Today Ryan started 7th grade Literature. We read a story called Chura and Marwe, an African folktale as told by Humphrey Harman.
It is a wonderful story about two slave children who love each other dearly. As the story develops, you see the love these two slave children have for one another. As the folktale opens, it explains that Chura is a young slave boy who is very unattractive. They say he has a face like a " toad." and he is hard to look at when he passes by. Unlike Marwe, whose external beauty was simply magnificent to those who looked upon her.
The question Ryan had to answer before he left his virtual classroom was the following: How does Chura exemplify the saying," Don't judge a book by its cover?" He answered the teacher:
Chura is very peaceful. He is loving and keeps Marwe near his heart.
Weary having to see people look at his appearance.
He learns intense beauty lives on inside.
I thought... who writes like that??...so different yet so meaningful ... most people don't speak or write like this...it is .not "proper" English, but I won't change his words. I see that this is how in Ryan's mind he speaks.
He speaks from one who can relate to Chura's challenges as well. He has shared how people stare at him and are scared of him... but that is another post another day. It is all good and Ryan I am proud of you once again!
