**House For Sale**

A small, cozy cottage deep in the countryside that is perfect for raising your children or enjoying your space from the bustling city. Located just close enough to the main city to be convenient, but far enough a way to feel the seclusion and tranquility that nature can provide. The spacious rooms and living area allow for the house to be full of many people. This would allow for the space to be rented out as extra income, or for you to have great gatherings of friends and family. The large windows in the front allow for a view of the rolling hills and mountains. Farmland is available to your family for either stables or farming.

(The Cabin) 

Property Details

-A four bedroom cottage. Large rooms that are perfect for multiple beds depending on your needs.

-a large outhouse located near the back of the house

-spacious living area and kitchen

-lamps for gas lights

-large lot perfect for stables or farming with a view of the mountains 

-many windows allow for plenty of light 

-about a half an hour from the main city

-closest neighbors about ten minutes on horseback

Features 

-lamps for gas lights throughout the home

-fencing to keep cattle or other animals contained

-many trees to provide shade and greenery to the lot

-acres of grass that is perfect for feeding or for families to enjoy

-large stables already built to accommodate animals of the family and travelers

-insulation to not let wind and other debris through cracks in the walls or window of the cottage

-sturdy roofing to protect against rain and other weather conditions

-built in fire stove to allow for heating and cooking in the house

Disclaimer

This cottage is located where Death tends to appear. Should Death appear in the night, everyone in the cottage shall perish. However, several years ago, a Cossack was visiting. When Death appeared and reached through the window, the Cossack cut off her arm. All of the villagers set out the next morning to find death and see her demise. Once they came to the Ponomar's cottage down the road, the daughter was laying on the stove, missing an arm. Therefore, it could be said that Death has appeared at this current cottage. That next morning, the Death witch was drowned so we can assure that occupants will remain safe and out of danger. 

Author's note: 

I am writing this story based off of The Witch Girl from the Russian Folktales unit. In the story, a Cossack comes to a cottage and asks if there is a place for him to stay. The owner replies, "Come in, if you don't fear Death", which really confuses the Cossack. When he walks inside, there are families in there crying and praying. They are expecting Death to come that night. Should Death visit the cottage, everyone would die. So, they all go to bed except the Cossack, who stays up all night to keep watch. Once Death appears and reaches in through the window, he cuts off her arm. The next morning, the Cossack tells everyone what he has done and they go out in search of Death. They find a girl at the Ponomar's cottage, laying on the stove missing an arm. When the Cossack explains to the man what has happened and shows him the arm, the man demands for his daughter to be drowned. 

I didn't really feel like writing more on this topic, so I decided to write a real estate listing for the cottage. I thought it would be a more fun and creative topic. Since real-estate agents have to disclose events like death that have happened in a house, the story ties in to the Disclaimer at the end. I didn't really change anything of the story, more just put it in a different format. 

Bibliography:

The Witch Girl from Russian Fairy Tales by W.R.S. Ralston (1887). 

Week 11 Storytelling: Dear Alena

February 22, 1892

Dear Alena,

You will never guess what just happened to me earlier tonight. This lady just knocked on my door and when I opened it, she just let herself in. She introduced herself as "the witch with one horn" and she actually did have only one horn! I was mesmerized by her forehead and couldn't look away! It was all I could do to step aside as she burst forth through the door. 

She then sat down and started talking about other women and, lo and behold, there was another knock on the door. Then, the weirdest thing happened. It was like I was in a trance and, before I could even think about it, I had stood up and walked to the door to let yet another woman came into my house! This time, she introduced herself as "the Witch of two horns" and, as you would guess, she actually did have two horns. 

This continued for the longest time. Each time there was a knock, I immediately stood up and would open the door. It's like I couldn't control my own body...

This madness finally stopped when there were twelve women in my house! Each had one horn than the one before. So, the last woman had twelve horns. It was the most bizarre thing I have ever experienced. 

I finally decided to go to bed because they were so busy carding wool. I ended up having to just leave them in my living room since they were making no motions to leave! Hopefully they will be gone in the morning. 

