L Christina M

Babes In The Wood: My love, did you hear, How in a land so near, Two poor little kids, Whose names don't appear, Were stolen away on a brisk autumn's day, And left in a wood, near the church where we pray. And when it was cold , And there hearts grew less bold, The sun it went down, And the stars came around. They shivered and they shook, and they hugged in a nook, And the poor little ones, the'r short life was done. And when they were gone, The world was so wrong Brought strawberry-leaves And sang a sad song, And all the day long They sung all along: "Poor babes in the wood! The babes were so good! And don't you remember the babes in the wood?" (Babes In The Wood) Chaucer's Little Hugh: Old Mother Duck, when She wanted to roam, Would ride through the sea On a very fine stone. Mother Duck had a home, But was never alone, With an owl at the door A job he stood for. This is her son Matt, A plain-looking boy, And yet very fat, Though filled wi...

The scurry of frightened fish often overpowered the otherwise serene waters of the river. It was a common scene. Just as the sun began to set and the first glimpses of nightfall arrived, you would hear the first painful cry of a mother fish mourning her new little babies. The predators often struck at night. It was easier for them to sneak around, without fear of being eaten themselves. Every living species in the river understood that being prey was a risk, but the recent uprise in baby fish death was due to the predators gluttony and greed. The mother and father fish were terrified. Every night when they went to bed, they would tuck in their baby fish and pray that they would awaken with them the next morning. Recently, more often than not, frightened parents wold awake in the middle of the night to the loud chomps and chews of the predator munching on their children. Each day the parents would grow angrier and angrier, but due to their size and position in the natural food chain, ...

One chilly morning, Trickster Anansi and Sheep ventured away from their small town to embark on a journey across the vast land of their country. As the journey took way, the loud rumble of their stomachs took precedence over the long journey ahead of them. The two always carried their own spoons with them. For you never know when you'll stumble upon a place to eat with nothing to eat with! It was around breakfast time and Trickster Anansi and Sheep knew that they must be fully nourished in order to make the rest of long trek. Trickster Anansi and Sheep decided to stop in a nearby town in order to dine in for breakfast. As they neared the entrance of the small diner Trickster Anansi got a cunning idea. He knew exactly what to do. The small red diner smelled of fresh pancakes and fluffy waffles as they sat in their small booth waiting for their food to arrive. Trickster Anansi's plan had become a full-fledged scheme and all he had to do was wait for the food to arrive. Out of...

Being secluded from the rest of humanity was a feat that proved itself to be one of great pleasure for Monty. Monty enjoyed the subtle silence and overwhelming sounds of nothing but his own voice in his own head in his own land. The thought of regular social consumption seemed like the most evil of ideas man had created. Monty truly believed that he needed no other person but himself. He dreamed the idea of the outside coming in and only ever wanted to be in contact with himself and the small voices in his head that kept him company. The voices, he so nobly named 1, 2, and 3, were the wicked catalysts that pushed Monty to his aggression when his space was violated. Alone in a quiet cave in a desolate desert, Monty hated when the visiting tourists would get anywhere near his humble abode.  One day, a young girl and her family came to see the beautiful sites that Monty’s desert contained. The little girl was full of joy and excitement, for this was her first trip away from her o...

As a young child, Jonathan always knew that he was destined for greater things. He was born in a small town in rural Kansas in 1970 and had a deep, rich desire to reach masses of people outside of his small town. His family was poor, ridden with disease and pain. The financial troubles often cause an immense amount of strains on his familial relationships. Despite being discouraged and put down for his radical thinkings and strange ideas, Jonathan didn’t waver from what he knew was right. Jonathan had a very revealing dream at a young age and was told by a wise man in his dream that he would one day change the world. He believed this prophecy wholeheartedly. He and his mother always had heated debates about why Jonathan always felt the need to spend night after night in deep mediation. The meditation was taxing on Jonathan but he knew it was all for a greater purpose. He knew that he must work to become the powerful person he knew he was destined to be. But his mother found this behav...

Personally, I am a huge fan of Ted Talks and find myself falling into the endless loop of midnight binges when I probably should be asleep. So for this assignment, I was very excited to have the opportunity to watch these Ted Talks related directly to storytelling. This first one I watched by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie I had actually seen previously on one of these midnight session it begins with her giving a detailed anecdote about her bringing and the way that reading and storytelling began to impact her life at an incredibly young age. This impact was not always positive, however. I see myself a lot in this Ted Talk. As a young black kid, I remember opening up books and reading about little girls and boys who looked nothing like me. At the time I didn't realize how impactful this would be for me. I though it was normal. In the public eye, it is the white child that is recognized as important, tal;ended, smart. Those children who look like me are meant to fade into the background. ...

The history of Danielle is not one unbeknownst to the common folk. Danielle was sort of a legend in her time and her legendary acts would continue to rest in the minds of generation for years to come. But although Danielle had gained the world, she would soon lose her purity and youth. Just as her story climaxes to its greatest power, Danielle is hit with a great temptation: adultery. Lusting. Danielle, a woman considered royalty in her place was proving to be less of a perfect entity in the eyes of anyone who knew of her wrongdoings. She lusted greedily after a man married to another prominent figure. Benjamin was a married man, who Danielle spotted naked on his roof one dreary afternoon. The clouds in close proximity to the earth were no match for her piercing eyes. Danielle stared fervently, forsaking her purity and inviting evil to take up residence in her mind. She stared without much deviance and only stopped when Benjamin returned inside of his home out of view of Danielle. Wh...

The trek was lonely and isolating. Only surrounded by a forest of trees. A surprising whisper interrupted his journey. He knew, "I am not alone." The whispers only grew stronger. He peered to his right and saw a wise older woman. The night continued. He was beckoned to sleep by the call of dreams and the promise of rest. When suddenly and with great fright, he heard another woman wail, "My son! My son!" Fearing for his safety but unwilling to out himself in direct harm's way, he decided to tear a small hole in the blanket he was under. Peering through to catch a look. Without warning, he was frightened to hear footsteps steadily approaching his place of rest. He peered through the blanket and was stunned to see the woman in clear light. She was old, adorned with beads and riches. The woman did not hesitate in her gate. Instead she readily approached the man, believing him  to be fast asleep. Slowly, she raised his one foot and and began to cut it with a large, s...