Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales, Part A

(Twin Dragons, Luck)

Reading the first story The Favorite of Fortune and the Child of Ill Luck, I first found it weird that it described the beggar as having dragons crawling through his ears and nostrils. Maybe this is another way of saying something like "a fly"? Or maybe the dragons were a sign of his good fortune. Interesting description nonetheless. I also wonder how the merciless father reacted to the fact that his daughter was now an empress and that the beggar was now an emperor. For him to have such strong feelings towards his daughter's actions, it seems odd that it doesn't touch on him later. This would be a good place to expand the story.

For Cave of the Beasts, I found it odd that the father suffered no consequences of his action. The whole time I expected the daughters to get revenge on him for abandoning them. When he was reunited with them, I also expected for him to have been divorced. Throwing in a divorce to the fold would be a good way to expand on the story.

The Panther reminded me of the story of Little Red Riding Hood. It does make me wonder how a Little Red Riding Hood story would play out if it were the grandma visiting the granddaughter, like the mother visiting the daughters in The Panther.

Reading The Lady of the Moon, I wonder who built the castle on the moon. It seems weird for it to already exist, unless it was the man on the moon who built it. But then I wonder what the purpose of the project was. This could be a good way to expand the story.

I also noticed that many of the stories began with the common "Once upon a time." In addition, many stories seem to be about luck and fortune. These Chinese fairy tales have really strange ways of "explaining" nature, like in The Girl with the Horse’s Head or the Silkworm Goddess. Overall, I find the Chinese fairy tales to be very imaginative and exactly something I would expect to hear as a child.

~ ~ ~ 

The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921) 

Famous Last Words: Finding Normal Again

What a week it has been. Life decided to throw another curveball, and yet again, I wasn't prepared. I barely squeezed in one of the reading assignments. Maybe I'll find time over this weekend to get that extra credit assignment. Then I couldn't even do the story writing assignment. Pretty weird to say that my best writing was in accounting. My team had a case study to write up, and then we had to present it in class Thursday. I missed that. Sorry, Team Joe.

I was just finally getting back in the groove of things after the death of my grandma on my mom's side at the end of January. I had finally cleared up all of the homework I was behind on and was able to attend the Pink and Black Ball. I even finished up a club application. Then I got a call that my other grandma had died. And there went this past week. I've put so many miles on my car driving back and forth to home this past month. But it was worth it so that I could pay my final respects. Now we're terrified that the "bad news comes in threes" superstition might be true, at least true for our family. At least I've gotten to see a lot of family members I've not seen in a while.

Now I'm trying to save myself from drowning in homework once again. Hopefully, this will be the last time for a while. Thank God for this class and the ability to just skip assignments and still be fine. Really glad I got ahead earlier this semester, and now I think I'm going to devote Spring Break to getting ahead again. I also hope I finish my UPB exec application that is due Wednesday. I've enjoyed this year so much, and I'd love to do it again!

Speaking of UPB, our annual CollegeCon is happening! It ran fro 7-10 PM today, and it will run from 10 AM - 10 PM tomorrow at the student union. We're giving away a lot of cool prizes!

So now I'm just finding my way back to normal.

~ ~ ~

Image: Baseball Pitching Motion, via Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: The Monkey King, Part A

I've never spent much time reading Eastern literature before. I'm not sure why, but I've not. Something that jumps out at me as I read the Monkey King (couple with what little else I've read from the East) is that it seems like Eastern tales and folklore often feature animals in deity-like roles. In this particular story, the writing is very direct, lacking much exploration in each setting.

It's odd to think about a monkey living in the world of man, so I think a story about a man learning to live among monkeys could be interesting. Or it could be exactly like Tarzan. Maybe that's where the idea came from, ha ha.

Sun Wu Kung learns how to perform other abilities throughout the story. In a different story, maybe man learns different abilities that end up helping him defeat something. I would just have to figure out what he would defeat.

One note that I found interesting is the fact that the dragon-devil's name is Triton -- a name from Greek mythology. I find it fascinating how words and names can flow through different cultures.

Sun Wu Kung also becomes a bit of a menace to those he visits, so having a man become the menace would probably translate well into a modern world.

