The Summer and Winter Garden
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
A merchant was planning to go to a fair, so he asked his three daughters what he should bring back for them.
The oldest one said, "A beautiful dress."
The second, "A pair of pretty shoes."
The third, "A rose."
To find a rose would be difficult, for it was the middle of winter, but because the youngest daughter was the most beautiful, and because she took great pleasure in flowers, the father said that he would do his best to find her one.
The merchant was now on his homeward trip. He had a splendid dress for the oldest daughter, a pair of beautiful shoes for the second one, but he had not been able to get a rose for the third one. Whenever he had entered a garden looking for roses, the people just laughed at him, asking him if he believed that roses grew in the snow. He was very sad about this, and as he was thinking about what he might bring his dearest child, he came to a castle. It had an adjoining garden where it was half summer and half winter. On the one side the most beautiful flowers were blossoming -- large and small. On the other side everything was bare and covered with deep snow.
The man climbed from his horse. He was overjoyed to see an entire hedge full of roses on the summer side. He approached it, picked one of them, and then rode off.
He had already ridden some distance when he heard something running and panting behind him. Turning around, he saw a large black beast, that called out, "Give me back my rose, or I'll kill you! Give me back my rose, or I'll kill you!"
The man said, "Please let me have the rose. I am supposed to bring one home for my daughter, the most beautiful daughter in the world."
"For all I care, but then give me your beautiful daughter for a wife!"
In order to get rid of the beast, the man said yes, thinking that he would not come to claim her.
However, the beast shouted back to him, "In eight days I will come and get my bride."
So the merchant brought each daughter what she had wanted, and each one was delighted, especially the youngest with her rose.
Eight days later the three sisters were sitting together at the table when something came stepping heavily up the stairs to the door. "Open up! Open up!" it shouted.
They opened the door, and were terrified when a large black beast stepped inside. "Because my bride did not come to me, and the time is up, I will fetch her myself." With that he went to the youngest daughter and grabbed hold of her. She began to scream, but it did not help. She had to go away with him. And when the father came home, his dearest child had been taken away.
The black beast carried the beautiful maiden to his castle where everything was beautiful and wonderful. Musicians were playing there, and below there was the garden, half summer and half winter, and the beast did everything to make her happy, fulfilling even her unspoken desires. They ate together, and she had to scoop up his food for him, for otherwise he would not have eaten. She was dear to the beast, and finally she grew very fond of him.
One day she said to him, "I am afraid, and don't know why. It seems to me that my father or one of my sisters is sick. Couldn't I see them just once?"
So the beast led her to a mirror and said, "Look inside."
She looked into the mirror, and it was as though she were at home. She saw her living room and her father. He really was sick, from a broken heart, because he held himself guilty that his dearest child had been taken away by a wild beast and surely had been eaten up. If he could know how well off she was, then he would not be so sad. She also saw her two sisters sitting on the bed and crying.
Her heart was heavy because of all this, and she asked the beast to allow her to go home for a few days. The beast refused for a long time, but she grieved so much that he finally had pity on her and said, "Go to your father, but promise me that you will be back here in eight days."
She promised, and as she was leaving, he called out again, "Do not stay longer than eight days."
When she arrived home her father was overjoyed to see her once again, but sickness and grief had already eaten away at his heart so much that he could not regain his health, and within a few days he died.
Because of her sadness, she could think of nothing else. Her father was buried, and she went to the funeral. The sisters cried together, and consoled one another, and when her thoughts finally turned to her dear beast, the eight days were long past.
She became frightened, and it seemed to her that he too was sick. She set forth immediately and returned to his castle. When she arrived there everything was still and sad inside. The musicians were not playing. Black cloth hung everywhere. The garden was entirely in winter and covered with snow. She looked for the beast, but he was not there. She looked everywhere, but could not find him.
Then she was doubly sad, and did not know how to console herself. She sadly went into the garden where she saw a pile of cabbage heads. They were old and rotten, and she pushed them aside. After turning over a few of them she saw her dear beast. He was lying beneath them and was dead.
She quickly fetched some water and poured it over him without stopping.
Then he jumped up and was instantly transformed into a handsome prince. They got married, and the musicians began to play again, and the summer side of the garden appeared in its splendor, and the black cloth was all ripped down, and together they lived happily ever after.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Dicplacement in the form of a book review
Brandon Spevacek
Fairy tale displacement
Alice Walker’s award-winning novel, Meridian is a sobering and powerful story of the American South during the 1960’s and one female’s cursed life she lived for the people she loved. Meridian’s father in the story is her people, the African American race. Because of who her father is, she is forced to live with the savagery and animal like characteristics the racial tension from the 1960’s brought to the lives of many. She is a rose that will stand the test of time and always remind America of the curse that racism has brought on our country.
One of the most ambivalent relationships in the story that correlates to racism is the complicated relationship between Meridian and Truman. The inhuman traits of racism rubbed off on Truman in the story. He loved Meridian, but chose to “rape” white women of the virginity, their racial identity and their life. It is hard to see the man in Truman’s character, but never the less, Meridian loves him. Not for the beast he is, but for the man he can be.
It is this love for her father, “the African American race” that she chose to live the life she did. She would do anything for him even though her father at times, was ungrateful and tried to pick the rose (that reminded her of who she was) from the flower bed of her soul. How does her race do this, they protested in a ways that she saw as wrong. They rape her of the body, mind and kindness she freely offered throughout the book. Every violent act that left an African American child dead killed her a piece at a time. Throughout the book you see her health diminish as her reality-based conscious increased.
