Sunday, July 29, 2007

Current Book Selection

Farideh , the unique butterfly

Written by : Amal Alameddine Arnaout .
Translated by : Elizabeth Sabieh
Publisher
: Dar el-chimal
Not long ago , not far away there was a kingdom of ants. There were hundreds and thousands of ants going and coming about happily .


One day , a butterfly was born . It was different from all other butterflies . It was brown in color with black polka dots and gray lines .
All the butterflies gathered together to discuss the birth of such a

butterfly .

" We are known for our beauty " they noted " our colors are unique ; they are not seen anywhere else ".
" Our yellow and green , our blue and red , our pink and purple are unique only to our kingdom .
This butterfly makes us look bad . We do not want it . It is an ugly brown and bot one of its color combinations makes it an acceptable beauty .Its ugly ! it's dirty ! its creation id unbelievable .
The butterfly's name was Farideh , and she grew up to be a fine butterfly . No one played with Farideh , not even her brothers and sisters .
This was the situation even though Farideh was nice , and easygoing and generous .
She would fly over the fields moving from one flower to the other exploring on her own .
Farideh was sad . She had no friends . She made her way to visit with the bugs .
She asked them , " Will you let me play with you ? Will you let me be part of your family .
" Although you are an ugly butterfly " a bug answered , " You may join us and play with us and be happy " .
Farideh finally experienced a happy day . She enjoyed playing with the bugs .
By nightfall , Farideh and the bugs were friends .
The next day , Farideh went to visit the hornets . Like the bugs , they too played with her . They liked her a lot .
As the days went by , Farideh also became friends with the bees and with the ants .
She flew with hornets and played with the ants .
All of them liked her . All accepted to play with her because she was a smart , generous and easygoing butterfly .
They all played with her , except for her brothers and sisters – her family members who continued to see her as the ugly brown and unbelievably shocking butterfly .
One morning , during a time when the insects were asleep, there was a loud sounding explosion . it was the pest controller with his can of poison out to spray to get rid of the insects .
Before many of the insects could figure out what had happened , they found themselves caught inside the pest controller's net , there were not only tens , but hundreds of colored butterflies caught . Where was Farideh ? Farideh too was caught . What was to happen to her ?
The pest controller went home with all he had caught .
He put the butterflies into a large glass jar and started to work with them to make something big .
He put this hand into the jar and took out a butterfly . He looked at its colors and noted how beautiful it was . Yellow , blue , green , red were its colors . He held it down on a wooden surface and stuck pins into its wings to keep it in place .
Then , he put his hand back into jar to mount the next butterfly . And again , he did so a third , a fourth , a fifth time . He brought out a lot and mounted them with pins .He stuck pins into their beautiful wings holding each down creating a beautiful collection of lovely portraits . He put his hand in the jar again . This time , he captured Farideh . He screamed with disgust when he saw Farideh " A brown butterfly with black and gray lines . I will not mount this fly into a portrait . She will ruin my beautiful collection with her brown ugliness " .

The man opened his palm and Farideh flew away and out of the window.
She yelled out to them,
"Help me, the pest collector is hurting my brothers and sisters.
He is torturing them. He is mounting on wood by sticking them with needles.
Help me. Come with me, my friends."

The bees, the hornets, the ants and the bugs were shocked. They were bewildered at Farideh's request. They were amazed.
"Why do you want to help your family when they do not play with you?"

Frideh exclaimed, " But they are my family. It is my duty to help them. Help me give them back their freedom!"

So, from the window the hornets flew in. The bees followed suit. The bugs followed as did the ants. All of them worked together with Farideh to help.

They attacked the pest controller. They attacked him in tens and hundreds. Some went into his ears; some bit his eyes; some his mouth, and some his nose.

The bugs went under his clothes, and the ants walked up and down his arms and legs.


He started to scream. He started to hit them trying to get them off him. He tried to show them away with his hands and feet.
His eyes showed that he was scared. He was running around like a crazy man, screaming for help. He ran out of house, with no intention of returning.

