Pirates from the Golden Age of Piracy: Styles Brainstorm

Topic
My Storybook project will be about Pirates from the Golden Age of Piracy. I would like to find three or four characters with major stories or events that can connect them all. I have already found three characters that can all be connected in Calico Jack, Anne Bonny, and Mary Read. I want to describe how all three became pirates and also their ultimate capture and demise. I would like all stories that I tell to revolve a major event in the piracy timeline. There are plenty of stories on Wikipedia and Golden Age of Piracy with books and online sources. Both sites have dedicated sections to separate big name pirates that I could add to the storybook.

Bibliography
1. Of Captain Jack Rackham, and his Crew, from A General History of the Pyrates, by C. Johnson (1724).

Possible Styles:

Jack Rackham as a First Person Storyteller
Since he was the captain of the ship that both Anne Bonny and Mary Read were part of the crew of it would be logical to let Jack Rackham tell their stories from his point of view. I was even thinking of maybe telling the story from his point of view but him in disguise as if he somehow escaped his punishment of death and has been leading a secret life ever since...

The Pirate Ships or the Jolly Roger Flag as the Storyteller
In one of my earlier storytelling posts I used an inanimate object as the storyteller. I feel like using the different pirate ships that "Calico" Jack was captain of to tell the story could be a great idea. I picture an old shipyard with run down ships telling their own "war" stories. Jack Rackham is also credited with flying the first Jolly Roger flag so that could also be another object that could tell the stories of "Calico" Jack and his crew.

Twisting the Ending
This somewhat builds of my idea of having Jack Rackham somehow staging his hanging and leading another life somewhere. I just think this would be a very cool way to end the story. I could possibily have Captain Rackham, Anne Bonny, and Mary Read all somehow tricking everyone and slipping off in the middle of a dark night to start their legacies all over again as new pirates.

Stories told by New Age Pirates
I can picture new pirates all sitting around drinking rum together and telling all the old stories they grew up being told in a bar. Possibly  having a bartender who has been around forever telling these new pirates how it used to be in the Golden Age of Piracy would be a great way to tell the stories of Captain Jack Rackham and his mates.

The capture of "Calico" Jack and his ship, the William (Wikipedia).

Extra Reading Diary-Jewish Fairy Tales

I decided to read from the Biblical Traditions unit and specifically the Jewish Fairy Tales unit. I came across this unit by using the Crystal Ball function as I really had no preference to any of the remaining units. In this blog post I want to tell a little about my favorites stories I came across while reading.

The Giant of the Flood

I liked this story because it put a new spin on the story of Noah and the Ark that I am familiar with and heard as a kid in Sunday school. I especially liked the part about Og the Giant gave up the sacrifice to the grapes that made wine which is what makes man act silly after drinking to much of it to this day. I found this to be very amusing.

The Quarrel of the Cat and Dog

I'm really glad the crystal ball led me to this unit because I am enjoying the little stories a lot. The story of how the cat and dog have come to be enemies is very amusing. I am more of a dog person and this story almost seems to paint the cat to be the unforgiving one in this situation so that may help a little bit!


The Cat and Dog in their pre-Quarrel years (Flikr).

I really wish I would have picked this unit to be one of my units the past two weeks. I really enjoyed the first few stories which had an amusing way to explain the way everyday things we do or know without thinking about how they came to be.

Week 3 Storytelling-Turtles Hold Off Rabbits in Stunning Upset

The season wasn't supposed to end this way. Not for the undefeated Rabbits.

The Rabbits had cruised through competition thus far this season reeling off 12 straight wins all by double digits. Bolstering the number one rated offense and defense in the nation, the unranked Turtles were supposed to be a mere warm-up for the national championship the following week.

After the first quarter it seemed as if the rout was on at Hare stadium. Up 21-0 after 15 minutes of football, the party was already starting all around the stadium. Head coach Bugs Bunny had already subbed in his second string players and was celebrating with the starters. Then a funny thing happened.

It started to rain. Hard.

