Storytelling Week 10: The King Who Couldn't Stop Gambling

Once upon a time in a fairly small kingdom there lived a king named Max who just couldn’t stop gambling.  His kingdom would have been massive but he just kept betting on things and losing.  Sometimes he won though, which kept his kingdom afloat.  His subjects were pretty used to it, because a lot of crazy things happened as a result of his gambling. 

One day the king went out to his gambling spot and began his usual wagering with other people.  King Max was making all kinds of bets, and mostly losing them that day.  Eventually another king came along to bet with King Max, which was interesting because he usually didn’t get to bet with other kings.  The new king introduced himself as King Ben and he proceeded to describe a predicament that his kingdom was in.  They had a bunch of land, but it wouldn’t grow anything except mushrooms.  All of his subjects were so sick of eating the fungi and they needed a source of food with real nutritional value.  He wagered a bet to King Max and said that if he won he wanted all of the flower pots in the small kingdom and he wanted them filled with rich dirt that he could grow new crops in.  King Max agreed to the bet, as he always did, and they rolled the dice.  King Max lost the bet, and thus all the townspeople had to give up their flowerpots. 

Flower Pot- Pixabay

The next day King Max went to the gambling spot once again.  This time he met with a prince who was there on behalf of his town that had so many cows that they could not feed them all.  It had turned into quite the predicament for the small village, and he wagered with the king to take all of the cows off of his land.  The dice were rolled, and King Max lost once again.  This time, instead of losing something, his town gained thousands of cows, and there ended up being more cows than people in the village when they were done moving them all there.  This was the only way that King Max ever won anything in betting.  He lost almost every bet, but sometimes when people desperately needed to get rid of things, they bet them away, and King Max would take them back to his village. 

The townspeople were used to the craziness that came with being the subjects of the horrible gambler King Max, so they were prepared for almost anything.  The cows were a bit of a surprise, but these people were resourceful and they figured out just what to do.  They went to the town where king Ben lived and they offered him manure for his land to help it grow more good food.  In exchange they said they wanted their flower pots back and they wanted some mushrooms.  King Ben’s problems were solved so he quickly agreed to this solution.  The townspeople then returned to their village and began a thriving milk business where many people would come to buy supplies that came from cows.  The little village soon overcame king Max’s bad luck in gambling by making a good fortune for themselves from what they had available, and the village grew and grew into a thriving kingdom… with a king that still would not stop gambling!

AUTHOR’S NOTE:  This story was based on a part of the Mahabharata Epified Link to Reading Guide and Videos.  I liked the theme of gambling in the story and I thought it would be interesting to twist it and create a new story from it.  I kept the idea of a king doing the gambling so that it would be a person of power, but I changed pretty much everything else in the story so that it was something new. 

Week 10 Reading Notes: The Mahabharata Epified Part F

Notes- goodfreephotos

The Pandavas and Draupadi are gambled away by one of the brothers in the gambling match.  Draupadi is especially devastated by the event.  They take their clothes, but Draupadi's clothes don't come off because the material keeps multiplying.  Bheen pledges to get revenge for Draupadi's embarrassment.  The brothers vow to kill their capturers. 

It seems like there are a lot of themes of gambling in these two sections of the story so I think I might use that as a theme in my story that I write this week.  Maybe I will keep the Pandavas in the story or maybe I will remove the idea from the story and write about a different setting. 

Krishna is an interesting character.  He says that if he was present at the gambling match he would have stopped it from happening/ stop it from going wrong.  However, supposedly Draupadi prayed to Krishna in order to receive the miracle that kept her clothes from coming off when they tried to humiliate her.  I want to learn more about Krishna, so maybe I will watch the epified videos about him for my next reading notes for week eleven. 

The part of the story that involves Shiva and the crown is interesting.  He and Arjun fight and the crown shatters, but it is put back together by some form of miracle and then Arjun realizes who he is fighting. 

Source:  The Mahabharata Epified Part F

Week 10 Reading Notes: The Mahabharata Epified part E

I still like Arjun's story and I think it is interesting that he had to get blessings from his first wife in order to marry the second.  I could easily write a story about the relationship between the two wives.  They could resent each other at first and then become best friends and get into trouble running around being girls.  The idea is interesting because the first wife did not have any friends besides her five husbands from what I have seen. 

The idea of the unborn child who listened to the stories is interesting as well.  There could easily be some kind of twist on this story.  It was interesting that when they told the story in the Mahabharata they made the young boy absorb the story but not the end because the mother fell asleep. 

It is also really interesting that the Pandavs cannot lose.  They will always win in everything, so this could make an interesting story because the idea could be put in a bunch of different settings.  They could be holding a match so that people come to try to defeat them, they could be facing monsters, or they could be just fighting other bad people. 

