Reading Diary Week 7: West African Folktales Part II

West African Folktales, a collection from African students at a teacher training center in Accra, the capital of Ghana

I think I made a mistake in my reading last week... I guess I should have done West African Folktales, parts I and II for the two readings, and then done Brer Rabbit this week, but instead I did part A of West African, and part A of Brer Rabbit... so now I guess I'll just do part B of both sections!

Why the Moon and the Stars Receive Their Light From the Sun: In this story, the son calls out to his father in the forest, and hears the reply, "Yes, son." I like the idea of using this deception and false hope in a story. The son thinks he hears his father's voice when he's lost, but it's really the voice of a deadly dragon. I might even tie it into how we as Christians have to know our Father's voice, and not be deceived by the devil.

"...to make a strong rope ladder. One end of this he intended to throw up to heaven, trusting that the gods would catch it and hold it fast, while he and his fellow-prisoners mounted." I love the leap of faith the spider takes here! It's always fun to have something like that in a story, too. It leaves the reader in suspense, but it's also relatable.

When they threw the ladder into the air and it caught, I had a feeling the dragon caught it on the other end, and they would be eaten as they climbed to their "safety." This might be something I use in my own story, a group of people working hard to escape but who are really getting closer to the mouth of the beast in the process.

How the Tortoise Got its Shell tells a story of why tortoises have a shell (obviously). I've always liked these "explanation" tales, and I may do one for my story, though probably not about a turtle. Maybe the origins of mermaids, or why rhinos have their big tusks...

 

(Rhino) 

In The Ungrateful Man, one man is given many riches by a rat, a panther, and a serpent. When accused of stealing the king's wealth, no one believes his testimony of how he actually became rich. These are some of the most frustrating things in a story to me, when the protagonist has done nothing wrong, yet can't convince anyone otherwise because the circumstances are so outrageous. Even though this type of conflict bothers me, it's a good way to entice readers and keep them searching for justice as they read the story.