Suddenly, the ground turned to mush and the speedy Rabbits couldn't find a foothold and couldn't keep the ball in their hands. The Turtles gained momentum minute by minute. The lead had been cut to 21-10 by halftime. This prompted Coach Bunny to insert his starters back into the game but it wouldn't change much.

By the end of the third quarter the score was tied 28 all thanks to mishaps from the Rabbits and momentum continued to pile up against them as the Turtles were just getting started. With their perfect season hanging in the balance, the Rabbits could not stop the Turtles from gaining yards and they went on a clock draining drive. They crossed midfield with less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Five turned to four. Four turned to three. Plodding along they picked up first down after first down.

With less than 10 seconds left, the Turtles lined up for the game deciding field goal. Time seemed to stand still as the hopes of both teams hung in the air and the ball turned end over end on its way towards the uprights.

When the ball hit the turf the celebrations began again. This time from the Turtle bench. They erupted in elation as the Rabbits perfect season had been tarnished by the hated rivals as the kick had been struck true and through the goalposts.

The loss will surely drop the Rabbits from the top four teams and ultimately keep them from participating in the inaugural Animal Football Playoff. The upset spring boards the Turtles into the Top 25 for the first time in program history.

When asked afterwards what he told his team when all hope seemed to be lost, head coach of the Turtles explained, "I told them what I have been telling them all season. 'Slow and steady wins the race'. That rang true today for the Animal Football world to see".



Coach Bugs Bunny after the Rabbits fell 31-28 to the unranked Turtles (Sketchport).

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Author's Note: This story was adapted from The Hare and the Tortoise found in Aesop's Fables by Joseph Jacobs (1894). The story is about a Hare and a Tortoise who decide to race. The Tortoise ends up winning by just plodding along even though the Hare is much faster. The Hare took a break knowing he was faster than the Tortoise but fell asleep and woke up to the Tortoise crossing the finish line before him. I took this concept and decided to turn it into a sports article breaking the news of a humongous upset in the "Animal Football League". Everyone knows this story more than likely and I thought it would be fun to write the race in a different form of sport.

Reading Diary B: Aesop's Fables (Jacobs)

I read the second half of the Aesop's Fables (Jacobs) unit and decided to pick my favorite story from some of the animals and things portrayed within the fable. Just like the first half of the reading, most of the stories chosen were because of the underlying message they contained.

Birds: My favorite story was The Bat, the Birds, and the Beasts within this chapter. I liked this message of the story because it is easy to get caught up trying to be to many things at one time. It is much easier to just be yourself and everything will work out a lot smoother. This could be used for a great storytelling blog post.


Beast or a bird? (Pixabay)



Insects, Snakes, Crabs: My favorite story here was easily The Ant and the Grasshopper. It's message reminds me of the Boy Scouts of America motto: "Be prepared". It reminds one to always be ready because sometimes when something comes up it is to late to act and that moment is lost forever.

Frogs and Fish: The Frog and the Ox was the story that most caught my attention in this sub unit. The story shows that being to self-confident can get you in to trouble if you are not careful.



Humans and Gods: The story that really caught my attention in this chapter was The Man and the Satyr. My sole reason for picking this story was because I had never really thought about the fact that one usually blows on hot foods to cool them and also blows on their hands to warm them. How does that work? Might have to do a little in depth Googling...

People Wise and Foolish: The story I really liked in this unit was The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey because it portrayed a message about something that is easy to get caught up in at times. Trying to please everyone usually works out the worst in the end. This would be another story to do a storytelling post about that could have multiple settings and characters which I've been wanting to try.

Reading Diary A: Aesop's Fables (Jacobs)

As I read through the first half of Aesop's Fables (Jacobs) I found quite a few of the stories to carry interesting messages. Here are a few of my favorites which were mostly picked due to the underlying message of the story:

The Lion and the Statue: I liked this story for the message that everyone can spin stories and happenings into what benefits them the most. Another way to put this is to "take everything with a grain of salt".