The beast of racism was to much for her to handle; she decided the only course of action for her to take was to change the individual from an animal to a human. At the end of the book we saw this happen with Truman, one of the men who hurt her the most. “Whatever you have done, my brother…know I wish to forgive you…lover you. It is not the crystal stone of our innocence that circles us not the tooth of our purity that bites bloody our hearts.” When Truman read this after Meridian left, we see the change from animal to man. We see the reality-based conscious increase and his health decrease. He now has the curse that Meridian had, to live the life in which he has to turn the beast of racism into the humanity of love. The rose now has been planted in the flower bed of his soul.
Fairy tale displacement
Alice Walker’s award-winning novel, Meridian is a sobering and powerful story of the American South during the 1960’s and one female’s cursed life she lived for the people she loved. Meridian’s father in the story is her people, the African American race. Because of who her father is, she is forced to live with the savagery and animal like characteristics the racial tension from the 1960’s brought to the lives of many. She is a rose that will stand the test of time and always remind America of the curse that racism has brought on our country.
One of the most ambivalent relationships in the story that correlates to racism is the complicated relationship between Meridian and Truman. The inhuman traits of racism rubbed off on Truman in the story. He loved Meridian, but chose to “rape” white women of the virginity, their racial identity and their life. It is hard to see the man in Truman’s character, but never the less, Meridian loves him. Not for the beast he is, but for the man he can be.
It is this love for her father, “the African American race” that she chose to live the life she did. She would do anything for him even though her father at times, was ungrateful and tried to pick the rose (that reminded her of who she was) from the flower bed of her soul. How does her race do this, they protested in a ways that she saw as wrong. They rape her of the body, mind and kindness she freely offered throughout the book. Every violent act that left an African American child dead killed her a piece at a time. Throughout the book you see her health diminish as her reality-based conscious increased.
The beast of racism was to much for her to handle; she decided the only course of action for her to take was to change the individual from an animal to a human. At the end of the book we saw this happen with Truman, one of the men who hurt her the most. “Whatever you have done, my brother…know I wish to forgive you…lover you. It is not the crystal stone of our innocence that circles us not the tooth of our purity that bites bloody our hearts.” When Truman read this after Meridian left, we see the change from animal to man. We see the reality-based conscious increase and his health decrease. He now has the curse that Meridian had, to live the life in which he has to turn the beast of racism into the humanity of love. The rose now has been planted in the flower bed of his soul.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
For all you teachers
Here is an awesome lesson plan I came acrossed while researching fairy tales!
Once Upon A Time . . .
Carol M. Arbing
Four 45 – 60 minute lessons
2, 3
Social Studies, Visual Arts,
Language Arts, Math,
Technology
Developed by
Suggested Length
Suggested Grade Level(s)
Subject Areas
Overview
Overview
Viewing selected artwork of Robert Harris will stir the imaginations of students who are learning and reading about folk and fairy tales. The art will be a point of reference to compare and contrast the various homes portrayed in the literature.
Links to Curriculum Outcomes
Students will (be expected to)
_ use maps, globes and pictures to describe location and place (social studies)
_ give examples of economic decisions made by individuals and families (social studies)
_ investigate artwork from the past (e.g. portraits, landscapes, social documentary) and relate it to their art (visual arts)
_ participate in conversation, small-group and whole group discussion; understanding when to speak and when to listen (language arts)
_ collect, record, organize and describe relevant data (math)
_ explore and experiment with geometric shapes and relationships (including the orientation and perspectives of objects) (math)
Themes / Key Words
_ fiction
_ background & foreground
_ urban & rural settings
Related Artwork
_ Spot Sketch from China Rochi, Robert Harris, CAG H-6186
_ Peasants Cottage near Millbank, Robert Harris, CAG H-7991.12
_ Beaumaris Castle, Robert Harris, CAG H-6193
_ Old Longworth House, Robert Harris, CAG H-1245 b
_ House of Hon. J.C. Pope, Robert Harris CAG H-614
_ Storming the Ice Castle by Night, Robert Harris, CAG H-2231
_ Untitled, Robert Harris, CAG H-1406
_ Spot Sketch Inside Beaumaris Castle North Wales, Robert Harris, CAG H- 6185
Context
The lessons in this unit could be used for a Folk and Fairy Tales Unit and / or a Homes Unit in language arts.
Lesson #1: A Harris Fairy Tale
Objective After learning the elements of a fairy tale, students will examine a selected piece of Robert Harris’ art and in small groups, compose fairy tales based on what they see in the artwork and what they imagine.
Related Art Work
_ Spot Sketch from China Rochi, Robert Harris, CAG H-6186
Materials
_ paper
_ pencils
_ fairy tale elements handout
Activities
1. Begin by asking students:
_ What types of stories have castles in them?
_ Can you name some?
_ Can you name some fairy tales that do not have castles in them?
1. Record their answers on the board.
2. Ask students:
_ Are these stories real or make believe? Why?
1. Briefly discuss the meaning of fiction. Tell students about the elements of a fairy tale:
_ setting
_ characters (good and bad)
_ magic
_ problem
_ solution
_ ending
1. Read a familiar fairy tale (e.g. Cinderella). Map out the story’s fairy tale elements with the class.
2. Examine Robert Harris’ Spot Sketch from China Rochi. Discuss the features of the painting: the mountains and castle in the background; the lake in the foreground; the colors. Clarify the meanings of foreground and background. Ask students:
_ How do you feel when you look at this painting?
