Legendary Myths

Story 1 || 2 sentences: Wanting a meal, Buzzard tricked Rabbit into his home. Rabbit tried to escape through the open door, but Buzzard slammed the door on his own head and Rabbit's tail, turning his head bright red and cutting Rabbit's tail off. Story 2 || 50 words: Buzzard was very hungry. He sought make a make a meal of Rabbit. So he tricked Rabbit into his home and locked him in. When Buzzard opened the door to his home, Rabbit leaped out. Buzzard slammed the door, cutting off Rabbit's tail and turning his own head bright red. Turkey Buzzard - Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Author's Note: For this set of microfictions, I chose to create my own renditions of Why Turkey Buzzard Has a Red Head. The original story tells of there was once a very hungry Buzzard who sought to make a meal of Rabbit. So he lured Rabbit into his home and locked him in for three days. Coming back after another three days had passed, Buzzard heard no answer and opened the door. Rab...

I am a proud Dakota in my village. I'm happily married to my beloved wife, and help support my father in his old age. In my village, there was word of a grave scaffold up on the nearby cliff. There, a Dakota was put to rest by his parents, who built the death lodge to honor him. One night, while my father's old friends were over sharing a smoke, I overheard their conversation. My father put forth the idea to venture out to the death scaffold and cut off the tent skins for robes. Hearing this, I jumped up into the room and expressed my utter dismay. I had much pity for the poor soul who rested there on the cliff, for his parents had nothing else to give him and left him on the death scaffold. My father persisted and his friends agreed to venture forth to the cliff to tear apart the skins for robes. Knowing I could not stop them, I reluctantly let them persist with their plan, watching them silently get up and leave into the night. Upon their absence, I immediately search aro...

Coyote was traveling by himself across the prairie when he heard a voice calling out to him. Coyote looked around, but he saw no one and continued on. Yet, the voice called out to him again, telling him to walk around him. Then, Coyote saw Snake, down below under his feet. Coyote scorned at Snaked, and told him to move out of the way. Still, Snake resisted, stating that he shall not yield to anyone for he was here first. Coyote threatens to walk over Snake if he shall not move out of the way. Snake then proclaims that if Coyote steps on him that he shall die. Coyote doesn't believe that he shall die, for he was undying and nothing could kill him. So, Coyote steps forward on Snake, and Snake bites down on Coyote. However, Coyote doesn't even feel the bite and mocks Snake for his empty threat of death and suffering. Snake makes no reply, and Coyote continues on with his journey across the prairie. Coyote eventually comes to a creek, where he decides to have a drink after ...

Long ago, a Dakota died and his parents made him a death lodge for him atop a cliff. They laid his body on a grave scaffold within the lodge and paid their respects. Now, in that village lived another married man who lived with his father. His father often old his other old friends over to smoke with him and chat. One night, he proclaimed to go to the death lodge and cut apart the tent skins for robes. At once, the young married man opposed his father's idea. He pitied the man who died, and his parents had given all they had to prepare the death lodge for him. Still, his father persisted and convinced his fellow friends to partake in the endeavor. So, his father and friend departed the home to head up the cliff towards the death lodge. Meanwhile, the young man asked his wife for a piece of white clay, to which she declined. After much persistence, she hands him the white chalk, and he spreads it upon his face, making his appearance resemble that of a ghost. He set out in th...

Story 1 || 100 words: The Deer once had no horns, and his head was smooth. He could prance through the forest at such a fast pace that the animals were curious whether the great running Deer or the great jumping Rabbit could travel faster. So, a challenge was set between the two to go through a thicket and back, and a large pair of antlers was offered as the prize to the winner. However, the Rabbit was found to be cheating, as he had cleared a path through the forest. So, the antlers were given to the Deer and have been worn ever since. Story 2 || 6 words: Cheating Rabbit yields horns to Deer. White-Tailed Deer - Courtesy of Britannica Author's Note: For this set of microfictions, I opted to write my own renditions of the story of How The Deer Got His Horns. The original story tells of how the Deer with no horns was a great runner, and the Rabbit was a great jumper. The other animals wanted to see which of the two was faster so they issued forth a race through the thi...

