fandomhigh | Creature Languages, 03/02, Period 3

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Creature Languages, 03/02, Period 3

"I hope you are all prepared for your midterm. The test is on your desks; you have until the end of the class period to complete it. After you have handed it in, you may leave."

Creature Languages Midterm

Part One: Essay

Answer two of the following three questions.

1. We have learned Spider, Dragon, Rat and Cat. Which did you prefer and why?

2. Have you attempted to apply your lessons in this class in your dealings with animals in the world? Briefly discuss what you did and the results. If you have not, explain a situation in which it might be beneficial.

3. How do creature languages reflect the culture of the beings who speak them? Give an example.

Part Two: Translation
Translate these sentences into creature languages to the best of your ability:
a. SPIDER -- "A stitch in time saves nine.”
b. DRAGON -- "Necessity is the mother of all invention."
c. RAT -- "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."
d. CAT -- "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

Extra Credit
Write a dialogue (three to five exchanges) in the creature tongue of your choice.

[OOC: This is really a test of creativity, obviously. Handwave it if you have to, but it's 25 percent of your grade, and I need something by the end of Spring break.]

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Hand 'em over.

1. We have learned Spider, Dragon, Rat and Cat. Which did you prefer and why?
I preferred Dragon because it makes me use my imagination more. It also doesn't require whiskers to speak it properly, which is a definite advantage over Cat.

2. Have you attempted to apply your lessons in this class in your dealings with animals in the world? Briefly discuss what you did and the results. If you have not, explain a situation in which it might be beneficial.
I don't know if it counts, but Victor had himself turned into a cat two nights ago, and then had difficulty returning to normal. So I spent the evening with him and we talked in Cat. In a more real world manner, I run a large home, and I intend to speak with the Spiders in the manor about areas where they can live without fear from the maids. I'm sure we can come to some accommodation in terms of "keeping up appearances" when it comes to cobwebs, and co-existence.

3. How do creature languages reflect the culture of the beings who speak them? Give an example.
Cat seems like the easiest one. The way a cat refers to itself versus the way it refers to humans is a very clear sign of the way cats see themselves in the world. And humans.

4. Translate these sentences into creature languages to the best of your ability:
a. SPIDER -- "A stitch in time saves nine.”
/A well-woven web catches a big meal./

b. DRAGON -- "Necessity is the mother of all invention."
/Creation's seed
Is great need/

c. RAT -- "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."
/Sticks and rocks might break my bones, but words can't bend my whiskers./

d. CAT -- "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
/All inferior being jobs and no superior one jobs make/ Jack /boring and inferior./

EXTRA CREDIT: Write a dialogue (three to five exchanges) in the creature tongue of your choice.
Walter stares at the page for a while and seriously considers skipping the extra credit, but instead writes out a quick exchange in Cat paraphrasing his dialogue with Victor two nights prior.

V: /Help! I'm a superior one!/
W: /Why are you a superior one?/
V: /Nice pretty witch inferior being made me a superior one./
W: /Why?/
V: /Prepare for hard work in talking class./

Walter hands his test in and leaves.

Creature Languages Midterm

Part One: Essay

Answer two of the following three questions.

1. We have learned Spider, Dragon, Rat and Cat. Which did you prefer and why? I prefer cat. It seems like it would be the one that would be the most useful in everyday world. A lot of people keep cats as pets and it's nice to know what they want.

3. How do creature languages reflect the culture of the beings who speak them? Give an example. The Dragon language reflects their culture. The rhymes look back to a medevial age when they were more numerous.

Part Two: Translation
Translate these sentences into creature languages to the best of your ability:
a. SPIDER -- "A stitch in time saves nine.”
/A sturdy web doesn't break in the rain./

b. DRAGON -- "Necessity is the mother of all invention."
/Only when you are in need
Can you create the seed./

c. RAT -- "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."
/Claws and teeth may break my bones but words will never pain me./

d. CAT -- "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
/All hunting and no nap makes Jack boring and not worth my time./

1. We have learned Spider, Dragon, Rat and Cat. Which did you prefer and why? I preferred Cat, as I find the culture most interesting, also having had a kitten I have found it the most usual so far

2. Have you attempted to apply your lessons in this class in your dealings with animals in the world? Briefly discuss what you did and the results. If you have not, explain a situation in which it might be beneficial. As mentioned above having learnt I have feel I have been able to interact with my kitten and understand better what it wants. For example in the mornings I used to be able to understand whether he was meowing for food or because he needed to pee.

