Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Crane), Part A

· So I feel like the main theme so far in The Fisherman and His Wife has had to do with the idea of someone convincing someone else to do something that they really ought not to. For some reason, a detail that really stood out to me was the fact that the fish bled, and that the sea turned a different color. That may be significant enough that I can use it in some way.

· The other theme is the consuming nature of greed. It’s never satisfied; it wants a little more, and a little more, and a little more. That’s something I could easily use in a story about a small child (or anyone I suppose).

· I don’t yet know how this story will end, but it all seems so foreboding that perhaps I could have the man wake up at some point and discover that it was only a bad dream, then he goes and catches fish and none of them talk and he is relieved.

· Great quote: “she was as far as ever form being contented.”

· So it ends with them being in the exact same position, except that she is less content than ever (I assume).

· I like that the story starts off with giving her mother personality.

· Why lentils in ashes? Like, why is that a theme?

· I like the fact that this is like one of the original heroine singing to small animals for help tales.

· Wow, the prince is a tad creepy. What if she didn’t want quite such undivided attention? Maybe I could rewrite this so she gets kind of annoyed and freaked out.

· Also, I’m super annoyed that the prince didn’t recognize her when she put her rags back on. Maybe if she had been wearing a mask or something…

· Eww I wouldn’t ever want to touch that shoe again.

· Wait so does the father not really love Aschenputtel in this (the original) version?

· Wow, man. These stories are vindictive.

(Illustration by Walter Crane)

Bibliography:  Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm, by Lucy and Walter Crane.

Reading Notes: King Arthur, Part B

· Wow, a lot happens in this first bit of story. So, Galahad is the only man who can bear the special shield, he expels the fiend from the graveyard, he knights the squire but the squire is eventually wounded, he frees the maidens, and he fights Lancelot and Percivale. I think that it stands out to me that people are saying that he’s the only one worthy of various honors, and that he’s the best knight in the world. It seems like it could lead to some tension amongst the knights of the table.

· Lancelot is Galahad’s father?!?

· I’m confused. If the Knight that Lancelot saw in his dreams was so righteous, why did he steal from Lancelot? That’s not cool. I could write about him getting in trouble for that eventually . . .

· The poor yeomanL. Now his hackney is gone too. I could write about his perspective, but it would be sad and not well resolved, and he might die in the end. Percivale didn’t really help at all, and then he was gone.

· I could take the tale of Sir Lancelot being beaten in battle when he takes the side of the black knights against the white ones, but change it to another situation where someone is usually the champion at something, but is bested because of their wrongdoing.

· Once again, I could write about someone who is foiled in their pursuit of something they want because of their own wrongdoing.

· So how long has Sir Bors gone without eating? Did I misunderstand that? And, I could write a tale about how he and his brother came to be in danger of unknowingly slaying one another.

· I want to know more about how and why Sir Percivale’s sister died! I suppose I could write that story.

(Sir Mordred, by H. J. Ford)

Bibliography:  King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table, by Andrew Lang

Reading Notes: King Arthur, Part A

· I love that Arthur didn’t know the significance of what he was doing. I also don’t particularly trust Kay, and am not sure how I feel about him having a high position within Arthur’s court. I could write about how Ector and his wife reacted and how odd it was when Merlin brought them Arthur. I could tell the tale of that night, almost like the opening chapter of Harry Potter.

· Wow, that is a super ominous prophecy thing. The hero is going to go about already knowing the source of his own defeat, and that things will eventually go poorly with him.

· It’s strange that it isn’t shameful for Arthur to be rescued in battle by Merlin, while Merlin casts his opponent into deep sleep. It simply isn’t what I would have expected.

· So the sword in the stone wasn’t Excalibur?

· Wow Arthur liked Guenevere because she’s beautiful but not necessarily good and Merlin says as much but then is like “Oh well. You like her, so it’s not to be helped and you have to marry her.” That’s so foolish.

· Haha I could write a satire where there are 150 knights at the round table (which is how many it fits) and they try to have conversations but can’t hear each other, because come one. One circular table seating 150 people is a bad idea acoustically.

· This isn’t an original idea (I know C. S. Lewis did it, and maybe Ursula LeGuin or whatever her name is), but I could write about someone finding Merlin. It seems as though he wouldn’t die, but merely go on, buried.

· Wow, maybe it’s the music I’m listening to, but the story of the dream of the young man who was to accompany Arthur was very eerie. I kind of like all the creepy imagery, with the church in the graveyard.

(The Drawing of the Sword, by H. J. Ford)

Bibliography:  King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table, by Andrew Lang

Reading Notes: Welsh Fairy Tales, Part B

· I like that the title of that tale was “Owen goes a-wooing” when that’s actually a very little part of the story. I think this story was cute, and I liked his loyalty, but I’m not sure how to do much with it.

· I don’t understand what’s wrong with getting money from fairies. Are they like demons, basically? Maybe I could write some sort of backstory as to why one ought not to take money from fairies. Also, why do they stop coming when the wife knows? Once again, could there be a back story in that?

· I like that leprechauns (or whatever they are. Fairies?) are willing to accept apologies and move on. I would like that to be a thing in my stories. Vindictive characters are no fun.

· Nooooo you can’t just grab her and not let her go!

