Week 11: Storytelling Proverbs

-Short rhymes-

If you kiss on Monday, you kiss for love 

Kiss on Tuesday, kiss to git rid of 

Kiss on Wednesday, kiss for a show 

Kiss on Thursday, kiss might bring snow  

Kiss on Friday, kiss for the party 

Kiss on Saturday, you might find your smarty. 

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When one travels to the East, 

ones luck might just increase;

When one travels to the North, 

You never know what might come forth; 

When one travels to the South,

make sure you listen to the word by mouth; 

When one travels West,

Be looking for what looks best. 

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If one must sleep for seven-day, they must lay in a bed of hay. 

If they will stand for nights on end, they unsurely will descend. 

When one chooses to lay awake, only time will tell if they will break. 

Or if they may wonder throughout the fight, they will find the pathway to the light. 

On this journey, they must stand tall, for if they lose the will fall. 

Yet, when they fight true and strong,

they will have the seven days and may the be forever long. 

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In the morning dew on a summer day,
All of the animals loved to come out and play.
They frickled and frolicked through the fields,
no one ever stops or makes yields.
Then once the sun has been raised,
It rains down its light for all to praise.
Days are spent in love of life,
No one ever deals with strife.
All is well in the sun and shine,
As the night begins to fall everyone watches the falling skyline.

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Deer sketch By Kelly Tom on Public Domain

"Early to bed, and early yo rise, 

Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. "

There once was a man who went from nothing to everything. 

He was a poor boy who was found on the streets. 

A man took him in to comfort his needs.

 When the man took him in he taught him to live. 

To live was to learn and to learn was to live. 

The man taught the boy to smile in life. 

For the simplest of things could bring forth the greatest of joy. 

The man also taught him to work for his worth. 

So the boy worked hard and never stopped. 

He worked every day and helped when he could. 

While at the same time he found happiness in his heart. 

He knew when he helped he did more than just work. 

He brought strength to himself for the work was not work.

The boy had learned that he could do what he loved.

When he did what he loved he would find peace from above. 

The peace from above-brought hope to the rest. 

The rest could then see the love that was spread. 

This poor from the streets was a blessing within. 

For he grew on the town and the town surely loved him. 

After hard work and heart, the boy made himself a man.

He saved up all his earning and bought him some land. 

He never gave up and always stayed strong.

His land became great for he made himself a farm. 

His farm flourished in size and he sold what he grew. 

He came to a wealthy man and always stood true. 

He always went back to the man who took him in. 

For he never forgot who made and shaped him. 

He learned the great lesson to love what you do. 

To always work hard and smile too. 

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Author's Note: For this unit of reading I read the Nursery Rhymes. For the first two rhymes, I took them to form the reading and changed them up a bit. For the first one, the original rhyme talked about sneezing on each day of the week. For the second rhyme, the original one was about the wind blowing in different directions. For the third rhyme, I choose to make up my own. I found it a lot more difficult than I anticipated. I am hoping It makes sense to all my readers. Ha but then again a few of the rhymes I read, I was totally lost. For the last rhyme, I wanted to incorporate animals into it. I feel like animals are used a lot in rhymes for children. They make an easier connection to animals. It also attracts some people's interest. I wanted to tell a short rhyme about animals living their life in a field. Living through the summer days just running through the fields enjoying the simplicity of life. In the last short story I expanded it from one of the proverbs. The original proverb, "Early to bed, and early yo rise, Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. ". I choose to give a little to the story, by expanding it. I just wanted to add more detail. 

Story Source: Nursery Rhymes Unit. Proverbs, From The Nursery Rhyme Book edited by Andre Lang and illustrated by L. Leslie Brooke (1897). 

Week 11 Reading Diary Extra: Mr. Miacca

The lesson that should be learned it to learn from your mistakes. Not everyone can be as lucky as this young boy and get away with his life twice.

IN the story of Mr. Miacca, it tells of a bad boy who goes where he shouldn't (around the corner) and is taken by Mr. Miacca. Now Mr. Miacca eats and boys for supper. The boy had even been warned not to go around the corner for Mr. Miacca would take him. Surely enough this had happened. When the boy was taken though he was clever enough to escape and was free.

Once the boy escaped from Mr. Miacca he was good until one day. The boy went around the corner yet again and was snatched up yet again by Mecca. I do not know how but the boy once again tricked his was out nd was free. After the SECOND time, the boy thankfully learned his lesson. The boy was good from then on.

If I were to change up with the story I am not sure If I would let the boy get away with what he did for the second time. You think after almost being cooked up for supper that you would learn your lesson. I have to give it to the boy though he had some guts to go there again. Also, the boy was very clever with escaping two times from Mr. Miacca. In my opinion, he was very lucky and had the help of his cleverness.

From the Story Mr. Miacca

Overall lesson, stay out of trouble and do not wonder where you are told not to. Especially when the consequence in being taken by Mr. Miacca and being eaten for supper! Haha this could come in as a handy story to tell children to stay out of places they shouldn't be. 

