Week 9 Story: Dinner Dates

Retelling of How Sun, Moon, and Wind Went Out to Dinner

This story is part of the Indian Fairy Tales unit. Story source: Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1912).

(Dinner; Image from Pixabay)

Gossip Gal here, your one and only source for anything and everything scandalous having to do with the most wonderful readings of mythology!!

Soooo... Have any of you guys noticed how bad our weather has been lately? First it's bright, then suddenly dark, and then rainy, and then snowing, etc. I don't know about you, but I am not a fan of all these weather changes, it really makes it hard for me to figure out what to wear each day.

Well, enough about me, I know what you guys are really here to find out: WHY has the weather been so fickle? Well, of course, you know I have the insider information to answer your question!!!

So, our fearless leaders the Sun, Moon, and Wind decided to go out to dinner with Thunder and Lightning. Now, looking from the outside, this seems like a very normal thing to do. But, keep in mind, their mom had not been invited to this dinner, she assumed they would bring home leftovers for her so that she would not starve.

Sun, Moon and Wind were having a wonderful dinner with Thunder and Lightning when they all of a sudden started arguing over who was going to pay the bill and bring home food for their mother.  They decided that Wind would bring home food, and that they would use their mom's credit card to pay for all of their meals.

Once they returned home, mom was furious that they had spend $500 at dinner on HER card, and then, to top it off, Wind brought her home food that she was ALLERGIC to....

You can only imagine the level of anger mom had at this point

She was so furious that she told Sun, Moon, and Wind that they would no longer have control over their powers.  They would no longer be able to produce bright sunny days for children to play outside, or a bright night-light while people peacefully slept, or a cool breeze on a hot summer day.  She explained how she was in charge now, and she would control all of the weather events; and, since she was miserable and mad, she wanted to make the people miserable and mad at the weather as well.

I guess in order to get good weather around here we are going to hope Sun, Moon, and Wind apologize for their actions... Who knows how long that'll take!!! Mom definitely made me angry with this weather.

That's all I have for now, see you next time!!

XOXO,

Gossip Gal

Author's Note:

I kept most of the original story. The only things I changed were to have Wind be the one who brought home food instead of Moon, just to switch it up.  I also added in the part where mom was allergic to the food, instead of in the original where she is only mad at Sun and Wind, and admires moon for thinking about her. I also added in the part where they use her credit card!

Reading Notes: The Monkey King, Part B

This story is part of the The Monkey King unit. Story source: "The Ape Sun Wu Kung" in The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).

(Saints; Pixabay)

Notes on The Great Saint:

• They were all sitting at the table when the King asked whaat kind of title Stablemaster was
• The master replied that it was an official title
• The King then asked about ranking
• The master explained there was no rank
• The Master said it was not a high title, it was just a title you would get for taking care of the steeds and making sure they don't fall down or get too thin
• The Ape King got angry and wondered why he came all this way just to take care of horses, when, back at home, he was the King in Ruling
• He went to return to his people, and they asked why he was gone for ten years!
• He then said he wasn't there for more than 10 days, and the Heavens tried to make him the stable master and he was so embarrassed by it.  He then said he was back and ready to begin again
• His people then prepared a welcome home banquet for him
• He then had his people make a flag that said "The Great Saint Who is Heaven's Equal", and from then on that is the name he went by

Reading Notes: The Monkey King, Part A

This story is part of the The Monkey King unit. Story source: "The Ape Sun Wu Kung" in The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).

The Great Sea Notes:

• The King of the Apes starts to fear the fact of death while at dinner
• He started to cry, and his fellows were asking what was wrong
• He then explained to him that death will come from all of them
• Once the apes heard, they all cried as well
• One of the wise apes comes out to talk and explain that there is a way to avoid death if you are one of three types of people: the Buddhas, the blessed spirits and the gods.
• He explains that they escape death and lives as long as they want
• The King asked where these people lived, and the wise ape explained in caves on holy mountains in the great world of mortals
• The King packed, the apes threw a parting party, and then the King took off down the Great Sea to go find these people the wise ape talked about
• The King came across a human; he knocked him down and took his clothes
• He hid in this disguise for 9 years walking around and wondering where these buddhas and gods were located
• He then figured they had to be on the other side of the Western Sea
• So he set off to cross that sea
• As he finished and crossed, he saw those high mountains his wise ape had talked about, and he went up to approach it as he heard beautiful singing coming from there

(Ape; Image from Pixabay)