Okay since all of you asked so nicely, I figured why not blog about another folktale. For the record this stroy was not written by me.

THE SHEPHERD AND THE GIANTS (a Danish folktale)

Once upon a time two young boys grew up on the wild, windy moors of Jutland. They were shepherds. Jorgen, the older boy, was hard-working, but his brother, Tyge, always sought adventure, and finally he convinced Jorgen to journey into the world. "We'll go to Rome and bring our mother blessings from the pope," Tyge said. So off they went. This was summertime and the days were hot, so the boys slept then and journeyed by night. Jorgen, however, worried about robbers and other troublemakers on the roads, so sometimes they took turns, one sleeping in the woods while the other guarded, armed with a gun. One night Tyge was keeping watch, listening to animals in the brush. When the moon rose, he found himself staring at snouts and whiskers and big round eyes, but soon he was bored, so he climbed a tall tree to see what he could see. In a small valley close by, he spied a fire, and around that fire sat three enormous giants gnawing at big shanks of meat. Tyge watched a while, and finally he decided to play some tricks on them, for he did not much like giants. So he aimed his gun at one of the giant's forks and pulled the trigger. Tyge was a fine shot, and the bullet struck the fork handle so hard, the giant stabbed himself in the chin. "What have you done?" the giant shouted at the one beside him. "I didn't do a thing," protested the second giant. "You're just clumsy!" The two began to argue, their faces turning red with rage. Tyge reloaded his gun and fired, and a bullet hit the second giant's fork, which burst into pieces. He began to scream, but the third giant growled, "Stop! It's no use our fighting. We must act as one if we wish to take over this land."Tyge could not hear their words, but he could see they were planning something, so he shot at the third giant's fork, which flew out of his mouth and straight into the air and landed on the first giant's head. "Someone's playing tricks on us," the third giant roared. "I'll find out who it is," and before Tyge knew what was happening, the giant was there at his tree, scooping him into his gigantic hands and carrying him back to his brothers.

Tyge begged the giant for his freedom, but giants aren't particularly kind, and they didn't care for his pleas. But then the third giant had an idea. "We'll spare you on one condition. You sneak into the king's castle and open the courtyard gates. The princess's room is directly across the courtyard. Go to her room and open the door. We plan to kidnap her and win this kingdom." Tyge had little choice, so they all they set off for the castle. The giants lowered Tyge over the ramparts, into the palace courtyard. As he was walking toward the princess's room to open the gate, he spotted a large silver sword in a silver sheath. Beneath this was a drinking horn, engraved with this message: "Whoever drinks the wine I hold "Can wield the sword above "And if this drinker be so bold "He'll slay three giants and win a maiden's love." So Tyge drank from the horn and pulled the sword free. Then he crept to the princess's room and opened the door. The moment he saw her there, sleeping peacefully, he was enraptured, and he sighed with longing. Oh, she was so lovely; he wished to have a memento of her, and so he picked up her lace handkerchief and tore it in half, and he took one of her golden slippers that sat beside her bed. "This way I shall remember the princess, though I know a princess could never love a poor shepherd." But he knew he could slay those giants. He hurried back to the courtyard gates to greet them. "I cannot open the top of these gates," he said, "so bend down and I'll pull you inside through this part below." The first giant stooped and slipped halfway in, and before he knew what was happening, Tyge chopped off his head with the sword and pulled him inside. When the second giant stooped and leaned in, Tyge chopped off his head, too, and he greeted the third the same way. All three giants were dead!

It was nearly daylight now, so Tyge hurried back to his brother, taking the sword with him, and once again they set off on their journey. They traveled through autumn and into winter. After a short stay in Rome, they set off for home. The next spring they returned to the same forest and stopped for the night at an inn. The innkeeper asked them for news of their travels, for you see, the princess had been seeking the man who had killed the giants, and every innkeeper in the land was duty bound to ask each traveler to tell his tale. "There's not much to tell," Jorgen said, "though we slept in these woods one night last summer." The innkeeper had heard too many travelers' tales, and none had amounted to much, so he barely listened. However, word reached the princess that there were two young men who had visited the forest last summer when the giants were killed, and so she set off for the inn to find out more about these fellows. When she saw Tyge, he was wearing the silver sword. "Young man," she said, her face as beautiful as Tyge had remembered, "where did you get that sword?" Tyge was certain he would be punished for stealing the sword, and he felt so afraid, and so charmed as well, he could not speak. "Guards," the princess said, "since this man will not speak, search him." When they did, they found the princess's torn handkerchief and her shoe. "Send for the king," the princess said, but Tyge saw that she was smiling, and he felt a shiver of pleasure. He thought she might not be angry after all, and then he remembered those words on the horn. Sure enough, the king arrived and settled the matter. Tyge had saved the land from giants, and for this he earned half the kingdom and the bride's hand in marriage, and they all lived happily ever after. That's the way it is with those who are brave.

