Exploratory preparations for publication

Rochester Institute of Technology

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1-1993

Exploratory preparations for publication

Rodney Nowosielski

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ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OFTECHNOLOGY

AThesis Submitted to the_Faculty of

The College of_ImagingArts and Science

in _Candidacy for theDegree of

MASTER OF FINEARTS

Exploratory Preparations forPublication

by

Rodney Nowosielski

Adviser: Professor Robert Keough/

Robert P. Keough

Date: 6 - I r - q 2

Associate Adviser: Dr. Joanne Szabla /

Dr. Joanne Szabla

Date: (, ~~ ~f.

3

Associate Adviser: Luvon Sheppard/

Luvon Sheppard

Date:

~f'B;!:zs

Special Assistant to the Dean for Graduate Affairs: Professor Phil" Bornarth / Philip W. Bornarth Date:

G

~ 3 '-.:s

Dean, College of Imaging Arts and Sciences: Dr. Margaret 0. Lucas/ Margaret 0. Lucas

Date:

(!, -

Bi

I,

Rodney D. Nowosielski

'prefer to be contacted each time a request for reproduction is made. I can be reached at the following address:

Table of Contents i

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ii

List of Illustrations in

Chapter

1. _Introduction 1

2. Writing Procedures 2

Background 2

Theme 3

Plot 3

Style 4

Setting 5

Characters 6

3. Illustration Procedures 10

Research 10

The Bedroom Window 12

The Tower inthe Wall 15

Gnarled Tree and theWoodNymph 18

The Rabbit 21

SpyingthroughBushes 24

The Hand and the Braid 27

Rapunzel 30

Pulled from the Thorn 33

The _Fury 36

Book _Marketing Research 39

4. Appendix 40

Equipment 40

Photo References 41

Modeling Release 43

6. Selected Bibliography 44

Acknowledgments

Followinga suggestion _{byJerry Stoeffhaas,} I was able to _develop a storyline for The Towerandthe Wall from a differentperspective.

I am

deeply

grateful forthecreative insightthathe inspired. I would like to thank_{my advisers,} RobertKeough and Luvon Sheppard, for

theirassistance and suggestions throughout the year. I especially

would like to thankDr. Joanne _Szabla, for _{stepping in} at the last mo

ment, as _{my editing} adviser.

Iwould like tothank the Rochester Institute ofTechnology's

College of_Imaging Arts and Science for all financial assistance given

to me, which helpedrelieve some of the burden and stress created _by financial worry.

Last of_all, I would like to thank _{Becky Eddy} forall her _support,

List of Illustrations in

Composition Page

1. The Bedroom Window 14

2. The Tower in theWall 17

3. The Gnarled Tree and Wood Nymph . . . 20

4. The Rabbit 23

5. _Spying through Bushes 26

6. The Hand and the Braid 29

7. Rapunzel 32

8. Pulled fromthe Thorn 35

Introduction

I have always had an interest inchildren's literature, folklore,

and mythology. As a _child,

listening

_to, or _reading stories created

fascinating

images within _my mind that swept me offto new lands

and adventures. But I often questionedthe unexplained elements

within _stories,

finding

them to be incomplete and dissatisfying. As an

Adult, it became_my desireto selecta Grimm's tale and rewrite it,

filling

in the voids by _givingreasonable solutions forthose unex plained elements.

Thechallenges withinthis project were directed toward _my per

sonal creative self. Would I be ableto writea plausible _story even

though_{my writing ability} is average? Ifelt confidentenough in my

abilities as a _story teller togive it a try. The _{story I} selected to revise

is the brothers Grimm's _{fairy tale, Rapunzel. Two} examples of unex

plained elements within the _{story I} have triedto make reasonable so

lutions for are, how did thetower come to _be, and _whydid Grethel hate men.

I also feltchallenged torecreate the story's images as I saw them

in my mind, usinga computer as _my illustration tool. _Creatingthe illustrations involved an exploration of digital image_processing, us

ing

photographs and scanned images tocreate a unique style of_rep

resentational and symbolic images.

I've alsoadded newcharacters and adventures to attain the inter

est ofchildren at the _{fourth, fifth,} and sixth grade level, forwhom it

was written. What I've strived to _accomplish, is a novelette deemed

Writing Procedures

There was no set process or procedure followed onthis project. I

prettymuch worked on _it, in and around class _assignments, whenev er Icould getthe _opportunity todo so. In _fact, the first draft for _my

storyfor The Towerandthe Wall _(Rapunzel) was put on paper as an assignment in Script_Writingclass. We were given an assignmentto

write a proposal for a film.We weretold to _write, "the one

big

idea or_story in the back ofour mind that we had always wanted to do." Thedraft for this _{story may} not have been whatthe instructor

intended fora _script, but it was all I needed to get started with _my

project.