 ~ ~ ~

Bibliography: The Monkey King, edited by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921)

Image: Sun Wukong at Beijing Opera, via Wikimedia Commons

Week 5 Storytelling: The Name and the Daughter

Ra was known to man by many names, but many more names he did have. Alongside Ra were many other gods, each with their own names. A goddess who lived alongside man, Isis, grew tired of the circumstances of her life. She was no longer wished to subject to the rule of the gods. Instead, she wished to stand as equals, as a fellow ruler.  However, while mingling among the lesser gods such as she, she heard a humor that told of the existence of a particular secretive name of Ra.

"It is said that the name alone could command even Ra himself," whispered one goddess to another.

"Only he knows the name, and surely he knows the power it holds," chimed a third goddess.

Isis, overhearing the private conversation, couldn't help but keep listening. "If only we could trick him into revealing it. Then we could ascend to an equal status of Ra." Isis immediately knew this was her chance to claim what she believed to be hers. Beginning to devise her plan, Isis first wondered how she could possibly get Ra to reveal his name. So day after day, she observed Ra, noting everyone he encountered. It was only but a month's time before she knew who her target was.

Tefnut, daughter of Ra and goddess of rain, was highly revered by the common man. She brought man rain so that they may have bountiful crops. This delighted Ra, as it kept man happy, and in return, they continued to give bountiful offerings. Each day, Tefnut would go at night and bathe in the rivers of Egypt. She would drink of the waters, and just before dawn, she would walk the land, leaving dew in her path. "Surely if Tefnut were to die, man would become enraged and stop their offerings to Ra. And surely Ra, coupled with the rage from the death of his own offspring, would do anything to bring Tefnut back, including revealing his name," reasoned Isis.

Isis began to associate with Tefnut. She joined Tefnut on walks, as well as going with her to bathe in the rivers. Tefnut quickly found a friend in Isis and began entrusting Isis with her secrets. One night, before they both were expected to go bathe, Isis enchanted a river snake. Isis led Tefnut near the location of the snake and asked if they could take their bath there. As Tefnut began to wash her hair, the river snake made its way to her. In a quick bolt, it struck out and bit Tefnut. Tefnut yelled for her father, but he was nowhere near to hear her calls. Isis then moved the now paralyzed Tefnut to a hidden location.

Isis then rushed to find Ra so that she could enact the second part of her plan. "Ra, it is your daughter! She was bitten by a snake, and then kidnapped! I could not stop the kidnapper, but I did manage to find out how to get her back!"

Ra, very attentive, yelled out, "Who dare take my daughter! Surely they know of the power I hold! I will seek out her captive and give him an eternal punishment so bad that he will beg for death!"

"I wish it were possible! But I tried to find them to no avail! But I think I know what we can do."

"And what would that be?" Ra demanded to know.

"If the river snake bit her, then surely I could enchant it to seek out its own venom that resides in her blood."

"Excellent," Ra decided. "Then set forth and find the same snake, and then return with my daughter once you find her."

"I may be an enchantress, but I am not sure I am powerful enough to do such a thing!"

"Then how might you become powerful enough?"

"I have mingled for millennia with many lesser gods and goddesses, among the very men who worship you. There is a rumor out there that, if true, would surely solve our crisis."

"And what might that rumor be?" Ra asked, nervous as if he could anticipate what Isis would say.

"You secret name. The name so powerful that it could command even you! Surely with its power, I could do as you ask!"

"It is true that I have a secret name, hidden from all, but I could never reveal such a thing!"

"Then your daughter is surely gone forever! And then who would bring the rain to your people? Who will provide the sustenance their crops require?"

Aware of the necessity to reveal his name, Ra decided he would investigate the matters by himself first. "Give me three days to ponder."

So three days later, Isis returned to Ra, ready to receive his hidden name. "And your decision?"

"Go forth with my secret name and retrieve my daughter!" Ra then revealed his secret name, and Isis set forth to bring back his daughter. A few days later, and Tefnut found herself in the presence of her father. But Ra seemed rather intrigued.

"How is it that you were able to bring back my daughter when I had not given you my actual secret name?" clamored Ra.

"Whatever could you mean?" Isis asked hesitantly. "I took your name and enchanted the snake. It led me to her holding, and I rescued her."

"But alas you did not! And for tricking me, I banish you to an eternal punishment so great, you will wish for death instead! For you did not know during those three days I pondered whether or not to reveal my name, that I set out and found the snake. And I commanded the snake to reveal why it bit my daughter. And it revealed that you had actually enchanted it!"


