Escape Artists

PodCastle => Episode Comments => Topic started by: Heradel on January 02, 2010, 10:26:26 PM

Title: Podcastle Miniature 45: When Shakko Did Not Lie
Post by: Heradel on January 02, 2010, 10:26:26 PM
PodCastle Miniature 45: When Shakko Did Not Lie (http://podcastle.org/2010/01/02/podcastle-miniature-45-when-shakko-did-not-lie/)

By Eugie Foster (http://www.eugiefoster.com/).
Read by Melissa Bugaj (http://nightlightstories.net/).
Originally published in Cricket.

The maiden’s amber eyes glowed in the moonlight. A single tear glistened
and rained down her moon-white face.

“Don’t cry, lovely one,” Shakko barked, alarmed.

The maiden lifted the sleeve of her jasmine-yellow kimono and dabbed at her
eyes. “Why should I not cry?” she asked. “My champion says he will sleep
as Master Sun opens his house to the heavens, and when his windows close at
dusk, I will surely die.”

Rated PG: for outfoxing foxes.
Title: Re: Podcastle Miniature 45: When Shakko Did Not Lie
Post by: stePH on January 03, 2010, 11:55:56 PM
Another Japanese fantasy by Eugie Foster.  Looking forward to hearing this one tonight at bedtime.  :)
Title: Re: Podcastle Miniature 45: When Shakko Did Not Lie
Post by: stePH on January 04, 2010, 03:12:12 PM
Okay, now that I've listened...

Another winner.  I really must see if Barnes & Noble has Returning My Sister's Face; I got a $25 B&N gift card for Christmas and I'd love to give Foster the best kind of applause an artist can get.  ;)

It wasn't perfect, though... the narrator mispronouncing some Japanese words kept pulling me out of the story, especially when the title character's name was pronounced "Shake-o". 
Title: Re: Podcastle Miniature 45: When Shakko Did Not Lie
Post by: cdugger on January 05, 2010, 01:34:36 AM
All in all, a good telling of another Elhrairah tale.

At least, that's what it felt like to me.

I enjoyed it, but have heard it before.
Title: Re: Podcastle Miniature 45: When Shakko Did Not Lie
Post by: Unblinking on January 05, 2010, 03:28:45 PM
This was fine, I just have trouble really getting into folk tale style.  The fox's fate is never in question for me, and so it doesn't have much tension, though it's well written. 

And are the humans in the story Elmer Fudd stupid or what?  A fox with his ears and tail hidden still looks like a fox--but I guess that's another folk tale thing.
Title: Re: Podcastle Miniature 45: When Shakko Did Not Lie
Post by: eytanz on January 05, 2010, 03:39:28 PM
I really do like folk tales, and am not familiar with Japanese folk stories, so this was both new to me and great fun.
Title: Re: Podcastle Miniature 45: When Shakko Did Not Lie
Post by: Ocicat on January 05, 2010, 05:06:22 PM
Two thumbs up from me, I love kitsune tales / tails.

Not really much too this, but that's why it was a mini.   :)  But I loved the central idea of a fox pulling a trick without lying, and the story was well told.  And yes, the humans are dumb as bricks - but in a fairy tale world they are used to seeing some pretty strange stuffs.  Weird little wise men among them.
Title: Re: Podcastle Miniature 45: When Shakko Did Not Lie
Post by: Unblinking on January 05, 2010, 05:37:13 PM
I forgot to say one thing--did the two-tailed fox make anyone else think of "Tails", the sidekick on Sonic the Hedgehog?  :)  This fox didn't seem able to spin his tails like a propeller to fly, though...
Title: Re: Podcastle Miniature 45: When Shakko Did Not Lie
Post by: mbrennan on January 06, 2010, 05:02:04 AM
Cute piece.  I second the wish, though, for a narrator who knows how to pronounce Japanese.  The subtler points of it may be difficult for English speakers, but the basics aren't hard; the vowels are the same as in Spanish.  (Ah, ee, oo, eh, oh -- so it's Shock-o, not Shake-o.)
Title: Re: Podcastle Miniature 45: When Shakko Did Not Lie
Post by: stePH on January 06, 2010, 03:06:40 PM
Cute piece.  I second the wish, though, for a narrator who knows how to pronounce Japanese.  The subtler points of it may be difficult for English speakers, but the basics aren't hard; the vowels are the same as in Spanish.  (Ah, ee, oo, eh, oh -- so it's Shock-o, not Shake-o.)
Furthermore, "kitsune" is three syllables: KI-TSU-NE.  Not seeing the rest of the story written, I don't know if there were other mispronounciations, but if this story is in Returning My Sister's Face, I'll soon find out.

[edit]
Purchase has been made; expect book in hand by next Monday, January 11.  But I see from the listing on Foster's own site that this story is not in the book. Oh, well....
Title: Re: Podcastle Miniature 45: When Shakko Did Not Lie
Post by: Scattercat on January 07, 2010, 04:37:43 AM
It's kind of sad that my first exposure to the concept of kitsune and multi-tailed foxes was in Pokemon Blue, back in the day. 

I, too, enjoyed the idea of a fox tricking people without lying, though it was a little convenient that there were crazy prophetic monks out in the forest who periodically wandered into town encrusted in filth.  Otherwise, the whole "encrusted with filth" disguise would be a little ineffective. 

Also, Shakko's plan seems to have been roughly equivalent to Ray Stantz in the library.  "Now stay close... stay close... GET HER!"
Title: Re: Podcastle Miniature 45: When Shakko Did Not Lie
Post by: stePH on January 26, 2010, 03:17:13 PM
Eugie Foster writes of a cunning animal doing something sweet for the greater good with immediate reward.

SUCCESS!  ;D

I am delighted, I followed the story with glee (twice), and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Thank you stePH for the name of her book (goes to hunt).

It's a great book; I finished it a couple of days ago.  Four stories have been on EA podcasts ("Daughter of Botu", "The Snow Woman's Daughter", "The Tanuki-Kettle", and "Returning My Sister's Face") but the other eight were new to me.  I look forward to her next collection... and actually I hope she includes non-Oriental stories next time around; I've liked every one of her stories on the 'Pods.
Title: Re: Podcastle Miniature 45: When Shakko Did Not Lie
Post by: Gamercow on January 28, 2010, 08:52:07 PM
One suggestion/hint building on the others given for all readers of Japanese themed stories:  All vowels are pronounced, hence, Ki-tsu-ne. 
Title: Re: Podcastle Miniature 45: When Shakko Did Not Lie
Post by: Listener on February 03, 2010, 02:18:07 PM
This was a cute story. Fables generally follow a pretty predictable line -- you knew Shakko was going to win the day, and that he was going to be rewarded for doing what he said he would do. The pronunciations took me out of the story slightly, but I can live with it.
Title: Re: Podcastle Miniature 45: When Shakko Did Not Lie
Post by: kibitzer on February 14, 2010, 06:36:40 AM
Beautiful.

Nine-tailed fox -- Naruto, anyone?  (errr.... sorry about that).
Title: Re: Podcastle Miniature 45: When Shakko Did Not Lie
Post by: tinroof on February 27, 2010, 09:00:05 PM
It's a standard part of Chinese/Japanese mythology, kibitzer.