Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Compare and Contrast Essay
Compare and Contrast Essay Compare and contrast essay tips to use when writing your comparison essay. Here youll find the words to use for comparing and contrasting, the different ways one can write an essay to compare and contrast the subjects etc. What Is a Compare and Contrast Essay? Unlike other types of essays (see top 10 essay types), a compare and contrast essay is used to explore both the similarities and the differences between two subjects by comparing and/or contrasting them against each other. Compare and Contrast Essay Outline To serve their particular purposes in an effective manner, a compare and contrast essay must communicateà in an efficient manner. This means that compare and contrast essays should start with an opening paragraph, which will directly state what the writer is trying to say. Afterward, they can move onto the body, which will support the opening paragraph by providing supporting evidence. Once the supporting evidence has been listed, compare and contrast essays can conclude by reemphasizing their opening paragraphs in order to produce a lasting impression on the mind of the reader. Comparative Analysis With that said, a compare and contrast essay cannot be completed without conducting a comparative analysis, which the writer can use to lay out their thoughts about the subjects before sorting them into a neat and organized form. Fortunately, this process is as simple as creating a Venn diagram (see below) before filling it with the characteristics of the subjects, while making sure to put shared characteristics in the overlapping area. Once the writer is satisfied with their brainstorming, they can sort through the characteristics for the ones with the most relevance to the point that they are trying to make, which is important because weaker arguments can actually drag down their stronger counterparts when placed in the same essay. How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay Pre-Writing Phase How to start a compare and contrast essay? Students are normally assigned a topic to write on, yet sometimes professors give their students the freedom of selecting the topic on their own. In the latter case choosing one out of top compare and contrast essay topics can become a challenge. While working on the topic selection it is important not to choose two totally unrelated subjects, otherwise finding similarities can get problematic. Start out with a subject that has some basic similarities, e.g. two novels, two paintings, speeches etc. Looking for the things to compare and contrast? Here is a list of top 30 compare contrast essay topics: TOP 30 COMPARE AND CONTRAST ESSAY TOPICS Once you have chosen what to write on in your comparison essay, brainstorm ideas and try to write down every single one of them, choosing those that are relevant to the topic. You might want to divide your sheet of paper into two main sections and start jotting down everything that comes to your mind, including similarities and differences. Writing Phase Venn Diagram An effective technique for finding similarities and differences is using a Venn diagram. A Venn diagram is a scheme that represents logical relations between two objects. Graphically it can be depicted as two overlapping circles, each of the circles denoting some entity. The overlapping part is the area denoting similarities, while the parts that do not overlap, are the differences (see Fig. 1). Fig. 1. Venn Diagram: Comparing Apples and Oranges (Compare and Contrast Essay) A very important point in writing an effective compare and contrast essay is a correct selection of the lines of comparison: if you are comparing two objects, you should be comparing them against one and the same parameter. For example, looking at the picture above you will see that oranges and apples are compared in regards to things like origin, place of growth, a thickness of peel etc. All of these features are inherent in both objects. If you say that an apple is different from an orange because an apple is green and the orange is juicy, you will be ââ¬Å"comparing apples and orangesâ⬠ââ¬â this time in the figurative meaning of likening two incomparable things. Organization:à Typical Structure of a Compare and Contrast Essay The opening paragraph should state the essayââ¬â¢s subjects as well as its thesis statement about those same subjects. From that point on, the body of a compare and contrast essay tends to be structured in one of two ways: The first way:à a writer can list the characteristics of one subject and then the characteristics of the other before bringing them together by analyzing their similarities and differences. This means that the body of the essay will begin with a number of paragraphs about one subject, continue with a similar number of paragraphs about the other subject, and then finish with a crucial paragraph that will use the listed characteristics to compare and contrast the two subjects. The second way: aà writer can list the similarities between the subjects and then the differences between the same. This means that