Reading Diary A: Dante's Inferno

Dante and Virgil- After I had rested my tired body a while, I made my way again over empty ground, always bearing upwards to the right. And, behold, almost at the start of the slope, a light swift leopard with spotted coat. It would not turn from before my face and so obstructed my path that I often turned in order to return.

The Gate of Hell and Charon- 'I will tell you, briefly. They have no hope of death, and their darkened life is so mean that they are envious of every other fate. Earth allows no mention of them to exist: mercy and justice reject them; let us not talk of them, but look and pass.

Limbo- The anguish of the people, here below, brings that look of pity to my face that you mistake for fear. Let us go, for the length of our journey demands it.' So he entered, and so he made me enter, into the first circle that surrounds the abyss.

Poets and Philosophers, Heroes and Heroines- When I lifted my eyes a little higher, I saw the Master of those who know, Aristotle, sitting amongst the company of philosophers. All gaze at him: all show him honour. There I saw Socrates, and Plato, who stand nearest to him of all of them

Paolo and Francesca- The first of those you wish to know of was Empress of many languages, so corrupted by the vice of luxury, that she made licence lawful in her code, to clear away the guilt she had incurred. She is Semiramis, of whom we read, that she succeeded Ninus, and was his wife: she held the countries that the Sultan rules.

Cerberus and Plutus- Like a sail, bellying in the wind, that falls in a heap if the mast breaks, so that cruel creature fell to earth. In that way, we descended into the fourth circle, taking in a greater width of the dismal bank that encloses every evil of the universe.

Fortune and Phlegyas- So we covered a large arc of the loathsome swamp, between the dry bank and its core, our eyes turned towards those who swallow its filth: we came at last to the base of a tower.

The Fallen Angels- And that lord, who had led me there, said to me: 'Have no fear, since no one can deny us passage: it was given us by so great an authority. But you, wait for me, and comfort and nourish your spirit with fresh hope, for I will not abandon you in the lower world.'

The Furies and the Heretics- Then he was silent. Each one was tearing at her breast with her claws, beating with her hands, and crying out so loudly that I pressed close to the poet, out of fear.

The Remorse of Orestes

Extra Reading Diary: Aesop's Fables

The Gods (Davies)- This fable plays on the word "herm" in Greek. Herms were statues of Hermes (called Mercury by the Romans) which served various purposes, honoring the dead sometimes, and sometimes in honor of the god Mercury himself. In this fable, the god Mercury contemplates his fate in the form of a statue!
More Gods (Smart)- This is an allegory that explains why we are so quick to see the faults of others and so slow to see our own!
Fables about People (Boothby)- A Housewife once a Hen possessed That every morning in her nest
Left a fine egg. Twice in the day the beldame wanted her to lay, And so her nourishment increas'd. Grown fat, to lay at all she ceas'd.
More Fables about People (L'Estrange)- There was a Stingy Narrow-Hearted Fellow, that had a Great deal of Choice Fruit in his Ground, but had not the Heart to touch any of it 'till it began to be Rotten.
Apes (L'Estrange)- Governours should be Men of Business, rather than Pleasure. There’s one great Folly in making an ill Choice of a Ruler, and another in the Acceptance of it; for it exposes Authority to Scorn.
Foxes (Smart)- "Ev'n so the fates decree." — "Then, sir, Have patience, whilst I do aver That he who like affections knows Is born with all the gods his foes. Since to that place you needs must speed,
Where all your ancestors precede, Why in the blindness of your heart Do you torment your noble part?"
More Foxes (L'Estrange)- The Fox finding 'twas all but Banter: "Well," says he, "'tis no Great Matter then; for the more Physicians, the more Danger, they say."
Lions (Boothby)- But weary, nature to restrain, Yet show of justice to maintain, He with this plot his courtiers snar'd: That he was sick, the King declar'd, That sleep and appetite he wanted, And he believ'd his breath was tainted.
A Lion and a Man (L'Estrange)- The Lion presently put his Claws into the Gaping of the Wood, and with one Lusty Pluck, made it give way, and out drops the Wedge, the Wood immediately Closing upon't; and there was the Lion caught by the Toes. The Woodman presently upon this, Raises the Country; and the Lion finding what a Streight he was in, gave one Hearty Twitch, and got his Feet out of the Trap, but left his Claws Behind him.
Lions and Asses (Smart)- Once on a time it came to pass, The Lion hunted with the Ass, Whom hiding in the thickest shade He there proposed should lend him aid, By trumpeting so strange a bray,
That all the beasts he should dismay And drive them o'er the desert heath Into the lurking Lion's teeth.
Asses (Boothby)- An Ass with envying eye surveyed A Courser in his war-parade, Curvetting to the trumpet's sound, With steps that scarcely touch'd the ground.
More Asses (L'Estrange)- While they were Jogging on thus upon the Way, out comes a Band of Highway-Men from the next Wood, and falls upon the Ass that carried the Treasure. They Beat, Wound and Rifle him, and so leave him, without so much as taking the least Notice of his Fellow.

