#this is again an adaptation

[bookcub]

I took a class on storytelling and wanted to share one of the written versions of the stories I adapted. This is called 'The World's Beauty' and the version of the story I adapted from can be found in The Golden Maiden and other folk tales and fairy stories told in Armenia collected and adapted by A. K. Seklemian. Mine is a feminist retelling so I changed some aspects but tried to keep the major elements just give them women more agency. (Also, the city names are from the older version of the story so they are not currently updated, they are the names from 1898 not 2024).

There once was a woman who lived in Bagdad with her son. One day, her husband fell ill and believed he would die so he asked her and their son to his bed. He told them he wanted to leave his business to their son. To his wife, he said, “If our son should lose our great fortune, tell him the secrets to my wealth.”  He died later in the night. 

Her son left with forty camel-loads of merchandise, and set out for the city of Erzerum. Months later, he returned with no camels, no merchandise, wearing only rags. The woman ushered him in urging to hear what happened to him.

“Well,” he said. “I went to Tiflis, where I heard about the King’s daughter, World's Beauty. She charges men 40 gold crowns a day to stare at her through a partition.”

“Oh no," the woman thinks. 

“So I went to see her. . . and I instantly fell in love with her!! I went back day after day until I had exhausted my wealth and 40 camel loads of merchandise. And when I had no more, I was forced to beg my way home.”

The woman was confused and outraged. Her son spent 40 camel-loads of merchandise to gaze upon a woman every day. Although, she thought, it must be a profitable business. But why must her fool for a son go back every day? 

“So what about the secret to father's wealth? He said if I lost all the money, you were to show them to me.” Her son looked expectantly at her. 

Despite the woman's anger, she didn’t want to dishonor her husband's last wish. She told him she would give it to him as long as he wouldn't go back to Tiflis, to which he agreed. So she brought out the first secret and explained that it was a purse that if one added 40 pieces of copper to it, the next day they will become gold. After 3 years, the purse changes the gold in the purse into copper. 

“We will be rich forever,” her son said. And with that, he prepared for his journey, setting off early the next morning with new camels and merchandise. 

Another few months passed, and her son showed back up on her doorstep with no camels, no merchandise, and no purse. 

“Did you go back to Tiflis?” The woman asked in a tired tone. 

He gave an ashamed yes. 

“She noticed I came back after I was there a week. She invited me to dinner! She told me she loved me and she would marry me if I told her the secret to my wealth! I showed her the purse and explained how it worked. And then she gave me poisonous wine and I fell asleep, and when I woke up I discovered she stole my purse and had me thrown out on the streets.” 

The woman shook her head. “I didn't think I had to explain that the purse should be kept a secret,” she said in exasperation. 

“I promise I will not go to Tiflis again if you give me another of Father's secrets,” her son pleaded. 

Now the woman thought about this through the night and in the morning told him if he were to lose this second gift, he would not receive the third gift. And he agreed. So she gave him a magic cap that allowed its wearer to see others without being seen by anyone else. 

So her son went off with another camel and a few months later came back with no camel and no cap. 

He explained that he of course went to Tiflis again and snuck into the World's Beauty's house and spied on her with the cap. 

“She quickly realized she was being watched and guessed it was me! She called out my name, saying she had not been able to stop thinking of me since I left and if I revealed myself, we could be married. So I took off my cap to reveal myself and she tore the cap out of my hands and demanded I be thrown on the road outside of Tiflis, banned from reentry into the city!!” 

And then he begged and pleaded for the third gift. And the woman thought and thought and eventually made a decision. She brought out apples, the size of her son's head. She told him the apples would change his shape, and without asking any questions, he quickly devoured one. 

And then promptly turned into a donkey. 

These had been her secret, not her husband's and with that she pulled out his final gift, a horn that when blown, an army would appear, so large that it covered the mountains.  When blown from the other end, it would vanish instantly.  

She set off to Tiflis with the horn and her son as a donkey. When she approached, she blew the horn, summoning the army. There was panic in the city and the king sent a messenger. The woman explained who she was and that she wanted the purse and the cap her son had lost. The World's Beauty came to negotiate and they agreed she would give back the purse and cap and keep the 40 camel loads her son had willingly paid, as long as the son stayed a donkey and never returned to Tiflis. 

And so the woman summoned her army away and went back to Bagdad with her purse, her cap, her horn and her ass of a son. 

Three apples fell from Heaven: one for me, one for the storyteller, and one for those who entertained the story. 

[littlefankingdom]

Bruce died(?) again

Jason: Well, it's my turn.

Dick: What are you talking about?

Jason: Everytime Bruce is gone, one of you starts to act just like him, pushing everyone away, acting as only you can be right, and fighting anyone that gets in your way. Dick did it, Tim did it, even Cass kind of did it. So, this time, I will do it.

Tim: Isn't that how you act all the time?

Jason: Whoa, fuck you. You are so banned from historical drama movie nights.

[dredgesnails]

the complete tonal shift between scar and gem's videos is absolutely killing me. an apocalyptic horror thriller flick about a killer immortal snail that keeps you constantly on the edge of your seat vs a coming of age slice of life film about a girl and her snail overcoming their differences and learning to get along 🩷 heartwarming 🩷

[chloesimaginationthings]

Abby went into the pit and made a FNAF friend..

[ofswordsandpens]

I really am obsessed with this Medusa iteration. The snakes styled into a 1950's low bun? The red lip? The hat and veil just covering her eyes? Her voice, soft and beguiling yet always as if she's on the verge of tears? So good.

[coddda]

I wish we could have met in some other way.

Lawlight Week Day 2: Soulmates

If you saw me repost and re-edit this several times uh No you didn't </3

Still frames/Individual gifs:

If you know what every frame is from you get a free cookie. by the way

[linkedin-offficial]

me when i get the opportunity to think about speculative biology and non-existent game mechanics in media i like

⠀

[layaart]

When I think of you, I want to be alone together. I want to strive against and for. I want to live in contact. I want to be a context for you, and you for me.

[contactlessdrivethru]

just finished opla mood

[verflares]

who's afraid of the big bad wolf?

[kwistowee]

THE CROW (1994) 30TH ANNIVERSARY | MAY 13TH, 1994

[not-equippedforthis]

forever mourning how granada holmes never adapted the three garridebs. diabolical. unbelievable, even. 'if you had killed watson you would not have made it out of this room alive' but in brett's frightfully intense and low, biting, hissing voice. the violent, wild stare versus the gentle hand on watson's knee. all of that precarious control getting flung out the window. the humanity of it. gritting my teeth can you fucking imagine.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Wrapping up the season with a redraw (Jan 2024)!

Thank you all for these last 6 months, I have loved making so many people laugh from my silly comics B*)

[myeagleexpert]

A story about the director and Grim, who are very close friends <3

Translation from fan to fan, all credits go to the appropriate artist, see the source in the pin below:https://br.pinterest.com/pin/902690319055568233/

Who else wants to see Grim's final form? but…. What cost would this have?

[xxplastic-cubexx]

chair + helmet for funsies

[ofswordsandpens]

90% sure this is just the nostalgia speaking but god if you were a kid in the early 2000s it was like the crème de la crème of live action fantasy kid movies. like big budget, high production value, (mostly) well acted kid movies and I really don't feel like those get made much anymore