[Story Lab] Biography: A Lament for Graduation

This sure isn't how I imagined finishing college.

Everything had been planned and prepared. My cap and gown had been purchased for the Graduation Ceremony, my dress blues had been bought and dry-cleaned in preparation for the Commissioning Ceremony to be sworn in as an officer in the United States Army, and I had finally gotten my RSVPs back from family to account for how many people I would have to entertain.

But the cap and gown have not left their Jostens bag. The spiffy wool jacket and the pants with freshly-sewn gold braids down the leg have not left the hanger - and have probably collected dust and need to be dry-cleaned again. And my family is not coming to see me graduate, or commission...in fact, I MYSELF will barely be able to see my own ceremonies.

Zoom is our new lifeline, the facilitator of anything we need to do and anyone we want to see. Most students are struggling, unused to having to buckle down to work in their own tiny living spaces, unable to go to the library, their college, or even outside. Our eyes hurt from translating hours in classrooms into hours on computers. Our brains hurt from trying to cram down the last bits of information, without assistance from professors or the reassurance of classmates. Our hearts hurt as our four or more years of work and stress culminate only in a Zoom slideshow, where our names might show up on a screen (providing we had filled out the online form correctly.) No walking across the stage, no dressing up, no going out afterwards with friends and family to celebrate this accomplishment on the path of life.

Some students face the unknowable pain of having lost loved ones to the virus. Some have gone home to be with their families; some have to stay put to avoid unwittingly bringing the illness home to their compromised parents or grandparents. There are many pains out there that far outstrip the sadness of having one's graduation cancelled.

But we focus on the issues that are the most easily controlled. We will lay our caps beside our computer screens, and maybe put on pants to watch the Zoom stream. We will have powered through our classes, scraping by with only a C in some and relying on the Pass/No Pass system to keep a visible plunge out of our transcripts. And then we will be released into the world, a virtual diploma in hand, to encounter almost no job opportunities as the country struggles to right itself after the desolation of this pandemic. But we'll keep our sights set on the future and hope for better times...after all, our vision was always destined to be 2020.

A Flying Cap (Personal Photo)

Author's Note: This one came straight from the heart, because it's on the forefront of everything right now. I started writing just from my point of view, but somehow as I went it spread out to some generalizations on the class of 2020, most of which were drawn from and confirmed by complaints on social media. I didn't try to control any word count or anything specific, it just kinda flowed and fortunately the order makes sense in retrospect. It is kinda dramatic; I had my girlfriend read over it and waited for her to laugh at me. I had, however, failed to clarify that it was supposed to be a biographical writing so she called it "oddly specific" and "...a little self-centered...?" Rude. But with everything jacked up for the moment...we're doing our best.

Reading Notes: Rouse's "Giant Crab", Part B

• Lacknose (aka Paduma Jataka)
• There was once a Gardener who had no nose, and he had a very nice garden full of every kind of beautiful flowers
• Three little boys thought they would like a bunch of flowers, but didn't know how to get it
• The first went in and greeted the Gardener, and tried to flatter him with a verse of poetry
• "Cut, and cut, and cut again, hair and whiskers grow amain:
• And your nose will grow like these: Give me a little posy, please!"
• The Gardener knew well that his nose would not grow again and thought it was rude of the little boy to mention it, so he got angry and told the boy to go away
• The second boy thought he would try his luck, and also wrote a verse of poetry and recited it after greeting the Gardener:
• "In the autumn seeds are sown, and ere long they're fully grown;
• May your nose sprout up like these! Give me a little posy, please!"
• The boy thought the old fellow would like that, because he is a Gardener, but the Gardener saw through the trick, was angrier, and sent him away
• The third little boy was honest, and decided to see what truth could do. He greets the Gardener, who is already grumpy, and recites,
• "Babbling fools! To think that they, Can get a posy in this way!
• Say they yes, or say they no, Noses cut no more will grow.
• See, I ask you honestly: Give a posy, sir, to me!"
• The Gardener was so pleased to find a straightforward and honest little boy, and he took his scissors and cut the most beautiful bunch of flowers, which he gave to the boy with a smile.
• The boy thanked him and went away delighted
• Bibliography: The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W.H.D. Rouse (link)

Beautiful Bouquet of Flowers (Madhutvin, link)

Reading Notes: Rouse's "Giant Crab", Part A

• The Hypocritical Cat
• Once Upon a Time...
• There was a troop of Rats that lived by holes in a river bed
• a Cat would watch them come and go and wanted to eat them, but wasn't strong enough to attack them all at once
• So he would stand early in the morning near their holes, with his face turned towards the sun, smelling the air and standing on one leg
• The Rats wondered why he did that, so they all asked one day
• They asked his name: "Holy is my name" said the Cat
• Why did he stand on one leg, they asked: "Because if I stood on all four, the Earth could not bear my weight."
• Why does he keep his mouth open: "Because I feed on air, and never eat anything else"
• Why does he face the sun: "Because I worship the Sun."
• They all thought he was very pious, and bowed to him one by one in the morning as they filed past to show respect for his piety
• But every morning, he would pounce on the very last mouse and gobble him up.
• The cat's plan was going fine for a while, but eventually the Chief of the Rats noticed that his ranks were thinning out
• He suspected that the pious cat might know more about it than he let on
• The next day, he posted himself at the tail of the troop, and watched everything that went on
• The Cat prepared for his pounce, but the Rat was ready and dodged out of the way
• The Chief Rat calls out the cat for his false piety, then lunges at his throat
• The rats heard the scuffle and came trooping back, and the first ones had cat to eat, and the last ones went sniffing about the mouths of their friends, asking what cat tasted like
• And the Rats lived happily ever after.
• Bibliography: The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse (link)

An Attentive Cat (Wikipedia, link)

Microfiction: Of Dogs and Pigs

25 Word Microfiction: The Guilty Dogs

The poor are condemned to suffering while the affluent are favored and governmentally protected. Why kill the innocent just because the guilty are the rich?


50 Word Microfiction: The Two Pigs

A woman found abandoned piglets and raised them as her own children. When they were to be slaughtered, they saved themselves with wise revelations about love: it was better to die happy and loved than to live miserably in fear. They were not killed, and the King rewarded their wisdom.

