Journal post of readingness of the weekend.

For my reading journal this weekend, I chose to read a short story retold by Eric Carle called the Wild Swans, originally by Hans Christian Anderson. I like this story in particular because it has those basic fantasy elements, but Carle tells it in a way that isn't too fictional, and it shows off his writing style. The story goes like this......There was a king with a queen with 11 sons and a daughter, which is kind of disturbing, once you think about it. They were very happy, but the queen died. So he remarried a year later. But that queen was a witch who wanted the king for herself. I don't know but it sounds like she didn't get enough love and/or attention when she was young, and now she's acting like a spoiled brat. When the king was away, hunting with his friends, the queen turned the sons into swans and told them never to return. The daughter, Elisa, became depressed. So then her father sent her off to another country, so she can learn about them and get over her depression. But the evil supposedly attention-deprived witch of a queen told the man driving the carriage to dump her in the forest and leave her there. Which was what he did. Naturally, she started crying. But then, she must've been a good girl or something, nature came to her aid.

After gobbling up an apple and a nut and finding a cave to sleep in, and a river, she stayed there for years. One night, in her dreams, a fairy told her to follow the river downstream. She went and waited till sundown. Then you'll never guess what happened. 11 swans came and turned into the same 11 brothers that she lost that one day. They were very happy, and they decided to take Elisa to the main land again. They made a net and put her in, and flew out to sea. It turns out that they only stay as swans when the sun is up, and it takes 2 days for them to reach the mainland. Shouldn't their wings be stronger? I mean it has been several years since she was dropped off at the forest. But a swan can only fly so far. They reach a rock then stay the night. Then they go again. They reach the mainland and stay in a cave where the brothers have been staying. Again, the fairy appeared. She told her to make shirts out of nettles for her brothers, so that they can become whole again. But she couldn't tell anyone about it or the deal will break. Kind of reminds me of Howl's Moving Castle, a movie by Studio Ghibli. A young girl was turned into an old woman by a witch, but she couldn't say anything since there was a spell on her. It hurt, but she persevered. (Oh geez, the habits are really catching up with me...)

Unfortunately for her, she was taken, or rather kidnapped, from the cave by a hunter/prince. She still made the shirts but she still didn't tell anyone. She runs out of nettles and goes to the graveyard, a place with monsters, to get more, but she is followed by the prince and minister. They think she's a witch just because she's going to a mysterious place and gathering nettles, which backs up my "People are stupid" theory. She has a trial and all they say is "You are a witch, you die now." (Another point for my theory) She can't say anything still so she goes to jail to await her fate. She completes 10 of the shirts and another one with out sleeves. Then she goes to the stake. But before she is burned, she throws her brothers their shirts. The youngest one takes the sleeveless shirt, which makes him still have his wings. She confesses about the evil queen and her brothers. The people believe her and the wood from the stake pile became a rosebush. She and her brothers go into the castle.

I like this version of the story, half because I like the art that Eric Carle does, half because I like the way I told it. Another half for the story itself. It's wierd how people are programmed to judge people based on their actions and even color! I really want a shirt that says "My opinion? People are stupid. Have a nice day (:"