The Four Oxen and the Lion: This story had the message of "united we stand, divided we fall". This served as a gentle reminder to me that sometimes you can't do it all by yourself. Sometimes you need a little help from friends and family!

Belling the Cat: The message behind this fable was: "It is easy to propose impossible remedies". I like this because I have been in many situations where there is a solution but who really wants to do the hard part? Also, picturing a team of mice trying to determine a way to warn of a cat coming is pretty amusing!

The One-Eyed Doe: This story involved a doe that had lost her eye and did everything possible to keep her out of harms way. She took all precautions and was still shot by hunters. The message given by the story was that "you cannot escape your own fate". I took from this the message that sometimes whatever happens was supposed to happen.

The Hare and the Tortoise: This was one of my favorites because everyone has heard this one! There are many versions of the message that can be taken from this fable. The message I most enjoy from this is that it doesn't matter how great you start. What matters is that you stay steady and finish strong. I could easily see this being a story I use for my storytelling post later this week.

I imagine this was the headline the next day after the legendary race! (Wikipedia)



Storybook Topics Brainstorm

Topic: Pirates from the Golden Age of Piracy (1690-1730)
Comments: I really enjoy movies that focus on pirates (Pirates of the Caribbean) and also played video games that involve playing as a pirate character.
Possible Stories: I know that Blackbeard is one of the most well known pirates as the name seems to appear in every movie and book I have ever read including pirates. I would like to learn about other pirates that were relevant in that time alongside Blackbeard.
Sample Story Comments: I looked for websites and books that had stories relating to pirates. On golden-age-of-piracy.com I found a list of many different pirates and there were many stories on each of them. I found out that "Calico" Jack Rackham was the first to fly the popular flag associated with pirates today.
Bibliography Information:
Sample Story: 'Calcio' Jack Rackham
Book Title: A General History of the Pyrates
Book Author: C. Johnson
Year: 1724



The Jolly Roger first flown by "Calico" Jack except he used swords instead of bones (Wikipedia Commons).

Topic: Legends of Dragons Around the World
Comments: I have seen movies and read books that have lots of dragons in them and I have also read many fairy tales that have a princess being saved from a great dragon. I am interested in what more in depth legends about dragons are out there.
Possible Stories: Many stories were found on the Sacred Texts archives. I could include the stories of Beowulf and possibly that of Saint George.
Sample Story Comments: I read the story of Beowulf and the dragon he slayed. While researching more I found that most often stories including dragons depicted them as a figurehead for the Devil.
Bibliography Information:
Sample Story: Beowulf and the Dragon
Book Title: Teutonic Myth and Legend
Book Author: Donald A. Mackenzie
Year: 1912

Topic: Mythical Sea Monsters from Around the World
Comments: I have always been interested in the Lochness monster since I was young and the sample post got my brain thinking about the mystery again! There are sure to be lots of other stories such as this that could be incorporated into my storybook.
Possible Stories: I would of course write about the Lochness monster and add stories about the Kraken, sea serpents such as Thor's nemesis Jormungandr, and others. There are lots of different sea monsters that are thought to be out there!
Sample Story Comments: I am not the biggest comic book fan but have seen all the Marvel movies that have come out recently and found Thor to be one of my favorite superheroes. I was surprised to learn that Thor fought a sea serpent named Jormungandr. This gives me an idea to tell the stories of these sea creatures from the point of view of the heroes that tried to slay them.
Bibliography Information:
Sample Story: Jormungandr
Website: Wikipedia

Topic: The Adventures and Conquests of Poseidon
Comments: Once again, I am intrigued by Greek Mythological Heroes and Gods. Poseidon was one of the Twelve Olympians and has many stories to read and choose from.
Possible Stories: The War of the Titanes, the Division of the Cosmos, his role in the Trojan War, and many others that I found on Theoi.com.
Sample Story Comments: I researched Poseidon a little and found that in addition to being the god of the sea he was also the god of horses and earthquakes. I read this to get more background on Poseidon. He seems to be in constant fits with Zeus so that could be an interesting topic to include.
Bibliography Information:
Sample Story: Tales of Poseidon
Website: medeaslair.net


Essay: Patroclus the Hero

Dictionary.com defines a Classic Mythological hero as "a being of godlike prowess and beneficence who often came to be honored as a divinity" or " an immortal being". I would personally describe a hero as someone who personifies courage and overcomes obstacles to perform acts that can be seen as noble. Patroclus in Homer's Illiad may not conform to the Classical Mythological hero but in my description of a hero Patroclus fits the mold.