And with that, Ra banished Isis to live as far away from the heavens as possible. She was sent to live in the realm of the dead, never able to be an equal to Ra himself.

~ ~ ~

Author's Note: I took the story The Secret Name of Ra and imagined it slightly different. The original story sees Ra become ill due to Isis' actions that were motivated by her desire to know Ra's secret name. Ultimately, Ra revealed the name to Isis and became whole again. For my version, I wondered if Ra would reveal his name if it were instead another god or goddess in great pain. Would he be selfish and keep his name to himself, thus dooming the ill god to death? I decided to utilize his daughter Tefnut since involving family often changes the dynamic of consequences.

Bibliography: The Secret Name of Ra, by Donald Mackenzie

Image: The Egyptian Goddess Isis, via Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Arabian Nights, Part A

 

I really like this nested storytelling style. In regards to the story itself, I think it's a clever way of delaying time. I also like how each story would jump back a layer to give context to the current layer of the nested story. I also like how they aren't necessarily just stories. They could be real-life accounts. This makes me think of more of a circular story-telling technique. So while it's still nested stories, the last one flow into the first one. I think this is cool because then the reader could start at any story and still get all of it the same way from someone who started elsewhere. There's really not much more to write about Part A, since it's really only showcasing the nested storytelling technique. This is definitely something I'd like to try.

~ ~ ~

Bibliography: Arabian Nights by Andrew Lang

Image: Russian Nesting Dolls, via Flikr

Week 4 Review: Mindset

via TinyBuddha.com

One item from the class announcement for February 11 that caught my attention was advice about mindset. I think this caught my attention because of how often we forget the truth of it. You always have yourself to talk to, and your own mind isn't going to stop itself. It is so easy to become critical of yourself or to constantly think negative thoughts. But soon, you accept the critiques as being indicative of yourself, and that's when self-confidence, self-image, and mental health begin to decline. Negative thoughts breed negative perspectives. But if you can remember to be kind to yourself, you can create a positive self-image. Dr. Gottman says healthy relationships need 5 positive comments for every negative one. If a relationship needs this ratio, then surely your internal thoughts needs this too.

Feedback Focus

Of the three strategies I practiced, I had only ever tried the reading out-loud strategy prior. I typically would only employ it when there was an interruptive noise nearby. I hadn't ever really tried it to keep focus in any other situation. However, after using it for the sake of paying attention, I easily found it to be my favorite strategy of the three. It requires more active brain usage, so I didn't ever find myself distracted at all. One downside, though, is that it's much harder to use when in public or around others. Frankly, I think it would be obnoxious to use in public. But for me personally, I rarely read in public places anyways. This method also is a double-edged sword. I definitely read at a slower rate through this technique, but I did find it easier to catch and retain most, if not all, of the details.

My next favorite tip was the copy-and-delete technique. This is something completely new to me. I sometimes will annotate my readings, but I really liked the concept of getting rid of the original material in the process. I think it forces me to better flesh out my ideas because the references are no longer there to provide context. I also see this much more beneficial with longer passages.  It's definitely a technique I could see myself using with material I'm not too interested in. But to be honest, it would take a lot of training to get myself to use this.

And that brings me to the timer method (aka my least favorite of the three). Why do I dislike this method of reading? I don't read. I focus way too much on how much time is left. It puts an unnecessary pressure on me, and as a result, I read (and retain) a significantly less amount of the material. I've never set a timer, per se, but I have given myself a specific amount of time to read. And just like I did with the timer, I kept looking at my phone to see how much time I had left to read. I could see this working for some people. Maybe if they don't like reading, a timer can give the perspective of how little time they are actually dedicating. I don't know, but I do know this is not a method I could use.

The best way I've found that makes me focus on reading is utilizing in-text benchmarks, such as the beginning of a new chapter. I should make a note, however. I do not mean giving myself a select number of pages to read. Then I'm busy thinking about how many pages are left (similar to the timer issue). I mean using those visual benchmarks. So I tell myself that I'll check my phone or get a snack when I hit the next chapter. It gives me a motivation that doesn't really provide anything that could distract me. It has nothing to do with time, so I don't care about a clock. I can use this method anywhere around anyone. It acts as a reward system that I react positively to.