Story unit, English Fairy Tales. Story, Mr. Miacca by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1890). 

Reading Diary Continued: Accumulative Stories

For the second half of the reading unit: Nursery Rhymes I choose to highlight the Accumulative Stories. Unlike the rest of the unit that is mostly short stories, short as three lines. The accumulative stories start off small and gets added to. I found this section interesting to read.

The first story is, This Is the House That Jack Built. It starts off with just two lines. Then each breaks it adds another line. Each new line is a new part of the story. In the eleventh break, it had eleven lines, that wrap up the whole story. I think this is the fun way to tell a longer story in the form of a rhyme.

In this unit, there was another rhyme that started off with a key of the kingdom. Then in each line, the story was broken down. For example, the next line was "In that kingdom there is a city." Then the next line told of how in the city there was a town. I think this could be a fun rhyme to add on to of mix up. One idea would be to state the origin line then add another small story for each line. Or you could start off with something small and tell a story line by line of where it ends up.


The other type of accurate story was none were they used a few lines to tell a story then had a small rhyme. For example, a small story was told with about 3 to 6 lines. Then there would be a break with a small rhyme. Then a line would we wrote to tell where the story was headed. Then another rhyme. This is a creative way to combine a story and a rhyme. I though it was more entertaining to read than just a solid story or a long rhyme. It was the best of both worlds.

Photo found in Nursery Rhymes Unit

Story unit Nursery Rhymes unit, section Accumulative Stories. By, Andrew Lang and illustrated by L. Leslie Brooke (1897).

Reading Diary Week 11: Rhymes and Riddles

Reading from Unit- British Nursery Rhymes

One of my favorite sections form, the first half of the Nursery Rhymes was the proverbs section.

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Nature required five

Custom gives seven!

Laziness takes nine, 

And wickedness eleven. 

[Answer: hours of sleep]

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Not only was this little rhyme clever it was also a little. Short, sweet and simple. Yet at the same time I had no idea what the answer was until it was given below.

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A MAN of words and not of deeds,
Is like a garden full of weeds;
And when the weeds begin to grow,
It's like a garden full of snow;
And when the snow begins to fall,
It's like a bird upon the wall;
And when the bird away does fly,
It's like an eagle in the sky;
And when the sky begins to roar,
It's like a lion at the door;
And when the door begins to crack,
It's like a stick across your back;
And when your back begins to smart,
It's like a penknife in your heart;
And when your heart begins to bleed,
You're dead, and dead, and dead, indeed.

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Squirrel Nutkin and Old Brown from wikipedia

The rhyme above was one of my favorites. Just in the first two lines; a man of weeds is like a garden full of snow. I took the interpretation as a man that only speaks and does not fulfil his deeds, is like a garden full of snow. The beauty of the flowers just like the words is covered or hidden. Just like by the snow. 

Another one of my favorite sections from the rhymes unit was they rhymes and riddles. I like to think I am good at figuring them out but really I am not. 

One of the riddles I had heard before....

Little Nancy Etticoat

In a white petticoat

nd a red rose

The longer she stands

The shorter she grows. 

The answer is a candle. 

I really look forward to creating one of my own riddles or rhymes.

As I continued to read through this unit I came across Peter Piper. I remember trying to say this rhyme as fast as I could with my friends when I was in elementary. Just on case you wanted to try I'll write below.

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Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers;

A peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked;

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper, 

Where's the peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked?

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When I used to write stories as a kid I would try to place the same word adjectives together. Such as super shiny sun. I remember it made it more exciting to write my papers and better to read. 

I believe I enjoy reading these rhymes and riddle because not only are they fun and challenging.  They also bring back many childhood memories. They also make me wonder how they were ever written. I know many come with a lesson or teaching in them. Others I read and just wonder what in the world is this supposed to mean? Ha I look forward to reading more from this unit.


Story unit Nursery Rhymes unit, section Accumulative Stories. By, Andrew Lang and illustrated by L. Leslie Brooke (1897). 

Week 10: Storytelling: Peace Pipe

Eagle Tournament 

One day high up above where the sky touched the earth was a mass convocation of the eagle. Today would the day that one eagle would be chosen to sacrifice a feather. This feather would be used in the making of the an all sacred piece pipe. This sacred peace pipe would be used by the Indians on earth to create peace with one another.

The judges of this competition would-would be the wise old owl and the cunning woodpecker. They would sit on earth with the Indians and help decide what feather would be chosen.

Up above all different eagles gather from across the great horizon. They had been preparing for this for years. They sharpened their beaks and talons, but most of all made sure their feathers on point.

The competition would begin by a showing of every owl's feather. After the select few were chosen the next set would begin. The eagles would be judged on sturdiness, appearance, color, softness and weight. After a long and hard thought out decision, the top eagles were the spotted eagle, bald eagle, golden eagle, and imperial eagle. For all of their feathers stood out among the others.

The next challenge was dropped a single feather in the middle of the sacred circle on the earth and have it stand straight up. In the sacred circle, the owl and woodpecker were watching, along with the Indians.