Illustration by Billinghurst. 

Storytelling Week 13: Russian Folktales

There was once a couple that was so in love and seemed to have the perfect marriage. Other couples envied them. They were both so happy with one another. They never fought or disagreed. Everyone always told them they were so meant to be. 

Mother with Child. 

They had built such a loving home and wanted to add more love, a child. They tried and tried, but had no luck. One day the wife felt something and knew that they had been blessed with a child.

They waited and waited. So excited for the day they could rest their eyes on their son or daughter. The day finally came and their beautiful baby son came out healthy. But, something went very wrong with the wife. She turned red and was bleeding and bleeding. The husband didn’t know what to do. He watched his wife take her last breath. She had gone. And just as the baby was crying so was the husband. Weeping for his beloved wife.

The man stopped his crying and began wondering. Wondering how he was going to take care of his infant child. How was he going to nourish it? How was he going to care for it all by himself?

The next day, after a long night, looked for an old maid to take care of his child. He found a nice, sweet old lady who had raised 5 children of her own who were all grown now. She loved the little boy like her own. It pleased the husband to see his boy taken care of and loved by a mother figure, but he couldn’t help but wonder how not having a mother would affect the boy.

A few weeks later the old maid told the husband that the baby cries all day long but stop his crying and is silent at night. She wasn’t sure why and neither was the father. One night the old maid stayed up to see what made the boy stop crying.

One night she was up and heard a creek in the floor and what sounded like steps. She creped up to the boy’s room. What she saw was unbelievable. She saw his mother bent over in her ghost like state feeding the boy from her bosom. The old maid couldn’t believe what she saw. The mother saw the old maid and rushed up and out of the window.

The boy was still silent so the old maid went over to his crib and noticed the boy was not moving. He was dead just as his mother was.

Author’s Note: This week I read stories from the Russian Folktale section. I found these stories interesting and easy to read. These stories were separated by story and were not a continuous story. So for my story this week I focused on only one story, The Dead Mother. I kept my story very close to the original, not steering away at all really except how I told it and a few minor details. In the original story, the couple is very much in love and have a child. The mother dies right away. The father hires an old lady who notices the baby doesn’t make noise at night. She finds that the dead mother is nursing the baby who also ends up dying. I wasn’t sure how the baby died in the original story so I didn’t add how he died in mine.  

Reading Diary B: Russian Folktales

A Witch Girl

The Witch Girl- “If you like,” says the Cossack, “I’ll show you Death! Call together all the Sotniks and Desyatniks as quickly as possible, and let’s go through the village and look for her.”



The Headless Princess- “It will be still more horrible this time. Here’s a hammer for you and four nails. Knock them into the four corners of the coffin, and when you begin reading the psalter, stick up the hammer in front of you.”

The Warlock- But the third was sharper than the other two. She declared she had taken off her cross, but in reality she kept it on. She took her seat and spun, but said prayers to herself all the while.

The Fox Physician- “Beginning to stir!” replied the fox, who then ate up the old woman, collected her bones and piled them up in a corner, and set to work to knead a hasty pudding.

The Fiddler in Hell- “It was money! I had much money: I gave none to the poor, two pots of it did I bury underground. See now, they are going to torment me, to beat me with sticks, to tear me with nails.”

The Two Friends- The bridegroom looked around. Where the graveyard had been, was now a piece of waste ground. No road was to be seen, no kinsmen, no horses. All around grew nettles and tall grass.

The Shroud- But after they had supped and lain down to sleep, all of a sudden the corpse tapped at the window and said: “Give me my shroud! Give me my shroud!”

The Coffin-Lid- “Do bring them to life, kinsman,” say their relatives. “We’ll give you half of all we possess.”

The Two Corpses- Presently up ran the first corpse—the one that had chased the soldier—and dashed into the chapel. Thereupon the one that was lying on the table jumped up, and cried to it: “What hast thou come here for?”

The Dog and the Corpse- “A bad piece of work, my son!” said the old woman. “The dog was disgusted at your not helping it. There it was fighting with the corpse—and you deserted it, and thought only of saving yourself! Now it will owe you a grudge for ever so long.”

The Soilder and the Vampire- “Why, in order that the bride and bridegroom might die. Tomorrow morning no one will be able to wake them. I alone know how to bring them back to life.”

Ready Diary A: Russian Folktales

The Dead Mother- A dead mother feed her baby even after she died but then the baby died as well. I am not sure how they baby died. They didn't really make it clear in the story.

