From Ziad:
Storytelling at Hidden VillaWe went to Hidden Villa. Someone told us stories about Ohlone Indians and made a campfire.He brought volunteers and dressed them like Ohlone Indians to show us what they look like, and then he used volunteers to act out the stories. At the end of one, he brought out a tortoise. My favorite story was How the Turtle Got Its Shell:
Once it was raining cats and dogs. Turtles didn't have shells.
Once, a long, long time ago, when turtles have shells, it was raining cats and dogs. A turtle was trying to get out of the rain. It ran under a tree, but the branches dripped rain on top of it. It ran around, and then it found a shell. It put the shell on, but it was too small, so he kept on running. A little while later, it found another, bigger shell. But it was still too small. So he kept on running and then he found a larger shell, and he put that on.
Then he thought, "If I eat a lot, then I will grow, and the shell will grow, too."
So he ran around, found some berries, and ate them. Then he caught some fish and ate them. He ate some bugs, and he kept on running around and finding things to eat. He grew, and the shell grew, too. Then he was so tired from running around and eating that he fell asleep. When he woke up, he had a shell.
At the end of this story, the storyteller brought out an African Tortoise.
Piano Recital by Wolfgang WortburgWe found some seats. They were at the front. We could see the pianist playing. He eyes seemed to be closed. He was pounding on the keys. He really seemed to be concentrating. He played two sonatas, then there was an intermission, and then he played the last sonata. He also talked about the composer, Beethoven. All the sonatas had three parts. They seemed long. I think they were all a half hour long. His playing was very beautiful. I can't describe how it sounded. It had a lot of feeling.
I only remember bits of the first and last sonatas. The first sonata is called "The Tempest." It sounded like it had flashes of lightning in it. The last sonata was called "Apasionata" I think Beethoven composed it because of his sister. It was the last one he composed. Beethoven said it was his masterpiece.
When he finished playing, people really clapped. I did, too. He played another piece, and then we left before the reception started.
From Maya:
Storytelling at Hidden VillaWe went to Hidden Villa for a campfire event. We sort of got to be by the campfire. They had to have it inside because it was raining. They built the fire in a really big fireplace. They have a pointed stick. They wrap the string on a wooden bow in a certain way around the stick, then they put the stick in a piece of old wood with holes in it, then they take a piece of rock with a hole in it and they use that to hold the stick and they move the bow back and forth until smoke comes out from the wood. They blow the ashes into something they said was unicorn hair, and some straw, and then he blew on it some more until sparks started coming, and then flames. He was still able to hold it from the bottom because flames go up to the top, they don't go to the bottom. Then he put it on the fireplace and blew on it some more while it was in there. He put some sticks and wood on top of it.
When the campfire director told stories he would choose people to act in the stories. He had props to show what the people were acting as. My favorite story is the one I was in. I was the woodpecker.
Eagle and the Box of Sun
Once there was an eagle who had a box of sun. Once when he was flying, he landed on a bush. The bush had thorns in it, and one got in his foot.
"Ouch," said the eagle, "I have a thorn in my foot. Surely I will die of pain if I don't get it out."
So he flew and he flew and he flew for a long time. And then he came to a mouse.
"Mouse," he said, "I have a thorn in my foot. Surely I will die of pain if I don't get it out. Can you help me?"
And the mouse said, "Sure I can help you -- if you give me that box of sun."
And the eagle said, "No way!"
So he flew and he flew and he flew for a long time. And he came to a squirrel.
"Squirrel," he said, "I have a thorn in my foot. Surely I will die of pain if I don't get it out. Can you help me?"
And the squirrel said, "Sure I can help you -- if you give me that box of sun."
And the eagle said, "No way!"
So he flew and he flew and he flew for a long time. Until he came to a rabbit.
"Rabbit," he said, "I have a thorn in my foot. Surely I will die of pain if I don't get it out. Can you help me?"
And the rabbit said, "Sure I can help you -- if you give me that box of sun."
And the eagle said, "No way!"
So he flew and he flew and he flew for a long time. And he came to a deer.
"Deer," he said, "I have a thorn in my foot. Surely I will die of pain if I don't get it out. Can you help me?"
And the deer said, "Sure I can help you -- if you give me that box of sun."
And the eagle said, "No way!"
Now the thorn in his foot really hurt, but he didn't want to give up the box of sun.
So he flew and he flew and he flew for a long time, until he came to a woodpecker.
"Woodpecker," he said, "I have a thorn in my foot. Surely I will die of pain if I don't get it out. Can you help me?"
And the squirrel said, "Sure I can help you -- if you give me that box of sun."
Now the eagle thought for a long time. The thorn in his foot was really hurting, but he didn't want to give up the box of sun.
Finally he said, "Yes, I'll give it to you," and he gave the woodpecker the box of sun. The woodpecker opened the box of sun and threw it up into the sky. And that's how we got our sun.
Piano Recital by Wolfgang WortburgI remember that he played sonatas, and one was called "The Tempest." He was playing the keys so hard that I had a throbbing headache. They had an intermission which I liked because I enjoyed getting up and running around and climbing on staircase outside. During the intermission I heard someone playing something, it might have been a trumpet, so I listened through the door.
I remember he talked a little bit before each song. He talked about Beethoven and the song he was going to play. One time I heard a melody that reminded me of Mozart.