Well I hope that all of you who read this story have enjoyed your reading. later.

*Pulls up a chair and sits down* Yes that's right the story blog is back again, after...6 months or something, anyway on to the story.

SNAKE'S TALE (a Southern African folktale)

Long ago, little Mantis crawled across the dry earth, his throat parched, his eyes bulging. He was not alone; the other animals were thirsty too. Rain had stopped falling. It had been so long since they had seen showers, the youngest creatures did not even know what rain was, and when their parents spoke of rain clouds and storms, the young looked bewildered. Now as the sun set, Moon looked down on the poor animals and felt such pity, she decided she must caution them. And so she called down to little Mantis, who looked up at her call. "Go with your children and all the beasts to another land," Moon called. "But where?" Mantis asked, and the sound of his voice was scratchy, for his throat was parched, as dry as the ground at his feet. "Walk toward me," Moon said. "As I set, I will lead the way. Tell all the others to gather their belongings, and we will depart before dawn. "Mantis quickly ran here and there, spreading the word to the birds and beasts and every single insect he could find. "Pack your things. Gather your husbands, your wives, sisters and brothers and all your children. Moon will lead us out of this land. Moon says that soon this land will be nothing but desert, and if we want to survive, we must depart. The elephants, hearing the news, raised up their trunks, and their loud trumpeting sound shook the land, so that everyone came out of hiding places -- from hives and tree trunks, from beneath the ground, from caves and crevasses. "Where will we go?" they asked.

Mantis stood up proudly before everyone. "We shall follow Moon," he declared. Everyone was ready, but suddenly Mantis noticed Snake. Now in those days Snake was just like other animals; he too had legs. And he had family, too, but he was not packing or gathering or preparing. "What are you doing, Snake?" Mantis asked. "You have not gathered your family. You have not packed your things. You must hurry! Soon Moon will be leaving, and we must follow." Snake yawned. He was a lazy fellow, and the notion of moving far from his home did not appeal to him. Besides, he was confident soon all would be well. Why bother doing anything? Sooner or later, rain would come to the land again. Surely the drought would end and plants would grow. "I'm too tired to bother with moving," Snake said grumpily.

"You must go with us," Mantis insisted, and his eyes bugged out even bigger and wider than they usually did. "Please, Snake, don't be foolish. You can't stay here. You'll die of thirst." Snake yawned once more. "I'm staying, Mantis. It's late, and it's dark, and I need my sleep. Please don't make too much noise as you're leaving." Mantis tried to persuade him to change his mind, and so did some of the other creatures of the veldt: the springbok and meerkats, the cheetahs and the lions, the elephants and baboons, the giraffes and the ostriches. But Snake yawned in everyone's face, and then he curled up and fell asleep beneath a rock, and when he awoke, everyone was gone. Now Snake looked around. It was true, the grass was shriveling, and soon it would be gone altogether, and he might not have a nice bed. And the fat little frogs had decided to leave with the others, so now what would he eat, he wondered. Then he thought, "I'll figure it out later." But the days passed, and then the weeks, and still rain did not fall, and all the grass dried up and blew away in the dry dusty winds. By now Snake was starving. He had never felt such sharp pains in his body, and he could not stop his children's cries. And so at long last he decided he must follow the others. He would move in their footsteps. Perhaps they were wise, after all. And so he packed up his family, and together they set off to find a land of water and friendship.

