Sunday, September 11, 2016

Reading Notes: Aesop (Winter), Part A (Done for E.C.)

Note: I didn't do the regular Reading Notes this week, so I'm doing the reading I started for the E.C. reading.

page 1:

I wonder if the Kid actually planned on distracting the wolf, or if it was by sheer coincidence that he ended up being saved. In any case, the message is one that has been done countless times before, and so it would be pretty easy to write a story based upon this fable.

I like turtles so the second fable made me sad. :(

page 2:

The first fable threw me for a loop. Based on the fables I've read up to this point,  I was sure that the message would be one about foolishness due to the Cock not being careful about where he was crowing.

I could see a story idea being about two friends who take a trip to somewhere they've never been before (Europe, Canada, Rocky Mountains, etc.) and one of them wakes up, like I'm sure most of us do sometimes, and have no idea where he is. Upon waking, he does something foolish, and has to outwit some threat to escape misfortune.

The third fable was short and sweet. I really enjoyed it! Not only have I been that kid, but as an adult it's important to also make sure you're not trying to do too much at once. Not only does it wear you out, but it makes it hard to appreciate the things you are doing, no matter how small they might be.

page 3:

A few story ideas come to mind: teenager who thinks she knows everything, stubborn only child/man/woman who won't listen to a sibling/elder/parent. Really stubbornness applies to a lot of things, and for a lot of people it's easily their worst drawback. We can admit to being wrong, it won't kill us.

The message of this one is a little off, but I do agree with the notion that so many of us think that people care about what we do or say way more than people actually do. It took me a while to realize it, but everyone is their own number one priority.

page 4: 

The third fable is a really good one. People always want to share blame, but shared praise is harder to come by.

page 5:

Story idea: college/high school student who dreams too big, maybe in academics but also maybe in some sort of competition. The story ends well though, as the moral will be that steady, gradual gains are better than getting all at once.

page 6:

I don't really understand the message of the goat story. It reminds me of all the classic tales of star-crossed lovers who can't be with one another because of obstacles.

The story about an ass carrying a load and purposely falling seems very natural to me, especially with young people who are learning how to live.

page 7:

It's amazing how well these stories convey the simplest of human tendencies, like backstabbing.

page 8:

I didn't know that wolves ate dogs..

Also I like the message a whole lot: "Take what you can get when you can get it."

page 9:

There are a lot of stories about wolves. I wonder what Aesop's fascination with them is?

I guess they represent a good villain, but I'm curious as to the origin of that characteristic.

A story idea for this would be a modern day person in some occupation who tries to do too much, but ends up foolishly stepping out of the bounds of his expertise.


The Wolf and the Ass, image via the UnTextbook

page 10: 

Bibliography: The Aesop for Children, illustrated by Milo Winter. Source.

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