Story: The Horse Carver and Alisha

Story. The horse carver, Adam, protested, “What do you mean she becomes his?!”

“Yeah. What do you mean? We all helped find her. Without my art, her location would not be known,” said, Mario, the one with special powers who could find lost things and tell the future.

“The archer physically found my daughter and showed bravery. If my daughter were to be in a tight situation, I am sure he will be her protector,” declared the merchant.

“Hey. I could’ve done it too. It’s just that you didn’t ask me,” said Mario.

The merchant still insisted that his daughter would wed the archer, and the two men were taken away. They angrily entered a bar.

“Let’s kill him. If we kill him, we can marry her,” reasoned Mario.

“Yeah, let us. But both of us can not marry her. Only one of us can,” Adam said.

They both looked at each other, knowing what the other thought. After an awkward laugh, they both mutually agreed to abort the plan just by looking at each other. Both men had a great time, drinking, singing, and yelling at the archer as if he was with them. After fighting for the bill, they slowly walked out and parted ways. Mario stumbled and slept at a tree not too far from the bar, and Adam almost reached his house, but fell and passed out in front of a big mansion.

Night passed and the men were awakened by women.

“Oh, Dear! Tell Father that a man has died in front of our mansion,” said Alisha to her servant in a worried voice. The servant quickly went to tell her master.

Alisha stood looking at the man and thought, “What a handsome man. It is a shame he died so young.” Just then, Adam slowly woke up, and shook his head. Alisha was surprised and told him to come in her house to recover.

“What a kind woman to let a stranger in her house,” Adam admired in his mind. After eating some food, Adam left.

As the days went by, Adam could not help but think about Alisha’s pure, kind heart. Every time he thought of her, he felt guilty because he believed that he still loved the merchant’s daughter. In order to forget about Alisha, Adam was intent on carving a big horse. He would give the merchant's daughter this horse, and she would love him so much, she would marry him. Yet, every day he carved, a different tool would break. This required him to go to the market to purchase a new one and he had to pass Alisha’s house every time.

One day, he passed Alisha’s house on his way to the market and she greeted him. She invited him to drink tea, and in he went. Adam watched her every move like a hawk. He longingly looked at her and came to his senses.

“I must go,” said Adam.

“But you haven’t had a sip of tea yet. You must have some tea. I made it myself,” replied Alisha.

Adam took a sip of tea and briskly walked out. Alisha bid him goodbye in a cheerful tone. Hearing her soft voice pulled at his heart. He desperately wanted to run back and hold her hands, but his legs continued walking. Adam repeated, “Don’t think,” in his mind and ran into someone. It was Mario.

“Adam, my friend! How are you doing? Still not talking to that girl?” asked Mario.

Both men met each other several times after that night at the bar. Adam talked about Alisha once and Mario never let it go. Mario would bring her up in every conversation, and Adam would briefly daydream about her every time.

Adam ignored Mario and told him that he had to get a tool to carve his wooden horse. While Adam looked at the tools, a light bulb turned on in his head. Adam would do the same thing Mario always does. On the same day Adam met Alisha, Mario said he met a girl too.

Adam teased, “So, how is Sara?”

Mario was surprised, but collected himself and coolly said, “She is well, but it is not the time to talk about her and me. Let’s talk about you and Alisha. Just tell her you like her. If you did that to begin with, you wouldn’t have wasted so much money on tools. By the way, I already know that you two will end up together.”

Adam was furious! He quickly said, “How can you say that? The merchant’s daughter is not married yet. I can still murder her future groom and take her for myself.”

Mario reminded Adam that he could tell the future and left. Adam replayed what Mario said in his mind. It echoed in his brain, “…you two will end up together!”

Adam found the tool he needed and bought other things. He went on his way home. Remembering what Mario said, he said to himself, “If it is true, let me hear ‘horse carver’ when I pass Alisha’s home.”

Adam slowly approached Alisha’s home and heard “Horse, Carver! Oh, Adam.”