~ ~ ~

Image: Cactus Reading, via Pixabay

Week 4 Story Planning: The Healing Name of Ra

Most of my story will follow the original story. I will begin the story by establishing the fact that Ra has more than one name. Then I will introduce the antagonist of the story, Isis. I think I want to expand a bit on her backstory other than wanting to hold power equal to that of Ra's. Older stories sometimes lack character motivation, so I think this would be a great opportunity to add to the story. 

Next, I will want to introduce the character who will become ill due to Isis. I will want to establish a daily routine for this character and show how Isis will interfere with that routine. Do I want to keep a serpent? I could change it up a bit as it doesn't really matter. Maybe I'll choose whatever animal the god I end up using is most associated with. This could help me because that god would then probably trust that animal, and it would provide a reason that god would interact with the animal. This will allow me to change up how the attack plays out and not rely on an invisible creature.

Ra had company at the time of the attack, so I probably want to keep this aspect to provide writer's convenience. From here, I will need to decide who the chosen god will ask for. Ra called upon his children. Maybe I will use one of Ra's children, and then I can have the offspring call upon Ra in my story. This also might give a bit of an emotional tie to provide the motivation to Ra to reveal his name. 

However, as I type this, I question to myself why Ra wouldn't be able to heal his child. So maybe the selected god asks for Ra, but his company is Isis who then takes the god hostage. I could set up some reason Isis is aware and can help (with Ra's name revealed), but write it so that it doesn't seem like Isis is behind everything (though she is).

From here, I would then deal with the struggle of Ra keeping or revealing his name. Maybe he will try lesser things to see if it satisfies the unknown perpetrator. Now I need to decide if he will succeed through a clever idea that doesn't require his hidden name, if he will give up his name to save his child, or if he will forgo revealing his name and let his child perish. I think I should sleep on this decision and see what seems like the best direction after reflection.

~ ~ ~

Author's Note: I took the story The Secret Name of Ra and imagined it slightly different. The original story sees Ra become ill due to Isis' actions that were motivated by her desire to know the secret name. Ultimately, Ra revealed the name to Isis and became whole again. For my version, I wondered if Ra would reveal his name if it were instead another god in great pain. Would he be selfish and keep his name to himself, thus dooming the ill god to death? Or would Ra act out of mercy? I also changed the name of the story to better reflect the power of Ra's name.

Bibliography: The Secret Name of Ra, by Donald Mackenzie

Image: The Egyptian Goddess Isis, via Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Ancient Egypt, Part B

Something I like about the stories of part B is that it contains longer stories broken up into parts. As a writing strategy, I might want to tell one story separated into different parts. This kind of storytelling is very common in tales of great heroes who have to complete tasks so I might choose a hero and chronicle his journey of tasks.

Another story writing technique that is used, and is used in other stories, is essentially pitting two people (frequently, siblings in more ancient stories) against each other. There's something gripping about seeing a family working against each other. Obviously, the conflict must be strong and warranted. And just because the story is told from the perspective of one particular person doesn't mean the other is without justification. Ultimately, the conflict is resolved, and the family is at peace again.

In the Book of Thoth, it seems like Nefer-ka-ptah became possessed by the Book. These are usually fun stories because the character doesn't really have ultimate control over his being, though it is as a result of his own will. In addition, the knowledge imparted was ultimately regretted by the maker of said knowledge. Maybe a story I write could include the downfall of Thoth due to the book he wrote getting in the hands of Nefer-ka-ptah.

~ ~ ~ 

Bibliography: Egyptian Myth and Legend, by Donald Mackenzie

Image: Thoth, via Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Ancient Egypt, Part A

Like most creation stories I've read, this reading begins by going explaining how every being comes into existence. I also note the similarities between various religious stories. The story "The Secret Name of Ra" speaks of a great flood. The Egyptian mythology, as well as the Bible both, were created in the roughly the same region. This makes me wonder if both accounts were inspired by the same event, just with different explanations.

A storytelling technique I noticed in "The Secret Name of Ra" is that the focus of the story is never revealed. Isis persues Ra's secret name, and she does find out what it is. However, it is never stated. This exact scenario actually reminds me of the show Doctor Who. Only the Doctor knows his true name, and like Ra's, his name is thought to hold great power in and of itself.

