Wyoming, 1955, in School
Everyone looked the same. We had identical hair and skin color. I was plopped down in my matching desk solving math problems in unison along with everybody else. I knew I was only ten years old, almost eleven, and I had this one question that was really bugging me; were we all the same? I knew my mom and dad weren't, for sure. They were park rangers for the Grand Teton National Park. The park had just opened, so they were thrilled. Mom and dad spent all day working hard, helping wildlife, stopping hunters from killing rare wildlife. The park even started trying this amazingly new thing called "recycling." Some people would send nasty letters in the mail accusing rangers of taking away their freedom or expressing their outrage over the protections for wildlife. Those letters didn't bother me; I thought every single thing my mom and dad did is fantastic.
The dreaded school day was finally over. The scorching summer sun scowled down at me as I raced home. Once I got there, I threw aside my schoolwork, and flopped down into the nearest seat, exhausted. "Hey, Dad, anything in the news?" I asked curiously.
He grinned, exposing every tooth in his mouth. "Some other rangers and I saved a young bat from the old visitor center!" For him, it was the best news in the world.
"That's great," I laughed, "anything else?"
Dad's smile vanished instantly. "Oh. Sure." He smacked the newspaper down onto our rickety breakfast table, causing it to quiver and shake. My eyes zoomed to the headline on the front cover, dead center, and in bold:
Dead Negro Found in Tallahatchie River
August, 34, 1955, Mississippi
The body of a 14-year-old Chicago Negro, Emmett Louis Till, showing marks of brutal beating, was found in the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi on August 31. Roy Bryant, 30, and J.W. Milan, 36, white half bothers, were accused of beating then killing him because the boy had whistled at Bryant's wife in their local grocery store with other Negro friends. A jury acquitted Bryant and Milan soon after.
Then there was a picture. A mother and her family sobbing, obviously in agony. A crowd with their heads hung low bordered an open casket that lightly cradled the body of Emmett Till. My gut clenched. Marks of severe beating sprung from the page into my eyes and mind. Emmett's skin was the richest color of chocolate. He wasn't anything like kids in my class, my neighbors, or the local people I see nearly every day. Never in my entire life had I seen anything like him. He was different, and dead because of it. The pieces of the puzzle all started coming together. He was beaten, murdered, and thrown in that coffin because of two men who had white skin, just like everybody I knew... and even me. If there were such injustices in the world, did they even exist in my own town. This couldn't have happened in America... not my comforting, responsible America... could it?
This article seemed so impossible to believe that at first I thought it must be a joke, but my dad's dead-serious face told me it wasn't. These confusing thoughts kept circulating through my mind like bees around sweet summer flowers.
Dad must have read the expression on my face. He set aside his morning coffee and stared deep into my eyes, but I think he reached my soul. "Racism," he declared. "It irritates me too. Don't worry, though. Where we are, and with our race, we'll be perfectly fine." He said this with a straight face, in fact it was almost blank. It just didn't make any sense. As dad said though, it wouldn't effect me.
But it did; it did exactly that. From then on, all I could think about was Emmett and the Till family. And to make matters worse, the next few weeks, he was everywhere. The same gruesome picture popped up repeatedly on the news on television; his face was plastered on front covers of newspapers, and his name would spill from radios- he seemed to be following me. Mom and Dad would be over in the kitchen and I could catch what they were saying from my room. They were chattering about how tragic his death was. He's dead and the murderers got away with it, I thought. If we can't bring back the dead, what can we do about it?
All I could think about was Emmett Till- all the time. Emmett's picture flickered to light in my head. I thought constantly of his battered, distorted body in his casket at the funeral. That picture was engraved in my mind; I would dream of it, and it would haunt me. It was if my mind was demanding that I pay attention. Emmett Till didn't deserve to die. I didn't think I would ever truly understand racism, but I was sure of one thing; I wanted- needed to do something about it.
While I was obsessed with Emmit Till, the rest of the world continued on. Dad had sold his old, rusty, creaky car and a brand new, rocket red 1955 Chevy Bel Air had replaced it. I saw a red blur speed into our drive-way, tiny bits of gravel spewing everywhere. I heard the front screen door open then slam shut. We admired the new car until dinner time. It was just my mom, my dad, and me. Other than the clanking of silverware and the muffled chewing noises, all was silent. Once dinner was over, I asked my mom if I could go over to the local library.
I cruised over to the library on my bike. Our local library was the smallest library I had ever seen. There were only two couches and chairs in the entire place! Right as I walked in, a warm comforting feeling flowed through my body while I glanced around. The familiar dusty books kept me company as I searched for a book that might have contained something- anything about race in America. A little bit later, the kind librarian and I were flipping through every page of every book in the entire library! She was entirely confused as to why I would be interested in Emmett Till, or how I even knew about him. "It happened so far away. Why are you so worried about this?" she asked, but she took one look into my desperate eyes and could tell I was on a mission. It was frustrating because there was so little to find about racism in the 1950s.
"I think it's about time to close," the librarian said patiently, "and for you to go home."
"Okay! Well, thanks for helping." I hopped back on my bike. The sun tucked itself behind the Tetons, saying goodbye to Jackson for the day. I was riding home as I noticed this beautiful view, I realized that I didn't need to know any more information than that first article had. I raced home as the wind smacked my face and the thought stuck in my mind.