The Treasure- She took a knife, and was beginning to cut the thread at the seam, when forth flowed blood, and the pope began to howl: “Oh! it hurts, mother, it hurts! Don’t cut mother, don’t cut!”

The Bad Wife- The Demon rushed to the window, stared with all his eyes, and heard everyone shouting at the top of his voice the words, “The Bad Wife!”

The Three Copecks- “A mere trifle. I’ll make the beastie stand on his hind legs while I hold him up by his forelegs, and you shall pile gold pieces around him, so as just to hide him—I shall be content with that!”

The Miser- Out jumped the poor man, crying: “What’s the good of disputing that way? Let the sabre belong to him who will cut this corpse’s head off!”

The Water Snake- They took the girl down to the pond, and dived right into the water with her. And there they all turned into men and women. The mother remained for some time on the dike, wailed a little, and then went home.

Friday- Well, what do you think? During the night, back came Mother Friday and took the dust out of that woman’s eyes, so that she was able to get about again.

Wednesday- Well, the young woman ran home, beat the pails together, and cried out beneath the window: “Wednesday’s children have been burnt at sea!”

The Leshy- Up came the priest, and cried, “Why, that’s my daughter.” Up came running the priest’s wife, and cried: “O thou dear child! Where hast thou been so long? I had no hope of ever seeing thee again.”

Dnieper, Volga, Dvina- Therefore is it that his flow is swifter than that of the Volga and the Dvina; therefore also is it that he has many rapids and many mouths.

Emilian the Fool- As soon as the fool had said this, the pails immediately went home of their own accord and became set in their places. The sisters-in-law looked and wondered.

Russian Building. 

Reading Diary A: King Arthur

The Drawing of the Sword- "The man is not here who shall lift out that sword, nor do I know where to find him. But this is my counsel — that two Knights be chosen, good and true men, to keep guard over the sword."
The Questing Beast- "I am Merlin, and it was I who came to you in the likeness of a boy. I know all things: how that you shall die a noble death, being slain in battle, while my end will be shameful, for I shall be put alive into the earth."
The Sword Excalibur- So when the maiden drew near Arthur saluted her and said, "Maiden, I pray you tell me whose sword is that which an arm is holding out of the water? I wish it were mine, for I have lost my sword."
The Round Table- "Sir," answered Merlin, "what you say as to her beauty is true, but, if your heart was not set on her, I could find you another as fair, and of more goodness, than she. But if a man's heart is once set it is idle to try to turn him."
The Passing of Merlin- They journeyed together to many places, both at home and across the seas, and the damsel was wearied of him, and sought by every means to be rid of him, but he would not be shaken off.
King Arthur and Morgan le Fay- The King answered little, but the mantle pleased him, and he was about to throw it over his shoulders when the lady of the lake stepped forward and begged that she might speak to him in private.
The Quest of the Holy Graal-What was the Holy Graal? In the stories it is the holy vessel used by our Lord and brought to Britain by Joseph of Arimathea. But in the older heathen Irish stories there is a mysterious vessel of a magical sort, full of miraculous food, and probably the French writers of the romances confused this with the sacred vessel brought from the Holy Land.
The King's Pilgrimage-"At your pleasure, Sir," answered the youth, whose heart rejoiced because he was going alone with the King.
The Coming of the Holy Graal-"Comfort yourself," said Sir Lancelot, "for we shall win for ourselves great honour, and much more than if we had died in any other wise, since die we must."

The Holy Grail appears at The Round Table

Extra Reading: Ballads of Robin Hood

Ballads of Robin Hood

Progress of Nottingham- ROBIN HOOD hee was and a tall young man, Derry derry down! And fifteen winters old, And Robin Hood he was a proper young man, Of courage stout and bold. Hey down derry derry down!
Little John- "So long as I'm able to handle my staff,To die in your debt, friend, I scorn."Then to it each goes, and followd their blows, As if they had been threshing of corn.
The Butcher- Good morrow, good fellow,' said jolly Robin,'What food hast? Tell unto me; And thy trade to me tell, and where thou dost dwell, For I like well thy company.'
The Ranger- 'I’ll give thee this ring as a token of love, For bravely thou’st acted thy part; That man that can fight, in him I delight, And love him with all my whole heart.'
The Bold Pedlar- They sheathed their swords with friendly words,So merrilie they did agree; They went to a tavern, and there they dined, And bottles cracked most merrilie.
The Shepard- ‘My sword, which hangeth by my side, Is my command I know; Come, and let me taste of thy bottle, Or it may breed thee wo.’
Robin Hood's Delight- ‘Therefore fall on, or else be gone, And yield to us the day. It shall never be said that we were afraid Of thee, nor thy yeomen gay.’
The Pedlars- Then downe they flung their packes eche one, And stayde till Robin came. Quod Robin, ‘I said ye had better stayde; Good sooth, ye were to blame.
Allen a Dale- And when he came bold Robin before, Robin askt him courteously, ‘O hast thou any money to spare For my merry men and me?’ ‘I have no money,’ the young man said, ‘But five shillings and a ring; And that I have kept this seven long years, To have it at my wedding.
Rescuing Three Squires- This beggar-man had a coat on his back,’Twas neither green, yellow, nor red; Bold Robin Hood thought ’twas no disgrace To be in a beggar-man’s stead.

