NOTES
Bibliography: Stories from the Celtic Fairy Tales (1) unit. Story source: Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1892).
Week 12 notes continued! Still reading the Celtic Fairy Tales unit.
One element that stood out among these tales was effective openers. The story "King O'Toole and His Goose" begins like this: "OCH, I thought all the world, far and near, had heerd o' King O'Toole — well, well, but the darkness of mankind is untellable!
Well, sir, you must know, as you didn't hear it afore, that there was a king, called King O'Toole who was a fine old king in the old ancient times, long ago, and it was he that owned the churches in the early days."
The reader is left with several questions instantly. Why is King O'Toole so dark? Did he did do evil deeds? How did he become so notorious? Why did he own the churches? Does this connect to his bad reputation? A good opener often serves as an effective launching point to the tensions of a story. Readers are not only drawn in by good writing, but also by questions that might naturally arise from a quality opener.
Another good beginning to a story can be found in the short tale "Beth Gellert." This story begins with descriptions and introductions: "PRINCE LLEWELYN had a favourite greyhound named Gellert that had been given to him by his father-in-law, King John. He was as gentle as a lamb at home, but a lion in the chase." We have (briefly) met three characters in the first sentence: the prince, the king, and the pet. The second sentence then helps us realize how important this greyhound must be, as the author chooses to describe the pet before the human characters. The description of "gentle as a lamb at home, but a lion in the chase" creates powerful images in the minds of readers. It suggests that the dog is likable and sweet around the family, but quite capable of being fierce in the hunt. In a short opener, establishing a character like this can set the tone for the rest of the story.
I had a lot of fun reading the Celtic Fairy Tales unit! The authors did a great job with openers, and I hope to incorporate some of their style into my own tales.
One element that stood out among these tales was effective openers. The story "King O'Toole and His Goose" begins like this: "OCH, I thought all the world, far and near, had heerd o' King O'Toole — well, well, but the darkness of mankind is untellable!
Well, sir, you must know, as you didn't hear it afore, that there was a king, called King O'Toole who was a fine old king in the old ancient times, long ago, and it was he that owned the churches in the early days."
The reader is left with several questions instantly. Why is King O'Toole so dark? Did he did do evil deeds? How did he become so notorious? Why did he own the churches? Does this connect to his bad reputation? A good opener often serves as an effective launching point to the tensions of a story. Readers are not only drawn in by good writing, but also by questions that might naturally arise from a quality opener.
Another good beginning to a story can be found in the short tale "Beth Gellert." This story begins with descriptions and introductions: "PRINCE LLEWELYN had a favourite greyhound named Gellert that had been given to him by his father-in-law, King John. He was as gentle as a lamb at home, but a lion in the chase." We have (briefly) met three characters in the first sentence: the prince, the king, and the pet. The second sentence then helps us realize how important this greyhound must be, as the author chooses to describe the pet before the human characters. The description of "gentle as a lamb at home, but a lion in the chase" creates powerful images in the minds of readers. It suggests that the dog is likable and sweet around the family, but quite capable of being fierce in the hunt. In a short opener, establishing a character like this can set the tone for the rest of the story.
I had a lot of fun reading the Celtic Fairy Tales unit! The authors did a great job with openers, and I hope to incorporate some of their style into my own tales.
This beautiful depiction of a greyhound
is from artist Alfred Dedreux, a French
painter who lived in the 19th century.
Source: Wikimedia
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