the body of the essay will begin with a number of paragraphs about their similarities and finish with a number of paragraphs about their differences. With this structure, there is no need for an analysis at the end because its content is spread throughout the preceding paragraphs. Introduction Origin Apples Oranges Climate Apples Oranges Peel Apples Oranges Conclusion Another mode of organization, although less common, is called block comparison. According to this pattern, you will be required to separate the body of your compare and contrast essay in two parts. The first part of the body will be dedicated to Object A, while the other half will be centered around Object B. Together with the introduction and the conclusion, the overall essay length will be 4 paragraphs. In case of block comparison the overall essay structure will take the following form: Introduction Oranges Origin Climate Peel Apples Origin Climate Peel Conclusion Once the body of the essay is complete, its conclusion should restate the thesis statement but in a more confident manner because it has proven its point. Sometimes, a conclusion will summarize the preceding paragraphs for a bolder and blunter emphasis, while other times, a conclusion will let them provide their support in a more implicit manner. HOW TO WRITE A COMPARE AND CONTRAST ESSAY Additional Tips on Comparison and Contrast Essay Writing Fig. 2. Comparison and Contrast Signifiers Compare and Contrast Words An important thing about writing any essay is using special cue words that will make your essay more coherent and logical. In theà case of a compare and contrast essay you will need to use cue words signifying comparison, for example: Words to compare: like, compared to, similar to, similarly, by analogy, likewise, in the same way, as well as, both, too, at the same time, correspondingly, in addition, same as, etc. The cue words signaling contrast are: Words to contrast:à unlike, conversely, however, nevertheless, still, although, while, but, even though, although, despite, yet, regardless, on the one hand â⬠¦ one the other hand, etc. Post-Writing Phase Once the first draft of an essay is complete, it is time for the writer to put the finishing touches: Proofreading Proofreading is a key factor because errors can break the reader from the flow of the essay, thus robbing it of its power to persuade. Writers should always read through their own work to check for typos, spellingà mistakes, grammar mistakes, as well as lines that should be rephrased for a better result. However, they should also get other people to proofread for them because their closeness to their writing can make it hard for them to pick up on its problems. After all, they already know what they are trying to say, meaning that they are not looking at their work with the same perspective as the reader. References References are a useful way to increase an essayââ¬â¢s power to persuade so long as they are appropriately authoritative. For example, referencing a politician is probably not going to be much use in a philosophy essay unless it is in the context of their philosophical writings. Furthermore, references are needed to use someone elseââ¬â¢s arguments without taking credit for them in the process, which is necessary to prevent plagiarism. Not coincidentally, this also makes it easy for the reader to check the sources so that they will know, that somebody really said so if the reader is skeptical. Finally, references should be done in the style that is appropriate for the essayââ¬â¢s subjects for the convenience of different people in different fields. For example, most essays about the sciences should use APA, while most essays about the humanities should use MLA since those are the conventions. We are essay writing experts, meaning that we are ready to help those who are interested in learning more about compare and contrast essays as well as essay-writing in general. All you need to do is visit the order page and fill it out we will start working on it immediately, notifying you on the order progress.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Harassment of Male and Female in Hospitals in Canada Research Paper
Harassment of Male and Female in Hospitals in Canada - Research Paper Example Workplace harassment has not only been reported in health care settings but also in other sectors of the workforce. This paper explores harassment of males and females in Canada hospitals. Harassment of gender in Hospitals According to Ontario Human Rights Commision, ââ¬Å"harassment connotes comments or actions that are unwelcome or should be known to be unwelcomeâ⬠(Ontario Human Rights Commision, 2012). Other literature have defined harassment as any conduct based on age, disability, HIV status, domestic circumstances, race, colour, language. religion, political, trade union or other opinion or belief, national or social origin, association with minority property, birth or other status which is unreciprocated or unwanted and which affects the dignity of men and women at work (Wi, 2009). Workplace harassment in healthcare settings has been reported as a widespread