Story: Chinese Children's Story

There once was a little girl dragon who was very good friends with five panda brothers. Although, many people disapproved of this strange friendship the girl dragon and the pandas were quite happy together. They always played together in the gardens and had a wonderful time.

One day the little dragon came over to the pandas house to practice archery. When she walked through the kitchen she immediately stopped and sniffed the air.

"I know that glorious smell from anywhere. Someone has made cookies!", she exclaimed. Sure enough, she saw the cookie jar sitting on a nearby counter. It was a very tall counter top and even though she stood on the very tip of her toes she could not reach the cookies.

She ran outside to where the panda brothers were already shooting their bows and arrows.

"Guys, you have to come inside and help me get these cookies! They smell so good, but I can't reach them. With your help, I know I could reach them or at least break the jar so that they fall toward me."

One of the pandas called Bhi was the first to reply, "Okay, I'll help you in any way that I can."

Bhi and the others began walking toward the house when the oldest panda brother spoke up, "No, this isn't right. If mother wants us to have the cookies, then she will give them to us later. We shouldn't take them now. Just be patient."

The panda brothers always listened to their oldest brother because he was their leader and the smartest of them, so the boys headed back and returned to their archery.

Outraged, the girl dragon began to yell at the boys: "I have always helped you guys whenever you have asked. Why won't you help me? I have been good and I deserve my cookie now!"

She kept pestering the pandas and the oldest brother kept reminding everyone that they would get the cookies in due time. Finally, the dragon gave up and sat off to the side of the boys to pout for the rest of the afternoon.

She is just about to give up and head home when a voice comes from inside the house: "My little pandas and my cute green dragon, come inside! I have a special treat for you."

Ecstatic to hear the call of the pandas' mother, the little girl rushes past all of the boys to get her cookie. They all end up racing to get inside where they are each given their reward.

The eager dragon takes the first bite into the cookie she has been waiting all afternoon for and.... it's horrible. She looks around to the pandas and notices the same disgusted look on all of their faces. Their mother notices and asks, "What? What's wrong? Do you not like your treat?"

She picks up one of the cookies and takes a bite, and immediately figures out the problem: "Oh no! I'm so sorry kids, I forgot to add the sugar to these cookies. I think I added extra salt instead!"

The pandas' mother begins laughing at her silly mistake, but to the little dragon girl and the panda brothers, this was no laughing matter. They had patiently waited all this time for something so bitter and disappointing. However, the dragon girl was most upset of all. She couldn't believe that she was so impatient and almost broke the rules for such a terrible reward.

Author's Note: I had a lot of fun writing this story. I adapted the character perspective I learned from my readings this week into a children's story. I read the graphic novel about Draupadi by Sarswati Nagpal. In this take on the story, the author focuses on Draupadi's inner conflicts, her arguments with the justice- loving Ydhishthira, and how she wishes for fiery revenge most of her life until she actually witnesses it during the war. I decided to make her a dragon because she is actually born from fire!

Bibliography: Draupadi: The Fire- born Princess by Sarswati Nagpal
Image: Panda Riding a Dragon by Third- Bear, Deviant Art

Reading Notes: Draupadi: The Fire-born Princess, Part B

The second half of this graphic novel really developed Draupadi's character into something I had never thought about before. I truly enjoyed reading into her person more in depth.

Her and Krishna's relationship deepens significantly. She mentioned him visiting her in her father's palace before marrying the Pandavas and how much she enjoyed his company. I did not know until reading this book that he also took care of her children while she and the Pandavas were in their  thirteen year exile. He also plays an important role in mentoring Draupadi through her personal journey from fiery revenge to the calmer understanding of Dharma in the world.

There is also much conflict between Draupadi and her husband Yudhishthira for this same struggle of vengence vs justice. As the eldest of the Pandava brothers, he often made the decisions about what the group did. However, he always favored Dharma and following the rules even while Draupadi was continually attacked and dishonored. This caused many quarrels between the two characters, but after all of the death seen during the war, Draupadi came to see Yudhishthira's point of view and became more forgiving of those who had wronged her.

