Reading Notes: Jataka Tales

Jataka Tales

The Elephant Girly-face

• King had an elephant named girly-face.

• Named that way because she looked gentle, good and kind.

• Robbers break into courtyard near where Girly-face slept.

• Girly-face acted cruel after hearing the robbers talk and she killed one of the poor keepers.

• She kept killing keepers

• King wondered what was wrong

• They got people to talk about nice things to her and it influenced her to change her ways back to the way she was

The Banyan Deer

• Golden deer with silver horns lived in a forest with 500 other deer, he was their king.

• King of the local country wanted to hunt deer for their meat.

• People made the king a park so he could hunt deer whenever he wanted to.

• Two deer king decided to trade off each day which tribe would have a deer die.

• Banyan deer took place of a child deer

• King of the country valued the Banyan king's bravery and he vowed to never hunt deer again.

The Ox Who Envied the Pig

• Ox named Big Red and his younger brother named Little Red

• Pig was to be fattened before being killed for the farmer's daughter's wedding.

• Little Red grew jealous of the pig for getting the choice food.

• Big Red taught his little brother that it was better to eat lesser food and live a long life than eat good food for a short time only to die.

Why the Owl Is Not King of the Birds

• Birds decided they wanted to have a king like all the animals had.

• Birds talked over the matter and decided on an owl king.

• Crows complained about the owl and the owl chased them off. 

• From then on out the two types of birds were enemies.

• The birds then voted again and elected a turtle dove as their next king and went home.

Reading Notes: Jataka Tales Part D

One of the Stupid Monkeys

The Stupid Monkeys

• King gave holiday to all of the people in his cities

• King's gardener had monkeys water the plants

• monkeys did not know how much to water the trees

• they pulled up the trees to see how long their roots were. 

• accidentally killed the trees doing this 

The Cunning Wolf

• Animals came to the man's campfire to try and get some food

• Man acted dead to try and lure the animals in

• Wolf tugged on the man's club and the man clenched the club

• The animals knew if he could clench the club then he was not dead and the animals fled from the man and campfire

The Penny-Wise Monkey

• King and his army went to take over a smaller country

• King and his men watched as a monkey dropped a pea and accidentally dropped the rest of his peas when he searched for the single pea

• The king realized that he was not willing to lose a lot to gain a little by fighting the smaller country. 

Reading Notes: Jataka Tales Part C

The Turtle who could not stop talking

• Turtle befriends geese who want the turtle to visit their home

• Geese offer to take the turtle if he can keep his mouth shut about going

• Kids saw the geese carrying the turtle as he kept his mouth closed on a stick so that he would be carried

• The turtle asked the children what business it was to judge him and the turtle fell to his death because he opened his mouth and let go of the stick

The Ox who won the forfeit

• Man makes bet of a thousand of pieces of silver on his ox

• Second man's ox would not even move and he lost his thousand pieces of silver

• Ox says that if they try again he will try for the second man as he has been a good master

• The ox pulled the cart winning the bet and the second man with his ox went home happy with their winnings

The quarrel of the quails

• wise quail was the leader of those living in the forest

• Man uses a quail call the lure the quails in and captures them

• wise quail comes up with a plan for the next time the man tries this scheme

• the quails enact the plan and fly the man's net off and drop it into the thorn bush

• quails started arguing and the man takes advantage of the situation and captures them and sells them for a nice price

The Measure of rice

• King had a dishonest man in his court who was the valuer

• King fires this valuer and hires a peasant to do the job

• peasant did not know values really, but everyone had to pay the price for items that he set

• man brings in 500 horses and valuer says they were worth a measure of rice.

• valuer tries to explain that the value of rice is the same as the value of the city

• the king ashamed kicks out the valuer

• the valuer fled the scene as he explains that he was only trying to get a good deal on the horses for the king

Week 13 Story, The Mischievous Mightyena and the Rattatas

Before you start reading please check out the version on my other blog which will be updated! 