The first eagle to try was the golden one. He picked out the longest feather and began to fly over the circle. The wind was strong and blowing hard to the east. When the golden eagle dropped his feather it did not land straight up. It fell flat on it side and the golden eagle was out of the challenge.

Next up was the spotted eagle. The spotted eagle chooses to pick his most spotted feather. The spotted owl watched how the wind affected the other father, and accounted for that. Yet, as soon as the spotted eagle dropped the feather a butterfly interrupted its path. With the gentle touch of the butterfly and the feather the path to winning was corrupted. Now the spotted eagle was out of the challenge.

After that, the bald eagle was up. The bold eagle chooses his strongest most sturdy feather. The bald eagle watched the wind, watched for incoming bugs and determined a path to drop the feather. Before the bald eagle could even drop the feather he was struck down by a nearby tree. The spirits of the earth interfered and did not want the bald eagle to win the challenge.

Now in the competition only the imperial eagle remained. If the imperial eagle could not win the challenge the peace pipe would never be made. The imperial eagle chooses the feather closest to his heart. He did not check for the wind, he did not check for bugs and he did not check his surroundings. The imperial eagle knew that he could the challenge. He flew above the circle with a courageous heart and dropped the feather.

Down on earth the owl and the woodpecker along with the Indians watched at the feather fluttered down. The feather of the imperil eagle landed straight up in the center of the sacred circle. The imperial eagle had won the challenge. His feathers would be used to make the sacred piece pipe for now an years to come.

Imperial Eagle on Flickr by Frankie Chu

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Author's note: In the original story it tells how the Indians gathered as a council. They cleared a circle and sat down. They heard the owl and woodpecker near bye. The chief said they would offer us aid, so he had them join the circle. This is why I choose the owl and woodpecker to be the judges in the circle. Then as the Indians sat in the circle the chief sent for someone to get wood and ash sapling. Every time a feather fell into the circle the chief sent him back for a different one. Then one feather landed staring up and the chief said this was the right wood and sapling and this is the feather we will use. From then on the peace pipes have been made from the imperial eagle's feathers. In my story, I choose to tell it from the eagles side of the story. I turned it into a competition. Oppose to the eagle feathers telling the Indians what wood and sapling were correct.

Story Source: From the Great Plains unit, story The Legend of the Peace Pipes by Katharine Berry Judson (1913).

Week 10: Reading Diary Continued: The Spirit Land

Story from the Great Plains unit, The Spirit Land. By Katharine Berry Judson (1913).

When I first read the title I was anticipating a story about a spirit world/land. That the story would bring the reader to this place. That's what I get for guessing about an Indian tale.

The spirit world is toward the Darkening Land that was located higher up. The story is told that when the spirits come back from this world the Crow is the leader. This is because the Crow is black in color like the Darkening Land.

As for the people they were in the living world, the Sunrise Land. The Crow decided that he would bring different worlds together. Crow had taken a pebble with his beak and dropped in into the water. The pebble became a mountain! This allowed the Indians to come down the mountain side to the edge of the water.

Crow flying above water: Wikimedia.com

Crow's next step was to take dust and drop it into the water. The dust became solid land! This land had stretched from the spirit land to the living world.

The next step Crow made was taking blades of grass. When he Crow dropped the grass new land was made!

The last step, Crow took twigs in his beak. When Crow dropped them it covered the new earth with a forest of trees.

Thanks to Crow the Indians have a new world to live on!



When I read this story it made me think of the story of the beaver and the Coyote. They had an epic battle that they fought so hard they created the great lakes. Kind of like hoe Crow created this new earth. It also reminded me of other creation stories from different tribes.

I tend to really enjoy the creation stories from all different units. I like how it wasn't the people who created the world. It is usually animals that do. One of the reasons I like to believe the Indians have such a strong connection with the animals. As well as with the plants and rest of nature around them. They all work together and live in harmony.

Week 10 Reading Diary:

When reading the story of The Legend of the Peace Pipes, I found myself asking many questions! For myself as a reader, this is a good thing. What would the fun in reading a story be if you always knew the mystery?

The story of the Peace Pipes would never be one I would guess. I was wrong with every guess I made but one. When the different eagles started flying above the cleared circle. I had made a guess that we would land upright, pointed out of the ground. Surely enough, one had, from the eagle with the fantail. That part was a bit unexpected. I though it would have been the bald eagle.

Wikipedia: Peace Pipe Circle

In the end, it also tells of how that eagle and feathers from the owl and woodpecker are used to make the piece pipes. The peace pipes were then used to form relations with other tribes.

I had many other questions when reading the story. One was why did only the owl and woodpecker call out to the Indians? In the story, it says the owl called out to offer then his aid. What aid did he bring, though? I still wonder this.

Overall my favorite part of the story is how the animals helped find the right sapling and bark. Mainly the eagles that flew from above and dropped their feathers in the middle of the circle clearing.

Story Source: The Legend of the Peace Pipes. Unit Great Plains. By Katharine Berry Judson.