Bibliography: Draupadi: The Fire- born Princess by Sarswati Nagpal
Image: Dharma Wheel, Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Draupadi: The Fire-born Princess, Part A

I finally decided to read one of the graphic novels on reserve at the Bizzell Library. I used to read Manga so I was interested in how the epics we've been reading would be portrayed.

Firstly, I love the artwork and how each characters have their own  unique details. The Epified videos and the comic books do not do as good of a job at this. I also like that a family tree is included on the inside cover. One of the most difficult things to keep up with, especially in the Mahabharata, is how everyone is related.

This novel is essentially the stories of the Pandavas told by Draupadi, but her perspective brings new life to the tales. Particularly, the birth of Draupadi took me by surprise! I had never heard this story before, but remember the king that Drona ordered the Pandavas to bring to him as their gift? That king that grew up with Drona and later left him starving is Draupadi's father! Afterwards, he and his wife meditated and prayed until the gods sent them a son and a daughter via fire sacrifice to avenge them.

Bibliography: Draupadi: The Fire-born Princess by Sarswati Nagpal
Image: Woman and Fire, Pixabay

Reading Notes: Pattanaik's Calendar Art, Part E

I found these two videos quite interesting. I listened to them on my ride back to Norman tonight. The metaphor of Vishnu as cowherd and the Cow as earthly resources has been mentioned in a previous video, but I liked hearing it explained more in depth. Vishnu as the judge of dharma makes perfect sense to me, especially as his reincarnation of Rama.

In this form, Rama right the balance of power and nature between many characters. The story of Vishnu as Matsya, the first fish, intrigues me very much as well, but the ending puzzles me. Initially, this fish teaches man the importance of kindness, but then he teaches a lesson of showing too much kindness. There is also a future savior-like avatar of Vishnu, called Kalki which is equally fascinating. It seems that a character like this can be found in every major religion.

Bibliography: Pattanaik's Calendar Art, Part E
Image: Dasavatar (Vishnu's Avatars), Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Pattanaik's Calendar Art, Part D

I liked at the beginning of the first video when the narrator walks us through many stories in Shiva's life. One of my favorite things from this course is the Hindu artwork. Of these portraits, I particularly like the ones that feature a god/goddess/other character surrounded by important scenes of their stories. It is such a unique style of artwork that I haven't seen before. One of these portraits could also be easily used in the picture storytelling idea.

Perhaps my favorite quote from this video is: "Nothing is absolute. The forest transforms into a field and back into a forest again. The bride becomes a warrior, the killer becomes a mother, the tormentor becomes a guardian, the animal becomes god." This idea is explored in the second video when a few of the goddesses are discussed. Especially Durga, and the image of her that is discussed, intrigue me. I also like the idea that the demon she is standing on represents an ego that forgets the celestial beings and their role in the function of the world. Again themes of balance, transformation, and higher purpose are described through the forms of deities.

Bibliography: Pattanaik's Calendar Art, Part D
Image: Shiva's family history, Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Pattanaik's Calendar Art, Part C

Woah, this part seemed especially deep today. There were many complex metaphysical ideals crammed into short videos. However, I did find it quite insightful into how the Hindu  religion views gender roles and the meanings of life.

I particularly like the Goddess Kali and how she balances out Shiva, the Destroyer. He remains distant from the material world, but she is determined to bring him into it. Even though she is depicted as a violent, lewd woman, she counters Shiva's destruction with resurrection and life. It really reminds me of a yin and yang approach to the metaphysical aspects of the world.

I'm really struggling to come up with an idea for a story from these videos. There are less stories and more general descriptions of the gods and goddesses, used to explain how the universe works. Perhaps I will try using the five motifs writing idea this week.

Bibliography: Pattanaik's Calendar Art, Part C
Image: Kali, Wikimedia Commons

Story: How the Jungle Began

Everyone was gathered at the Peace Rock during a great drought when Hathi, the master of the jungle, revealed how the world was created. Because the water level had dropped down so low that the Peace Rock was visible all of the jungle had formed a truce so that no one would be killed while drinking from the river. All of the animals, from deer to wolves, were lying on the river bank attempting to stay cool when Shere Khan, the tiger, sidled up to the river bank covered in blood.