Thoughtfully yours,

Keelin

The Horned Women
Illustration by: John D. Batten (1892)

February 24, 1892

Dear Alena,

The women are still here! I thought they would be leaving but they won't! Last night, I really thought I was going to die. They are so menacing with their many horns. But, besides all of that, last night got even weirder. I really cannot explain what has been happening, but I will do my best. You probably will not believe me, but I promise I am telling the truth.

So, the witches decided last night that they wanted cake. So, I had to go to the well to fetch water to make it. When I got to the well, I realized the sieve had a hole in it, so I couldn't bring back any water. Of course, I was completely freaking out because if I didn't bring back the water for the cake, the witches were going to be extremely angry. Then, all of a sudden I heard this mysterious voice from behind me, telling me what to do to fix the sieve. Then, they went into great detail as to how to rid my house of the witches. It knew exactly what to do and all of a sudden I felt very strong and compelling. Like I had been possessed by this other being. 

When I returned home, I followed the exact steps that the voice told me. When the witches returned to the house, they could not get in and they were forced to flee! I am so relieved! I have been terrified for so many days! 

I cannot wait to visit soon to go into more details about these strange events! Please come visit soon.

Best,

Keelin 

Author's Note: I wrote my story based of off The Horned Women from the Celtic Fairy Tales unit. My story follows pretty closely until the end. The original story goes into many more details about the spirit of the well and how the witches were denied entrance from the house. I also made the story more personal by using the first person. In the original story, the narrator understands what is happening. For example, when the spirit of the well possesses the woman, they know what is going on. However, in my version, the protagonist is unclear as to what is happening to themselves. Since the story was so bizarre to me, I thought I would express that through my storytelling. 

Bibliography:  The Horned Women from Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs (1892). 

Storytelling Week 10: The Surprise

A blue heron and a fox both lived near a great lake. Each of the animals felt great frustration due to the fact that they lived such separate lives. The fox would hunt all of the smaller animals that the blue heron was friends with. In turn, the blue heron would eat all of the small bugs that fed the fox's prey. This meant that the fox had to hunt much harder for food that was plump enough around the lake. After much fighting, the two decided to strike up a deal. They would race to the end of the lake and whoever won could keep the lake until the end of time.

The fox was sure that he would win, since all he had to do was sprint in a straight line. The blue heron was sure he would win since he had the ability to fly. 

It was early morning when the two set off. The fox started at a swift pace, running along the bank at a record breaking speed. The heron did the same, soaring through the sky across the middle of the lake. Now, each of them learned their lesson. About halfway to the end, they each had to stop and recover for they were so exhausted that they could not continue. The fox curled up in the tall grass against a small shrub for the night. The blue heron decided to fly closer to shore and land in order to preserve his strength for the next day.

The Hummingbird by Charles Sharp

The sunrise woke each of then up and each started off. They did go a bit of a slower pace than the other days, though. Several hours later, the edge of the lake was near and each pushed to beat the other. The blue heron reached the land first, and decided to gloat to the fox about his victory. Just as he was about to say something, though, he heard the hummingbird. 

"Excuse me, I was here first and this is now my land," the hummingbird argued. Now, the fox and the blue heron were not pleased by the hummingbird's statement and decided to argue back with him. However, it was then that the Great Spirit spoke and confirmed that the hummingbird was the true winner for he controls the Earth, not the fox or the blue heron. 

Each stared at each other in disbelief. They had been tricked! Dejectedly, they went home and gathered their things to move elsewhere and honor the Great Spirits wishes that the hummingbird be the true owner of the lake. Even today, that is why the hummingbirds build their nests around water while also enjoying the sweet nectar of the beautiful flowers surrounding the lake. 

Author's Note:

I changed several parts of this story while I was writing. The first was that a fox was not in the original. Rather, the hummingbird and the blue heron owned the lake and were racing and the winner was deemed the true owner. I decided to add in the fox because I thought it added an element of deceit and surprise since I wanted the hummingbird to have it all. I also changed the ending of the story. In the original, the hummingbird lost the race which meant he could not drink from the lake ever again. I decided to change this because I think hummingbirds are so beautiful and I wanted it to have the victory. 

