The Giant of the Flood: The story of the Giant, Og, and Noah
serves to show the importance of loyalty and keeping your word. Moses killed Og
after many years of being Noah’s faithful servant “for
breaking his word to Father Noah.” Some details I found interesting were the
inclusion of how Noah was very fond of the phoenix and therefore said it
shall never die. As we know, the phoenix can be resurrected from its ashes and
therefore does not die. I also enjoyed the part of the tale where Og sacrifices
the animals and relates the amount of wine drunk to the actions of different
animals.
The Beggar King: I enjoyed this story of King Hagag very
much because of the strong message it sends about humility. In his wrongdoing
by betraying the words of the Holy Bible, he is betrayed and forced to live like a beggar. When
given the throne back, he kindly declines because he has seen the need of the
beggars and wants to help. It is true selflessness and the purest form of
humility. It reminds me of on of my favorite quotes from To Kill a Mockingbird: “You never really know a man until you
understand things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and
walk around in it.” King Hagag was knocked of his “high-horse” by spending time
truly being a beggar and then ruled kindly and justly because of his
experiences.
The Quarrel of the Cat and Dog: The story of the cat and dog
tells the story of how cats and dogs came to be enemies to this very day. The
cat, pussie, and dog, doggie, set off on their own ways searching for food and
the cat almost sets the dog up for failure by swearing that the two will never
cross paths again. The dog believes his strength will be beneficial but the cat
relies on his wit to flee to Father Adam’s house in search of food and shelter.
The story makes the cat out to seem deceitful, and even though I am a
cat-lover, I did not like the cat in this story.
The Water-Babe: This story tell of how Moses arrived to the
King and was then tried for apparently being evil and trying to take the thrown.
Of course he is just a baby and the Princess is telling him the wrongdoings are
just playful acts, while others say they are acts of evil and betrayal against
the King. Although the King loves Moses, he puts the baby on trail and tests
him. I think we can all relate to this situation where we have our beliefs and
stick to them until someone starts “putting ideas in our head” and makes us
question everything.
From Shepherd- Boy to King: This story relied heavily on the
idea of prophesies. The young shepherd strayed from safety and was put into
dangerous situations where he had to escape a unicorn and a lion. The reason he
was able to escape these creatures because of the aid of a deer that was sent
to save him, for he was to be King someday. It is a fairytale that serves to
explain the divine timing of God and his plans.
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| David Escaping the Lion, Source |
The Magic Palace: I truly enjoyed this story and its
message. The poor man did not want to borrow clothes or let his friends know
about his horrible situation because he did not want their pity or charity. He
wanted to “work among strangers so not to be beholden to anyone.” I think that
this is such a strong character trait, especially in today’s world where we
almost expect others to rush to our aid in time of need. An Arab man comes to
him, proclaiming he will be his slave, and gives him a way to make money to
feed his family by building a palace. I like to think the poor man is rewarded
for his determination to provide for his family without expecting people to
help him.
The Sleep of One Hundred Years: In each story, the character
and actions of the people humble me. The selflessness of saving his food and
water in case someone needed it more than him, shows just how un-selfish he
was. I believe that it was for this reason that he was spared the misery of
seeing Jerusalem destroyed and was able to sleep until better times. Of course, when he awoke one hundred years
later he realizes he does not fit into this new world and feels out of place. I
think it also serves to show us that although we have tough times and we suffer
and we hope for better, sometimes we need to be content with what we have and
the situations we are in.
King for Three Days: Two of my favorite quotes I have
encountered while reading for this class so far came from this passage as
Godfrey asks for Rashi to bless his venture to kill the Jews and capture
Jerusalem. "Blessings are not in the gift of man; they are
bestowed by Heaven — on worthy objects," answered Rashi. He goes on to say
“I seek not to peer into the future to assure my own safety." And I really
love this message. I think that it is hard for us to focus on the present day
and not worry about what the future holds. We constantly want to know what will
happen in the future: if we will get married, get a job, live until we are 100
or die tragically tomorrow. I think that it is such a strong message that Rashi
brings to us in this story: we do not need to find safety in the future but
find safety in our faith and blessings of today.
TheHiggledy-Piggledy Palace: When I first read the title of the fairytale I was
not sure what to expect. I thought maybe there would be more of a
mystical/magical element to the fairytale. I am guessing the name of the
fairytale comes from the “spooky” element of the King being plagued
by the ghost as he tries to pursue Sarah.
Rabbi’s Bogey Man: This story was a fun
fairytale and reminded me of Frankenstein. The storyline was very similar to
fairytales or stories I would hear as kid growing up. The fairytale still has a
message, though. The Rabi realized through the bogey-man’s disobedience and
uprising that only God can create man. Man was meant to follow and worship God
because he created them. The Rabi created the bogey-man and therefore he
worshiped his creator, until he started to rebel.
The Fairy Frog: This was by far my
favorite story of the unit. It was fun and light-hearted and had the fairy tale
quality I enjoy. But there was also an important message to be taken from the
tale. The frog, Adam, declares: “Because ye obeyed the wishes of the dying and
did not question me, ye are now rewarded." The message that I took from
the tale is that if you do not question God’s plan and you obey him, you will
be rewarded with the ultimate gift: eternal life in Heaven.
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