He bragged of killing man. Not only that; he bragged of killing out of choice instead of need. Bagheera, the other masterful hunter of the jungle, was disgusted and Hathi sent Shere Khan away from the river. But before the tiger left he made a strange remark to the master elephant: "It was my right and my Night. Thou knowest, O Hathi."

As soon as Shere Khan was out of ear shot Mowgli asked Hathi, "What right does he mean? It is always shameful to kill man."

Hathi sighed before replying,"Stay quiet and I will tell you a tale older than the jungle.

"In the beginning of the jungle, we creatures walked together without fear. Back then there were no droughts and we all ate leaves, flowers, fruit, and bark. Tha, the first of the elephants created this jungle. Where he made furrows in the ground with his tusks, there the rivers ran; and where he struck with his foot, there rose ponds of good water; and when he blew through his trunk, there the trees fell. We knew no man; everyone lived together as one people.

Tha was too busy making the forest to deal with small quarrels over grazing land, so he named the first of the tigers master and judge of the jungle. It is said that one night two bucks came to the tiger to settle their argument. One of them pushed the judge with their horns, and the tiger sprung, killing the deer.

Until that night none of us had died or known death. Ashamed and afraid, the first tiger fled into the marshes of the North. When Tha returned to the crazed scene, no one would tell him who killed the buck. So instead he asked the trees to lean over and use their branches to mark the one who brought death to the jungle.

Meanwhile, Tha apponted the ape as the new judge. At first, the grey ape appeared wise, but soon he began to scratch and leap up and down. When Tha returned, he found the ape hanging upside down and mocking those below. There was no law in the jungle, only foolishness.

At this point Tha called all the animals together. He said,'Your first judge brought you death and your second has brought you shame. Now it is time that you know law, a law that you cannot break. You will meet fear and he will be your new master.'

One of the buffaloes rose up and asked: ' What is fear?'

The creator of the jungle answered,'Seek and ye shall find it.'

Soon the buffaloes did find it, huddled away in a cave. The creature was hairless and walked on its hind legs. When it spoke the animals ran, trampling each other. That night we did not lie down together as was the custom. Instead pigs lied down with pigs, wolves lied down with wolves.

When the tiger heard about this new creature he sought to redeem himself by killing what made the rest of the jungle so afraid. He found the cave and approached man, but also fled in fear once he saw the creature. He went to Tha, begging for help to defeat man and help the jungle. The master of the jungle agreed to allow him to live without fear of man once per year.

When the night came, the tiger could feel it and he returned to the cave. Just as Tha said, the man lied down on the ground before the tiger in fear so that he was able to kill man. The tiger returned to the jungle proud of his accomplishment for he had killed fear itself. Alas, things could not return to normal. The animals were now afraid of him, and he was still shunned from his fellow creatures."

Author's Note: This story comes from the Second Jungle Book so I'm not sure how much of this legend and how much of this is from Rudyard Kipling's imagination. He is a British author who lived in India for a time which inspired his writing. I found the story immensely intriguing because it explains the creation as well as the evolution of the jungle into how we know it today.

Bibliography: The Second Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, Project Gutenberg
Image: Elephant T, Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: The Second Jungle Book, Part B

The next story with Mowgli, "The Letting of the Jungle", was considerably darker than the other story or the Disney movies. He seeks revenge on the man village for persecuting and torturing a couple who took him in previously. The context of this story is a bit confusing to me, and I still don't understand if this man and woman are his biological parents or just a kind couple who took care of him when he returned to the village for a brief period. Either way, Mowgli asks Hathi and his sons to destroy the village and drive out the people who live there, thus "letting in" the jungle to grow in the village's place.

Throughout this story there is a constant identity strain for Mowgli. He does not fully fit in with his jungle brothers nor is he accepted by the man village. He claims to understand man to his wolf brothers, but detests them all the same. He speaks about how his senses are more heightened than other men, but will never match the jungle creatures'. There is much disdain for the humans and envy of the jungle animals in Mowgli's dialogue and inner thoughts.

Bibliography: The Second Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, Project Gutenberg
Image: Mowgli, Wikipedia Commons

Reading Notes: The Second Jungle Book, Part A

I recently watched the newer remake of the Jungle Book, so my interest in this subject was renewed. I read the first chapter of this book, "How Fear Came". I didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised!