Bibliography:

Why Hummingbirds Drink Only Dew from When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends.When the Storm God Rides was retold by Florence Stratton in 1936. 

Storytelling Week 6: Anansi's Change of Heart

Anansi, his family, and his village were struggling due to a long famine that had been plaguing the land. They hadn't eaten in forever and were so hungry. One day, while he was desperately searching for food, Anansi saw an island far away with a palm tree on it. Seeing it as his last resort, he decided that he would sail out to the island in hopes of finding food. 

When the day arrived to set sail, all Anansi could find was an old broken down boat. He decided he would have to take it because he had to get to the island. He climbed in and tried to set sail, but the waves knocked him back everytime. After SEVEN attempts to put off from shore and a lot of spent energy, Anansi finally found his chance to sail into the water. After a bumpy trip, he finally made it to the island.

Ansani's boat on the island

Once he was there, he climbed the palm tree and found nuts. He couldn't help but rejoice. He was so hungry that even the few nuts felt like they would be a feast fit for a king. The only challenge now was to get the nuts into the boat. 

That'll be easy! I'll just climb up and drop them in!

Anansi climbed the tree and proceeded to drop the nuts in. However, to his complete dismay, each and every nut missed the boat and fell to the bottom of the ocean. All of his hopes for food were gone. The idea was so devastating to him that he decided to throw his body into the water and proceeded to do just that. He closed his eyes and let go of the tree, allowing his body to fall. However, when he hit the water, he was amazed because he was not drowning. Rather, he found himself standing underwater next to a cottage.

What on Earth is going on??

Shortly, a man named Thunder walked out and asked Anansi what he was doing at his cottage. Anansi explained his situation and Thunder took pity on him. He welcomed him into his underwater home and presented Anansi with a gold cooking pot. With the pot, he gave him a promise that he would never be hungry again. Anansi could not believe it.

Never be hungry again? How could this be?

Anansi could only wait until he was back on his rickety old boat to try the pot. All he had to do was ask and a huge meal appeared right before his eyes. He ate to his heart's content and felt such relief that he was finally full. 

When he arrived back at the mainland, he started to feel scared. What if the magic of the pot wore off? What if it could only provide a certain number of meals? His first instinct was to hide the pot so that he would be ensured meals forever. He was so afraid of being hungry again. However, upon second thought, he realized that he needed to take care of his family and maybe even the village as well. He had learned his lesson through his past experiences that greed would get him no where. So, he ran home to his family and provided them with a wonderful meal that filled not only their stomachs but also their hearts, restoring hope that the famine would one day be over. 

Black and white photo of the magical pot 

After his family had been fed, Anansi went out into the village and the pot provided them with a meal as well. To Anansi's surprise, the pot actually produced more food this time due to its pleasure at Anansi's good deeds.

Because of his generosity and selflessness, the pot produced larger and larger meals each time it was asked. The village remained healthy and fed until the famine was over and they could start producing their own food again. While the pot resting now, the village will always think of Anansi fondly and will remember the time he came home with the golden pot that saved them all.

Author's Note:
The original story is Thunder and Anansi from the West African Folktales storybook. In the original story, Anansi does travel to the island in desperate hopes to find food. He does find nuts but accidentally drops them into the water and decides to throw himself in as well. However, when he meets Thunder and receives the pot, he decides to hide it for himself. As he gets plumper and his family grows thinner, his son, Kweku Tsin, became suspicious and transformed himself into a tiny fly and followed his father until he discovered the secret of the pot. Then, while his father was out, he took it from it's hiding place and provided the family with a good meal. Then, they decided to feed the village as well; however, the pot overheated and melted. When Anansi returned to the missing pot, he snuck out back to Thunder's cottage in hopes of another gift. This time, though, Thunder presented him with a stick. When Anansi asked a favor of the stick, it proceeded to beat him repeatedly which forced him to jump out of the boat and swim to shore. The story ended with a very bruised Anansi regretting his decision to not act more wisely from the start.

