One, Butterfly, Place of Decisions, and many more. As he was trying to hunt down the Coyote constellation, he was suddenly hit by something. At first, he jerked some because it startled him. As he did, he felt whatever hit him wrap around his body. He tried to fight it, but it just got tighter and he couldn’t break free. He called out for Mom and Dad, but they were just far enough away they couldn't reach him in time. As they were swimming frantically towards him, he disappeared out of the water.

There was nothing they could do but to let him go. If they got any closer to the shore, they too could have been captured. Once they were in the hunting area of the people, they were at their mercy. In the water is where the whales are strongest. Mom, Dad and the sisters were devastated. A peaceful night, turned tragic in an instant.

A few moments had passed and the family saw something strange waving around in the water close to the shore. Dad quickly realized it was hands of a human and rushed to the shore to snatch them. Just as quickly as Brother had disappeared from the water, a woman disappeared from the shore. Dad angrily dragged the woman back to their home. He wanted her to pay for what she had done to his son and the impact it would have on his family.

Mom and the sisters swam behind Dad all the way home. They were unsure what his plans were, but they didn’t question his intentions either. As the three arrived home, they couldn’t find Dad or the woman anywhere. They looked all around and there was no sign of them. After a few moments passed, Dad came to them without the woman. He explained that she was now their slave. She would be doing anything they ask without hesitation. Dad said that the woman realized what she had done and was willing to make it up to them by doing so. She felt terribly guilty for what she and her husband had done to Brother.

A few days had passed since the people took brother. The woman was living up to her word. She took care of the chores around the house, hunted dinner for the family and helped the sisters with their school work. Even though it was under tragic circumstances, the family came to enjoy having the woman around. Shortly after she finished preparing dinner, her husband and a shark barged into the whales’ home. They demanded that the family release his wife. Her husband was shocked when she was the one that denied their request. He thought that she would be thrilled to be rescued.

She explained her reasoning for refusing to go home with them. She wanted to make things right with the family.

"We once had a son," she began to explain. "One night we were outside enjoying the clear skies and calm breeze when a group from a neighboring tribe ambushed my son, husband and me."

"They kidnapped my son and we lost hope of ever seeing him again. I couldn't eat or sleep for months afterwards. When I closed my eyes, I could hear my son's screams as they ripped him out of my arms. If I could take back what we did to your son, I would. Since I cannot, I want to stay with your family," she said as she made eye contact with Dad.

She turned to her husband and said, "I want to make things right with them. I will be staying in the water. I know you don't understand, but this is what I have to do."

Her husband remembered the heartache she went through during that time and agreed to let her stay. Though he was heartbroken, he and Shark turned and left the whales’ residence. Little did he know that he would also never see his wife again.

After hearing what the man and woman had gone through with their own son, the whales felt they had a better connection with her. The relationship between them grew to something more than master and captive. Soon, she became one of the family. 

Author’s Note: The original story is about a man and woman that capture a friend of the whales and kill it for food. When the woman goes back to the water to clean her hands, she is then taken by the whale’s friends. They took her back to their home and made her their slave as revenge for the killing of their friend. The woman’s husband then goes into the water in search for his wife. He came to the house of the fish-chief and asked for help in searching for his wife. Shark was the one chosen to help the man in his quest. The two came across the killer whales and the wife. Shark pushed the wife towards the husband and told them to run and he would stay back and fight the whales.

I chose to change the story to the perspective of the whales, to give the reader the other side of the story. I also changed it from being friends to being family as I thought this would give a more solid reason for the whales to take revenge in the way that they did. In the end, I decided to make the woman want to stay with the whales to make up for the events her and her husband played a part. Since the two had gone through the same sort of tragedy, I thought it would be good that she could relate to the whales and want to make it up to them.   

Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson; The Woman Stolen By Killer Whales

Week 6 Story Planning: The Disobedient Daughter who Married a Skull

A woman and a skull

For this story, I could rewrite it as a Shallow Hal type of story line. The daughter wants to marry the perfect dreamy guy, turning down anyone else that doesn't meet her expectations. One day, a strange man shows up and she falls for him, and everyone else is unsure as to why she likes him as he is even uglier than all the other men, but she doesn't seem to think so.