This first chapter centered on the law of the jungle, particularly the Peace Rock and Shere Khan's killing of man. If you've seen the movie than you know about this cool concept of the peace rock. Essentially, when the jungle is facing a devastating drought this rock is uncovered in the river bed. When this rock is visible a truce is called between all of the animals so that no one shall be killed while they drink from this river. This is to protect everyone since water is more necessary to live.

While at the Peace Rock Tha, the ruling elephant, tells a story about the creation of the jungle. I personally love that elephants are the creator of the jungles. Tigers were named to be the judges, but they brought death. Then, the apes were the tiger's replacement, but they brought shame. Lastly, man brings fear. I love how everyone has a role and this devolution of the jungle society is explained through these animals. Normally death, shame, and fear would be considered fairly abstract concepts, but these stories really simplify the matter.

I also like at the end where Mowgli inquires about the behaviors of Shere Khan. Than makes it seem that he continued killing largely from the stigma and abandonment he felt from the other animals.

Bibliography: The Second Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, Project Gutenberg
Image: The Jungle Book cover, Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Pattanaik's Calendar Art, Part B

I like the metaphor of Narayan/ Vishnu very much. I remember this image from Sita Sings the Blues video. The perception of reality is quite interesting. Although the narrator speaks of Lakshmi with the utmost respect, Nina Paley (the creator of Sita Sings the Blues) satirizes the patriarchy present in this image. At the end the two swap places so that Vishnu is rubbing the feet of Lakshmi.

I did think it was very interesting to learn the source of the cow deity in Hinduism. The metaphor of the cow and the cowherd is also quite intriguing. However, I do still think there is an unequal representation of women and the roles that they play in Hinduism. Yet, what older religion isn't  riddled with underlying sexism?

Bibliography: Pattanaik's Calendar Art, Part B
Image: Vishnu, Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Pattanaik's Calendar Art, Part A

This video covered so many topics dealing with the foundations of Hindu faith. I really do like the metaphysical representations of earth and heaven throughout the religious texts. Ganesha is a very interesting example of this. Although he has a human body and spirit, he has an immortal, divine head. This also represents his parents' conflicting wishes for material and spiritual attainment. I feel most people have experienced this strain in their life, and I know that I certainly have, so it's nice to see a story acknowledge this struggle.

My favorite goddess discussed in this video was Bahuchara, goddess of the hijras. I have learned about the hijras and other transsexuals in a sexual deviance course that I took last year. This topic is especially close to me because one of my best friends in high school went through their transition senior year of high school. I like the idea of having a goddess for these people to pray to because it must have been hard growing up in the hetero-normative culture during which these stories take place. However, Bahuchara's origin story leaves more to be desired. I was hoping that it would be someone wanting to swap genders out of their own will instead of their father's.

Bibliography: Pattanaik's Calendar Art, Part A
Image: Bahuchara Devi, Wikimedia Commons

Wikipedia Trails: From Surpanakha to Rakshasa

For my storybook this week I am writing about Surpanakha, so I decided to look on her Wikipedia page for any information that wasn't covered in our readings. One of the interesting things I looked into were her parents' history because I'm honestly still a little confused about the Rakshasa identifier in Indian literature. Is it a separate race or just a group of evil humans? Anyway so I clicked on her father, Vishrava first, and guess what? He is a powerful and respectable yogi! So why are Surpanakha and Ravana so evil? Her rakshasi mother, Kaikesi apparently schemed in order to cause Vishrava to leave his first wife and have four demonic children with her. From there I clicked on a link to the Rakshasa page where I sorted out all of the confusion I had. They are there own distinct race although they apparently have children with humans all the time. There is a negative connotation related to cannibalism (man eater is another name for them) although there are good rakshasas. Mainly their powers of illusion are what make them distinct from humans.

Image: Demon, Wikimedia Commons

Story: Young Heroes, Part 2

Hercules' father was sitting inside when his son came running into their home. The little boy had come home after finishing his lessons for the day. He rushed to where his father sat and jumped up on his lap.

"Will you tell me another story about Krishna?", he pleaded.