Part Two: Translation
Translate these sentences into creature languages to the best of your ability:
a. SPIDER -- "A stitch in time saves nine."- //A// stitch //on time helps a number//
b. DRAGON -- "Necessity is the mother of all invention."//something that is needed is the parent of things that are created
c. RAT -- "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." //branches and boulders will break my skeletone, but speech or writing will not squish me//
d. CAT -- "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." //All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy//

1. We have learned Spider, Dragon, Rat and Cat. Which did you prefer and why?

I'm sorry, I can not choose which one I like the best, so I will select one and describe why I like it. Spider was the language I have utilized the least, but I really enjoy the language of Spider. It is a very subtle language, which is not a quality I normally possess myself.

Pippi goes on to discuss the "elegant simplicity" of the spider language, in which body language is a integral, can be spoken as easily with a bipedal for as with an arachnid. Pippi maintains that the Spider language, spoken by a bipedal creature seems to her to be very clandestine and would be a good way to communicate if the speakers didn't want people "in the know" to realize what was being said, or even that anything was being said at all.

2. Have you attempted to apply your lessons in this class in your dealings with animals in the world? Briefly discuss what you did and the results. If you have not, explain a situation in which it might be beneficial.

Pippi discusses attempting to use rat (http://community.livejournal.com/fandomtownies/620371.html?thread=24156499#t24156499) to find help in the junkyard... Which didn't turn out so well, but it did give her an option to try when she otherwise wouldn't have any.

Pippi then discusses how her experience with Dragon, and an encounter with a telepathic hawk (http://community.livejournal.com/fandomtownies/567070.html?thread=22511390#t22511390) let her puzzle out communications with an owl that Maia wanted to deliver a letter for her. (http://maias-notebook.livejournal.com/29673.html)

Pippi also gives a short redux of her previous conversation with Dream about Jack's birthday party and how speaking Dragon came in handy. (http://community.livejournal.com/fandomhigh/646030.html?thread=30546062#t30546062)

She closes with a bit about how one of her friends was turned into a cat for a short time this week and she was able to communicate with them.

Part Two: Translation
Translate these sentences into creature languages to the best of your ability:
a. SPIDER -- "A stitch in time saves nine.”

//Build your web strong in the morning and you will eat well all day without having to spend more time making repairs then eating.//

b. DRAGON -- "Necessity is the mother of all invention."

//When one has great need
It plants in the mind a small seed.
The nature of the seed will supply incentive.

That prompts the gardener to be inventive.//

c. RAT -- "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."

//Your teeth would take a chunk out of my ears, but your chittering won't.//

d. CAT -- "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

//Hunting for yourself cuts into nap-time.//

Extra Credit
Write a dialogue (three to five exchanges) in the creature tongue of your choice.

Spider: Salutations!

Rat: Salu-what?

Spider: Salutations!

Rat: What are they? And where are you? Please tell me where you are and what are salutations?

Spider: Salutations are greetings. When I say salutations, it's just my fancy way of saying hello or good morning. Actually, it's a silly expression, and I am surprised that I used it at all. As for my whereabouts, that's easy. I'm up here. Look, I'm waving. See me now?

Rat: Oh yes, indeed! How are you? Good morning! Salutations! Very pleased to meet you.

Mr Neilson turns in a test full of paw prints and scratches.

He answers very well.

[ooc - "//Hunting for yourself cuts into nap-time.//" For the win!]

[[ooc :D

1. We have learned Spider, Dragon, Rat and Cat. Which did you prefer and why?

I prefer both Dragon and Rat, each for its own reasons. I like Rat because I really like rodents, and I think it's cool to be able to talk with them. I like Dragon because I can identify with dragons. I'm human, but I'm sometimes called a lizard because of my mutation. Dragons go through the same thing, when they're actually evolved from snakes, not lizards.

2. Have you attempted to apply your lessons in this class in your dealings with animals in the world? Briefly discuss what you did and the results. If you have not, explain a situation in which it might be beneficial.