Adam stopped in his tracks. He asked Alisha if she said ‘horse carver.’ She explained to him that she was telling her brother, Carver, that there was a horse in the book. Adam was disappointed. Alisha, seeing his disappointment, invited him to drink tea again. Adam pondered, smiled, and nodded his head. Instead of wanting to flee, Adam felt calm because he realized that he cannot go against fate.

Adam walks over Carver and continued telling him animals where Alisha left off, and Alisha served him tea, tea that he will drink until the last drop.

(Cup of tea: Web source)

Author's Note. The story is inspired from a story, The Merchant Whose Daughter was Lost, in the Tales of a Parrot. In the story, three men, each with a talent, wanted to marry a merchant's daughter. The daughter went missing and all three men used the talents, yet the one who actually retrieved her got with her in the end. I felt bad for the two men who were cheated, so I wrote a story about what happened after the original story. Originally, I wanted to write about how both men met their future wives, but after developing so much on Adam, I had no space to write about Mario.

Bibliography. Tales of a Parrot by Ziya'al-Din Nakhshab; link to reading online.

Reading Notes: Tales of a Parrot, Reading B

Notes. The ending was quite abrupt. I have thought of her death and the karma that she deserves. Yet, when it actually happened, I felt pity for her. The parrot, in the end, told Miemun everything and Miemun killed Khojisteh.

Aside from her death, there were several interesting stories. Of A King and His Sons tells of a debt of gratitude. I was amazed by how both the snake and frog paid their debt to the man. Also, the man allowed the animals to leave after helping him. It was a great mutual relationship. Although it did not seem that they had a long, deep bond, I felt heartbroken because the animals had to go back to their families. Goodbyes are all so sad, but inevitable. I had good feelings throughout the whole story.

The parrot makes compelling stories that are reasonable. In The Merchant Whose Daughter Was Lost, it was interesting to read about suitors and their talents. In the end, it made sense that the man who found the girl ended up with her in the mountain. On the other hand, without the others’ help he would not have been able to find her. It is a difficult choice to choose. Perhaps I may change the story to make it so the others who helped will get women as well.

(Girl in a Forest: Web source)

In Of a Brahmin Falling in Love, it was admirable for the king to provide provisions to a stranger. I am not sure it is in the culture back then, but it was nice regardless.

In Of the Merchant and the Barber, the part that stood out to me was the barber’s actions. He thought that beating brahmins would bring gold like how the merchant did. That barber saw what happened. I am not sure how many times the merchant hit his brahmin, but when the barber realized that no gold came out, he should have stopped before doing too much damage.

Bibliography. Tales of a Parrot by Ziya'al-Din Nakhshab; link to reading online.

Reading Notes: Tales of a Parrot, Reading A

 (Parrot: Wiki Commons)

Notes. As I read, I realized that the tales of the parrot were the focus of this whole story. I would have preferred to see more interaction between the parrot and his master, Miemun, but it has not shown up in the first reading because the master is currently away on a trip. I admire the knowledge of this parrot. The parrot is clever and kind. He keeps Khojisteh, the master's wife, company by telling her stories.

However, it is very unfortunate that the sharuk, the parrot's companion, is killed by Khojisteh. The sharuk gave great advice, but she wanted to commit adultery while her husband was not present. It was a great regret. Although the parrot's partner is dead, the parrot is a smart thinker. His storytelling deters Khojisteh from running away to be with the prince who wishes to be with her.

Yet, it is so weird. Khojisteh goes to the parrot every night to express her feelings on meeting the prince. The parrot gives her advice and makes references, and she always wants to listen to the stories about the references. In the end, after the story of the night, Khojisteh has to postpone her meeting. If Khojisteh did not visit the parrot before leaving, then she would have met the prince long ago. However, it would defeat the purpose of the title's name, The Tales of a Parrot. 