I am so excited for you to read my third story here for my portfolio. I cannot believe that I am going to go three for three on all my stories being Pokemon themed. For this entry I decided to retell a story from "More Jataka Tales" by Ellen C. Babbitt in 1922. More specifically of those tales I chose "The Tricky Wolf and the Rats ". I love these Jataka Tales because they are fun and exciting short stories that can be ready very easily along with some lessons to learn from. This like many others contains a story of deception where the tricky wolf tries to pull one over on the rats. I decided to initially alter the story by making a change up with the characters. Rather than a wolf I chose Mightyena who is the closest to a wolf of the Pokemon I looked at. The rats in the original text were all the same species. I changed it to where the regular rats were Rattatas (a mouse Pokemon). The King rat I also changed into a Raticate (another mouse Pokemon) I wanted the reader to be able to distinguish between the regular rats and the king more easily. Raticate is the evolved form of Rattata so it would only make sense that the Rattata's would listen to a Raticate. I hope you enjoy this story and thanks for reading!

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Mightyena

There once was a Raticate who  lived in the Viridian forest, and around a hundred Rattatas who looked to the Raticate as their king.

A Mischievous Mightyena saw this village made up of Rattatas. Mightyena then started mapping out a plan on how he could trap the Rattatas. He wanted to eat them all, but how was he going to get them trapped? Finally Migheyena devised a plan that was too perfect to fail! He went to a corner of Viridian forest near the home of the Rattatas and King Raticate. Then Mightyena waited until he saw one of the Rattatas coming. Then he stood up on his back two legs.

The Chief Raticate saw the Mightyena and asked, "Mightyena, why are you standing like that only on your hind legs?"

"Because I am got into a Pokemon battle earlier and now my back legs are hobbled," replied the Mischievous Mightyena. "It hurts me too much to try and stand or put any pressure on my front two legs."

King Raticate (right) and one of the Rattatas (left)

"I am sorry to hear that, but why are you keeping your mouth open Mighyena?" asked King Raticate.

"My mouth stays open because I am trying to  breathe in as much oxygen as possible.," said the Mighyena. "The air is the only thing that gives me life. I do not eat or drink so this is the only way that I can gather energy to live off of. I can not run or walk, so I am going to just stay here for now. I am just trying to survive and wait until my legs recover where I may run through the forest like I used to." When the Rattatas and King Raticate left the Mightyena began laying down.

Chief Raticate felt so bad for the Mighyena. The King went each night and morning with all the other Rattatas to check in with the Mightyena to see how he was doing. He as if he was not in good shape, but he did not complain his current circumstance.

Every time  the Rattatas and their King left the Mightyena caught and ate the last one. Then he licked his lips clean, and continued on as if nothing ever happened.

Every night the number of Rattatas at bedtime continually shrunk. Then they asked the Chief Raticate what was going on with all the missing Rattatas. The King was not sure, but he was suspicious that Mightyena had something to do with it.

Chief Raticate the next morning said, "You all go first this time as we visit Mightyena, but this time I will leave last."

They did as their King wished. Just as King Raticate began leaving last Mightyena leaped towards him. Unfortunately for Mightyena he was not quick enough. Chief Raticate managed to escape the Mightyena's attempt at his life.

"So you lied about the air feeding you? Rattatas is what you are actually eating. Everything that you said about your lame legs was nothing, but a life. You aren't going to be tricking any one else Mightyena," explained chief Rattata. The King sprang forward towards the Mightyena and used Super Fang on his neck. A critical hit! There was not a PokeCenter in sight to the Mischievous Mightyena finally fainted.

The Rattatas and King Raticate lived happily ever after in their home near Viridian forest.

Reading Notes: More Jataka Tales Part B

The Three Fishes

• 3 fish lived together

• names were Thoughtful, Very-Thoughtful and Thoughtless.

• Thoughtful and Thoughtless were captured by fisherman.