Pig and Dog: Happy Together (Barkpost, link)

Bibliography: Twenty Jataka Tales, by Noor Inayat (link)

Note: I used this week's class sources, one story from each half of Inayat's Jataka tales. The first is about a king's leather chariot straps: they were left out in the rain one night, so when they were nice and soft the palace dogs decided to chew them up. The king knew only that dogs did it, so he ordered all the dogs in the city to be killed, but not the palace dogs. The chief of the city dogs figures out the culprits lived within the palace, and went to the king, appealing for the punishment of those who were actually guilty and about to be overlooked, instead of the death of hundreds of innocents (seven hundred, to be exact.) The 25 word story sums up the spirit of the story, if not the tale itself, and reads a little bit like an anti-capitalism slogan. Honestly, I kept coming up a few words short (because the motto is fairly simple) so I had to do a decent amount of word-shuffling and embellishing.

For the second, I used the 50 word format and was able to tell more of the actual story. The older pig was able to sweet-talk their way out of being slaughtered simply by saying poetic things about "letting love envelope you and ease your suffering," and the King brought them into his castle and gave them jewels and perfume. The older pig also became the official settler of disputes in the kingdom, and they lived happily in the palace until the king died. This one was much easier to write because of the added leeway of a higher word count. This one I wrote up as the words came to me and only had to revise once, as opposed to the many revisions of the first story. I really like the microfiction format in general, because instead of telling a whole story you have to really think about...almost, how not to tell a story, but still get the point across.

Reading Notes: Inayat's Twenty Jataka Tales, Part B

• The Two Pigs
• Two little pigs were abandoned (presumably) at the side of a village road
• A little old woman comes along and sees them, and tells them to come into her cotton basket and come home with her; she will be their mother
• She laughed and smiled and was happy as could be, and named the elder one Mahatundila and the younger Cullatundila
• Years passed and the little old woman fed and loved the two pigs as her own children
• But one day a big feast was held in the village nearby
• The men were all very drunk and had eaten all the meat in the village, and were unsatisfied and wanted more
• They go to the little old woman and offer her money for her pigs. She says no; does one give away one's children for money?
• The men made her drink, and asked her again for the pigs when she was drunk
• So she says, I cannot give you Mahat, but take Culla.
• She puts rice in the little bowl at the door and calls for Culla.
• Mahat hears the call and thinks, Mother has never called Culla first; she always calls me first. What danger is upon us today?
• Culla goes to the old woman, but sees the bowl and the men with ropes, and he turns back and goes to Mahat, trembling with fear, and explains
• Mahat tells him not to grieve, that for this day they have been reared and fed, and tells him to go answer Mother's call
• Moved by the tears in his brother's eyes, Mahat says this: "Bathe in the pool of water as on a bright feast-day, and you shall find a perfume that never fades away."
• As he spoke all the world changed. The little flowers opened up their hearts to hear, the trees bent over, the wind became silent, and the birds tarried in their flight. The men and old woman were instantly sobered and dropped the ropes. His voice reached into the city and was heard by thousands of citizens, rich and poor. All were moved to tears and drawn towards the little house where they crowded around
• But Culla, not being a very bright pig, was confused. 
• He asks why his brother spoke those words, as they had never bathed in a pool of water nor do they find perfume. So he asks what they are
• Mahat answers, and the great crowd was silent.
• "The pool of water is love, and love is the fragrance that never fades away. Be not sad brother, be not sad to leave this world. Many stay and are unhappy, many leave and joy is theirs."
• The sweet voice reaches even to the king, who cries as well.
• The crowd waved their hands and uttered loud and joyful cries. They then brought the pigs to the palace
• The King demands that the brothers be bathed in the sweetest perfume and clad in silken garments. They were given jewels to hang around their necks, and dwelt with the King in the palace
• All disputes were brought to Mahat, the blessed one, and settled by him
• Finally, in fullness of years, the King died and Mahat and Culla left the city to dwell in the forest, to the great grief of the people of Benares, who wept as they departed
• However, the reign of justice endured, and the people continued to dwell together in amity
• And all lived happily ever after.
• Bibliography: Twenty Jataka Tales by Noor Inayat (link)

Two Pigs (Ruben van Kuik, link)

Reading Notes: Inayat's Twenty Jataka Tales Part A

• The Guilty Dogs
• One day, a king drove through the city in his chariot drawn by 6 white horses. When he returned at nightfall, the horses were taken to the stable but the chariot and harnesses were left in the courtyard
• When everyone was asleep in the palace, it started to rain
• The palace dogs decided it was their time to have fun.
• They saw the leather harnesses, wet and softened by the rain, and bit and gnawed at them all night, then slipped away before dawn
• The stablemen see that the straps of the royal chariot have been eaten and destroyed, and with "trembling hearts" go to tell the King
• The King rose up in a fury and commanded every dog in the city to be killed
• The 700 dogs in the city hear the order and all cried. But their Chief dog loved and protected them, and they set out to find him
• They tell him of the danger
• He thinks to himself that it is impossible for any city dog to enter the palace gates, so it must have been the palace dogs who destroyed the harnesses
• He decides to show the guilty dogs to the King to save the others
• The chief goes into the city alone. At every step men were standing ready to kill him, bu his eyes were so full of love that they didn't dare touch him
• He enters the hall of justice where the King sat on his throne with his courtiers all around, and all remained silent.
• After some time the chief spoke, and asked if it was the King's command that all the dogs of the city be killed
• The King said yes. The Chief asks them what they have done, and the King tells him about the leather harnesses.
• The Chief asks which dogs have done the harm; the King responds that he does not know so he ordered them all to be killed
• The Chief clarified if all were to die, or if some dogs would be allowed to live; the king responds that the royal dogs only would be allowed to live
• The chief gently asks if the King's command is just...why should the dogs of the palace be innocent and the dogs of the city judged guilty? 
• The ones he favored are saved and the ones he doesn't know are to be killed. Where's the justice?
• The King thinks for a minute and asks who the guilty ones are; the chief responds that the royal dogs are guilty.
• The King asks for proof, and the chief tells him to bring the royal dogs to the hall and feed them kusa grass and buttermilk...at which the leather scraps "came out of their mouths"
• The King concedes that the Chief's words are true, and declares he will not forget him. He then commands that all the dogs of the city are given rich food and royal care, and they all lived happily ever after
• Bibliography: Twenty Jataka Tales, by Noor Inayat (link)

The Royal Dogs, Probably (Frank Kovalchek, link)

Week 11 Story: The Most Brilliant Student

Once Upon a Time, there was a very large, very strong high school student who looked like a football player. But he was not; he was academically brilliant and dreamed of joining the academic team and competing in quiz competitions. However, he knew that because he looked large and buff and – let’s face it – not entirely intelligent, the coach of the team wouldn’t take him seriously. So, he decided to find a traditionally nerdy-looking guy who could pretend to be the brains of the operation, and the big guy could pretend to be his bodyguard.

