Reading Notes: Persian Tales Part A

When I began reading the Wolf and Goat, it was sort of difficult to imagine the characters talking. I thought back to the three little pigs, although there were four goats, and this made the setting more manageable. Once the mother goat takes one of the children to save the others, I was reminded of Hansel and Gretel so that is what house I imagined. I wasn't sure what the author meant when they said the sparrow never got home. I really like the beginning phrase "once upon a time there was a time when there was no one but god in the world". I think the author is trying to get across it was a very long time a go, but saying it this way makes the point. Reading Tales City of Nothing in the World was very interesting because you had no idea what was going to happen next. I felt it was really easy to imagine the setting as the story progressed. The mouse who requested a particular bed from a potential husband was my favorite tale. My jaw dropped when she asked what the husband will beat her with when they fight. The characters repeating lines at the end reminded me of  'there once was a woman who swallowed a fly'. The actions coming from these characters were a little more brutal though. The Boy who Became Bulbul had a very easy setting/plot to follow. I really enjoyed the song the bulbul would sing. The half-boy character was unique! This story contained my favorite ending. The setting for Muhammad Tirandaz Archer was a little harder to imagine for me. I thought the story was a bit repetitive of the bow and arrow. I have noticed a reoccurring theme in the stories, a task is given and if not completed a brutal punishment, like decapitation, is bestowed. This reminds me of the old law when a thief would lose their hand. I want to know what the Blacksmith said to the mouse in the final story of this unit.

 Image Information: A Wolf and Seven Sheep. Web Source: Wikimedia Commons
Bibliography: Persian Tales by David and Emily Lorimer, Web Source