The battered screen door shut behind me as I hunted through through our recycling bin. The recycling was starting to catch on! Finally, I had found the old newspaper from weeks before, but I remembered it like yesterday; clear. I read it over and over, even though I had nearly memorized it.
The loud buzzing of the alarm clock startled me awake the next morning. As usual, I was dreading the early morning of a new Monday. Then I snapped out of the usual morning grog, remembering today was my first step in my plan. I changed into clothes, gobbled up my breakfast, grabbed my Emmett Till article, and ran out the door. "Bye, dad!"
I raced to school and got there just in time. The moment I walked in, people were already pulling out their items to share. Everyone was assigned to bring in an article each Monday morning to share with the class. This would be my most important homework assignment yet. All the other kids had normal articles, things that happened around Jackson, nothing out of the ordinary. Minutes dragged on by and nothing could compare to my article. The last name was called, and it was my turn to share. I took my spot near the chalkboard, centered in front of the class. I read the article aloud to the class. Eyes widened, jaws dropped, and some even clenched their teeth- I could tell they were mad. Once I had ended, almost every hand in the class shot up. And for the ones that hadn't raised their hand just blurted out questions.
"Who does something like that?"
"Why would something happen like that?"
"This can't be real!"
My classmates reacted similarly to me. Their reactions kept coming, like an explosion. Our teacher calmed everyone down and slowly we began to settle down to listen. She explained, "I have been thinking about doing a project of some sort, and this is the perfect topic to do it on." She explained that racism is a belief that ones idea or own race is superior to others. She explained that people show hatred toward others because of race, but also because of religion, beliefs, gender, and age. She asked us to describe times when we have felt hatred from another person due to a difference that was outside of our control. I was surprised that everyone had a story. I shared about the letters my parents were receiving just because they worked for the National Parks. Again I wondered, Why is there so much hate in the world? My classmates did too.
My teacher then told us about tolerance. She said that to be tolerant, we had to be interested in learning about others, understanding their points of view before passing judgment. "How can we build more tolerance in the world?" she asked. We brainstormed many ideas.
Weeks went by and my class and I worked harder and harder on our project. Our teacher spread the word and soon the entire school was working on it, too. As one, my school and I completed our project. One day after school, I raced home. Dad was reading the newspaper at the kitchen table. "Hey dad. Any news?"
Dad smiled the greatest smile yet and smacked the newspaper down onto our rickety breakfast table, causing it to quiver and shake. My eyes zoomed to the headline on the front cover, dead center, and in bold:
Elementary Helps Out!
Students take on racism by spreading tolerance in their own community. Posters fill the hallways of Elementary school, teaching kids from Kindergarten to 5th grade to be equal and respect other races, gender and religion. "It's okay to be different!" exclaims Elementary school's 5th grade teacher. Town surveys say this is one huge step toward building tolerance throughout the world. The students' goal is reached!
Then there was a picture in our hallway. Bright colors splashed all over: colors of race, religion, and gender - all coming together.
At the funeral, Mamie Till made one strong decision to leave Emmett's casket open. "Let the world see what I have seen," she exclaimed. And so we did.
By ~ Nicole
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Cleopatra ~by Alex CG
~ Rome ~
After many long weeks at sea surviving the rough waves and limited food, we finally arrived at Rome. We were welcomed with wide arms and a buffet in our honor. After dinner, I went up to my room and waited for the sun to set behind the horizon. As I peered out of the window, I saw a shadow zoom past. I crept down the stairs and out the door, only to find that familiar shadow peeking back at me.
As I peered across the empty field, a handsome figure watched. When our eyes met and locked, I knew that I had found my true love. For a moment I was afraid to move because I didn't want to ruin the trance that held us both still. I took a deep breath and begged my feet to move forward. Slowly, I crept toward him. In a flash, he disappeared behind a corner. "Stop!" I screamed, but he was already gone. For the rest of the night, I thought about my love.
The next day Ceaser invited me and my father to watch him in court. The way he argued the case was inspiring. When it was the other man's turn to speak, I looked up wearily, only to see the man from the field staring back at me with loving eyes. The only way I recognized him was his light brown, mesmorizing eyes. He was presented as Mark Antony.
Fury raged inside me. I had seen this man before walking the streets. But I'd never looked into his eyes, or heard his embracing voice. I studied the man for whom Antony was presenting. He had cropped black hair. He was rather scrawny and had a tired look on his face. I felt a singe of pity for the man. If Ceaser won, he would lose his land. He would lose everything. As I was trying to organize my thoughts, I was distracted by a distant clatter. Curiosity took over my body. I quietly got up, using the excuse that I had to go to the bathroom, to avoid tipping off the guards.
I snuck around the hallway, trying to locate the noise. Then I heard an ear-riping screech of terror. I stumbled over my feet as I dashed for the door. It seemed to be coming from the kitchen. As I flung open the door, I saw a small orange kitten being trapped by a large chef with a rusty, old butcher knife. "What are you doing?" I screamed in astonishment.
The man moved his mouth in a way as if he were about to yell at me, but quickly changed his expression when he saw who was talking. He seemed to be in pain. He answered with a tired and miserable voice, "This is my cat. I can't afford to keep him anymore, and my boss won't let me keep feeding him food from the kitchen. I would like more than anything to let this kitten live his long happy life."
"I'll buy him from you!" I screamed, my voice still singed with shock. Because we were in Rome, he obviously didn't understand the importance of cats. For in Egypt, they represented the goddess Bastet. She was the protector of women and kids.