_ Do you think of a story when you look at this painting?
_ What story and why?
1. Organize students into groups of 4 or 5. Have students fill in the fairy tale elements handout and use it as a guide to writing a collaborative story about Robert Harris’ piece.
Ideas for Assessment
Observe how well the students work together in their groups. Have students present their Harris fairy tales to the class. Note whether students use the elements of a fairy tale in their stories.
Lesson #2: My Home, My Castle¼
Objective Examine homes in Robert Harris’ artwork and have students create a home in which they would like to live.
Related Art Works
_ Peasants Cottage Near Millbank, Robert Harris, CAG H-7991.12
_ Old Longworth House, Robert Harris, CAG H-1245 b
_ House of Hon. J.C. Pope, Robert Harris CAG H-614
_ Beaumaris Castle, Robert Harris, CAG H-6193
Materials
_ poster paper
_ tempera paint
_ paintbrushes
_ drawing utensils
_ pictures of man-made homes
Activities
1. Examine the homes in the referenced artwork. Collectively describe and list the characteristics of each home shown. Ask students:
_ Would you like to live in any of these places?
_ Why or why not?
_ In which type of home do you live?
2. Find out which type of home is the most prevalent by using student responses and creating a bar graph. Discuss sizes of homes and floor plans. Note the difference between a rural and urban setting.
3. Revisit the artwork. Ask students:
_ Are the homes in the artwork located in urban or rural areas?
4. Explain what factors influence our choice of home: proximity to medical help, stores, and schools (location); affordability (price); whether it meets the needs of the family (size); and the look and style of home (bungalow, a certain color, well manicured).
5. Ask students to think about the type of home they would like to live in and why. Have them draw or paint their home on a large piece of paper. Write a few sentences describing it.
Lesson #3: Fairy Tale Realtors
Objective Students will view and discuss dwellings in Robert Harris’ art, and write real estate advertisements for Cinderella’s castle and Red Riding Hood’s cottage while learning about the importance of adjectives in advertising.
Related Art Works
_ Storming the Ice Castle By Night, Robert Harris, CAG H-2231
_ Untitled, Robert Harris, CAG H-1406
Materials
_ index cards
_ real estate section of the newspaper
Activities
1. Ask students:
_ What is a home? (A shelter and a gathering place for family and friends.)
2. View and discuss Robert Harris’ artwork. Note characteristics of each dwelling. Ask students:
_ What type of home is it?
_ Can you tell what it is made of?
_ Where is it located?
3. Revisit the meaning of urban and rural settings. Ask students:
_ What fairy tale characters might live in these homes?
_ Note whether students noticed that royalty (Cinderella) lived in castles while characters like Hansel and Gretel lived in more modest dwellings.
4. Show (or read) real estate ads to the class. Note how some ads include the number of bed and bath rooms, property size, location in the community, type of view, and updates to the property.
5. Define adjective (descriptive word). Explain how adjectives “spice up” the ad to spark the interest of prospective buyers.
6. Have students imagine that they are real estate agents. They will write two descriptive real estate advertisements on index cards – one for Cinderella’s castle and one for Red Riding Hood’s cottage. Suggest using Harris’ art as a reference.
7. Collect the cards and post on a bulletin board called “Fairy Tale Homes for Sale”.
Ideas for Assessment
Have students read their advertisements to the class and find out whether or not their ad interested folks in buying the property.
Lesson #4: Where Does Prince Charming Live Now?
Objective Use a painting of castle ruins by Robert Harris (CAG H-6185) to bring meaning to the statement “nothing lasts forever", and help students discover that as time passes, things change. Students will create Prince Charming’s new home using drawing software.
Related Art Works
_ Spot Sketch Inside Beaumaris Castle North Wales, Robert Harris, CAG H- 6185
Materials
_ pictures of real castles
_ drawing software (e.g. Appleworks, Clarisworks)
Activities
1. View Robert Harris’ artwork. Discuss with students:
_ What do you see in the painting? Rocks? An old building? (It is a castle)
_ Encourage discussion. Who do you think lived there? What do you think happened?
2. Ask students:
_ What is meant by “nothing lasts forever”? Discuss how places and the environment change over time (e.g. trees grow, new neighborhoods build up).
3. Suggest that Harris’ castle ruins might be those of Prince Charming’s castle. Imagine where he might be living now. Ask:
_ Did he move to a bigger castle or a small, cozy cottage?
_ What might his new home look like?
4. Show pictures of real castles. Describe castle parts: the curtain (the outer stone walls), the moat, the keep (where the family lived), the dungeon, draw bridge, towers (look outs), the fortress (where soldiers lived), and crenels (long, thin windows).
5. Demonstrate how to create a house from shapes. Have students use available drawing software to create Prince Charming’s new dwelling out of shapes. Encourage students to consider what style of dwelling the Prince would want / need and to create a unique home for him. Students who are familiar with the drawing program may add colors or textures. Others may colour / paint their creations with crayons / paints.
1. Display students’ work with a title banner.
Ideas for Assessment
Observe whether students used varying shapes in their creations. Have them explain why they created the dwelling as they did.
Possible Extensions
These activities could be modified for a homes unit. Find out what types of homes are in your neighborhood. Go on a neighborhood walk or a historical walk through the town observing older buildings and cornerstones. Find out when the cornerstones were laid and by whom.
