Commenting Review Week

I really enjoy the commenting part of the class. I've never taken an online class before, so I didn't imagine it would have so much classmate interaction. But I'm really glad it does. I enjoy hearing from other people about the stories I write. I didn't know if I would, but everyone says such nice and helpful things in their comments that I actually get excited when I receive notifications that there are new comments on my blog.

It used to take me a long time to write comments for other people, but I'm getting much more comfortable with it, and now I'm able to just kind of say what I think. I try to always start with really positive things to say about someone's story or project, usually my favorite thing about it. I like to do that because it makes me feel really good about my own work when other people do that in their comments on my things.

Starting comments is easy. I just say hi and then dive in. Ending comments is weird. I typically don't know what to say for that. Looking back, I've noticed that I ended many, many comments with some variation of "Great job!" Which I guess is alright.

I have read some really, really great stories. There are some amazingly talented writers in this class, so it's a pleasure to do the project and blog commenting assignments.


I made this image using the meme generator. I struggle with commas.

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Meme Generator Tech Tip

Here's the meme I made for this Tech Tip:

 

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Writing Review Week

I love the Storytelling assignments! At the beginning of the semester, I felt really hesitant about them because I have never really done creative writing. So I didn't think I would have any of the right skills to write an entertaining story. I suppose the jury's still out on that, but I'm definitely having a lot of fun trying.

The funny thing, to me, about the assignments, though, is the way inspiration happens. When I try to write stiffer things for my English classes, essays and reports, I can just sit down and chip away at it. It's pretty methodical. But with storytelling, I've noticed that I really have to kind of wait until a cool idea comes to me. And once it does, I can type it out really quickly. I don't think as much while I'm writing it. It flows better, for me, than other kinds of writing --- when I think I have a good idea, that is. I feel a little bit frustrated until I get there, but it has been worth it because I have fortunately been able to get that point in all of the first seven weeks. The last three stories, in particular, were really fun to write, and I think that's because I branched out a little bit more in terms of creativity.

My goal for the rest of the semester is to keep up with that and to try not to succumb to writer's block. I like writing, but writer's block is something I tend to struggle with quite a lot. I think it helps when I come up with a topic that I myself find really interesting, so I have to remember to keep doing that.

Below is a picture from my Week 6 story, Mountain Wings. That is one of my favorite ones I've written, but I also think the picture that goes with it is just so cool!

(Mountains in Clouds)

The feedback I have gotten has been really helpful. Everyone always says something nice, which is good for my confidence :)  And there are some things in my writing that are a little confusing or unclear, which is hard for me to see since it's coming from my own head. So it's good when people can point that out to me. That's super helpful for revision and for moving forward with new stories.

Writing for my storybook is a bit more difficult than the weekly storytelling just because it all has to work together. When I write a story each week, it exists on its own, and then I move on to something else. But with the storybook, each story has to connect to the one before it and then to the one coming up. That's a different sort of challenge, but I think I have a fun theme for it, and it has been a really enjoyable process.

Reading Review Week

Looking back at my Reading Diaries, I can see that I am a big fan of Hanuman. I write about him a lot. At one point, I called him a "rockstar." He is, for sure, a very likeable character -- definitely my favorite to read about.

I noticed that two of my Reading Diary images were of Pushpaka chariot. For some reason, that is one of my favorite elements of the Ramayana. The idea of a flying vehicle that can expand to hold any number of people and navigate itself is just really, really cool! I have re-posted my Pushpaka images here.

(Ravana's Pushpaka chariot)

(The Celestial Chariot)

I think the Reading Diaries have served as invaluable help for the Storytelling assignments. As I looked through my diaries, I realized that before I even wrote most of my stories, I talked about them in the Reading Diary. A lot of times, I even said something along the lines of, "... was such an interesting story, and I think I'd like to explore that further in this week's Storytelling assignment." I remember, too, that I frequently looked back at the things I said in my diaries while I was in the process of writing my stories. It was helpful for finding page numbers and things. This is something I would recommend for future students, using the Reading Diaries for brainstorming weekly Storytelling topics.

The Reading Diaries have also been super helpful for remembering the differences I noticed between Buck's and Narayan's versions of the Ramayana. Since they're the same story, I find that they run together pretty easily in my mind, so it's really nice to be able to look back at my Reading Diary and remember what exactly happened in which version. I'm sure this will be true for the Mahabharata, as well.