Overall, these stories follow the same formula as most other religions. I do, however, like to look at the contrast between polytheistic religions, such as this one, and monotheistic religions. It seems monotheistic religions focus heavily on the inhabitants of the creation, most likely because there aren't other deities from which stories may arise.

~ ~ ~

Bibliography: Egyptian Myth and Legend, by Donald Mackenzie

Image: Sun God Ra, via Wikimedia Commons

Famous Last Words: Week Three, the Week of Stress

Week three proved to be an incredibly stressful week. Life happened. There was nothing I could've done to make the week a bit easier. But I survived; I didn't shut down. Finishing the readings was difficult, but luckily I had the extra credit assignment to make up for the missed reading on Monday.

I feel like I wrote to get by, not to improve. Sometimes that's what it takes to keep going, but I can't allow myself to continue to just "get by". I did, however, read a great story this week. It was about Jupiter (the Roman god), and it was really fun to read. The writer gave Jupiter a playboy persona, and it worked incredibly well.

As far as my other classes, there's a really weird contrast between this one and all of the others. Being in the college of business, most of my writing is business-like: short, to-the-point, succinct. This class makes me want to make all of my writing creative and fun; all of my other classes make me want to make all of my writing direct and unimaginative. I think, however, that working with both styles will really help me, both in technique and in being able to switch back-and-forth between the two styles as needed.

On campus, UPB is having its first ever UPB Week. Each day, there will be an event with prizes and free food. It's really exciting, and there is even a hella-hype promotional video.

For this class, I'm hoping to get ahead. If life decides to suck again, I'd like to be in a position where I have one less class to worry about. Luckily that's possible. Now I just need to motivate myself to do it. Also, hopefully, I survive my world music class. I just found the syllabus (it was oddly placed), and there's a 7-9 page essay due at the end. Help.

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Image: Don't Panic Button, via Pixabay

Reading Notes: Cupid and Psyche, Part B

My first thing I noticed in reading Part B of this selection is how vengeful Venus is portrayed. It reminds me of many classic fairy tales; they all share one thing in common -- a mean-spirited mother. I wonder where and why this tradition started. Even men today are known for hating their stepmother, though maybe for different reasons. As I continue to read, I keep getting classic fairy tale vibes from the story. However, the one big difference from many of the more modern fairy tales is that in Cupid and Psyche, it's the man in trouble. 

Overall, the story feels very formulaic, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. Psyche has hardships to overcome. There are some tasks in her way. Obviously, this storytelling technique has survived ages, so maybe formulaic is good.

 ~ ~ ~

 Bibliography: Cupid and Psyche by Apuleius and translated by Tony Kline, source
Image: Psyche in the Underworld, by Hillemacher

Tech Tip: Hashtags and Retweets

One post I retweeted was about PBS Idea Channel's video on Westworld. I chose this particular tweet for a couple of reasons. Firstly, Westworld is one of my favorite shows to watch. It weaves thought-provoking questions about consciousness and what it means to be human represented by The Maze within the show. Link: https://twitter.com/OnlineMythIndia/status/820003746306543617

One hashtag that caught my attention was #DressLikeAWoman. Not surprisingly, there's another controversy with President Trump. Reportedly, the president has made claims that suggest that he expects women to comply with gender roles. By that, I mean that he expects women to wear dresses because that's what a "real woman" would wear. In response, people are tweeting photos of women in different kinds of outfits -- from jeans and a t-shirt to astronaut suits -- in defiance of his comments to show that an outfit does define the "real"-ness of a woman.

Week 3 Storytelling: Two Tickets to Paradise

Abel, son of Adam and Eve, awoke one morning to begin his daily duties. After saying his morning prayer, he ran over to a particular wall of the Cave of Treasures that was utilized for keeping up with the date -- a makeshift calendar. It was time! Abel dashed off to find his parents who were with his brother Cain. Cain and Abel always seemed to be scuffling with each other, but it was always ignored under the mantra "boys will be boys." For once in Abel's life, granted he was only four years of age, he wanted to make Cain feel special. So he first gave Cain the special news. 5,500 years had finally passed, and it was time to return to Paradise. Excitement grew quick in the Cave as the family rejoiced. No longer would they be exiled. The continued their day awaiting God.

