Reading Diary Week 11: King Arthur

King Arthur Unit

The Drawing of the Sword 

I wonder why Merlin said that all the men should meet. I love the story of pulling the sword from the stone. That’s why I chose to read this unit.  I wonder who enchanted the sword. I never heard to backstory of Arthur and his father Sir Ector and his brother. It doesn’t say how old he is in this story.  I didn’t know that the sword was taken by his brother and he claimed he drew it from the stone. I also didn’t know that Merlin knew Arthur as an infant.

The Questing Beast

A land full of gryphons and serpents. I wonder what the mysterious creature is. Merlin can shape shift? I can’t believe that knight took Arthur’s horse. Arthur has a sister? And she will birth the children who will make his kingdom fall? Marlin is buried alive?!

The Sword Excalibur

The lady of the lake is from the King Arthur stories? I would have asked what she wanted as a gift before agreeing to it. Did all of Arthur’s weapons have special powers and enchantments?

The Round Table

I think it is interesting that his real father made the round table that was made so famous by his stories. It was neat that Leodegrance (the future queen’s father) gave it to Arthur because his father made it. I didn’t know it could fit 150 people. That is huge! I wonder what blessings were put on the knights. Why would Arthur allow his sister’s son to be a knight in his court when he knows the prophecy?

The Passing of Merlin

Excalibur and the scabbard will be taken by a woman Arthur trusts? I hate Vivien, or whatever her name is. I thought he meant he would be buried alive, not crushed by a stone.

King Arthur and Morgan le Fay

Is Morgan Le Fay the woman who betrays and kills Arthur? She takes Arthur’s scabbard? Morgan had 40 horses with her? Were there men on them? Does she have a small army? She turned her and her men into marble. Holy cow, the messenger was killed by the mantle? I’m glad the lady of the lake was honest and saved Arthur.

The Quest of the Holy Grail

This section was really short and didn’t really give me much to write notes on.

The King's Pilgrimage

I think it is fun that the holy chapel of St. Augustine can only be found by adventure. I wonder if Arthur ever got his scabbard back. I wonder if the dream of Chaus is a warning or vision. The items from his dream were found with him? I am confused. Chaus’s death makes me sad.

The Coming of the Holy Grail

I thought this section would include a more detailed account of how King Arthur obtained the Holy Grail. I wish it would have talked about it in more detail. I am touched by the sincerity and loyalty of the knights. 

Storytelling Week 11: Jack and Jill

This boy’s name is Jack

He’s a plain looking lad

He is not very good,

Nor yet very bad.

He had a large goose

That laid eggs of pure gold

And he thought in his head, “this is very obtuse”

For his benefit, he left this story untold.

He had a friend that he liked a lot,

She was very beautiful and her name was Jill,

So he gathered the courage and gave it a shot,

They are still together much to his thrill.

They went to bed early one summer’s night,

They had to get sleep to do all their chores.

But before they went to bed, their prayers they recite

Very early the next morning, they would have to rise.

Jack and Jill were pretty great adults,

But they laid in bed until the clock struck ten.

Then Jack sat up from bed in a way so abrupt

And said, “oh lovely Jill, the day’s almost spent”.

They ran so quick Jill hit a wall and fell,

Little did she know she knocked over humpty dumpty,

Since she didn’t know, an apology she could not tell,

This made him kind of mad and very very grumpy.

Jack and Jill went up the Hill to fetch a pail of water,

On their way, they ran into Little Mary Bo Peep

Bo Peep was using the herder Jack bought her

One of her critters stood out, for he was the only black sheep.

Bo peep was talking to the little sheep,

While Jack and Jill didn’t say a peep.

Mary said “Bah bah black sheep, have you any wool?”

“Yes Mary, Yes Mary. Three bags full.

One for my master and one for my dame,

But none for the little boy who cries in the lane”.

Later Jack and Jill returned to fetch another pail,

They found Mary sleeping all on her own,

No sign of her sheep, not even a tail.

Suddenly, she awoke with a whine and a moan.

Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep,
And can't tell where to find them;
Jack said “Leave them alone, and they'll come home,
And bring their tails behind them.”

Little Bo-peep fell fast asleep,
And dreamt she heard them bleating;
But when she awoke, she found it a joke,
For they were still a-fleeting.

Then up she took her little crook,
Determin'd for to find them;
She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed,
For they'd left all their tails behind 'em.