After reading the story and given the title, it sounds like parents play a large role in their children’s lives. Since her parents have tried numerous times to find her a husband, and she has turned every single one of them away, her parents become desperate and pray to the gods. That’s when the skull overhears their prayers and decides to take action. I think having the skull decide he wants to be with the daughter and turning himself into the man of her dreams is how I would incorporate him into the story. Since he is a skull, when he comes to town people can smell the decay, and even though he looks like a human to them, he is not a good looking man. It’s sort of Afiong’s punishment for not listening to her parents and being overly picky when it comes to the man she is going to marry.

I'm not sure I could write this story in any other style besides a normal short story. As far as the actual story line, I think it will be different than anything else I have written in the past. I might try to make it into a rhyme, and see how well that turns out, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to get all the details into it that I would like. I also looked over the stories for children and I think I might be able to turn this into a story to scare children into listening to their parents when it comes to who they are going to marry.

Folk Stories From Southern Nigeria by Elphinstone Dayrell: The Disobedient Daughter who Married 

Week 5 Storytelling: The Three Lovers

Three Lovers

A widow once had a daughter named Coral. She was twenty, and stunning. Dark brown hair fell like a waterfall down her back and her hazel eyes took your breath away. Her mother loved her dearly and wanted her to be happy. So, when three handsome young men appeared at their door, she thought this was her chance. 

She welcomed the men into their home. They looked as if they had been traveling for a while, so she offered them bread and water. While they were getting their fill, she noticed that they all had bare left hands. She hit the jackpot with them. 

"My daughter Coral should be home at any moment. I believe she is around the same age as you young gentleman. You'll have to stay to meet her. I insist."  

The young men just stopped by for some water and were in a hurry to get back home. That no longer seemed like an option. 

"We'd love to meet her, ma'am," they finally agreed. 

About half an hour passes and they hear Coral coming up the cobble road. 

"Here she comes, gentlemen."

Coral then walked inside and was startled to see three strange men staring back at her. "Not again," she thought to herself, rolling her eyes as she closed the door behind her. This wasn't the first time her mother had done something like this. 

"Oh, uh, hello, gentlemen. I wasn't expecting a full house when I returned from the market. Will you be joining us for dinner? I'm afraid I only purchased enough food for the two of us, but I can most certainly make a trip back, if you will be staying," Coral said to the room of men. 

"Uh, n-n-no, we didn't plan on staying for dinner," one of the young men stuttered when he noticed the young woman's beauty. 

"What he means to say is we would love to, but we most certainly don't want to intrude," another said. 

"Yes, exactly. If you would like, I wouldn't mind joining you. I would hate for you to make a trip back alone for our sake," the third offered. 

"Well, why don't all three of you accompany her back to the market?" the mother eagerly mentioned. 

"Mother, that is not necessary. I would hate to ask that of our unexpected guests," Coral said with a slightly annoyed tone. 

She was tired of her mother always trying to find her a husband. "You're not getting any younger," she would always say. "Your father and I were married at fourteen. If you don't marry soon, you may never find someone." Coral was happy being independent and free. It allowed her to travel wherever and meet up with friends whenever. If she never got married, she wouldn't be upset. 

"Can I speak to you outside?" Coral firmly asked her mother. 

As the mother followed Coral out the door, she turned to the young men, "Don't mind us. This should just take a second." 

"Mother, how many times have I asked you not to bring strange men into our home? I am not looking to get married. I enjoy being by myself," she explained.

"You see, I did not bring them here," she responded. "This time!"

Coral rolled her eyes once more. "Of course you didn't."

 "They were tired from their travels and needed somewhere to rest and replenish. I couldn't just turn them away. Plus, they are all very good-looking young men." 

"Yes, mother, they are good looking men. That doesn't mean I want to make one of them my husband."

"Oh, stop. Let them join you back to the market. Talk to them, ask them questions. You never know what could happen," her mother winked and pinched her cheek before she turned to go back inside. 

"When is this going to end?" Coral asked under her breath before following. 

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～

When they returned from the market. Coral's mother gave her the cheesy grin she does when she wants to be nosy. The men retreated to the living area, while Coral and her mother prepared supper. 

"So, how did it go?" her mother inquired as she nudged her shoulder against Coral's. 

"Mother, I'm just not interested in getting married. They are very nice gentleman, but not what I'm looking for in a husband." 

"Maybe it's about time you don't be so picky. I'm getting older, you're getting older. You know, you-"

"Your father and I were married at fourteen, blah blah blah," Coral mocked her mother. "Yes, I know. You've told me a thousand times, Mother. I'm sorry, but I'm not interested."

"They're so handsome and kind though. What more could you want in a husband?" 