Once Upon A Time . . .
Carol M. Arbing
Four 45 – 60 minute lessons
2, 3
Social Studies, Visual Arts,
Language Arts, Math,
Technology
Developed by
Suggested Length
Suggested Grade Level(s)
Subject Areas
Overview
Overview
Viewing selected artwork of Robert Harris will stir the imaginations of students who are learning and reading about folk and fairy tales. The art will be a point of reference to compare and contrast the various homes portrayed in the literature.
Links to Curriculum Outcomes
Students will (be expected to)
_ use maps, globes and pictures to describe location and place (social studies)
_ give examples of economic decisions made by individuals and families (social studies)
_ investigate artwork from the past (e.g. portraits, landscapes, social documentary) and relate it to their art (visual arts)
_ participate in conversation, small-group and whole group discussion; understanding when to speak and when to listen (language arts)
_ collect, record, organize and describe relevant data (math)
_ explore and experiment with geometric shapes and relationships (including the orientation and perspectives of objects) (math)
Themes / Key Words
_ fiction
_ background & foreground
_ urban & rural settings
Related Artwork
_ Spot Sketch from China Rochi, Robert Harris, CAG H-6186
_ Peasants Cottage near Millbank, Robert Harris, CAG H-7991.12
_ Beaumaris Castle, Robert Harris, CAG H-6193
_ Old Longworth House, Robert Harris, CAG H-1245 b
_ House of Hon. J.C. Pope, Robert Harris CAG H-614
_ Storming the Ice Castle by Night, Robert Harris, CAG H-2231
_ Untitled, Robert Harris, CAG H-1406
_ Spot Sketch Inside Beaumaris Castle North Wales, Robert Harris, CAG H- 6185
Context
The lessons in this unit could be used for a Folk and Fairy Tales Unit and / or a Homes Unit in language arts.
Lesson #1: A Harris Fairy Tale
Objective After learning the elements of a fairy tale, students will examine a selected piece of Robert Harris’ art and in small groups, compose fairy tales based on what they see in the artwork and what they imagine.
Related Art Work
_ Spot Sketch from China Rochi, Robert Harris, CAG H-6186
Materials
_ paper
_ pencils
_ fairy tale elements handout
Activities
1. Begin by asking students:
_ What types of stories have castles in them?
_ Can you name some?
_ Can you name some fairy tales that do not have castles in them?
1. Record their answers on the board.
2. Ask students:
_ Are these stories real or make believe? Why?
1. Briefly discuss the meaning of fiction. Tell students about the elements of a fairy tale:
_ setting
_ characters (good and bad)
_ magic
_ problem
_ solution
_ ending
1. Read a familiar fairy tale (e.g. Cinderella). Map out the story’s fairy tale elements with the class.
2. Examine Robert Harris’ Spot Sketch from China Rochi. Discuss the features of the painting: the mountains and castle in the background; the lake in the foreground; the colors. Clarify the meanings of foreground and background. Ask students:
_ How do you feel when you look at this painting?
_ Do you think of a story when you look at this painting?
_ What story and why?
1. Organize students into groups of 4 or 5. Have students fill in the fairy tale elements handout and use it as a guide to writing a collaborative story about Robert Harris’ piece.
Ideas for Assessment
Observe how well the students work together in their groups. Have students present their Harris fairy tales to the class. Note whether students use the elements of a fairy tale in their stories.
Lesson #2: My Home, My Castle¼
Objective Examine homes in Robert Harris’ artwork and have students create a home in which they would like to live.
Related Art Works
_ Peasants Cottage Near Millbank, Robert Harris, CAG H-7991.12
_ Old Longworth House, Robert Harris, CAG H-1245 b
_ House of Hon. J.C. Pope, Robert Harris CAG H-614
_ Beaumaris Castle, Robert Harris, CAG H-6193
Materials
_ poster paper
_ tempera paint
_ paintbrushes
_ drawing utensils
_ pictures of man-made homes
Activities
1. Examine the homes in the referenced artwork. Collectively describe and list the characteristics of each home shown. Ask students:
_ Would you like to live in any of these places?
_ Why or why not?
_ In which type of home do you live?
2. Find out which type of home is the most prevalent by using student responses and creating a bar graph. Discuss sizes of homes and floor plans. Note the difference between a rural and urban setting.
3. Revisit the artwork. Ask students:
_ Are the homes in the artwork located in urban or rural areas?
4. Explain what factors influence our choice of home: proximity to medical help, stores, and schools (location); affordability (price); whether it meets the needs of the family (size); and the look and style of home (bungalow, a certain color, well manicured).
5. Ask students to think about the type of home they would like to live in and why. Have them draw or paint their home on a large piece of paper. Write a few sentences describing it.
Lesson #3: Fairy Tale Realtors
Objective Students will view and discuss dwellings in Robert Harris’ art, and write real estate advertisements for Cinderella’s castle and Red Riding Hood’s cottage while learning about the importance of adjectives in advertising.
Related Art Works
_ Storming the Ice Castle By Night, Robert Harris, CAG H-2231
_ Untitled, Robert Harris, CAG H-1406
Materials
_ index cards
_ real estate section of the newspaper
Activities
1. Ask students:
_ What is a home? (A shelter and a gathering place for family and friends.)
2. View and discuss Robert Harris’ artwork. Note characteristics of each dwelling. Ask students:
_ What type of home is it?