We both just stood there for a while. Then he looked up and said, "You do not have to pay me if you give Aro a good home."
I crept back to the courtroom holding Aro, just in time to catch the final decision. Ceaser had won. As they were getting ready to leave, Aro leaped out of my hand and meowed. Antony turned to pet the kitten. When he saw me behind him, he smiled and said, "Hello." For a while we talked about Aro. But then he asked me if I wanted to take a tour around town with him tomorrow. I almost immediately said, "Yes."
We spent every day together from that moment on. After each day, we became closer. After a few years, we decided to get married. Everything was going perfectly until my father became very ill. We knew he was dying, but we did not know what to do. Then we heard a meow. When we turned around, Aro was standing on a map of Eygpt. It was a sign, so we decided to move to Egypt to be closer to my father.
~ Egypt ~
While we were in Egypt, we had many beautiful children and forgot about the problems in Rome. Our lives in Egypt were carefree until Ceaser found out that Antony had given much of the land once ruled by Alexander The Great to my family. Ceaser became so angry he declared war against Egypt. Antony knew this was his fault so he decided to lead the war against Rome defending Egypt. I felt it was my duty to go and fight alongside him, but the people couldn't risk losing their last pharaoh. I was forbidden to go.
Days later, the Egyptian army returned with less soldiers than they left with. They returned to recriut more soldiers and gather more supplies and food. They had lost the first battle, but the war still raged on. I begged Antony not to return. I begged, "Just let the soldiers go! Stay with me." But, he wouldn't listen. Days later they had lost yet another battle. Caesar had passed through our defenses. And Antony had retreated home. Caesar was chasing after him. Antony did not want Caesar threatening my life, so he returned to battle to keep Caesar from storming the pyramids. Knowing that Caesar would not stop until we were dead, I came up with a plan.
~ Cleopatra's Plan ~
I called my loyal servant Eva into my chambers, I told her everything. She knew that Egypt was at stake. I asked of her a favor. I told her to tell everyone I was dead. I told her it was the best thing for Egypt, but really I knew I was only thinking of my family. Within days, Eva had done her job. Messengers had spread the word throughout Egypt and almost everyone had heard of my fake death. As the rumors continued to spread, I went into hiding. I waited for Caesar to find out and return to Rome, I didn't expect Antony to find out first.
~ Anthony ~
Antony's heart was filled sorrow when he heard the news. He jumped on his horse and raced for home. He had to see Cleopatra's body to believe this news. It couldn't believe it. As he rode, the only person that he could think of was Cleopatra. I cannot survive without her! We must be together, he thought. He was determined to make that happen again. With a broken heart and thoughts filled with the love of his life, he plunged the knife into his stomach. He closed his eyes and fell to the floor.
He opened his eyes when he heard a meow and felt a tongue as rough as sandpaper move across his cheek. Aro was standing above him. he looked up and found Cleopatra; she was still alive. My heart lept with joy, as I took my final breaths. Cleopatra fell to her knees and drew my head into her lap. My eyes closed as she wept.
~ Cleopatra ~
Cleopatra knew she couldn't live without him. As his eyes closed and his heart stopped, so did mine. I took a deep breath and reviewed his last words over and over again. He said, "Do not weep over my present pain, rejoice in our past happiness. I loved you with all my heart." How could I rejoice when Antony was dead? How could I rejoice when Caesar was coming after me? How could I live without the love of my life? This thought was unbearable.
Again I called Eva into my room. '
I told her to go to Puho and retrieve an Asp. The Asp was the Egyptian cobra. One bite and I would be with Antony again. Every second I wasn't with Antony was tearing apart my heart. Then, Eva came silently through the door. I knew she was depressed, but she had to understand that I just couldn't live without him. She returned, carrying a basket. Inside I could hear the slither from the cobra, and it made my skin crawl. She set it down next to me. I carefully lifted the lid and the Asp flew out, but before it could touch me, Aro leaped in front of it and began hissing and clawing at its neck. I cried, "Aro! Get away from it!" He wouldn't listen. He was trying to save my life. The asp struck at him, sinking his fangs into my poor cat's neck. I screamed, "No!" It was too late. Everything I loved was dead now. Broken hearted, I looked into the eyes of the asp and silently begged for my release.
By ~ Alex C-G
After many long weeks at sea surviving the rough waves and limited food, we finally arrived at Rome. We were welcomed with wide arms and a buffet in our honor. After dinner, I went up to my room and waited for the sun to set behind the horizon. As I peered out of the window, I saw a shadow zoom past. I crept down the stairs and out the door, only to find that familiar shadow peeking back at me.
As I peered across the empty field, a handsome figure watched. When our eyes met and locked, I knew that I had found my true love. For a moment I was afraid to move because I didn't want to ruin the trance that held us both still. I took a deep breath and begged my feet to move forward. Slowly, I crept toward him. In a flash, he disappeared behind a corner. "Stop!" I screamed, but he was already gone. For the rest of the night, I thought about my love.
The next day Ceaser invited me and my father to watch him in court. The way he argued the case was inspiring. When it was the other man's turn to speak, I looked up wearily, only to see the man from the field staring back at me with loving eyes. The only way I recognized him was his light brown, mesmorizing eyes. He was presented as Mark Antony.