Background

As I said in the _beginning, I had no setprocedure for writing. I

wrote randomthoughts and ideas as _theyoccurred and worked them

into the story. WhatI had written for _my script_writingassignment

was a chronicle order ofevents _takingplace over hundreds of years lead which_up to the main story. Itwas basically background infor

mation

beginning

with the _history ofthe _{tower, jumping}to Grethel's

misfortune as a_child, onto Rapunzel's _parents, and _{finally ending} withthe confrontation at the tower.

Many ofthe ideas usedfor background, I formed from basic knowledge gained overthe years. Much ofthis knowledge has been

obtained frompast

learning

_{institutions, readingmaterials,} and TV programs about life in the middle_ages, or European history. In

Germany, when I was in the military, I learnedthat towers where used as lookout points for fires, and _storms, as well as _enemyraids.

Myknowledge ofthe plagues that spread across Europewas used to

develop

the _history for thetower. What better_way to explain how an isolatedtower is found in a forest? _{So, my history} ofthe tower is

a _very feasible _way for itto come into _existence, thus

filling

one of

the unexplained voids in the _story ofThe Tower andthe Wall

(Rapunzel).

Throughlessons on European history I've learned children were

to build the character ofGrethel on. Italso worked well as an under

lying

themewithin the story. I decidedto use itbecause children are

interested in what affects them. Ihave learned through _experience,

thatchildren as a _group, are concerned with the elements of circum stancesthat involvethem and persons considered part oftheirgroup. So explaining how Grethel was treated as a childwould _helpmy readers comprehend howabuse can effect a person's behavior later in life.

Theunexplained element ofhow a person could live stranded in a

towerwas another puzzle I wantedto solve. _Addinga garden to the towerroof and a cold storage areain a lower room made the most

logical solutions. This was now a tower that someone could live in

and never haveto leave. Background knowledge of_gardeningand old ways of_storing food supported how this could work. I was _very pleased withthe _{way I} was able to workthese puzzles out.

Theme

Thetheme within _my tale is explicitin the _way it offers an under

lying

concern ofhowchildren are treated and dealtwith. Although child _{abuse, neglect,} and adoption are lightly touched upon within

this tale. Iwould like tothink that it is enough to have an effect on

children who _may read _it, and _help them realize how difficultchoices can be for adults. _Hopefully itwill also help them understand that

life isn'tmade _{easy by snap judgements} and quick decisions.

Plot

ThePlot in The Towerandthe Wall _basically contains the same

outline as the original brothers Grimm Fairy Tale,1 Rapunzel within it's _story, which has been expanded upon to include new characters

and adventures. The original tale begins withthe _story ofRapunzel's parents before it becomes involved with the lovers meeting in the tower. I've rearranged the order ofevents, usingparts ofthe original tale as explanations. However,the main plot is still the _same, it's just

written in a differentstyle.

Style

WhenI wrote _my firstoutline for The Towerand the Wall in

Script

Writing

_class, the _{instructor, Jerry Stoeffhaas,} encouraged me

to continuewith _{my idea,} but he advised me notto write the same

storyand suggested Ichange theperspective fromwhom the _story is

viewed by. Atfirst I _resisted, outoftradition to

keep

tales as true to theoriginal as possible. _Myonly intentions were to fill in the un

explained elements.

Believe it or _not, itwas Disney's animated film _Beautyand the Beast,2

that persuaded meto reconsider _my instructor's suggestion. I

wentto seethe movie

knowing

the storyline had been changed. I was

determined notto likeit no matter howgood the movie turned out

to be. ButIwas wrong. Themovie was _absolutely wonderful. The

changewithin the storyline andthe characters were successful.

AsI began toconsider the possibilitiesof _looking atthe _story

from anothercharacter's point of_view, a whole series of new ideas began to fill _my mind. The most _intriguing idea was to write the

story from Grethel 'spoint ofview. ButI felt it wouldbe too difficult for me to build upon her psychological perspective. I wantedto _keep

it_simple, so Iconcentrated on the twomain _characters, and finally

decided to write it fromthe boy's _(Eric) point of view. That would be easiest forme since Icould relate to what a _boy mightthink and

say.

The originalstyle ofthe Grimm's _fairy tales are written in a formal narrative style, which are cold and _empty of emotion. There is no personal involvement for the _reader, and the tales seem to func

tionbetter as first drafts. Ican't be the_only person dissatisfied by theirformal _style, or there wouldn't be so _many rewritings oftheir tales.

