Exceptional A children's story teaching about other cultures The Mermaid and the Octopus by AlvinTEthington      Write About This Contest Winner  see author's notes Artwork by MinoYasue on FanArtReview.com

Category:  Children Fiction   Posted:  August 25, 2008      Views: 1097

ABOUT ALVINTETHINGTON  Alvin Thomas Ethington is a staged playwright, a published author, and a professional reviewer. He has been paid to review works (e. g. he reviewed Mary Jo Weaver's widely used college textbook Introduction to Christianity, second edition, and is thanked in the third edition.) Thus, he writes academically critical, analytic reviews and does not automatically give five stars to all that he reads. There is much debate on line on what constitutes a proper haiku. Writing within short set forms allows one to concentrate on what is important, eliminates the extraneous, and sharpens one's focus. He only titles haiku for reference on this site; for contests and publications, he omits the titles. He has found it useful to make a distinction amongst "classical haiku" in the style of the Great Masters, the rigid contemporary haiku (which do not allow for the introduction of the observer, personification/anthropomorphism, simile, or metaphor), and what he terms postmodern haiku. The latter are the kind being published now, which often use many of the elements of "classical haiku." His philosophy on learning to write haiku is best expressed in Jane Reichhold's comments in "Haiku Rules That Have Come and Gone": "Basho had his motto: 'Learn the rules; and then forget them.' But first he said, 'Learn the rules.'" His poem "haiku (empty chair)" is on the audio tour of The Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena, California. Poets on Site Tour. To listen to this poem on the on the audio tour dial (+1) 626.628.9690, extension 110#. Audio tour sound files and transcripts also available at Pacific Asia Museum Org. 2009 Publications: His "haiku (a pencil sharpens)" is published in issue 47 of Mayfly magazine. His children's poem "Punxsutawney Phil" is published in Poetry and Cookies, the 2009 Anthology of Poems by Altadenans and Others on pp. 44-45 in 2009. Contact The Altadenan Library, 600 E. Mariposa Street, Altadena, California 91001-2211 or www.altadenalibrary.org His kyrielle sonnet, "The Exhausted Heart," is published in Shadows Ink Poetry Chapbook, Series 2, Volume 6 Item #SICS2V69. 2008 Publications: His poems, "Lavender and Lace", "Ignoble End", "Spiritual Physician", and "Tashlikh", are published in Shadows Ink Poetry Chapbook, Series 2, Volume 5 . Item #SICS2V58. 2007 Publications: His poems, "The Vieux Carre", "The Buses are Coming", and "Silhouettes", have been published in the Silver Section of The River: The Natchez Poetry Anthology . ISBN=0-9716704-8-X. 2006 Publications: His poem "Alisa" is published in Shadows Ink Poetry Chapbook, Series 2, Volume 3 . Item #SICS2V36. He also placed in the 30th, 31st, 33rd, 34th, 36th, 37th, 38th, 39th, 40th, 41st, 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 46th, 47th, 48th, 49th, 50th, 51st, 53rd, 54th, 55th, 56th, 57th, 59th, 60th, 61st, 62nd, 63rd, 64th, 65th, 67th, 68th, 69th, 73rd and 75th haiga contests of the World Haiku Association (He did not enter the 32nd, 35th, 45th, 52nd, 58th, 66th, 70th, 74th or 76th contests.) All of his published work is merit-based and not print on demand- or vanity- or self-published. He will never pay someone to publish his work. His play "The Elf Who Knew Too Much" played every Christmas season in the northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and southern Michigan area from 1999 to 2008; it's an interactive murder mystery. Contact Get Away with Murder, Inc in Hanover Park, Illinois. His script "To Have and To Hold" placed in Writer's Digest Annual Competition in 2008. His script "Is It Spring Yet?" placed in Writer's Digest Annual Competition in 2005. His tanka series "The Tanka of Tanka" based on the Biblical Book of Canticles/Song of Songs/Song of Solomon was a winner in the TANKA SPLENDOR 2006 awards. His haiku "l'opalescence" won the third prize of 250 euros (over $300) in the French category of the 18th Feile Filiochta 2006 International Poetry Competition and was published in the 18TH ANNUAL FEILE FILIOCHTA INTERNATIONAL POETRY COMPETITION booklet (ISBN=0-9540240-6-0) His haiku whose first lines were "mist shrouds timberland" and "sheep graze in foggy" were the winners of daily haiku contests on June 2, 2007 and on October 16, 2007, respectively, on another