Traditional Fairy Tales, Class Eight (03/05)

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Monday, March 5, Period 2

Students arriving at the Danger Shop will find themselves in an idyllic country setting. A thatched hut stands nearby, and in the yard grazes a rather thin-looking cow. Once the students are assembled, Aziraphale gives his instructions for the lesson.

"Before we begin today's lesson, I have just a bit of business to take care of. First, I'll need written excuses for absences for the following students:

Armony Eiselstein (two absences)
Conner McKnight (one absence) excused
Matilda Wormwood (one absence)

"Also, come prepared next week to participate in an open discussion. This will be a chance to study for your upcoming test, and to discuss any questions or ideas you have about the lessons and assignments so far. You may also use the time to meet with your project groups.

"And one final announcement: our field trip with the Conflict Management class will be on March 16-18. We'll be traveling by train up to New York City, where we'll visit the United Nations and take in a Broadway play. More information will be handed out next week, along with your room assignments."

LESSON: "Today you'll be participating in another Immersion Study. This one is based on your reading from our previous class: "Jack and the Beanstalk". You'll each be taking on the role of Jack, and your assignment is to get into the giant's tower and steal three items: a bag of gold, a hen that lays golden eggs, and a singing harp. You can slip in on your own, or try to get assistance from the giant's wife. However, be aware that you can only carry one item at a time, and the giant's wife will become more suspicious each time you return. Also, if the giant himself discovers you, he'll attempt to capture you. If the giant gives chase, you may use whatever means you like to defeat him. The assignment is completed when you return with the third item."

[OOC: There are OCD threads below for three encounters: first to steal the bag of gold, second for the hen, and third for the harp. As mentioned above, you can play out the scenario as it is traditionally told, or you can be creative and put your own spin on it. The giant and his wife will respond accordingly. The Danger Shop will provide you with whatever materials you might need, but keep in mind that it will also equip your adversaries in the same manner. If you feel you won't have time to do all three phases, feel free to skip ahead, or to SP the tags. You have until the end of the week to play it out.]

ASSIGNMENT: Write a brief essay on your experience with the Immersion Study, focusing particularly on the theme of Coming of Age or Morality as it applies to this tale. There is no reading assignment for next week.

[ooc: Class is going up early because I may be somewhat AFK in the morning. Please wait for OCD is now up, and class is in session. I will catch tags for Aziraphale and the lesson in the morning.]

Syllabus
Class Roster
Project Groups
Linkdrop for classes

Comments

IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Your poor mother sent you to market yesterday to sell the cow, hoping to get enough money to buy food for a little longer. However, along the way you encountered a strange man, who traded you three magic beans for the cow. Needless to say, your mother was not impressed. She threw the beans out the window and sent you to bed without supper. This morning, however, you see that the beans have sprouted overnight, and a huge beanstalk stretches upward into the clouds.

[Assignment One: Retrieve a bag of gold from the giant's tower.]

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

Cedric, always curious, started climbing the beanstalk almost immediately.

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

The beanstalk seemed to go on forever, but as Cedric emerged from the clouds, he would see a huge tower looming over him. The door to the tower was immense, as if made to accommodate someone ten times Cedric's size.

[ooc: Will be a little slow for a few hours.]

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"Well, wow," Cedric breathed. "Big tower." Since nothing else was around, Cedric started out for the tower.

[No worries! Me too!]

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

The heavy wooden door of the tower was closed, but there was a huge iron door knocker. The windows were set high off the ground, but someone standing his toes might be able to peer over the sill and see inside.

From within the tower, once Cedric was near, came the smell of food cooking.

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[connernotconnor.livejournal.com]

This should be easy, right?

. . . right.

Conner figured he'd better get the jump on the giant (especially since he didn't have access to a 50-meter attack robot any more), so he scurried up the beanstalk with his super speed.

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

As Conner emerged from the clouds at the top of the beanstalk, he saw a huge tower looming over him. The massive door was immense, as if made to accommodate someone ten times Conner's size.

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[connernotconnor.livejournal.com]

"Awwww, man," groaned Conner, looking up at the tower. "I want my Tyrannozord . . ."

He gulped hard, reminding himself that he could probably easily outrun anything that size (if it didn't squash him first), approached the tower, and knocked once on the door.

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

There was a heavy iron knocker on the door, and when Conner rapped it, the sound echoed inside the tower. A moment later, a woman wearing an apron and mob cap opened the door. She was quite tall, taller than Conner, but not as enormous as the size of the tower would suggest. The smell of cooking food wafted from within.