The stories I enjoy_reading, and the most _memorable, are either

written in the first-person's point of_view, or in a limited omniscient

point of view. I prefer stories written in these styles because they

create a personal involvement between myself, as the _reader, and the character. Ichose to write _{my story} as a limited omniscient point of

viewover first-person. The omniscient writerchooses to move

around, in, and through the characters, knowing everything and givingthe reader helpful information.3 Itwas _necessary for_my

2WaltDisney, Beautyand the Beast, screen_play written by Lida

Woolverton, 85 min., (Calif.: BuenaVista, 1991), VHS videotape.

3RebecaJ. Lukens, A Critical Handbook ofChildren's Litera

approach because I needed a _wayto continue with the _story after Eric fell from the tower. The limited omniscient view allowed meto build _up the climactic peak inthe final confrontation by _relating

whatthoughts were _going throughGrethel's _mind, and enable meto continuetorelate the tale afterEric fell from the_tower,

becoming

unconscious.

Setting

Originally, Ihad plannedto set the _story in the Black Forest region of Germany. Itwas a good location _offeringforested hills and valley's where small villages could be found. But I later decided to generalized the location toa mountain pass with a forestnearby. That _way readers could usetheir imagination as to where ittakes

place.

Whenthe _story takes place is also part ofthe _{setting I} gave a

greatdeal ofthought to. Iwanted the _storyto give the impression of the olden times when trade routes were more common fortransport ing goods than _{shipping routes,} which were developed much later. Trade routes _usually extended across mountains passes throughout

eastern Europe into_Asia, where _everything rich, from spices, fabrics, and oils toprecious metals and stones were carried. By _placing the character ofEric's fatherwithin this element and _makingan inn Eric's _home,created a possible _setting where the _boy would hear stories about strange and wonderful places around the world and

invoke the desire for adventure.

Ihave learned thatpeople can have a _tendency to add fanciful

overtones notextendedto the story. Whilediscussing _{my story}with a friend, Ihappen tomentioned _my solution of howRapunzel is able to live in the _tower, because Iadded a _rooftop garden and a cold storage room. _My friend looked at me and asked if I knew whatthe tower represented. She suggested that _my solution increased the tower's symbolic _meaning by_making it a _very fertile symbolic state ment. She _obliviously seemed to be intenton _looking for hidden meanings and was _overlookingthe purpose for _my solution. I stressed _my

intentions were to write a _story that entertained. _My efforts were

merely suggesting a feasible _waya person could survive in a tower. I was not _tryingto make a symbolic statement. But I admit, it is diffi cult _avoiding areas that represent some symbolic nature oranother. The forestcanbe seen as both a literal _setting and a symbol forthe

unknown, and the _rooftopgarden can be both a literal _setting and a symbolofnatural but cultivated beauty. It seems itcan't be _avoided, butI feel confidentthatreaders will read _{my story} for it's entertain

Characters

I haddecided _early to add newcharacters to the story. Since I was

telling it from a differentpoint of view it was _necessaryto

develop

a

new_setting and

background,

supported by a cast ofnew characters. Personally,I wantedto

bring

the charactersdown toa level that

readers could _easilyassociate with. Thatis _whyI changedthe posi

tionofthe prince fromthe original_tale, to the son of a merchant in

The Towerandthe Wall.

I also took intoconsideration the archetypes4

and positions ofthe

backgroundcharacters in_relationship with the main character.

Babcia _(Bop'cha) is a Polish housekeeperwho manages the inn

owned byEric's father. Her archetype is that ofthe Caregiver. Avial

is theall

knowing

friend and teacher whogives advice. His archetype

is thatofthe Sage. Rapunzel's archetype is a combination ofthe

Innocent, who tries to live in _Eden, and thatofthe _{Orphan, who,}

reveals her _{vulnerability}and interdependence. Eric's archetype is a

combination ofthe_Lover, who enjoys and respects all oflife's diver sity, and that ofthe _Creator,who discovers a more adequate sense of self, and thatof the _Orphan, who also shows his _{vulnerability} and interdependence. And lastof_all, Grethel's archetype is that ofthe

Magician, who serves asthe catalysts forchange.

