Short story-medusa

Medusa

Many years ago, there was a beautiful woman named Medusa. She lived in a place called Athens in Greece. She was a very kind and she was very obedient to her Greek gods and goddesses. Even though there were a lot of pretty girls there, Medusa was one of them.

Every single day Medusa always boasted about herself. She said to other people that she is the prettiest girl in the whole wide world. On Sunday, Medusa told the miller that her skin is more beautiful then fresh white snow. On Monday, she babbled the cobbler that her hair is brighter than the sun. On Tuesday, she commented the blacksmith's son that her eyes are greener than Aegean Sea. On Wednesday, she boasted to the public that her lips are redder than the reddest rose in the world. She even boast about herself while looking in a mirror. She thought she was the prettiest woman in the whole wide world. She admired herself too much.

On and on Medusa kept talking about her beauty to anyone and everyone who stopped long enough to hear her. Until one day, Medusa and her friends went to the Parthenon. Parthenon was the biggest temple in Greece. In the Parthenon there was the goddess of wisdom and beauty and called Athena. There were statues of most of the gods and goddesses in the Greek culture. All the people who went there obeyed Athena, except Medusa.

Medusa saw all the statues and she whispered that whoever did those statues did a good job but it would look better if she was the statues. Every picture she saw she said that the person did a good job but she would look better in the picture and she is so delicate.

When Medusa reached the altar she proudly said that it was a beautiful temple. But it was a shame because it wasted for Athena even though she was much prettier than Athena, and she thought perhaps one day people would make a grander temple to her beauty. The people whom heard what Medusa said were shocked. The rumor went really quickly through the whole temple and everyone started to leave. Everyone knew, Athena will get angry if anyone compared her to someone else.

Before long the temple was empty of everyone except Medusa, who was so busy gazing proudly at her reflection in the large bronze doors that she hadn't noticed the fast departure of everyone else. While Medusa was gazing, the figure changed. The figure changed into goddess Athena. Athena was angry, she shouted to Medusa and said that she was not the prettiest girl in the world, because all she could do was boasting about herself while other people were working. Medusa tried to point out that her beauty was an inspiration to those around her and that she made their lives better. Hearing that, Athena got really angry, she said that one day her beauty would fade away, but she would make it fade away now and forever.

When Athena uttered those words, Medusa turned into a terrible monster. Her hair thickened into hissing snakes and her body turned into a snake. Now anyone who looks into her eyes will turn into stone and no one will be able to save them, even if Medusa try to seek her reflection, she will turn to rock after the moment she see her eyes. Then Athena sent Medusa with her hair of snakes to live with the blind monsters and the gorgon sisters, at the end of the earth, so that no innocent people would be turned to stone if they see her by accident.

Hanasaki jiisan

Once upon a time in a mountain village in Japan there lived a honest old man and his wife. The old man was out plowing his field one day when a little white puppy came fleeing toward him, crying. The puppy had been mistreated by the greedy old man who lived in the next field over. "Oh, you poor thing." exclaimed the old man, and taking him in, gave the puppy the name "Shiro."

The old man and his wife loved Shiro very much. Shiro became devoted to the old couple, and helped the old man with his work in the field every day. Shiro ate and ate, and quickly grew into a big dog.

One day, Shiro led the old man up a nearby mountain. When they reached the top, Shiro barked on the ground where the old man going to dig. As the old man began to dig, the sparkling gold coins started pouring up from the ground.

When the greedy man heard what the old man found on the mountain, the greedy man wanted Shiro to come back. The greedy man came to the old man’s house and they took Shiro to the mountain. "Where's the gold?" the greedy man demanded. Felt frightened, Shiro began to whimper. "Ah, so it's here," said the greedy man, and he began to dig. But instead of gold coins, some trashes began pouring up from the ground. "How dare you!" exclaimed the old man, he was really angry, and they killed Shiro.

When the old couple found out about this, they were really sad. They decided to dig a grave for Shiro. While tey were going to burying Shiro, a small tree sprouted from the ground above his grave. By the next day, it had grown into a towering tree.

"Shiro liked steamed rice cakes," recalled the old man. "Let's make some to take to his grave." He chopped down the tree that had grown from Shiro's grave and made a mortar. Then he and his wife began to prepare the rice cakes. When the old man poured the rice into the mortar, it began to turn into gold coins.

When the greedy old couple saw this, the greedy old couple rushed over. "Give us that mortar." They took the mortar and returned to their house and began to make rice cakes. When they poured the rice, however, it turned into black mud right before their eyes. "What on earth?" cried the old man. Madly, he took an axe and chopped the mortar to pieces. Then he tossed the pieces of wood into the stove and burned them. The old man knew about this and he was really sad. He gathered up the ashes from the mortar, put them in a box, and carried the box carefully back to his house.

"Let's spread these ashes over the field and grow the turnip that Shiro loved so much." When the old man sprinkled the ashes, the wind came up and blew the ashes into a dead tree. Amazingly, the dead tree began to bloom a beautiful cherry blossoms. He then spreaded the ashes onto one dead tree after another, and one by one it bloomed brilliant cherry flowers. News of the old man's miracle reached the town and before long, even the ears of the King, who promptly sent for the old man.

The old man was brought to the King, carrying his box of ashes. "Now I'll make the flowers bloom." He sprinkled the ashes onto the nearby trees, and immediately, beautiful white cherry flowers appeared.

"Amazing!" exclaimed the King, who was very pleased. "Well done. You are the greatest flower bloomer in all of Japan. I will give you a reward"

At that moment, the greedy old man came running, carrying the leftover ashes which he had gathered from the stove. "Wait! I'm the greatest flower bloomer in Japan." With that, he began to sprinkle his ashes. Instead of landing on the flowers, however, the ash flew into the eyes and nose of the King, choking him. "You impudent!" the King shouted, and the promptly threw the greedy old man into prison. The old greedy man deserved for it because of his greed.