"Eh, and what can I do for you, boy?" she asked. "You'd best run on, before my husband returns."

[ooc: Must go AFK for a couple of hours, will catch tags when I return.]

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[stocksgrrl.livejournal.com]

Turtle had severe issues with accepting that she would ever make a crap trade like that, but she tried to get over them for the sake of the scenario. Seriously. This Jack kid was an idiot...not to mention the incredible stupidness of climbing up a strange mysterious stalk that appeared overnight, but, again, for the sake of the assignment, checked the house for any climbing harnesses, found none and figured this was going to be a long climb because her upper body strength was crap.

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Despite its great height, climbing the beanstalk proved to be less of an effort than one might expect. As Turtle emerged from the clouds, there was an immense tower looming overhead. The door to the tower was enormous, as if meant to accommodate someone ten times her size.

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[stocksgrrl.livejournal.com]

"Oh, my, a great big tower," Turtle muttered to herself as she, feeling terribly cynical today, moved across the clouds to get closer to it, "maybe it might be a good idea if I check it out, despite not knowing anything about it, though it is clearly the home of a giant, possibly a mean one."

And, with that in mind, she decided to poke around the outside of the tower and find a back entrance or something like that to use. She'd only broken into one house before, but she knew enough to know you never used the front door.

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

There were several windows around the first floor of the tower, all of them quite high, but by standing on one's toes, a person might be able to peer over the sill and look inside. The front door was massive, with a heavy iron knocker, and appeared to be the only door.

Although a close inspection around the perimeter of the tower would reveal a narrow gap in the stones at the back of the tower, possibly large enough for a smallish person to just squeeze. Looking into the gap showed that it led into what looked like a pantry.

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River was good at climbing, so she didn't hesitate.

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Upon reaching the top of the beanstalk and emerging from the clouds, River encountered an immense round tower looming over her. The massive wooden door had a heavy iron knocker, and looked large enough to accommodate someone ten times her size.

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River wondered if she was to be polite and knock or be rude and just open the door. She finally shugged and just tried to push the door open.

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

With a creak, the door very slowly swung open as River pushed at it, but by the time she had it open far enough to get inside, she was met by a women in an apron and mob cap. The woman was very tall, but not nearly as immense as the surroundings might have suggested. She gave River a surprised look.

"Eh, what do you want, girl? Best be running along, before my husband returns, or he'll roast you and eat you and crack your bones."

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[dude-its-jude.livejournal.com]

Jude looked up. "Dude. Awesome."

So he hitched up his shorts and began climbing, pausing occasionally to hitch them up again. He really needed to invest in smaller belts.

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Eventually Jude made it to the top, shorts and all. When he emerged from the clouds, he was able to see an immense tower looming over him, with a wooden door. The door was massive, as if made to accommodate someone ten times Jude's size.

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[dude-its-jude.livejournal.com]

Jude looked up, looked way up, and idly wondered if he'd see a giraffe wandering around outside. Then realised that this was the US and only the CBC had the good kiddie crack like that.

He knocked on the door.

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

There was a heavy iron knocker on the door, and when Jude rapped it, the sound echoed inside the tower. After a moment, the door was opened, by a woman in an apron and mob cap. She was very tall, much taller than Jude, but not as immense as the surroundings might suggest.

"Eh, what is it that you want, boy? You'd best be off quick, before my husband gets home."

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[bookyeve.livejournal.com]

Evie stared upward, then very carefully began to pick her way upward, stopping for a rest a couple times, but climbing steadily.

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

The climbing was easier than one might imagine, and when Evie reached the top and emerged through the clouds, she could see an immense tower looming above her. The front door was huge, as if made to accommodate someone ten times her size.

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[bookyeve.livejournal.com]

Evie stared upward in dismay, then went looking along the edge of the door. Perhaps there was a knothole? Or maybe she could just wait for someone to come out, because there was no way to reach a doorknob. Or a knocker, for that matter!

Re: IMMERSION STUDY: PHASE ONE

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

After some inspection, Evie was able to find a knothole she could peer through, and although the windows were set high, if she stood on her toes she might be able to just peer over the edge of the sill.

And when she looked inside, she could see a tall woman in an apron and mob cap, sweeping and humming. The woman was quite a lot taller than Evie, although still dwarfed by the immense furnishings around her.

While Evie was snooping investigating, the woman came to the door and opened it to empty her dustpan. "Eh, what are you doing, girl? You'd best run along quick, before my husband gets home!"