Addingnew _characters,I've learned can have a great influence on how a _story changes. The final dramatic confrontation was rewritten

around the addition of_Bear,Eric's pet dog. He was added to the

storyin the first draft when I developed a new ending. It made sense

toend the _storyat the climactic buildofthe _story instead of

drag

ging itout. In the original _{tale, Grethel} takes Rapunzel _away and leaves her in a desertedplace. Afterthe Prince discovers this, he falls

from thetower intothe thorns and wanders around blind in the

woods for ayear. In the end he _accidentally stumbles upon Rapunzel and _everythingworks outto a happy ending.5

By addingBear to the

storyI was ableto builds anintense scene of action totheclimax

and foregothe

long

struggle in the woods. Although Bear is a minor

character throughout the _story, I felt comfortable _making him a surprise element at the end.

Because of_research, newcharacters and adventures were added

to the story. The character ofthe wood nymph was inspired by

4Caren _Golden, "What Archetype are

You?"

EastWest.

September/October _1991, 60.

somethingI read in A Hero with a Thousandfaces6.Joseph 7 Campbellwas _writing about ancienttales ofwildwomen who

wanderedthewoods ofRussia. The women were _hairyand lived in caves, but made good lovers and wives. _They also had the_ability to disappear. Although Ifelt_adding a creature such as this would be a bitmature for_children, I likedthe idea of_addingthe wood nymph as a creature ofthe wood.

Later, I was informed

by

three individualsthat the wood nymph's tale ofthe gnarled tree is simularto an ancient Greek myth,

Narcissus. He was a youthwho fell in love with his own image reflected in a pool and wastransformed into a

flowering

plant.

Although Idon'trecall ever

hearing

the _{tale, I} found it interesting. It

doesn't_really match _{my story}ofthe gnarled _tree, except forthe end results. So Iconsidered it an _interestingcoincident in story telling.

The Rabbit character is onethat developed out of_my original first draft. Later in the _writing process Idecided to directanother verbal _warning at Eric before he discovered the tower. I also felt a needto add additional adventureto holdthe attention of_my read ers, because children canget bored easily. So I gave the rabbit a voice and personality. The rabbit'scharacter was _easy and fun to write.

The lines of his _story and conversation withthe main character seemed to pour out of me like water. He is one of_my favorite char acters in the _storyand I have given some thought to _adding him to another _storyor sequel.

Itried notto buildtoo much ofthe _story on the wood nymph's or the rabbit's background because they were minor characters. It was more importantto build the _story around Eric. My intentions were tocreate the _storythroughEric's experiences, to show howhe feltand whatthoughts went throughhis mindas he experienced the actions ofhis adventure.

The importanceofa character in a_story

-primary, secondary,

minor, or background important

-determines how_fullythe charac ter comesto the centeroftheconflict

-and therefore the more im portantthe characteris

-thegreater is our need to knowthe com plexityofthe character's personality. Conversely,the morethe characterfunctions merelyas background, the less likelihood that character needstobe developed.7

6Joseph _Campbell,The Hero with aThousand Faces. (New York: PrincetonUniversity Press, 1949; Boiling Foundation _Inc., 1973), 79.

Although _manyofthe ideas within the _story came _easy for_me, there were _manyareas thatrequired alot ofthought and careful planning. Two _very difficult areasIhadto workthrough _were, the introduc tion intothe_story, and how Rapunzel'scharacter was to reactin

manyofthe conversations.

The introduction to the _storywas _actually written five or six differentways. Dissatisfied with _myresults I decided to _study one of

myfavorite books written by KatherinePaterson.8 I hoped thatit

would inspire a creative spark ofimagination. After reading thefirst chapterIwas able to sitdown andwork out a solution for the intro duction. I am quit pleased with the _wayit turned _out, andI give full

credit to the _writingskills ofKatherine Paterson for her influence. Rapunzel's character and reactions were not _easy forme towrite. I found it difficult torelate how shewould react to_Eric, because I

personally, find that women can be _very complicated. Most ofthe scenes between Eric andRapunzel had to be worked out on paper from random ideas. Also the section where Eric realizes he loves

Rapunzel and how he approaches her hadto beworked through. I

reflected upon_my own personalexperiences to work out a reason

able solution. I was also _very conscientious to avoid _making this scenetoo _{lovesick-mushy} for children totolerate. This was _actually the _very lastpart ofthe _story to be worked out and written.

The_story is writtento entertain. I feel I was able tocreate reason

able solutions for the unexplainedvoids so open to question in the

original Grimm's tales.I also feel I have managed to meet most of the requirements of good literature by;

1. _giving pleasure.

2. _{providing understanding} through observation.

3. _showinghuman motives by inviting the reader to _identify

with, or reactto a fictionalcharacter.

4. _providing an experience through a logical sequence of

events.

5. _revealinglife's fragmentation _{by sorting} theworld outinto

segments we can identify and examine.