"If that's how you feel, why don't you marry one?" she snapped back in annoyance. "I wish you would respect my wishes and stop pushing marriage on me. If I am meant to be married, it will happen on its own. So, please, stop trying to set me up with any man you come across."

"But, I-"

"No, Mother. After this, you are done," Coral demanded. 

"Okay, okay, fine. After this, I'm done."

"Thank you. Now, let's finish this dinner so we can send them on their way." 

The two finished the pork stew and set the table. Dinner was awkward, as you could cut the tension with a knife. The men could tell their presence was no longer wanted, so they rushed to finish supper. As quickly as they could, without looking as if they were running out the door, they thanked the women, said their goodbyes and went on their way. 

When the gentleman were far enough away, one of them asked, "Were you guys under the impression that the mother was trying to play matchmaker?"

"I certainly felt that way," the other agreed. 

"We probably should have mentioned we are celibate," the third chuckled. 

Author's Notes: In the original story, it told of a man that had a beautiful daughter. When she was out of childhood, three young men came to their door asking the father for his daughter's hand. He didn't want to give her to anyone, but decided he would give her away to one of them. She wouldn't marry one for fear of hurting the other two. The men stayed with the man and daughter in hopes that things would change. She later grew ill and passed away. The men cremated her body. One lived on her ashes and got his food by begging. Another carried her bones to dip them in the Ganges river. The third became a monk and traveled the countries. One day the monk comes to a house, and is surprised when the mother throws her child, who is having a "tantrum," into a fire and burns him up. The father then shows the monk a spell which brings the child back to life. When the family is asleep, the monk sneaks out of bed, steals the book and brings it back to where the girl's ashes are. He reads the spell and brings her back. Once she is alive, they fight over who should get to marry her. The father says that the man that went to get the spell, did what a father would do, the man that carried her bones to the river, did what a son would do, and the third that lived a hard life, did what a lover would do, and said he deserves to be the husband.

I decided to change this story to a mother-daughter tale because we always hear about mother's pushing their daughters to get married and have children. Even from personal experience, my own mother talks about grandchildren all the time, while my dad stays quiet and doesn't say a word. The stereotypical dad doesn't want his daughter to be involved with boys, so I thought making the story with a father-daughter would make it a little less unrealistic. Adding the celibacy twist at the end, I thought would take the reader by surprise and add a little humor to the story. 

Arthur Ryder, Twenty-Two Goblins; The Three Lovers

Week 3 Storytelling: The Jealousy of Psyche's Sisters

Psyche and her sisters

Source: Blogspot

After not seeing her sisters for months, Psyche finally coaxed her husband into allowing them to visit. Psyche was ecstatic.

She sent Zephyr, God of the West Wind and servant to Psyche's husband, to retrieve them as she prepared for their arrival. She missed her sisters dearly and wanted everything to be perfect. She rehearsed her cover story over and over, as she didn’t want to make a mistake when her sisters started questioning her about her invisible husband. Though she began to love him dearly, she did not want to betray his trust and respecting his wishes for her not to seek out his identity.

After she had waited for what felt like an eternity, Zephyr finally returned with Psyche’s sisters. When she first saw them, she began to tear up. She thought she’d never see them again. Her sisters were also overjoyed to see their sister. The last time they had seen her was at her unfortunate wedding. Until that day, they thought she was dead. They were happy to be proved wrong.

Psyche gave her sisters a tour of her lavish home. They were blown away by the golden floors and jewels all around. Once they saw the palace, they began to question Psyche about her husband, trying to get as much information as they could. She remembered the story she had rehearsed earlier that day. “He’s young and handsome, with just a hint of beard on his face. He spends his days in the hills, and his nights with me,” she said, attempting to be as convincing as possible, since she herself had no idea what her husband actually looked like.

In order to avoid any more questions, Psyche then redirected her sisters to the dining hall to enjoy a delicious feast that was prepared for them. Once they finished the delicious cuisine, Psyche then rushed them out the door before they could question her farther. Zephyr and the sisters then left Psyche's palace to return home, while Psyche retreated to her bed. 

The sisters requested that Zephyr drop them off at a nearby river so they could wash up before returning home. Zephyr agreed and once the sisters were alone and in private, they began to discuss what they had just experienced. Both were raging with jealousy of their younger sister.

“Girl, did you see that place?” asked one sister to another.

“Yup, sure did! How is it that she always gets everything handed to her on a silver platter while we get the short end of the stick?” the other replied.

