fandomhigh | Traditional Fairy Tales, Class Eight (03/05)

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
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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.

"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.

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.]

Conner gave her his best pitiful smile. "Well . . . I'm lost, and I smelled food, and wow, I'm starving," he blustered. "I'm waaaaaaaaay smaller than you. It wouldn't take that much to feed me, if you could spare me a bite or something?"

[OOC: No worries -- am about to be a bit busy here myself.]

The woman was generous at heart, and Conner's request for food was met with quick agreement. She held the door open for him, looking around outside to be certain her husband wasn't about.

"Come in and have a bowl of stew," she said, leading Conner to the fireplace, and serving him up a huge bowl. "But you'd best eat it quick, because if my husband catches you, he'll roast you and eat you and crack your bones."

"I can be quick," Conner insisted -- gratefully, because he really was hungry. If he hadn't been, he wouldn't have been as convincing. "How come he's so jumpy about strangers, anyway?"

"Not strangers, boy," the woman replied, handing Conner the bowl. "But he'll eat up an Englishman as quick as anything. He'll be home soon, to count his gold, so you'll want to be gone before that."

As she spoke, she waved her hand toward a huge wooden box, the size of a steamer trunk, set up on a shelf high above Conner's head.

"But I'm American," Conner said dubiously. ~~Ignore the traces of New Zealand accent slipping through on occasion.~~ "I don't think we're as tasty. 'cause of all the junk food."

He eyed the steamer trunk and groaned inwardly, wondering how he was going to get all of that out of here without being noticed. Or, for that matter, how he was going to get into the trunk in the first place.

"Hey . . . you're sure that's real gold, and not, like, a decoy?"

"All the same to a giant," the woman observed, not seeming to care if there was a difference between an Englishman and an American. She gave Conner a puzzled look at his question, and replied, "Not real? Of course it's real! No self-respecting giant would keep false treasure in his house. Here, I'll prove it to you."

Pulling up a tall stepladder, she climbed up to the shelf and, exhibiting a surprising strength, retrieved the box. She then set it on the table, and motioned for Conner to use the ladder to climb up. Turning a massive key in the lock, the woman opened up the box to reveal several large sacks of coins.

"There, you see?"

Conner climbed up and peered into the box, his eyes widening.

"I don't know," he said, keeping up the dubious tone. "They make really good forgeries these days."

"Nonsense!" the woman exclaimed. She pulled one of the sacks from the box, and opened it for Conner to see. "Look, real gold coins, every one."

Just then, the front door opened, then shut with a bang, followed by heavy footsteps that made the tower shake.

"My husband is home!" the woman hissed, scrambling down from the table. "Here, hide in the woodbox, before he sees you!"

Throwing open the woodbox, she then hurried out of the room to intercept her husband.

Conner was extra grateful for his super-speed right about then. Moving so quickly that even with the enhanced ability he was panting, he crammed the bag of gold into the front of his shirt, then slammed the chest shut.

He felt kind of stupid, and he sure as hell wasn't hiding in the woodbox, so still at the accelerated pace he hightailed it out of the room, and (hopefully) out of the tower, toward the beanstalk.

Conner sped past a huge, hairy man, who roared in loud confusion at the blur of color. But he made it easily out the door, and to the beanstalk, without being pursued.

Probably because the giant had no idea what had just happened.

Too bad Conner missed the beanstalk in his headlong charge to get out of there, and fell down . . .

Luckily for Conner, the Danger Shop safeties were on. So that after his very long plummet from the sky, he landed with a gentle thud, like falling onto a mattress.

Aziraphale, watching, might have facepalmed.

Conner hit the ground with . . . a much gentler oof than he expected, and promptly turned as red as his shirt. (What? It was a good color on him.)

"Well, that was anticlimactic."

Also, embarrassing. He used to be able to use his speed to make falls like that easy. Obviously he was going to have to practice.

Traditional Fairy Tales, Class Eight (03/05)

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