Fury raged inside me. I had seen this man before walking the streets. But I'd never looked into his eyes, or heard his embracing voice. I studied the man for whom Antony was presenting. He had cropped black hair. He was rather scrawny and had a tired look on his face. I felt a singe of pity for the man. If Ceaser won, he would lose his land. He would lose everything. As I was trying to organize my thoughts, I was distracted by a distant clatter. Curiosity took over my body. I quietly got up, using the excuse that I had to go to the bathroom, to avoid tipping off the guards.
I snuck around the hallway, trying to locate the noise. Then I heard an ear-riping screech of terror. I stumbled over my feet as I dashed for the door. It seemed to be coming from the kitchen. As I flung open the door, I saw a small orange kitten being trapped by a large chef with a rusty, old butcher knife. "What are you doing?" I screamed in astonishment.
The man moved his mouth in a way as if he were about to yell at me, but quickly changed his expression when he saw who was talking. He seemed to be in pain. He answered with a tired and miserable voice, "This is my cat. I can't afford to keep him anymore, and my boss won't let me keep feeding him food from the kitchen. I would like more than anything to let this kitten live his long happy life."
"I'll buy him from you!" I screamed, my voice still singed with shock. Because we were in Rome, he obviously didn't understand the importance of cats. For in Egypt, they represented the goddess Bastet. She was the protector of women and kids.
We both just stood there for a while. Then he looked up and said, "You do not have to pay me if you give Aro a good home."
I crept back to the courtroom holding Aro, just in time to catch the final decision. Ceaser had won. As they were getting ready to leave, Aro leaped out of my hand and meowed. Antony turned to pet the kitten. When he saw me behind him, he smiled and said, "Hello." For a while we talked about Aro. But then he asked me if I wanted to take a tour around town with him tomorrow. I almost immediately said, "Yes."
We spent every day together from that moment on. After each day, we became closer. After a few years, we decided to get married. Everything was going perfectly until my father became very ill. We knew he was dying, but we did not know what to do. Then we heard a meow. When we turned around, Aro was standing on a map of Eygpt. It was a sign, so we decided to move to Egypt to be closer to my father.
~ Egypt ~
While we were in Egypt, we had many beautiful children and forgot about the problems in Rome. Our lives in Egypt were carefree until Ceaser found out that Antony had given much of the land once ruled by Alexander The Great to my family. Ceaser became so angry he declared war against Egypt. Antony knew this was his fault so he decided to lead the war against Rome defending Egypt. I felt it was my duty to go and fight alongside him, but the people couldn't risk losing their last pharaoh. I was forbidden to go.
Days later, the Egyptian army returned with less soldiers than they left with. They returned to recriut more soldiers and gather more supplies and food. They had lost the first battle, but the war still raged on. I begged Antony not to return. I begged, "Just let the soldiers go! Stay with me." But, he wouldn't listen. Days later they had lost yet another battle. Caesar had passed through our defenses. And Antony had retreated home. Caesar was chasing after him. Antony did not want Caesar threatening my life, so he returned to battle to keep Caesar from storming the pyramids. Knowing that Caesar would not stop until we were dead, I came up with a plan.
~ Cleopatra's Plan ~
I called my loyal servant Eva into my chambers, I told her everything. She knew that Egypt was at stake. I asked of her a favor. I told her to tell everyone I was dead. I told her it was the best thing for Egypt, but really I knew I was only thinking of my family. Within days, Eva had done her job. Messengers had spread the word throughout Egypt and almost everyone had heard of my fake death. As the rumors continued to spread, I went into hiding. I waited for Caesar to find out and return to Rome, I didn't expect Antony to find out first.
~ Anthony ~
Antony's heart was filled sorrow when he heard the news. He jumped on his horse and raced for home. He had to see Cleopatra's body to believe this news. It couldn't believe it. As he rode, the only person that he could think of was Cleopatra. I cannot survive without her! We must be together, he thought. He was determined to make that happen again. With a broken heart and thoughts filled with the love of his life, he plunged the knife into his stomach. He closed his eyes and fell to the floor.
He opened his eyes when he heard a meow and felt a tongue as rough as sandpaper move across his cheek. Aro was standing above him. he looked up and found Cleopatra; she was still alive. My heart lept with joy, as I took my final breaths. Cleopatra fell to her knees and drew my head into her lap. My eyes closed as she wept.
~ Cleopatra ~
Cleopatra knew she couldn't live without him. As his eyes closed and his heart stopped, so did mine. I took a deep breath and reviewed his last words over and over again. He said, "Do not weep over my present pain, rejoice in our past happiness. I loved you with all my heart." How could I rejoice when Antony was dead? How could I rejoice when Caesar was coming after me? How could I live without the love of my life? This thought was unbearable.
Again I called Eva into my room. '
I told her to go to Puho and retrieve an Asp. The Asp was the Egyptian cobra. One bite and I would be with Antony again. Every second I wasn't with Antony was tearing apart my heart. Then, Eva came silently through the door. I knew she was depressed, but she had to understand that I just couldn't live without him. She returned, carrying a basket. Inside I could hear the slither from the cobra, and it made my skin crawl. She set it down next to me. I carefully lifted the lid and the Asp flew out, but before it could touch me, Aro leaped in front of it and began hissing and clawing at its neck. I cried, "Aro! Get away from it!" He wouldn't listen. He was trying to save my life. The asp struck at him, sinking his fangs into my poor cat's neck. I screamed, "No!" It was too late. Everything I loved was dead now. Broken hearted, I looked into the eyes of the asp and silently begged for my release.