So he goes into the band hall and sees a short, spindly student with glasses and a bow tie – perfect. He goes over and asks if the nerdy guy will front for him to get them both into the debate team, then the big guy will answer all the questions, and they can split any awards that they win. The nerdy guy agrees, and they set out to find the coach.

When the coach sees the two, she asks the nerdy guy, “Why are you here?” The nerdy student responds, “I want to be on your academic team.” The coach asks, “Who is the big guy with you?” and the nerdy guy responds, “That’s, uh, my bodyguard. If I don’t have him with me, I get scared and can’t focus on trivia.” The coach thinks for a minute then hands them both a registration form.

Having successfully joined the academic team, the dynamic duo wins many inter-school competitions. The big guy whispers the answers to the nerdy guy, who answers correctly every time. They conquered every high school in the county, and it is soon time for regionals.

Unfortunately, all the wins and cash prizes and praise were starting to go to the nerdy guy’s head, and he turns on the big guy, saying “I can do fine without you! You think you’re the only one who knows trivia? I don’t need you anymore!” He spat a few more unkind remarks and marched out.

But a few days later is regionals. This is the most important competition of the year, and the stakes are high. The academic team geared up, with the nerdy guy at the forefront. The big guy knew too well that the nerdy guy doesn’t know any trivia, so he shows up anyway, seating himself behind the nerdy student as usual. The beginning of the competition is called…and the nerdy guy panics. The big guy whispers to him, “Hold on, don’t panic. I’m here for you.” But the nerdy guy is so scared that he squirms out of his chair and dashes back to the parking lot, where he has to stop and puff on his inhaler, never to return to the world of academic trivia.

So, without missing a beat the big guy slides into the chair previously occupied by the nerdy guy and smoothly leads the academic team to a conclusive victory, delivering the answers that he had always known, but used to pass through the mouthpiece of the nerdy guy. At the win, the team cheered and called him “the most brilliant student” and made him president of the academic team, showering him with trophies (and college recommendation letters.)

The End.

Nerd and Jock: Irony. (Marko Raassina, link)

Bibliography: More Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt (link)

Author’s Note: This story was based on the Jataka Tale “The Brave Little Bowman,” about a small twisted man who was an excellent bowman and wanted to join the king’s army, but knew he would not be taken seriously. He recruits a big and strong man to get them both into the army, then does all the work. Finally, a war is about to break out and the strong man gets scared and runs off, so the small bowman leads the army to victory and is showered with praise and made the captain of the army when he gets back. I decided to turn the tables a little bit and make the protagonist someone society would normally accept, but who would not be welcome in the team he wanted to join. All ends well for him though, with a similar victory and being rewarded for the efforts that were his all along.

Reading Notes: More of Babbitt's Jataka Tales Part B

• The Red-Bud Tree
• Once upon a time...4 young princes heard a story about a certain wonderful tree, called a Red-Bud Tree, and each prince wished to be the first to see one
• The eldest prince asked the driver of the king's chariot to take him deep into the woods where the tree grew.
• It was early spring and the tree had no leaves nor buds - it was black and bare
• The next son went with the driver later in the spring
• It was actually covered in red buds
• The third went into the woods a little later
• The tree was covered with green leaves
• The youngest went some time after this
• It was covered with little bean-pods
• They all compared notes, and found their experiences did not match
• The king heard them and waited for them to stop talking. He then said, my sons, each of you have seen the same tree, but at different times of the year
• The Brave Little Bowman
• Once upon a time...there was a little man with a crooked back who was called the wise little bowman because he used his bow and arrow very well
• He wanted to join the army, but was sure the king would ask what a little man like him was good for. So he must find some great big man who will take him as a page, and ask the king to take both of them
• So the little bowman went into the city and saw a big, strong man digging a ditch. The big man was convinced he could make money no other way, so the little man recruited him to ask the king to join the army. The king would take him because he's big and strong. The little man will do the work he is given to do, and they will divide a pay so both can make a good living.
• Together they set out to see the king. When they arrive they are sent before the king. The king looks at the big man and asks, what brings you here? The big man responds, I want to be in your army. The king asks who the little man with him is, and the big man says it's his page. The king asks what pay he wants, and the big man says a thousand pieces a month for himself and his page.
• The king takes them on - so the big man and the little bowman join the kings army!
• They solved many problems
• There was a tiger in the forest who carried off many people; the king sent for the big man to kill him, and the little bowman did
• There was a buffalo running up and down a certain road, so the king called the big man to kill the buffalo; so the little man did
• The king and all the people praised the big man and gave him money and gifts, so the big man said to the little man one day, "I can get on without you. Do you think there's no bowman but yourself?" He said other harsh and unkind things as well
• But a few days later the king received a challenge from a far away country
• He at once sent his army, with the big man armed and mounted on a war-elephant at the front
• But the little man knew that the big man couldn't shoot for shit, so he took his bow and seated himself behind the big man
• They rolled out - but at the first beat of the drums the big man shook with fear. The little bowman told him to hold on tight, because if he fell off he would be killed, but not to be afraid because the little bowman was there
• But the big man was so afraid that he slipped off the war-elephant's back and ran back into the city, back home
• So the little bowman leads the charge, driving the army to break into the camp of the enemy king, and driving them back to their own country.
• Then the little bowman led the army back to the city, and everyone called him "the brave little bowman", the king made him the chief of the army, and showered him with rich gifts
• Bibliography: More Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt (link)

War Elephant (Phila Museum, link)