Patroclus was faced with a tough situation in the story The Deeds and Death of Patroclus when his best friend, Achilles, chose to not fight in the battle against the Trojans due to his spoils being taken from him. This can be described as the obstacle that Patroclus had to overcome. He knew that by going against what Achilles was trying to achieve by staying out of the battle he could lose his friend. He chose to do what was right anyways and told Achilles as much. By choosing to join the battle he showed courageous traits and a great sense of moral right and wrong. He also knew that the possibility of death was great since a large number of the Greek's best warriors had already been slain. This in itself could be seen as a heroic act but Patroclus also showed more "traditional" traits of a hero once he entered battle. 

Achilles mourning the death of Patroclus (Wikipedia).

In battle Patroclus donned the armour of Achilles and showed many acts of heroism and courage. He started out by taking on the son of Zeus, Sarpedon, and took down the great Trojan hero with his spear. He then took Hector head on in a battle to the death after charging into the Trojan army many times with no regard to caution. Although Patroclus ultimately died at the hands of Hector by doing so he showed tremendous courage and pride by continually taking on warriors that were thought to be largely better men than he. He did not care that he was outnumbered or was not considered the mighty warriors that these two were. Patroclus fought for what he believed in and stood up to the known dangers he would encounter.  

Patroclus may not have been regarded by his people as a great hero such as the likes of Achilles or that of Hector but in my eyes he was a hero equal to them. He did what was right even when he knew he could lose friends and ultimately paid the price of death for fighting for his beliefs. He took on the responsibility of Achilles and did so without being asked to. Patroclus definitely fits the mold of a hero in my book.

Week 2 Storytelling-Achilles' Great Armour

As I hung in the corner of the room I quietly listened to Patroclus emphatically tell Achilles that he wanted to join the fight against the Trojans. I had never seen my owner act in a such a manner. Refusing to fight because of a wrong doing against him. Usually this made him even more anxious to join the battle. I was ready to fight as well. The Greek troops were being advanced upon by the Trojans and most of our great fighters had long ago perished.  I was the most feared and respected set of armour in the land. Consisting of breastplate, shield, and helmet I glittered in the sun shining through the window.

After long and heated discussion Achilles finally gave Patroclus his blessing to join the fight on one condition: Patroclus wear me and strike fear into the Trojan army's hearts! As Patroclus cinched me tight to his body I beamed with pride. I had never protected anyone else during battle other than Achilles and in normal circumstances would have been disappointed to learn I would be worn by another. On this day, however, I was proud to be worn by Patroclus. He showed mighty courage by resisting the temptation to stand by his stubborn friend and instead chose to do what was right. We jumped aboard Patroclus' chariot and raced towards the tall flames emitting from the Greek ships.

When we reached the raging battle many Trojan men fled the battle at the sight of Patroclus wearing the most mighty armour in the land. Patroclus and I drove the Trojans back from the fleet of ships in a matter of minutes. Although most Trojans fled the battle field there were but a few that stayed behind to continue the fight. One of these men was the great Sarpedon. He was but a mere child against the combination of Patroclus and I. I deflected Sarpedon's sharp spear with my shield while Patroclus' aim was true with his. Struck directly in his heart, Sarpedon died a swift death.

Partoclus' spear embedded in Sarpedon as he lay dead (Wikipedia).

 

At this time we thought our fight to be over. This was not to be as Hector decided to stop his fleeing and charged back down at Patroclus and I with his army. Multiple times Patroclus thrust me into the charging armies and multiple times we came out unscathed by sword or spear. Alas, all the glory was not to be ours. One final time Patroclus thrust us into the swarm and I could not defend against the final blow. Perhaps I was no longer the most feared and effective armour in the land. As Hector stood above Patroclus and I and proclaimed his victory this was painfully obvious. My only hope was that Achilles would come to rescue from the bloody battlefield.

