Ghostly Stories

Ghostly Stories



In children’s ghostly stories, the shrieks and screams are none other but a playful, fun fright that we all enjoyed as kids. I remember reading Scary Stories to tell in the Dark and other urban legends as a child. They were all quite spooky, but just as much as kids enjoy Halloween; they also enjoy the fun scare of a creepy book. In Ghosts! Ghostly tales from folklore by Alvin Schwartz, he takes old spooky legends and makes them into some funny parody of the real or legends that have been spread around through out. Although as I read through this story, some of the stories were a little creepy but with the added pictures and the funny faces that portrayed the ghosts, it made the stories light hearted and just a fun spook for children to get around Halloween. Ghost stories are one of the most popular genres of children book and include authors like R.L Stine. We all love the pumping heart and unexpectedness we experience as we flipped the page to find out the ghost is right behind YOU!

Children's Guide to Morality

As a young child, these are some of the many rules I remember being taught throughout elementary school and at home.

1. Do not lie.


2. Obey your mom and dad.


3. Do not steal or take things that are not yours.


4. If you do not have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all.


5. Don't talk to strangers.


6. Respect your elders.



7. Listen at all times.


8. Clean up after yourself.


9. Don't talk back.


10.Do your best at all times.


Along with these rules, at school I also remember saying a motto or creed known as:

The Learner's Creed

I believe in myself and my ability to do my best at all times.

Just for today:

I will listen

I will see

I will speak

I will feel

I will think

I will reason

I will write



I will do all these things with one purpose in mind:



to do my very best and not waste this day



for this day will not come again.



~Ernestine Mitchell

This creed was remembered and allowed all students to focus in on what the teacher taught with out us , students, ever realizing it. I am just surprised how I am able to take in every bit of information without even knowing how it is shaping me.

Alice In Wonderland (Lost Identity)

Throughout Alice's adventure, she is pressed with the same question, in many different forms, including one of my favorites,"Who are you?" Unsure where she is and who she is, she must face this mad world, trying to figure out what is what and how everything works. The way I see it is this dream world is our world. It is a world where we can not explain many of the actions that take form. It is a world filled with many surprises that we do not understand, but we live through them. Every single time we are much like Alice, questioning the world around us. In fact, we are sometimes driven by questions as Is there a god? What is the meaning of life? Where do we come from? and Why? All these questions with no direct answer leaves us with a little uncertainty of this world and we may conclude it to be quite mad. As Alice begins to grow in size as much as any of us do, it is still uncertain if our mind develops the sense we want it to. We are still left quite puzzled about the life we live and the actions that take place. We are lost in identity. Identification serves our main purpose in life but figuring it out may be very hard to do. Throughout the book Alice, at times, finds it hard to say who she is. How can you actually determine who you are? Are you smart, dumb, pretty, ugly, modest, etc? It is hard to tell especially with the many changes that come with age. In a way the various items eaten by Alice which make her grow and shrink is like her uncertainty. The identity she sets herself to be in the end allows her to gain control of her dreamland and realize that she can take action to end this impractical world. In a way it sends the message of controlling your own life and set things in order for yourself because like the many creatures who tried to label Alice, she had to figure out where her place was for herself. Our world is mad in many ways and the many events that occur may be quite impractical in one's own eyes but very practical in another's. The own identity is the most important aspect and where we stand in this life is all up to us taking control of it.

Papa, Please Get the Moon For Me

Book 6
Title: Papa, pleasae get the moon for me
Author: Eric Carle
Picture Book? (Yes or no): Yes
Posting date and/or number: February 23,2008


In papa Please get the moon for me, Monica sees the moon and hopes to have it for her own. She reaches for it but can not get it. She asks her father for the moon, which he goes out of his way to get. He grabs a long ladder and takes it to the top of the mountain where he asks the moon to shrink size for him. After this, the father takes the moon to his daughter where she is able to play with it until it disappears. In a way it is like taking from your parents without any appreciation for their willingness to go out of their way. It is taken for granted until it disappears. When we see it reappear we understand the importance it holds in the world. The moon is better left up high where it is able to grow and grow. Sometimes it is impossible to have everything we wish to attain.