• Very-Thoughtful tricked the fisherman by splashing water making the fisherman think the net had broken. He shook the net and accidentally released the two captured fish.

The Tricking Wolf and the Rats

• Wolf wanted to capture rats

• The wolf acted hurt

• The rat king felt bad for him and he and other rats visiting him everyday

• The wolf would eat the last rat to leave without being caught

• This time the king rat went last and caught the wolf in his scheme

• The rat evaded him and bit the wolf which killed the wolf

The Woodpecker, Turtle, and Deer

• Hunter wanted to trap the deer

• Deer was caught in the trap 

• Turtle and woodpecker came to see if they could help

• Turtle chewed through the leather of the trap and the woodpecker flew to the hunter and attacked him\

• Turtle was captured before deer made a run around to distract the hunter and then deer freed turtle

• The three animals escaped the hunter and lived their lives as friends

The Golden Goose

• Goose offered for the woman to sell her feathers to take care of her daughters

• Goose asked to have the feathers to be sold one at a time

• Mother got greedy and plucked all the feathers and the feathers never grew back gold again on the goose

Reading Notes: Jataka Tales Part A

The Jataka Tales

Crocodile and Monkey

• Crocodile mother asked her so to go get a monkey for her to heat the monkey's heart
• Crocodile decided he would try and fool the monkey by offering to take him across the river to the island where the fruit is ripe
• Crocodile starts trying to drown the monkey to take its heart to the crocodile's mother to eat
• Monkey says that he left his heart back at the tree
• Monkey was let off at the river bank and he rushed up the tree
• Monkey said that his heart was up there and if the crocodile wanted it he would have to come and get it
• Monkey moved to a different place and the crocodile found him again
• Monkey knew that the crocodile was acting as if he was a rock to fool the monkey
• Monkey calls out to the rock and says why don't you answer me like normal
• The crocodile replies as if he is the rock and the monkey replies that he knows that is crocodile
• Monkey says he will jump in the crocs mouth and the crocodile closes his eyes. Monkey jumps off the crocodiles back and launches himself up the tree.
• Crocodile finally agrees to give up on catching the monkey.

How the turtle saved his own life

• King makes lake for his sons to play in
• Sons want to go fish, but are scared of the turtle
• King asks the men who made the brought the turtle to kill it
• The plan was made by a man who hates water to throw the turtle down stream in the river
• The turtle acted like he was scared of this idea
• The king had the men throw him in the river exactly as the turtle really wanted

The Merchant of Seri

• merchant sold brass and tinware
• merchant gets to house of poor old woman and her granddaughter
• old woman only had a gold bowl which she did not know was gold
• granddaughter asks her grandma to buy her something from the merchant
• first merchant sees the bowl and says it is worthless and leave
• second merchant arrives and old woman offers bowl again
• second merchant says he does not have enough money to buy it
• old woman is confused
• second merchant gives all his money except for 8 pennies in exchange for the bowl
• he used the 8 pennies to get across the river
• first merchant returns to try and low ball the old woman again for the bowl and finds out the bowl was sold

The Turtle who could not stop talking

• Turtle befriends geese who want the turtle to visit their home
• Geese offer to take the turtle if he can keep his mouth shut about going
• Kids saw the geese carrying the turtle as he kept his mouth closed on a stick so that he would be carried
• The turtle asked the children what business it was to judge him and the turtle fell to his death because he opened his mouth and let go of the stick

The Ox who won the forfeit

• Man makes bet of a thousand of pieces of silver on his ox
• Second man's ox would not even move and he lost his thousand pieces of silver
• Ox says that if they try again he will try for the second man as he has been a good master
• The ox pulled the cart winning the bet and the second man with his ox went home happy with their winnings

The quarrel of the quails

• wise quail was the leader of those living in the forest
• Man uses a quail call the lure the quails in and captures them
• wise quail comes up with a plan for the next time the man tries this scheme
• the quails enact the plan and fly the man's net off and drop it into the thorn bush
• quails started arguing and the man takes advantage of the situation and captures them and sells them for a nice price

