Week 15 Story: The Dog and the Corpse

A moujik went out in pursuit of game one day, and took a favorite dog with him. He walked and walked through woods and bogs, but got nothing for his panis. At last the darkness of night surprised him. At an uncanny hour he passed by a graveyard, and there, at a place where two roads met, he saw standing a corpse in a white shroud. The moujik was horrified, and knew not which way to go - whether to keep on or to turn back.

"Well, whatever happens, I'll go on," he thought; and on he went, his dog running at his heels.

When the corpse perceived him, it came to meet him; not touching the earth with its feet, but keeping about a foot above it - the shroud fluttering after it.

When it had come up with the sportsman, it made a rush at him; but the dog seized hold of it by its bare calves, and began a tussle with it.

When the moujik saw his dog and the corpse grappling with each other, he was delighted that things had turned out so well for himself, and he set off running home with all his might. The dog kept up the struggle until cock-crow, when the corpse fell motionless to the ground. Then the dog ran off in pursuit of its master, caught him up just as he reached home, and rushed at him, furiously trying to bite and to rend him. So savage was it, and so persistent, that it was as much as the people of the house could do to beat it off.

“Whatever has come over the dog?” asked the moujik’s old mother. “Why should it hate its master so?”

The moujik told her all that had happened.

“A bad piece of work, my son!” said the old woman. “The dog was disgusted at your not helping it. There it was fighting with the corpse—and you deserted it, and thought only of saving yourself! Now it will owe you a grudge for ever so long.”

Next morning, while the family were going about the farmyard, the dog was perfectly quiet. But the moment its master made his appearance, it began to growl like anything.

They fastened it to a chain; for a whole year they kept it chained up. One day, the dog eventually chewed through his chains and ran off into the woods. Its master ran after him with a shotgun shooting at him multiple times but the dog dodged each bullet. The master eventually gave up and let the dog go into the woods. The dog cared for its master but not its actions and never forgot him for what he did. He never came back and lived in the woods forever. 

Author's Note: The dog and his master passed by a graveyard and saw a corpse. The master tried to avoid him but the corpse rushed towards both of them and the dog tried to fight him off. The master left the dog and the corpse. Once the dog won the fight, he ran back towards his master and was very aggressive towards him because he was mad he left him alone. They chained the dog up and then ended up killing him. I changed it to where the dog freed himself from the changes and the master tried to kill him but he escaped into the woods. It's a much happier ending compared to the dog dying. 

The Dog and the Corpse by W. R. S. Ralston.

Chained Dog. Source: Pixabay

Reading Notes: The Dead Mother

In a village, there lived a husband and a wife. They lived happily and peacefully, and all of their neighbors envied them. The mistress bore a bon but died after it was born. The moujik was devastated. How was he to take care of it and raise it without its mother? He decided to hire an old woman to look after it. But the baby wouldn't take any food throughout the day and would do nothing but cry. However, it slept peacefully at night. "What is the meaning of this?" said the old woman. "If I stay awake all night, I might find out!"

The next night, the same thing happened and the night after that. She held a council with the kinsfolk and determined to stay awake one night to see who was taking care of the baby. So they lay on the floor next to the baby to see. At midnight, the cottage door opened and someone stepped to the cradle. The kinsfolk turned on the light and saw the dead mother in the same clothes she was buried in suckling the baby with her dead breast.

The moment the light shone in the cottage, she stood up, gazed over the baby and left the room without a sound. Those who saw her were terrified and next thing they knew, the baby was dead.

The Dead Mother by W. R. S. Ralston.

Death and the Child. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Week 14 Story: Puss in Boots

There was a miller who left no more estate to his sons other than the mill, his donkey, and his cat. The split it up this way: the eldest son had the mill, the second had the donkey and youngest received nothing but the cat. The youngest was upset about only gettin the cat and said, "my brothers may get their living handsomely enough by joining their stocks together, by for my part, when I have eaten up my cat, and made me a muff of his skin, I must die of hunger."

The cat heard all of it and said, "do not trouble yourself master. You don't have to give me anything but a bag and a pair of boots so that I can scamper through the dirt and brambles, and you will see I'm not as bad as you imagine."