Week 7 Storytelling: The Ravana Conspiracy

“Alright, everyone, quiet down. Quiet down, and take a seat, please,” announced Aurelia, a tall woman with a tin foil hat, as she directed people to some open chairs in an elementary school gym. It was Saturday night, and the venue came cheap. An eclectic group of twenty or so people arranged themselves in a circle of chairs intended for much smaller human frames. Aurelia was pleased with the turnout.

She took her own seat among the circle of chairs. “Ahem. I will now call to order the first official meeting of Confections and Conspiracies. For those of you who may have wound up here by accident—or maybe, by divine intervention—I should explain that this is a club for enthusiasts of baked goods and inexplicable phenomena. Each week, we will be discussing the claims and ideas that the majority of society is so inclined to cast off. We’ll also be sharing cookies, cakes, and candy, and swapping recipes if I’m feeling generous.” She smiled at her joke, but was disappointed no one seemed amused. She cleared her throat again. “I hope you all are enjoying the cosmic brownies I brought this evening.” At this there was resounding agreement, much to her delight.

“Before I forget, I’d like to announce that next week, Melvin is bringing a cake in the shape of Elvis’ face, as he says that Elvis is not only still alive, but also living behind the counter of a Wal-mart bakery in suburban New Hampshire. And may I say, Melvin, we are all looking forward to that cake.” Everyone turned toward shy Melvin, who seemed to literally shrink under all of the attention.

“Now, let’s get started, shall we?” Aurelia looked around the room. “Is there anyone who would like to speak up first about what conspiracy theories you… subscribe to?”

Immediately, there was a loud cacophony of eager, earnest, and evidently suppressed claims and declarations.

“Bigfoot is real, and my uncle is married to her!”

“Pinky toes are alien parasites!”

“Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy are really twins separated across time and DNA!”

Aurelia tried to rein in the group, though she was happy to see them so enlivened. “Calm! Calm! One at a time please! We’ll all have a chance to speak. I know I myself have plenty to say about the underground Martian colonies and their slow and subtle takeover of the pop music industry.”

The room grew quiet again, and Aurelia saw a young girl on the other side of the circle patiently waiting to say her piece. She was holding a copy of the Ramayana.

Aurelia said to her warmly, “Young miss, would you like to go first? Say your name, please, and tell us your theory.”

“Um, hello. My name is Beatrice,” she said to the group, though she was looking at her feet. “Are any of you very familiar with the Ramayana, the story of Rama’s Way?”

Only a couple of hands went up, so Beatrice briefly summarized it for the benefit of everyone else. After, she went on to explain the conspiracy.

“It is my belief that Ravana the Demon King did in fact plot his own death as an act of benevolence. He sought a noble passing at the hand of the Lord Narayana in compliance with the gods’ determination that it was time the world was rid of the evil he had sown.”

“What evidence do you have!?” a grumpy old man retorted. “He stole Sita from Rama purely out of lust and selfishness, and he fought tooth and nail to keep the evil coming!”

“Well… There was Ravana’s letter to Rama. He sent it even before they batteld, saying he knew that Rama was going to kill him. He directly stated that the capture of Sita, to which you are alluding, was simply a ploy to lure in Rama and start the inevitable and extremely necessary war between them. Ravana knew his part in the universe. He was evil, and his time was up. He planned it all. The whole war. All of Rama’s journey. It was all part of Ravana’s grand scheme, and he wrote that down before his death. That’s the evidence.”

Someone else piped up, “Oh yeah? Then why did Rama laugh at the letter?”

“Rama also understood Ravana’s part in the universe. Ravana was a villain. He was the evil that Rama was sent to this world to defeat. Rama knew this instantly as he read the letter, but he said it was meaningless because these things needed to remain true, even in Ravana’s death.”

“I’m still not convinced.”

Beatrice boldened. “Do you think that someone who could take prisoner the great gods of this world and the next could be so easily defeated by a mortal man? And just for one more wife among hundreds of others? I think not. Ravana played his role well. He really was a terrific actor. A triple threat, really. He could also dance. And sing. And the Oscar goes to…” She looked around to see a smiling face, but again, this was not the crowd for jokes. She sighed. “I also brought some homemade shortbread cookies cut in the shape of arrows. They have ‘Rama’ written on them in icing. They are decorated to look like the ones that severed Ravana’s ten heads.”

Aurelia clapped her hands. “Excellent! Thank you, Beatrice! What an interesting theory to consider. And those cookies look… appetizing, indeed. Who’s next?”

