Storytelling for Week 11: The Passing of Hugh

Charlie Sheen proved with his wild antics and large paycheck that he was worthy of entering the Playboy Mansion.  However, Charlie decided to bring along with him a date, Crystal, to one of the Mansion's parties.  When Hugh Hefner saw Crystal, he instantly fell in love with her and always wanted to be with her, for she was an extremely beautiful woman who was young enough to be his great granddaughter.

Crystal laughed at Hugh in secret due to his decrepit body that was probably ravaged by STD's but decided to use him to eventually gain his fortune when he died.  Hugh knew that Crystal was after his fortune but he could not resist her charms and the fact that she was attractive.  They eventually got married and she was listed as the recipient of his estate once he died.

Hugh Hefner.  Web Source: EOnline

Hugh and Crystal traveled all around the world, sightseeing and indulging in all the luxuries that only great wealth could afford.  Crystal, however, began to tire of Hugh's company and regretted ever marrying him for his money.

Finally, the two ended back in the States and returned to the the Playboy Mansion.  One day, Hugh showed Crystal his brand new tanning bed he bought so he could look nice and leathery for swimsuit season so he could go to the beach.  Summoning all her wits, Crystal told Hugh that he should get in the tanning bed and take a nap, and when it was time for him to get out she would let him know.  When he hopped in and fell quickly into a deep sleep like most elderly people do, she cranked up the heat setting and made sure he couldn't get out. 

After his death Crystal was filled with joy, because she inherited his fortune and no longer had to be around that horny old man.

Author's Note:  For this storytelling, I used The Passing of Merlin from the King Arthur unit.  I decided to tell the story about Hugh Hefner because in the original, Merlin is kind of a horny old man who falls head over heels for a woman named Vivien, who was using Merlin to learn all of his magic.  I found Hugh to be similar to Merlin in this situation so I used him and I looked up his current wife, Crystal, to use in place of Vivien.  Merlin and Vivien travel many places and eventually return home, where he shows her a rock where he says there are many marvelous things underneath.  Vivien asks him to go underneath to show her, and when he goes in she buries him alive and leaves happy, since she learned everything that he knew.

Bibliography:   King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang (1902).  Web Source: Untextbook

Reading Diary Week 11: King Arthur Unit

King Arthur Unit

The Drawing of the Sword-  I was excited to read this section because the old Disney animated movie The Sword in the Stone was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid.  I was surprised that the Disney version followed this section fairly closely.
The Questing Beast-  This was an odd section because the questing beast didn't have a lot to do with the section other to leave Arthur horseless and to set up the prophecy that Merlin would give.
The Sword Excalibur- I am a little disappointed as to how Arthur isn't much of a hero and is instead helped out and saved on multiple occasions.  I can understand having a hero with faults but having Merlin helping him out is kind of cheap.
The Round Table-  So far the stories in here are a lot less epic than I remember; it was kind of sad that Arthur was making people knights willy-nilly and he didn't even have enough.
The Passing of Merlin- So since Merlin knew what was happening but still didn't avoid his death?  This was an odd section.
King Arthur and Morgan le Fay- The motives for the characters in this story are strange.
The Quest of the Holy Graal-  This section read more like the pre-reading information instead of a myth/folk story.
The King's Pilgrimage-  Why wasn't the Holy Graal continued in this section?  The pacing of this section is odd.  I did find this story amusing though.
The Coming of the Holy Graal*- I can see why Monty Python made their movie so absurd with randomness, the source material is random and doesn't flow very well.
Sir Galahad and the White Knight- I've never heard of hanging a shield around your neck, why would they do that?  Also the way the story is written reminds me of a kid writing; first Galahad is here then there with no transitions whatsoever and odd little additions.
Sir Lancelot's Vision-I thought this was a well-written section for a change, it shows Lancelot to be remorseful of his sinful life and the words of the bearer of the Holy Graal were deep.  It also didn't have odd battles or something that didn't advance what was going on.
The Adventure of Sir Percivale-  I feel like there is symbolism going on that I don't understand.  The lion and serpent fighting looks like it could mean something.
Sir Lancelot and the Five Hundred Knights- The vision and the explanation of the vision were pretty neat, I am surprised that the Knights of the Round Table are more developed characters than King Arthur.
Sir Gawaine and the Hermit-  This section didn't make any sense.  First there is an otherworldly hand that appears out of nowhere and then a hermit who isn't even introduced until after he finishes speaking tells Sir Gawaine and Sir Ector, two characters we really don't know, that they have sinned.
I feel like this section in unnecessary since it adds two characters that we don't really know and it is also just 400 words.  The information about Lancelot is the only worthwhile info.
The Adventure of Sir Bors- After reading several sections, I finally realized that the quest for the holy grail isn't a physical quest but instead a journey of self-purification. 
Sir Galahad and the Mysterious Ship- This section reminded me of the typical journey to the underworld that many heroes have to undertake.
Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad-  So Lancelot was stuck on a boat with a dead body for a month?  I guess I am a little confused on what purpose the boat served since it has supernatural properties.
Sir Galahad and the Graal- I wish that Lancelot would have turned from his old ways but I guess he couldn't escape his nature.  I am a little confused on the last sentence, does King Arthur become evil?
The End of Arthur- So Lancelot ended up redeeming himself again.  I was a little sad that this unit wasn't really about King Arthur other than him getting all the knights of the round table together.