Extra Reading Diary: Czech Folktales

Czech Folktales

Sleepy John- And when the banquet was at an end, the devils began to dance with the queen, and they kept on dancing until the queen had worn out all her shoes. When her shoes were worn out, those two dragons took her on their backs again and brought her to the place where the earth had opened before her.
Silly Jura- But the watchmen insisted, and so the burgomaster told his servant to take him on his back and carry him to the place. The servant carried him along, and the watchmen called at the churchwarden's to ask for some holy water.
The Bear, The Eagle, and The Fish- One day he lost his way again, and this time an eagle flew down to him and promised to show him the way out of the forest and to give him heaps of money into the bargain, if he would only give him his second daughter in return. The bargain was made, and the eagle fetched away the second daughter, and only the youngest was left at home.
Kojata- On his way home he came to a forest, and such a thirst came upon him that he bade his driver stop and look for some water. The driver looked everywhere for water, but he couldn't find any. So the king himself went to look for it, and he found a well.
The Three Roses- She took the three roses to her daughter and said: "Here are the roses, but I had to pay dearly for them. You must go to yonder castle in payment for them, and I don't even know whether you will ever come back."
The Twin Brothers- The knight said nothing, but when he thought the proper time had come he rode to the palace. The princess saw him from the window, and she wondered who it might be. He was ushered in, and he went straight to the princess and told her everything. He asked her whether he might attend the wedding.
The Waternick- She jumped to her feet and ran after them. They were within a few steps of getting safe away, when, alas! she overtook them. She took them back and forced them to work, and they had to stay at home besides.

Czech Castle, photo by B. Henak

Storytelling Week 10: A Piece of Her Mother

Alice always dreamed of what her mother was like. She wondered if she had her nose or sense of humor or what else they might of shared. She had seen pictures of her mom before but she felt like she could never really tell what they shared. Her dad, Tom, didn’t like to talk about Alice’s mom, his late wife, because it was too hard to talk about the accident.

It has been Alice and her dad since she can remember, just the two of them against the world. Well, her Grandma Mary lived an hour away, but they didn’t visit her much in the nursing home. Alice felt bad about that, but it’s hard to see her with the dementia.

Alice was about to leave Connecticut where she had lived her whole life to attend college in New York City. She was so nervous because it will be the first time she has been away from her dad for such an extended amount of time. But, as the momentous occasion in her life was approaching, Alice couldn’t help but think about her mom and what she would be saying to her before she left. Alice never met her mom so she just has to imagine what her mom would say.

Alice was leaving tomorrow for school and her nerves were growing as the time past. She didn’t know what she was going to say to her dad. Was he going to cry? Was she going to cry? What was he going to do all alone in the house? Who would watch over him?

They woke up early to drive in to the city. All of Alice’s memories and belongings were packed in the back of her dad’s car. They both were nervous as they entered into the state of New York. Alice looked back in the window as she was leaving Connecticut and began to cry. Alice told herself she could do this. She would be strong so he dad wouldn’t cry either. As her dad continued to drive and keep his eyes on the road, Alice could she his eyes tearing up as they pulled up to the dorm.

They both got out and started unpacking. Box after box, unloading the car until her dorm was completely filled with her stuff. Alice and her dad stood in the middle of her tiny dorm ready to start saying goodbye. As they both sent in to hug before Tom left, he handed Alice a small box. She opened it up and her dad told her it was her mom’s necklace she wore in college. He had been waiting for the perfect moment to give it to her and he felt like this was it. Alice cried as she put it on and watched her dad walk away back to the car. Finally, Alice had a piece of her mom to start this new journey with.

Author’s Note: This week I read The Song of Hiawatha. This reading section is in poem form and uses a lot of imagery and description. This section of reading focus on Hiawatha’s life, where and how he was born, his wedding and multiple other events in his life. I did find this section hard to read and understand in the sense of forming a whole story but I did enjoy the imagery and the beautiful scenes these poems described. While reading this I was having trouble coming up with a way to write my own story so, I decided to just take one element of this story and create a completely different tale. Hiawatha’s mother died right when he was born in the woods so that is what I am going to use in my story but in a completely different way.

A pearl necklace. 

Bibliography: The Song of Hiawatha. Henry Wadsworth (1855). 

Reading Diary B: The Song of Hiawatha

Hiawatha and the Pearl-Feather- I love the simple use of words that create such great imagery. To the purple clouds of sunset. And the moon, the Night-sun, eastward, Suddenly starting from his ambush, Followed fast those bloody footprints

Hiawatha's Wooing- I love this saying: with his moccasins of magic. I like this passage: Pleasant was the journey homeward, Through interminable forests, Over meadow, over mountain, Over river, hill, and hollow.

Hiawatha's Wedding-Feast- I can really imagine what he looks like in this passage: He was dressed in shirt of doeskin, White and soft, and fringed with ermine, All inwrought with beads of wampum; He was dressed in deer-skin leggings.

The Son of the Evening Star- These poems have the best imagery: Yes; it is the sun descending, Sinking down into the water; All the sky is stained with purple, All the water flushed with crimson!

Illustration by John Rae. 

Reading Diary A: The Song of Hiawatha

The Four Winds- Long have been at war together; Now you find that we are strongest, You go sneaking in the forest, You go hiding in the mountains! Day by day he gazed upon her, Day by day he sighed with passion, Day by day his heart within him Grew more hot with love and longing For the maid with yellow tresses.


Hiawatha's Childhood- But she heeded not the warning, Heeded not those words of wisdom, And the West-Wind came at evening, Walking lightly o'er the prairie, Whispering to the leaves and blossoms, Bending low the flowers and grasses

Hiawatha and Mudjekeewis- Out of childhood into manhood Now had grown my Hiawatha, Skilled in all the craft of hunters, Learned in all the lore of old men, In all youthful sports and pastimes, In all manly arts and labors.

Hiawatha. Illistration taken from the Untextbook.