(Ravana)

Author’s Note:
The part that intrigued me most at the end of the Ramayana was Ravana’s letter to Rama. It essentially said that he knew Rama was going to kill him, and he was happy to die so nobly. He claimed he took Sita just to give Rama a reason to start a war with him. Rama quickly dismissed the note. I really wanted to write about this, but I thought it would be boring coming directly from me, and I didn’t want to try to get into Ravana’s heads. So I framed it inside a conspiracy theorist club / support group meeting.

Bibliography: Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.

Week 7 Reading Diary B: The End of the Ramayana

There was a lot of cool stuff about Pushpaka at the end of the book. I only briefly alluded to it in the introduction of my storybook, but I hope I can incorporate more about it within my stories in the upcoming weeks.

One thing I kept thinking during the final chapters is this: Why is everyone so mean to Hanuman!? Even Rama! I get that he’s kind of a jokester, but he saved the day a number of times. Rama would never have been able to save Sita and defeat Ravana without him. But he’s always bossing Hanuman around, and so are the other characters. And they’re not even nice about! Very demanding, even though he faithfully and unquestioningly does some unbelievable tasks for them that no one else could do. The only person who’s really nice to Hanuman is Sita. She is appropriately kind to him, and that’s good.

I didn’t really like the ending. I remember Narayan ended his story with a ‘happily ever after’ when Rama kills Ravana, returns home, and is crowned king. And he ruled many years, and he was awesome. The end. As best as I can recall, I think Narayan said something about there being more to the story but wanting to end it there on that happy note. I liked that better. Buck’s ending was kind of a bummer. Rama seemed, to me, to be sort of cowardly. The majority of the Ramayana is about Rama going to extraordinary lengths to save his wife, and then years later, he abandons her—pregnant with twins!—in the forest alone just because of scandal. So weird! I did enjoy reading about what happened with his sons, Kusa and Lava, but I preferred Narayan’s ending, for sure.

(Lava and Kusa)

Week 7 Reading Diary A: Rama and Ravana Battle

In this week’s reading, it was really interesting to see what was different between Narayan’s and Buck’s versions. There were new things in Buck’s that were not in Narayan’s and things that he left out. For instance, the part about Ravana’s pre-battle dance was new. I thought it was funny how he danced and Rama and the animal warriors just watched. However, he left out the part about Rama testing Sita’s faithfulness (which is good, because I didn’t really like it the first time). I really enjoyed all of the detail in Buck’s descriptions of the battle. He made it very easy to visualize such a complex scene.

I am left with many questions after reading the letter Ravana sent to Rama even before the battle. He made it sound like the whole battle and his theft of Sita were all part of a big plan to lure Rama because he wanted to die at Narayana’s hand. It really just appears to be a grand plot for a noble death. But in the earlier readings, he just acted like a selfish jerk, even when he was alone. So I question the sincerity of his letter. It’s the kind of thing I want to believe, though. I don’t know. Many questions.

(The Celestial Chariot)

I liked the descriptions of Pushpaka at the end. That flying chariot is one of my favorite things in the Ramayana, and I wrote about it some for my storybook project, so I enjoy that it keeps showing up in the readings.

Week 6 Storytelling: Mountain Wings

(Mountains in Clouds. Web Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Two adventurous little bears were out hiking one day when the clouds turned dark and thunder began to roll. As the wind swept in and rain started to pour, they took cover in a small cave on the side of the mountain.

“Columbo, did you see how dark the clouds got?” one bear asked his friend. “In a matter of minutes, it looked like nighttime!”

“You’re right! I didn’t even know it was supposed to rain today.” The poor bears sulked for a minute. “Do you think it’ll clear up soon, Atticus? Those blasted clouds are ruining our mountain adventure!”

Just then, a kind old bear with a tall walking stick entered the cave. “Oh! Pardon me, boys. Didn’t realize this little abode was occupied.”

He began to leave, but Atticus jumped up. “That’s alright! You should stay here while it’s still storming. Here, you can sit on this rock.” He indicated the flat spot on which he had been sitting.

“Well, thank you very much, young sir,” the old bear said, taking a seat. “Did I hear ‘those blasted clouds’ have wrecked your time on this grand ol’ mountain?”

Columbo, ever a shy little bear, nodded sheepishly.

“You know, those clouds and this mountain used to be one and the same. Way back when—many, many, many years ago—the clouds used to be mountains’ wings.”

“What!?” Atticus exclaimed, and Columbo laughed, “That’s crazy! No way!”

“It’s true. It’s absolutely true,” the old bear replied. “I can tell you about where the clouds came from—how the mountains lost their wings, if you care to know.”

“Sure!” The curious little bears nodded with excitement, eager to hear about such a phenomenon.