The gambling part of the story is interesting as well.  I could use this to create a story of two kings that gamble with their kingdoms.  It could be funny if the townspeople in the kingdom were used to it and just got kind of mad about it but they didn't really care that much.  Weird things could happen in the town as a result of the gambling.  For example, if the king gambled and won a bunch of cows they would all have to live somewhere so they would show up overnight.  Maybe another day all of the flower pots are gone because the king gambled them away.  It could be interesting to write from the townspeople's perspectives. 

Reading:  Pixabay

Source:  The Mahabharata Epified Part E

Week 9 Storytelling: In the Mind of Arjun

Heart- Pixabay

I never asked for this.  Having like a million brothers has never been easy for me.  Sure, I made my way through everything growing up and it was great to have a bunch of built in friends, but now we are all supposed to marry the same woman?? That just seems crazy to me.  I'm not the only one who thinks that it is weird, either.  The whole town thinks it is so weird that my brothers and I are all marrying one woman.  We have been warned by many about the story of the two brothers who both fell in love with the same woman.  They ended up fighting with each other so much over her that their family was ruined.  I do not want that fate for my brothers and I- and neither do they.  We have decided to take turns with our new wife year by year.  The first year with go to the eldest and then the next and so on. 

The plan went well for a couple of years, but I seem to be the only one who is still not comfortable with the idea.  That's why when the chance to get out of everything came today, I took it.  There was an old man who was living in the forest.  He didn't have much, but some jerk came and stole what little he did.  He came to me and asked for help, but I realized I left my weapon in the room I was not allowed to enter- the room where our wife (well, right now my brother's wife) stayed.  I was not allowed to enter the room when my brother was away because it was seen as breaking the rules that we made, but I had to help this guy.  He had only one great possession, but it was something that could never be replaced!  I decided it would probably be a win-win if I helped him.  I ran and got my weapon from the room- thus changing the course of my life for the next 12 years.  I helped the man from the forest reclaim his items and I returned to tell my brothers what I had done and to tell them I was going to live in the forest.  They weren't happy about it but a promise is a promise so I left that afternoon. 

When I returned to the forest I ran into the man that I helped and he said that we could work together for survival.  He brought me back to a group of sages with whom I lived for the first couple of years.  It wasn't bad, but it still wasn't the life I was looking for.  Living with the group of sages was pretty much just like living with my brothers.  I had to share everything- well not a wife this time, but still! I decided to start exploring a little more every day in search of some way to make my life the best it could be. 

One day it finally happened.  I was searching the forest for all of life's answers when I ran into the most beautiful woman.  I knew I shouldn't marry her because I was technically already married to the wife I shared with my five brothers but I couldn't help myself.  I fell so in love with her that I decided to stay in the forest for the rest of my life.  Although I am no longer living a life in a palace as a prince with my brothers, I am so much happier here.  Instead of having many riches and a few shared relationships, I am rich in relationships and poor in the things that don't matter to me.  Perhaps one day I will go back to visit my family, but I will never return to that life because I have finally found what I was looking for.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  For this story, I used the Mahabharata Epified- Link to Reading Guide as a source for inspiration.  I liked the part of the story about Arjun and his exile to the forest, so I decided to write the story from his perspective.  I twisted the story a little bit and added in the feelings of resentment toward his brothers because he had to share everything.  I also changed the ending because I felt that he should marry the woman in the woods instead of returning home. 

Week 9 Reading Notes: The Mahabhrata Part D

Mandala: Pixabay

Draupadi has grown up to be very beautiful and many princes want to compete in a contest to win her.  The Pandavas are going to try to compete as well.  The quest was to string a bow and shoot a fish in a bowl filled with oil.  None could lift the bow except for Arjun who completed the challenge. All of the five brothers marry Draupadi. 

The Pandavas have to leave the kingdom so one of their brothers is not called to rule because it would cause war and chaos.  They move to a forest that doesn't have anything useful in it.  There is a big forest with bad creatures in it.  They clear it with forest fires and they build an amazing city in it and give their residents mansions. 

The Pandavas are warned of a story of two brothers who fight over the love of a woman.  They decide that to avoid conflict, they will each have a year of marriage with Draupadi that is uninterrupted by the others.  Arjun is exiled when he interrupts one of his brothers when it is not his year because he needs to get his weapon.  Arjun lives in the forest for 12 years and meets a woman whom he marries while he is in the forest.  He has a son with her and then leaves. 

I think I want to write my story this week over Arjun's feelings over his situations with his brothers and wives. 