The bugs went about rescuing the butterflies. They removed the pins that held the wings, and away the butterflies flew.

One of the beautiful butterflies flew over to Farideh and said, " Farideh, please forgive us butterflies. We were wrong. We were ugly and unforgiving in what we said and did to you. We were unfair. Now we see how beautiful actually you are.

You are smart and generous.
Please stay with us, oh, brown heroine, so that we can play freely , all of us together."

And this is what happened. Farideh played with her brothers and sisters together with the butterflies, the insects, the bugs, the ants, the hornets, and the bees. She lived happily in their midst with love and freedom.
Ugly Farideh, according to the butterflies, became beautiful with her amazingly unique colors. She was the smart heroine; she was generous, and she was unique in her own way.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

If I were a cloud

QCC ONLINE BOOK DISCUSSION
If I Were A Cloud
Written by : Aliya Abu Shmaise
Translated by : Wajeeh Awad
Illustrated by : Sawsan Almajdy.
Publisher :Kul shee publishing &Distribuaion-LTD-HAIFA


If I Were A Cloud

If I were a cloud , the world would hear the sound of my laughter when planes tickle me .
If I were a cloud I would glide through the street , unafraid of cars , safe and free .
If I were a cloud , I would change my shape , I would be a lion , an elephant , a camel or a sheep .
If I were a cloud , I'd close my puffy eyelids and slide through the sky asleep .
If I were a cloud , I'd hug my cloud sisters , play and have fun with them all day long .
If I were a cloud , I would sit in my cloud grandmother lap like a bird in a nest , While she sings me a song .
If I were a cloud , I would stroll anywhere I wanted , mostly I would spend my time in the zoo .
If I were a cloud I wouldn't heed to visit the doctor . Have you ever heard of a cloud with the flu ?

If I were a cloud , I would never white when shy and even when kissed
If I were a cloud , I would find me a friend , a clever cloud , to tell my secrets to , and to never be missed .

If I were a cloud I'd be brave at night , darkness won't be fear .
If I were a cloud , I will not be lonely . When mummy and daddy clouds go out , I will have a good time with the rest of the clouds , knowing that they are near .
If I were a cloud , I wouldn't hear : You are spoiled . This isn't allowed . Stop it . Be quiet ….. Because I am a cloud and clouds have no ears .
If I were a cloud , I would blow up my own balloons effortly throughout the years .
If I were a cloud , I would protect people's heads when they walk in the sun without hats
If I were a cloud I'd be able to cry shedding tears at silly things like bats .
If I were a cloud , I would fill the world with the rain , giving water to all the animals and plants .
If I were a cloud , I'd make a big fluffy bed for my parents and me to sleep and when it was time , I would crawl in and sleep between them .
If I were a cloud , I would bring water to the thirsty people everywhere
.
And you , how do you find this story ?
If you were a cloud , what you would do ?
And if you were any thing else !! share us your dreams..





Friday, June 29, 2007

Folk Tales


Book : The Young OXFORD Book Of Folk Tales .
Author : Kevin CROSSLEY - HOLLAND .
Illustration : Rosemary Woods .
Publisher : Oxford university press.
Category : young readers 6 - 11 .
" One crucial way of engaging with any civilization is through its artistic achievment - its music and litterature and painting and sculpure and film .Out of study springs understanding ; and out of understanding grows respect , and even love . This is joyful work we can begin as children , and that children can share with adults , through the telling and redaing of folk -tales . " Kevin Crossley - Holland