I've had several opportunities to practice all of the languages we have learned so far, especially Dragon and Cat. Last week I went to a funeral for Professor Tick's fish and Lockheed said a eulogy for her. Because of what I learned here, I was able to understand most of what he was saying. Also, recently I asked a classmate to morph me into a cat to help me get a better grasp on the language. However, she couldn't reverse the spell right away, and I spent the rest of the night as a cat. I had to rely on what I had learned to be able to communicate with my other classmates. Fortnately, when I woke up I was abck to normal, but the experience taught me a lot about Cat and how it's used.

4. Translate these sentences into creature languages to the best of your ability:

a. SPIDER -- "A stitch in time saves nine.”

//A strand spun right saves the web.//

b. DRAGON -- "Necessity is the mother of all invention."

//Creation flies on the wings of need.//

or

//When necessity deems creation
there within comes inspiration.//

c. RAT -- "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."

//Wood and rock may crush me but words will never touch me.//

d. CAT -- "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

//If you don't live life, you might as well be a human.//

EXTRA CREDIT: Write a dialogue (three to five exchanges) in the creature tongue of your choice.

Victor wrote the following in Rat:

//Hey friend. Got cheese?//
//Yes, I have chedder.//
//Chedder? Chedder...//
//I'll share with you.//
//Thank you!//

Part One: Essay

Answer two of the following three questions.

1. We have learned Spider, Dragon, Rat and Cat. Which did you prefer and why?

I took a personal fancy to Dragon, because I found the rhyming to be very lyrical. It makes the language flow nicely, and it wasn't extremely difficult to learn.

2. Have you attempted to apply your lessons in this class in your dealings with animals in the world? Briefly discuss what you did and the results. If you have not, explain a situation in which it might be beneficial.

Having not personally dealt with any of the animals we learned how to speak to in class since learning them, I would have to assume what doing so would be like. A situation I believe having learned Cat, Dragon, Rat and Spider would be beneficial could possibly be if myself or a friend were having an unpleasant experience with one of the creatures. Myself, for one, being marignally terrified of spiders, knowing their language makes them seem less frightening (although it is a little silly to be petrified of an animal usually so tiny in comparison to myself...) because I can talk to them conversationally, if not fluently. Cat is highly beneficial because cats tend to be a popular domestic animal kept as a pet -- it's always fun to have conversations with your next door neighbor's pets. Dragon may not be as personally beneficial, as I've yet to meet any dragons outside of Lockheed, but I'm sure that in places where they are more common it is a good language to understand. Talking your way out of getting roasted and eaten by a dragon definately seems like a benefit to me. I find Rat to be beneficial becuase they are common creatures, and most people don't consider them to be very friendly or pleasant. Learning the language and "meeting" one of them changed my opinion on the creatures, and I realized that all rats are stereotyped after only some of their kind.

Part Two: Translation

Translate these sentences into creature languages to the best of your ability:

a. SPIDER -- "A stitch in time saves nine.”

//Sewing your web well saves your nine children.//

Sakura raises her eyebrows. Where the hell did she get "children"? She knew that was wrong.

b. DRAGON -- "Necessity is the mother of all invention."

//The necessity is the mother of all the inventions.//

Maybe a little better with this one...

c. RAT -- "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."

//The grasps and the stones can break my bones, but the word will never damage it.//

d. CAT -- "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

//The whole subordinating, working and no higher work is a fact at the drill and at the cat-subordinated.//

Extra Credit
Write a dialogue (three to five exchanges) in the creature tongue of your choice.

In Dragon:

//Hello, friend.//
//Good day, sir.//
//Indeed. What is it that you read?//
//A good book, dear sir. A love triangle, and they're all in love with her.//
//What a shame that is, for all involved. Will the mystery of who she is with ever be solved?//

//

Part One: Essay

Answer two of the following three questions.

1. We have learned Spider, Dragon, Rat and Cat. Which did you prefer and why?

Rat was probably the one I wanted to learn most, for see next question reasons, but I think the rhymey thing with Dragon is the most fun. Even if I'm not so hot at it.

2. Have you attempted to apply your lessons in this class in your dealings with animals in the world? Briefly discuss what you did and the results. If you have not, explain a situation in which it might be beneficial.

I haven't yet, but I plan to use Rat to try to talk to a friend from my old school who accidentally turned herself into one, and see if she really can't change back, or she's staying a rat on purpose because she likes it, or what.