“Alright,” the old bear grinned. “Well, as I said, many years ago, the clouds were part of the mountains. They were the wings that allowed them to fly. That’s right, the very grounded, very stationary mountains you know now used to be able to soar through the skies, flying wherever the air and wherever their whims would take them. They were happy, carefree bundles of boulders, to be sure.

“This became quite a problem for the rest of the world, however, when their good-natured, carefree sensibilities turned into selfish, careless devastations. You see, many of this world’s mountains began to fly all over the place until they were too tired to even pay attention where they were landing. They would plop down anywhere and sleep for years. The trouble was, they frequently squashed whatever was below them: densely populated forests, small civilizations, magnificent kingdoms… Widespread destruction.

“The people complained to the god Indra. ‘Save us from these colossal bullies,’ they begged him. So, Indra chased down all of the mountains and all of the hills—all but one—and he flung thunderbolts at them, severing their wings permanently, leaving the wings—or clouds, as we call them now—to float freely in the skies. As you two very well know, Indra’s thunderbolts remain tied to the clouds even today.”

“Wow! That’s amazing!” Columbo exclaimed, looking to see that Atticus felt the same. The other little bear, however, looked confused, deep in thought.

“What about the one mountain Indra didn’t catch?” he asked.

“Oh. Mainaka. That clever ol’ rock took shelter in the ocean,” the big bear remarked. “He remains there now, deep below the waves, his wings churning the water and the sands near the sea bed.”

Hearing this, Atticus turned to Columbo. “I think our next adventure will have to be scuba diving!”



Author’s Note:
I wanted to retell the clouds’ origin story from the part of this week’s reading where Mainaka the mountain helps out Hanuman. I thought it was a cool idea, that clouds used to be mountain wings before Indra cut them off due to the mountains’ carelessness. I chose a stormy hiking adventure to set the scene because I thought that would be a good way to initiate some kind of conversation about clouds and mountains.


Bibliography:  Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.

Week 6 Reading Diary B: Everyone was Dead and then Everyone was Not Dead

What a comeback! I admit I was shocked when Indrajit killed Sugriva and Angada and all of the monkeys and bears. When I read that he killed Rama and Lakshmana, I had to go back and reread the last couple of pages because I thought I read it wrong. How could Rama be dead!?! I already know this story --- it has a happy ending! If this happened in Narayan’s version, either I have forgotten it or I overlooked it the first time, because I was surprised, for sure. At that point I figured there had to be some sort of magic revival coming because Rama is the hero! Leave it to good ol’ Hanuman to restore a whole army in almost no time flat.

I liked Kumbhakarna more in this version than in the last. In Narayan’s, he just seemed like a brutish, bloodthirsty warmonger. In Buck’s, I got more of a sense that he really thought Ravana was in the wrong, but that he fought for him out of brotherly loyalty. For that, I felt more sympathetic to his character. He didn’t really pose much of a threat to Rama’s army, though I expected he would.

Indrajit, however, dealt a swift and massive blow. Within a paragraph, he wiped out all of my favorite characters! And by the next, he had killed Rama and Lakshmana, and Hanuman was out for the count too. But only temporarily. Lucky Rama had that awesome monkey warrior fighting on his side. Hanuman’s the real MVP.

(Indrajit's Attack)

Week 6 Reading Diary A: Hanuman in Lanka

I decided to continue with Buck’s Ramayana this week because I’ve really been enjoying it thus far. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Sampathi and Jatayu’s mishap with the sun for the Storytelling assignment. So I thought it was fun to read Buck’s description of it this week, and I was kind of happy to see that I hadn’t written anything too contradictory to his version.

One story that I think I might retell for this week is that of Mainaka the mountain. It was a neat idea that all of the world’s mountains used to have wings, but they were careless with them, so Indra cut them off. I really liked that he explained that the severed wings turned into clouds. What a weird and cool origin story for clouds! Like, “Where did clouds come from?” “Oh, they’re mountain wings.” I think that’s funny. I might write about that.

I enjoyed reading about Hanuman’s initial trip to Lanka in Buck’s version because he included a lot of really cool detail that gave me a better idea of what Lanka and its inhabitants are like. I also liked that Hanuman just wandered around as a cat for a good portion of it. He’s such a likeable character in any form.

I also found it interesting to see more of what Sita’s imprisonment was like. We didn’t hear a lot about it in Narayan’s book, and that was something I was sort of left wondering about. I read a few Storytelling blog posts that reimagined it that were really good and piqued my curiosity. So I liked that Buck painted a picture of it for the reader through the eyes of Hanuman.