Jack and Jill went shortly to bed

Late on a beautiful Sunday

They both must pray then rest their head

For tomorrow is a rather busy Monday.

Months passed before they heard the story,

By this time, the weather was cold and snow began to flurry

The story has an end that is rather sad

It’s about a fall that an unlucky egg had.

IN marble walls as white as milk,
Lined with a skin as soft as silk;
Within a fountain crystal clear,
A golden apple doth appear.
No doors there are to this stronghold.
Yet things break in and steal the gold.

(This previous rhyme describes an egg)

HUMPTY DUMPTY sate on a wall;
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;
Three score men and three score more
Cannot place Humpty Dumpty as he was before.

Reading Diary Week 11: Nursery Rhymes Unit

Nursery Rhymes  unit

Tales: I love rhymes and really liked reading this story. Why would someone steal children just to drop them in the woods? I think I've heard the "There was a Crooked Man" rhyme before. The Simple Simon reminds me of the J Wellington Wimpy cartoon. Hahaha, the "Three Wise Men of Gotham" makes me laugh. Mother Goose rode on a goose? An egg of pure gold? Is this the Jack and the Beanstalk story? The note for the antisemitism is so true! Is the "Little Jack Horner" story the same as "Little Miss Muffet"? 

Proverbs: I don't understand the "If Wishes Were Horses". Hmmm. The hours of sleep riddle was intriguing. My friend posted the poem about the wind and fishing on facebook the other day. I think "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise is in the Farmer's Almanac. I have heard many of these phrases before. I had no idea where they came from. 

Nursery Rhymes: Songs, Part 1: I’m going to begin writing pieces of stories I think I can include in my storytelling post this week. I am going to attempt to rhyme. Met an old man clothed in leather, asked me “how do you do” over and over. My father died, left me six horses. I sold my horses and bought me a cow. Sold my cow and bought me a calf. Sold my calf bought me a cat, sold my cate bought me a mouse who carried fire in his tail and burned down my whole house. Little Bo Peep. This version of London bridge is different than the one I heard growing up.

Nursery Rhymes: Songs, Part 2: I looked up what a carrion crow is and looks like, they’re pretty. Three Blind Mice is exactly how I learned it in my childhood. I love that rhyme. “Cold and raw the north wind doth blow, bleak in a morning early; all the hills are covered with snow, and winter’s now come fairly”.

Riddles: I hate riddles. Most of the time, I can’t understand them, even if I know what the answer is. I do understand the egg riddle, though. It is both a riddle and has beautiful imagery. Humpty Dumpty is in this section. I like the teeth and gums riddle, it is interesting. I haven’t heard it before.

Paradoxes: The man of Thessaly was funny.

Charms and Lullabies: Peter Piper. I loved the Matthew, Mark, Luke and John poem. I wrote it down so I can say it before I go to bed. The Hushy baby poem is so incredibly cute. I love it. Hush-a-bye baby. There is another poem called rock-a-bye baby that I could use for my storytelling post.

Games: Jack be nimble. Thumbkin reminds me of Rumpelstiltskin for some reason. I had no idea that Hickory Dickory dock was a rhyme to choose who is “it” in tag or hide and seek. This Little Piggy. “Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross, to see and old lady upon a white horse; rings on her fingers, and bells on her toes, and so she makes music wherever she goes”. Use How Many Miles to Babylon in storytelling. I wonder what the story of the blackbirds named Jack and Jill has to do with the regular story of Jack and Jill.

Jingles: The dame who lost her shoe…. Loses her shoe too much. Awe, I love the hey diddle diddle rhyme. Little Tommy Lin sounds like a psychopath. I like the word play with the humble-bee.

Love and Matrimony: This section has so many of the rhymes I know from childhood. “There was a little boy and a little girl” can be used for storytelling, as well. Were walking out one Sunday…. Tomorrow will be Monday.

Natural History, Part 1: “In February, when green leaves begin to spring, little lambs do skip like fairies, birds do couple, build, and sing”.

Natural History, Part 2: Baa Baa Black Sheep.

Accumulative Stories I love accumulative stories. I had no idea what they were called, though. All of these were so interesting. If I was that skilled, I would write one for my storytelling post.

Relics: Oh my gosh! I didn’t know the origin of “What Are Little Boys Made Of?” until now! That is so great. I remember hearing this when I was growing up. Boys and girls used it to tease one another. I could use this in my story-telling post. Rain Rain Go Away was also in this section, but I had no idea it had a third line.