The son was perplexed by what the cat said. He had seen the cat pull off cunning tricks to catch rats and mice. He was not opposed to having the cat help him through the misery. Once the cat got the bag and boots, he went into a warren with a great abundance of rabbits. He put bait into his bag and waited until naive rabbits to come and rummage through it.

He got some rabbits although not as many as he expected. A young a foolish rabbit hopped into his bag and the cat killed him instantly and without pity. He was very proud of his prey and went to the castle and asked to speak with his majesty.

He was shown up to the King's apartment and presented him with the rabbit he caught on his master's behalf. "Tell thy master that I thank him and that he does me a great deal of pleasure," replied the King.

Some time later, the cat hid himself in a cornfield and waited for a flock of partridges to fly in his bag. Once they did, he drew the strings to catch them in. He went and presented them to the King as he did with the rabbit. The king received the partridges with great pleasure. This carried on for a couple of months and one day, the master and his daughter went out for a walk by the river and the cat said to his master, "if you follow my advice, your fortune is made. You have nothing else to do but go and wash yourself in the river in that part I shall show you, and leave the rest to me." He did what the cat advised him to do what he was told and went washing in the river. The King walked by and the cat screamed, "Help! Help! My master is going to be drowned!" The King ordered his guards to immediately rush and help the master for he thought he had been the one catching his game. The guards pulled the master out of the water. The master turned to the King and said, "thank you your majesty. You saved my life. Although, I have to ask? Why did you think my live was worth saving? The King thanked him for catching game and having his cat bring him to share. The master obviously had no idea what the King was talking about, but as soon as they both turned to the cat, he had fled into the woods and was never seen again.


Author's Note: In the original story, the son is left with the cat and is mad but the cat shows him he is worthy to be saved. The cat catches lots of game in his bag and takes it with him to the King but says that his master caught it and wanted him to have it. One day when they were walking by the river, the son went to wash himself in the river and the cat called out that he was drowning. The King ordered his guards to save him. In the original story, the cat calls for the son to get a new wardrobe because thieves had taken his. I changed it to where the King finds out about the cat bringing him the game that the son didn't actually catch and the cat ends up fleeing in the woods.

The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots by Andrew Lang.

Puss in Boots. Source: Pixabay

Week 13 Story: Sir Lancelot and the Five Hundred Knights

As Lancelot made his way through the forest, he met with many hermits and had an adventure with the Knight who stole his horse and his helm and got them back again. He learned from one of the hermits that Sir Galahad was his son and that it was he who at the Feast of Pentecost had sat in the Siege Perilous, which it was ordained by Merlin that no one should sit in it and save the best Knight in the world. All night, Sir Lancelot abode with the hermit and laid him to rest.

In the morning, he told the hermit goodbye and rode away. He came to a fair plain with a great castle. There were a full five hundred Knights on horseback, and those near the castle were mounted on black horses with black trappings, and white horses with white trappings. The two sides fought and Sir Lancelot looked on.

It seemed that the black Knights nearest to the castle were doing worse so Sir Lancelot rode to aid in the fight. He smote many white Knights but the white Knights did their best to tire him out. No Knight can fight forever so Lacelot eventually got so tired he could not even lift his arms. The white Knights took him away into the forest to let him rest.

"I was the best fighter, but now I am shamed and am more sinful than ever." said Sir Lancelot. Once we was rested, he rode his horse until he found a chapel with a nun. She asked him his name and what he was seeking.

"Ah Lancelot," said she, "you were the most wonderful man in the world and the most adventures, if you lost the tournament, that is no marvel. It was a sign and the black Knights were a sign of the sins they still hold. The white Knights were on their way to holiness and then the quest has already begun for them. You saw both sides: the sinners and the good men. When you saw the sinners overcome, you went in to help. That's what caused your misadventure. I beware that you will have everlasting pain for all white Knights have pity for you. Since you have chosen the wrong side and still carry all your sins, you shall be sent to hell," said the nun.

Sir Lancelot feared his fate for he was just trying to help the black Knights. For the rest of his life, he did everything in his power to rid his sins and prove to the nun that he did not deserve to go to hell for what he did.