I decided to change the ending of the story because Anansi's selfishness really bothered me. In almost every story, he was actions proved that he only cared about himself. Selfish people really get under my skin, so I decided to change the ending to the opposite of the original. In my version, Anansi is tempted to act selfishly, but then remembers the lessons he had learned from the past and decided to share. In the end, instead of regretting his actions, he actually was proud of them because he was so blessed by his gifts.

Bibliography: 
Thunder and Anansi from West African Folktales by William H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair (1917). 

Storytelling Week 5: Calm down, Set.

Kor- The therapist

Set- brother of Osiris

Kor: Ok, Set, why don't you come in and sit down?

Set: Don't tell me what to do. I am the next ruler of the great land of Egypt.

Kor: Ok, we can talk about that, but not until you sit down. 

*Set sits down in a huff. Crosses his arms and leans back in the chair.*

How Set might look pouting about the therapy session
Photo by: Paul Cezanne (1839-1906)

Set: Ok, fine. Are you happy now?

Kor: Yes, now lets get started. I'm sensing a lot of anger. Do you want to talk about it?

Set: Um, yea I'm angry. Of course I am. I was supposed to be the next ruler of Egypt and my brother stole it out from under me. Now he rules and everyone worships him because he's sooo nice and such a good leader. He's not nice! He's just weak. 

Kor: That's interesting you say that. What do you think about the fact that he's led Egypt so well? Think about everything he's done. He's led Egypt in the right direction by directing them to be holy and righteous people. There are so many beautiful temples everywhere and the country has been without war for many years since he is so focused on peaceful negotiations. 

Set: Yes, but the country could be so much larger. So much stronger! I know that my way is the right way and he refuses to see it. 

Kor: Maybe you could try to bring it up to him? Have you calmly and clearly asked him if he would ever consider your ways and possibly handle a conflict according to the way you would? 

Set: NO! I'm not going to sit down with him! I can barely stand in the same room as him. I can't stand him!

Kor: Ok, you seem to be getting angry again. Let's try some deep breathing exercises.

*Set breathes in and out. The tone of his voice does relax some, but he continues.

Kor: Ok, would you like to continue? The first step to dealing with this conflict is for you to get it all off your chest. Then, I can help you try to move on.

Set: I doubt I'll ever just move on but we'll give it a try. I feel like you'll never let me go if I don't and I just want this to be over.

Kor: That is probably true. The officials are very nervous about your high level of anger. They don't want you to make any rash decisions. 

An illustration of Set
Created by Jeff Dahl

*Set rolls his eyes*

Set: Ok, well next I want to talk about his wife. She is stronger than me. That is weird.

Kor: Why do you think that bothers you?

Set: Because! She's a woman! She shouldn't be stronger than me. She's also way too smart. She must have spies everywhere or magical powers where she can see my every move. Every plan I have to try and usurp Osiris, she intercepts! I have strong number of followers, you know, and I could totally do it. But they're losing faith in me because none of my plans go through. Its just so annoying.

Kor: Yes, I could understand how that would be frustrating. I think a lot of time, men do have problems with women being stronger and outsmarting them. It threatens their sense of manliness. However, if you can overcome this, you will start to feel secure in yourself and will have more faith in yourself. This will help you lead your followers in a confident manner and not seem like you are flailing around for ideas. However, I must warn you that I cannot support you trying to recruit a rebellious army to overthrow Osiris. 

Set: Aren't you supposed to just listen to my problems? I don't care to hear your advice.

Kor: That may be the case and it's time for this session to be over anyways. For now, my advice to you would be to let go of your jealousy. I hope you can realize that its actually holding you back. You could be a great official, the right hand to your brother if you wanted, but you are so jealous that you are only focused on overthrowing him. Now, you're scrambling to lead a rebellious army when you could lead so much more. For now though, I think this is great progress. Same time next week?

Kor: I don't think I have a choice. 