"Of course", his father replied, laughing, "I wish you were this enthusiastic to hear from your teachers. Which story would you like to hear? He has defeated monsters, defended his village from destructive gods, and married many beautiful women."

"Are there any with animals?", Hercules asked.

"Hmmm. Oh yes, perhaps two of the most important stories of all involved a bull and an elephant. I should have known you would want to hear these tales. You always did have a soft spot for fellow creatures."

As they both got comfortable, the father began the story:
"In Krishna's village there lived these incredibly mean bull, named Hastin. It was so aggressive that few in town would even go near it. One day, Krishna came upon his brother bragging to the townspeople that he was going to kill this beast with one powerful punch.

As a lover of all god's creatures, Krishna was horrified. He interrupted his brother, saying that instead of allowing them to harm the animal, he would safely ride Hastin by the end of the month.

Starting that day, Krishna sat near Hastin's stable, playing his soft flute music and slowly gaining the bull's trust. He started by slowly moving closer and closer to the creature, then giving him food and treats, until Hastin finally allowed Krishna to touch him.

On the last day of the month, the village was having a large festival. Krishna came barreling through the middle of twon on the back of the crazed bull. Everyone ran after him to see how this act would end. However, instead of throwing young Krishna and maiming him, Hastin eventually grew tired and allowed the boy to ride him."

"Oh, wow", said Hercules. "But when does the the elephant come in to the story?"

"Have patience, my son. I knew you would be especially interested in the elephant so I saved it for last.

"Now when Krishna had grown older, his destiny was to defeat his uncle, the evil King Kamsa. When the time came for him to fulfill this prophecy, he traveled far away from his home to the great city of Mathura.

Alas, King Kamsa knew of the prophesies and had heard of Krishna's coming, so he sent a terrifying elephant, Kuvalaypida, to the gates of the city to kill the young warrior. This elephant was so large and violent that none of the king's guards could control it. It's sole purpose was to rampage through the battlefields during times of war.

Yet, this elephant was no match for the strong and agile Krishna. He dodged its every attack as the creature attempted to trample him. He grabbed Kuvalayapida by the trunk and flung him aside, but the animal came running back. In this moment, Krishna knew that he could easily kill this beast, but his mind returned to the bull, Hastin, from his home village.

Krishna reacted quickly to tear down some thick vines from the nearest trees. He then tripped the great elephant and tied up its legs so fast that those watching say he disappeared for the moment. When he was seen again, Kuvalayapida was lying on the ground with its legs and trunk bound by the vines.

After defeating King Kamsa, Krishna returned to this elephant and treated it in the same way he treated Hastin years ago. He slowly gained its trust until it became one of the most docile creatures in the kingdom. Kuvalayapida remained Krishna's favorite royal elephant, riding it for all of the festivals and parades.

So, my son, what is the moral of both these stories?", asked the father.

After a long pause and a puzzled look from Hercules, the father spoke up again. "Kindness is ultimate strength."

Author's Note: So I continued my theme of a young Hercules from last week, although I drew more stories from part B of the Epified videos this time. These two stories of Krishna really stood out to me while reading because I am such an animal lover. I understand that a lot of times when animals act out aggressively, it is because they are hurt or afraid. I also think that kindness and humility are two of Krishna's best qualities. I did alter the story of the elephant to add a happy ending. In the Indian epics he actually just kills Kuvalayapida with one punch (hypocritical right?).

Bibliography: Epified Krishna Videos, Part B
Image: Be Kind to Every Kind, Flickr

Reading Notes: Krishna and Rukmini, A Love That Will Not Be Denied

This comic book was quite interesting and picked up right where the Epified videos ended. As Krishna defeats Kamsa and restores the rightful throne to Mathura. Rukmini hears about everything and arranges her own path to marry the hero.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this story is that Rikmini's parents also want her to marry Krishna. It is only her brother, Rikmi who sees him as an enemy and therefore unworthy of his sister's hand in marriage. Yet, for some reason his judgement trumps his father's. I don't really understand why this is. Is it a cultural thing that I haven't seen before? Is his father just old and weak? Or is Rukmi just corrupting and abusive?