Source:  Epified Reading Guide and Videos Part D 

Week 9 Reading Notes: The Mahabharata Epified Part C

Karna was found in the river and his armor and ear rings grew as he grew.  He cannot follow his dreams because his parents will be dishonored if he does.  Then he encounters someone who can help him learn a way to fulfill his dreams.  Bashran agrees to teach him how to fight.  But Bashran believes Karna lied to him about a Scorpion sting and he sends him away with a curse.  When Karna needs his powers most he will be unable to use them. 

Karna doesn't know his lineage and so he cannot compete even though he is well trained.  He wants to challenge the Pandavas and he is declared king of a small area so he can compete. 

Two boys are friends and one offers half his kingdom to the other.  They joke about it but one day when one man is poor he goes to the other and is humiliated.  He plans to burn the king and his family in a flammable  palace.  The Pandavas move into the palace and they realize that it is a trap to kill them.  They created a tunnel from the bottom of the palace and the Pandavas and Kunthi escaped into the forest when the fire was set. 

The Asur is a large monster who lived in a cave.  He attacked and ate people from the city because he was very hungry.  He now has to be offered a huge cart full of food from a family each week.  But every week he eats the person who delivers the food as well.  Bheem agrees to take food to deliver to the Asur. 

Video Film:  Pixabay

Source:  The Mahabharata Epified:  Part C Reading Guide

Week 8 Growth Mindset

Growth:  Pixabay

I have a love/hate relationship with Growth Mindset.  I like the idea and I think it is especially helpful for little kids, but since I never used it growing up, I find it hard to use on myself.  I definitely think I have grown up using some of the characteristics of the program but I still get frustrated sometimes when I am doing something difficult- who doesn't? 

I think I do a lot of the things on the chart in the directions here, but there are some things I don't do very well and need to improve on.  I usually try to do my best work which is above the bare minimum.  I am usually pretty self motivated because I know where the goal is but it can be harder for me when the goal is not in sight.  I am bad about staying in my comfort zone and I need to work on that by trying new things.  I am also bad about focusing on grades- I always want to keep my grades up and I am unhappy with my grades when they aren't good even when I am learning.  However I think that when you are learning the grades are high as a result.  I am not comfortable with change and that is something that I need to work on in school and in life.  If I can try more new things little by  little perhaps I will get used to new things.  I think I have taken a long term view and set good goals for myself and I am working hard on reaching them.  I could work on taking more risks and being more confident, especially when I am writing stories.  I could also work on trying to do harder things and expecting to work hard on them.  I like to do my work and get it done so I have a hard time choosing to do something that is more difficult than it needs to be.  I am usually pretty good about working ahead and not leaving things to the last minute so I don't think I really need to work on that.  I get excited about school when it is a subject that interests me and I am really hoping I get into the dietetics program I applied for because it will be full of subject matter I am truly interested in.  This class has helped me to learn to be open to all feedback, not just positive feedback.  I have also learned that I can learn from my peers and from my mistakes.  I have also learned that I can make a lot of progress in a little amount of time, but I still need to learn to ask more questions. 

Overall, growth mindset is a little bit mixed up for me.  I feel like I have accomplished some of the things that are good for me from this technique, and there are others that I could definitely work on. 

Week 8 Reflections: Halfway done!

The Halfway Point!:  Geograph.org

It has gone fast but here we are- halfway through the semester!! When we wrote our first stories for this class I felt like I was going to be really uncomfortable writing creatively and posting it for everyone to see, but it has actually been fun so far!  I have enjoyed doing the readings for this class and twisting the stories into something new.  Some of my stories in the beginning didn't have very big twists- especially the first one.  I have gotten better at that through the semester and I found out how I like to write stories.  A lot of times I enjoy keeping the characters the same and putting them in a new setting.  I keep the original names so that it is not so confusing for the reader!  I have found that it can be interesting to write for fun and to run a blog. 

I have definitely learned a lot about tech stuff as well!  I never knew that blogging could be so easy and fun.  I was able to learn how to do lots of things on Blogger as well as start a Google Site.  I think these skills will help me in the future for sure!

My favorite reading so far has been the Ramayana.  I thought it was pretty easy to follow and I enjoyed watching Sita Sings the Blues.  I felt like I got my best stories from the inspiration of the Ramayana.  For the rest of the semester I think I will finish up watching the Mahabhrata Epified and then I would like to either read more versions of the Ramayana, find a new book, or read some huge chunks of the stories I chose for my storybook project that I have not read yet. 

I am happy with a lot of my progress writing this semester.  It was difficult in the beginning but it is getting easier. I am happy with how my storybook is turning out but I need to do more planning to make sure the stories I add all fit together well.  I think it will turn out pretty well.  I definitely aspire to write more like some of the people in their class.  I wish I could easily write funny stories that flow well.  Some of my classmates are fantastic writers.  It has been a fun semester so far and I hope to work hard and finish the class up early if possible so I can prepare to graduate!