Author's Note:

This week, I decided to write my story using the "therapy session" storytelling style. I chose this style because I thought it would be a good way to talk about the jealousy and anger that Set holds against his brother, Osiris. I wrote this story based off of Osiris in the Ancient Egypt unit. The story is focused on Osiris and how he led Egypt during the time he was the ruler. He ruled after Ra, and was known for leading Egypt using a very peaceful and calm style. He encouraged the people to be very faithful to the gods, build temples, and to deal very calmly with other nations. He was known of as "Osiris the Good." Isis, his wife, stood by him and was his faithful companion. While Osiris, was traveling, he trusted his wife to rule the empire in his place. His brother, however, was extremely jealous of him and angry that Osiris was the one to rule Egypt. He believed in war and his heart was full of evil. Later in the unit, it tells the story of how Osiris is killed and Set takes over his position to be the tyrannous ruler of Egypt. 

Bibliography: 

Osiris from Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie (1907). 

Storytelling for Week 4: The Tiger is Dead

BREAKING NEWS

Tiger Killed in the Village

It was just reported that the tiger that has been haunting the village with his savage killing spree has died. Referring back to our earlier post, the shikari cut off the end of the tigers ears, claws and tongue yesterday morning to present to the Raja. After an afternoon of confusion and worry, we received word early last night that the tongue of the tiger was festering after the wound. The infection seemed deadly. Now, today, officials are saying that the tiger is in fact dead.

The tiger growling as villagers attempt to travel the highroad.
Photo by: Claudio Gennerari

As a recap, this is the same tiger that was preying on men as they traveled along the highroad. After multiple deaths, people ceased to travel along this road, which affected trade and communications. Finally, after a long silence, the Raja and his council responded to the attacks and gathered their soldiers. Even though the Raja promised half of his kingdom to the one who could kill the tiger, none of his soldiers were brave enough to take on the challenge. It was after word traveled around the village that the brave shikari offered to hunt the dangerous animal. After much deliberation, the Raja agreed. 

After the shikari received permission, he promptly left his home and traveled into the jungle to find the tiger. His tactic was a to hide in a tree until the tiger appeared. This way, he was protected from other attacks and had a wide view of the path the tiger generally took.

The next morning, upon facing the tiger, the shikari was brave enough to confront him. Photos have been submitted that show the man standing with the tiger, showing him photos of other tigers that the shikari had supposedly killed. The photos show the tiger visibly changing his stance and shifting to a position of fear. The community was stunned as the man continued to stand with him and reason with him that he would save his life as long as he allowed him to cut off the tips of his ears, tongue, and claws. The tiger agreed and the tips were presented to the Raja. Upon learning of these happenings, the village was outraged. They did not believe that the tiger would cease to prey upon the people. However, the shikari knew the the truth and that the infection would eventually overcome the tiger, thus ending his life. 

The people from the village are rejoicing tonight as their safety has returned. Trade and communications are expected to continue tomorrow. 

Author's Note:

The original story is called The Killing of the Tiger from Folklore of the Santal Parganas by C.H. Bompas. In the story, a tiger was preying upon the people of a village as they traveled the highroad. The Raja promised half of his kingdom to whoever could kill it; however, none of his soldiers were brave enough. So, a poor shikari offered to hunt the tiger and after speaking with the Raja, he agreed to let him. So the man left in the morning and hid in a tree until the tiger appeared and asked him to come down. Once the shikari did, he showed the tiger pictures of other tigers that he supposedly killed. The tiger then was extremely fearful and begged for his life. The shikari offered to let him life as long as the tiger allowed him to cut off the tips of his claws, ears, and tongue. The tiger agreed and them man left with these things and showed the Raja. Eventually, the tiger ended up dying because his tongue festered. 

I decided to make a 'breaking news' story since this would be big news to the villagers. I did not change much in the story, but did try to add in some more dramatic diction and summarize what happened the way a news story would. 

Bibliography:

The Killing of the Tiger from Folklore of the Santal Parganas. Folklore of the Santal Parganas is the English version of the Santal folklore stories, which were translated by C.H. Bompas in 1909.

Storytelling Week 3: The Boy and the Snake

One day, a boy came home to his father.

“Father, I have finally met the one I want to marry!” he exclaimed to him. “Who may it be? One of the girls from down the way” the father excitedly questioned. “No! But her beauty has eclipsed the beauty of all else and her laugh has enchanted me,” the son replied.

The father was very intrigued now. He was proud of his son for finding a suitable wife so early and without the help of his parents. Where could he have met her?