The Measure of rice

• King had a dishonest man in his court who was the valuer
• King fires this valuer and hires a peasant to do the job
• peasant did not know values really, but everyone had to pay the price for items that he set
• man brings in 500 horses and valuer says they were worth a measure of rice.
• valuer tries to explain that the value of rice is the same as the value of the city
• the king ashamed kicks out the valuer
• the valuer fled the scene as he explains that he was only trying to get a good deal on the horses for the king

Week 9, Story: The Greybriar House

Our story begins in 1903 with Dr. Blake from Miskatonic University in Arkham, Essex County, Massachusetts. Dr. Blake was assigned by his University to write an article to investigate the Old Greybriar House and the mystery around the murders that had occurred. It has been 10 years since the famous 1893 murder that occurred at the Old Greybriar House.  The story goes that a trespasser was found dead in the barn, a pitchfork driven through his skull. Nobody knows exactly what occurred that night, but they believe that Hiram Greybriar’s ghost did it. Dr. Blake took interest in this story as he is a skeptic of any supernatural activity and wanted to get to the bottom of what happened that night. It is 7 pm on a windy and rainy night and the crew has just arrived at the Old Greybriar House. “I guess this is it.” Says Dr. Blake. “The legendary Old Greybirar House, let’s see what all the drama is about.”

The Greybriar house

The house from the outside obviously shows its age, windows all shattered, paint color all washed away, cobwebs everywhere, overrun by weeds, and an overall eerie vibe given off. Dr. Blake pulls out his camera and begins to survey even more of the property. Blake sees a young man walking on the other side of the street from the house and decides to approach him. “Excuse me young man do you know anything about the murder that occurred here 10 years ago?” The boy with a shuttered look and a glazed look in his eyes responds with a clear short “Yes.” Dr. Blake with a concerned look asks, “Can you tell me anything you know about this house and what happened hear?” The boy slowly nods his head and then responds. “I used to live across the street from here. My older brother was dared by a couple of his classmates to try to spend the night at the Old Greybriar House. The house was thought to be abandoned after all the previous owner widow Hiram Greybriar committed suicide there after her husband had died in a car accident.

Scene of the car crash

Many other high school students had chickened out on the dare, because they thought the house was haunted. My brother wasn’t afraid though. The night was getting late, so all the other classmates went home after my brother had been in the house a while and seemed like he was fine. It was around 4 am when out of the complete silence of the night we heard a blood curdling scream. My family all rushed over to see what had happened only to find my older brothers was dead. There were no witnesses, no suspects, and no leads. The local police force had given up. They could not find any evidence of who caused my brother's death, but all the locals think it was the ghost of Hirm Greybriar who killed him.” Blake looking visibly concerned looks to the boy and says, “Thanks for the help son.” The boy replies, “Your welcome, I better get home it is getting late.” Blake goes back to looking around the house for evidence. He eyes back to the house at one of the windows and sees a shadowy figure. He sees what looks to be a shadowy figure. Blake squints to see what is behind the window.

Lightning strike

Suddenly, a loud crack of lightning strikes near the house. Blake surprised by how the close the storm was falls to the ground in fear. Blake looks back up to the window to see woman that looks almost floating. Blake out loud screams, “That can’t be!” Blake sees that is the ghost of Hrim Greybriar not just standing there but holding a pitchfork pointed up with another impaled head. Blake’s entire body trembles as it looks like he sees his own head impaled on the pitchfork. The lightning strikes again, Blake looks away from the light, then back to the window. The ghost is gone, but the on the window in blood is written, “Leave Dr. Blake!” Blake sees this and screams while sprinting back to his car. Blake drove like his life depended on it and never returned to the Greybriar house! The house is said to be still haunted by the Greybriar ghost and will kill any trespassers.