Breakfast had just ended when two angelic figures appeared before the family. "Behold! God's promise is fulfilled!" the first one proclaimed. The second one then extended out an envelope in hand. As soon as Eve grasped the envelope, the visitors were gone. Many years had passed since Adam and Eve first entered the Cave of Treasures, and the outside world now referred to itself as "2017 A.D." Inside the envelope, Eve found two pieces of parchment, nearly identical in appearance. Unaware of what they were to be used for, they quickly fell to their knees and prayed.

"Dear Lord, the time has come for us to be with you again! We know not what these signs mean, so we pray that you reveal to us your mighty plan." Adam finished up his prayer and awaited an answer. Soon the Lord's Word came upon Adam and Eve, and all was made known. The two pieces of parchment were airline tickets. Using these the family must board an airplane to Paradise. All within a moment, the excitement transformed into concern. Adam and Eve had tickets, but their sons were without. They began packing what little they had within the Cave, finding passports that must have been delivered from God. Surely God would lead them to answer to their conundrum.

As it neared time to leave the Cave of Treasures once and for all, they realized that they must find another way to take Cain and Abel with them. God held onto his promise, only He did so much more strictly than they anticipated. When God made an oath to bring back Adam and Eve, He meant just that. Adam and Eve. No one else was a part of that promise, including offspring. But they knew they must bring their own children with them. And with that, they devised a plan.

Passing through the airport, flashing their passport every few moments, Adam and Eve finally were able to board the plane. They carefully moved down the aisle until they found their seats. Adam took the window seat because he wished to gaze upon the Creation of God. Eve wanted the aisle seat so that she may quickly access the bathroom. Adam and Eve never seemed to have conflicting wants or ideas. Maybe it is because Eve was made from Adam, and this was a sign of mercy from God. Better yet, maybe it was simply because 5,500 together in a cave makes a couple learn the significance of compromise. They both plopped down their carryon bags below their feet and gave a loving gaze to each other.

A loving gaze that was soon interrupted by an elderly woman claiming she had the seat between the two. "Excuse me! Excuse me! I believe I am between you two!" Without a word further, she stepped over Eve's feet and sat down in the middle seat. At first, neither Adam nor Eve knew how to react. Who was this woman? Why was she between them? The only thing Adam could muster up was an offer.

"Why don't you take this window seat so that I may sit next to my wife?" Adam pleaded.

"No thank you, sonny. Looking out the window makes me nauseous," responded the woman.

"Then take my seat! It is quite convenient being able to just get up without having to step over anyone," Eve suggested.

"Last time I sat in the aisle, the flight attendant spilled tea on my new jacket as she had walked by! I just got this blouse, and I will not risk ruining it!" And with that, it was obvious to Adam and Eve that this would be an annoying flight.

All throughout out the flight, the couple endured incredibly probing questions. "When are you having kids?" "How is he in bed?" "How much money do you guys make?" "What are your religious views?" "Did you vote for Hillary?"

Though the elderly woman meant no harm (she was just one to try to make the most of the time when around new people), Adam and Eve had to sheepishly dodge many of the questions. Just as she started to talk about her oddly located moles and black hairs, the plan had landed. Adam and Eve quickly exited the plane with their carry-ons in hand. They exited the airport unsure where to go next, but it was pretty clear once a car with the sign "Holy Uber" rolled up. They got inside the car where they could finally open their bags.

"I could hardly breath! We're never doing this again!" cried Cain. Abel was simply begging for water. The two brothers had been stuffed in their parents' bags to avoid purchasing two more tickets! The Holy Uber came to a stop, and they were there. Paradise. And Cain and Abel never again had to be stuffed in bags.

~ ~ ~

Author's Note: I based this story mostly on The Forgotten Book of Eden. God promises Adam and Eve that he would bring them back into Paradise after 5,500 years. I imagined a scenario where society still reached its current form. Essentially, this serves as a sequel. I took inspiration from the Bible to include Adam and Eve's two most well-known children, Cane and Abel. I found this entire thought to be absurd, so I decided it would probably be best to make the story itself outlandish. I kept Cane and Abel at a young age because I figured it could be the basis of the conflict present in the story.

Bibliography:  
The Forgotten Book of Eden, edited by Rutherford H. Platt, Jr. (1926)
The Bible (KJV)

Image: Boarding Pass, generated using MusicAirport