The first sister rolled her eyes. “I know right! She has a handsome husband, and a palace full of gold and jewels, while we are stuck with husbands that are past their prime.”

“Ugh, it’s sickening how perfect her life always is. Last night, my raisin of a husband demanded I rub his arthritis-ridden fingers and then asked me to change his putrid bandages. My delicate hands deserve to be covered in the finest jewelry, and I deserve a golden palace with silk carpets for my fragile feet to walk upon. Instead, it’s her, like always,” the second snarled.

“I want to destroy that high horse she is on. I want to ruin everything she has going for her. I want her to be just as unhappy as we are. She needs to understand what it’s like to not have everything handed to her.”

“What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to hide that she’s still alive from our parents. I don’t want to tell them of her lavish life, because they’re just going to be happy for her, like always. Their precious golden child with the golden life.”

The sisters agreed, and decided to part ways. They had to return to their homes and husbands before they began to raise suspicions to their whereabouts.

“We will get together another day and devise a plan for how we are going to make this as painful as possible. We are going to crush her world and then she’ll have nothing, and for once we might be considered the golden children.”

Author's Notes: In the original story, Psyche was married to a man she did not know. He only visited her at night when she could not see his face. After a while, Psyche begins to miss her sisters so she asks if they can come visit. Her husband agrees, but asks her to promise not to let them get to her head and cause her to seek out his identity. So, of course, when her sisters come to visit they ask questions trying to figure out who her husband is. My story fits into the original timeline as the first time her sisters came to visit and realize how good Psyche has it. I tried to change the story to where the sisters were jealous in an over-the-top way. Even though Psyche has never really done any wrong to them and loves them unconditionally, they are jealous of how her life has turned out and they want to ruin it. In the original story, the sisters later visit Psyche, but this time she tells a different story. This was the information the sisters needed to bring Psyche down. They then realized that she had no idea who her husband actually was or what he looked like. They return home and thought of exactly what they were going to say to Psyche. The sisters come back for a third time ready to put their plan into action. They tell Psyche that they know who/what her husband is. They tell her that he is a monstrous serpent with noxious venom that has been seen by hunters and farmers swimming in a nearby river. This news scares Psyche into revealing that she does not know who her husband is and that they must be right about his identity. The sisters convince Psyche to seek out his identity the next time he lays next to her, knowing this would ruin the relationship between their sister and her husband.

Apuleius, The Golden Ass; The Jealousy of Psyche's Sisters 

Week 2 Storytelling: The Dog and His Bone

A dog and his bone

Source: Moral Stories

There once was a dog named Spot. One day, Spot was traveling through the neighboring town when he stumbled upon a butcher. The butcher noticed Spot gazing at the leftover bones he had in the corner.

After a few minutes, the butcher cleaned himself off and introduced himself to Spot. “Hello there! You’re a cutie, aren’t you?” as he reached him hand out to pet Spot. Spot wagged his tail in excitement. “Maybe if I seem excited, this sucker will give me one of those delicious looking treats,” Spot thought to himself.

A short time later, the butcher walks back into his shop and picks the biggest, most delicious bone he could find in his stacks. When he found the right one, he brought it back to Spot. Curious if Spot could do any tricks he begins trying different cues. “Can you speak?” he questioned. Spot slightly tilts his head to the side, unsure what the butcher is saying. “Hmm, let’s try something easier. How ‘bout shake? Can you shake?” Spot tilts his head to the other side. “I’m not sure what else a pup like you might know. Is that all you want?” as he raised the meaty bone up to Spot’s eye level. Spot’s eyes immediately went to the bone, and he couldn’t take his gaze off of it. His tail went wild, his ears perked up, and he had the biggest grin on his face. Spot barked hoping this was enough for the butcher to hand over that delectable thing in his hands. “Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme,” he thought.

Finally, the butcher handed it over.

Spot ever so gently took the bone from the butcher’s grasp, and almost immediately ran off. He didn’t want to give the butcher a chance to change his mind. He must get home, so he can hide is new found delicacy.

About half-way home, Spot noticed a strange figure out of the corner of his eye. He turned around, and the figure was gone. He continued on. A few moments later, the figure returned. He froze mid-step. He lowered his head and started to snarl. His fangs became visible, his ears perked up, he lowered his body to an attack stance. “No one is going to take this bone from me,” Spot thought. Again, he quickly turned around, trying to catch the dark figure in the act. “Catch him, before he catches me,” was Spot’s logic.

