Week 7: Reading Diary -- Lang: African Tales

Lang: African Tales



Motikatika [p1, p2]

To be honest, this is one creepy tale. When I began to read it, I didn't know what to expect. It started out as a typical and innocent folktale, both in terms of the story's writing and the events that happened. A woman falls sick one day, and her husband goes to painstaking lengths to satisfy her hunger. After she gets better, he demands that she go to painstaking lengths to satisfy his thirst. So she goes to a golden lake and gets water for him. After the woman got water from the lake, I kind of expected to end there, with the sort of 'if you ask a favor of someone, you'll have to pay it back in full' moral. But an unexpected twist happened instead. An ogre came out of the lake from where the woman wanted water, demanding her death. So the woman promises her kid's life instead of hers, and she goes on her way. Little does she know, however, that her kid is a magician and has listened to her deal with the ogre.

So he outwits them both. His mom comes up with different signals four separate times to show the ogre which one is her son, but each time, he escapes (by consulting his magical bones). In the first, she shaves his head on both sides and hangs a necklace of white beads around his neck. He escapes by making all the children look like him and going outside when they hear 'Motikatika'. (Since the ogre is afraid of the punishment of eating anyone who hasn't wronged him, he goes back and devises another plan with the mother to snatch Motikatika. The second time, his mother calls him when the ogre is with her. To not disobey her, he turns himself into a mouse and comes to her. The third time, he is told to pick beans for dinner (and the mother hopes that the ogre can get Motikatika. To again not disobey his mother, he turns into a bird and picks the beans. The fourth time, (the ogre's really annoyed by this point) the woman tells the ogre to kidnap the person under the white coverlet during the night. So Motikatika switches his blanket and his father's; thus, the tale ends with the ogre eating the father.

I was not expecting that. But as the woman cries, Motikatika gives his reason for using his father for the sacrifice by (correctly) saying that the father sent the mother to the lake with the ogre in it (though I don't think the father deserved his fate).



Jackal and Spring

This was an interesting tale as well. So the animals build a well, though the jackal doesn't help at all. They pull a 'Little Red Hen' on him, and don't allow him to drink from the well. And to make sure he doesn't, they decide to put a guard next to the well. The first guard is the rabbit. He gets tricked because the jackal says that he will give the rabbit honeysuckle if the rabbit ties his hands and feet together. The rabbit does so because the jackal also says honeysuckle can stop thirst (which for some reason the rabbit believes. After tying the rabbit up and taking a drink from the spring, the jackal leaves.

Now. I can understand why the rabbit gets tricked. After all, it was his first time dealing with the jackal with regards to the spring. Having said that, it's pretty ridiculous that the hare gets tricked as well. Knowing how the rabbit got tricked, he should have understood that the jackal was only trying to get him out of the way to drink water. Then again, sometimes characters in classic stories are morons. The tortoise is the only one who successfully protects the spring, as he ignores the jackal's promises and holds his leg tightly to prevent him from moving (for so long that the rest of the animals come back.



Hassebu [p1, p2]

Like all of the tales of this unit I've read, this story leads to an unexpected ending. Though it's not unexpected when you think about the beginning of the story. Hassebu's a kid who learned to read in school and then was enrolled in a bunch of different trade schools, and he failed to learn anything in any of those trade schools. And since his mother didn't want to force him to do anything, he sits in his house for a time. One day, randomly, he asks what his dad (who's deceased) did for a living, and she says that he was a doctor. So he takes one of his dad's books and starts reading.

At this point, you're like 'oh, so he's going to become a doctor, right?'. And since this is a folktale, you think that he's going to study and work his way up to becoming the most famous doctor in town or in the kingdom or something over a steady period of time.

But because this is Lang's African tales, things definitely don't go according to how you're expecting. So his neighbors ask his mom if they can borrow him to haul wood from the forest, and she says yes. So he does the job dutifully, and things are looking good.

But then his luck changes. He happens to find a huge well of honey (I have no idea how it came to be in the first place) and him and his neighbors decide to ditch the wood hauling and go for selling honey instead (it's easier and much more profitable). So they do this for three months with no problems. But when there's only a little honey left in the well, Hassebu volunteers to get it. So he goes. The problem is that his neighbors decide to leave him there just to get more money. And off they go, telling his mother that he died because of a lion.

Back to Hassebu. After exploring the cave for a long time, he finds a way out, happening upon the King of the Snakes. He ends up leaving and getting captured by the Vizier. Someone in the palace foretold that a person with a particular mark would be able to cure the sick Sultan by showing them where the King of the Snakes was. The only way to cure the sick Sultan was to boil the King of the Snakes' skin. Long story short, Hassebu is beaten and rats the King of the Snakes out and the King of Snakes foretells the future (to make sure Hassebu doesn't die).