By ~ Alex C-G
King Henry Arthur ~ by Justin
"They are coming! To arms men! To arms!" cried Henry, as the advancing army crept closer. "Archers ready!... aim!... fire!" Henry's voice rang throughout the castle. After the archers fired, at least 300 men from the enemy army were laying in the dust, stepped on by their marching comrades. When Henry's army of archers fired again, it was a wave of arrows as more archers had arrived at their stations. As the arrows rained down on the enemy, Henry could see the enemy soldiers fall limp and helpless to the ground. Henry was confident he was going to win this battle until...
His heart stood still as a stone when he saw the enemy's front line split in half and march two separate ways. In the middle stood at least a 1000 new archers. They aimed and shot at the castle. The arrows blocked the sun. "Get down!" shouted Henry as the arrows rained down on them. Henry ran for cover. He looked over his shoulder to see the first arrows slamming into the bodies of his men. From his cover, he could still see arrows raining down like a thunderstorm. By the time the arrows stopped falling, he could hear the crashing of swords and logs against the gate. Then, like the sound of one world colliding with another, he heard the gate fall, slamming into the ground with a earsplitting clang. Before he knew it, the sound of sword-on-sword battle flooded the castle, creeping up the stairs toward him. He heard the screams of his men getting slaughtered by the enemy knights. The stench of blood filled the castle. He was shocked that the gate would fall so easily. He was frozen in his spot, watching enemy knights flood the castle under him. He knew he had to react soon to save his men and himself. Knights started flowing up the stairs towards him. This was it. He and his comrades had to stand and fight. He took his sword from his side and jumped into battle, stabbing and slashing at enemy knights. Lifeless heads flew through the air as blood spurted from their necks. Fury flooded through him as he took down the enemy knights all around him. He felt rage flooding through him as he the battle intensified. He was light on his feet, energized by the fight. As he attacked another knight, he felt a sword slide through his chest, like a knife through hot butter.
Henry was startled as he woke to hear the sounds of his dream come to life... he heard the sound of swords and shields clashing together...the sound of battle. As he dozily walked from his room to his balcony, he saw a sea of knights fighting each other. But under all the knight's feet he could see the lifeless bodies of his fallen comrades. Henry thought he should try to fight to defend his kingdom, even though he was but a young boy. He grabbed the sword his brother had given him and his brother's old armor. He burst out his door only to see his father walking towards him and yelling, "Get back in your room!". Henry started to protest but his dad silenced him with a wave of his hand. As he reluctantly sat on his balcony, he looked down as the knights fought.
He couldn't find his brother in the masses. Fear shot through him as he wondered if he was still alive, or if his brother was one of the lifeless bodies laying on the ground in a puddle of blood. He shooed the thoughts away and reminded himself of the fact that his brother was the best knight in the kingdom. He made himself think that his brother was still fighting among those brave knights, risking their lives for their home. He hoped that one day he could do the same. But a menacing thought wondered around his mind like a mouse in a cheese factory.
Screams of terror filled the castle. But not because of enemy knights, rather the arrows were being fired over the walls. The screams died down and cheering started. Henry realized the enemies were retreating. They had won, and with every victory, there was a celebration.
Henry was just a young boy. His older brother Peter was a knight. His brother’s trainer was Sir Lancelot and his dad Gregory was king of Camelot. Despite all that, Henry was treated like a little kid. Henry had always wanted to follow in his brother's footsteps and become a knight. On some nights he would dream about becoming the best knight that ever lived and conquering all of the land around his kingdom. But on other nights, he had nightmares also about becoming a knight. There were disadvantages of being a knight. He had been begging his dad and his brother's trainer Sir Lancelot for years to start training, but every time he asked, he got the same answer, "No." And every time he asked, his dad would get angrier and angrier. This made Henry a very stubborn young boy. Henry would only last so long before he reached his breaking point.
During the celebrate of their victory, the breaking point came. Henry's dad held a tournament at Camelot. Henry's brother Peter was competing, and it was Henry's job to gather Peter's sword and armor for him. As Henry gathered his things, an odd thought crept into his mind. I am getting stepped on and pushed around. He hated the thought and quickly pushed it out of his mind. It seemed as if he was being used as a servant more and more as he got older. It was a depressing thought and seemed very true. His brother had started to make him do more ridiculous tasks, and this outraged Henry. He was determined to gain respect. He had to prove himself worthy some way, but for now, he didn't have any ideas and needed to get back to his brother before he got angry.
Henry decided to ask his father one last time if he could start knighthood training. When he approached his father, he asked with the most serious and determined voice he could. He was sure his father would approve, but to his astonishment, his dad started to laugh and said, "You are just a little boy, far too young to become a knight!" The words stung the sting of a bee. The words kept repeating over and over in his mind. That night he decided to create a plan B: sneak out at night and train himself. He was sure it would work.
As he got better and better at the moves he practiced, he taught himself harder and more sophisticated moves. as he got better and better at those individual moves, he started to arrange them into a sequence as if he was on the attack. one day he was going through a new routine when he saw a dark figure approaching. As it got closer, he realized it was a old man. Henry stood still as a rock and said boldly, "Who goes there?"
"My name is Merlin. I am a wizard who has helped your family before. I come again to help you now. I have had a dream, a dream of Henry a bold knight pulling the sword from the hand of the lady of the lake," Merlin said in his croaky but young voice.