problem in most Canadian hospitals. Healthcare professional such as nurses, general practitioners and other medic al staff do experience or have high chances of experience harassment in most hospitals in Canada. Harassment of males and females in hospitals can take various forms such as physical, psychological and sexual harassment, one-off incident or subsequent and recurrent patterns of behaviours and among colleagues, between superiors and subordinates in health or among third parties (patients and visitors). Causes of Gender harassment in Hospitals Sexual harassment refers to ââ¬Å"any form of sexual activity which makes a person or the victim to feel or appear uncomfortableâ⬠(Roach, 2010). The types of sexual harassments that female experience in hospital settings include gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention, sexual remarks and sexual coercion. Sexual harassment is the most common form of harassment in Canadian hospitals and it is often perpetrated by male patients and co-workers. The forms of sexual harassment that can be directed to either gender in hospital settings inclu de unwelcome physical contact, inappropriate conversation with sexual content, leering or inappropriate staring or whistling, inappropriate gifts, offensive jokes or comments of sexual nature, posting pictures of sexual nature in hospital settings especially in offices, comments about the physical characteristics of an individual and sexually suggestive acts (New Brunswick Human Rights Act, 2011). In addition, sexual harassment in hospitals that is directed to people of either gender may entail proposition of physical intimacy, demands for dates or sexual favors and remarks about members of a specific gender. Nurses experience sexual harassment from patients and colleagues or from medical personnel from higher authorities, that is, sexual harassment can be committed by males with female victims, by females with male victims or same-sex sexual harassment (Roach, 2010). Women have bore the brunt of sexual harassment because they have traditionally occupied a lower status in the societ y particular in the workforce. The same is replicated in hospital settings in Canada where most victims of sexual harassment have been women. Both male and female nurses and other medical staff experience harassment in Canadian health care settings although the level of endurance is different from either gender. Female nurses are likely to endure harassment from their colleagues or patients for a long term before necessarily taking further step and
Friday, November 1, 2019
Texting While Driving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Texting While Driving - Essay Example The reality is that every day thousands of text messages and emails are sent and read from behind the wheel by America drivers, and indeed drivers all over the world. Driving while texting has been claimed to cause accidents for the following reasons; it reduces concentration and prevents the driver from focusing on the road and the cars ahead beside or behind him/her. This is because texting takes up a good deal of sensory, motor faculties which are required for drivers to put their full focus on the road. As a result, they are likely to veer off the road and/or cause accidents resulting in fatalities for the driver passengerââ¬â¢s pedestrians and other road users. Despite this, others claim that texting while driving is fine and no more dangerous than eating or talking to the passenger next to the driver in the car. In fact, by virtue of driving itself being dangerous, we have speed and age limits; therefore, it transpires then that if one is qualified to drive he/she should als o be qualified to text while driving. However, if the argument is followed to its logical conclusions it will imply actions be banned based on the rate of death. In such a situation texting and driving would not be the only thing banned, even driving itself would be outlawed given its high death toll even in the absence of distractions. Bearing in mind that texting has become almost second nature to most people, it begs the question whether people should be encouraged to avoid driving and texting or trained on how to do both. Quizzed on the effects of this, proponents of this debate assert that they did not find texting while driving to be a significant risk; some are of the opinion that texting is no more different from using GPRS to check for directions (Stephens). The American federal and state laws have tried to limit mobile phone activity while driving, and this has included banns or limitations from calling or texting while driving. However, it is notable that the matter is no t unequivocally agreed on since not every state has banns on texting or calling while driving. Thirty nine states have banned texting and driving while five have outlawed the same for novice drivers; school bus drivers in 19 states are not allowed to make phone calls, only in three states are they forbidden to text while driving; Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas (ââ¬Å"Cellphone and texting lawsâ⬠). In year 2010, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration realized that the number of Americans texting or otherwise manipulating cellphones and driving had risen to 0.9 percent (ââ¬Å"Driver Electronic Device Use in 2010â⬠). Majority of those who text while driving, fall in the teenage and young driver bracket, and they are likely to do more than just text since with smart phones they can access Facebook and other social networking sites which may be more involving than texting. Ultimately, despite the many opinions on the issue, the law seems bent on outlawing the pra ctice since the opinion of the majority is apparently not in favor of allowing it. This can be seen in that most states have outlawed it, and in most cases should a police officer find someone driving and texting in this states they may charge you with dangerous driving. One of the leading insurance firms in the country, nationwide insurance has also strongly supported the ban for Texting While Driving-TWD (ââ¬Å"Nationwide Insuranceâ⬠¦
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Social terms in Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Social terms in Islam - Essay Example He went to a cave to muse on the problems, and there he prayed. In the year 610, the angel Gabriel appeared to him. It was Gabriel who gave Muhammad the words to the Koran. Muhammad started to preach, and at first his words were not taken well. Meccans were told not to trade with the would-be Muslims. In the year 619 his wife died. It was after this that he had his famous journey to Jerusalem. Soon men from Medina heard of him, and said that if his ideas worked "he would be the strongest man in Arabia." (U.S. News and World Report, Secrets of Islam pg.22) The Medina Arabs soon accepted Islam, but it was far from being accepted by everybody in Arabia. Muhammad died at the age of 63, and within a century of his death Islam spread across three continents. The first split in the religion happened not long after Muhammad's death. When Muhammad died he left no indication of who was to rule after him. The Sunnis believe that Ali, Muhammad's cousin should have been the first caliph to rule after Muhammad. Instead, he was the 4th. The third caliph; Uthman, was killed, and Ali was accused of not pursuing Uthman's killers. Mu'awiya, Uthman's cousin and the governor of Damascus refused to accept Ali as the caliph until Uthman's killers were caught. Ali was killed by one on his own followers, and then Mu'awiya took the title of caliph. Ali's son, Hussein was promised the caliph after Mu'awiy died. However Mu'awiya's son took the caliph, and Hussein died. However Hussien's son Ali survived, and the two lines of caliphs made the split between the Islamic factions of Sunni and Shia. Both sects of the religion are Islam however. A believer of Islam, be the person Sunni or Shia, is called a Muslim. Muslim is the Arab word for submission to the will of Allah. And a Muslim is a person who has submitted their will to the will of Allah. Muslims believe in the 5 Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars are: 1. To believe in Allah and his Prophet Muhammad. 2. To pray in the direction of Mecca five times a day 3. To make a pilgrimage to Mecca during their lifetime if able 4. to pay religious taxes(alms) 5. to observe and fast during Ramadan The holy book for Muslims, the Koran, is the main source for Islamic law. It is considered the ultimate source of instruction and information. The legal interpretation of the Koran is call the Shariah and can vary within the religion. For example, the Koran calls for modesty in women's dress, and some Shariah's say that women should be veiled from head to foot. Islam soon spread far across the world. There is some debate however about how it came to Kyrgyzstan. Some sources say it was brought over by Sufis, Islamic missionaries. The majority of the other sources say that the religion was brought over by merchants and traders. As merchants traded, they would sell their wares as well as spread their Islamic faith. Islam was assimilated into the lifestyle of the people of the area. Some ideas of the religion were ignored, because they didn't fit with the nomadic life style of the people. The people of the area mainly practiced animism and forms of shamanism, and it I believed that they simply took and chose which parts of Islam they wanted to adopt. Many people also considered themselves Muslim, even if they didn't hold any of the beliefs of the religion. Because of the nomadic way of life, Islam does not have a strong hold on the society of Kyrgyzstan. One example of this is the role of women. Due to
Sunday, October 27, 2019
The significance of the social classes concept