Boy dressed as Robin Hood, 2006.

Storytelling Week 11:

SYLVIA, sweet as morning air,
Do not drive me to despair:
Long have I sighed in vain,
Now I am come again:
Will you be mine or no, no-a-no,—
Will you be mine or no?

Illustration by T. Whittaker. 

Tom always stared at her silky, blonde curls. He loved how they fell down her back like a waterfall. Tom wondered what her hair smelt like. “Like lilies and soap, I bet”, Tom said to him. He had been in love with Sylvia since they started attended Monroe Elementary together in the 3^rd grade. Now, they are senior in high school and Tom knew he had to make a move before she left for college and he left for the army.

Sylvia Shepard was one of the most popular girls in school, even though she didn’t know it. She had this innocent sweetness to her that everyone was drawn to. Tom included. Tom on the other hand wasn’t so popular. He was from a bad part of town and had a hard time growing up. But, he wanted to be different than his family and alcoholic dad. He knew Sylvia was the key to his new life.

Tom would never forget the first time they spoke since 3^rd grade. It was in the hall at the beginning of senior year. She accidentally ran into him sending paper and books flying everywhere. They both dropped to the ground to pick up the mess. As they were picking up the books, their hands touched and at that moment Tom felt something he never felt before. He knew she was the one. Her gorgeous, big blue eyes gazed up at him as they both laughed and pulled way their hands.

“Sorry”, she said. “ I am so clumsy. I need to start looking where I am going. Are you hurt? I think my geometry book hit your head pretty hard.”

“I am fine”, Tom said. “I wasn’t looking either. It wasn’t your fault. I was looking down at my book trying to study for the history exam tomorrow.”

“Do you need help studying? Not to brag but history is my best subject. I am sure I can help you out. I owe it to you,” said Sylvia. After hesitating, Tom agreed to have Sylvia help him. He needed to make a good grade, but mostly he wanted to spend time with Sylvia.

Later that day, they met at the benches in the park by Sylvia’s house where they had planned to meet. It was the best 2 hours of Tom’s life. He loved they way Sylvia tucked her hair behind her ears when she looked up at him. They talked about history for only 30 minutes. The rest of the time they spent talking to each other and learning about one another. Tom had never met someone so amazing. Soon their time together was over. Sylvia had to return home for dinner and Tom had to go to work.

Tom thought about that day every day. Him and Sylvia continued to study together every week and learn more about each other. One time they were talking about the upcoming Valentine’s Day dance, Tom finally got up the nerve to ask Sylvia to go with him. Tom was heartbroken to hear that Sylvia was already going with John the captain of the football team.

“I wish you would have asked earlier. I would have loved to go with you. Please save me a dance,” Sylvia told Tom. They shared a brief kiss before returning back to their homes for the night.

The next weekend was the dance. Tom was so nervous to see Sylvia. He wondered how beautiful she would look and how great it would feel to dance with her.

He arrived at the dance so excited to see her. The second he laid eyes on her in her dusty pink dress, he knew he couldn’t go one more second without asking her to be his.

He ran to the stage. Grabbed the microphone and confessed his love for Sylvia in front of everyone.

“SYLVIA, sweet as morning air,

Do not drive me to despair:

Long have I sighed in vain,

Now I am come again:

Will you be mine or no, no-a-no,—

Will you be mine or no”

Sylvia couldn’t believe Tom had just gone on stage and asked her to be his girlfriend. She couldn’t have been more excited. She ran up to the stage and gave Tome a big long kiss in front of the whole school. Tom was so excited to finally have Sylvia as his. After the kiss, Sylvia whispered in his ear, “I thought you never ask”.

Author's Note:This week I read British Nursery Rhymes. This section is a bunch of little nursery rhymes that have a main subject they go under. I wrote my story after a section in the Love and Matrimony section. The short nursery rhyme I used to tell my story is as follows:

SYLVIA, sweet as morning air,

Do not drive me to despair:

Long have I sighed in vain,

Now I am come again:

Will you be mine or no, no-a-no,—

Will you be mine or no

I wrote my story around this little section. It was so fun to write a whole story based on such a small section. I got to come up with all my own details and let my imagination go.

Bibliography: The Nursery Rhymes Book. Love and Matrimony by Andrew Lang (1897).