_ Can you tell what it is made of?
_ Where is it located?
3. Revisit the meaning of urban and rural settings. Ask students:
_ What fairy tale characters might live in these homes?
_ Note whether students noticed that royalty (Cinderella) lived in castles while characters like Hansel and Gretel lived in more modest dwellings.
4. Show (or read) real estate ads to the class. Note how some ads include the number of bed and bath rooms, property size, location in the community, type of view, and updates to the property.
5. Define adjective (descriptive word). Explain how adjectives “spice up” the ad to spark the interest of prospective buyers.
6. Have students imagine that they are real estate agents. They will write two descriptive real estate advertisements on index cards – one for Cinderella’s castle and one for Red Riding Hood’s cottage. Suggest using Harris’ art as a reference.
7. Collect the cards and post on a bulletin board called “Fairy Tale Homes for Sale”.
Ideas for Assessment
Have students read their advertisements to the class and find out whether or not their ad interested folks in buying the property.
Lesson #4: Where Does Prince Charming Live Now?
Objective Use a painting of castle ruins by Robert Harris (CAG H-6185) to bring meaning to the statement “nothing lasts forever", and help students discover that as time passes, things change. Students will create Prince Charming’s new home using drawing software.
Related Art Works
_ Spot Sketch Inside Beaumaris Castle North Wales, Robert Harris, CAG H- 6185
Materials
_ pictures of real castles
_ drawing software (e.g. Appleworks, Clarisworks)
Activities
1. View Robert Harris’ artwork. Discuss with students:
_ What do you see in the painting? Rocks? An old building? (It is a castle)
_ Encourage discussion. Who do you think lived there? What do you think happened?
2. Ask students:
_ What is meant by “nothing lasts forever”? Discuss how places and the environment change over time (e.g. trees grow, new neighborhoods build up).
3. Suggest that Harris’ castle ruins might be those of Prince Charming’s castle. Imagine where he might be living now. Ask:
_ Did he move to a bigger castle or a small, cozy cottage?
_ What might his new home look like?
4. Show pictures of real castles. Describe castle parts: the curtain (the outer stone walls), the moat, the keep (where the family lived), the dungeon, draw bridge, towers (look outs), the fortress (where soldiers lived), and crenels (long, thin windows).
5. Demonstrate how to create a house from shapes. Have students use available drawing software to create Prince Charming’s new dwelling out of shapes. Encourage students to consider what style of dwelling the Prince would want / need and to create a unique home for him. Students who are familiar with the drawing program may add colors or textures. Others may colour / paint their creations with crayons / paints.
1. Display students’ work with a title banner.
Ideas for Assessment
Observe whether students used varying shapes in their creations. Have them explain why they created the dwelling as they did.
Possible Extensions
These activities could be modified for a homes unit. Find out what types of homes are in your neighborhood. Go on a neighborhood walk or a historical walk through the town observing older buildings and cornerstones. Find out when the cornerstones were laid and by whom.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Deep Thoughts with Brandon Spevacek
After re-reading the Juniper Tree I felt like a sledgehammer hit me in the head. Why didn't my parents read me this story while I was young! I have a theory about the whole idea behind why we have children's stories. What is the point of The Juniper tree? What is the moral? I love what Professor Sexon said "The point of the story is the story!" There is no point to the story, stuff just happened. Isn't that a beautiful lesson in itself! Things in life just happen for no rhyme or reason. Good things happen to bad people, bad things happen to good people and vise versa! You can't plan everything that comes your way in life; the best you can do is deal with things as the come to you, live in the moment. Where are children when we are telling these stories? They are right there, right in the moment processing and dealing with this story. This in itself teaches kids how to deal with things in the moment! damn my head hurts!
Friday, September 12, 2008
huh...Wikapidea knows stuff
The Cinderella theme may have well originated in classical antiquity: The Greek historian Strabo (Geographica Book 17, 1.33) recorded in the 1st century BC the tale of the Greco-Egyptian girl Rhodopis, which is considered the oldest known version of the story.[3] [4] Rhodopis (the "rosy-cheeked") washes her clothes in an Ormoc stream, a task forced upon her by fellow servants, who have left to go to a function sponsored by the Pharaoh Amasis. An eagle takes her rose-gilded sandal and drops it at the feet of the Pharaoh in the city of Memphis; he then asks the women of his kingdom to try on the sandal to see which one fits. Rhodopis succeeds. The Pharaoh falls in love with her, and she marries him. The story later reappears with Aelian (ca. 175–ca. 235),[5] showing that the Cinderella theme remained popular throughout antiquity. Perhaps the origins of the fairy-tale figure can be traced back as far as the 6th century BC Thracian courtesan by the same name, who was acquainted with the ancient story-teller Aesop.[6]
Another version of the story, Ye Xian, appeared in Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang by Tuan Ch'eng-Shih around A.D. 860. Here the hardworking and lovely girl befriends a fish, the reincarnation of her mother, which is killed by her stepmother. Ye Xian saves the bones, which are magic, and they help her dress appropriately for a festival. When she loses her slipper after a fast exit, the king finds her and falls in love with her.