site. His short story "Rebekah" was the winner of a tied third place position in the New Arrival Story Contest for June 2006. His short story "Desperation" was the winner of a three-way tied third place position in the Write About This Contest for June 2006. His poem "War Widow" was the winner of a two-way tied third place position in the Poetry Image Contest for November 2006. His story "Remembrance" placed third in the Strong Character Contest for March 2007. His story "The Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene (Chapter 2 in his book Luisa)" was the winner of a two-way tied third place in the Write About This Contest for August 2007. His acrostic sonnet "Love Will Ever Be" was the winner of a six-way tied third place in the Love Poem Contest for September 2007. His story "Our Lady, Star of the Sea (Chapter 15 in his book Luisa) placed third in the Write About This Contest for May 2008. His kyrielle sonnet, "The Exhausted Heart", was the winner of a four-way tied second place in The Words are the Same Contest for June 2008. See above for publication information. His children's story "The Mermaid and the Octopus" won a FanStory site-sponsored Write About This Contest and the $100 prize in August 2008. His "haiku (through earthen portal)" was the winner of a six-way tied third place in the Poetic Art Contest for September 2008. His poem "haiku (roiling sea reflects)" came in third for Poem of the Month--posted 28 March 2009. His poem "The Tears of God" came in second for the August 2009 contest Tell a Story in a Poem. His "haiku (alone)" was the second place winner (along with six others) in the October 2009 Acrostic Poetry Contest . His short story "Childhood Rape" placed second, along with a work by another, in the March 2010 Horror contest. His rispetto, "Haunting Hungriness", placed second in a two-way tie for June 2010 Poem of the Month. He was Reviewer of the Month for September 2006, August 2007, May 2008, July 2009, November 2009, and March 2010. He has won several contests. The contest submission The Pianist was the first place winner in the contest Light and Sweet. Kenny was the first place winner in the contest Empathy with Grief. God is My Muse was the first place winner in the contest The Joy of Poetry. He is a top ranked author and is currently holding the #43 position. He is an accomplished poet and is currently at the #49 spot on this years rankings. Portfolio | Become A Fan Shelley held on tightly to her new friend Oscar's arm. He had told her he was an octopus and that octopuses had eight arms called tentacles. That's why they were called octopuses, since octopuses had a part in the name—oct—that meant “eight.” She was glad to have a new friend, especially since her mother was taken away by one of those creatures who lived on land, but sometimes came into the sea. Shelley told Oscar she was a mermaid, a creature who looked like a fish from the waist down and like a land creature from the waist up.  She was young for a mermaid, only a few hundred years old. She had been very lonely since her mother was taken by one of the land creatures. They had been sunning themselves on the rocks, and her mother taught her a song all mermaids should know, The Siren Song. She told her to sing it when no land creatures were around, for they would seek out the singer. She told Shelley they didn't want that; they were happy with only other mermaids for company. While they were singing, one of the land creatures appeared. It looked different. Shelley had seen land creatures from afar before. They came in big, medium, and little sizes. This one was a big one. There were also two types—one looked like Shelley and her mother from the waist up, but had two things like sticks (Shelley had found wood in the water and her mother explained to her they were off of land plants and called “sticks.”) The sticks were where the tail should be. The other one was less pretty, more square, and had some hair on its upper body; but it also had sticks. This land creature was one of the less pretty types. The Siren Song must have made it come to Shelley and her mother. Shelley and her mother both had long blond hair. The land creature had short black hair. The land creature yelled a word, “Mermaid!” It scared Shelley and she hid in the water. Her mother didn't make it to hide in time and Shelley saw the land creature carry off her mother. As she swam away in the ocean, crying, she met Oscar. Oscar seemed worried about her. “Why do you cry, little mermaid?” Oscar said. “What...what...what