My name is Papik, and I married a beautiful woman in my settlement. My wife had a brother who was skillful in hunting. So, I decided to go out with him so that we may hunt together. However, with every hunt, I came home with nothing, while my wife's brother came home with plenty of seals. With each passing hunt, I become increasingly more jealous and envious. So, one day while my wife's brother and I were out hunting, I plotted to rid myself of my great envy. My wife's brother was out on his kayak, hunting a group of black seals. I came up behind him in my own kayak, harpoon in hand and ready to strike its target. Instead of striking one of the seals in the group, my harpoon found its target in the side of my wife's brother. He let out a cry of pain and looked at me with his tearful eyes. I pulled upon the line of my harpoon, overturning him from his kayak and into the freezing waters. So, I watched as his life slowly left his body and made my way back home to my wi...

In this story, there is a man named Papik who always went out hunting his his wife's brother Ailaq. However, when they returned from their hunt, Ailaq was always the one who came home with seal, while Papik came home empty-handed. Thus, Papik grew envious with each passing day. One day, Ailaq did not come home from their hunt, and Papik was silent upon his arrival back home. Ailaq's mother openly accused Papik of murdering her son. Yet, Papik dismissed the allegations, claiming they were false. So, the old woman proclaimed that she shall eat him alive, for he has killed her son. The woman planned to avenge her son's death as a ghost, and set about putting her bearskin coverlet on. She sat down hear the shore, letting the tide come up and cover her. Papik, fearing the woman's threat, did not go hunting at all. However, he gradually ceased to think of the threat and resumed to hunt as he did before. So, he went out to hunt, choosing his place farther off from the ot...

Nukúnguasik had no wife and lived in a land with many men. When the men made a catch and had a successful hunt, they would give him meat. One day, Nukúnguasik was out on his kayak and decided to row over to this island to which he had never been before. Upon reaching the island, Nukúnguasik started to explore the island. He followed the sound of whispering and found a man hunched over in a hollow. His insistent whispering foretold Nukúnguasik of his doom, for he learned that the man was making a Tupilak and was telling it to bite him to death. So, Nukúnguasik snuck up on the man and slapped him, frightening him so greatly that he died. The Tupilak had been sniffing at the man's body, and so Nukúnguasik went away without harming it and rowed home. Yet, the other man did not return home, and the others were worried. The men prepared to go out in search of their lost brother, and Nukúnguasik suggested to go search on the island where no one goes. The men...

Story 1 || 2 sentences: The Rabbit complained about his small and beady eyes to God. His eyes are now large and stretched after God has thrown him about his own home. Story 2 || 50 words: The Rabbit complained to God about his small eyes, who told him to bring back six blackbird. Upon his return, God told him to bring back rattlesnake teeth. Upon his return, God told him to stay. Then, God caught the Rabbit and threw his head around, stretching out his eyes. Rabbit - Courtesy of Wikipedia Author's Note: For this set of microfictions, I chose to write my own versions of Why the Rabbit's Eyes are Big. The original story tells of how a Rabbit was unhappy with his small eyes and complained to God. God sent him to return with six blackbird, and he did. Then, God sent him to return with rattlesnake teeth, and the Rabbit killed his neighbor, the rattlesnake, for his teeth. Upon his return to God, God catches him by his hind feet and throws him about the house, stretching...

Since the beginning of time, I bided my time. I had no consciousness or any emotions. Yet, I was here on earth. With each passing year, I could feel my strength growing immensely. One day, my strength overcame the shell that encased me, and I was born. I emerged from my stone prison, taking in the world around me with my newfound senses. I looked over my features, realizing that I was an ape. Gradually, I learned to walk and leap. I learned to drink of the plentiful springs on the island and eat from the fields of fruits. So, on this happy little island, I flourished. I grew from a little monkey into a strong ape. I learned to befriend the other apes on the island and made merry with them with each passing day. One day, we happened upon a waterfall that crashed down from atop a tall cliff. The other apes proclaimed a challenge that whomever shall pass through the waterfall without harm shall be king. Now, I, having been born of supernatural power, came forth at once and proclaime...