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Author's Note: This story was taken from The Deeds and Death of Patroclus found in Homer's Illiad by Alfred J. Church (1907). In this story, Achilles will not join the fight against the Trojans because he wants to show the Greeks how much they actually need him. Patroclus, Achilles' best friend, decides he can no longer sit and watch. He joins the battle, wearing Achilles' armour, and succeeds in pushing Trojan troops back and slaying Sarpedon, Zeus' son. Patroclus ultimately is killed and this drives Achilles to cast aside his stubbornness and join the battle. I chose to tell this story from the armour's point of view because I wanted to talk about the actual battle and the action portrayed in it. I kept the overall plot the same I just added thoughts of the armour throughout the story. The image chosen was used because I thought this represented one of the most important and intense moments within the story. Overall, I wanted to give an impression of how the battle was portrayed through somewhat of a bystander's eyes. By telling the story from the armour's point of view I thought it would give a neutral view on both Patroclus' and Achilles' actions. 

Reading Diary B: Homer's Illiad

Here are some of my favorite things I took from reading the second half of the Homer's Illiad reading unit:

Favorite Story

My favorite story from the second reading of Homer's Illiad was The Rousing of Achilles. This involved the death of my favorite character from the first reading, Patroclus. I liked how Achilles felt badly for his role in the death of Patroclus. Patroclus was his best friend and he lost him due to an episode of jealously that could have been avoided. If Achilles would have just gotten over how he was wronged than he could have fought against the Trojans with Patroclus and likely saved him from being slain. I also enjoyed how all the Greek men decided to stay and fight to keep the Trojans from taken the slain body of Patroclus. I thought this was a great show of honor to Patroclus after he had shown the courage he did without the mighty Achilles to help him.

Favorite Character

My favorite character from this reading of Homer's Illiad was by far Achilles. In the reading of The Slaying of Hector I thought he did a good job of redeeming his childish and jealous qualities that he let rule over him in the first reading. His chase of Hector around the walls of the city show how much Patroclus' death hurt him and he showed how far he was willing to make up for it in this sequence. I especially liked his quote to the dying Hector regarding his best friend Patroclus:

"Hector, you thought not of me when you slew Patroclus and spoiled him of his arms. But now you have fallen, and the dogs and vultures shall eat your flesh, but to him the Greeks will give honourable burial."

Achilles slays Hector effectively avenging Patroclus' death! (Wikipedia Commons)



Reading Diary A: Homer's Illiad

After reading the first half of the reading unit Homer's Illiad here are some of my favorites from the story:

Favorite Character

My favorite character so far has to be Patroclus. I liked that even though he was faithful to Achilles he could see that his allegiance to Greece was more important than standing by Achilles and his foolish pride. Patroclus did not let the animosity between Achilles and Agamemnon cloud his judgement on what he though was right. I thought this was an honorable thing and he seemed to be the most level headed male character in the story up to this point as most others were only concerned with being honored correctly and gaining their spoils.

A photo of a mosaic detail of Patroclus taken by D. & M. Hill.(Flikr)

Favorite Stories

One of my favorite stories includes my favorite character thus far, Patroclus. The Deeds and Death of Patroclus shares the story of how he tells Achilles that if he will not fight then he will fight for him to inspire the wavering Greek troops. I enjoyed how Patroclus got to experience slaying a mighty warrior in Sarpedon while wearing the glorious armour of Achilles. Although he was ultimately slain, I thought Patroclus showed courage by rallying the troops by portraying Achilles.

My other favorite story was What Thetis Did for Her Son. What I thought was really entertaining was that Zeus' wife, Hera, got upset with him for sneaking behind his back and speaking with Thetis. Zeus tried to act like he was up to nothing when in fact Hera knew exactly what he had done the entire time. He was caught in a lie!