Of the stories told, I liked the story: The Merchant, and His Wife, Who Outwitted Him. The wife was very smart, and practically put the blame on the husband, which overshadowed her own faults. That part, I do not like. I may do a sequel where her actions are revealed to the husband and the city. Even though the husband knows, he will still love her and keep her as his wife because he is guilty of doing similar things.

Additionally, I liked the story where the moral is to listen to the advice of friends or you will suffer like the unhappy man. It is from Four Rich Persons Who Became Poor. I may do a story between two friends about the moral.

Bibliography. Tales of a Parrot by Ziya'al-Din Nakhshab; link to reading online.

Story: Saving the Donkey

Story. There was a plague among the animals, and it impacted all types of animals. As many of them died, the animals pondered the cause of the plague. They were afraid they would be next. A group of animals conversed with each other.

The bird said, “It’s the bats. They carry the disease through their claws.”

The snake said, “It’s the rats. They carry a disease through their teeth.”

The wolf said, “It’s the serpent whose revenge will get us all.”

The lion king abruptly stated, “No, it is our actions that caused this plague. As king of all animals, I say we confess our wrongdoings and pinpoint the worst animal of all. That animal would have caused this mess. I will begin. I have many lionesses, and they are all lonely. I am wrong for causing them to fight.”

The bird replied, “No, King. You need to create many heirs to govern the other animals. With your strong traits, your heirs will rule the land for a millennium years to come.”

The snake confessed, “It is I who has sinned. I danced with my beloved rat and got the disease from her by accidentally killing her. When I saw her carcass, I fed upon her without thinking. We both loved each other, yet I could not help myself.”

The wolf said, “No, it is my fault. I tricked the serpent into killing sheep while I did nothing. I ran off with the kill. When the serpent chased me, I severely hurt him. He then cast a curse on me and those I associate with.”

After a long awkward moment, the donkey chimed in, “Well, I was so hungry, I ate grass from another animal’s land.”

The lion roared, “What?! You knew it was his land yet you atrociously ravaged his grass?”

Seeing the lion’s disapproval, the bird shrieked, “Get him!” They all chased the donkey so quickly that animals along the road thought a dust storm was approaching.

As the donkey ran, he yelled, “Why get me when you all did worse?” Then, he saw a herd of donkey, and pleaded, “Help, friends. I am in dire stress. Animals are trying to kill me for no reason.”

Seeing the donkey’s dismay, the herd of donkeys stood still and put on their meanest face. The chasing animals saw the group and immediately ran the other way because they were outnumbered.

The head of the herd advised, “Next time, stay away from that lot. The lion could have easily killed you, and shared you with the others. They are up to no good.”

The donkey said, “But they’re the only people I know. I have been roaming alone the whole time until I found them.”

The head donkey said, “Son, if they think of killing you, they are not your friends. Safe travels.” He then motioned for all the donkeys to continue their planned path.

The donkey longingly looked towards the direction where his ‘friends’ ran off. He glimpsed at the other group that was not too far away, and ran after them.

He caught up to the head donkey and asked, “Thank you for your help, Mister. May I join your herd?”

The head donkey smiled and nodded his head. The other donkeys introduced themselves to him, eager to know him.

A few months later, the donkey saw his old company far off in the distance chasing the wolf. He shook his head and joined his herd.

(Donkey: Wiki Commons)

Author’s Note. In the original story, The Animals and the Plague, from Aesop for Children by Winters, the animals actually had a plague and confessed their wrongdoings like the beginning of my story. However, the difference is that the donkey was beaten up by the other animals. While reading the story, I felt injustice for the donkey. Therefore, I wrote this story so that the donkey would live in another dimension other than his original story.

Bibliography. Aesop for Children by Milo Winters; link to reading online.

Reading Notes: Aesop for Children (Winter) Part B

Notes. Like Part A, Part B included many interesting stories and morals. However, Part A included more stories that interested me. In Part B, the two main stories I liked were Mercury and the Woodman and The Animals and the Plague.