And guess what? Hassebu ends up becoming the Sultan's favorite doctor. Forgot about that, didn't you?

Pinterest Tech Tip (6)

Here's my Pinterest Board for this class!

Week 6: Essay -- The Increasing Obsoleteness of Pencils

The Increasing Obsoleteness of Pencils

The Pencil Tutorial

Cartoon by Hilary Price

I laughed when I saw this! Having to relate a pencil to a computer in order to explain how it works to a kid seems a bit ridiculous, doesn't it? We still use pencils, even in this technology-flooded day and age. But I thought about for a moment, and I began to wonder: would there be a time like this?

My guess? Probably. I doubt it will be anytime soon, by which I mean in the next fifty to one hundred years. But there's no reason to steadfastly believe that a pencil will still be relevant well into the twenty-second century.

People have increasingly been using technology rather than a simple pen and paper for writing. As laptops have become more widespread, so has the use of the computer in terms of writing. It's extremely common for college students, and even high school students, to use a computer to take notes. And the number of people using this method will not decrease; it will only increase as technology becomes an even more integral part of our lives.

Think about nowadays. I've seen seven year old kids with smartphones in their hands, texting away to their friend. And when I see it, I think that it's way too young to be having a phone, let alone a smart phone. Heck, I didn't get one until I was in eighth grade (though most people my age got a cellphone around sixth grade). But then I think about my parents. I bet they thought the same thing when I got my phone.

And thus it shows that technology is seeping into our lives at such a fast rate that from generation to generation we can't even recognize some of the things that were commonplace. I once asked my eight year old cousin if he knew what a VCR was, and he said he had no idea, shaking his head. It's become so obsolete that someone who's only about ten years younger than me doesn't have the faintest idea of what I'm talking about.

And when technology has completely taken over our lives and writing on paper has become a rarity, we might see a milder version of what happened to the VCR. Sure, people aren't going to forget what a pencil is. They probably would somewhat understand how to use it as well, based on what it looks like (since it is like a tablet's pen, with an eraser). They would, however, rarely if ever use it. Give it time -- the standard graphite pencil will become basically obsolete.

Week 6: Storytelling -- My Journey to the Nether World

My Journey to the Nether World

It had been a long day, so naturally I was tired. I decided to take a nap after eating a sumptuous dinner, placing my magically shrunken staff inside my ear. I hadn’t thought I would need it as I fell into a slumber.

I was wrong. As I started to dream, two men appeared, carrying a card that bore my name on it. And then they grabbed me, cuffing me and forcing me to go with them. They took my spirit to a city, the likes of which I had never seen before. Until this point, I had been completely confused as to where I was going; that changed as I saw the city’s gate, which held the words ‘The Nether World’ on its arch.

“Ah!” I realized. “This must be Death’s home. But I’ve already gained immortality. How dare Death bring me here like this!”

I reached out for my staff, which was still in my ear. After it grew to full length, I hit both of the two envoys imprisoning me. I then freed myself from my shackles and made my way into the city.

In the midst of the city, I found the ten princes of the dead. With terrified faces they bowed before me, asking who I was.

Annoyance flared inside of me at the question, and I answered harshly, “If you don’t know who I am, then why did you bring me here? I was born under the heavens, the saint known as Sun Wu Kung, on the Mountains of Flowers and Fruits.

Now,” I asked with impatience, “who are you? If you don’t tell me, I’ll hit you with my staff!”

At my threat, they each said who they were. And after hearing their names, I demanded the Book of the Living be shown to me. A minute or two later, their scribe came, carrying with him the Book. I looked at the words that tried to determine my life’s end, saying that I would die without illness at three hundred and twenty-four years old.

Further angered, I took one of the brushes on the table and crossed myself and my family of apes out of the Book of the Living. “Now we're even,” I said smugly. “And never bother me again with this sort of thing!”

With that, I left, using my staff to clear a path out of the Nether World. Eventually, I walked outside the city’s limits, where I tripped and fell. The jolt woke me up, and I realized I had been in a dream, which I had since forgotten.

“Friends!” I called to the four baboons who lived with me. “Guess what happened today? I was forcibly taken to Death’s castle in my dream and chaos ensued because of me. And because they were  intimidated I was able to cross our names out from the Book of Life!”

From that day, none of the apes of the great Mountain of Flowers and Fruits died.

Sun Wu Kung

(Source: DeviantArt)

Author's Note:

This is a retelling of The Nether World, a chapter in the Monkey King unit. The original was written in third person, which I changed it to first person (in Sun Wu Kung's point of view) in my retelling. I didn't strictly keep the dialogue as it had been in the book -- instead, I tweaked and reworded it. I even converted part of the dialogue into narrative. But I did stick to the storyline. I didn't add anything important that didn't happen in the original, nor did I take anything important out. 