6. _revealing situations of_society by showing the appropriate

circumstances where people give into, or struggle against them.9

What I've accomplished, I feel comfortable with. Although I

8Katherine Paterson, BridgetoTerabithia, (Harper _Trophy, 1987).

10

Illustration Procedures

AtfirstI hadplanned to dothe illustrations for The Towerand

the Wall inwatercolor. Butthat option eliminatedthe need for a

computer. Since_my purpose hereatRITwas to improve upon _my

computer _skills, I decidedto find a style ofillustration that could

either be done onthe _{computer, by} simulated on thecomputer. This required a great deal of mental _energy and research. Research that

not_only uncovered new styles of art and _{techniques, but}also

revealed information on howto approach the Children's Book Market.

Research

Idiscovered some _interestingmethods _duringmy research. Most

ofthe better articlesI've read for illustration techniques were found

in the same resources. But those articles expanded upon the methods

and techniques the illustrators used to getthe results _they wanted. When Icame across the article A TonalApproach toScratchboard Art,10_{Iread it}

with great interest. The _artist, Brian _Pinkney, added color washes to his scratchboard illustration. I found it _interesting to

compare his technique with _mine, which consistof

drawing

a sketch

and _addingthe color in a _heavy layer of crayola under several layers

ofan ink mixture. _Using anoutline of_my sketch traced ontothe ink

surface as a _guide, Ican scratch _anytexture into the ink surface and

the color beneathwill appear. It works _very nicely. I have also tried

to simulatethis look _usingthecomputer. _My efforts resulted in an

illustration thatlooked _very much likea woodcut. I like it, and it

wasn't difficult to do. So I putthis procedure on the back burnerof

mymind as a possible _way to illustratethe images of _my story. I firstdiscovered the method ofPhotomontage whenI read an

article in a newsletter11

demonstratinghow tocreate the images. The

10Ellen Opat _Inkeles, "A Tonal Approach to Scratchboard

Art,"

Step-by-Step Graphics, September/October _1991, 81.

method used in the article created images thatwere a stylized mix- _{1 1} tures of_{Arthur Rackham} and Maxfield _{Parish, byusing} a combina tion of_silhouetting and pasted in _backgrounds, this photomontage method created a unique_story book effect. I loved _it, and was _very excited to_try it. Butwhen I _randomlycame across a book on the

Photomontagesof ScottMutter,12 I decided to change theapproach

of style for_my illustrations.

Looking

at ScottMutter's surrational

images influenced_my decision to go for a unique blend of

surreal-fantasy

images. Images thatwould be both representational and symbolic of scenes from_my story. Itwas theperfect method and approach for _using thecomputer as an illustration _tool, because it could _easilybe done with digital_imaging software.

The

following

pages give a briefoutline on how I put the images

together. Theorder ofthe outline is the order of construction used foreach image. The letterreferences _only pertain to the photos as theywere used.

Creating

the illustrations involved an exploration of

digital image _{processing, using}photographs and scanned imagesto

create a unique style ofrepresentational and symbolic images. The software tocreate these images is Adobe _Photoshop 2.01 and the Adobe _Gallery Effect plug-ins.

12Scott_Mutter, Surrational Images. Photomontages bv Scott

12

The Bedroom Window is the first scene in the story. The

woodpeckerimage inthe room represents howwe see things largerand _upclose within our minds. This isalso the firstcom

positionI experimentedwith as a photomontage.

C.

Starting

withthe _background,the room's _{wall, ceiling,}

and window_openingwere allconstructed from elements out of photo-C.

A. The view is a section ofphoto-A pasted intothe win dow of_background, with the woodpecker from _photo-B,

pasted onto the tree within the window view.

B. The woodpecker was pasted intothe roomat a percent

age 65% to make ittransparent. The branch the wood pecker is on was painted in _usingthe Airbrush tool, and then noise was added togive ittexture.

Unfortunately the transparenteffectdoes not showwithin the color copies ofthis report. It was because the woodpecker in the window view is almost _unseen, thatI decided to _bringthe large image into the room. SoI moved the window to theleft and re builtthe wall beside it. Then I illustrated the tree withinthe room

PhotographicResourcesfor"TheBedroomWindow."

B

Photograph #1885byLeeKuhn,Pg. 36.

FPG 1NERNATIONAL Exceptional StockPhotograph)', SelectsVol.3,32 Union SquareEast,NewYork,NY 11X103.

Photograph #1747_{by Larry}West,Pg.22.

FPG INERNATIONAL Exceptional StockPhotography,

SelectsVol.3,32 Union SquareEast,NewYork,NY 10003.

P

_-^.

^v^

m,

<s

Photograph #5043_byFloydDean,Pg. 151.