Reading Notes: More of Babbitt's Jataka Tales Part A

• The Golden Goose
• Once upon a time...there was a goose with beautiful golden feathers
• Nearby lived a very poor woman and her two daughters
• The Goose noticed that they had a hard time and decided to give them one after another of his feathers, so the mother could sell them and the money could bring the small family comfort
• When he shows up the woman says "We have nothing to give you" but the goose replied he had something to give them 
• He gave them his feathers, one by one, flying away for periods but always coming back and leaving another feather
• One day the mother got greedy, and said "let's not trust the Goose, because he may someday fly away and never come back, then we'll be poor again. Let's get all his feathers when he comes back."
• The daughters didn't want to, but the mother did so anyway
• She grabbed the Golden Goose and pulled out every one of his feathers
• Funny magical coincidence: If the Goose's feathers are plucked against his will, they turn white and are valueless as chicken feathers, and the new ones that come in are not golden, but still white
• So his feathers grew back (white) and he flew home and never came back
• And presumably the mother was made poor because of her greed
• The Cunning Wolf
• Once upon a time...the people in a "certain" town went out into the woods for a holiday
• They took baskets full of food, but when lunchtime rolled around they ate all their meat and didn't have any left for supper
• A man says he will go get some fresh meat, and they'll make a fire and roast it
• So he takes a club down to the lake where the animals come to drink, and he lay down, club in hand, playing dead.
• The animals came down to the lake to drink, but they see the man lying there and watched him for a while
• The King of the Wolves decided the man was playing a trick on them, and he told the rest of the animals to stay put while he saw if the man was really dead, or pretending to be dead
• The Cunning King of the Wolves crept up to the man and pulled at his club - and the man pulled back on his club!
• The King of the Wolves ran off saying, "If you had been dead, you would not have pulled back on your club when I tried to pull it away. I see your trick. You pretend you are dead so that you may kill one of us for your supper."
• The man jumped up and threw his club at the KoW but missed; he looks around for other animals but there was no one in sight (as they had all run away)
• The man goes back to his friends (lightly ashamed) and says "I tried to get fresh meat by playing a trick on the animals, but the cunning Wolf played a better trick on me, and I could not get one of them."
• Bibliography: More Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt (link)

A Cunning Wolf (Rudraksha Chodankar, link)

Week 10 Story: How the Snow Leopard Saved Her Own Life

There was once a young son of a rich family who liked to play outside in his family’s large courtyards. One day, as he and his toy trucks were playing under a tree, a snow leopard crept into the courtyard. She had been held captive by a travelling circus but had recently escaped. She had no idea how to get home, as the poachers had stolen her from the icy mountains several years ago. Tired, lost, and thirsty, the snow leopard heard the splashing of the rich family’s fountain and only stopped by to get a drink. However, the young boy saw the strange animal and started crying. The family and their guards run outside to see what was wrong, and the father demanded that the snow leopard be captured.

The family gathers around to see the newly restrained snow leopard, and seeing it again makes the son resume his wails. Thus, the father demands that the leopard be killed. But none of them had seen this type of animal before, and they were really not sure how to kill it. Some recommended shooting it…but where? Some recommended drowning it…but how? Finally, one guard who particularly feared the cold recommended just taking her up to the icy mountains and leaving her there…it would freeze her to death quickly and leave no blood on their hands nor body to deal with.

The snow leopard had been listening to their discussions and piped up there, “Oh sir! What terrible thing did I do that would be deserving of the icy mountains? Being drowned or shot sound awful, but the mountains! That would be the most terrible thing you could do to me! I would never be able to survive the mountains!”

So naturally, the guardsmen thought that sounded like a great idea, and they promptly arranged to transport the snow leopard into the mountains. They drop her off on the highest, iciest peak, and she quickly bounds away. She laughs to herself as she fluffs up her plush, naturally camouflaged coat and heads back to her old home, “Those people really didn’t know how safe I am in the mountains.”

Snow Leopard in India (Jammu & Kashmir Wildlife Protection Department, link)

Author's Note: This was based on the Jakata Tale "How the Turtle Saved His Own Life" which went much the same way, except the subject was a turtle and they decided to throw him in the river, thus saving his life. I wanted to maintain the animal theme but pick something a little more exotic, and once again she used a little reverse-psychology to get herself out of trouble.

Bibliography: Jakata Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt (link)

Reading Notes: Babbitt's Jakata Tales Part B

• The Elephant Girly-face
• The king had an elephant named Girly-face, because the elephant was so gentle and good and looked so kind, and would never hurt anybody
• One night some robbers entered the courtyard and sat down to talk about breaking into a house, right outside Girly-face's stall
• They talk about how a robber must not be afraid to kill, to be cruel and have no pity
• Girly-face interpreted this as a lesson on how to act: he decides he must be cruel, and show no pity, and not be good even for a moment
• The next morning the keeper comes to feed him, so he picks him up and throws him to the ground and kills him
• Another keeper ran to see, so GF killed him too
• For days GF was so ugly that no one dared go near
• The king heard of this and sent one of his wise men to find out what was wrong
• The wise man knew GF and looked him over carefully, finding nothing wrong and finally decided he must have overheard some bad men talking
• So he asks the keepers if there were any bad men recently, and the keeper says a band of robbers was caught a few weeks ago
• The wise man reports back to the king that GF must have been listening to bad men talk, so if he could hear some good men talk he will be a good elephant again
• The king sent a company of good men to sit near GF's stall and talk, as they told each other that it is wrong to hurt any one, wrong to kill, and everyone should be gentle and good
• GF absorbs this new lesson, and thinks he must be gentle and good and not kill anyone
• And from then on, he was as tame and good as an Elephant could be
• The King's White Elephant
• A number of carpenters lived on a river bank near a large forest, and every day travelled in boats to the forest to cut down the trees and make lumber
• While they were at work an elephant approached them, limping on 3 feet
• They see a huge splinter in his foot, pull it out, and washed it carefully so the elephant would be well again soon
• The elephant was very thankful and decides to be useful to the carpenters to repay them
• He would pull up trees for the carpenters, or sometimes roll the logs down to the river, or bring them their tools. In exchange, the carpenters fed him well three times a day
• Now the elephant was getting old, as elephants do, so he called his son - an all-white, beautiful, strong elephant - and took him to learn to help the carpenters in his place
• The white elephant did as his father told him, and was also cared for and fed by the carpenters
• At night when the work was done, the white elephant would play with the carpenters' children in the river. He would pick them up and set the children in trees, then let them climb down on his back
• One day the king came down to the river and saw the beautiful white elephant and wanted him. He paid the carpenters well, and took the elephant home with him
• The king was very proud of his new elephant and took the best care of him
• Seem a little anticlimactic, right? I interpret it as a metaphor, that through kindness, hard work, and doing the right thing, one can achieve great rewards and high status