(Hanuman Encounters Sita)

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Week 5 Storytelling: Vindhya’s Blanket Fort

Little Vindhya watched his big brother Himalaya pile pillows on top of pillows on top of blankets on top of pillows. The young boys were watching a movie together when Himalaya suddenly decided to demonstrate his architecture expertise in the form of a blanket fort. Using couch cushions, bed pillows, and some stray blankets, Himalaya built a soft dome in front of the television. Vindhya hardly even noticed what he was doing until Himalaya took his favorite baby blanket from him. He started to throw a fit, but when Himalaya invited him into the fort, he was too excited to remember his blanket was now part of a sub-roof.

Their sisters, Chandra and Surya, were playing upstairs. So proud of his work, Himalaya called them down to see it. The two of them squealed with delight as they ran down the stairs and beheld the little citadel. Unable to contain their amusement, they continued to run, making circles around the fort over and over again until they grew tired and fell asleep on the floor. Vindhya was a bit jealous that their sisters were so enthralled with Himalaya’s playtime achievement.

Their father Agastya came home later that night, and he was surprised to find the girls asleep and Vindhya and Himalaya playing in the fort.

“Wow, you guys! This is great! Who built this?” he asked them, smiling as he began to lift the sleeping girls.

“I built it. All on my own,” Himalaya quickly replied, beaming and swelling with pride.

“That is fantastic, Himalaya. You’d make an excellent engineer,” his father told him with a solid pat on the back.

As Vindhya looked on, he grew jealous of the attention his brother was earning. Agastya carried the girls upstairs to their bedrooms, his sons trailing behind. As Vindhya shuffled into bed, he kept thinking about Himalaya’s living room castle. Agastya came to tuck him in, and Vindhya tried to quickly come up with something to brag about.

“Dad, I stayed awake for the whole movie!” he exclaimed.

“Well… that’s good, I suppose,” Agastya told him. The impassive response was not what Vindhya was hoping for. “But you know,” his father continued, “little boys need their sleep, and it’s pretty late.” A bedtime reminder made him feel even worse when Himalaya was getting the praise of a grown-up engineer.

So after he was sure everyone in the house was asleep, Vindhya set to work trying to best his big brother. Just to be sure his own creation would not go unnoticed, he set his foundation directly at the base of the staircase. He dragged chairs, comforters, bedsheets, and anything else he could find to the stairs and spent the whole night constructing his masterpiece.

When he finished, he was tremendously pleased to see that the fort he built was far bigger than Himalaya’s. It was so big he couldn’t even pass it to get down the stairs! Finally satisfied that he was just as talented as his brother, he tiredly trudged back to his bed and fell asleep.

He woke up several hours later to the sounds of Chandra and Surya’s screams and whines. He mistook them for sounds of delight, so he enthusiastically ran out to meet them and accept their praise. Agastya was standing with them at the top of the stairs. Chandra and Surya complained to him that they couldn’t get downstairs, but they were starving and they needed their eggs and cereal. They saw Vindhya, and they began yelling at him for trapping them all upstairs, thoroughly shocking the poor boy who was expecting congratulations. He had wholly believed they were going to run around his fort and play in it, just as they did with Himalaya’s. Vindhya’s surprise led to indignance, and he refused to take down what took so much effort to build.

Agastya knew that Vindhya was only getting frustrated. Clever as any father, he knew how to persuade his little boy toward compliance without being too demanding or too disapproving.

He told him, “Vindhya, that is a very nice fort you built.” At this, the boy started to smile. “However, before I can play in it with you, I have to go downstairs and get some things,” Agastya continued. “Do you think you could dismantle it just as long as I’m downstairs? Then when I come back upstairs, you can put it right back together.”

Eager to please his father, Vindhya readily agreed, and he began deconstruction immediately. As part of his strategy, Agastya stayed downstairs all day long. With every desire to obey Agastya, Vindhya patiently waited with his heap of blankets until late in the evening. He grew tired while he was waiting, and because of his lost hours of sleep the night before, it wasn’t long before he fell asleep amongst the pillows. Agastya picked him up and tucked him into bed. He put away all of the blankets and chairs.

By the next day, Vindhya and Himalaya had moved on to the next fun activity, and they had forgotten all about the forts. The staircase remained safe passage for all who cared to climb it.