The Five Little Monkeys with Nothing to Do

Book 5
Title: Five Little Monkey With Nothing to do
Author: Eileen Christelow
Picture Book? (Yes or no): Yes
Posting date and/or number: February 22,2008

In the Five Little Monkeys with Nothing to Do, the little monkeys are off from school during the summer, only to find out the boredom that they are seldom to face. With that mama assigns the monkeys a whole bunch of chores, which they obediently follow for their grandmother’s visit, without any fight. This teaches young kids how to help out their mothers around the house. The illustrations in the story, also shows children that working together can get the task accomplished a lot faster. The pictures serve an important factor. The faces of the monkeys convey happiness and pure delight. The five monkeys are able to clean their room, scrub the bathroom, dust the rugs, pick berries, and clean themselves up. However, the book also shows that just because the task has been done once, does not necessarily mean that it is completed. In this case, cleaning is an on going job they will have to work with. At the ending when grandmother comes to visit and notice that the house is messy, mother again notes to the kids that “but whoever did has plenty to do”. The last page illustration is quite funny for that is the way kids would point fingers at each other. This story just teaches kids that taking responsibilities is a needed basis in life, especially around the house.

Books in Time

When you think of children stories from the past to the present, the content of the story is centered around the events that go on within our world. Literature is always changing. Today's literature focuses on individuality and conquering obstacles. However, books from the past taught morals and how to stay in order. What has led to changes in the way we think is the growing diversity amongst our nation. In the US, diversification and educating the youth on other cultures has opened up new perspectives on how to view things rather than just one way. It is the issues that enter stories which include poverty, racism, war, and crime that lead children to develop their own aspects of stories and create another way to visualize the realities that our real world is faced with.

Educating the Young with TV

Unlike, education in the past, the means of increasing our intelligence levels is evident within our children's TV shows. By emphasizing on the content and using colorful images to represent numbers, alphabets, colors, shapes, and sizes, cartoon producers are successfully brightening the levels of intelligence for the new, future generation to come. Sesame Street, Between the Lions, and Barney, use music and morality to keep the children's attention. It is increasingly educating children as young as 1 year old. The outcome is surprising. At the early age of two, my little cousin, who tunes into PBS, is able to announce his age and interpret what C-A-K-E spells. He is also able to remember things that happened a week or two earlier, as well as, answer questions, such as, "What is your name?" By providing such programs to the youngsters and advancing the levels of learning, within a few years, our future generation will be smarter and much more capable of starting a more efficient, improved education system. However, it is up to us, the generation of today, to encourage the learning of our young and keep them interested in learning.

Star Angel prt. 4

I wondered how those humans thought, how did they live each day, and what made them interested in us? I wanted to be human. As much as I despised them, I wanted to see and feel what they did. The next night came fast and I stayed up all night until the star angel arrived. "Well little cub, do you have your wish." "Yes I do. I wish I was human." The star angel looked at me with shock. "Are you sure?" "Yes, I said." "Very Well." With that she turned me into a human. I felt odd. I looked at my paws but did not see my paws. I looked down at my claws but there were no claws. I looked into the mirror and I was completely horrofied. I was one of them. I would live amongst them for a week and then use my last wish wisely. I left a note on the table for mama and everyone else. It said, "Dear mama, I am leaving for a week on a trip that will be quite an adventure. I will be back shortly. Please don't worry too much. Love, Billy." And with that, I was off. I was off to the big city. When I entered the city, the noise was unabearable. "Beep. Beep. Move out the way why don't ya." I couldn't believe it. There were signs and big pictures of these humans and products all over. There were moving things they hopped in to and the tallest looking shelter space to exist. I was simply awed. Where would I go and where would I stay? I did not know but it was going to be a new experience. My stomach growled and I knew I had better catch something to eat. Maybe I would stop by the harbor and pick me out some good, yummy fish. And so I walked down this strange city, not knowing one bit of information, and not knowing what to expect, but there I walked until the days end. The night would be one surely unforgettable.