Author's Note: The original story has Lancelot fighting with the black Nights and the white Knights taking him off into the woods once he gets tired. When he finds the nun, she only warns him that he saw both sides and that all earthly Knights have pity for him. I changed it to where Lancelot is punished for accidentally helping the black Knights so he can do everything in his power for the rest of his life to prove that he was not wrong. I just wanted to add in a little twist at the end instead of having the nun only warning Lancelot.

Sir Lancelot and the Five Hundred Knights by Andrew Lang.

Lancelot. Source: Wikipedia

Week 12 Story: Why Deunant has the Front Door in the Back

The cattle of the farmer living at Deunant were affected with "short disease" which is also known as the black quarter. The farmer thought they were all bewitched.

Old Beti'r Bont, who had a questionable character, earned her living by stealing babies for the fairies. She called the farmer when they were feathering geese and begged for one but was refused. The farmer thought she was taking her revenge by harassing his stock.

He went to old Beti and threatened to tie her hands and feet and throw her into a river if he didn't take the charm off of the cattle. She denied having any magical powers and repeated the Lord's prayer to prove her innocence. He wasn't convinced and made her recite "Rhad Duw ar y da" which means "God's blessing be on the cattle." Usually if a herd is bewitched, they are freed from their disease after it is spoken. But the farmer's stock was no better and he was frustrated.

One night he was thinking about the cattle and absolutely couldn't understand why the cattle couldn't get any better.

"I will tell you why" said a voice by him. The farmer turned around and saw a tiny man looking very angry. "It is because your family keeps annoying mine so much." "How is that?" said the farmer.

"They are always throwing the slops from your house down my chimney" said the man.

"That can't be true; there is no house within a mile of here" replied the farmer.

The man asked the farmer to put his foot on his to show him. He saw all the slops down the man's chimney. "I am very sorry. What can I do to make it up to you?" said the farmer.

The tiny man was suprised by the farmer's apology and revealed himself to be old Beti! She had tricked him into thinking the slops were his and apologizing to her. She forced the farmer to wall up his house so the slops stopped coming down the chimney. She was tired of his slops and once he fixed his house, she took the charm off the cattle and they recovered.

Author's Note: The original story is the same up until the farmer apologizes to the old man. In the original version, the old man vanishes and the cattle get better. In my version, I wanted to bring the witch back into the story and have her be disguised as the old man and take the charm off of the cattle. It was only a minor change but I felt like the witch needed to end the story.

Why Deunant has the Front Door in the Back by W. Jenkyn Thomas

Black Cows. Source: Satire World

Week 11 Story: How Raven Stole the Lake

Crows have always been white. That was until the Raven made them black after they had eaten his salmon. He was very angry and he came in contact with some beavers with feathers on their heads and gambling sticks on their backs. They asked him, "what's the matter?"

The Raven replied, "my father and mother are dead." The beavers decided to take him home and not go gambling. The next morning, the beavers strapped on their gambling sticks and set off again to go gambling. The Raven flew around and spotted a lake. "Lo, a lake lay there!" he shouted excitedly. He flew closer to see a creek flowing with a fish trap. The trap was filled with salmon. The Raven pulled out the fish trap, folded it together along with the lake and put both under his arm and flew to a tree that stood close by. It was not heavy and was like carrying a blanket.

The Raven looked upon the ground from the tree and noticed someone coming. The person's house and the lake were missing and he was confused. The person ordered the beavers to come and cut the tree down with their teeth in order to get his house and the lake back. The Raven kept jumping from tree to tree until finally the beavers cut down a tree he was in. The Raven lost the lake and it fell back to its original place. The fish trap broke and all of the salmon were freed. The Raven was so mad he flew away. The person was happy because he finally could relax about his house and could live there in peace again. The beavers went back to gambling and set up another trap to catch the salmon they had lost. The Raven never returned to the lake.

Author's Note: The original starts out the same; he sees the lake and all of the salmon and he takes the lake with him under his arm.  but when the beavers are cutting down the trees he flies away with the lake, the house, and the fish and flies far away. He found an open spot to roll out the lake to teach the mainland people a lesson. I changed the story so that the Raven was punished for taking the lake by leaving with nothing. He drops the lake and the house and the fish trap trying to escape and leaves with nothing and leaving everything in their original place.