Part Two: Translation

Translate these sentences into creature languages to the best of your ability:

a. SPIDER -- "A stitch in time saves nine.” //Weave your web right, and you'll collect more tasty crunchy things.//
b. DRAGON -- "Necessity is the mother of all invention."

__

In this place, you cannot guess, or you'll get lost and make a mess...

close

that

__

b. DRAGON -- "Necessity is the mother of all invention."

//~~In this place, you cannot guess, or you'll get lost and make a mess...~~

Every nifty thing that's patented
Comes because somebody hadn't it.//

{Scribbled: Um. Sorry.}

c. RAT -- "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." //Are you still talking? Hand over the Roquefort, buddy.//

d. CAT -- "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." //All stupid pointless things done by humans when they should be amusing, feeding, or admiring you and no valuable things like being amused, fed, or admired make me suspect you are not a cat at all, OMBast!//

Extra Credit
{.....sheeyeah right. *tries for that 'verisimilitude' thing again*}

(ooc: "OMBast!" *dies laughing*)

Part One: Essay

Answer two of the following three questions.

1. Out of the four languages we've learned, I've enjoyed Dragon the best because of rhyme scheme and the formality of the speech. It also might have something to do with the fact that this was my first encounter with a dragon and I thought it was very cool.

2. I've been trying to make my plant, Hank, grow by talking to him. Due to my research Hank prefers plain human first, Guns N'Roses second, and dragon third. Hank did not seem to care for spider at all.

3. The languages, like any form of communication benefit and reflect a culture. Cat deals in a simple, to the point matter. Rat is very cheese/food focused. Dragon deals in an ornamental fashion which adds to their mystery.

Part Two: Translation
Translate these sentences into creature languages to the best of your ability:
a. SPIDER -- "A stitch in time saves nine.”
Large swarms are best caught by quick webs
b. DRAGON -- "Necessity is the mother of all invention."
Make what you need, That is our creed
c. RAT -- "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."
Tease me all you want you stupid cat, you're still too fat to fit in this hole
d. CAT -- "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
My human doesn't feed or play with me enough

Extra Credit
Write a dialogue (three to five exchanges) in the creature tongue of your choice.

Dragon 1: Knock Knock
Dragon 2: Who's there at my lair?
Dragon 1: I bring a flagon, and an interrupting dragon
Dragon 2: Interrupting dragon wh-?
Dragon 1: *burninate*

[[ooc:
Tease me all you want you stupid cat, you're still too fat to fit in this hole

*dies*

2. Have you attempted to apply your lessons in this class in your dealings with animals in the world? Briefly discuss what you did and the results. If you have not, explain a situation in which it might be beneficial.

I suppose it would be unfair to discuss my experiences with Cat, though my experiences with that language have been the most extensive. I recently found a spider in my room, and thanks to my education in this class, I was able to negotiate wtih it for a move to another, empty room where I would not be startled by it, nor it accidentally squished by me or eaten by my pet cockatoo.

3. How do creature languages reflect the culture of the beings who speak them? Give an example.

~~In Cat~~ No, that's still not fair, is it? All right, creature languages vary widely based on culture. In Dragon, for instance, there is a formal, rhyming form of the language used in formal situations, since Dragon culture includes highly stylized rituals and a clear delineation of classes. In Rat and Spider, however, the language is far more informal, due to a looser class structure. As well, in the case of Spider, since they are not social animals, the language has very little allowance for groups.

Part Two: Translation
Translate these sentences into creature languages to the best of your ability:
a. SPIDER -- "A stitch in time saves nine.”
A quickly woven web catches nine bugs faster.
b. DRAGON -- "Necessity is the mother of all invention."
When you are in need
Inventions take seed.
c. RAT -- "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."
Sticks and stones may smush me, but words will never do so.
d. CAT -- "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
All work and no play makes Kitty bored. ~~You wouldn't like Kitty when she's bored.~~

Extra Credit
Write a dialogue (three to five exchanges) in the creature tongue of your choice.

In Spider:
1: Salutations.
2: Salutations to you, as well.
1: What are you doing in my web?
2: I thought this was my web.
1: No, it's definitely my web. See that beetle? My beetle.
2: I am terribly* sorry.
1: You had better be sorry. Go back to your own web.
2: All right, I'm going.
1: Good. Go faster.
2: And may the sky newspaper* not touch you.
1: Same to you.