Bluebeard

Outside reading list
Book: 4
Title:Bluebeard
Author: Charles Perault
Picture Book? (Yes or no): No
Posting date and/or number: February 16,2008

In Bluebeard, a rich man who has a respectable lady neighbor, asks for one of her two young girls hand in marriage. However, suspecting something to be wrong with this man, both girls argue back and forth for the other to marry this man. It is known that he has been married several times. The man then takes them out for a party which they get acquainted with him. After this the youngest of the girls is convinced that he is not at all a bad man. They marry each other and he is sent on a trip. Before this, the girl is given the keys to the house and she is forbidden to enter but one room. Because of her curiosity, she enters the room and finds the dead bodies of his previous wives. When Bluebeard discovers she has been in the room, he tries to kill her but she is saved by her two brothers. The main point of the tales is not to be so curious about what people tell you not to be curious about because it could cause you your life.

Betty Boop

Betty is one of the first cartoon characters to potray a woman's sexuality. Her character wears high heels, short skirts, and garters , which is a change to the other characters drawn within this time period. In the cartoon you may also notice some of the male characters trying to sneak peeks of her while she strolls around minding her own two sense. Women in this time period were becoming more aware of their liberties and freedoms. They were sometimes known as flappers. In the 1920's around the time this cartoon was made, Betty Boop was considered to be a sex symbol. With her girlish qualities but with some mature features. She was the ideal flapper. In this version of Cinderella, you may notice how Betty Boop is like the typical version of Cinderella. The Prince is level headed and acts so gallantly until the angel knocks him over the head. In the song she sings " I am just a poor Cinderella". This statement shows the audience what they are suppose to feel for Cinderella. She is just a young girl kept away from the grand ball, who works hard in domestic work and is given a chance by the fairy godmother to attend the ball. Betty Boop not only enacts this fairy tale but she brings in her sex appeal in the role of Cinderella.

The Science of Fairy Tales

I found this article today. It was very interesting how fairy tales could have some scientific truth to them. It seems as though the authors could have known a good deal of their science and math. Rapunzel is able to lift a prince by her hair, Ariel loses her voice, Aladdin is able to ride a flying carpet; all of these are proven to be scientifically accurate. According to Chris Gorski, he states "that some fairy tales are more grounded than others." They show what appears to be imagination and fantasy to be works of a greater truth.

Chris Gorski
American Institute of Physics
LiveScience.com Mon Feb 11, 4:05 PM ET

Kids of any age love to read fairy tales because the storyline never limits the possibility that anything could happen. Curses, spells, and handsome princes reign in worlds beyond the reader’s imagination.

But are the most magical moments from some of our favorite stories actually possible? Basic physical principles and recent scientific research suggest that what readers might mistake for fantasies and exaggeration could be rooted in reality.

So suspend your imagination for a moment, and look at the following fairy tales as a hard-core scientist might.

Rapunzel

In the Brothers Grimm story of Rapunzel, a witch holds a beautiful young woman captive in a tower. Rapunzel is blessed with a lovely singing voice and long, long blond hair. One day, her voice enchants a prince passing through a nearby forest. They fall in love, and Rapunzel lets down her hair so that the prince may use it to climb the tower to meet her. This chain of events begs readers to ask a question. Can human hair support the weight of another person?

On average one strand of hair can support about three and one-half ounces, or about the weight of two candy bars. Each strand of dark hair is generally thicker, and therefore stronger, than blond hair.

But, alas, Rapunzel must make do with blond locks. Given that blondes generally have about 140,000 hairs on their heads, her hair should easily support the weight of many, many princes. However, there is more to this story.

If Rapunzel simply let down her hair and the prince started climbing immediately, her hair would not break, but it might rip out. Also, the rest of her body might not be able to support the weight. Thankfully, there are strategies that she can use to help reduce the strain on her head and body.