How Raven Stole the Lake by Katharine Berry Judson

The Raven. Source: Google Play

Week 10 Story: The Monkey and the Crocodile

A monkey was standing at the shore of the river and needed to get to the other side but at the bank of the river sat a crocodile. The monkey could not get over the river by himself for the water was too deep and he did not know how to swim. The crocodile had its mouth wide open and sat ready for the monkey to come over so he could eat him. The monkey begged the crocodile to not eat him for he promised he would lead him to a place where he could have all of the monkeys in the world. The crocodile hesitantly agreed and told the monkey to climb onto his back so he could take him across the river.

Once on the other side, the monkey jumped off of the crocodile's back and ran up into the tree where the crocodile could not follow. "Hey! You tricked me!" said the crocodile. "There will be a time where you pay for this!"

The crocodile lay motionless on the side of the river bank and the monkey thought the crocodile was dead. He ran down the tree by the bushes with the bright chili-peppers and slowly approached the crocodile. He quickly grabbed the crocodile's tail and began playing with it. The crocodile seized the monkey and held on to him so tight that he could not escape.

"Please let me go! I am the cook of his Majesty the king. Those bright-red breads have been entrusted to my care!" the monkey pointed over to the pepper bushes. "If you kill me, the king will arrive with thousands of well-armed troops and will punish you," the monkey warned.

"I did not mean to harm you," said the crocodile, "I will set you free if you relieve my hunger."

The monkey went over and grabbed some peppers from the bushes. The peppers were so hot that it made the crocodile very angry and it didn't cure his hunger. The monkey sat there and laughed at the crocodile as he complained about the heat. The crocodile reached out and ate the monkey right then and there in order to stop his teasing and cure his hunger.


Author's Note: In the original story, the crocodile does take the monkey across the river in exchange for food. The monkey is the king's chef and does give the crocodile spicy bread peppers in order to cure the crocodile's hunger. Instead of the crocodile eating him, he just runs up the tree and laughs at the crocodile while he tries to cool his mouth. I changed the story in the end where the crocodile eats the monkey to get his revenge.

The Monkey and the Crocodile by Dean S. Fansler

Crocodile. Source: Pixabay

Week 7 Story: The Man and the Monkeys

When the garden of Eden was in the world, a foreign man found the garden while traveling. He thought it was very beautiful. The garden was filled with a lot of good foods. He wanted to stay forever. He decided to take a nap and crawled up into a tree to fall asleep. He forgot he was up in a tree because he was sleeping so well. He fell out of the tree and into a lake.

A monkey saw him fall into the lake and tried to get him out but couldn't because he was too little and weak. The monkey wanted to get him out eventually so he decided to work out every day by lifting stones large enough that eventually he was strong enough to get the man out of the river.

The man didn't feel very good after getting out of the river and the monkey suggested that he start working out with the stones in order to build his strength. He threw the stones until he felt well and decided he needed to sleep again, this time he lay on the ground. The monkeys were making a lot of noise that kept him up. He thought if the monkeys died, he could get his family to come stay here.

When the monkeys were asleep in the trees, he shook the branches so the monkeys fell out and were killed by the fall. He felt satisfied and went to bring his family to the garden. He was stopped by the monkey god and he knew he had been mean to the monkeys. The monkey god turned himself into a snake and swallowed the man.

The man awoke from his sleep realizing he had dreamt everything. He saw the monkeys below him staring at him sleeping. He realized he was in their trees and probably needed to move. He knew the garden of Eden was a paradise and wanted to bring his family to the garden. He was stopped on the way from the monkey god, but this time the man knew he hadn't harmed the monkeys; he only hurt them in his dream. The monkey god still didn't want the man to bring his family here because the monkeys wanted the garden to themselves. The monkey god turned himself into a snake and swallowed the man.


Author's Note: In the original story, the man actually fell into the lake and killed the monkeys and ended up being swallowed. I decided to add the part where he dreamed everything because I thought it added a little more depth to the story. I still wanted the ending to be the same so I kept the ending as well.

The Man and the Monkeys by A.L. Shelton

Garden of Eden. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Week 6 Story: Tortoise Bowl-On-The-Back and the Fox

There was a Tortoise who was known as Bowl-on-the-back. He was a farmer and was sowing seeds when the Fox passed him saying, "may God give you strength."

Later in the year when the seeds sprung in the summer, the Fox passed the Tortoise again saying, "may God give you strength" and then went on his way.