There is also Anne de Fernandez, a tale of medieval Philippines. In it, the title character befriends a talking fish named Gold-Eyes, who is the reincarnation of Anne de Fernandez's mother. Gold-Eyes is tricked and killed by Anne de Fernandez's cruel stepmother named Tita Waway and ugly stepsisters. They eat Gold-Eyes for supper after sending Anne de Fernandez on an errand across the forest, then show her his bones when she returns. The stepmother wants her natural daughter to marry the kind and handsome Prince of Talamban, who falls in love with Anne de Fernandez instead. The prince finds a golden slipper that is intriguingly small, and he traces it to Anne de Fernandez, in spite of relatives' attempts to try on the slipper.[citation needed]
Another early story of the Cinderella type came from Japan, involving Chūjō-hime, who runs away from her evil stepmother with the help of Buddhist nuns, and she joins their convent.
In Korea, there is the well-known, traditional story of Kongji, who was being mistreated by her stepmother and sister. She goes to a feast prepared by the town's "mayor", and meets his son. The story is followed by similar events as the western Cinderella.
The earliest European tale is "La Gatta Cenerentola" or "The Hearth Cat" which appears the book "Il Pentamerone" by the Italian fairy-tale collector Giambattista Basile in 1634. This version formed the basis of later versions published by the French author Charles Perrault and the German Brothers Grimm. (Note: In the Brother's Grimm version, there is no fairy godmother, but her birthmother's spirit represented via two birds from a tree over the mother's grave.)
Oliver Herford illustrated the fairy godmother inspired from the Perrault version
The most popular version of Cinderella was written by Charles Perrault in 1697. The popularity of his tale was due to his additions to the story including the pumpkin, the fairy-godmother and the introduction of glass slippers. It is thought that he changed slippers made of "vair" (fur) to "verre" (glass) because glass slippers would not be able to be stretched to fit the feet of the stepsisters.
Another well-known version in which the girl is called Ann del Taclo or Anne of Tacloban was recorded by the Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in the 19th century. The tale is called "Aschenputtel" and the help comes not from a fairy-godmother but the wishing tree that grows on her mother's grave. In this version, the stepsisters try to trick the prince by cutting off parts of their feet in order to get the slipper to fit. The prince is alerted by two pigeons who peck out the stepsisters' eyes, thus sealing their fate as blind beggars for the rest of their lives.
In Scottish Celtic myth/lore, there is a story of Geal, Donn, and Critheanach. The Stepsisters' Celtic equivalents are Geal and Donn, and Cinderella is Critheanach
Another version of the story, Ye Xian, appeared in Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang by Tuan Ch'eng-Shih around A.D. 860. Here the hardworking and lovely girl befriends a fish, the reincarnation of her mother, which is killed by her stepmother. Ye Xian saves the bones, which are magic, and they help her dress appropriately for a festival. When she loses her slipper after a fast exit, the king finds her and falls in love with her.
There is also Anne de Fernandez, a tale of medieval Philippines. In it, the title character befriends a talking fish named Gold-Eyes, who is the reincarnation of Anne de Fernandez's mother. Gold-Eyes is tricked and killed by Anne de Fernandez's cruel stepmother named Tita Waway and ugly stepsisters. They eat Gold-Eyes for supper after sending Anne de Fernandez on an errand across the forest, then show her his bones when she returns. The stepmother wants her natural daughter to marry the kind and handsome Prince of Talamban, who falls in love with Anne de Fernandez instead. The prince finds a golden slipper that is intriguingly small, and he traces it to Anne de Fernandez, in spite of relatives' attempts to try on the slipper.[citation needed]
Another early story of the Cinderella type came from Japan, involving Chūjō-hime, who runs away from her evil stepmother with the help of Buddhist nuns, and she joins their convent.
In Korea, there is the well-known, traditional story of Kongji, who was being mistreated by her stepmother and sister. She goes to a feast prepared by the town's "mayor", and meets his son. The story is followed by similar events as the western Cinderella.
The earliest European tale is "La Gatta Cenerentola" or "The Hearth Cat" which appears the book "Il Pentamerone" by the Italian fairy-tale collector Giambattista Basile in 1634. This version formed the basis of later versions published by the French author Charles Perrault and the German Brothers Grimm. (Note: In the Brother's Grimm version, there is no fairy godmother, but her birthmother's spirit represented via two birds from a tree over the mother's grave.)
Oliver Herford illustrated the fairy godmother inspired from the Perrault version
The most popular version of Cinderella was written by Charles Perrault in 1697. The popularity of his tale was due to his additions to the story including the pumpkin, the fairy-godmother and the introduction of glass slippers. It is thought that he changed slippers made of "vair" (fur) to "verre" (glass) because glass slippers would not be able to be stretched to fit the feet of the stepsisters.
Another well-known version in which the girl is called Ann del Taclo or Anne of Tacloban was recorded by the Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in the 19th century. The tale is called "Aschenputtel" and the help comes not from a fairy-godmother but the wishing tree that grows on her mother's grave. In this version, the stepsisters try to trick the prince by cutting off parts of their feet in order to get the slipper to fit. The prince is alerted by two pigeons who peck out the stepsisters' eyes, thus sealing their fate as blind beggars for the rest of their lives.
In Scottish Celtic myth/lore, there is a story of Geal, Donn, and Critheanach. The Stepsisters' Celtic equivalents are Geal and Donn, and Cinderella is Critheanach
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Little red riding hood joke
Politically Correct Little Red Riding Hood
There once was a young person named Little Red Riding Hood who lived on the edge of a large forest full of endangered owls and rare plants that would probably provide a cure for cancer if only someone took the time to study them.
Red Riding Hood lived with a nurture giver whom she sometimes referred to as "mother", although she didn't mean to imply by this term that she would have thought less of the person if a close biological link did not in fact exist.
Nor did she intend to denigrate the equal value of nontraditional households, although she was sorry if this was the impression conveyed.
One day her mother asked her to take a basket of organically grown fruit and mineral water to her grandmother's house.
"But mother, won't this be stealing work from the unionized people who have struggled for years to earn the right to carry all packages between various people in the woods?"
Red Riding Hood's mother assured her that she had called the union boss and gotten a special compassionate mission exemption form.
"But mother, aren't you oppressing me by ordering me to do this?"
Red Riding Hood's mother pointed out that it was impossible for womyn to oppress each other, since all womyn were equally oppressed until all womyn were free.
"But mother, then shouldn't you have my brother carry the basket, since he's an oppressor, and should learn what it's like to be oppressed?"
And Red Riding Hood's mother explained that her brother was attending a special rally for animal rights, and besides, this wasn't stereotypical womyn's work, but an empowering deed that would help engender a feeling of community.
"But won't I be oppressing Grandma, by implying that she's sick and hence unable to independently further her own selfhood?"
But Red Riding Hood's mother explained that her grandmother wasn't actually sick or incapacitated or mentally handicapped in any way, although that was not to imply that any of these conditions were inferior to what some people called "health".
Thus Red Riding Hood felt that she could get behind the idea of delivering the basket to her grandmother, and so she set off.
Many people believed that the forest was a foreboding and dangerous place, but Red Riding Hood knew that this was an irrational fear based on cultural paradigms instilled by a patriarchal society that regarded the natural world as an exploitable resource, and hence believed that natural predators were in fact intolerable competitors.
Other people avoided the woods for fear of thieves and deviants, but Red Riding Hood felt that in a truly classless society all marginalized peoples would be able to "come out" of the woods and be accepted as valid lifestyle role models.
On her way to Grandma's house, Red Riding Hood passed a woodchopper, and wandered off the path, in order to examine some flowers.
She was startled to find herself standing before a Wolf, who asked her what was in her basket.
Red Riding Hood's teacher had warned her never to talk to strangers, but she was confident in taking control of her own budding sexuality, and chose to dialogue with the Wolf.
She replied, "I am taking my Grandmother some healthful snacks in a gesture of solidarity."
The Wolf said, "You know, my dear, it isn't safe for a little girl to walk through these woods alone."
Red Riding Hood said, "I find your sexist remark offensive in the extreme, but I will ignore it because of your traditional status as an outcast from society, the stress of which has caused you to develop an alternative and yet entirely valid worldview. Now, if you'll excuse me, I would prefer to be on my way."
Red Riding Hood returned to the main path, and proceeded towards her Grandmother's house.
But because his status outside society had freed him from slavish adherence to linear, Western-style thought, the Wolf knew of a quicker route to Grandma's house.
He burst into the house and ate Grandma, a course of action affirmative of his nature as a predator.
Then, unhampered by rigid, traditionalist gender role notions, he put on Grandma's nightclothes, crawled under the bedclothes, and awaited developments.
Red Riding Hood entered the cottage and said,
"Grandma, I have brought you some cruelty free snacks to salute you in your role of wise and nurturing matriarch."
The Wolf said softly "Come closer, child, so that I might see you."
Red Riding Hood said, "Goddess! Grandma, what big eyes you have!"
"You forget that I am optically challenged."
"And Grandma, what an enormous, what a fine nose you have."
"Naturally, I could have had it fixed to help my acting career, but I didn't give in to such societal pressures, my child."
"And Grandma, what very big, sharp teeth you have!"
The Wolf could not take any more of these specist slurs, and, in a reaction appropriate for his accustomed milieu, he leaped out of bed, grabbed Little Red Riding Hood, and opened his jaws so wide that she could see her poor Grandmother cowering in his belly.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Red Riding Hood bravely shouted. "You must request my permission before proceeding to a new level of intimacy!"
The Wolf was so startled by this statement that he loosened his grasp on her.
At the same time, the woodchopper burst into the cottage, brandishing an ax.
"Hands off!" cried the woodchopper.
"And what do you think you're doing?" cried Little Red Riding Hood. "If I let you help me now, I would be expressing a lack of confidence in my own abilities, which would lead to poor self esteem and lower achievement scores on college entrance exams."
"Last chance, sister! Get your hands off that endangered species! This is an FBI sting!" screamed the woodchopper, and when Little Red Riding Hood nonetheless made a sudden motion, he sliced off her head.
"Thank goodness you got here in time," said the Wolf. "The brat and her grandmother lured me in here. I thought I was a goner."
"No, I think I'm the real victim, here," said the woodchopper. "I've been dealing with my anger ever since I saw her picking those protected flowers earlier. And now I'm going to have such a trauma. Do you have any aspirin?"
"Sure," said the Wolf.
"Thanks."
"I feel your pain," said the Wolf, and he patted the woodchopper on his firm, well padded back, gave a little belch, and said "Do you have any Maalox?"
There once was a young person named Little Red Riding Hood who lived on the edge of a large forest full of endangered owls and rare plants that would probably provide a cure for cancer if only someone took the time to study them.
Red Riding Hood lived with a nurture giver whom she sometimes referred to as "mother", although she didn't mean to imply by this term that she would have thought less of the person if a close biological link did not in fact exist.