This story begins with the Buddha arriving in heaven to calm the energetic and troublesome Sun Wu Kung. The Monkey King, boasting of his mystical powers and mastery of transformations, refuses to leave heaven until the Lord of the Heavens yields the throne to him. Yet, the Buddha proclaims that Sun Wu Kung lacks the infinite wisdom and virtues of the Lord of the Heavens. As a rebuttal, the Monkey King proclaims that his cloud somersaults can help him travel eighteen thousand miles, making him fit to rule over the heavens. Buddha replies with a smile, challenging Sun Wu Kung to perform a somersault out of the palm of his hand. Upon his success, he will be appointed as the new Lord of the Heavens, but his failure will cause his utter demise. So, Sun Wu Kung leaps onto the out-reached palm of the Buddha, preparing to best his challenger. He turned somersault after somersault, seeing five tall, reddish columns rising to the skies. Upon reaching his summit, he pulled out a hair, trans...

This origin story begins on an island called the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. A large rock protruded from the mountain. Since the beginning of time, this rock has absorbed all the hidden power from heaven, earth, sun, and moon. Thus, supernatural power emanated from the mystical rock. One day, the rock broke and hatched a stone egg. From this stone egg hatched a stone ape. The stone ape gradually learned to walk, and his eyes opened, revealing two streams of great light that pierced the heavens. So, the ape grew up in the valley, drinking from the springs and feasting on the flowers and fruits. One day, the apes upon the island came upon a waterfall that crashed over a cliff. So it was said that whomever shall pass through the waterfall without harm shall be king of the apes. Hearing this, the stone ape leaped with joy and commenced towards the entrance of the waterfall. Without hesitation, he leaped through the waterfall, which revealed a hidden iron bridge that was hidden to...

Story 1 || 2 sentences: The elephant, massive as he was, barely noticed when he squashed the home of the rabbit, flattening his little children. Avenging the deaths of his children, the rabbit set ablaze the ears of the elephant, burning the hinges so the elephant couldn't lift them up anymore. Story 2 || 25 words: Avenging the deaths of his children who perished at the foot of the large elephant, the rabbit set fire to the ears of the elephant. Female African Bush Elephant - Courtesy of Wikipedia Author's Note: For this set of microfictions, I decided to write my own renditions of the story of Why the Elephant Has Floppy Ears. The original story tells of how the rabbit had children in a small den in the woods. However, the massive elephant unknowingly stepped upon his home, squashing the children of the rabbit. So, the rabbit desired to avenge their lives and set out planning his vengeance. He set the ears of the elephant on fire, destroying the hinges so that th...

I lived in a time where divine beings and mystical creatures still roamed the earth. I've seen mortal men partake in quests against sacred creatures and end in either conquest or vanquish. Yet, upon the vanquish of my own ruling Empress with the lost of the Jewel of Heart's Desire, she took out her anguish upon my love. I am but a simple fisher-maid. Yet, my heart yearns for that of the Prime Minister, Takeuchi. It pained me greatly to see him to such turmoil. I felt his sadness and disgrace from afar, as I dared not approach him. Yet, I desired to be wed to him, but I knew this could not be. It just so happened that one night while I was dwelling there by the shore, I saw a figure off in the distance. I realized who this silhouette belonged to the moment I cast my eyes upon it, for I have watched Takeuchi from afar for what seemed like an eternity. Quickly, I scurried towards the cliff upon which my love traversed, hiding in the shadows as I went. I watched as Takeuchi n...

Out of the reading stories for this section, I was most fascinated by The Quest of the Jewel. This story illustrates the disgrace, anger, love, and sacrifice of characters in their quest for this sacred jewel. The story begins with Takechi, the Prime Minister, retiring from court due to the severe punishment from the Empress. Set on self-destruction, he ventures to the summit of a cliff. He thought to be alone, but he was followed by a fisher-maid by the name of Tamatori. Tamatori had long had an affinity towards Takechi, loving him in secret. She approaches Takechi, begging him not to follow through on his resolve but to no avail. Only by the discovery of the Jewel of Heart's Desire looming in the depths of the jade-green ocean atop a coral pagoda did Takechi take pause, for the lost of this Jewel had brought him great sorrow. So, Tamatori set out to swim toward the palace of Benten, the daughter of the Dragon. She swam through the emerald water, passing schools of fish, unt...