If you're wondering who Sun Wu Kung is, he's the Monkey King in Chinese mythology. He was born out of a stone egg on the apex of a mountain (the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits). He learns magic and has adventures, and his main goal to become immortal (which he clearly does in this story). 

Bibliography:
"The Ape Sun Wu Kung" by R. Wilhelm (1921). Web Source: Project Gutenberg

Week 6: Reading Diary -- The Monkey King

The Monkey King

Handsome King of the Apes

Here, the monkey king is born. Out of a stone egg he comes, such a strange sight that even the Lord of the Heavens is scared of him. The story shows how he lives his life on the island -- he plays around, eating and having fun each day. The reason he becomes king of the apes (as there are other apes on the island, probably normal and not made of stone) is that they spot a huge waterfall. Basically, they make a bet that whoever can go through the waterfall is the king. So naturally, the protagonist does, finds stonework in the cave the rests on the other side of the waterfall, and becomes king. And because he's king, they decide to call him 'Handsome King of the Apes'. His life is pretty awesome at that point as well -- he reigns over the monkeys while having fun for about three hundred years.


The Great Sea

This chapter starts out funny, as the apes are having a banquet and the protagonist randomly starts crying (am I mean, lol?). I was as confused at that point as the other apes were -- until finally someone asked him why he was crying. He basically points out that although they're having fun, death will take it all away. All the other apes began to cry except an old one, who gave his approval to the 'Handsome King of the Apes', saying that he was wise for realizing there was more to life than what they had been doing. As this old ape seems wise, Handsome King of the Apes asks what kinds of creatures are immortal. The old ape replies with three answers: Buddhas (did he mean priests?), gods, and the blessed spirits. And after asking where as well, he decides to leave for the mainland (of China). He finds, to his dismay, that no one seems to care about the deeper questions. And when he sees the Western Sea, he decides to search for someone who can help him conquer death.


Sun Wu Kung Gets His Name; The Master

It's pretty random as to how the Handsome King of the Apes finds his master. After sailing across the Western Sea, he meets a woodcutter, who's singing a beautiful song. The song is so beautiful, in fact, that the Handsome King of the Apes thinks it's divine. And someone who can sing like that, Sun Wu Kung reasons, knows the truth (about everything that matters, apparently). So he tries to be the disciple of the woodcutter, but the woodcutter says that he was taught the tune by a saint that lives south of this area. So naturally, he goes. He gets named Sun Wu Kung and is taught by the master, along with the master's other disciples. First he is taught basic etiquette and manners, and then to read. He is shown to be the wisest out of the bunch of disciples, which the master picks up on (though he still disapproves of Sun Wu Kung's excitability). He tests Sun Wu Kung by asking him what he wants to learn. But when Sun Wu Kung refuses, because none of the subjects he was offered could teach him how to become immortal, the master gives another test (a hidden message by hitting him with his cane) which he also passes. The master basically mutters that he's finally found a person worthy of the knowledge of immortality.


The Nether World

I thought that this story was interesting. Although it wasn't long, it showed how Sun Wu Kung defeats death, in both the literal sense of defeating someone and in the figurative sense of becoming immortal. He ends up intimidating death's envoys into erasing his name from the book of death. I think it's worth noting that he doesn't just do this for himself -- he ends up exempting all his followers (back on the island where he was king) from death as well. It's kind of admirable -- most people would only think of themselves in the situation, even if they were good people, because their immediate thoughts turn towards how they should deal with the situation. Sun Wu Kung, on the other hand, remembers them and forces the people in the nether world to erase all of the apes from the Book of Life.

Week 5: Essay -- Assessing Raja Rasalu

Assessing Raja Rasalu

I suppose I could say a few things about the Raja Rasalu reading unit. First of all, I enjoyed it. I thought the writing was good and the adventures were interesting. But there are some interesting things that I think should be pointed out, including Raja Rasalu as a character and the religious context of the story.

To tell you the truth, as I began to read the chapters of the Raja Rasalu reading unit, I thought Raja Rasalu was going to be Gary Stu (you know, the male version of a Mary Sue?). And I was kind of right. Unlike a Gary Stu, Raja Rasalu does mess up, most notably when he plays chaupur with King Sarkap; he forgets that he has to use the bone dice given to him by King Sarkap’s dead brother. And it’s not him that remembers to use the dice at the last minute – it’s his horse (who can talk) who reminds him. Despite this momentary lapse in memory, however, he does display the qualities of a Gary Stu. He’s young, smart, and beautiful, and (besides King Sarkap) he never does anything wrong. He survives at every twist and turn, perceiving so far as to leave town in one story before he gets captured. His beauty is even a weapon; there are times in the story where something pertinent happens because of it. For instance, in How He Became a Jogi, the only reason Queen Sundran comes out of her castle is that both her maids (who were sent out to give Raja Rasalu alms) faint because of Raja Rasalu’s beauty. And seeing Queen Sundran was Raja Rasalu’s goal, which is convenient.