The selected tale from this book is " The Power Of Love " it's from the Near Middle East " Armenia " .
The Power Of Love
A young man was intending to get married , when suddenly Death appeared and stood in front of him ." You shall die on your wedding day " he said .Petrified with fear , the young man could not utter a single word . He wondered sadly off until he came to the foot of Mount Biledjan . He looked up and saw an old man with a whit beard seated upon an aery throne , a staff in his hand . The old man's face shone with a bright light ." Why are you so pale , boy ? " asked the old man . " Where are you going ? "" I'm running away from Death " replies the young man . " I'm in grave trouble , that's for sure " .The old man smiled grimly , nodded his head and strocked his beard ." Nobody has ever yet managed to escape from that mangy bag-o'-bones , sure enough ! "he said " But I'll tell you something " his beard is firmly in my grasp , and I tell him when to take the soul of such and such a man , or shorten th life of such and such another , or lengthen that of such and such another " .- " Who are you then grandfather ? "- " They call me Time .- If you have such power , let me fall at your feet and beg you to save me ! You can se that I'm still very young and full of vigor . Why does he encompass my downfall ? What have I done to him ? "The old man was moved ." For so long you remain terrified of Death , you will flee him , and remain for ever homeless " he said " So walk one hundred paces to my right until you come to a wild plum tree . There , you will find a well with water as limpid as the eye of a crane . Drink of that water and the taste will rid you of the fear , and the spirit of fortitude shall rise within you . Then go your war , and God be with you . "The young man kissed the old man's hand, thanked him , found the well , drank the magic water which rid him of his fear and inspired him with fortitude , and went on his way .He marched on and on , until he came to a city built at the edge of a great sea . Here he sttled for a few years , earned himself a small fortune and hen made his way back home to his mother and father . No sooner had he crossed the threshold , however , when , hey presto ! there stood Death in front of him ! .- "So you thought you'd escape me did you ? said Death . " Who can extricate himself from my clutches , pray ? It's all up with you now ! Come on , hand over your soul ! "The young man's mother darted in between them .- " Why do you kill my young son " she cried " if you must have someone's soul , take mine ! . "Death started to tug at her soul , till it began to leave her feet and move up through her windpipe . The old woman could not stand it for long , " Help , Death is ravishing my soul ! " she cried .Death relaxed his grip .The young man's father darted forward .- " Do not kill my only son , the pillar and the light of my house ! " he cried " If you must have someone's soul , take mine ! .Death started to draw his soul till it left his legs and moved up past his tongue . The old man could not stand it for long ." Help me son ! Death is robbing me of my soul to save your life ! " he cried .Death relaxed his grip .- " I cannot blame them " said the young man , " There is no need for them to suffer for my sake . But since you are here , let us go to the house of my betrothed . If she is not prepared to sacrifice up her soul for me , then most gladly will I surrendered my own " .So Death and the young man went to the house of his intended bride . As soon as the girl saw the young man , Death had no time to set to work before she ran up threw her arms round the young man's neck and kissed him , It seemed they were but one body and soul .- " Ho there " shouted Death , " That's enough ! I've no more time to waste . Tell me what you wish to do ! "- " What do you want ?" asked the girl .- I'm here to take your young man's soul ! said Death.- " If you must take someone's soul , take mine ! " said the girl .Death began to tug at her soul , till it slowly came away at the tip of her toes and the roots of her hair .- " Why are you torturing me so ? " cries the girl " If you want my soul , take it at one go ! Let me only first kiss my betrothed , as I yearn to do , and then do as you will " .Death snatched away the girl's soul with one sharp tug . No sooner had he done so , howeve , than he began to marvel at her great love and devotion , and begin unable to dismiss the young man and the young woman from his mind , he relented , and he gave her back her soul , and left them together , and went on his way . The young man and his betrothed returned home in great joy . For three days and three nights the wedding festivities continued . and they achieved their heart's desire .Three apples fell from heaven : one for the bride , one for the bridegroom , and one for the white – bearded old man , who was , is , and ever shall be , until the end of Time . Amen .

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Story without end




writer : Ben Butterworth .
Illustration : Wayne Anderson .
Publisher : Longman .
About the discussion

This discussion is about analyzing a short story .
The group of work began with a discussion of the general building of the story .
(Title – characters – plot – setting " description" – conclusion " end " – time – place .. etc )
This group of work was mixed : six girls and three boys .
After this discussion , I gave them a story " story without end " , then they analyzed it , and wrote a summary .
At the end , they wrote their point of view .