(Statue of Agastya. Web Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Author’s Note:
      I really liked the story of Agastya and the Vindhya Hills in this week’s reading. In it, the hills are jealous of the Himalaya mountains, so they grow very tall until they are blocking passage through the area, and even until they are blocking the sun and the moon. The sage Agastya tricks Vindhya to shrink back down to size.
     The last four stories I told were just further explorations into what was already presented in Buck’s and Narayan’s versions of the Ramayana. This week, I wanted to try something different and tell the stories with reinterpretations of the characters and setting. So I scaled the mountains down to something more personally familiar --- blanket forts. I thought it would make the story relatable if the Vindhya Hills and the Himalayas were little boys, and to play up Vindhya’s envy, I wrote them as brothers. To emphasize Agastya’s comparative wisdom and power, I wrote him as their father. The moon and the sun are supporting characters, so they are the mountains’ sisters.
     The image I selected is of a carving of Agastya. I couldn’t find information as to who the smaller statue is depicting, so I thought I would include it in my story and the smaller statue can be little Vindhya from my interpretation.
     As a side note, this is how I wanted the last paragraph to read: "By the next day, Vindhya and Himalaya had moved on to the next fun activity, and they had forgotten all about the forts. The staircase remained safe passage for all who cared to climb it. It remained safe, that is, until the demons overtook it and began eating all of the people traversing its path." But I'll leave the jokes out.


Bibliography: Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.

Week 5 Reading Diary B: The Search for Sita

I was able to notice more differences between Narayan’s and Buck’s versions of the Ramayana in today’s reading. For example, in Narayan’s story, Ravana has to carry the ground around Sita, but in Buck’s, he just grabs her. Also, Vali’s Queen Tara kills herself in Buck’s version, and Sugriva’s Queen Ruma talks down Lakshmana, which I think is different from Narayan’s, if I recall correctly. Lastly, I think Sugriva’s reaction to Lakshmana’s return was quite different -- much less apologetic. He seemed to be on top of things, even in his drunkenness, in this version. These are only a couple of the differences I noticed.

I liked that Buck provided a very in-depth backstory for Hanuman. He was one of my favorite characters the first time around, so it’s cool to know even more about him reading it this time. He is such a strong character, but also very humble, so I enjoy reading about him. We also got to know a little bit more about Jambavan the Bear King. While I thought he played a very important role in Narayan’s version, it was admittedly a pretty small role. So it’s nice to see more of him in this one.

(Sugriva, Angada, and Jambavan)

I really like how Buck incorporates a lot of shorter stories within Rama’s larger tale, and sometimes even stories within those. He provides a lot of background information for all of the locations and characters we come across, but he also keeps it entertaining.

Sugriva’s descriptions of the impending searches in each direction were very long.

Week 5 Reading Diary A: Bharata's Return and Forest Life

Just as I was with Narayan’s version, I am very impressed by Bharata’s character in Buck’s version of the Ramayana. I like the way that Guha described his loyalty to Rama: “They call you a true man, a real friend, they wonder if there is anyone else like you on Earth, who would give back a kingdom…” (120). He truly seems to have not a single trace of greed, and for that, he is for sure one of my favorite characters.

I really liked some of the origin stories in the reading for this week. One in particular was the story about Agastya and how powerful he was, that he was able to bring the Vindhya Hills back down to size, as well as put an end to the demons Vatapi and Ilwala’s slaughter. Each of those was an interesting tale itself, and I might look at retelling one of them for the Storytelling assignment this week.

(Vishnu on Garuda)

I also enjoyed the story about Garuda. We didn’t hear about him a lot in Narayan’s version, so it was neat to read about his origins here. It was interesting to me that he was born from an egg along with Aruna, the charioteer of the sun god. I wrote about Aruna some in my story about Sampathi and Jatayu a couple of weeks ago, so I was happy to know how he came to be the sun’s charioteer. I noticed, too, that a lot of the stories within Rama’s story even have stories within themselves. The tale of Indra and Dadhicha told as an aside during the tale of Garuda is an example of this. Buck writes these stories in quite a deep frame.

Week 4 Storytelling: Little Rama's Play-Arrow

“After twenty years you cannot forgive gentle Rama for once shooting a play-arrow at your hump” (65). So Kaikeyi jeered Manthara upon her suggestion of Rama’s exile. At this, Manthara was reminded of the day little Rama lost her favor.

When Rama was just a young boy, he spent many afternoons running around and playing outside with his brothers. One day when he was chasing his brother Lakshmana near the forest, a wild-looking, little man from the woods startled them with his booming laughter. The man Guha, as he was called, had been hunting a deer all the way to the very edge of the woods when he noticed the two city boys hunting each other. Guha was amused by their play and charmed by Rama’s vibrant, radiating spirit. Upon hearing his laughter, Rama and Lakshmana abandoned their game to greet the stranger.