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Overall, I really enjoyed the first half of the reading unit. At times I did get confused since there were so many names being thrown around but after slowing down and concentrating the story began to become easier to follow and comprehend. I am ready to see what happens in the next half of reading!

Week 1-UnTextbook

I looked through the UnTextbook and chose four units that seemed to be the most interesting to me. Below is the units I chose and a few thoughts about each one.

Dante's Inferno: This unit looks interesting to me because I have heard about this story before but I have never quite known exactly what it was. After reading the overview of the unit I feel like this could be one of the more interesting reads.

Homer's Illiad: A story about conflict and war is always interesting! I have read bits and pieces of Homer' Odyssey in high school and was very intrigued. Reading events that happened before this in relation to the Odyssey will make those readings make all fall into place.

Homer's Odyssey: Like I said above, I read bits and pieces of Homer's Odyssey in high school so I would like to read to supplement what I have already read. The monsters described in the overview of the unit sound very interesting to read about.

A Roman mosaic portraying the image of a Cyclops (Homer's Odyssey)

Nursery Rhymes: This particular unit caught my eye because it made me think of all the nursery rhymes I heard as a child. It would be nice to revisit some of the old nursery rhymes I remember and learn some new ones or do not remember.

Week 1 Storybook Favorites

The first project I came across that caught my eye was Monster Hunter. The title itself caught my attention and did a great job of portraying exactly what it was about. The introduction itself was very entertaining as it set the mood for the entire project. I really liked how the old man himself was telling the tale of his life and his demeanor sounded pretty spooky itself! His language sets him up to be an interesting man with plenty of adventures to tell. I liked that the background was a dimly lit room with chairs all around giving off the vibe of sitting around a fire and listening to a great story. It really felt like I was sitting with the old man as he told his tales. Setting the imagery up from the beginning with just his site background is something I would like to incorporate into my project.


The Werewolf who has hunted by the Monster Hunter!

The next project I looked at was Jason and the Argonauts' Quest. I chose this particular project because I had not had any prior experience with the subject. I thought that using a news bulletin was a very creative way to draw readers in. I also thought the use of journal entries was a great way to tell the story within in the project. When reading the new bulletin it makes the reader feel as if they were very far into the future. The layout of the page and the interactive buttons relate to this feeling throughout the reading of the stories. I want to make sure that I can incorporate this feeling into my project.

The final project that drew my attention was Comical Ghost Stories. I chose this because I was very intrigued at the notion of a funny scary story. The introduction was different from the other two projects I looked at because it gave small summaries of each story that was to be told. The website was simple to navigate and did not include to many crazy and distracting colors or animations which made it easy to focus on the stories.

Intoduction-About Me: Will Robson

My name is Will Robson and I am from the town of Ada, Oklahoma. I am the oldest in my family consisting of my mother, father, brother, and two dogs, Boomer and Lil’ Bit. I graduated from Ada High School in 2010 and began college at the University of Oklahoma the following fall semester. I played football and golf all four years while I attended Ada High School. I started at the University of Oklahoma during the 2010 fall semester and am set to graduate this May with a degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Mewbourne School of Petroleum & Geological Engineering. This semester I am taking courses such as Surface Production Engineering, Improved Recovery Techniques, Integrated Reservoir Management, as well as Mythology and Folklore.

Something I expect to see a lot of once I graduate! A pump jack with a beautiful sunset background. (Wikipedia Commons)

 

Some of my interests include Oklahoma Sooner football, Oklahoma City Thunder basketball, golfing, and hanging out with friends. I have grown up watching the Sooners play football and when it came time to choose a college it was an easy decision (also helped by the strength of the Petroleum Engineering program). Saturdays in Norman are like Christmas morning for a guy like me. Like I said I played golf in high school and I have continued playing through college. It is a great way to relax and get some fresh air. It also helps that I usually get to enjoy the company of my mother, father, and brother as they all play golf as well!