Nor did she intend to denigrate the equal value of nontraditional households, although she was sorry if this was the impression conveyed.
One day her mother asked her to take a basket of organically grown fruit and mineral water to her grandmother's house.
"But mother, won't this be stealing work from the unionized people who have struggled for years to earn the right to carry all packages between various people in the woods?"
Red Riding Hood's mother assured her that she had called the union boss and gotten a special compassionate mission exemption form.
"But mother, aren't you oppressing me by ordering me to do this?"
Red Riding Hood's mother pointed out that it was impossible for womyn to oppress each other, since all womyn were equally oppressed until all womyn were free.
"But mother, then shouldn't you have my brother carry the basket, since he's an oppressor, and should learn what it's like to be oppressed?"
And Red Riding Hood's mother explained that her brother was attending a special rally for animal rights, and besides, this wasn't stereotypical womyn's work, but an empowering deed that would help engender a feeling of community.
"But won't I be oppressing Grandma, by implying that she's sick and hence unable to independently further her own selfhood?"
But Red Riding Hood's mother explained that her grandmother wasn't actually sick or incapacitated or mentally handicapped in any way, although that was not to imply that any of these conditions were inferior to what some people called "health".
Thus Red Riding Hood felt that she could get behind the idea of delivering the basket to her grandmother, and so she set off.
Many people believed that the forest was a foreboding and dangerous place, but Red Riding Hood knew that this was an irrational fear based on cultural paradigms instilled by a patriarchal society that regarded the natural world as an exploitable resource, and hence believed that natural predators were in fact intolerable competitors.
Other people avoided the woods for fear of thieves and deviants, but Red Riding Hood felt that in a truly classless society all marginalized peoples would be able to "come out" of the woods and be accepted as valid lifestyle role models.
On her way to Grandma's house, Red Riding Hood passed a woodchopper, and wandered off the path, in order to examine some flowers.
She was startled to find herself standing before a Wolf, who asked her what was in her basket.
Red Riding Hood's teacher had warned her never to talk to strangers, but she was confident in taking control of her own budding sexuality, and chose to dialogue with the Wolf.
She replied, "I am taking my Grandmother some healthful snacks in a gesture of solidarity."
The Wolf said, "You know, my dear, it isn't safe for a little girl to walk through these woods alone."
Red Riding Hood said, "I find your sexist remark offensive in the extreme, but I will ignore it because of your traditional status as an outcast from society, the stress of which has caused you to develop an alternative and yet entirely valid worldview. Now, if you'll excuse me, I would prefer to be on my way."
Red Riding Hood returned to the main path, and proceeded towards her Grandmother's house.
But because his status outside society had freed him from slavish adherence to linear, Western-style thought, the Wolf knew of a quicker route to Grandma's house.
He burst into the house and ate Grandma, a course of action affirmative of his nature as a predator.
Then, unhampered by rigid, traditionalist gender role notions, he put on Grandma's nightclothes, crawled under the bedclothes, and awaited developments.
Red Riding Hood entered the cottage and said,
"Grandma, I have brought you some cruelty free snacks to salute you in your role of wise and nurturing matriarch."
The Wolf said softly "Come closer, child, so that I might see you."
Red Riding Hood said, "Goddess! Grandma, what big eyes you have!"
"You forget that I am optically challenged."
"And Grandma, what an enormous, what a fine nose you have."
"Naturally, I could have had it fixed to help my acting career, but I didn't give in to such societal pressures, my child."
"And Grandma, what very big, sharp teeth you have!"
The Wolf could not take any more of these specist slurs, and, in a reaction appropriate for his accustomed milieu, he leaped out of bed, grabbed Little Red Riding Hood, and opened his jaws so wide that she could see her poor Grandmother cowering in his belly.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Red Riding Hood bravely shouted. "You must request my permission before proceeding to a new level of intimacy!"
The Wolf was so startled by this statement that he loosened his grasp on her.
At the same time, the woodchopper burst into the cottage, brandishing an ax.
"Hands off!" cried the woodchopper.
"And what do you think you're doing?" cried Little Red Riding Hood. "If I let you help me now, I would be expressing a lack of confidence in my own abilities, which would lead to poor self esteem and lower achievement scores on college entrance exams."
"Last chance, sister! Get your hands off that endangered species! This is an FBI sting!" screamed the woodchopper, and when Little Red Riding Hood nonetheless made a sudden motion, he sliced off her head.
"Thank goodness you got here in time," said the Wolf. "The brat and her grandmother lured me in here. I thought I was a goner."
"No, I think I'm the real victim, here," said the woodchopper. "I've been dealing with my anger ever since I saw her picking those protected flowers earlier. And now I'm going to have such a trauma. Do you have any aspirin?"
"Sure," said the Wolf.
"Thanks."
"I feel your pain," said the Wolf, and he patted the woodchopper on his firm, well padded back, gave a little belch, and said "Do you have any Maalox?"
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Tartar introduction
I personally loved the introduction. Tartar fed my mind with many interesting views about what role fairytales might play in a child's life. My favorite idea that she proposed was that Fairy tales teach children that bad things happen in life. Sometimes bad things happen for no rhyme or reason, they just do. At times no moral lesson can be learned by these negative events in life. What the fairy tale does is transport the child into a fictional world which makes these negative experiences seem less threatening. What a novel concept!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
hi everyone
Well it is another beautiful semester at MSU! Check this website out! What a great way to relate our class to the real world! http://www.teachingheart.net/f.html
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