The drought had gone on for so long by this time, the land was only desert, and as they walked, Snake's feet, and his family's feet, too, sank into the footsteps left behind by the others. The hot sand scratched at their bellies, and every step felt like it might be their last. That evening, as Moon rose over them, Snake looked up. "Oh Moon," he cried, "I am so sorry I did not listen to your wise words. I worshipped the sun, and now it is the sun that will be my destruction. Please help save me and my family!" The Moon, always kind, looked down on poor Snake and his family, and felt such terrible pity for the miserable creatures that she had to do something. She said, "I will make you able to survive this world." At that moment Snake looked down and saw his legs shriveling up; soon they disappeared altogether. Then he saw his body growing thinner and sleeker, shiny, too, and when he lay down upon the desert sand, he discovered he could slide across it without sinking. He turned and saw that his family had also been transformed, and so together they set off across the hot sands and found their way to the other animals. Snake's body stayed this way forever, and he remained shy. He still hides from the others, for he feels shame for not believing in the Moon. But he has never stopped loving the sun, and no one knows if he has really changed his lazy ways.

*Twirls back into the darkness* Later, people.

At first I was going to make this blog, about ranting, but ended up feeling selfish, which might sound strage to some but I can't help how I feel, so as to drive the attention away from myself here's a blog with some links to different news stories. So if you want to read the articles than go ahead.

Article 1: "A Sailor's Story:

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/opinion/commentary/article_71d4799a-b727-11de-9ce4-001cc4c002e0.html

Article: 2 "Witch children"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/18/african-children-denounce_n_324943.html

Artilce 3: More planets to see

http://www.japantoday.com/category/world/view/32-more-planets-discovered-outside-solar-system

Last of all comics, enjoy.

Later.

It only took me, the better portion of last month, but after consistingly contributioning I've finally leveled up. Though I can't say I'm thrilled with the title not really a Spongbob Squarepants fan. However this is now a higher level and it's about time I reached a new one. Too bad it will take longer to reach 39, and I don't feel like putting in the work, not all at once more like in some amounts. I'm trying to hold on to my ego better known as my emblems and submission status, so I'm being stuck up a little so what.

Labor Day: Not exactly a day of doing anything, well my mother did come over to visit, and told us about her bad back and denture problems. Sad in a way she let herself go in that department. Not that she ever had pearly whites in the first place. Bye Bye Gabage Disposer: Unfortunely ours no longer works it was so wored out that you couldn't throw potato skins into the thing. So now any lefted over food goes into the trash. Medical field or criminal justice or something else- Which field will win out? Well until I make a descion, I'll blog about that later, maybe.

A month believe it or not has passed. Don't "boo" me! Anyway moving on to the blog.

Energy: Tropical Citrus (b+ guarana)

"They say a little energy can take you a long way, and if there's anyone who knows that, it's our all-american girl Carrie Underwood. She's gone from rocking out the church aisles in Checotah, Oklahoma to taking over the spotlight in the world's largest arenas. So how does Carrie dazzle adoring fans, smile in hi-definitiion, and still manage to go multi-platinum twice. She grabs this bottle that's packed with b vitamins and gurana...it helps her keep a grip on the wild carnival ride she calls life. Aside from all those trophied, its earned her nicknames like "care bear", the "horse whisperer", and "bottled lighting", and you know what they say down south..."The smallest chillies pack the biggest punch."

Defense: Raspberry-apple (c+zinc)

If you've had to use sick days because you've actually been sick then you're seriously missing out, my friends. See the trick to stay healthy and use sick days to just umm, not go in, and this combinatiion of zinc and fortying vitamins can help out with that and keep you healthy as a horse so drink up. Remember don't overdo it on the coughing and sniffling (big rookie mistake) Just stick with the ever elusive "24-hour bug." The symptoms are vague and people will actually encourage you to stay home.

Formula 50: Grape (50% Daily Dose)

Thanks to this formula that's packed with 50% of your daily dose of key nutrients, 50 cent is able to accomplish anything he sets his mind to. That said, there's a discussion that needs to happen now...Would it be "President 50" or "President cent"? Now President 50 has a nice ring to it especially there being 50 states and all (purely coincidental) On the other hand, President Cent would work perfectly with the slogan "The buck stops with the cent." While you, the people debate this, 50 will be working on more important business...getting his platinum records framed with the presidential seal.

Revive: Fruit punch (b+potassium)

If you woke up tired, you probably need more sleep. If you woke up drooling at your desk, you probably need a new job. If you woke up with a headache on a ferris wheel at the Idaho state fair, wearing a toga, you probably need answers, not to mention this product. It's got potassium and b vitamins to help you recover and feel refreshed- kind of like in those old irish spring (registered) soap commericals. If you're like our boss, Mike and woke up married to an Elvis impersonator, you probably need a lawyer.

Well until whenever I blog again, later.