For this reading section, I was most interested in the story of The Miraculous Mirror. This story explores the rivalry between brother and sister, and illustrates the inner feelings of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. The story begins with Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, sitting at her loom high in the heavens. All was peaceful and quiet, for Amaterasu was weaving with her hand-maidens in the midst of the night. Suddenly, her brother, Susa-no-wo, the Dragon of Hell, hurtled down towards Amaterasu in the Hall of the Gods with a crash of thunder. Frightened by her brother, Amaterasu fled from the heavens and down to earth. She took shelter in a dark cavern by the sea, safe from the rage of her ill-tempered brother. However, when Amaterasu fled from the heavens, she took the light of the Sun with her, casting the Isles of the Dragon-fly on Earth into darkness and gloom. The people of the Isles mourned the loss of the light and sought her return. They prayed for the light to return, and fashi...

Story 1 || 100 words: Mr. Owl fancied times where he could fly through the woods, singing with joy. One day, Miss Owl went out to pay a visit and bid Mr. Owl to watch the home and eggs. Yet, Mr. Owl yearned to sing, so he went off to teach at the singing school. Upon his absence, Miss Cuckoo, stubborn as she was, came and left her eggs in the nest. Upon this discovery, Miss Owl was not happy at all and sent Mr. Owl in search of the culprit. So, he still flies searching for who did it and forgot how to sing. Story 2 || 50 words: Mr. Owl loved to sing. While he was out realizing his passion at the singing school, someone left eggs in his nest. Now Miss Owl was quite angry. So, now he searches for who left her eggs. He sang 'Who' for so long, he forgot how to sing anything else. Boreal Owl - Courtesy of eBird Author's Note: For this week's set of microfictions, I opted to retell the story of Why Mr. Owl Can't Sing. The original story tells of an owl who l...

Growing up, I never had a care in the world. Sure I was poor, but I played all day long in the streets. Though my father passed from grieving over my playful activities, I remained unwavering from my ways.  Then one day, as I was frolicking in the streets as usual, a stranger approached me. He claimed to be my long-lost uncle, and I was utterly astonished. I ran home immediately to tell my mother and made preparations for supper for his presence. The stranger made himself at home and kissed the place where my father once sat. The next day, my uncle bought me a fine suit of clothes and merchandise, which made my mother ever so happy. The following day, we ventured outside the city gates until we came to two mountains  divided by a narrow valley. My uncle stopped us and bid me to start kindling a fire. So I gathered up sticks and started a fire. He then pulls out some fine powder and spreads it over the fire. I felt the earth shake, and it opened right in front of me, rev...

Like others, I have heard childhood tales of Aladdin and the lamp. I was fascinated with being able to read more literature regarding this tale. This first story illustrates the upbringing of Aladdin and how he discovered the power of the lamp. The story begins with Aladdin, a young lad who did nothing but play in the streets all day long. His father, Mustapha, grieved such much of his son's idle playing and passed. Still, Aladdin kept playing in the streets. One day, a stranger approached him as he was playing in the streets. The stranger, a famous African magician, proclaimed that he was Aladdin's long-lost uncle and bid him welcome him to his father's home. The next day after spoiling Aladdin with a fine suit of clothes and merchandise, the magician led Aladdin to the sight of two mountains devised by a narrow valley. Throwing a powder upon the fire that Aladdin helped kindle, the magician discloses a square flat stone with a brass ring. The magician entices Aladdi...

For this section of the reading, I was most interested in the story of Scheherazade. It was interesting to read a story told from Scheherazade and then follow that story with subsequent stories read by other storytellers within Scheherazade's story. The entire reading section reminded me of Inception, where it's a story within a story within a story and so on and so forth. The tale of Scheherazade begins with Sultan Schahriar, who had a wife whom he loved dearly. Yet, he learned of her deception and ordered the grand-vizir to put her to death. He declared that he was adamant that all women were as wicked as his former wife. As such, he married a fresh wife every evening and had her killed the following morning. The grand-vizir was tasked with providing the Sultan with a fresh bride each day. Scheherazade, daughter of the grand-vizir, courageous in the highest degree, begged her father to allow her to web the Sultan. Scheherazade was determined to stop the ba...

Story 1 || 50 words: Seven wolves once caught a groundhog. Tricky as he was, the groundhog taught the wolves seven dances, devising a way to get closer to his hole in the ground. As the last dance concluded, the seven wolves chased after the groundhog as he dashed into his hole, snatching his tail. Story 2 || 2 sentences: A groundhog taught seven wolves seven dances. After seven dances, the groundhog lost his tail as he retreated to his home. Groundhog Standing Up - Courtesy of KUT Author's Note: For this set of microfictions, I wanted to do my own renditions of How the Groundhog Lost His Tail. For the first story, I decided to write a story using only 50 words, struggling to capture some of the details of the plot. However, I managed to illustrate the trickster nature of the groundhog by him distracting the wolves with his dances to get closer to his hole in the ground. I also managed to describe how the groundhog lost his tale to a wolf as he retreated down his hole....

