Week 5 Reading Diary: Persian Tales

Persian Tales Unit

The Wolf and the Goat

The wolf in this story is very intelligent and I liked that he dyed his hand in henna. The wolf reminds me of the wolf from “Three Little Pigs” when he blows into the present instead of actually giving a present. I didn’t like that the wolf was killed so easily. I don’t know what sparrow is being talked about when the final line is said.

The Wolf and the Goat

The City of Nothing-in-the-World

I don’t like when the story starts out with “Once upon a time there was a time when there was no one but God”, and then proceeds to talk about the people or animals in the world. What is a minaret? Okay, a tower type building. Built out of a needle? Her eggs hatched and turned into a full grown bird? That is kind of interesting. She skinned a flea? A tree grew from her rubbing a walnut on the rooster’s back? This story is so bizarre. She talks about the tree and breaking the ground, but what became of the rooster? Again with the sparrow…

The City of Nothing-in-the-World

Susku and Mushu

Why does the mouse want to marry the beetle? “What will you beat me with”? Poor beetle. The mouse made a ladder out of carrots (which someone turned into gold), and this was super cute. I like the empathy expressed by the elements of nature. Why did the farmer kill himself, though? I also don’t understand the mother cutting her thumbs off?

Susku and Mushu

The Boy Who Became a Bulbul

At this point, I desperately want to know why all of the stories begin with “Once upon a time there was a time when there was no one but God” and ends with, “And now my story has come to an end, but the sparrow never got home”. Why would a father and son agree to a wager like cutting off each other’s heads?! And then the stepmother cooks his head?! This is a very dark story. I do like that her brother “returns”, and the rhyme of the bird’s song. The bird jammed needles down the throat of the stepmother, and rewarded his sister with candy. Why did nothing happen to the father?

The Boy Who Became a Bulbul

The Wolf-Aunt

Why did he just believe this woman when she said she was his sister? It was decided that the family would live with the father’s sister, but the wife discusses cooking something and sending it to the sister? This story reminds me of “Hansel and Gretel” with the witch fattening them up to eat them. I thought it was funny that the moral of the story was listen to your wife.

The Wolf-Aunt

Nim Tanak, or Half-Boy

All of the wives ate the full apple, except one who ate half. The Div hung the two oldest sons by their hair and eyelashes.  How did the daughter know about her brother Nim Tanak if he wasn’t allowed anywhere near his father? I want to know exactly what is meant by “half a son”. I can’t picture it in my mind. I did like that the father ended up loving Nim Tanak.

Nim Tanak, or Half-Boy

Muhammad Tirandez, The Archer

I think it is a little rash of Muhammad to quit his job and claim to be a good shot when he has only made one shot. He didn’t know how to ride a horse, so he had his feet tied under the horse. Muhammad is very lucky, for he has no real skill and has been hired on a stroke of luck.

Muhammad Tirandez, The Archer

The Praying Baker

Why would the king dress as a beggar, as if he didn’t already have plenty? This king is an unforgiving man. To purposefully betray someone is evil. I liked that good prevails in this story and the baker is given back the ring and given a robe of honour.

The Praying Baker

The Sad Tale of the Mouse’s Tail

Poor mouse never gets his tail sewn back on. This reminds me of the story from earlier that builds upon itself.

The Sad Tale of the Mouse's Tail

Fayiz and the Peri Wife
What is a Peri? What does it mean that the boys were of Peri stock?
Fayiz and the Peri Wife

The Hemp-Smoker's Dream
This story was rather short and uninteresting.
The Hemp-Smoker's Dream

The Story of the Wolf-Bride
It seems a bit overwhelming that the father placed his son in a concrete tomb of sorts because of a horoscope. Some of the elements in these stories don't make sense. For example, the woman in this story doesn't know how her new husband died, but she remembers turning into a wolf and tearing him to pieces?
The Story of the Wolf-Bride

The Man who Went to Wake his Luck
This was an interesting take on luck. That luck is a person. I would not have been concerned about the other people contacting me, but about getting my own luck first so that I may use it to help others. He didn't ask his own luck about anything, and yet luck seemed to provide him with one opportunity after another,
The Man who Went to Wake his Luck

Tortoise Bowl-On-The-Back and the Fox
At first, I thought the fox was being nice when he said God give you strength, but he wanted something in return. I did like that this was a twist on the "Tortoise and the Hare" story from when I was a child.
Tortoise Bowl-on-the-Back and the Fox

The Shepherd Who Found a Treasure
One of the shepherds was distracted by a fly and let a whole flock of sheep slip by him. I did like that he had a dream where something came true and did some good for the shepherd.
The Shepherd Who Found Treasure

The Merchant and the Saffron
Malik Ahmad lost everything, and I don't know if I should feel bad for him or not yet. By the end of the story, I do feel bad for him. It seems his luck is asleep, yet he has been lucky in the fact that he has found a friend in the saffron dealer. I don't like that the merchant never repaid the saffron dealer.
The Merchant and the Saffron

Shah Abbas and the Poor Mother
I liked that this was a story of justice. I thought it was a good end to the story, especially since the mother and children ended up better than before.
Shah Abbas and the Poor Mother

The Apparition of the Prophet Khizr
This is another positive story, with the king ending up taking advice from the wazir that counselled mercy and generosity rather than slow and painful ways of death.
The Apparition of the Prophet Khizr

The Story of the Baker and the Grateful Fish
This had a negative aspect in the beginning with the betrayal, but the ending was positive. They fish saved him when he jumped into the river because he fed them, and he was able to get revenge against the betrayer.
The Story of the Baker and the Grateful Fish


Overall, I want to know the reason for the beginning stories phrases, because they were never explained and were contained in every story in the first half of the unit.