Natural Horrors

Who needs horror flicks/books when we have natural horror stories?!  Of course, there are all the stories we can read or hear about in the news (the stories circulating about the little girl in Hickory are enough to curl anyone's toes) or on any of the shows on the ID or TruTV channels.  Good grief, look at the Countess Bathory!  While much of the stories about her are now myth rather than reality, there is still a great level of truth to the myths.  Then we read about Mary, Queen of Scots.  While I've known the story for a long time, I've never read the detailed account of her beheading.  Wow.  It took 2 swipes of the axe the sever her head.  Her mouth twitched for 15 minutes after her beheading.  Her little dog, found up under her skirts, sat down next to her body where her head had recently been!!!!

Gore!  Horror!  Stuff nightmares are made of are all in our natural history, yet we act as if history is the worst subject on the planet, next to English!  But think of it!  If it wasn't for reading stories in English classes, we wouldn't read about such an interesting woman like Mary, Queent of Scots, nor would we learn--and remember--such detailed British history!!!!! 

It reminds me of the time on The Andy Griffith Show when Andy had to backpedal and teach Opie and his friends how interesting history is and he proceeds to tell the story of the beginning of the American Revolution in such a way that the boys all went home and finished reading about the American Revolution in their history books, making them more than ready for the next day's lesson with Miss Crump!

If only we'd all realize how INTERESTING learning is in ALL areas!!!!!!!!

English 241.Pilgrim Characterization

Stephen is the author of the group.  He is not someone readily noticed when looking at the group as a whole, but once noticed, he stands out as someone not likely to be forgotten.  He is fairly short...at least, he's the shortest in our group of pilgrims.  He is pudgy, but not necessarily fat.  He is completely bald.  He is forever pushing back up on his nose his overly large wire-rimmed tri-focals.  His clothes are baggy and look as if he took them out of a dryer where they had stayed for at least a week after drying.  The three items on his person that show any level of care are his very expensive white tennis shoes, a tiny, sterling-silver flask with a dragon super-imposed around the outside, carried in a tacky leather pouch hanging from his dingy belt, and the square, leather satchel with his initials engraved in gold on the front that he carries over his shoulder.  And every time someone even speaks to him, he pulls one of his novels out of his satchel, autographs it, and graciously gives it to the speaker, with a huge humble grin,--saying, "That'll be $20, BTW."