"How could I do such a thing? I am but a young boy. All the most powerful kings have tried and failed?" Henry said astonished.
"You must believe in yourself. You must never give up!" Merlin said.
"You are just an old man why should I listen to you?" spat Henry.
"I am not telling you to listen, but to believe," Merlin said wisely.
Intrigued, Henry gathered his things and as he left Merlin standing alone in the forest, he pondered those words. He knew that older men were very wise, but what if Merlin was more than that and this was the path to the respect he had always dreamed of?
That night he reflected over the last few months. He had worked hard to become a knight. He had been so focused on gaining more power and respect, that he forgot about his actual life. Yes, he had trained with his brother and Sir Lancelot, but it only resulted in his brother pushing him around because of age. He hated this. He was tired of being stepped on; he was tired of being second. No matter what he did, his brother had done it first. How would he shine. Henry had trained and trained for months, but he was in the same place... second.
Henry looked for ways to prove himself to his father. His favorite way was to pull the sword from the stone. But he thought that if no king could do it then he couldn't, although that wouldn't stop him from trying. For some reason the idea wouldn't leave his mind. The image of the sword wouldn't go away. The image of the ghostly hand holding the sword worried Henry. Henry had no idea what the stone looked like, but he figured that the image was similar to the real thing. The thought stayed with Henry over the next few weeks, but Henry kept going about his business training with his brother.
Finally, he knew there was no other way. He would pull the sword Excalibur out of the stone. He could see himself pulling the sword from the stone; Henry knew he could do it. That night Henry was laying in bed when the Lady of the Lake appeared and told him that the sword was meant for him alone. He was astonished at first, but he realized that this is why the image of the sword wouldn't leave his mind. Henry realized that the sword was meant for him. Now Henry's main goal was to get out of the kingdom and go to the Lady of the Lake and attempt to free the sword from the stone. For the next few days, Henry tried to find a time to get out of the kingdom and go to the stone. But Henry could not get away from Peter. Ever since he had become a knight, Peter would not leave his side. Henry was getting annoyed by his brother. It was as if he knew his plan and was trying to stop him. However, he would soon escape from his brother and follow his dreams.
One day Henry woke up expecting his brother to walk in and ask to go and out train. But his brother was not rushing in yet. Henry was surprised, this was unlike his Peter. He walked over to his balcony and opened the curtains. It was pouring rain, that explained why peter hadn't woken him. Then suddenly lightning split the sky with a deafening crack. All Henry wanted to do was return to his bed like everyone else...then he realized this was the day. He ran to his room trying to gather his things under all of his possessions which was nearly impossible because it was like a sea of clothes. when he finally found what he wanted he flew out his door almost running into his brother.
"Henry!" shouted Peter.
"sorry brother, I'm in a hurry!" Henry said breathing hard.
"Well, watch it!" Said Peter in his angry voice.
Henry kept running passing the court yard and got to the gate breathing as hard as a dog. the guard opened the gate with a nod from Henry. He sprinted through the forest, trees flying by him. He had to duck so he wouldn't get hit by hanging branch. He got to the lake and he flopped down in the grass for a few minutes to rest. He stood up a few minutes later and realized it had stopped raining. He wondered if it stopped before he got outside because he didn't remember getting wet. Henry walked up to the water's edge looking for the stone. He thought he saw it a few times but he thought he must have been having an illusion. Finally he saw it. a big stone hand grasping the most beautiful sword in the world... Excalibur.
He looked around for a small boat and found one at the edge of the lake. There was a single row in it so he had to paddle in a weird way. He finally got to the stone to his surprise the stone and sword were starting to glow. He put his hands up to grab it, and it glowed more brightly. When his fingers touched the sword, the rock rumbled. He grasped the sword with all his strength and pulled with all his might. Excalibur slipped out of the stone with hardly any effort.
Henry felt a new burst of energy flow through him as he held the brilliant specimen in his hand. The sword was long and unbelievably light. He gently set it down in the boat and started to row to the shore. Half-way there he felt cold water touch his feet. The boat was leaking, Henry rowed harder and harder. He reached the edge of the lake knee deep in water. He leaped out of the boat with the sword in his hand. The boat sank into the depths of the lake.
Henry turned to walk back to the castle when he heard a twig break. He held his sword high and stalked forward. Peter appeared from behind a bush and nearly made Henry jump out of his skin. "Henry! how did you do that?"
"I don't know, Peter," said Henry still shocked from Peter's appearance.
"This Means you are the new king of Britain!" said Peter wile bowing before him.
"Father will never believe me," Henry said sadly glancing at the sword.
"I will make him believe," promised Peter.
"Thanks!" answered Henry. The two brothers walked towards the castle admiring the brilliant sword. The sword that would be used by the mighty king of Britain... King Henry Arthur.
by ~ Justin
His heart stood still as a stone when he saw the enemy's front line split in half and march two separate ways. In the middle stood at least a 1000 new archers. They aimed and shot at the castle. The arrows blocked the sun. "Get down!" shouted Henry as the arrows rained down on them. Henry ran for cover. He looked over his shoulder to see the first arrows slamming into the bodies of his men. From his cover, he could still see arrows raining down like a thunderstorm. By the time the arrows stopped falling, he could hear the crashing of swords and logs against the gate. Then, like the sound of one world colliding with another, he heard the gate fall, slamming into the ground with a earsplitting clang. Before he knew it, the sound of sword-on-sword battle flooded the castle, creeping up the stairs toward him. He heard the screams of his men getting slaughtered by the enemy knights. The stench of blood filled the castle. He was shocked that the gate would fall so easily. He was frozen in his spot, watching enemy knights flood the castle under him. He knew he had to react soon to save his men and himself. Knights started flowing up the stairs towards him. This was it. He and his comrades had to stand and fight. He took his sword from his side and jumped into battle, stabbing and slashing at enemy knights. Lifeless heads flew through the air as blood spurted from their necks. Fury flooded through him as he took down the enemy knights all around him. He felt rage flooding through him as he the battle intensified. He was light on his feet, energized by the fight. As he attacked another knight, he felt a sword slide through his chest, like a knife through hot butter.
Henry was startled as he woke to hear the sounds of his dream come to life... he heard the sound of swords and shields clashing together...the sound of battle. As he dozily walked from his room to his balcony, he saw a sea of knights fighting each other. But under all the knight's feet he could see the lifeless bodies of his fallen comrades. Henry thought he should try to fight to defend his kingdom, even though he was but a young boy. He grabbed the sword his brother had given him and his brother's old armor. He burst out his door only to see his father walking towards him and yelling, "Get back in your room!". Henry started to protest but his dad silenced him with a wave of his hand. As he reluctantly sat on his balcony, he looked down as the knights fought.
He couldn't find his brother in the masses. Fear shot through him as he wondered if he was still alive, or if his brother was one of the lifeless bodies laying on the ground in a puddle of blood. He shooed the thoughts away and reminded himself of the fact that his brother was the best knight in the kingdom. He made himself think that his brother was still fighting among those brave knights, risking their lives for their home. He hoped that one day he could do the same. But a menacing thought wondered around his mind like a mouse in a cheese factory.
Screams of terror filled the castle. But not because of enemy knights, rather the arrows were being fired over the walls. The screams died down and cheering started. Henry realized the enemies were retreating. They had won, and with every victory, there was a celebration.
Henry was just a young boy. His older brother Peter was a knight. His brother’s trainer was Sir Lancelot and his dad Gregory was king of Camelot. Despite all that, Henry was treated like a little kid. Henry had always wanted to follow in his brother's footsteps and become a knight. On some nights he would dream about becoming the best knight that ever lived and conquering all of the land around his kingdom. But on other nights, he had nightmares also about becoming a knight. There were disadvantages of being a knight. He had been begging his dad and his brother's trainer Sir Lancelot for years to start training, but every time he asked, he got the same answer, "No." And every time he asked, his dad would get angrier and angrier. This made Henry a very stubborn young boy. Henry would only last so long before he reached his breaking point.
During the celebrate of their victory, the breaking point came. Henry's dad held a tournament at Camelot. Henry's brother Peter was competing, and it was Henry's job to gather Peter's sword and armor for him. As Henry gathered his things, an odd thought crept into his mind. I am getting stepped on and pushed around. He hated the thought and quickly pushed it out of his mind. It seemed as if he was being used as a servant more and more as he got older. It was a depressing thought and seemed very true. His brother had started to make him do more ridiculous tasks, and this outraged Henry. He was determined to gain respect. He had to prove himself worthy some way, but for now, he didn't have any ideas and needed to get back to his brother before he got angry.
Henry decided to ask his father one last time if he could start knighthood training. When he approached his father, he asked with the most serious and determined voice he could. He was sure his father would approve, but to his astonishment, his dad started to laugh and said, "You are just a little boy, far too young to become a knight!" The words stung the sting of a bee. The words kept repeating over and over in his mind. That night he decided to create a plan B: sneak out at night and train himself. He was sure it would work.
As he got better and better at the moves he practiced, he taught himself harder and more sophisticated moves. as he got better and better at those individual moves, he started to arrange them into a sequence as if he was on the attack. one day he was going through a new routine when he saw a dark figure approaching. As it got closer, he realized it was a old man. Henry stood still as a rock and said boldly, "Who goes there?"
"My name is Merlin. I am a wizard who has helped your family before. I come again to help you now. I have had a dream, a dream of Henry a bold knight pulling the sword from the hand of the lady of the lake," Merlin said in his croaky but young voice.
"How could I do such a thing? I am but a young boy. All the most powerful kings have tried and failed?" Henry said astonished.
"You must believe in yourself. You must never give up!" Merlin said.
"You are just an old man why should I listen to you?" spat Henry.
"I am not telling you to listen, but to believe," Merlin said wisely.
Intrigued, Henry gathered his things and as he left Merlin standing alone in the forest, he pondered those words. He knew that older men were very wise, but what if Merlin was more than that and this was the path to the respect he had always dreamed of?
That night he reflected over the last few months. He had worked hard to become a knight. He had been so focused on gaining more power and respect, that he forgot about his actual life. Yes, he had trained with his brother and Sir Lancelot, but it only resulted in his brother pushing him around because of age. He hated this. He was tired of being stepped on; he was tired of being second. No matter what he did, his brother had done it first. How would he shine. Henry had trained and trained for months, but he was in the same place... second.
Henry looked for ways to prove himself to his father. His favorite way was to pull the sword from the stone. But he thought that if no king could do it then he couldn't, although that wouldn't stop him from trying. For some reason the idea wouldn't leave his mind. The image of the sword wouldn't go away. The image of the ghostly hand holding the sword worried Henry. Henry had no idea what the stone looked like, but he figured that the image was similar to the real thing. The thought stayed with Henry over the next few weeks, but Henry kept going about his business training with his brother.