14

t-15

TheTowerin the Wall is a representational image. Itwas also

a complicated image to build. _Usually the more photos there

were to work _with, the more _intricate the

detailing

became.

E. I builtthe background first_{by selecting} a section of photo-E without the waterand the boaters.

C. Photo-C was pasted intothe _top ofphoto-E to create

the sky.

A. The Tower was a _top section from the tower in

photo-A, andwas pasted onto the background of photos-E and C.

B. The arch was selected out of _photo-B, flipped and

pasted nextto the tower.

D. The foreground ofphoto-D was selected and used as

the foreground in the finished composition.

After this composition was put_together, it looked somewhat

pasted together. So I decided to use the Adobe _Gallery Effects

plug-ins togive it an illustrated look. This time I selected to use

Photographic Resourcesfor "The TowerintheWall."

Photograph#4926byDaveandJeriGleiter,Pg. 138. FPGINTERNATIONALExceptionalstockPhotography,

SelectsVol.4,32 Union SquareEast, NewYork,NY10003.

Photograph #6_byMasakazuKure,Pg. 162. Pholoniea,URBANEUSAINC., 141 Filth Avenue Suite S South NewYork,NY 10010.

Photograph-Glendalough:_theRound Tower

byT. Hopker(Magnum),Pg. 34.

IRELAND OBSERVED,MayVeber (TranslatedfromtheFrench_byJeanJoss),

OxfordUniversityPressInc.,200 Madison Avenue,NewYork,NY10016,1980.

Photograph-_{St Guilhem-le-Desert} byDr. H. Hell, Reullingen,Pg. 123.

THEGREAT PILGRIMAGE OF THE MIDDLEAGES,VeraandHellmutHell,

Clarkson N.Potter, Tnc./Publisher,New York.

Photograph_{#4017-Rowboat,}Pg. 177.

COMSTOCKSTOCKPHOTOGRAPHY

CATALOG.,tenthedition

18

The Gnarled Tree andtheWood Nymph was one of_my better

surprises as an illustration effort. It is_very representational ofthe scene in the wood.

B & C. _My first challenge wasto makethe figure in

photo-B look likea tree. Itworked best by_pasting a 75%

ofthe tree bark from photo-C overthe figure. Then I

added the_grouping ofleaves selected from photo-D.

A. The wood nymph is _actuallya _{young boy} from

photo-A whose image was manipulated with various

imaging tools.

D. The backgroundis _only a section of photo-D darken

tomake the gnarledtree figure stand _out, then the figure

was pasted in.

E. The pool is a section of photo-E pasted intothe back

ground to finishthe description given in the story.

Iam _verypleased withthis image and would like to create

PhotographicResources for"GnarledTreeandtheWoodNymph."

^ Photograph-_father

and son_byGeorge M. Hester THE CLASSIC NUDE_byGeorge M.Hester,

American Photographic Book_{Publishing Co., Inc.,} Garden_{City, NY.,}1973.

...ftfite.

B

Photograph- _Male

nude model_byGeorge M. Hester

THE CLASSIC NUDE_byGeorge M.Hester,

American Photographic Book_PublishingCo., Inc.,

Garden_{City, NY.,}1973

Photograph #2319-Redwoods,Pg. 30.

COMSTOCK STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY

CATALOG,tenthedition

30IrvingPlace,NewYork,NY 10003

Photograph#2383-Waterfali,Pg. 69,

COMSTOCK STOCKPHOTOGRAPHY

CATALOG,tenthedition

30_{Irving Place,}NewYork,NY 10003

Photograph#4238-Waterfall,Pg. 187.

COMSTOCKSTOCKPHOTOGRAPHY CATALOG,tenthedition

21

The Rabbit is _actuallyan alternate solution as a image. Iwas disappointed because I could find the image I _wanted, which _was, a person _standing and

holding

a rabbit

by

the ears. I was happy

to alter _my original idea as

long

as Icould find a mushroom to go into the image. Thatwould better tie itto the story.

A & C. The rabbit was selected from photo-A and pasted over the

log

in photo-C.

PhotographicResourcesfor "The Rabbit

Photograph#2317-_Tortoise,Pg. 28.

COMSTOCK STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY

CATALOG,tenthedition

30Irving Place,NewYork,NY 10003

B

Photograph#7_byNaomiHayase,Pg. 177

Pholonica, URBANE USAINC.,141 Fifth Avenue Suite 8 South NewYork,NY10010.