“I know everyone in the kingdom, and I am sure I do not know you. I am Rama. Welcome to Ayodhya,” Rama said to him.

“Thank you, young one. I am Guha the Hunter King. I live in the forest, and your games intrigue me,” he replied.

Lakshmana spoke up. “And why is it that our games would be so entertaining to a hunter from the forest?”

Guha chuckled and replied, “To be sure, your youthful play is a delight to behold, but your clumsy maneuvers and artless tactics betray your isolation in such a tame, domestic environment. If you would like, I can teach you real hunting skills.”

(A Man Greets Rama and Lakshmana)

And so Rama and Lakshmana became acquainted with the hunter. He would often return to the boundary of the city to teach the young boys—who he rightly assumed had never left the Ayodhyan metropolis—about the forest and its inhabitants, as well as how to hunt properly.

One day, as gifts for his eager little pupils, Guha brought with him to the city two small bows with soft toy arrows. He taught Rama and Lakshmana how to use them and what was involved in skillful archery, a lesson that would serve them well for many years to come.

When they returned to the palace that night, they were so enthralled by their new toy weapons that they couldn’t put them down. They ran around shooting at everything they saw—bedposts, statues, chairs. Little Lakshmana made the mistake of shooting at a delicate vase their step-mother Kaikeyi had brought with her to Ayodhya from her home country. His aim was perfect, and the vase hit the ground hard, shattering instantly. To his great misfortune, Kaikeyi’s loyal, hunch-backed servant Manthara had just turned the corner to witness the accident. She took it upon herself to immediately reprimand the prince. She was harsh and unforgiving, and Rama felt bad watching his brother’s chastisement.

The boys followed Manthara to the courtyard, where the king and his wives were playing with their brothers, Bharata and Shatrughna. As Manthara began to report Lakshmana’s misadventures, Rama had an idea to take some of Lakshmana’s blame.

“Don’t worry. Watch this!” he told his brother as he took aim at the old woman.

In the middle of her account, Rama shot Manthara in the hump with his toy arrow, ending her speech and eliciting laughter from everyone in the courtyard. Lakshmana’s misdeed was forgotten straightaway, and for this he was grateful to his brother. Manthara, however, was enraged that young Rama would be so unkind as to mock her deformity.

Twenty years later, on the eve of Rama’s coronation, Manthara reflected on this cruel trick and the embarrassment she endured, and her resolve to disrupt his coronation hardened. She refused to quit the subject until Kaikeyi conceded and agreed to make use of the two wishes King Dasaratha promised her, ensuring Bharata’s place as king and Rama’s banishment from the kingdom. It was Manthara’s bitter resentment toward Rama’s childhood mischief that spurred Kaikeyi’s betrayal.



Author’s Note: 
     While reading both versions of the Ramayana, I found myself wondering why Manthara was seemingly the only person in all of Ayodhya who did not like Rama. I thought with this week's story, I could explore the story behind her bitterness. I also wanted to write about Guha because I thought he was a very fun character, and I was able to include both with this topic. I began my story by trying to elaborate on Kaikeyi’s sentiment, restated at the very beginning. I thought it would be interesting to tell the story of the play-arrow she alludes to, and from there I was able to incorporate some detail as to how Rama and Lakshmana became friends with Guha.
     I had a hard time finding a good picture of Guha, but I was able to find this photo in which an unnamed man is greeting Rama and Lakshmana near what looks like a forest. I thought it would go well with my story and I could make the unnamed man Guha.
     My goal for this story was not so much to change anything as it was just to elaborate on something I was left curious about—the reason behind Manthara's treachery. So the part of my story in which Rama is a little kid is all made up based on some things Guha and Kaikeyi referred to in brief when he was an adult.


Bibliography: Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.

Week 4 Reading Diary B: Rama's Exile and Guha

This part of the reading read a lot like Narayan’s, in my opinion. The big difference I noted was the elaboration of Guha’s character. He was very interesting, a funny little woodsman, and I think it might be fun to retell one of his stories this week.

I was really surprised by his story about the first time Kaikeyi brought up her two wishes to Dasaratha. I don’t think that was in Narayan’s version, or if it was, I can’t recall it now. Up to the point where she uses the wishes for Bharata’s coronation and Rama’s exile, she seems very pleasant and innocent, especially by Rama’s account of her. But Guha’s story indicates that her meddling nature was evident earlier on. She was willing to learn the animal language from him on his funeral pyre. Her selfishness is clearer knowing this story, which doesn’t come for the reader, or for Rama, until his exile in the forest.

(Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana in the forest)

It struck me, in both versions, just how forgiving Rama is. He really bears no ill will to Kaikeyi at any point, even when all of Ayodhya disparages her ruthlessly. He is fully willing to serve his exile, and he remains fond of his traitorous step-mother throughout.

I am so far a big fan of Buck’s version. It is easy and fun to read, and the plot flows well. I look forward to reading the rest of it. As class reading goes, this one is definitely a pleasure.

Week 4 Reading Diary A: Starting Buck's Ramayana

I really like Buck’s Ramayana. There is a lot of background information before Rama starts out on his journey with Vishwamitra, which I found super helpful as a reader. The explanation of the war between Ravana and Indra, as well as what led up to it, was really detailed. It was a great setup for the rest of the story, so I feel like a very well-informed reader. I also really enjoyed the explanation of Valmiki early in the reading. It’s interesting to know the reason why he recited his Rama epic in the first place.

I found myself wondering about Ravana’s origins a lot while reading Narayan’s Ramayana because there a number of passing references as to how he became so powerful. So it was cool to read Buck’s version with such an in-depth explanation.

There are a lot of characters in this first part of the reading. Many, many characters. I found them all a little difficult to keep track of, but I found a character list at the beginning of the book, which helped a lot. I also remember a lot of the characters from Narayan’s version, which helps, but is also interesting because I learn more or different things about them.

One of the ideas I had for my storybook was to write about the magical chariot Pushpaka that flies by thought and varies in size. So it was great to read about how that was created and how it transferred ownership to Ravana. That will be really helpful for me if I decide to use that in my storybook this week.

(Ravana's Pushpaka chariot)

Animal Avatars of Vishnu: Styles Brainstorm

Topic. I want to write my storybook about some of the avatars of Vishnu, specifically his animal avatars. From last week’s research, I know there are at least four really interesting stories about Vishnu while he was incarnated as different animals, so I think this will be a good, focused topic. The Wikipedia article for the Dashavatara, or the ten avatars of Vishnu, lists a fish, a tortoise, a boar, and a half-man/half-lion, and briefly explains stories for each. I think all four are stories I want to tell, which could fill a whole storybook. The story about Matsya, the fish, reminds me of the story of Noah’s ark, so I’m very interested in retelling that one. I also like the story of Narasimha, the half-man/half-lion, because it’s really a story of loop-holes, and I think I can make that fun.

(Vishnu as Matsya the fish. Web Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography:
1. Dashavatara. Website: Wikipedia.
2. Matsya. Website: Wikipedia.
3. Narasimha. Website: Wikipedia.

Possible Styles:

Interview with Vishnu. I could tell the stories of these early avatars of Vishnu through a first-person interview with him. That way, I could write the stories from his perspective, and the reader could hear them in his own voice. Through an interview, I can vary the tones in each story. For example, I read that when he battled a demon in the form of a boar, the battle lasted a thousand years before he finally won. So maybe he would be more bitter about that story and more proud of some of the others.

Pushpaka Vimana Frametale. The tale would take place on a spaceship named after the Pushpaka Vimana in the Ramayana. I wrote in one of my Reading Diaries about this. The idea comes based on this quote: “During his narration the story-teller would not miss any chance for a contemporary reference. He would compare the Pushpaka Vimana to a modern airliner, with the additional capacities that it could be piloted by mere thought and that its space could expand to accommodate as many as would want to get into it” (169). If I went with this, I would like to set it way in the future as a way to show how important these stories are—they would still be told thousands of years after they were first told and written down. With this, there are different ways I could weave in the animal avatars. Perhaps the crew is telling Vishnu stories. Or maybe different rooms in the ship are named after the avatars. Or the planets the ship is visiting. There are a lot of possibilities for this.

Zoo Trip Frametale. I had the idea that maybe the stories would be framed around a modern day zoo trip. I would go along the lines of a parent telling their kid each avatar story based on which exhibit they are looking at. So when they pass by the lions, the parent would talk about Narasimha, and so on for each animal incarnation. This would be a fun frame for me personally because I have a lot of fond memories of going to the zoo as a kid.

Basic Anthology. Since this is a very focused topic with a specific theme, I could do a simple anthology. As an unnamed storyteller, I could introduce the topic, the animal avatars of Vishnu, and then write a general description of Vishnu’s relevance in Indian Epics, as well as in Indian culture. Then I could tell the stories, and if I focused on writing those really well, then a basic anthology, though less exciting than my other ideas, might be plenty effective.