Harvest time came again and the Tortoise was busy sowing his corn. The Fox appeared wanting his share of the corn. The Tortoise was in dismay. "Your share of what?"

The Fox said, "God give you strength right?" The Tortoise responded, "because you said 'God give you strength' doesn't mean you have a right to a share of my crops."

The two started fighting over the subject and challenged each other to a race. Whoever wins will get all of the crop. The two set off.

The Tortoise immediately hid in a nearby bush to throw off the Fox. The Fox felt confident that he was running so far ahead. He stopped and took a break to get something to eat. He took so long that the Tortoise eventually passed him. The Fox still thought the Tortoise was so far behind. When the Fox reached the finish line, the Tortoise was there waiting for him. The Tortoise knew that because he was greedy, he was eventually going to lose. The Tortoise kept his entire crop and his dignity too.

Tortoise Bowl-On-The-Back and the Fox by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O Lorimer

Author's Note: When I read this story, I knew I wanted to write a little spin off from the Tortoise and the Hare: the story we all knew and loved growing up. Merging them together was easier than I thought. The original story ended with the two in a race but it wasn't the same as the Tortoise and the Hare story.

Greedy Fox. Source: Max Pixel

Week 5 Story: The Merchant and His Wife

As twilight fell just like any other clear night, Khojisteh approached the parrot with despair in his eyes. He asked the parrot, "every night I come to you asking when will be my time to meet my lover, and every day I sit here with patience." The parrot admired the girl listening to his stories every night. If this was the night she was to meet her lover, then she should go. But at first, she should listen to the parrot's story about the merchant and his wife before she made her decision. So she listened...

In a city far away, there was a very rich merchant and his wife. The merchant often went away for business far away. One day, he left with no telling of when his return would be. His wife waited and waited and eventually got very lonely. She did something very unexpected and unheard of but since she was wealthy, she called upon a companion to keep her company until her husband returned. The night the companion came to the wife, the merchant returned to find them in bed together. The merchant was very offended; he loved his wife very much and only wanted to provide a good life for her. He left her for good and went to find a mistress that would keep him company for the meantime.

Author's note: The original story had the merchant leaving his wife for business and when he came back, he couldn't get into his own house. He found lodging somewhere else and called for a mistress. The mistress he got ended up being his wife. I changed the story so that the wife ended up getting a mistress of her own and instead of him being her husband, I had her husband find her with another man to make it more interesting.

The Merchant and His Wife by Ziya'al-Din Nakhshabi

The Merchant. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Week 4 Story: The Fall of Satan

Adam was blessed with extraordinary qualities on the outside and in and led all the angels to envy him. They wanted to kill him and rid him of these qualities, but God protected him at all costs and established a line of peace between them. There was one person who was jealous of Adam most of all, Satan.

Satan was one of the great angels in heaven and possessed other extraordinary qualities just like Adam. God invited all the angels to visit with Adam after he gained a soul to congratulate him. Satan went with a smile on his face to pay his respect too. 

He challenged Adam to a battle of wits to see who was more superior. Satan believed he was the most extraordinary of the angels and therefore he would win. God appeared saying, “I created all the life on this planet, every animal and creature and they shall all come before us for this battle of wits.” God assigned them the tasks of creating places for every animal and creature will inhabit. If they are unable to respect their new assigned habitats by Adam, they are subject to Satan and his ability to place them accordingly. Whoever comes out on top will have a place in God’s garden.

Adam began respecting God for all his creations.

Adam incorrectly assigned homes to the first two animals he was presented, the cow and the ox. God led two others before him, the camel and the donkey, and once again, Adam assigned incorrectly.

God then turned to Satan, questioning if he could correctly execute the task; God gave him clues and framed His questions in a way that Satan could decipher the correct answer. Satan gave the proper homes for the animals and Adam was forced to acknowledge the superiority of the first man.

Adam was outraged and reached for the heavens because he was furious he was beaten by Satan. The angels no longer respected his superiority. Satan was who they now followed because he was the more intelligent of the two. God kept Adam down at earth and let Satan continue to be worshiped by the angels.