Bibliography: Jakata Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt (link)

A White Elephant (Wikimedia, link)

Reading Notes: Babbitt's Jakata Tales Part A

• The Monkey and the Crocodile
• Crocodile really coveted a monkey for dinner. So she told her son to go get one for her
• Little Croc has to do some thinking
• Lures the monkey to go to the island where the fruit was ripe, so the monkey gets on Lil Croc's back
• Lil Croc starts to dive underwater and hold the monkey down, but foolishly explains why
• The monkey makes the excuse that he left his heart back at the tree, and escapes up the tree once Lil Croc brings him back
• So, Lil Croc lies on a rock and waits to ambush the monkey
• Who has noticed that rock is taller than it should be. So he calls out to the rock, "expecting" a response
• So the stupid crocodile responds, and once again gives his plan away
• The monkey tells Lil Croc to open wide so he can jump directly into his mouth (knowing that as the mouth opens, the eyes close) so the monkey jumps off the croc's head and onto the riverbank, running up a tree again
• How the Turtle Saved His Own Life
• A King had several young sons who one day saw a turtle in the lake and got scared because they didn't know what it was. Must be a demon, then.
• The King orders it brought back to him, and the princes cry again, so he orders it killed.
• But how do you kill a turtle? They debated heavily. Maybe pound it to a powder, maybe bake it in hot coals. But one old man was afraid of the water and said to throw it in the lake, where it will surely be killed.
• The turtle heard, and said essentially "oh no, the lake would be the most dreadful consequence! The other things were bad, but the lake would be beyond cruel!"
• So naturally the King thought that sounded like a great idea and had his men yuck it into the lake.
• The turtle laughed to himself as he swam back down the river to his old home, "Good! Those people do not know how safe I am in the water!"
• The Ox Who Won the Forfeit
• A man had a very strong ox, and was very proud of him. So one day he rolls up to the village and says he'll pay one thousand pieces of silver if his strong ox can't pull a line of 100 wagons
• The men laughed at him but obliged.
• The man brought his ox and yoked him up, then whipped him and called him rude names and told him to go. But the ox wouldn't go.
• The man sadly pays the forfeit and takes his ox home, where he cries on his bed.
• As he gets about his work, he goes to feed the ox who asks why he whipped him and called him rude names...he had never done that before, he had always been a kind master
• The man apologizes and promises never to do that again, and the ox promises to gain back what he lost
• So they go into the village the next day and the man bets TWO thousand pieces of silver that his ox can pull 100 carts
• This time the man compliments his ox and strokes him and pats his neck
• So the ox pulls all the carts, and the crowd has to pay back the forfeit the man lost
• So both ox and man went home, happy

Source: Jakata Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt (link)

Oxen and Cart (Wikimedia, link)

Week 9 Story: The Trial of Arjuna

“Silence! Silence in the courtroom!” the Judge calls as she pounds her gavel emphatically. “Now what do we have going on here?”

The prosecutor’s lawyer clears his throat and stands. “Your Honor, I am here today to represent Duryodhana, brother in law of Jayadratha, who accuses the defendant of murdering Jayadratha.”

“I see,” says the Judge, with a hint of interest. “Defendant, what do you have to say?”

The defendant’s lawyer stands and says “Good morning Judge, I am representing Arjuna, who is being tried for the murder of Jayadratha.”

The Judge barks, “Well, don’t keep me in suspense, defendant! What does he plead?”

“Guilty, your honor.”

“Well then, what’s the debate? Why are you in my courtroom?” The Judge had not had her morning coffee and may have been a bit hungover from the night before, so she was not in the mood to draw this out.

The defendant draws a lightly nervous breath – he knew this case was a far stretch, but he was being paid to give it a shot. “Your Honor, Arjuna believes that the murder was justified. You see, the murdered party in question, Jayadratha, had trapped and killed Arjuna’s young son earlier that same day. What else was Arjuna to do but to avenge the death of his only son?”

The Judge feels her headache intensify at the decision she’s going to have to make, but a flicker of curiosity prompts her to ask, “How, exactly, did the defendant murder Jayadratha?”

The lawyer responds, “You see, your Honor, Arjuna had made a fairly specific vow that he would kill Jayadratha that same day. Jayadratha, however, learned of the revenge plan and decides to hide for the rest of the day. I won’t pass any judgement on his character, your Honor, but…that’s up to you. Anyway, Arjuna learns of his target’s location and recruits a friend with special effects capabilities to fake a sunset. When Jayadratha sees that the sun had supposedly set he leaves his hiding place, and Arjuna kills him to fulfill his vow.”

The Judge really just wishes she had a Gatorade and an Advil right now. “Well he’s definitely guilty, but I guess it was justified. Free the man, let him go. Case closed.”

The courtroom swells into a rumble of disbelief, and Duryodhana drops his cup of coffee as the prosecuting lawyer shoots to his feet, “But your Honor-“

“SILENCE!” The Judge pounds her gavel hard enough to make herself wince. “I have made my decision! Now all of you get out of my courtroom!”

Arjuna Kills Jayadratha [Wikimedia, link]

Author's Note: I took the brief story from the Mahabharata about Arjuna killing Jayadratha and modernized it. I consulted the list of different writing stories to maybe mix things up a bit, and the "courtroom setting" looked like it would apply well to a story about murder. To keep the story short, I gave the judge a hangover so she wouldn't be in the mood for a bunch of debating. And frankly, she had to let him go so he could go kill more people later on in the Mahabharata.