· Hmmm I think that there seems often to be a theme of happiness and love disturbed by silly or arbitrary rules. He accidentally tossed some dirt at her, so their happy marriage had to end. Like, that’s so sad.

· Wow, I really don’t like stories that have to do with the devil or witchcraft, and I certainly won’t be writing one.

· I really like that this story involved someone coming across a beautiful maiden in the woods without being enchanted by her or wanting to marry her, but rather simply with blessing her. Maybe I should write a story about something like that.

· I could write this from the perspective of one of the women being fought over. How horrible…

· I do like stories that are basically overcoming monsters, pure and simple. I could write something rather similar to the story of Hu Gadarn, where basically they capture and chain a huge, dangerous beast.

· Ahhh I’m sad for the little dog :(

(Why Deunant has the Front Door in the Back, by Willy Pogány)

Bibliography:  The Welsh Fairy Book, by W. Jenkyn Thomas

Reading Notes: Welsh Fairy Tales, Part A

· Wow! I really liked that. Perhaps I could write a tale wherein it really is time for Arthur and his warriors to come back, and destroy the enemies of the Cymry. I suppose that if I were to do that, I would need to read all the Arthur stories so I would have a solid base from which to start.

· “You must find a child born without a father, put him to death, and sprinkle with his blood the ground . . .”. It sounds like a Christ figure.

· Woah it was Merlin!! This also reminded me of Daniel and the Lion’s Den. I really like the element of justice, when the youth is spared and the guilty magicians are the ones who end up being killed (although the king is rather guilty too). I could write some about the lesser-known Arthur stories, where all kinds of cool things end up pulling everything together.

· Are you serious? “I’ll follow you, oh beautiful woman, to the ends of the earth, but first let me say goodbye to my wife.”

· Does Angharad want an explanation or anything?

· Wow, he was gone for a long time.

· I’m glad this story ended happily.

· I’m glad that the barber isn’t punished in this one. Also, I feel like one of the main ideas of this tale is that if a secret is let out, it spreads. I could write a tale with that theme. It could be turned into a warning against either vanity or gossip, or both.

· Folk tales feel so random sometimes. I don’t think I want to use the one with the cow.

· I kind of like how much of this is left a mystery. We know that the harper was saved, but not really how the devastation came about, or why he was spared, or if anyone else got away.

· “to return to the lowlands with his woolly charge.” I love that.

(Einion and the Lady of the Greenwood, by Willy Pogány)

Bibliography:  The Welsh Fairy Book, by W. Jenkyn Thomas.

Reading Notes: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Part B

· I should practice using all caps for emphasis. That’s a nice touch.

· This is a lot of dialogue: that’s all this part of the story consists of. I should try to incorporate more dialogue. I should also try to include how my characters react to dialogue, like “Alice felt dreadfully puzzled.”

· I love this use of characters. It would be fun to write a story where anyone and everything can be a character. (The Mad Hatter and Time used to be friends, but they quarreled last March.)

· “ . . . said Alice, who always took a great interest in questions of eating and drinking.” I should qualify my characters that way.

· Alice is rude.

· Ohhh I’m not sure I’ve ever before realized that the White Rabbit and the March Hare are different.

· I also like the idea of tricking someone horrid while still being truthful. “Are their heads off?” “Their heads are gone.” I should try to do something like that in one of my stories.

· I’m sad for the hedgehogs and flamingos. I suppose I could write something from their point of view.

· Also, there’s the idea of a silly dilemma: how does one behead the Cheshire Cat when only its head is visible? I could have Jack confound a villain with a problem like that, if I feel like coming up with my own story.

· Boy, Alice really is kind of bratty.

· Everything about this trial is falling to pieces. If I were to rewrite it somehow, everything would have to fall to pieces.

(Illustration by Arthur Rackham)

Bibliography: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

Reading Notes: Celtic Fairy Tales, Part B

· I feel like this is dialect done well.

· I’m feeling as though I should have heard of saint Kavin (Kevin?) before now . . .

· One possible theme: honesty is rewarded.

· Ahhh I’m so sad that the goose died shortly after! Also, why couldn’t Saint Kavin just restore the king, instead of (or in addition to) the goose?

· I don’t understand the part about the giant at the beginning. What did he have to do with anything?

· So, if I write a story based on a Celtic fairy tale, death need not be permanent. Also, wow. I’m struck by how cruel Yellow Face is. Like, the bad guy is really bad.

· AHHH OH MY GOSH I’M SO UPSET.

· Basically, I could write a story about anyone or anything being falsely accused and punished for something, when they have actually done a good deed.

· I kind of like this story as it is, and wouldn’t really want to modernize it or anything. Maybe I won’t use it, because I already like (/hate because it makes me so upset) it so much.

· I like how this story took proverbs and adages (I assume these would all have been well known) and had the protagonist use them in real situations, and be rewarded for it. I wonder if I could choose three more maxims to have come up in an adventure? That could be fun.

· Once again, stating the obvious is wonderful. “Well, it was odd that here he should be in a thick wood he had never set eyes upon, turning Patrick Rooney upon a spit.”

· I like that twist: the tale just ended with him having been asleep.

· It seems as though these tales may be ending happily more often than some others.

(Illustration by John D. Batten)

Bibliography:  Celtic Fairy Tales, by Joseph Jacobs