I also found it interesting that Rukmi's punishment at the end was to shave half of his head and half of his mustache. Krishna was actually scolded for doing this because it is so shameful. It is a bit bizarre, but I suppose I have seen this concept in other cultures before. It's crazy that this is now a popular hair style in society. I wonder what life Rukmi must live after this is done to him.

Bibliography: Krishna and Rukmini, A Love That Will Not Be Denied Vol. 516
Image: Skrillex, Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: The Parijata Tree and Other Tales of Krishna

This is one of the amazing comic books from Bizzell. I jumped forward a lot in Krishna's life to when he has many wives.

The first story centers around Satya Bhama, Krishna's second wife I think. I like that she plays an active role in helping Krishna during battle, but this story leaves me feeling unsure if her actions were just. She feels that she doesn't receive the recognition she deserves so she picks a fight with Indra, destroying his celestial army, to make her point. It is nice to see such a strong woman in the Indian epics, but this particular exhibition of power seemed a little petty.

The second story is about a beautiful woman named Lakshmana, which I think is hilarious. She holds a swayamvara to secure Krishna as her husband and become his third wife. Krishna has so many brides it's a little shocking to me, but I guess that it was culturally normal for that time and place. In the third story, you see how they all get along with one another and work together when Krishna is in danger of being stolen away by a sage.

Bibliography: The Parijata Tree and Other Tales of Krishna Vol. 767
Image: Lord Krishna's Marvelous Leelas by Abhi Sharma, Flickr

Reading Notes: Epified Krishna, Part B

I absolutely love the stories of Krishna, and they just keep getting better! My favorite from this part would have to be when Krishna rides the violent bull, Hastin. As the video says he teaches the villagers the importance of kindness. While his brother was talking about killing the bull with a punch, Krishna showed the mean bull love over the span of a month to gain its trust. This story stood out to me because I was raised around all types of animals and know that fear often looks the same as aggression. The story touched my heart and is one that many people in our society could learn from.

The elephant, Kuvalayapida sent to attack Krishna also stood out to me for the same reasons. Here is this animal that is known to be aggressive and is forced to be a tool in massive warfare. It's no wonder that he doesn't let any human come near him! I would like to write a story in which Krishna shows this elephant kindness as well.

I do find it extremely sad that he isn't allowed to marry Radha. I can only imagine the heartache these two felt in the time between being denied marriage and Krishna actually leaving the village to fulfill his destiny.

Bibliography: Epified Krishna Videos, Part B
Image: Decorated Indian Elephant, Wikimedia Commons

Story: Young Heroes, Part 1?

Hercules was sitting by himself on the hill again, begging the gods to make him normal as the tears rolled down his cheeks. He had just caused another catastrophe in town, destroying the town market and injuring two villagers by throwing a small pebble at the walls. Of course this was all by accident for he never wished harm on any person. His strength was just far too strong for a young boy to master and control.

His father came up behind the little hero and sat beside him in the grass, pulling him onto his lap and comforting him.

"Papa, why am I so different than all of the other boys? I don't like making so many people upset with me", said Hercules.

His father replied, "You were sent to us from the gods for a reason, my son. You may not see it yet, but one day you will save countless numbers of people, much more than you have upset. Let me tell you a story about another young hero that grew up in a village similar to ours.

"His name was Krishna and, like you, he had been sent from the gods to his parents. His parents realized how important he was and hid him from the mad king by giving him away to a different couple. This couple raised him in a small village where he soon got into even more trouble than you.

Like you, Krishna's adoptive parents realized that their son was no ordinary boy at a very early age. One day while his mother was washing clothes in the river, Krishna had crawled away from the blanket he was set on. When his mother heard screams about a runaway cart, she realized her son was missing and went running to find him. However, when she found her baby the runaway cart had already been tossed aside and now lied in pieces. She asked the witnesses who to thank for saving her son, but everyone replied that he had stopped the cart himself.

Once Krishna was few years older, his mother witnessed another incident that left her without any doubt that her son would one day be a great hero. Krishna's brother had come in the house, telling his mom that Krishna had been eating mud again. Immediately the mother came outside and demanded the young boy to open his mouth. When he complied with the request, Krishna's mother saw something much greater than mud in her son's mouth. She saw the entire universe, galaxies swirling and planets revolving. She would have gone into madness if she had stared any longer at the miracle before her, but little Krishna closed his mouth just in time to save his mother's mind.

