Extra Reading: Italian Tales of a Man Who Can Speak to the Animals

Here is a summary of the story of the young man who can speak to the animals:

• A father sent his son to school for ten years
• After that time, the son came home to a big feast with many noble men
• They asked him to share one thing he had learned and he shared that he learned the language of animals
• The men laughed and mocked, and his father ordered for him to be killed
• The slaves would not follow through as they knew it was wrong. 
• The young man traveled far and came to a treasurer.
• Upon arriving, one hundred dogs arrived to the castle of the treasurer as well. 
• The treasurer was confused, but the boy informed him that one hundred assassins were going to attack the castle that night.
• His warning saved the treasurer, and he was forever grateful.
• The young man traveled again and came to a King. 
• The King's daughter was sick because the frogs croaked all night and refused her sleep. 
• The man resolved the issues with the frogs and the King was forever grateful. 
• He traveled again and met a couple companions.
• One day some birds were flying overhead and his companion asked why they were singing so joyfully. 
• The man informed them that they were celebrating being in the presence of one who was about to become the Pope. 
• A bird landed on the young man's head and soon thereafter he was made the Pope.
• He asked for his father, the treasurer, and the King. They all arrived and were fearful.
• He showed his father that others had valued his skills, and his father begged for forgiveness. 
• He was granted forgiveness and they lived happily together. 

A kind quote - azquotes

Italian Popular Tales by Thomas Fredrick Crane

Week 15 Lab Story: TvTropes - (Clock Towers)

I decided to try a new type of story in honor of the last week of my undergrad. This week I decided to look through the Tvtropes for my last story assignment. The trope is stumbled upon was Clockwork situations. I didn’t like any of the other options nearly as much. This one is particularly funny. So the trope says that characters in tv and movies have a nasty tendency to find themselves in the tops of clock towers. Just think of the countless movies that end up in a clock tower. There are usually tons of huge gears, somebody about to fall off the clock tower, or somebody shooting at people below from the top of the tower. I can personally think of several movies and shows with these scenarios.

Here are a couple of the most common scenarios:

• -          A character sits on the edge of the clock tower. Oftentimes the character will end up falling.
• -          The character falls and grabs the hands of the clock. Time works against the character as the clock ticks along to the point where they can almost not hold on any longer. At this point, someone or something will save the hero just in the nick of time.
• -          Another scenario happens inside the clock tower: the characters fall or have a battle within the inner workings of the tower. The gears inside are seriously oversized to the point that the characters hop along them. Sometimes the gears will be just about to crush one of the characters when some device catches in the gears and prevents the clock from ticking any further.

I really loved reading about the trope, which was a unique twist for me as far as the story posts go. My creativity lacks when it comes to writing stories, but this was a cool alternative.

A person hanging from a clock - silentlocations blog

Reading Notes: Dante's Inferno (Part 2)

A cool picture of the different levels of hell - fineartamerica.com

A summary of part 2 of Dante's Inferno:

• Dante and Virgil encounter a Minotaur above the seventh circle of hell. 
• The first ring of the seventh circle was home to the centaurs. 
• Virgil asked Chiron to send one of the centaurs with them to help Dante make a pass that he could not make because he is not a spirit and cannot fly. 
• Nessus helped Dante cross the river of blood, which boils everyone who shed blood in their lives. 
• The second ring of the seventh circle was home to the harpies. 
• The third ring of the seventh circle was for those who were violent against God. They lie moaning on the ground while others walk around in sadness. 
• Dante and Virgil descent toward the eighth circle of hell on a giant flying beast called Geryon.
• In the first ring of the eighth circle are the pimps and seducers like Jason who deceived a woman, got her pregnant, and left. 
• Dante and Virgil continue to a place where demons reside. As soon as they entered, the demons rushed at them. Virgil spoke to the leader and arranged for safe passage to the other side of their domain. 
• The next ring of the eighth circle contained a group of people confined by heavy lead cloaks. 
• The last two rings were home to people like Ulysses and "sowers of discord" like Muhammad. 
• As they approached the last circle of hell, they saw giants like Nimrod, Ephialtes, and Antaeus. Antaeus placed Dante and Virgil in the abyss so they can continue their journey. 
• They encountered Count Ugolito, who told them the sad story of how his children died. 
• They approach satan, who has three faces. In each mouth, he is chewing on a soul. The souls were of Judas, Brutus, and Cassius. 
• Dante and Virgil then have to climb up satan's body to exit hell. 

Dante's Divine Comedy translated by Tony Kline

Reading Notes: Dante's Inferno (part 1)

A summary of the reading for part A of Dante's Inferno:

• Dante wakes up and he exits a wooded forest that terrified him. 
• He encounters a leopard, lion, and wolf.
• Virgil appears at the edge of the wood when Dante thought he was going to die.
• Virgil escorts him to the circles of hell, starting with Limbo. 
• Limbo is for good people who didn't have any sort of faith. Many noble kings, princesses, wise men, and others existed here. 
• The second circle is for the Carnal Sinners. The people here are full of lust. Love drove many people to this circle. For example, Achilles and Helen. 
• The third circle is for the gluttonous. Cerberus lives in this circle. The rain was viciously loud here and sounded like the howling of wolves.
• The fourth circle is for the greedy. That is why Plutus, the god of wealth lived here along with many popes and cardinals who had stolen from their church members. 
• Dante and Virgil cross the river Styx in view of the fifth circle. 
• The fifth circle is called Dis. It is for the wrathful and is home to many fallen angels. They opposed Virgil's entrance along with Dante. 
• Medusa speaks to the duo, but a messenger from Heaven comes down to clear things up allowing Dante and Virgil to pass. 

The Circles of Hell - Bloodydisgusting. 

Dante: The Divine Comedy translated by Tony Kline