In Mercury and the Woodman, the moral is: Honesty is the best policy. I really like this moral. I admire how the woodman did not cave in to the gold and silver axes. He was not greedy. I wonder what the woodman said to the other people in the village. If he told them that they were supposed to deny the first few axes, they could have gotten more axes. Of course, that would defeat the whole purpose of this moral. However, if they were not too greedy and copied what the woodman did, they would be able to leave with gold and silver axes. Also, I liked how this story was not too short. It let me experience more about the story due to its length. I was not able to have a feel for the characters in the other stories because of how short it was.

(Mercury and the Woodman by Milo Winters. Web Source: Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook.)

In The Animals and the Plague, the donkey is killed even though his confession is not as bad as the others. I feel sorry for the weak donkey, so I would change the story to make the donkey live through the means of running away or having someone help him. All he did was eat grass that did not belong to him, but others ate people and other animals. I feel like I need to give the donkey justice in a new story. 
 
Next, I want to talk about The Boy and the Nettles. This story confused me, and it was quite interesting to read. I did not know what nettles were, so I read about it. After briefly reading about it, it is hard to believe that a stinging nettle would be as soft as silk if it is held tightly. It does not make sense in my mind.

Bibliography. Aesop for Children by Milo Winter; link to reading online.

Reading Notes: Aesop for Children (Winter) Part A

Notes. Most of the stories I liked were in Part A. Like my previous stories, I may add more details to my next story or make it more modern. Since these stories provide the moral of the story at the end, I will use it as a foundation of my story. For example, in The Oxen and the Wheels, the moral is: They complain most who suffer least. I can come up with a story where a mother scolds her child and complains about her unfortunate life to her friends. However, because the mother's friend does not talk much and keeps to herself, the mother does not know what her friend is dealing with.

Some stories I liked were The Wolf and the Kid, The Eagle and the Jackdaw, The Oxen and the Wheels, The Lion and the Ass, and The Dogs and the Fox. All of these stories provide great morals, even the ones I did not mention. Of the ones I like, the stories I am very interested are The Wolf and the Kid and The Eagle and the Jackdaw.

As I read The Wolf and the Kid, I actually thought the kid was a human kid, but later remembered that a kid was also a young goat. Anyway, in this story, the kid tricks the wolf in to playing a tune before he eats him, and he later survives. I like how the kid tricked the wolf. It was very smart.

(The Wolf and Kid by Milo Winter. Web Source: Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook)

In the Eagle and the Jackdaw, it was interesting how the ram did not feel anything from the jackdaw. I would think that the ram would feel at least a tug, but there was nothing. This lack of feeling added to the jackdaw being weak. If I were to change the story, I would change it so the ram would feel something and fling the jackdaw far away. The jackdaw had the intent to kill the ram. It would be deserving if the ram did something to it.

Bibliography. Aesop for Children by Milo Winter; link to reading online.

Feedback Thoughts

All of these articles were very useful, but 5 Tips for Taking Feedback Like a Champ was the most useful article because it tells me what I should actually do. Although this article gives tips, the other articles provide me information to better understand these tips.

In Overcoming the Fear of Feedback, I would like to try the experiment of having triggers or cues. In this article, it gives an example of leaving running clothes next to your bed will trigger or cue you to run in the morning. It sounds reasonable, so I would like to try if it works. Also, it gives steps (cue, routine, reward) on creating your own feedback habit. I want to try it in order to do my best.

I gave feedback in class through peer reviewing my peers’ papers. Although I read it, I did not have much feedback to give. Perhaps, it is because I had little idea of what actually was correct. If I do not know what is good or not good, it will be difficult to let a person know how they are doing. Also, I did not want people to feel like I am criticizing their choices.

That is why I have a hard time receiving feedback. I feel like people are pointing out my mistakes, and therefore, it makes me look like I am dumb. That is how it translates to my mind. However, I do understand that they are helping me get better at writing. What I try to do at times like these is change the things I believe should be changed based on their feedback. Also, I have to look at things positively and remember that they want to help me improve.

 

(Two hands: Web Source)