Source: Reading Guide for Narayan's Mahabharata, by Laura Gibbs [link]

Reading Notes: Narayan's Mahabharata Part D

• Krishna goes to Hastinapura
• He's an emissary for Yudhishthira's final plea for peace
• Dhritarashtra wants a lavish reception for Krishna, but Vidura explains that K would prefer peace and justice over Stuff.
• In an interesting non sequitur, Duryodhana plans to take Krishna captive
• Krishna sees Kunti and brings her news of her sons
• Dury rejects the peace offering, so Krishna manifests himself before things can get too messy, forcing Dury to realize he can't be imprisoned.
• Karna promises to single out Arjuna, and only Arjuna, in the coming battle and promises his mom Kunti
• All Hell Breaks Loose
• Arjuna is led away from the main battle by a diversion from Drona
• In his absence, his [young] sun Abhimanyu is asked to penetrate the enemy's formation, which he does but doesn't know how to escape
• So Jayadratha, Dury's bro-in-law, traps Abhi and kills him. sad day.
• Arjuna learns of his son's death and vows to kill Jayadratha before the next day is over
• Jaya hides and only comes out when the sun sets bc he's a coward, but it was a trick where Krishna had used his discus to make it seem like the sunset. Arjuna slays Jaya to fulfil his vow.
• Remember Karna's vow to kill Arjuna? They fight until Karna's chariot wheel gets stuck in the mud, he begs for mercy, but Krishna urges Arjuna to end him anyway (so he does.)
• Dury gets sad cause his army is sucking and hides out at the bottom of a lake
• He comes out for a final duel with Bhima (who fatally wounds him). Dury makes excuses about Krishna's trickery, but Krishna insists that karma brought the deaths of the warriors. Then Dury is killed.
• End of the batle
• The Pandavas go to Hastinapura
• Everyone is really sad; they bury the dead but Yud feels no joy in the victory
• Yud steps down as king and appoints Arjuna in his place, but his family and Krishna complain until he agrees to become king
• The End
• Yud consults the still dying Bhisma to learn about kingship
• The losing side of the war go to live in the forest and die in a forest fire
• Krishna's people destroy themselves in a civil war and the city is swallowed by the sea
• Krishna is killed on the bank of a river by a hunter who mistook his feet for birds
• The Pandavas die one by one until only Yud lives, and he departs for heaven in his bodily forn
• Arjuna's grandson, Parikshit son of Abhimanyu, grows up to be king at Hastinapura to continue the Pandava line
• From Reading Guide for Narayan's Mahabharata, by Laura Gibbs [link]

Arjuna and Krishna [Wikimedia, link]

Week 8 Progress

• Looking Back
• So far, I am happy with my progress. I've gone from eking out a story based on another story, to creating my own narrative in different styles lightly guided by a previous story. My weekly routine is not exactly what you might call good, but I've pretty solidly been taking the time after PT and before my first class of the day to get the assignments done. I don't know if I'm getting old or what, but it's become really hard to do work in the evenings...my parents always told me I'd grow up to be a morning person, I suppose. I enjoy the storytelling class assignments, particularly the microfictions that I dabbled in. I have not yet done any extra credit - every week I promise myself I will, so surely I'll get to it eventually. I'm pleased with the development of my blog, because it was something I was very uncomfortable with at first but now I'm whipping out blog posts like it's no big deal!
• Looking Forward
• As with my entire educational career, I find myself needing to break the cycle of procrastination. Staying on top of the assignments will minimize my suffering for sure...and this IS the last semester of my undergrad, ever. I will continue to experiment with new writing styles, probably as suggested in the assignments, but I don't have any changes to make to my blog. The website still needs a little shuffling and personalization though. Time is limited...but we're gonna make it.

Encouragement [Saying Images, link]

Week 8 Comments and Feedback

• Feedback In
• So far, I've enjoyed the comments I've received from the other students in the class. They tend to be more positive and supportive than actually constructive, but there have been a couple comments that I have noted and used for edits. The most useful ones are usually the "but did you think of this?" comments. Odds are I did, but maybe didn't portray it clearly enough for the reader to pick up what I was thinking.
• Feedback Out
• I think I have been leaving some solid comments and feedback for other students. I always make sure to leave an actionable suggestion, not just affirmation, in order to help improve their writings. I like the WWW model because it balances affirmation, possibilities for expansion, and edits and therefore does not come across as just affirming or conversely too critical.
• Blog Comments
• I do feel like I've been getting to know people via their blogs. Most of them have been pretty memorable so if I encounter their writings again I recognize and remember the author! I'm still happy with my introduction post and blog format because it is pretty memorable (my life is a bit surprising to most people); my only concern is that having read many other blogs, some are significantly longer than mine. I debated going back and adding more details, but ultimately I think I wrote enough to be memorable, and I hit on most of my major highlights...for the moment.
• Looking Forward
• I have noticed through this exercise that I don't really value feedback that has no constructive criticism or suggestions for improvement. Sometimes it can be hard to give out what may seem like negative comments, but ultimately those are useful and affirmation is not, so I'll try to always include that kind of feedback (thus the WWW model, which combines both.) I might make my Comment Wall more interesting, like including a meme or something, because I've decided the wall does not properly represent the dynamic nature of the stories.

You can learn! [Growth Mindset Memes, link]

I think this meme is really important to the feedback process, because often criticism can be misconstrued as an attack. I personally don't enjoy getting criticism, because it sometimes feels like someone is tearing down what I have worked on. However, it is important to remember that feedback is not personal, and to take those suggestions are learn from them instead of getting hung up on a perceived emotional attack.

Week 8 Reading and Writing

In reflection of the past 7 weeks in this course, I think I have made progress. The reading assignments got a lot easier once I realized I didn't have to take notes on every single story, and my bullet point format works outstandingly when it comes to the storytelling assignments. I really enjoy the writing assignments, because it is a creative outlet that I don't really get in most of my focused upper-division classes.

I am happy with my blog, and have in fact shown it to a couple people. The coloration and format suit me, personally, very well, and I think all my writings look neat and organized. My project website could still use a little tweaking, but that is a much newer endeavor and there is still plenty of time to make edits as I realize I need them.

I've only written the introduction to my project so far, but I really like the way it turned out and am pretty confident I can write up the other stories in the same way. My story posts are pretty satisfying as well, and I have enjoyed experimenting with different styles of storytelling.