Nathan Harshman, Assistant Professor of Physics at American University in Washington, DC, suggests Rapunzel would be safer and more secure if she tied her hair around something before lowering it. “The whole idea is that you can use the friction of the hair against itself in the knot, and whatever it is tied around will support the weight of the prince.” That is a much better idea than making Rapunzel’s scalp the anchor point.

The Little Mermaid

In the Disney version of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, Ariel (the mermaid) asks a witch to make her human because she has fallen in love with a human prince. The witch bargains with Ariel and takes her voice in exchange for performing the transformation. For a considerable part of the story Ariel cannot speak, which is a problem because the prince can only recognize her by her incredibly beautiful singing voice. Later, she recovers her voice and wins the love of the prince (sorry to spoil the ending).

In the story, Ariel loses her voice because of a curse. However, a less skilled sorceress could use a different method to silence a singing mermaid. Scientists have figured out a way to bend sound waves around an object and, can even prevent the escape of all sounds created inside a given area (important for keeping a transformed, singing mermaid from being heard).

Recently, Steve Cummer, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University announced that it is theoretically possible to create such a sound shield. Building on research demonstrating how light waves can be bent around an object to make it appear invisible, Cummer and his collaborators used mathematical analysis to show how to do the same thing with sound. They established that it is possible to create a material that bends sound waves around walls, pillars, or any enclosed area, where the sound waves emerge as if nothing had been in their way. It would be like someone in the bedroom being able to hear what someone in the living room said, but as if there were no wall between them.

A side effect of this discovery is that sound waves generated inside the enclosed area would never escape. If the witch had been extremely clever, she could have built this material, and there would have been no need for a curse. Or maybe she did, and a transparent sound shield based on these principles was what enveloped Ariel until her love for the Prince melted it away, finally releasing her melodious voice for the Prince to hear.

1,001 Arabian Nights

One of the most exciting objects found in fairy tales is the flying carpet. In tales from a wide variety of cultures, including 1,001 Arabian Nights, these tangled tapestries take flight to carry people vast distances. Flying carpets are clearly impossible, right?

Three scientists recently published a paper in the journal Physical Review Letters showing that there are conditions under which a carpet could fly. They used the basic laws of physics to show that a small, thin carpet could fly if the air were vibrating at the right frequency, much like how a piece of tissue paper floats softly to the ground when it is dropped. Their calculations showed that small waves of air in repeated fast pulses could steer a carpet at a speed of around one foot per second.

Don’t expect to see Aladdin flying by anytime soon, but the scientists write that all of their conditions “are within the realm of possibilities in nature and in technology. Making a heavy carpet fly would, of course, require a much more powerful engine, and our
[calculations] suggest it will remain in the magical, mystical, and virtual realm as it has existed for millennia.”

Perhaps some fairy tales are more grounded in reality than others. Or maybe these precious stories are exactly what we thought they were. An idea is fertilized by the imagination and expanded beyond what seems possible. Or maybe science has come so far over the years that scientists are looking beyond the problems of the physical world and into the imaginations of children for their inspiration.

What could be next? Perhaps a scientific debate over the temperature at which porridge is considered “just right.”

• Top 10 Beasts and Dragons: How Reality Made Myth
• The Surprising Realities of Mythical Creatures
• The Science of Sea Monsters

This article was provided by Inside Science News Service, which is supported by the American Institute of Physics.

