Displaced

The Willful Child
"Once upon a time there was a child who was willful, and would not do what her mother wished.  For this reason God had no pleasure in her, and let her become ill, and no doctor could do her any good, and in a short time she lay on her death-bed. When she had been lowered into her grave, and the earth was spread over her, all at once her arm came out again, and stretched upwards, and when they had put it in and spread fresh earth over it, it was all to no purpose, for the arm always came out again.  Then the mother herself was obliged to go to the grave, and strike the arm with a rod, and when she had done that, it was drawn in, and then at last the child had rest beneath the ground." Brothers Grimm

Hi! I’m Anabelle. I’m practicing my reading. Moma says reading is very important. Like my nails? I painted 'em myself, moma says it’s important to look pretty cuz that’s what being a lady is. You wana know what else moma says? Moma says when she was a little girl about my age her neighbors had a kid too and he was a BRAT!! He never would mind his moma or any other grown person. Moma says God doesn’t much care for bratty children and he turned his face away and let the boy get real sick. So sick no doctor could help and after he died, when they put him in the ground he was such a little brat that he popped his leg out. Well they’d push it down and push it down but the he wouldn’t even obey death, till finally his moma marched right on down to that cemetery and hit the leg with a switch! Too little too late moma says. You wana know what else? Everything moma says is true.

Mid-term presentations went very well. Thanks for making them fun and interesting!
I had a hard time with this assignment and admittedly my fairy tale was not very well displaced. I really wanted to tell a story a child might tell, so I could dress up and run around like a little kid.
On the subject of displaced fairy tales, one of my favorites is the movie Freeway starring Reese Witherspoon, Kiefer Sutherland, and Brooke Shields. If you haven't seen it check it out or wikki the plot, but I highly recommend this film.

Last semester I started a side project tracing the influence of mythology and literature in heavy metal music lyrics. Although the focus of my independent research is on heavy metal, I often come across gems like this one from other genres. There is a great video for this song on youtube. Enjoy!


Fairytale
Cinderella's on her bedroom floor
She's got a
Crush on the guy at the liquor store
Cause Mr. Charming don't come home anymore
And she forgets why she came here
Sleeping Beauty's in a foul mood
For shame she says
None for you dear prince, I'm tired today
I'd rather sleep my whole life away than have you keep me from dreaming
[Chorus:]
'cause I don't care for your fairytales
You're so worried about the maiden though you know
She's only waiting on the next best thing
Snow White is doing dishes again cause
What else can you do
With seven itty-bitty men?
Sends them to bed and calls up a friend
Says will you meet me at midnight?
The tall blonde lets out a cry of despair says
Would have cut it myself if I knew men could climb hair
I'll have to find another tower somewhere and keep away from the windows
[Chorus]
Once upon a time in a faraway kingdom
Man made up a story said that I should believe him
Go and tell your white knight that he's handsome in hindsight
But I don't want the next best thing
So I sing and hold my head down and I break these walls round me
Can't take no more of your fairytale love
[Chorus]
I don't care
I don't care
Worry bout the maiden though you know
She's only waiting spent the whole life being graded on the sanctity of patience and a dumb
Appreciation
But the story needs some mending and a better happy ending
Cause I don't want the next best thing
No no I don't want the next best thing"
by Sara Bareilles

Further suggested listening: "White Rabbit" Jefferson Airplane
"A boy Named Sue" Johnny Cash (This not a fairy tale, but a great story song. Who doesn't love a great story song?)