Author's Note: I decided to let Satan be the winner in this story. In the real story, Satan fails at assigning names to the animals and it's Adam who comes out on top. God helps Adam correctly assign names and Satan is the one punished down to earth and will forever be enemies with Adam. I decided to have Satan win because he is never shown in a positive light and he should have his moment to be glorious. I also changed the fact that they assigned the animals places to live rather than their names just to change things up a little more. 

The Fall of Satan by Louis Ginzberg

The Fall of Satan. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Week 3 Story: Eve and Adam

When all land, patterns, and creatures were created, God decided to create the ultimate man setting an example for mankind after. God created the depiction the most beautiful woman that will ever be created. He named her Eve to represent her simple yet unmatched beauty.

Eve walked with the caress of a floating antelope. She had golden hair that waved only when she walked. Her complexion matched a tinted porcelain and was left untouched. She could do what others only dreamed of. She could bear children and withstand extreme amounts of pain. She was undoubtedly beautiful. Her male counterpart, Adam, was a little more complex to create.

Adam was brute. He showed many animal like characteristics. He was savage by nature. He grew hair like an ape and had poor hygiene. He walked like bear hunting for supper. He fought like a warrior but only when provoked. He was no match to Eve.

Eve and Adam lived as one, working together to create the power of their existence. Eve carried great responsibility. She nurtured and cared for all the living creatures that roamed the earth. Adam protected the world from natural and cosmic forces that would danger them. They were a team, but a team unlike any other.

They were meant to marry to show the world how much they cared about the unity and harmony. Although Eve had no desire to marry Adam. He was repulsive and no match for the beauty she exuded. The two instead parted forces because of their many differences.

Now, Eve nurtures the many beautiful creations God has constructed. Adam creates wild forces from the wind, earth, and sea to try to destroy the wonderful creations Eve protects to prove that they will always live in harmony when together. Eve knows the creations will prevail on their own if they are kept happy.


Authors Note:
In the original story, it talks about how Eve was made to be the companion for Adam and all the flawed characteristics she possesses. I wanted to make Eve the main character and show that she is unmatched compared to Adam. It is a tiny feminist take on the original story.

Story Source:
Eve by Louis Ginzberg

Eve. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Week 2 Story: The Woman in the Woods

There once lived a young woman that lived in a secluded village just west of the big city. The village was small and the people were poor. The woman lived with only her grandfather, and he was becoming very frail with old age.

One day, her grandfather became very ill, and it was apparent that he only had a little time left if he wasn’t healed. The woman searched the village for potions and remedies that would aid in her father’s recovery. Sadly, the village was dry. The local alchemist approached the woman knowing of her situation and said she should travel to the next village 30 miles away to find Calendula, a critical ingredient for healing. The woman set off into the woods in hopes she could trade what little money she had in order for the herb that would save her father.

The journey took days and the woman was famished. She could barely stand on her feet when she came across a small house much bigger than any others she was used to in her village. She needed the rest and some food and water so she decided to stop. She found the house eerily quiet from the moment she entered.

She found porridge boiling over the lit fireplace and decided to get herself a bowl. The moment she sat down, a bear entered the room demanded for her to leave threatening to eat her if she didn’t obey orders. The woman froze with fear not sure of what she would do next. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a bunny also trembling with fear in the corner. The bunny’s eye were full of relatable sympathy.

The woman took the bunny with her and headed off for the next village. The bunny told stories of the bear, how he was once a youthful, greedy man who was cursed and is now forced to live as a bear forever. The woman was perplexed, wondering how his life came to be. However, her mind was focused on one thing; she needed the Calendula to help her ill father.

When she reached the village, it was abandoned. Not a soul was in site and the place lived in rubble. The woman turned around with tears in her eyes and set back on her journey to her own village knowing that fate would be waiting for her upon her return.



A young girl and a bear in the forest.

Source: Maxpixel



Authors Note:
The original story called The Three Roses was about a mother with three daughters. One of the daughters requested only three roses when the mother came back from her trip to the village. When the mother was getting the roses, she was approached by a basilisk who demanded her daughter in exchange for the roses. I used this story as a lose base of my own. I wanted the main character to be approached by some sort of monster and I wanted there to be some sort of peril. I changed mostly everything about the story however because I wanted to make it completely my own.


Bibliography. "The Three Roses" from Czech Folktales by Josef Baudis. Web Source