My reading notes so far have been dead on for writing the stories, as I've figured out just how much detail to include to stay true to the story line, without cramping my own ideas or being stuck in the original story.

Rama and Sita's Wedding (Creative Commons)

This image of Rama and Sita has been my favorite so far. I love the bright colors and the dimension in it, and it properly portrays the love in their eyes...or so I think. 

Looking forward, I need to stay more on top of the assignments for class. Ideally, I should work ahead and do the assignments before they are due; in reality, I tend to run out of time for that. The grace period has been pulling me through but I know I've missed a few assignments, for which I should also get on the Extra Credit to make up. Writing-wise, I want to continue exploring different styles and broaden my writing horizons, to get out of the rut of my normal style of writing. 

And that is all! I look forward to making more progress and learning more things in this class throughout my last semester of college.

Reading Notes: Narayan's Mahabharata Part C

• Duryodhana's kinda being a pain
• He still has a vendetta against the Pandavas and caught a whiff of Arjuna's new weapons, so he decides to make a royal camp near them in order to shame/humiliate them
• The gods aren't having any of that; they send a gandharva who provokes Dur, and during the following battle they take him captive
• The Pandavas free him cause, apparently, they're not as petty. Unfortunately, that means Dur's plan has entirely backfired.
• The voice in the lake
• The Pandavas are living in a forest
• They are approached by a desperate brahmin who has had his staff and sacrificial kindling stolen by a mysterious giant deer
• They chase the deer, but to [no one's] great surprise - they can't catch it
• They're thirsty after actually putting some exercise in, so they look for water
• Nakula finds a lake, but a voice tells him that before drinking he must answer some questions. He ignores the voice, drinks, and dies.
• It must run in the family, cause one by one Sahadeva, Arjuna, and Bhima all do the same
• Yudhishthira comes up to find them all dead. He learns it was a test by his father Yama (god of death and Dharma) and the brothers come back to life and receive the "gift" (?) of unrecognizability for their 13th year of exile
• Stealth Mode
• For their 13th year of exile, they hid in the court of King Virata
• Yudhishthira was the king's companion and dice buddy, Bhima was a cook, Nakula was a stable boy, Sahadeva was a cowherd, Arjuna (now going by Brihannala) was a eunuch in the women's quarters, and Draupadi (now dubbed Sairandhri) was Queen Sudeshna's hairdresser
• Draupadi was raped by Kichaka (Queen Sudeshna's brother) so Bhima avenges her by squeezing Kichaka to death

The Pandavas and Draupadi (Wiki Commons, link)

Microfiction: Mahabharata Minis

6 Word Story


The Curse of Pandu

Here Lies Pandu

Loved to Death

(A Part 2)

Also Madri;

Couldn't Live Without Him

25 Word Story

Krishna Defends Draupadi's Dignity

Gambled away by her husband, Draupadi is dragged out and physically stripped in front of a crowd; by Krishna's power another sari appears on her.

Madri on Pandu's Pyre (Uncle Katha, link)

Author's Note:

I had a bunch of ideas for the 6 word story but the format really lent itself to an epitaph or tombstone. Thus, I abbreviated down the death of Pandu, who died making love to his wife Madri due to a curse placed on him by a celestial being, and then I included Madri's as well because she climbed onto his funeral pyre with him and died too. Tombstones don't really require a lot of detail, and the 6 word stories do not allow for much so I'm pleased with the way these turned out.

I was really thriving on the as-few-as-possible word count stories, so I next tried out the 25 word story. This was a very short version of Yudhishthira gambling away his brothers, himself, and finally their wife, who was indeed seized and stripped but prayed to Krishna to preserve her. This one was a little more difficult as I had to shuffle and adjust the words quite a few times to make a cohesive sentence but stay at 25 words.

Bibliography:

Narayan's Mahabharata Reading Guide, by Laura Gibbs (link)

Reading Notes: Narayan's Mahabharata Part B

• The Pandavas are still alive
• Everyone's fighting about what to do with them, but finally Dhritarashtra gives them part of his kingdom
• They build a city called Indraprastha
• The sage Narada visits the Pandavas to warn them about possible conflicts that could happen since they're sharing Draupadi as their wife
• For example, Arjuna intruded on Yudhishtira and D during the year they were exclusive (essentially,) he goes into exile for 12 years...and finds two more wives, Ulupi and Subhadra, so don't feel too bad for him
• The Dangerous Dice
• Shakuni suggests to Duryodhana that they can get revenge on the Pandavas via a game of dice
• Shakuni is really good; Yudhishthira (crowned the king of Indraprastha) is not.
• Vyasa visits the Pandavas and warns them of the bad omens incoming
• Vidura comes to invite them to Dhritarashtra's newly built Crystal Palace for a game of dice, and Yudhishthira cannot refuse the challenge so they go to Hastinapura
• Game 1
• Shakuni plays in Duryodhana's place; Yudhishthira loses everything he owns
• Vidura urges Dhrit to put a stop to the game, but it keeps going
• Yud gambles away his brothers, then himself, then their wife
• Wifey Draupadi is NOT happy about this, wanting to know how it is possible for Yud to gamble her away if he had already staked himself and lost. Plus, she is on her period and doesn't want to be seen in public
• She is dragged into the assembly hall and is ordered to undress, so she desperately prays to Krishna. As her sari si pulled off, another replaces it
• Dhritarashtra gives Draupadi a wish (why? we don't really know) so she wishes that Yud be set free. He gives her another wish which she uses to free her other 4 husbands. She declines the third wish. So Dhrit gives back all the Pandava's posessions and sends them home in peace
• Weapons from the Gods
• Krishna pays Yud a visit and promises that Dury and his allies will be punished.
• Draupadi and Yud are having a bit of a quarrel about forgiveness and patience
• Vysas teaches Yud a mantra that makes it possible to get weapons from the gods
• Also teaches it to Arjuna (who's back from his exile)
• Arjuna rejects an apsara named Urvashi who fell in love with him, so she cursed him to live among women as a eunuch. However, Indra is impressed by his self-control so she tells him his curse will be a blessing later on.
• Reading Guide for Narayan's Mahabharata Part B, Laura Gibbs (link)