“Well, when shall I meet her father?,” the patriarch asked, “you know we have to have his blessing before you can be granted her hand in marriage.” “I know, father. But, don’t worry. I feel like that will not be an issue,” the son replied, “would you like to meet her now?” “Well, of course!” the father exclaimed. He had not expected her to be waiting outside of their door.

The mother joined the two and stepped outside with the father and his son. However, once they saw her, the two parents gasped and raised their hands to cover their faces. For, their son’s new lover was actually a large, green serpent.

A green serpent. Photo by Frank Wouters 

“Isn’t she beautiful? And her hiss is a tinkle in my ears,” the son said, beaming down at the snake.

The father and mother didn’t know what to say. They didn’t want to offend her, for her powerful venom could kill them in an instant. However, they did not want their son marrying her.

After a long pause, the father said, “Son, we understand your feelings and are eager to grant your wishes. However, we worry that her venom and fangs might injure you. Could you ask her to remove her teeth and have her poison extracted? Then, we can reconsider your request.”

The son felt quite dejected then. However, he bent down to his lover, stroked her head, and quietly asked her his parent’s request. Her eyes saddened, however she loved the boy so that she nodded her head in agreement. Then, in one swift movement, the serpent coiled her tail around the boy and swept him away. She knew her strength and was not one to bow to the demands of some meager humans. The boy held on to her, but did not seem afraid for he was being carried away by his love.

The mother and father did not see the boy again. However, it is said that he lives happily in the forest with the serpent and lives a lavish life among their loyal companions. As the story goes, neither the boy nor the serpent regret their decision to deny his parents and live their life as they knew fit.  

Lesson: Life your life as you know you should.

The man and the snake together. Photo by: Alexander Ess

Author's Note:

The original story was called The Lion in Love from The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs. The fable told the story of a lion who fell in love with a girl. However, the parents were nervous to let their daughter marry the lion due to the fact that he may accidentally injure her. So, they asked him to remove his claws and teeth before they would allow them to marry. The lion loved her so much, that he did both of these things. However, when he came back to the parents, they just laughed in his face since he could no longer harm them. I made several changes to the story. The first was that I switched the characters so that the boy was the one who fell in love with an animal rather than the other way around. Also, I wanted the girl to remain a powerful figure, so I made her a large serpent instead of a smaller, meeker animal. In addition, I changed the ending so that the serpent did not obey the family's request. Instead, she stayed strong and took the boy with her to live on her terms. Since the story was so absurd to me in the original version, I decided to maintain the same level of silliness, if not more. In addition, I added in my own little life lesson that I choose to live by, just as the fables do. 

Bibliography:

The Lion in Love from The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs from the nineteenth century. 

Web Link: http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/04/aesops-fables-lions-part-2.html

Storytelling Week 2: The woman who wanted to be in love

July 2, 1400 B.C.

Dear Diary,

Leah here again. I’m so frustrated. Jacob, my husband, still will not pay attention to me. I mean I get it, he really wanted to marry Rachel. He even worked for our dad fourteen years before he could marry her. It just sucks. I wish he had never come to our house in Bethuel looking for her. I wish father had never promised her to him if he worked for seven years. Or at least I wish I had found someone else to marry before the seven years were up! The tradition is the WORST. Now, I’m stuck married to this man who is really in love with my sister, who is also now his wife, all because there’s some weird rule that I had to get married first. Why couldn’t I just wait to marry someone who loved me? Why does he still have to hate me, even after I’ve given him FOUR sons at this point. How kids has Rachel had? Like, none herself until she finally made her handmaiden sleep with him. It’s so annoying! I don’t know what to do!

Jacob talking to Laban, the father, with Leah and Rachel present
Image from Bible Pictures and What They Teach Us by Charles Foster (1897)

October 22, 1401 B.C.