• Original Story: The Science of Fairy Tales

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Star Angel prt 3

This Being was magical. She wore fancy garments that seem to sparkle. "Good Day, Billy". she said. "It is such a wonderful night. Wouldn't you say?" The first thought that entered my brain was how did she know my name. I did not answer her questions. She looked at me and smiled. "Billy, Billy, Billy, I know you wished upon the stars and I have to say that I am your star angel . I couldn't believe it. Here standing in front of me was my answer. She would bring back my home, my wilderness, my freedom. Terry began to toss and turn in her sleep. Momma and Grandma were snoring loudly. But I was right awake. "Well", I said. "If you are a star angel can you grant me a wish". "Why of course little cub". "I will give you three wishes." "Now remember use them wisely". I couldn't believe it, three wishes. All I needed was one but here in front of me was my chance to have three. Terry awoke. "Billy are you awake?" "Who are you talking to?", she said in her drowsy voice. She rubbed her eyes and couldn't believe the sight. "Wh..Wh.. What is that?" "I am a star Angel", the beautiful creature stated. "I have come to grant three wishes." Terry looked at me and I looked her. What were we going to wish for? The star angel looked up in to the sky and said "Hurry, make your first wish, I haven't got all night." "Okay, I said, I want to be back at home with all my family." "If that's what you want, you got it", she said. And with a snap of a finger, we were all back in our cozy little home. It was wonderful. "Oh my, the star angel said, I need to get out of here. The sun will rise soon. Goodbye little cubs. I will be back tomorrow night." And with that she was gone. Mama and Grandma woke up from the slumber with a confused face upon them. "How did we get back to our home?" Mama said. "Oh we don't know mama." Terry and and I said as we both looked at each other. The next night I knew exactly what I wanted and it was going to take of those humans. It will allow them to understand how bears are not meant to be locked away for amusement and trees should not be cut down. This wish was going to be a big one.

The Nightingale and The Rose

Outside reading list
Book: 3
Title:The Nightingale and the Rose
Author: Oscar Wilde
Picture Book? (Yes or no): No
Posting date and/or number: February 6,2008

In the Nightingale and the rose, the young student is miserable at first because a girl he likes would not dance with him all night unless she gets a red rose. The student knows all about secrets of philosophy but for the need of a red rose he knows not. In his attempt to locate one, he fails. In one part he states "If I bring her a red rose she will dance with me to dawn. If I bring her a red rose I shall hold her in my arms, and she will lean her head upon my shoulders, and her hand will be clasped in mine. But there is no red rose in my garden. She will have no heed of me and my heart will break." The student's sorrow is very well known but the character of the girl seems to show a sense of need in order to allow her companionship to the student. She is materialistic. A nightingale who overhears this story is touched by the love the student has for the girl. The nightingale states "Surely love is a wonderful thing. It is more than emeralds, and dearer than fine opals..." Within the context, the nightingale seems to value love and knows it to be something quite rare and precious for a merchant can not sell love. In the nightingale's attempt, he takes a journey looking for a red rose. When he can not find a red rose for the student he asks the tree for one but the tree he meets only contains white roses. This tree leads him to another tree who only produces yellow roses. This tree then directs him to a tree who does bear red roses but is not able to make any bloom for the year. The nightingale desperate to have a red rose for the student begs the tree to give at least one red rose. However, the consequence of such a gift is only bearable if the nightingale sings in the moonlight and stains it with his heart's blood. The nightingale must sing with his breast against a thorn all night long for the tree. With the bird's great passion for the sense of love, he is willing to sacrifice his heart and life for the young man. "Yet love is better than life, and what is the heart of a bird compared to a heart of a man?" This question shows the value of love to the bird. He believes that love should be put before life, which he is willing to do. When the nightingale sings to the tree one last time, the student listening remarks by calling the nightingale "selfish" and unwilling to "sacrifice herself for others". Later in the text we will see the truth. For it is he who is unwilling to sacrifice his philosophy for love and it is the girl who is unwilling to look pass the jewels and materials that are offered to her. The nightingale risks her life while she sings of what love is to her. Love is "perfected by death" and "love that dies not in the tomb". This is love that survives eternity, no matter whether deceased or not, the love shall always be there. While she finally makes her last note, th color is stored within the rose, but by then the nightingale is already dead. The student finds the red rose the next day and takes it to the girl but to learn that she has found a date with the chamberlain who has given her jewels which she seems to value a lot more. She even says "I'm afraid it will not go with my dress". This statement seems to parallel with the statement the boy mentioned about the nightingale's art of music. Music which is like beauty that hides so many truths. In this case, beauty hides the girls selfishness and unwilling to sacrifice anything. When the boy is talking about the nightingale he responds by saying "what a pity it is that they do not mean anything." Music like beauty could mean nothing if there is no love or passion transpired within these arts. In the end the boy caught with the practicality of life returns to his philosophy saying that "love is silly" for it does not bear truth. The Nightingale and the rose expresses the value of love from the nightingale's perspective as well as the love from the girl and maiden's perspective, each one showing a different type of love to bestow.