The significance of the social classes concept Andersen Taylor (2007) define class mobility as the movement between different classes. This type of mobility can either be downward or upward in nature. Social classes are cultural or economical arrangements of groups within a society. Class becomes a very crucial object that political scientists, sociologists, economists, social historians, and anthropologists use for their various analysis purposes. Within social sciences, the social class is usually talked over by considering social stratification. In the Western world, stratification particularly includes upper class, middle class, and lower class and each of the three classes can be further classified into occupational classes (Edgell, 1993). In a number of societies, particularly in the United States, the concept of class mobility is a very significant social idea, with her citizens considering that every individual has got a chance to climb up the social class ladder. An individuals social class can be determined by a number of factors for instance, occupation, education, wealth or access to money, and race. These are very crucial factors that place people within different social classes within any given society particularly the societies in the Western world. The factor such as race can bring about a help or a hindrance for class mobility depending on an individuals race and the society in consideration, as well as culture, manners, and the family history. In some societies for example, an individual who has a lot of liquid money might be regarded as being in upper class, while in other societies, this individual might not be considered to belong to the upper class owing to other factors such as the individuals occupation and family history. An example in this case is a pawnbroker who has done very well, but might not belong to the upper class in spite of having a lot of money like a famous banker, while the children of the pawnbroker might possi bly join the upper class as they may develop most prestigious occupations (Andersen Taylor, 2007). As seen, most of the Western nations are generally divided into lower, middle, and upper class. Each of these classes has its own characteristic features which differentiates it from the other classes. The lower class is characteristic of laborers who earn low income as they acquired limited education, and this makes the individuals in the class to acquire only few opportunities for economic or educational progress. At times, a member of the lower class may have a lot of money just like the member in the topmost class, but still will be classified under lower class because the family background or the occupation that he or she is engaged in. The members within the middle class are seen to be economically stable having attained more educational opportunities. As well in the middle class, the individuals have got increased social opportunities due to the idea that their class status is elevated. The upper class forms the stratum the social structure with lowest population of individual s. This class constitutes individuals with well established social positions including increased prestige as well as better economic security (Saunders, 1990). In most of the societies within the Western world, the goal of individuals within the lower and middle classes is the upward class mobility as they believe that higher social classes are more socially and economically secure. Achieving the class mobility can be done through various ways for instance; an individual who is attempting to attain class mobility can aggressively pursue social and educational opportunities while another individual can center on laying the groundwork so that the future generations of his or her family will find themselves in the highest social class stratum. An example in this case, is an individual in the lower or middle class, who works very hard to acquire college fees to ensure that his or her children have chances which would no be attained (Ferrante, 2007). Within some societies, individuals experience downward class mobility as well. Downward class mobility becomes a great fear among many people who usually feel that their social ranks are unstable. Experiencing a radical change in fortunes may become an indication for a family which belongs to a higher class to fall down within the class stratification, usually when the changes persevere over many subsequent generations. Those individuals who experience downward class mobility are usually exposed to a good deal of prejudice from individuals within the former social stratum as well as the individuals within the social class in which they end up. With different generations in the world, social class mobility can either occur within or across the generation. The type of social class mobility that occurs within a generation is referred to as intra-generational mobility while the social class mobility that occurs across generations is called inter-generational mobility (Saunders, 1990). Intra-generational mobility can be defined as the changes regarding social status within a single lifetime. This type of mobility occurs within a given generation. Intergenerational mobility can be defined as the changes regarding social status that happen from the parents generation to the generation of their children. Thus the intergenerational mobility occurs across a number of generations. The definitions are very crucial during the analysis concerning the manner in which social status change from a given time period to another, as well as whether the social status of