Photograph#4206-_{Tree trunks, Pg. 186,}

COMSTOCKSTOCKPHOTOGRAPHY

CATALOG,tenthedition

24

Spying

through _{Bushes is} a compositionthat is representation al ofEric when he watches Grethel from the _bushes, when she

called outfor the braid.

Iused a photograph of_PhilipHoff I hadtaken in September

whenPhil andI hadBook Illustration classtogether. It is a pose I

plannedto use whenIfirst considered to illustrate _{my story} with

watercolors. Iused_only a section ofthe phototo meet the 5x7 format set for all thecompositions.

To make the photograph look _illustrated, I used the Adobe

GalleryEffects plug-in _software, which can be added to

Photoshop. Ichose to use the Watercolor effects and set _my vari

ables. Then I letthe computer render it. I was not satisfied with the _results, because it still looked too much like a photograph. So I set_up the same picture again _usingthe same variables in

Watercolor _effects, andlet itrenderone more time. This time it

PhotographicResourcesfor_"SpyingthroughBushes."

Photograph

27

The Hand and the Braid representsEric's need to use the

braid as the _{only way into the tower. He is what youcould}

say,

tied to it. That is _{why I} placed the twineabout his wrist.

B & C. The background is _actually a combination of

photos-B and _C, with photo-C pasted in at 15 percent.

C. The braid is a selected section ofthe twine pasted in at

85 percent. Ioften used percentages tocreate a blend

between the two elements ofthe photos so that_{they don't}

have quite a pasted in look.

A. Is a scannedimage of_my hand. Itgot separated into

colors because it was impossible to hold _my hand still

while the scanner made itthree passes for color. But I like

the effect and decided to _keep it.

C, bottom. _{After pasting in my hand,} I added the twine aboutthe wrist. What makesthe illustration work, is

thatI took the time to airbrush in the shadows ofthe

twine.

As simple as this illustration _looks, it proved to be one of _my

PhotographicResourcesfor "The HandandtheBraid."

A Scanned imageof author'shand

B

S5*L

# :_*

Photograph #4589-Slone walls,Pg. 201.

COMSTOCKSTOCKPHOTOGRAPHY

CATALOG.,tenthedition

30IrvingPlace,NewYork,NY 10003

Photograph#4553-Silk,Pg.200.

COMSTOCKSTOCKPHOTOGRAPHY

CATALOG,tenthedition

30

Rapunzel is another _very effective _{surreal-fantasy image.} This

composition represents howEric sees her inthe garden. A & B. Iadded and changedthe colorto the figure of

photo-Bbefore Iselected the face from _photo-A, flipped it and pasted it over the image ofthe figure. Then I soften the edges aroundthe face.

D. Ithen selected flowers from photo-D and pastedthem

overtheflowers in the figures hair.

E. I used the _top sectionto photo-E to begin _buildingthe background.

C. Thewall from photo-C was pasted into the back

ground torepresent the edge the oftower roof. A & B. The new composition ofthe figure was then

added onto the background.

F. The

finishing

touch was to add the flowers to the

rooftop garden from photo-F _usingthe _{Rubber stamp} tool.

When this composition was _completed, I was told _by one individual thatit looked _haunting and madethe person feel

Photographic Resources for "Rapunzel."

Photograph #4381-Roads,Pg,193.

COMSTOCK STOCKPHOTOGRAPHY CATALOG,tenthedition

30_{Irving Place,}NewYork,NY 10003

A Photograph#3299-women,Pg.147. COMSTOCK STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY

CATALOG,tenthedition

30_IrvingPlace,NewYork,NY 10003

? Photograph #7_byMarikoABE,Pg. 131

Photonica,URBANE USAINC.,

141FifthAvenueSuite South NewYork,NY10010

Q Photograph#3298-women,Pg. 147. COMSTOCKSTOCK PHOTOGRAPHY

CATALOG,tenthedition

30IrvingPlace,NewYork,NY 10003 D

Photograph #5060byDianePadys,Pg. 152. Photograph #43

17-flowers,Pg. 190. FPG INTERNATIONALExceptionalstock

Photography,SelectsVol.4,

32Union SquareEast,NewYork,NY 10003.

COMSTOCK STOCKPHOTOGRAPHY

CATALOG,tenthedition

3i

Pulled from the Thorns is a good _{surreal-fantasy} representa

tionalimage ofEric after Rapunzel pulled him from the thorns.

D. The stonetexture inphoto-D wasthe best_way to fill

in the background to create the proper mood.

C. Elements ofphoto-C were than pasted _repeatedly onto

the _background.

A. Philip's imagewas selected and pasted inover the

background. Then I used the _imagingtools to change

his shirt to a proper style.