Dear Diary,

I can’t believe Rachel! She is seriously so selfish. Reuben has literally been in the fields for so long and came back with some beautiful mandrakes. Once she saw them, she started begging for them and wouldn’t leave me alone. I don’t know why she wanted them so badly. I guess, because they’re considered “love plants”. But, why does she even need love plants? She already has all of Jacob’s love. He is always kind to me but it’s obvious he’d rather be with Rachel. Anyways, I let her have the mandrakes because she promised that I could stay with Jacob tonight. I really need to talk to him about our relationship because I cannot be treated this way for much longer. I want to go see the counselor in town. That way, I could have a safe place to tell him how I really feel and hopefully they would back me up. It’s just not right and I need Jacob to see that. Especially as our children get older! I want them to grow up happy and with a great father, but right now he’s just so distant.

January 28, 1401 B.C.

Dear Diary,

It’s official, I’m pregnant again. This will be our fifth son together. He was conceived the night that Jacob agreed to start going to counseling, so about three months ago. I’m really hoping that the counseling combined with our fifth child will show Jacob how much I care about him and how much I want this relationship with him. So far, its not really working but I guess a girl can dream. The counselor says to take baby steps and not expect a change all at once. I just don’t know if I have enough patience! I’m praying to God though that it works out. He obviously favors me since I am so blessed with all of these sons, so I guess I will just wait and see.

(Leah, by Michelangelo)

March 6, 1404 B.C.

Dear Diary, 

It’s been a long time since I’ve written! I didn’t realize so much time had passed. I’ve just been so busy raising these children that I hardly have any time for myself. We have six sons now and a beautiful daughter named Dinah. She is such a delight and my little saving grace in this world full of boys. I can’t wait for her to grow up so that I can have someone to talk to and share things with. Another update, I gave up on the counseling and have decided to just be content with my life. I have all of my children and a great house and people to take care of us, so I guess I don’t need any more. Rachel finally had a son of her own, so Jacob will forever be hers. That might sound sad, but I’m okay with it. I should have known since he worked seven years for father before marrying me, and then another seven to marry her. He was devoted to her from the start. I can only hope that, one day, my sons will have great wives that they cherish and that Dinah will have a great husband that loves her as deeply as Jacob loves Rachel. For now, I am going to live my life in contentment with the LORD as my love. HE is all I need. Until next time! 

Author's Note

In this writing, I am retelling the story of Rachel, Leah, and Jacob from the Bible Women unit. In the original, Jacob traveled to Bethuel to his mother's brother's house to find a wife. While he was sitting by a well, he saw Rachel coming to water her father's sheep along with the other herds. She was very beautiful to him and he kissed her at the well. Rachel ran back to tell her father, and once he found out that Jacob was his sister's son, he was very welcoming to him. Jacob told the father that he wanted to marry Rachel, so they worked out a deal that Jacob would work for the father for seven years and then could marry her. Once the seven years were up, Jacob asked for his wife and the father gave him what he believed to be Rachel. However, the next morning, Jacob woke up and realized it was actually Leah who had been given to him. He was very angered by this, but when he confronted the father he told him that he had to follow the tradition that his oldest daughter must be married first. So, they worked out a deal that Jacob would work another seven years and then could finally marry Rachel. Once they were married, the LORD could tell that Leah was hated so he opened her womb and left Rachel barren. Overall, Jacob had six sons and a daughter with Leah. Rachel could only give him sons through her handmaiden until the LORD finally took favor upon her and opened her womb after Leah had many many sons. 

For this storytelling, I wanted to tell the story with more of the woman's perspective written in. The Bible would mention the women, but did not develop them as characters enough for any insight into their personalities or thoughts. I thought a great way to do this would be to phrase the writing like it was a diary entry from Leah, explaining how she felt and the frustration she was experiencing. In addition, the storytelling randomizer gave me the idea of including a counselor for the troubled couples in the story. Therefore, I decided to include that as well. Lastly, the version I read was a King James version of the bible, which is very old fashioned and difficult to read. Following how a diary entry would be, I used very relaxed and common language- the exact opposite of the Bible. 

Note: I chose the month and dates for the journal entries at random. I got the year by looking up the general time that Genesis in the Bible was believed to be written. You can see my source for this information here. 

Bibliography

Source: King James Bible (1661): Genesis 29, Genesis 30, and Genesis 35. This story is from the Bible Women unit. I pulled from the reading focused on Rachel and Leah.