parents can determine an individuals own social status. In most case, sociologists usually center on the intergenerational mobility since this is the easiest in depicting changes across generations when compared to the intra-generational mobility. The sociologists use this information to determine if inequality within a given culture changes with time (Jr, 2009). Intergenerational mobility is merit based as well as non-merit based. In this case, it is the ability and hard work which influences social mobility. Parents race, wealth, luck, and gender can also affect the intergenerational mobility. Intergenerational mobility focuses on how parents can influence their childrens social mobility. Quality education is very important since the children can obtain highest marks and therefore gain prestige. Parents can as well make significant connections with those people who belong to higher social classes so that their social network will become wider. These parents who form their childrens social capital tend to increase the social mobility of the children. Recent researchers have collected relevant data concerning the families economic mobility across generations. The researchers have considered the probability of attaining a given income distribution in relation to where the parents were socially positioned. According to the researchers, 42 perce nt of the children whose parents were in the lowest quintile end up in the bottom quintile; 23 percent of the children ended up in the second quintile; 19 percent of the children ended up in the middle quintile; 11 percent of them end up in the fourth quintile; and 6 percent ended up in the topmost quintile (Goldthorpe, 2006). The social upward mobility becomes difficulty due to some given barriers. Education is a very important factor which can enhance or hinder upward mobility depending on how an individual has attained in it. Those individuals who achieve lowly in their academics do not usually continue with higher education such that they find themselves no where in the competitive world education wise during the time of searching for the prestigious white collar jobs. The lowly educated individuals engage themselves in the lowly paying jobs which are a characteristic of low class. Without taking a step in advancing the educational status, these individuals continue being in the lowest social class. Poverty is another factor which hinders social upward mobility, in that, the children inmost poor families do not develop enough in terms of psychological and behavioral development. Families also affect their childrens social mobility, in that; some families do not adopt strategies to support the children for instance, access to social, cultural, and financial capital as well as social networks of contact to access prestigious opportunities (Andersen Taylor, 2006). Factors like higher attainment in education enable individuals to move from lower social classes to the topmost class, since they can secure well paying jobs. Parents in well-off families who might be in the middle class, encourages their children to get into the topmost class as they ensure their children get sufficient psychological and behavioral development. Parents in some families adopt some strategies to support their children, for example access to social, cultural, and financial capital. The parents also have good social networks of contact which they use to access the most valued opportunities (Andersen Taylor, 2006).
Friday, October 25, 2019
Essay --
Most of the researchers have found that there are significant relationship between motivation and social support, within the organization and school. In organization, a study from Lin and Huang (2011) have purposed to examine the relationship between achievement motivation and training motivation. Furthermore, the study also investigated the social support of managers and colleagues as moderators for testing their effect on the relationship between two variables. In findings, the training motivation is significantly affected by achievement motivation, while the social support of managers and colleagues shows a moderating effect in organizations (Lin & Huang, 2011). In schools, Urdan and Schoenfelder (2006) have purposed an analysis article to describe and analyze the research on the contextual influences on student motivation critically, by reviewing the research from three theoretical perspectives (achievement goal theory, self-determination theory, and social-cognitive theory) and the field of social relationship with teachers and peers. In the studies of all three perspectives have emphasized the importance of providing students with a sense of ownership in learning process and the appropriate challenging academic work, will more likely to improve student motivation. Whilst, the perspectives of psychologist on social relationship have found the motivation behavior in school results from a combination of the characteristics of students and the environment. For instance, to encourage the ââ¬Å"unmotivatedâ⬠student willing participants in academic task are needed the conditions of the tasks are according to their