Once upon a time, there was a great professor who was revered by all students and faculty. He was known as Professor Emeritus, the very best in his field and respected by all. In order to pass on his many years of wisdom, he took on a professorship at a prestigious university. At this university, he hired several graduate students to aid him in renovating his office to house his many papers and exams for his classes. However, one of his graduate students, cunning as he was, deliberately left a few bricks without plaster behind the great bookcase in the office. It chanced that when the professor had settled into his new office and filled it with his many papers and exams, the graduate student who had left a few bricks without plaster in the wall was set to graduate. So, he told of his doing to two younger students, both of whom were still in their undergraduate studies. When the graduate student had since graduated from the university, the two younger students plotted to exploit t...

The story that I found most fascinating out of this section of reading is The Tale of King Rhampsinitus. The story tells of a wealthy king who ruled over Egypt, possessing great wealth and riches. Yet, with the cunningness of two brothers who steals his treasures, the king is distressed and bid to find the robbers. This story illustrates the ingenuity of the common man and the remorse of the king. The story begins with King Rhampsinitus, who reigned over Egypt. He possessed great wealth and commanded that a strong stone chamber be constructed to store his wealth. However, one of the builders, in his cunningness, set a stone in such a way that it could be removed from the outside of the chamber. Upon the completion of the chamber, the king deposited his abundance of treasures inside and placed guards outside the entrance. Yet, the man who devised a secret way to thwart the king's precious treasure chamber was stricken with sickness. So, he told his two sons about the secret abou...

Out of all the stories for this reading section, I was most intrigued by The Secret Name of Ra. This story illustrates the power of Ra and the conniving nature of Isis. Readers learn more about the ambitions of Isis to receive the power of the mighty gods and what measures Isis undertook in order to realize her dream. Ra had many names, yet possessed one secret name that was given to him by the one whom brought him to life, Nu. Yet, the goddess Isis, weary of the ways of mankind, sought to have power equal to that of Ra's in the heavens and on earth. She was an enchantress, yearning to know the secret name of Ra so that she could have equal power of the god. As Ra grew in old age, his saliva started to drip from his mouth as he spoke to his followers and uttered decrees. Isis, plotting her strategy, followed Ra and collected his saliva. She baked the saliva of the god and shaped it into a spear. The spear then became a venomous serpent, and she cast it upon the path that Ra tra...

Story 1 || 25 words: To save his cubs, the Wolf Father sang. The man, fascinated by the creature, spared his cubs and took the Wolf Father's aid in war. Story 2 || 280 characters: Once upon a time, a man found a wolf den. He started digging in it to capture the cubs. Eventually, the Wolf Father appears and sings a beautiful song, begging the man to spare his precious cubs. The Wolf Father, grateful for the man sparing his cubs, promised to help in the man's pursuits of war. So, the wolf helped the man steal the horses. Wolf in the Wild - Courtesy of Duluth News Tribune Author's Note: For this set of microfictions, I opted to retell the story of Why the Wolves Help in War, a legend of the Dakota people on the Great Plains. For my first story of 25 words, I tried to capture the key aspects of the original story, such as how the Wolf Father sang to beg the man to spare his young cubs in his den and how he promised to assist the man when he chose to go to war ther...

Excited to start his new job, John left his house pushing his new-to-him hot dog cart with a skip in his step. High school was rough, and a little extra money never hurt as he wanted to start saving for a new car. John was looking forward to his first day on the job and making some money for himself. However, his first day would not come to pass without turmoil. Pushing his cart through a suburban neighborhood, he sold hot dogs to children and parents who were all outside basking in the summer sun. All was well, and he was making money. Then, he happened upon a house that was crowded with people on the front lawn. John saw the opportunity for sales and started to approach the house. As he came within earshot of the neighbors, he overheard parts of one of the couple's conversation. "Why don't you just leave then, Martha?! Why do you even need me?" "Maybe I will, Marcus! I'll just be whisked off my feet by that passing hot dog seller!" Fearing the ...