As for the religious context of the story, there were a couple of instances where religion came into play. Being a person whose family comes from Andhra Pradesh, I went into the story with some vague notion that its religious tone would be Hindu. When religion came up in the story, I was half-surprised (though I should not have been) when Raja Rasalu referred to the divine as God. I realized I had almost forgotten this tale was Punjabi, and therefore most of its inhabitants were Sikh. India is a diverse place, something many people don’t realize; within its borders lie people of different cultures. Even North India and South India have a distinction within an Indian’s mindset because of food and skin color.

Indian Prince

(Web Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Week 5: Storytelling -- When I Met Raja Rasalu

When I Met Raja Rasalu

As I was sitting by my holy fire like I had been doing for the last twenty-two years, a beautiful youth passed through the streets. He may have been young, but his eyes were sharp with intelligence and his countenance was that of royalty. Indeed, he sat atop a prince’s steed and had armor likely worth a couple thousand rupees. Ah, I thought suddenly. It must be Raja Rasalu. Though I had expected him to pass me, he stopped and came up to me, asking a question.

“Why do you sit here, father?” he said with curiosity.

“My son,” I replied, “I have been waiting here for twenty-two years to see the beautiful Sundran, and I haven’t even seen her once!”

“Make me your disciple,” he demanded in response. “I’ll wait too.”

“Why do you care about being a Jogi?” I asked, surprised at his request. “You’ve already achieved so many wonders in this world.”

Nevertheless, the boy was persistent. I finally gave in, piercing his ears and putting in the Jogi’s sacred earrings. He changed into a loincloth after discarding his armor, waiting with me to see Queen Sundran.

As night fell over the town, I rose from my seat at the fire and left, intent on bringing food for my new disciple and myself. Begging food from four houses, I then came back and split the food evenly between us.

This was less food than I was used to having. And when the same thing happened the next night, I became irritable.

“I made you a disciple so that you could beg for food and feed me, not the other way around. Look at me! I’m starving!” I frowned at him.

But the boy only laughed. “You didn’t tell me I could. And how am I supposed to do something without your permission?”

“Well, I’m telling you now! Go get enough food for the both of us.”

So my disciple left. A while later he returned, carrying a large plate full of jewels. I was taken aback. What was I supposed to do with this?

“Ask for food instead,” I cried, and sent the boy back to where he had just come from. An hour passed, and this time he did well; he arrived with freshly baked sweets and I ate them with delight. But as soon as he gave me food he left, taking his horse and his armor and discarding the earrings and clothes of a Jogi. To where he went, I didn’t know. Nor did it particularly concern me.

But it did concern someone. The next day, the dignified and beautiful Queen Sundran came to my holy fire, demanding to know where my former disciple was.

As you can imagine, it made me a little mad. I’d been sitting out here for twenty-two years trying to get a glimpse of Queen Sundran and the only reason she came out was to inquire the whereabouts of my disciple, who had been able to see her after a day of waiting with me. She hadn’t paid the slightest attention to me in those twenty-two years either; she never answered my call for alms nor had given any indication she had heard me.

Payback time.

“Oh, him?” I answered her query. “He didn’t beg for enough food, so I ate him.”

Her eyes widened. “Monster!” she cried. “How could you do that? Didn’t I give you jewels and food? Were those not enough? Could only eating beauty sate your hunger?”

“I don’t know,” I replied casually. “Though I do know this; I cooked him on a spit and ate him. He was delicious!”

“Then eat me too!” she wailed. And she threw herself into my holy fire without a moment’s notice.

I sat for a minute, stunned at what had happened. Then I shook my head. What a waste of a life. She wasn’t even married to him.

Yogi

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Author's Note:

This story was based off of How He Became a Jogi (he referring to Raja Rasalu) in the Raja Rasalu unit. I thought it would be interesting to see things from the Jogi’s point of view, since his wish of seeing Sundran comes true only after he meets Raja Rasalu. By the way, Raja Rasalu is a famous and accomplished prince who lived underground for eleven years (read How Raja Rasalu Was Born if you’re interested as to why) and continuously goes looking for adventure. This is just one of the many strange and random things that happens to him.

I also updated the language of the dialogue a little bit. There's a lot of 'quoth he' and 'thee' and 'thou', so I decided to transform it into a more modern and readable format. I kept all of the dialogue and even added a line of my own (it talked about him speaking, but didn't actually have him speak, in the original story). And I didn't change anything of the events that happened in the original story. 

Also, you might be wondering about the last couple of lines, and it has to do with sati. Back in the day in India, when the husband of a woman died, she often threw herself into the funeral pyre. Not always, but it was definitely not uncommon in India to practice sati.

Bibliography:
Tales of the Punjab by Flora Annie Steel (1894). Web Source: Project Gutenberg