Again, he lost the figure, so he continued on. “There’s the Sleepy River. That means, I’m almost home!” Spot sped up so he can get home slightly faster.

He finally reached the river, and was sure slow his pace as he crossed the bridge. The bridge was really old and creaky, which made Spot uneasy every time he walked over it. As he trotted across, Spot noticed the figure again. This time he could make out more features than before.

His image the Dog did not know,

Again, Spot gnarled at the figure in attempt to protect his treasure.

Or his bone's, in the pond's painted show:

That’s when he realized the figure already had a bone of its own.

"T'other dog," so he thought,
"Has got more than he ought,"

That bone looks even bigger than the one he already had. “I must have that one instead,” Spot was determined. He took a moment to come up with a game plan. “I’ll walk a little further, and when he least expects it, I’ll make my move,” he decided.

He’s now halfway across the bridge, “Now!”

So he snapped and his dinner saw go!

He lost the delectable bone the butcher had given him. The strange figure became indistinguishable in the chaos. Spot jumped into the Sleepy River, trying to save him prized possession, but it was a lost hope. He was unable to find it again. Spot crawled out of the river, shook the water off his golden fur, and sulked all the way home.

Author's Note: The original story was short, sweet and to the point. I just expanded on the back story, explained how the dog got his bone, and a little insight on how he lost his bone in the end. I included the original fable in my story to allow the reader to relate the two different stories to each other. 

Week 1 Story: Tom, the Boy Who Causes Trouble

boy jumping from hay bales

Source: MyScrappyLife

Tom, Tom, the piper’s son

Tom was an ornery little boy. At the ripe age of 8, he was getting into all the trouble he could.

Just last week, he was scaring the cows in attempt to make them fall over. He would sneak through the fields, run up behind them and scream as loud as he could. His parents definitely had their hands full with this one.  

The week before that, he was in the chicken coop tormenting all the poor chickens. He would chase them around and try to catch them. The chickens did not like that at all.

Mama and Papa would tell him time after time, “Leave the animals alone, Tom! How would you like to get chased around and scared?”

“I don’t think I would mind it,” replied Tom.

Stole a pig, and away he run!

This week, Tom went after the pigs. He liked the screeching sound they made when you chased them. 

Unlike the chickens that could flutter off when Tom got close enough, the pigs only had so much space to run. Eventually Tom caught one of the older, bigger piglets.

Tom thought, “Maybe if I catch a pig, and take it to the cow field, the pigs screams will make the cows fall over!” So, that’s what he did. Unfortunately, it did not go as he planned.

As soon as Tom opened the gate, the piglet flailed itself around until it broke loose of Tom’s grip, and away he ran. Tom chased the piglet for what seemed like hours, but the piglet was just so fast outside of his pen.

“Thomas James! What have you done?” yelled Papa.

Tom stopped in his tracks, frozen in fear. He knew once Papa used his middle name, he was in serious trouble.  

The pig was eat, and Tom was beat,

Papa grabbed his gun and got the piglet in one attempt. Tom was just trying to have fun. He didn’t want the piglet to get in trouble too.

Papa turned to Tom with anger in his eyes, and Tom knew it was time to run. He ran straight to the house and right up to Mama. She tried to comfort the scared Tom, for she had no idea what had just happened outside.

Papa reached the house, and ripped Tom away from Mama. He was furious. “I’ve had it Tom! This is the last straw! Mama and I have been easy on you, but now that’s changing,” Papa yelled at Tom.

Then he gave him a whooping of a lifetime.

And Tom went roaring down the street.

Tom couldn’t feel his behind once Papa was done. He ran all around the yard. He jumped into the pig’s mud hoping the cool would take away the pain. He couldn’t sit down for days.

It’s been 2 months since Tom has bothered any of the animals. Mama and Papa have enjoyed the peace and quiet. Though Tom, has been itching to wreak some sort of havoc. Then he remembers what happened the last time, and the feeling goes away.  

Author's Note: The original story talks of a little boy that seems to give his parents trouble constantly. I took that story and added little things that I could imagine a little boy doing to cause turmoil for animals and parents. In the nursery rhyme, it says that he stole a pig and let it run free. I took this as the final straw for his parents. It wasn't the first time he had done something of the sorts, but they wanted to make sure it was his last. 

Bibliography:  "Tom, Tom the Piper's Son" from The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang. Web Source