interests, or got the opportunities to meet the social needs through the cooperation with friends or caring support from... ... the path of enrollment to the college, which due to the factors of the possible lack in adult role models and the required knowledge to assist in successful completion of college. However, the non-first generation college students are reported to have higher levels of motivation and more likely to attend college for achieving higher grade point average. Besides, the researchers also found that receiving support from family is important for the students to increase the well-being and chances of enrolling in college (Pannell and Olmos, 2012). As a whole, the studies showed the motivation will positive affected by social support, within the organization and school. In addition, the relationship between motivation and social support will impact the differences in achievement. However, the year of study and sex differences will persist as areas of concern in our study.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Little Red Riding Hood Revisited Essay
People often ask me about the large grey wolf hide I keep hanging above the fireplace. I will admit it does seem rather odd for a young girl to have such a thing, and I assure you that the story behind it is even stranger. A story I have told many times to guests and passers by, and I always get the same look of disbelief, but I assure that this story is as true as they come. Walking to my Grandmotherââ¬â¢s house was not a strange occurrence for me I had done many times, only this time would be far different. I had no idea of the events that were to unfold as I opened the door and entered Grandmotherââ¬â¢s cabin. Grandma, are you there? â⬠I called out as I entered the cabin. I made sure to move cautiously so that I did not hit my knees on anything in the dark. ââ¬Å"I am in here darling. â⬠I heard my Grandmother respond from the bedroom. I lit a lantern, and moved into the room where I found my grandmother lying peacefully in her bed. ââ¬Å"Grandmother, I brought you fresh bread and vegetables from the market,â⬠I exclaimed proudly as I removed my red overcoat and tossed it onto the rocking chair in the corner. ââ¬Å"I will be back in a few minutes Grandmother. I am going to put on some stew, I hope you are hungry. ââ¬Å"Oh, you have no idea, my dear. â⬠My Grandmother said in somewhat of raspy whisper. ââ¬Å"Grandmother, what is wrong with your voice? â⬠ââ¬Å"Oh nothing my dear, I think I am coming down with a bit of a cold. â⬠Her voice, although sweeter than I remembered it, sounded forced and uncomfortable. Thinking nothing of it, I resumed my post, slicing vegetables and warming the broth over the fire. One by one as I finished making my cuts, I slid the slices into the broth, first the carrots, followed by onions and celery, and finally finishing with the tomatoes and potatoes. My stew was coming along nicely so I heated up some water on the side and began to boil tea leaves in a kettle to try and ease my grandmotherââ¬â¢s sore throat and relieve her cold. ââ¬Å"Red, how is everything going in there sweetie? â⬠My grandmother queried anxiously from her comfortable perch in the bedroom. ââ¬Å"Everything is coming along just fine Grandmother,â⬠I replied, a little irritated. I had no idea why my Grandmother was in such a mood today, I had never seen her be this pushy and hurried. I stirred the stew one more and removed it from the fire in order to let it cool down as I made my grandmother a cup of tea. I ladled fresh hot soup into one of the bowls on my Grandmotherââ¬â¢s counter, and then placed it along with a glass of tea on a wooden tray, and presented it to my Grandmother while she remained in bed in the dimly lit corner of the room. ââ¬Å"Thank you my dear,â⬠She said eerily. ââ¬Å"I just donââ¬â¢t think I am in the mood for this stew. â⬠ââ¬Å"Grandmother, what are you talking about? â⬠I exclaimed, ââ¬Å"This is your favorite soup, you have made this soup for me since I was a little girl. â⬠I paused and waited for a response but none was given. ââ¬Å"Grandmother? â⬠I peeped cautiously becoming more and more worried about what was going on. Grandmother? â⬠I peeped again. Another long pause passed without as much as a whisper from Grandmother. I quickly grabbed the lantern that I had lit earlier and brought it close to the bed, shining as much light as I could on the growingly creepy situation. As I peered into my Grandmotherââ¬â¢ s eyes, I noticed they looked strange. I looked closer, locked in her gaze, and, without even noticing, I whispered aloud, ââ¬Å"Grandma, what big eyes you have. â⬠ââ¬Å"All the better to see you with my dear. â⬠She answered in a strange tone that was as unfamiliar to me as her lack on interest in her favorite soup. Stranger still than her tone was the unmistakable largeness of her mouth, and even more so her teeth. I never remembered seeing her teeth that large. ââ¬Å"Grandmother, what big teeth you have,â⬠I muttered. ââ¬Å"All the better to eat you with,â⬠She replied. I gasped aloud as the shocking realization began to sweep over me. The loving Grandmother I had always known had