are you?” Shelley said, between sobs. That's when Oscar told her he was an octopus. “Let's get away from here,” Oscar said. “The land creatures like to eat creatures like me.” So they went into the depths of the sea. II. Oscar was awakening from a deep sleep. Shelley was, as usual, holding on to one of his tentacles. “Oscar, I miss my mother,” Shelley said. “Let's get her back.” “How?” “I'll go up to the surface of the sea and talk to the land creatures when they come out to the sea on one of their things I have heard some of them call boats.'” “Won't they try to eat you?” Shelley was concerned for her new and only friend. “I'll take that chance for you, my beautiful mermaid.” Oscar had truly grown to care for her. “I'll get your mommy back; don't worry.” Oscar told Shelley to stay down in the depths, and went up to the surface of the sea. III. Kuni had reluctantly taken his wife, Miyako, out on his fishing boat. This was men's work, he thought. But Miyako just wanted to see the sea. She was tired of the city, and wanted to be in nature. “Look, husband, there is an octopus!” Miyako said. “Ah, we can have it for dinner, “ Kuni said. “I'll kill it with my spear, and load it on the fishing boat.” “No, Kuni, you must not do such a thing!” Miyako said. Miyako belonged to a religion called Buddhism, and some members of that religion have respect for all life and do not eat other creatures. “But I can share it with my friends!” Kuni said. Kuni had no religion, but he honored his ancestors, some of whom had been Buddhists like Miyako. “Please, don't!” Miyako said. IV. Oscar saw the land creatures in the distance. He knew their race. He often listened to the conversations of land creatures when he was close to the surface but still hidden. He knew these were land creatures called Japanese, and that they referred to creatures like him as tako. They liked to eat creatures like him. Bravely, he approached the boat. He saw one of the creatures had a spear in its hand. “O-hi-o,” Oscar said. He had learned in the language of these land creatures that meant Good morning. “Look, he speaks!” the pretty land creature said.  Except for her hair, she looked like Shelley from the waist up. “You cannot kill him now. Some of my Christian friends say animals can speak in stories in their holy books—an animal spoke to someone called Balaam. They say it is in the holy book of the Jews, as well,” the pretty land creature continued. The square land creature looked frightened. “What do you want with us?” he demanded of Oscar. “Do you know there is a creature called 'mermaid' ?” Oscar said. “Yes, my friend Teiji has one in his aquarium. He likes to look at her,” Kuni said. “She has long golden hair unlike our short black hair.” “Aquarium? What is that?” Oscar said. “ A box filled with water,” Kuni said. “Teiji found she had to have water to live, and he wanted her alive so she would stay beautiful.” That must be Shelley's mother, Oscar thought. “I'll make a bargain with you. You may kill and eat me if you bring me the mermaid first. She has a daughter here in the sea.” Kuni thought about this for a long time. He could have a huge feast with all his friends if he brought back this octopus for dinner. There was enough meat there for many, many people. “We shall do no such thing,” Miyako finally said. “We will return the mermaid to her daughter. Kuni, you will talk to your friend Teiji. He will understand if you explain she has a daughter.” “How will he understand, wife?” “Ask him how he would feel if he and his wife were separated from their children. I hope they would find a kind creature like this octopus to rescue their children. You will not take his life; he is too good for you to do that.” “Yes, wife, you're right. Let's go back to land and find Teiji and talk to him. We'll bring back the mermaid to this octopus.” Oscar saw the boat head toward land. “Arigato!” he screamed out. He had learned that meant Thank you in the language of these particular land creatures. He dived deep into the ocean to go back and tell Shelley the good news. Write About This Contest Winner Recognized Share your own writing! - Information on our membership for writers. Author Notes When I first saw this picture, I envisioned it as underwater, and the creature as an octopus. I later learned the picture was entitled "Taming Dragons." However, I seldom write children's literature and I wanted to see how this one would be received. Pays one point and 2 member cents.

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