Essay: Manly Man

One universal symbol of men.

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I've learned something. Maybe not so much learned as was given a fresh perspective, but was enlightened nonetheless. There is something to manhood. I'll never really know for myself (because I'm not a man, duh) but there is something that turns a boy into a man. Not male. Biology makes you a male. But a man. What REALLY makes a man "a man?" 

I feel like, in Twenty-Two Goblins, Ryder tapped into this in some way! Particularly in The Four Scientific Suitors and The General's Wife.

In The Four Scientific Suitors, there is a girl whose beauty is known throughout the land. She has no interest in marrying royally, but simply asks for a man who is good-looking and is accomplished in one science. Four suitors come by, all showing off their own abilities according to his science. The one found worthy for her to marry was the swordsman because "[o]f course she should be given to the warrior Swordsman who had some manhood with his science." (The Four Scientific Suitors)

What skills accompany a warrior swordsman? Bravery. Valiance. Fearlessness. The list goes on and on. Manhood is attached to these and qualities alike! Not that these things, or a lack thereof, defines that quality of a person- but if you ask any girl out there, you better believe she wants a brave one! A fearless one! A protector!

In the General's Wife, there is a woman whose beauty far surpasses any around. The king sends out a crew to the girl, asking them to report back about her quality. They lied and told him there was something wrong with her. She then marries the General. Years later, the king sees her on a balcony and falls madly in love at first sight. He was angered to hear that his crew had lied about her beauty. As an honorable servant, the general offers up his wife to the king, but the king would have none of it. The kind refuses and says:

"I am a king. How can I do such a wicked thing? If I should transgress, who would be virtuous? You are devoted to me. Why do you urge me to a sin which is pleasant for the moment but causes great sorrow in the next world? If you abandon your wedded wife, I shall not pardon you. How could a man in my position overlook such a transgression? It is better to die." (The General's Wife)

I find his response so encouraging. It's true- if the ruler of a land transgresses so blatantly, how can he ask his people to refrain from the deplorable? The leader sets the standard. Manhood, again, demands these qualities. Leadership and valiance. 

I guess it is just cool to me to read about the qualities that make a boy become a man. Yes, there are many more out there- but these stories aren't too far off on some things!

Storytelling Week 5: A Love to Produce

It was a little after noon one breezy June day, and she sauntered in so unsuspectingly. Careful, she was. Taking care to gather everything she needed, she packed each item efficiently around her. It was time. She grabbed a hold of her rod, pushed with all of her might and was off.


He’d arrived that same day. The ship he had came off was crowded, with others like him and many of different color. Although he was of the same descent, he looked different than even his own kind, rejected in a way. He wasn’t too sure about his new station, and hoped it would be different. It was a new place with new dreams. Would he be chosen for greatness?


She started at a good pace, occasionally stopping to take in her surroundings, sometimes even taking samples. She seemed to be on a specific mission- she would pick things up and examine them closely, only to put them right back or to grab even more samples. She neared the area where he was standing, clueless that she was so proximal to her destiny.


He was in a room with all of his comrades, this room much different than any other he’d ever seen. There were people all around, curious they seemed. It had been a long time since he had seen a people like this. Feeling uncomfortable about his obvious inability to measure up to the guys next to him, he tried to shift to make himself more attractive to those who happened to glance his way. Several people had come by and tried to interact with him, only to look away quickly or to have their face go sour at the sight of him.


It was at that moment she saw him. She’d sworn to never deal with his kind. She’d been around those similar, and didn’t like her dealings with them. But how could she resist? He wasn’t the best looking in the bunch, no, but there was a sort of magnetism about him that demanded her interest.


In came Enemy, under the cover of “just doing his job.” He watched as Enemy swept in like a hawk, giving a fatal blow to another guy only a few rows down. Enemy’s hand neared, and fear swept over him like a rushing wind. No, not today. I will be chosen for greatness- I will not end my days like this!


She saw Enemy trying to destroy her love. “NO! STOP!” she cried. Not today, Enemy can not destroy this love that can so easily produce these deep feelings in her. Reaching out her hand, she barely stopped Enemy from coming in with the deadly kill. Looking right at him, she teared up at the thought of losing her love.


Enemy backed off. She gladly reached for that perfectly-sized, rough-in-appearance, deep-green avocado that had caught her eye from across the produce section.

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Author's Note: This story is loosely based on The Girl and the Thief from the book Twenty-Two Goblins translated by Arthur W. Ryder and illustrated by Perham W. Nahl in 1917. Granted, the original story wasn't about a woman who laid eyes on a perfect avocado, but the basics are the same. 

The original story talks about a girl who swears she will never marry. At that time, a thief came and plundered the city, taking everything and killing many. The thief was finally caught and was being dragged to slaughter whenever the girl saw him for the first time. She immediately fell in love with him, and swore that if they didn't let him go she would kill herself rather than live lovesick. He ends up dying and she was going to burn herself on the funeral pyre with him when the favor of the gods allowed him to live. They lived happily ever after. In my version, the thief is the avocado (unloved by those around him) and the girl is the woman who spots the avocado. The Enemy in my story represents a grocer who is just doing his job in removing the produce that doesn't look appealing to customers! I thought this was a fun, creative way to rewrite this already-fun story!

There he was, the perfect avocado that caught her eye from across the store.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Reading Diary B: Twenty-Two Goblins

The second half of Twenty-Two Goblins seemed similar to the first, and very entertaining! I thought it was an interesting way to end the story wight he monk dying, but, nevertheless, it was a good story. In all honesty, I should shave seen a weird ending coming!

My two favorite stories from the second half were The Girl and the Thief and The General's Wife.

The former I enjoyed because it ended happily! So many of these stories end with death or grief, and I liked that the girl's sacrifice led to her favor with the gods to bring her lover back to life. It ends with everyone enjoying everyone else. It's a story of redemption!

The latter was entertaining because it had central themes of honor and virtue, which we don't see in kings in a lot of other stories. Especially in mythology, you see the gods take whomever they want for themselves and are caught up in vanity and entitlement. This story was neat because the king honored virtue over pleasure! I like the note at the top that compares it to the biblical story of David and Bathsheba, because I noticed so many similarities!

David on the throne, very similar to the King in The General's Wife.

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Reading Diary A: I don't know about you, but I'm Feeling Twenty-Two, Goblins that is.

I read Twenty-Two Goblins from Indian folklore for this week! It's about a king who is on a mission to retrieve a body for a monk. The king finds the body, but it is held captive by a goblin. The only way to rid the body of the goblin is by outwitting the goblin's riddles.

The first six riddles were rather entertaining in my not-so-professional opinion. I think the whole setting of the story is a bit strange, but I've come to realize that strange is normal in mythology. There is no realistic setting for a tale. My favorite story from the first half was The Four Scientific Suitors.

This story is about a beautiful girl who wants a husband who is good-looking (I'm right there with her!) and is skilled in one area of science. For instance, there is one who makes clothing, a farmer, a warrior, and one who can raise dead to life (kind of?). Which one should be her husband? The king is smart and says the warrior, because he at least has some manhood in his science. It ends with this quote: "Discouragement never enters the brave heart of a resolute man." I like this quote because it makes me feel as if the young, lovely lady gets to marry a manly man. One who is not discouraged easily, and carries with his science a little valor. That's a victory in my book!

Mighty swordsman and future husband of the lovely girl.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons