Scorpion and the Frog

Nationality: Mexican
Age: Second Grade
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 03/09/17
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

“There was a scorpion and a frog, they were friends but then the scorpion eats the frog and they become one scorpion-frog.”

Interviewing second graders, it was hard to get detailed accounts of the myths they have heard.  However; I looked it up and there actually is a myth of the scorpion and the frog:

The Scorpion and the Frog
 A scorpion and a frog meet on the bank of a stream and the
scorpion asks the frog to carry him across on its back. The
frog asks, “How do I know you won’t sting me?” The scorpion
says, “Because if I do, I will die too.”

The frog is satisfied, and they set out, but in midstream,
the scorpion stings the frog. The frog feels the onset of
paralysis and starts to sink, knowing they both will drown,
but has just enough time to gasp “Why?”

Replies the scorpion: “Its my nature…”

 

This is interesting because the myth told by Anthony does not produce the same lesson.  The myth recited seemed more of a story, eliminating a real message or meaning.  But, it does follow the similar theme of the scorpion betraying the frog.  It has a purpose of exposing audiences of the threat of humanity, that humanity is not always dependable. There are people out there that have psychopathic tendencies and you can not blindly trust those around you.  

In some analyses of this myth, researches have popularly said “Don’t be the frog, and accept your inner scorpion–kind of a dark message. It intrigues me that a second grader would have heard of this myth, or at least some rendition of it.  It has no comparison to characters of any marvel heroes or popular disney films.  He said he had heard it from his father, and, when taking in his socio economic status, it could be a reflection of the troublesome life and race for sustainability and comfort in this impoverished time.  The concept that sometimes you have to surrender to your own means of survival and disappoint others; an interesting concept to teach children. 

“Telephone”

Age: Second Graders
Occupation: Students
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 02/29/17
Primary Language: English

While teaching second graders folklore, we wanted to begin with a fun activity to get them excited.  To teach them about the different ways to communicate folklore–oral, written, or mediated–we decided to play the game “telephone” to show how oral transference can be vulnerable to alterations.  When we asked if anyone knew the game, the whole classroom did.  We were prepared to explain the rules and it was not necessary.

Research the origin of this party game and you find the old title “Chinese Whispers”.  This name is popularly heard in the UK, for unknown reasons.  It follows the same rules: one person whispers a phrase or story to another and then that person passes it along until the last person reveals the story they heard with the humorous accumulation of changes.

The name “Chinese Whispers” formed in the United Kingdom in the mid 20th century.  Apparently it had used to be called “Russian Scandal” and got switched for unidentified reasons.  A theory is that the addition of “Chinese” was meant as an insult to the Chinese race and implied that this particular race did not know what they were talking about most of the time.  But this is not a cemented theory due to the lack of known political conflict between the Chinese and United Kingdom.

It is interesting that all the children in the classroom knew of this game.  It serves a good purpose though in the maturation of children.  It teaches the reality of gossip.  This is a big lesson that needs to be learned and the youthful, entertaining game does just the trick.  Folklore is said to carry some purpose, whether explaining a phenomenon or providing an easy way to teach lessons; and Telephone fits this category.  

When doing the game, the message got one hundred percent changed and modified.  But, when we used this outcome to explain the struggles with oral word instead of written, it reached the kids so much easier. There was no need for trust, they saw it for themselves.  And, that is the point for child folklore.

Tanbouri’s Shoes

Nationality: Syrian
Age: 52
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 11, 2017
Primary Language: Arabic
Language: English

Abu Al Kasem Al Tanbouri used to live in Baghdad, and he had very old shoes, which he used to patch up every time when it breaks. The shoe became a collection of patches, and it was known for everybody. One day, his friends insisted on him to get rid of these old shoes, so he threw it in the dumpster, and he went back home. On his way home, he passed by the market, and he saw these nice, colorful glass bottles. But he thought these are too expensive and he doesn’t need them. Then he passed by a place where they sell perfumes, and he thought this expensive perfume deserves to be in one of these beautiful, colorful glasses. So he went back, and he got one glass bottle, and then he got the perfume, and put the perfume in the glass, and put it on a shelf in the house.

Meanwhile, a man was passing next to the dumpster, and he saw the patched shoes, and he recognized them. So he thought, it’s impossible for Al Tanbouri to get rid of the shoes, and I need to take it back to him. When he knocked on the door, nobody answered (because Al Tanbouri was out), and he saw an open window in the house. So he threw the patched shoes through the window, and hit the glassed perfume, which broke, and the perfume spilled out of the glass.

When Al Tanbouri came back to the house, and he recognized what happened, he cursed the shoes, and he took them angrily, and he threw them in the river. After a while, a fisherman found the shoes in his net, and he recognized them. He thought that he needed to take them back to their owner, so he went to Al Tanbouri’s house, and he told him, “I found your shoes in my net.”

Tanbouri took the shoes and put it on the roof to dry. A cat thought the shoes were a piece of meat, and started to chew on it. So Al Tanbouri followed the cat, trying to get it to leave the shoes alone, but the cat put the shoes in his mouth, and started to jump over roofs. All of a sudden, the shoes fell from the cat’s mouth, and it hit a pregnant woman, and she fell down on her back, and miscarried the baby. So her husband went to the judge, accused Al Tanbouri with killing his unborn baby, after he recognized they were Al Tanbouri’s shoes. So the judge ordered him to pay blood money.

Al Tanbouri got very angry, and he started cursing the shoes, and thought, “I need to throw it in a place where no one will find it.” So he threw them in the sewers. In two days, the sewers flooded. When the workers came to check the reason of the flood, they found the patched shoes, and they recognized who the owner is. They took him to the judge again, and the judge ordered to send him to prison.

After he was done with his sentence, they gave back the shoes to him. Again, he cursed the shoes, and he thought, “I need to bury it in a deep place.” When he started to dig, the neighbors thought that thieves were digging through the fence, so they went to the police, and the police came and took him to the judge. Al Tanbouri asked the judge to write a document that he has nothing to do with the shoes anymore, and no matter what trouble they are causing, he has no connection to it.

Al Tanbouri’s shoes were famous for their bad luck.

Background information: The informant learned this from a friend of hers and thought it was entertaining and funny. It is a Middle Eastern story.

Context: The informant told me this in a conversation about folklore.

Thoughts: I thought this was a funny story – the fact that a pair of beaten-up shoes, nothing really important, can have serious ramifications on Al Tanbouri’s life is pure comedy, as well as the fact that the shoes inadvertently followed him everywhere. He tried so hard to get rid of them following well-meaning advice from his friends, and they caused so much trouble for him. I don’t recall any stories I’ve heard that are similar to this, so it was quite interesting and entertaining to listen to.

For another version of this story, see The Tanbouri Shoes (My Auntie’s Stories), published by Asalah (2008). ISBN-10: 9953488851.

Arabic Proverb

Nationality: Arab
Age: 60
Occupation: Engineer
Residence: Dubai, UAE
Performance Date: April 21, 2017
Primary Language: English
Language: Arabic

لما بيكبر ابنك ، خاويه

Transliteration: Lema beeyekbar ibnak, khaweeh.

Translation: When your son grows up, treat him as if he is your brother.

Background information: This is a well-known Arabic proverb.

Context: The informant told me this proverb in a Skype video call conversation about folklore.

Thoughts: The bond between brothers is a strong one, one reason being that they are typically close in age. Brotherhood is something that is revered in the Middle East, so it makes sense that when a father’s son grows up, the most respect the father can show his son, who is now a grown man, is treating him like a brother. It is interesting to see just how valued the concept of brotherhood, even if not blood-related, is in the Middle East.

Syrian Proverb

Nationality: Arab
Age: 60
Occupation: Engineer
Residence: Dubai, UAE
Performance Date: April 21, 2017
Primary Language: English
Language: Arabic

اتدخل بجنازة و لا تدخل بجوازة

Transliteration: Atdkhal bejnazeh wa la tadakhal bejwazeh.

Translation: Better to be involved in arranging a funeral, than arranging a marriage.

Background information: Well-known Syrian proverb.

Context: The informant told me about this proverb in a Skype video call conversation about folklore.

Thoughts: The idea here is that, when one arranges a marriage and it goes south, they are typically blamed for the couple’s woes, since it all started with the person arranging them to be together. The future of a marriage is not concrete – there is still room for it to go south and for the arranger to be blamed. The future of a funeral, however, is more concrete – there is no future. The person is dead, and you know they are dead, so there is no further business to be done and nothing to be blamed for. This is an interesting way to see both situations.