These are only a couple of the feats that Krishna performed as a child. Although the other kids and adults in the village were uneasy of his gifts at first, they came to love him and later on ask for his help to save their homes."

"Wow, Papa. Krishna is so amazing! I had no idea there were other kids like me. Please tell me more stories about him", Hercules gushed as his father finished speaking. The tears had stopped falling and in their place was an excited smile.

"Another day, my son. Krishna defeats many monsters like giant snakes, vampires, and other demons, but right now it is dinner time. Let's go back to the house before your mother begins worrying."

Author's Note: I couldn't help drawing parallels between young Krishna and Hercules as I did the reading for this week. There are just so many similarities it's crazy. To be honest I am drawing most of my knowledge about Hercules from the Disney movies, but I still think there are similarities. There are both young demi-god heroes that live with adoptive parents in small villages. Because this story was so easy to write and there are so many interesting stories about young Krishna, I might write a sequel next week about young Hercules.

Bibliography: Epified Krishna Videos, Part A
Image: Yasoda with Krishna, Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Epified Krishna, Part A

These videos are so great. I was interested in watching some of the others, but they were too long. I didn't have time to watch a playlist with thirty minute episodes tonight. Maybe in the coming weeks I will have more time because the Hindu calendar videos particularly look good.

Krishna's childhood is so neat and remind me a lot of the Disney Hercules story in which this demigod is sent to live in a small village with human parents. As the parents and the villagers realize that Krishna is not a normal boy, they come to respect and rely on him. This is much better than the rejection Hercules faces, but I wonder how this praise doesn't get to Krishna's head. He still seems so humble and wise in the Mahabharata even though he was the favorite child and a troublemaker growing up.

The beginning of Krishna's story is very dark. I couldn't imagine how his poor mother and father felt, being trapped in that prison cell for so long and watching each of your children be beaten to death by your own family. I truly hope King Kamsa gets what's coming to him soon.

Bibliography: Epified Krishna Videos, Part A
Image: Hercules strangling a snake sent to kill him in his cradle, Wikimedia Commons

Week 8 Growth Mindset

I feel that I do well with about half of the growth dimensions listed on the website like motivating myself, setting my own goals, and wanting to try new things. However, the other half of the list are things that I could still improve on including feeling bored with my learning, wanting to do things correctly the first time, and feeling defensive about my mistakes.

I have a bad case of senioritis already that is becoming more and more difficult to fight off. Additionally, I am continuing through the medical school application process which I am highly motivated to do and do well, but this distracts me from work and school. I do seem to incorporate more of a growth mindset at work right now because I have just received a promotion.

Hopefully as I go on through the semester and I finish my application essays and work training, I will be able to focus more on my classes and growing as much as I can for them.

Image: The more you learn, the more places you'll go, Growth Mindset Memes

Week 8 Reflections

I changed my note taking method after a few weeks in order to better prepare for the storytelling assignments. I used to make bullet points as I read the stories, but now I just write in paragraph format after I've read everything. I think this has helped significantly because it allows me to focus on what stood out most to me. I tended to focus too much on every single detail with the bullet points. Now I have fewer story ideas, but they are more developed so I have more of an idea of what I can write before I sit down to do the storytelling assignment. For the rest of the semester I would like to read stories beyond the epics and take full advantage of the books at Bizzell.

I have not been the most consistent with the weekly storytelling assignments. This is due to my note taking and just not having enough time. I've found that if I don't have a well developed idea of what to write before starting the post then it can take me much longer than an hour to complete my story. My writing has become more efficient as I find styles that I like and have more practice with creative writing. I would still really like to try the five motif writing style, so perhaps I will try that soon. I am also developing the style that I want for my storybook.

Normally I don't like some of my classmates' informal style of writing. The stories that I enjoy reading and commenting on have a good amount of detail and imagery, not just motions and dialogue. However, I am trying to use a more informal format for my storybook. so I may pay closer attention to those stories as I go on through the semester.

Image: Keep Calm and Blog by Caroline Coles, Flickr