The tales will follow an emotional theme, A = Able, B = Bold, C = Clever. A good story brings out this emotional premise. Remember, we connect to a story because of pity, identification, sentimentalism, suffering, struggle, or recovery. A story is a...
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Welcome lovers of story! Today my thought is about telling or not. Years ago, when I was looking up chickens, I like hens. I found this one story about cock, a sad, sad story of sharing, loss, and more loss, and then death, all die. I've kept the story knowing that the symbols must be clues: the cock, the hen, the nut, the brook, red silk, death, the animals, etc. The story has traveled from primitive cultures to the Greeks in their sexual rituals; into Europe's dark ages of the 12c and 13c with church standards that had a different symbolic language; into the 15c Shakespearean's plays with an evolving language.
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Cock and Hen (to tell or not to tell this story)
A cock and hen go to nut mountain with the agreement each will divide the nut with the other. Hen eats hers, and the big kernel sticks in her throat. She asks the cock to get water.
The brook says it needs red silk before he will give the cock the water. Cock gets the red silk after he fetches the bride's garland from the tree.
By the time he takes the water to the hen she has died. The cock grieves.
Six mice build a cart and pull the hen.
A fox talks to the cock and asks to follow. Wolf, bear, stag, lion and all the beasts followed from the woods.
They come to a brook. A straw lays itself across the stream but slips and the mice tumble and drown. Coal lays across the stream but hisses and dies. Stone touch by pity lays across the stream. Cock drew the dead hen across.
When drawing the others across, the cart turns over and all drown.
Cock builds a mound for the hen. Then he lamented so sore that at last he dies.
And so they are all dead together.
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After reading, I asked myself, is this a story?
BEGINNING:
Engaging with a (HOOK): no hook, that I read the meaning
few characters: cock, hen, brook, hay, coal, and stones, and animals
one main story line: death
MIDDLE:
plenty of action: yes, told but not seen, no dialogue, just a story outline
clear sequence of events or action in logical order; the order is clear and simple, only I missed the meaning
CLIMAX: hen gets her mound on the other side of the brook
END:
memorable: the cock dies - NO!
SO —> first part: Either is a sexual story or of giving a sacrifice during sex or a marriage, possibly death to the virgin.
THEN —> second part: seems the animals like the hen and try to help the cock, but they are all drowned and die, not sure why?
Much like the story, Farmer's Fest, a sacrifice of freedom for comfort, OR death for a cause, exhausting others who want help and all one's efforts in the process of saving someone, causing sadness, hurt, grieving about the lack of success and . . , and . . , OR, I see as reaching one's goals.
Also reminds me of the story, As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner, 1930, one of my favorite novels as well as authors, could be a funeral for the Hen
Today there is the old saying, "I would die for that!" an ancient saying coming for primitive times, to 'die', meant a some sort of sexual reference. And all the animals die for that, a necessary part of life.
Then asked I myself can I tell this story:
Do I like the story? NO!
Why do I want to tell the story? NO!
What is appealing about the story? The journey.
Is there mood? NO! Some sadness and grief, no real mood.
Can suspense/humor be added? Maybe, needs enhancement and re-imaging
Are the characters interesting? No!
Can I add dialogue? Yes, needs this, would have to make up motives for the character, not enough to know what is happening
Is the story appropriate for my audience? NO, must be all adults then could put in sex references.
Can I adapt and remain faithful to the plot/intention? YES, do not want to.
What do you think the story means? I have no ideal, better not to tell it.
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SOURCES:
When I first started searching for the lessor known traditional stories, foolishly I did not record sources, thinking the internet would always offer the same websites, or I would find the books again. Always count on change!
Spiritual Animal Messages and Their Totems, http://www.spirit-animals.com/chicken/, "Chicken in your dream/writing is a symbol of your great potential and it is letting you know that in order to achieve your potential you must find the courage to overcome your fears."
"She (chicken, hen) is asking you to take the time for some inner evaluation. Scratch the surface of your emotions and see what lies underneath. Are you responding to the circumstances around you from your heart? Or is your head ruling and allowing things to spiral out of control. Take a step back – make sure you are centered in your heart and then approach your conundrum from a spiritual sense and see what your next step is – if any."
Boldness - do new things, curiosity moves one forward
Determined - keep moving forward
Pride - exercise curiosity discover new opinions and angles
Fertility - listen before forming opinions, pay attention
Curiosity - will see things in new perspective and angles
Sexuality - pay attention before making decision
Courage - open new doors, do new things, keep moving forward onto new paths
Defense - "Continuous effort is the key to unlocking your potential! It takes desire and passion to continue to move forward to your goals."
Balance with patience - listen then make conclusions.
Animal - Speak, The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small, Ted Andrews, Lewellyn Publications, St. Paul, Minnesota, chickens pp. 126-128, cock 127-128, 1952 edition 2001.
page 127, Chicken - Fertility and sacrifice, "The word "die" in many of his (Shakespearean) plays had a slangy, pun-like, double meaning that corresponded to the (sexual act). This was known to the common folk audiences of that time." I expect as a birth control.
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Thank-you, lovers of story for reading, may you have the best 😊 deciding and analyzing your story - creative, written, traditional or spoken!
