Legendary Myths

There was once a very beautiful queen. In the middle of winter, a daughter was born to her. She had skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony, just as the mother had wished. However, the queen died when the wee girl, Snow-White, was born to her. After a year had passed, the king took another wife, but she was proud and unwilling to be surpassed in beauty by any other maiden. She possessed a magic looking-glass, to which she asked who the fairest maiden was of them all. Every time she asked, the looking-glass would say that it was she was the fairest of them all, for it only spoke the truth. Now, Snow-White grew prettier, and when she was seven years old, the looking-glass proclaimed her as the fairest of them all. The queen was greatly angered by this proclamation and set about Snow-White's doom. So, she called upon a huntsman to take Snow-White out to the woods and take out her heart as a token. Upon arriving in the middle of the woods, the hunt...

There was once a poor fisherman and his wife who lived by the sea shore. They lived in an old hovel, and the wife was quite unhappy with it. One day, the fisherman went fishing and sat waiting all day long for a single catch. At last, he reeled in a great flounder, but he discovered that it was an enchanted prince. The prince begged the fisherman for his life, adamant that he will not taste well. So, the fisherman released the flounder back into the water, walking home empty-handed from a long day of hard work. Upon coming home, the fisherman is met with dismay and outbursts from this wife for coming home with no fish. He then told his wife of the enchanted flounder he caught, to which she asked if he had asked it for a wish. Hearing his reply, the wife insisted that the husband return to the fish and ask for a little cottage, for the old hovel was much too small and cramped for the wife. So, the fisherman returned to see the fish, and the sea was green and yellow, quite a peculi...

This story begins with a clever and with peasant who had been working in his field all day. As it was getting quite dark, he made preparation to head home when you spotted a pike a burning coals in his field. Amazed, he ventured toward the pile of coals and noticed a little black devil. So, the peasant asserts that the devil must be sitting upon a treasure. The devil slyly agreed, stating that it contained more gold and silver than the peasant had ever seen in his life. Then, the devil bargained that the treasure shall be given the peasant in return for half of everything that is grown from the field for two years. The clever peasant agreed, swearing to give the devil everything that grew above the ground and keeping everything that grew below the ground for himself. Unfortunately for the devil, the peasant planted turnips. Upon harvest time, the devil was left with withered leaves, and the peasant left with his harvest of turnips. So, the devil would not be bested. Now, he shall...

There once was a poor shoemaker that only enough leather for one more pair of shoes. So, he cut the leather before bed, intending to finish the shoes in the morning. He went to bed, prayed, and slept a good while. The next morning, he woke and discovered to find a finely-crafted pair of shoes on his workbench. The shoes were so exquisitely craft, the shoemaker was absolutely amazed. Soon, a customer came by and paid more than the usual price for them. So, the shoemaker now had enough money to buy leather for two pairs of shoes. He cut the leather once more, intending to finish the shoes in the morning. He performed his nightly routine and woke to find the pairs of shoes already finished. Again, customers arrived and paid for the finely-crafted shoes. So, it continued. The shoemaker would buy more amounts of leather, only to find pairs of shoes readily made by morning. The shoemaker now had a steady income and was quite wealthy. Now, he and his wife wanted to find out who was craf...

Robin Hood grew weary of his days in the green forest and hunting deer. One day, he had a bright idea. Fishermen made more money than any other merchant, so Robin Hood was set on becoming one. Thus, Robin Hood set on to Scarborough to be a fisherman. So, Robin Hood went on alone to Scarborough, where he stayed at a widow's house. She asked this stranger of his name and origin, to which he replied that he had come from afar and had the name of Simon. Thus, the two made merry. The widow asked Simon to be her man in return for her ship, to which Robin Hood eagerly accepted the offer. So, they set sail upon the sea. While others cast their baited lines, Simon cast an empty line, for he had no knowledge of fishing. So, the great master of the ship scorned him, for he was deemed not to be worthy of the sea. Thus, Robin Hood yearned to be home in the green woods, chasing deer and dawn as he had done so before. Upon the sea, they spied a pirate ship that approached quickly. All was i...

This story begins with Robin Hood roaming the forest, when he spied a sorry woman wandering through the path. Robin Hood approached the woman, asking what is causing her great sorrow. She told Robin Hood of the terrible fate of her sons, for they have killed the king's fallow deer. Thus, they were condemned to die. Robin Hood immediately pressed the woman to return to her home and worry no longer, for he would travel to Nottingham for the sake of her sons. So, he pressed on along his journey towards Nottingham when he came upon an old beggar. Now the beggar man was also creeping and weeping along the way, so Robin Hood asked what the matter was. The beggar told Robin Hood of how all of Nottingham wept and wailed for the three squires, for they were to be hanged. Then, Robin Hood traded forty shillings and plenty of drinks for the old beggar's coat to aid in his disguise. So, to Nottingham Robin Hood went, and he came before the great sheriff. Now, Robin Hood pleads with t...

In search of the Holy Graal, Sir Lancelot came before a stone cross in front of an old chapel. Here he decided to tie his horse to a tree and take off his arms. Lancelot yearned to enter the chapel to be before the altar, but he could not, for he had a heart heavy with sin. So he turned back sorrowful and and lay down to sleep at the foot of the stone cross in front of the chapel. As he rested here, he saw a sick Knight come by, ailing over his turmoils from his quest for the Holy Graal. At this moment, a table of silver appears with the Holy Graal before it. The sick Knight rose up and prayed before the Graal, being made whole again. After that, the Graal went back into the chapel, and Lancelot yearned to pursue. Alas, he could not move, for the weight of his sins weighed down upon him. The sick Knight rose and kissed the stone cross. Seeing Lancelot, he questioned how a sleeping Knight could not wake when the power of the Graal was so near. The squire then replied that Lancelot...

This story begins with the death of Uther Pendragon, leaving behind an absence of a King of Britain. Every Knight yearned to seize the crown, and the country soon fell ill to broken laws and poor yields of corn. Merlin the magician came forth and rode to the place of the Archbishop of Canterbury, agreeing that the lords of Britain shall meet at the Great Church in London on Christmas Day. So it was said, and so it was done. As the lords left the Church on Christmas Day, they marveled at the sight of a sword struck in the midst of a large stone. So it was told that whomever shall pull this sword from the stone shall be the rightful King of England. Many Knights could not hold back their eagerness and sprang forth to try their luck at freeing the sword. Alas, many tried and all failed. Following their failures, two Knights were called forth to keep guard over the sword. Among the Knights was Sir Ector, with his son, Sir Kay. Arthur, Sir Kay's foster-brother also travelled with ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...