The Ill-Fated Game of Dice (Wikipedia, link)

Reading Notes: Narayan's Mahabharata Part A

• Shantanu and Ganga
• Shantanu is the ruler of Hastinapura
• Meets a mysterious woman by the river and falls in love with her
• She agrees to marry him, but he is never allowed to question her actions
• So, she drowns their babies in a river as they're born
• He can't take anymore by the 8th child and protests, so she explains she's the river Ganga reincarnated as a woman to give birth to eight gods, the Vasus, who are now trapped as humans as punishment for stealing a cow, but by drowning them she is returning them to heaven
• Shantanu Part 2: Satyavati
• She's a fisherman's daughter
• Shantanu wants to marry her of course, but her father protests because S already has an heir (Bhishma).
• Bhishma, being a very good son, renounces his claim to the throne AND the possibility of having children
• S and S have two sons, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya
• V ends up ruling and marries Ambika and Ambalika
• But he fathers no sons
• Heirs
• Stayavati begs Bhishma to father sons with the widows, but he won't because of his vow of celibacy
• She had another son from a wild story with a rishi named Parashara, named Vyasa (...who looks weird)
• Ambika closes her eyes because he looks gross, so their son Dhritarashtra is born blind
• Ambalika blanches from fear so their son Pandu is very pale
• Then Ambalika has her maid sleep with Vyasa instead, and because she liked him and reacted to him positively, their child was born normal
• Pandu's curse
• He has two wives, Kunti and Madri
• He was out hunting and shot a deer as it was having sex
• It was actually a celestial being in disguise, so it curses Pandu so that he will also die during sex
• Kunti has a mantra to summon the gods and have children by them, so they have 5 sons, called the Pandavas
• But, Pandu thought with his little head and could no longer resist Madri, so he dies during sex with her. She climbs onto his funeral pyre with him, so Kunti is alone to raise their 5 children
• Narayan's Mahabharata Reading Guide, by Laura Gibbs (link)

Satyavati and Shantanu (Ravi Varma, link)

Storybook Plan

A lot of the information from my Topic Research was pretty spot on, so at the risk of being redundant:

Story Sources

• The Jataka, Vol. II by W.H.D. Rouse (link here) for the Story of Kama-Vilapa-Jakata

• Tales of the Sun; or, Folklore of Southern India by Kingscote and Sastri (link here) for the Brahman Girl and the Tiger

• The Panchantra by Bidpai (link here) for the Mouse Who Was To Marry the Sun, along with a Chain Anthology (link here)

Each story will be an episode, and they will either be told from Kama's point of view, or possibly by a nameless narrator who can connect that story and what Kama does for it. These will be separate stories, but linked by Kama and probably the same storytelling styles.

The main idea would be how Kama influences love (or lust, according to some translation,) and I would like to convey how much of an impact love makes in every story.

Comment Wall

Kama, God of Love (Tanjore Heathen Gods, link)

The link to my Storybook: https://sites.google.com/view/talesoflove/home

Week 5 Story: Brother's Business

"Hey bro, wanna come watch my back while I kick some dude’s ass?”

Sugriva read the text from his older brother Vali and sighed. He had better things to do than be engaging in another one of his brother’s fights, but being younger he often got dragged into his brother’s problems anyway. He begrudgingly throws on a hoodie and meets his brother outside in the quickly darkening twilight.

Sugriva is stationed outside a drugstore by the place where Vali planned the confrontation, to be a lookout and emergency backup. He yawns and pulls out his phone to check SnapChat while waiting for his brother to take care of business. He idly clicks through SnapChat stories, only really paying attention when Vali’s girlfriend’s pictures popped up…he thought she was really hot, but obviously his brother had pounced first…as usual. He grumbles to himself as a text from his brother pops up on his phone.

“Lil bro, I chased this jackass into a dark alley. Come stand guard at the mouth of it until I come back.”

Why did Vali have to be so bossy? Sugriva drags his feet but, unable to say no to his big brother, shuffles to the alley and waits. He expected Vali to come swaggering out, wiping sweat off his face in twenty, maybe thirty minutes tops. But Vali doesn’t come. Sugriva waits an hour, then another, then another, until the sun starts to rise and early morning runners begin to give him suspicious looks as they jog by.  He decides to text his brother…what was taking so long?

“Dude, where are you?”

                                No answer.

“It’s literally already morning, people are looking at me like I’M gonna drag them into the alley and beat them up. You done yet?”

                                Still no answer.

Sugriva decides maybe a phone call will make the matter seem more urgent. He dials Vali but the phone rings and goes to voicemail.

               

Tuesday. 9:30 a.m. “Dude, It’s been a whole day. I’ve gotta go home…I mean, I assume you’re okay? If you are you should pick up my freakin’ calls.”

                

Wednesday. 8 p.m. “Vali this isn’t funny anymore. Come home, your girlfriend’s worried…and, um, I guess I kinda am too. Never thought I’d miss your annoying ass.”

                

Friday. 12:45 p.m. “Dude I don’t know what the hell kinda stunt you’re pulling, but your girlfriend’s really upset. I’ve been spending a ton of time with her…comforting her…um, anyway, sorry I dipped when I was supposed to be guarding your back. I kinda figured you’d come back later…”

               

Monday. 9:25 p.m. “Vali…you’re not coming back, are you. PLEASE answer me. Tell me I’m wrong.”

               

Thursday. 10 a.m. “I don’t know why I’m still calling your voicemail…I guess it kinda makes me feel better, since I know I’ll never REALLY talk to you again. I, uh, started dating your girlfriend. She was really upset and missed you and I kinda stepped in to comfort her…so she’s mine now. Hope you’re doing okay wherever you are big bro…rest in peace.”

Missed Messages (Stephen Krow, link)

Author’s Note: This was an adaptation of the story of Sugriva and Vali, where Vali went into a hole to fight an enemy; after a year Sugriva assumed he was dead and went home to take over his brother’s kingdom (represented here by Vali’s girlfriend.) Vali returns eventually and exiles Sugriva. It's set in a modern context emphasizing modern technology, which probably should have improved their communication skills (but did not.)

Source: Ramayana, The Epic of Rama, Prince of India by Romesh Dutt (link)