been replaced by an unusually large wolf. I jumped out of the chair, and made a move for the door when the wolf, moving like lighting, blocked my path. ââ¬Å"Why the rush? â⬠asked the wolf slyly, with an air of arrogance. He quickly reached out for my throat, but underestimated me as I dodged and crawled through his legs. ââ¬Å"You canââ¬â¢t run from me! â⬠the wolf exclaimed as I used every once of energy I had to sprint through the front door and out into the forest. I could hear the loud crackling of breaking twigs and the scratch of the wolfââ¬â¢s claws against the hard frozen bark as he gave chase. I kept zigging and zagging, trying my hardest to remain a hard target for the wolf, but I could feel his breath getting closer and closer to my neck. Suddenly, in the distance I noticed an outline of a man, walking through the forest. I turned my sprint in his direction, and pumped my legs with everything they had left. With every step closer to the man, I felt more and more assured that I might yet live to see another day. ââ¬Å"Helpâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Help! â⬠I yelled at the top of my lungs to the stranger in the distance. He turned around and I could see a lumberjackââ¬â¢s axe in his hands. I ran and ran, until finally I could reach out and grab the man. When I did, I turned around and noticed that the wolf was no longer behind me. ââ¬Å"What is it, my dear? â⬠The man asked in a calm voice as if not a single thing was out of place in the forest. Sir, a massive wolf has eaten my grandmother, and is chasing me. â⬠I cried out as if my life depended on it. ââ¬Å"Sweetheart, I see no wolf,â⬠The man replied. Right at that exact moment, I noticed a large shadow over the manââ¬â¢s shoulder and looked up to see the wolf soaring through the air out of the trees. The wolf landed perfectly with itââ¬â¢s paws on my shoulders pinning me to the ground, but not attacking, just holding me there. ââ¬Å"Oh, that wolf,â⬠The man said calmly without so much as a hint of worry. ââ¬Å"You did not tell me that you had met my pet. â⬠ââ¬Å"What are you talking about? â⬠I sobbed loudly. Do you have any idea how hard it is to train a wolf? â⬠The man jested. ââ¬Å"Especially to train one to hide peopleââ¬â¢s relatives and lure little girls out to the forest. â⬠ââ¬Å"My Grandmother is alive? â⬠I asked immediately. ââ¬Å"Of course, she is. I have no taste for bitter old women. â⬠The man seemed almost pleased with himself as one does when an elaborate plan comes together. ââ¬Å"Enough of the small talk. â⬠The man muttered casually. ââ¬Å"Time to get you dressed out and ready for the dinner table. â⬠I looked up, and watched as the man lined up the axe with my throat, and slowly raised it over his head. I had no choice but to close my eyes, and prepare myself for the inevitable. Just then, I heard the loud crack of a rifle, and looked up to see a horrifying grimace on the manââ¬â¢s face. I felt a drop hit my face as I noticed the red pool begin to grow on the manââ¬â¢s chest. His strength fading quickly, he dropped the axe. I reached up desperately, and grabbed the axe as it made its descent and caught it firmly in my hands. Rising to my feet I noticed the man lying on the ground clutching his chest and breathing heavily. Without so much as a momentââ¬â¢s hesitation, I drew the axe above my ead, and brought it swiftly down on the manââ¬â¢s neck, ending his suffering and life. I looked around frantically searching for the wolf, for I knew I wasnââ¬â¢t out of danger yet. Confirming my suspicions, I noticed the wolf running through the woods headed right for me, I raised the axe, ready to defend myself, when I heard another shot from a rifle, and watched as the wolf hit ground and slid to my feet dead. Shocked and relieved, I looked around for my savior. Camouflaged well I couldnââ¬â¢t find anyone. ââ¬Å"Hello! â⬠I shouted into the seemingly empty woods. My heart leapt with joy as I heard a familiar voice call back to me. Over here dear,â⬠I ran toward the sound and looked upon the face with the familiar voice. ââ¬Å"Grandma! â⬠I shouted wildly. ââ¬Å"I thought you were dead. â⬠ââ¬Å"Not at all dear, it would take more than an overgrown wolf to get the best of this old lady. â⬠Surprised at this seemingly impossible turn of events, I went to ask her how this was possible, but all I could muster was a whimper. ââ¬Å"I see you are shocked my dear, let me explain,â⬠She said, calm as could be. My Grandmother then told me the story of how the wolf had taken her to a cave and left her there, presumably to take post in her bed. What the wolf and the hunter had not known was that Grandma was a widow, and had to fend for herself in the woods. She had been hunting this forest since she was a young woman some 25 years ago. That night Grandma and I ate quite a stew complete with wolf meat. Dinner was over and the dishes were clean, and, as Grandma sat by the fire cleaning her rifle, I relaxed after a hectic day in the rocking chair and dozed off under the warmth of my brand new cloak, a long over-sized wolf pelt which I gladly wore over my old red one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)