reading notes: goblin city and the cunning crane and the crab

My personal favorite of the stories was Goblin City. Something to note about this story is the similarity between the Rakshasis and Sirens from Greek mythology. If I recreate this story, I want to use the Goblins to my advantage. I think there is a lot I could do with them to add an eerie element to whatever story I choose to write. They make things appear better than they are to lure in unsuspecting men, which is kind of a feminist power move. So, for a story using the Rakshasis, I would keep their identity completely the same but make it less obvious that they're goblins to add suspense. I could create a flash fiction with a surprising plot-twist ending in which reveals the true identity of the woman.

(Image information: photo by W. Robinson
obtained from The Jatakas)

The second story I liked was The Cunning Crane and the Crab. For this, I want to look at the crane versus the crab. The crane's greatest strength would be his persuasiveness, whereas his greatest weakness is his greed. On the other hand, the crab sees through the manipulation the crane has pulled on the fish, so he is even more persuasive and cunning than the crane. As with many stories told by many different groups of people, this is a very hare versus the turtle kind of story--a story of karma, sort of. This would be something interesting to work with in a story, and it could even tie into the Rakshasi's story plot, too.

Story information: The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W.H.D. Rouse.

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week two story: family traditions

It was my first day at a new school in a new place, and I was not looking forward to it. I had never attended a public school, but my mom told me it was time. "Rish, you're seventeen now. You know you have to do this to carry on our family's traditions," my mother pressured. "Mom, I know," I say, slipping the fresh canvas backpack over my shoulders. I have never carried a schoolbag before, so this was different. My outdated textbooks weren't the only thing weighing me down, though. You see, the women in my family are all rakshasis. If you don't know what rakshasis are, we're creatures with the ability to lure people in, then eat them when we feel it's right. Naturally, we aren't the most attractive, with two huge fangs protruding from our mouths and a not-so petite figure. Luckily, we have the opportunity to shape shift into whatever we want. This makes luring even the least gullible very easy for us. In my family, w...

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week three story: dharma's funeral

The skies were grey over the bright lotus blossoms the day of Dharma's funeral. Dharma, who had ruled the kingdom of Koshola for upwards of forty years, was the monarch of many peoples' dreams. She was kind and understanding, but, most of all, she was wise and strong-willed. The kingdom had not had any conflict since the time Dharma took the throne; she was level-headed and preferred her peace over any war. Throughout her rule, the only thing causing Dharma disdain was her daughter, Binsa. As her name suggests, Binsa was a fearless girl, so much so that it got her in trouble many times, but she was always redeemed by Dharma. As Binsa grew older, she became more like her mother everyday. Although she already possessed the agency to be the next monarch, Binsa began helping build up the kingdom's marginalized communities that desperately needed assistance. She was turning out to be a great leader, but she didn't think it would come so soon. Dharma had been sick for man...

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