Reading Notes: Persian Tales Part A
Reading Notes: Persian Tales Part A
(Bulbul: image by _paVan_)
The Wolf and the Goat, translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer and illustrated by Hilda Roberts (1919)
This story was surprising in some ways and also unique compared to other things I have read. The first part of the Persian Tales unit continued with some of these same things that were new or unusual to me in other stories. I am sure I was probably not supposed to laugh when the goat told the wolf to fight her, but the delivery of the line seemed comical to me because of its abruptness. The mix of dialogue using rhyming/poetry and regular speaking was different from what I am used to. I am still not sure if I like it or not even after seeing it again in several stories that followed this one. The ending of this story and the others also involve a line about a sparrow not returning home. I do not understand what it means right now, but hopefully it is explained by the end of the unit.
The Boy Who Became a Bulbul, translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer and illustrated by Hilda Roberts (1919)
The stories that involve gruesome events always surprise me, and this story did just that. I never expect awful things like a father beheading his son to actually happen. The father and stepmother seemed unfazed by all that happened with the son and what they did to him. I felt much like the sister in how she reacted to what happened to her brother. I should not say that I didn't expect the brother to come back to life as a bird since it is in the title, but I actually did not know what a bulbul was until reading this story. I was glad that the boy was able to get some kind of revenge on his stepmother and also give something good to his sister.
Muhammad Tirandaz, The Archer, translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer and illustrated by Hilda Roberts (1919)
This was by far my favorite story from the unit. It was a nice turning point from the many stories that included events that unsettled me. My favorite thing about this story is how Muhammad was accidentally a hero, even though he intended to be a hero as well. He did not save the day in the way that was expected, but he still did it. I enjoyed how comical his accidental heroism came off. I feel as though a series of stories where Muhammad continues to accidentally save the day would be great.
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