    I do also enjoy reading books and watching Netflix. My favorite author is most likely John Grisham. I have read most of his novels and usually once I start reading cannot stop until I have read the entire thing. Regarding Netflix, I can lay in bed all day and watch episode after episode of a TV series. My favorites I have watched thus far have to be Dexter and, of course, Breaking Bad.

    This is just a little about me and my interests. I am excited to finish this semester up, graduate, and see what the real world has in store for me!

Week 1 Storytelling: The Lion and the Mouse: A Tale of Reciprocating Kindness

Once there was a small mouse that was traveling from his home across the plain to his visit a friend for a few days. The mouse was always careful when traveling on the plains as he knew that great dangers lurked at every turn. He had awoken at sunrise that morning to start his travels.

After some time of traveling, the mouse came across a lion lying directly on the only path available. The massive lion was snoring loudly and seemed to be sound asleep. The usually timid mouse weighed his options in his head and made a daring decision. He would tiptoe around the lion in order to reach the other side and continue on his path. As the mouse crept in front of the lion, his tail grazed the lion's snout. This caused the Lion to snort, scaring the Mouse. The mouse scurried across the lion's snout in his hurry to escape the impending danger. The Lion, now being fully awakened, reached out his mighty paw and trapped the tiny mouse.

    "Please do not harm me!" shrieked the Mouse. "If you grant me this one wish I promise to make it up to you!"

"To think a tiny creature like you could help me!" laughed the Lion heartily. "For making me laugh I shall let you go this time. Don’t let this happen again."

    The Mouse hurriedly scurried and finally made it to his friend’s house shortly before dark. After a few days of fine food and drink the Mouse had mostly forgotten about his dangerous encounter with the Lion. As his friendly visit came to an end, the Mouse once again set off across the plains towards his home.

    On the eve of the first night of traveling home the Mouse decided it was time to find camp for the evening. He came across a large camp with a large fire with multiple hunters surrounding it. As the Mouse, looked for a place close enough to the fire for warmth and a few scraps he came across a familiar foe. The Lion was trapped underneath a net!

“Fancy seeing you in a predicament such as this,” whispered the Mouse.

“These hunters caught me as I was napping! Now get me out of here!” exclaimed the Lion.

So the Mouse nibbled on the net until the Lion could free himself. The Lion and Mouse scurried off to a safe place.

“Thank you, Mouse. I thought I was never going to escape,” explained the Lion.

“Well my promise to repay you doesn’t seem so silly now does it?” questioned the Mouse.

With that, the Lion helped the Mouse climb onto his back and the Mouse rode in style back to his home. It had been quite an eventful couple of days for the Mouse!

 

 

The Mouse helping the Lion escape (Wikipedia Commons)

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Author's Note: This is a short story that is based upon the fable "The Lion and the Mouse". This story can be found in Aesop for Children, by Anonymous, illustrated by Milo Winter (1919). The story is about a mouse who accidentally wakes up a lion who is sleeping. The lion decides he will not ultimately kill the mouse after the mouse promises to repay the lion some day. The lion finds this to be such an amusing thought that he lets the mouse go. Some time later, the lion is trapped in a net and the mouse happens upon him. He chews the net until the lion is freed and thus makes good on his promise to repay him.

I decided to give the story a little more background to show why the mouse was traveling through the plains and how the lion came to be trapped. I thought this would be a good way to give the reader a greater appreciation for both the mouse and lion's situations. Also, with the added dialogue I thought the lion's amusement at thinking the mouse could ever help him would be better conveyed.

The image I selected was straight from the book where the story was found. It illustrates the moment of truth within the story where the lion finds out that indeed the mouse could be a helpful friend in times of need. 

Favorite Place-Puerto Aventuras in Quintana Roo, Mexico

Puerto Aventuras is a tiny community located in Quintana Roo, Mexico. My family has been going here for years on vacations and it is one of my favorite places to visit. This particular picture isn't actually from Puerto Aventuras so I chose another picture of one of Mexico's sightly beaches that was similar!

Image of a seaside at El Castillo in Tulum, Quintana Roo. Source: Wikipedia.

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