((*misspelled))

1. We have learned Spider, Dragon, Rat and Cat. Which did you prefer and why?
I preferred Dragon, because rhyming is fun.

2. Have you attempted to apply your lessons in this class in your dealings with animals in the world? Briefly discuss what you did and the results. If you have not, explain a situation in which it might be beneficial.
I have not had the opportunity to apply what I have learned in this class. It could be beneficial in the future if I were to encounter a creature who was hurt, or in need. Also, there was a girl back home who used to be a rat. She may still be. So it would be good to talk to her, if only for comfort, if there was no helping her.

3. How do creature languages reflect the culture of the beings who speak them? Give an example.
The vocabulary of each creature's language reflects words that are necessary in that culture. As well, the structure of the language can reflect important aspects of that creature's culture.

4a. SPIDER -- "A stitch in time saves nine.”
//A web that has been spun with great care will not kill your children//
b. DRAGON -- "Necessity is the mother of all invention."
//The need for a deed makes a creation with elation//
c. RAT -- "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."
//You can call me names but I am small and bite//
d. CAT -- "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
//Stop working and come play with me, stupid human//

Part One: Essay

Answer two of the following three questions.

1. We have learned Spider, Dragon, Rat and Cat. Which did you prefer and why?

I preferred cat because ~~I was actually awake and paying attention that day, also Zero was cute!zomg~~ I think I will have more opportunity to use it than the others.

2. Have you attempted to apply your lessons in this class in your dealings with animals in the world? Briefly discuss what you did and the results. If you have not, explain a situation in which it might be beneficial.

I haven't yet, but in this school I'm sure it's only a matter of time. It would be useful in the case of an alien goldfish invasion, such as the one Professor The Tick had to deal with, since apparently he can speak goldfish. It would also be handy when yet one more student on your floor finds themselves suddenly non-human for a while.

Part Two: Translation
Translate these sentences into creature languages to the best of your ability:
a. SPIDER -- "A stitch in time saves nine.”

//Quickly weaving rescues legs-plus-one.//

b. DRAGON -- "Necessity is the mother of all invention."

//Need always births
Everything new on earths//

c. RAT -- "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."

//Thrown non-edibles can cause painful crippling damage but talking is immune to me.//

d. CAT -- "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

//Doing unpleasant, menial, ape things and not being sufficiently cat-like creates a human-minon even more dull than most.//

*Vala's smug grin has long since faded, and she's thinking she probably's gonna need the extra credit on this one.*

Extra Credit
Write a dialogue (three to five exchanges) in the creature tongue of your choice.

Cat
//Greetings Most Impressive One, how can I serve you best?//
//I would prefer more sunbeams to lie in today.//
//Unfortunately I am a failure in this because I am unable to properly produce more sunbeams for you.//
//I am greatly displeased. Fortunately, my claws are still long and sharp.//

Molly completed her test without trying for the extra credit. It is a C level test. C+ if Dream is generous.

[[OOC: Sorry for handwavey. I kept forgetting to come back and do it properly.]]

Part One: Essay

1. We have learned Spider, Dragon, Rat and Cat. Which did you prefer and why?

I liked Cat, I think. Because it seems more useful around here than the others, since there are many cats. And it was challenging.

2. Have you attempted to apply your lessons in this class in your dealings with animals in the world? Briefly discuss what you did and the results. If you have not, explain a situation in which it might be beneficial.

No...but I don't get out much, really. Since we're here, in Fandom, where students ~~especially ones named "Crichton"~~ have a tendency to turn into animals, it would be helpful to be able to talk to them, if anyone happened to turn into a dragon or a cat or a spider or a rat.

Part Two: Translation
a. SPIDER -- "A stitch in time saves nine.”

/spin webs on time, then you will not have to spin them later/

b. DRAGON -- "Necessity is the mother of all invention."

/Need causes birth of everything on earth/

c. RAT -- "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."

/sticks and rocks hurt, words don't/

d. CAT -- "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

/Cats should not have to work. Cats that work are boring./

Write a dialogue (three to five exchanges) in the creature tongue of your choice.

(Dragon)
/I want to eat meat/
/The steak is what you should take/
/I agree, looks good to me/
/We will have steak, later cake/

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Creature Languages, 03/02, Period 3

Midterms, Creature, 3/02

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