http://www.oscarwildecollection.com/

Walt Disney's Potrayal of our Fariy Tales

Walt Disney's movies go beyond the scope of our imagination. They make fantasies come true with the whiff of magic we forsee in all the movies. It is interesting to see that the characters in most of the movies are less crude and grotesque. You do not see people cutting off the heels of their feet or toes or evil step sisters eyes getting pecked out by doves like in some Cinderella tales. You do not hear the the evil step mother trying to take Snow White's heart out and eat it for dinner. In some ways the story comes to life through more of a child related theme. However, I did notice that death is a theme through most of the Disney movies. They show sadness and grief, romance, and of course the happily ever after scene. The Lion King seems to be the most upsetting of the movies I know because of the lost of a father figure. Tragedy and misconstrue that runs through all our stories have been altered within Disney's creations for the audience it hopes to reach.

Cinderella Tales Vs. Ella Enchanteed

VS.

In the tales discussed in class, I noticed a lot of differences between Cinderella and Ella. Cinderella seems to be more naive and willing to take all the abuse from her stepmother and step sisters. Also she seems to be more trusting to everyone around her. In Cinderella, we also notice that the father is absent most of the time. However, the father, in some tales, seems to show a loving, caring, nature towards his daughter. In one tale, the father pushes a lady off the cliff who advises him to marry his daughter. In another tale we notice that even though the father loves his daughter, he is easily manipulated by his wife.

However in Ella, the father seems to be more crude. He is willing to marry Ella off in order to gain back some of his wealth he lost. Unlike Cinderella, Ella has a curse bestowed upon her that makes her obey every command. But if it wasn't for the curse, Ella is the type of character that will not tolerate her step mother's or step sister's or anyone's commands. She fights the curse and takes other actions while serving the commands. When Hattie, her step sister, makes her pick a boquet of flowers for her, Ella makes sure to add a little mischief in doing so. She slips a bogweed in the boquet to make Hattie tell the truth. The audience notices that Ella is free spirited and takes in things for her own well being. She is even able to learn many different languages which she shows the prince. The prince doesn't show her everything she knows. She is the one showing the prince. Cinderella is a tale where she meets the prince and immediately falls in love with him and marries him thus living happily ever after. She doesn't even put up a fight. It is like this is who you are going to marry because he said so type attitude. Ella kind of has to grow on to the prince. She even admits that at first how she didn't love him but with time she begins to gain some emotions towards him. Both tales, of course, end up happily ever after, but Ella is, in fact, a much stronger character, while Cinderella is more obedient and naive. Cinderella is the image that would have been expected of women. While Ella is more ambitious, willing to take action, and fight for something she really wants.

Candy

Candy is my favorite treat
It makes me oh so sweet
When I think of lollipops
I can not help but drop
Candy is my favorite treat
It makes me oh so sweet
When I think of chocolate bars
I feel like I'm from Mars
Candy is my favorite treat
It makes me oh so sweet
Sugary, Yummy, Tangy feat
All the qualities that I meet
When I end up going to sleep
My tooth begins to hurt
Mommy calls the dentist
Oh, what a menace
Apple a day he says
Keeps the doctor away
Time to go home and pass my days away
Ice cream now is my favorite treat
It makes me oh so sweet
Cold, yummy, and indescribable
Nothing to complain about
it makes me shout Hurray
Though I must say fruits and vegetables are quite the delight
keeps me far from the mighty fright O yay!!