Finally, he knew there was no other way. He would pull the sword Excalibur out of the stone. He could see himself pulling the sword from the stone; Henry knew he could do it. That night Henry was laying in bed when the Lady of the Lake appeared and told him that the sword was meant for him alone. He was astonished at first, but he realized that this is why the image of the sword wouldn't leave his mind. Henry realized that the sword was meant for him. Now Henry's main goal was to get out of the kingdom and go to the Lady of the Lake and attempt to free the sword from the stone. For the next few days, Henry tried to find a time to get out of the kingdom and go to the stone. But Henry could not get away from Peter. Ever since he had become a knight, Peter would not leave his side. Henry was getting annoyed by his brother. It was as if he knew his plan and was trying to stop him. However, he would soon escape from his brother and follow his dreams.
One day Henry woke up expecting his brother to walk in and ask to go and out train. But his brother was not rushing in yet. Henry was surprised, this was unlike his Peter. He walked over to his balcony and opened the curtains. It was pouring rain, that explained why peter hadn't woken him. Then suddenly lightning split the sky with a deafening crack. All Henry wanted to do was return to his bed like everyone else...then he realized this was the day. He ran to his room trying to gather his things under all of his possessions which was nearly impossible because it was like a sea of clothes. when he finally found what he wanted he flew out his door almost running into his brother.
"Henry!" shouted Peter.
"sorry brother, I'm in a hurry!" Henry said breathing hard.
"Well, watch it!" Said Peter in his angry voice.
Henry kept running passing the court yard and got to the gate breathing as hard as a dog. the guard opened the gate with a nod from Henry. He sprinted through the forest, trees flying by him. He had to duck so he wouldn't get hit by hanging branch. He got to the lake and he flopped down in the grass for a few minutes to rest. He stood up a few minutes later and realized it had stopped raining. He wondered if it stopped before he got outside because he didn't remember getting wet. Henry walked up to the water's edge looking for the stone. He thought he saw it a few times but he thought he must have been having an illusion. Finally he saw it. a big stone hand grasping the most beautiful sword in the world... Excalibur.
He looked around for a small boat and found one at the edge of the lake. There was a single row in it so he had to paddle in a weird way. He finally got to the stone to his surprise the stone and sword were starting to glow. He put his hands up to grab it, and it glowed more brightly. When his fingers touched the sword, the rock rumbled. He grasped the sword with all his strength and pulled with all his might. Excalibur slipped out of the stone with hardly any effort.
Henry felt a new burst of energy flow through him as he held the brilliant specimen in his hand. The sword was long and unbelievably light. He gently set it down in the boat and started to row to the shore. Half-way there he felt cold water touch his feet. The boat was leaking, Henry rowed harder and harder. He reached the edge of the lake knee deep in water. He leaped out of the boat with the sword in his hand. The boat sank into the depths of the lake.
Henry turned to walk back to the castle when he heard a twig break. He held his sword high and stalked forward. Peter appeared from behind a bush and nearly made Henry jump out of his skin. "Henry! how did you do that?"
"I don't know, Peter," said Henry still shocked from Peter's appearance.
"This Means you are the new king of Britain!" said Peter wile bowing before him.
"Father will never believe me," Henry said sadly glancing at the sword.
"I will make him believe," promised Peter.
"Thanks!" answered Henry. The two brothers walked towards the castle admiring the brilliant sword. The sword that would be used by the mighty king of Britain... King Henry Arthur.
by ~ Justin
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Book Talks
Your First Name:
Name of the Book:
Author:
Page of passage...
Why did you choose this passage?
Three reasons you like this book:
1.
2.
3.
Name of the Book:
Author:
Page of passage...
Why did you choose this passage?
Three reasons you like this book:
1.
2.
3.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
More on the Holocaust and Bob Behr
More information about Bob Behr from the US Holocaust Museum, including a video.
More information about Kristallnacht, video of Bob Behr.
More information about Theresienstadtfrom the US Holocaust Museum.
More Survivor Presentations...also, a new link called Stories of Liberation (note: recommended for mature students - or to be viewed with an adult)
Even more Oral histories...this includes interviews with perpetrators and witnesses.
More information about Kristallnacht, video of Bob Behr.
More information about Theresienstadtfrom the US Holocaust Museum.
More Survivor Presentations...also, a new link called Stories of Liberation (note: recommended for mature students - or to be viewed with an adult)
Even more Oral histories...this includes interviews with perpetrators and witnesses.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Hiroshima Sites
1. Some information and link for The Mushroom Club - wikipedia
*A great interview with Shigeko Sasamori (found by Kinzel!)
2. White Light/Black Rain ~ The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is his next movie that includes the speaker we saw.
3. To consider the issues around nuclear disarmament....try Issues and Controversies. (Jackson/hole)
4. You can find a lot of articles, videos, and 2 great websites from World Book Online (teton1 / schools)
5. Lots of video segments from United Streaming!
6. Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation's mission is to rid the world of nuclear weapons. Click to sign their petition. If you want more information about this foundation, contact Harvey Zendt at hzendt@yahoo.com or 302-376-6339.
5. Here is the link to the missing nuclear bomb in Greenland ... Interesting current event!
6. A list of many, many different sites, videos, pictures, etc... Click Here
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