B. Togive the image _perspective, I pasted elements of

photo-B into the foreground. I also used the _imaging

tools to create thethorns.

Ihave been told this illustration is too _gruesome, butI feel it

is effective as a representation in showingthe results and conse

Photographic Resourcesfor "Pulled fromtheThorns."

B

A

Photograph

-PhilipHoffbyauthor.

PhotogTaph#7byDavid_{Brookover, Pg}225.

Photonica. URBANE USAINC..

141Fifth Avenue Suite 8 South NewYork,NY10010.

D

Photograph #1834byJeffryW.Myer.,Pg. 31,

FPGINTERNATIONAL ExceptionalstockPhotography,

Selects Vol.3,32 Union Square East NewYork,NY10003.

Photograph #4582-Stonetexture,Pg. 201. COMSTOCK STOCKPHOTOGRAPHY

CATALOG,tenthedition

36

The _Fury isthe _{last illustrationI} worked on

during

this time

ofexperimentation _{using the photomontage method. Italso re}

quired the most

detailing

out of all the illustrations.

B. FirstI selected the raincoat inphoto-B and added

texture to it so that it looked more likea knitted shawl. A. I selected thegirl in _photo-A, flipped her image and

lengthen her dress _bycut and paste method. Then I

lowered her legs underher and changed thecolor ofher

hair to white.

C & E. I builtthe background with photo-C and added a

section of photo-Eto the _{sky bypasting} it inat 85

percentage.

A & B. Photo-Awas thenadded to the background and

photo-Bwaspasted onto thegirls figure as the shawl. Usingthe Smudge tool, Icreated the texture for the womans hair and dress.

D. The dog's image was first changed _using the _imaging

tools. Ichanged the position ofhis _paws, added a backend

to his _body before tiltingthe _body position. He was then

selected, flipped and pasted onto the background overthe

women.

B. Last ofall the woman's face and hands had to be

created _usingthe _imaging tools.

This composition has a_very unique look about it. It resembles

an _early book _print, because ofthe _way the red colors seem to

Photographic Resources for "TheFury."

A

Photograph #3S58byJohn TerenceTurner.Pg. 26,

FPG INTERNATIONAL Exceptionalslock_Photography,

Selects Vol. 4, 32 Union Square East NewYork,NY10003.

B

Photograph #3971byToyohiroYamada,Pg. 38.

FPG INTERNATIONAL ExceptionalslockPhotography,

Selects Vol.4,32 UnionSquare East NewYork,NY10003.

D

Photograph #1981byArthur Tilley,Pg. 46.

FPGINTERNATIONAL ExceptionalstockPhotography, Selects Vol.3,32 Union Square East NewYork,

NY10003.

Photograph #6byMasakazuKure,Pg.162.

Photonica,URBANE USAINC., 141Fifth Avenue Suite 8

SouthNewYork,NY10010,

m

F ,J3fl

Photograph #1839by JelTryW.Myer,Pg. 31.

FPG INTERNATIONAL ExceptionalstockPhotography,

Book

Marketing

_Research 39

Ifound three _articles, although written _{by differentauthors,}

that supported one another's statements on how to break into the

children's book market. Two articles gavedetails onhow to

prepare an illustrated

dummy

_{book, from storyboard}

planning to completion. This information supported class information taught

in LuvonSheppard's Book Illustrationclass.

Butthe information on howto submityour work to a

publisher,

including

"Do's and _Don'ts", is _{usually hard} to come

by, unless you learn it thehard _waythrough trial and error. Some of_{the suggestions recommended}

by

the articles for_submitting work _included:

1. Do research. _Studythe children's book market. Find

out what styles of art and stories are preferred _by the

differentpublishers.

2. Read children's _books, toget an idea ofwhatis

publishable, Madeleine, Goodnight_Moon, The Velveteen

Rabbit, Where theWild Things _Are, etc.

3. Call ahead. Findout who to send your work to.

4. Send it sensibly. Photocopies of Black and white art or

color copies are is preferred. Never send originals! For

stories, never send more than twocopies of_artwork, and

send it with an SASE.

5. Be preparedtowait and don't expect to receive a

detailedcritique. If_they are impressed with your _work,

they willcontact you.

Ifyou are successful in _getting a _story to print, you should

expect a children's picture book to_pay 5 percent_royalty for the

author and a _{matching 5} percent _royalty forthe illustrator. A

writer/artistnets both fees, and ifthe book is _thin, expecta 4

percent royalty. So, _regarding the information and advise _offered,

I _highly recommendthese articles.

1. "The Art ofChildren's

Books,"

by Uri Shulevitz in the

March/April 1985. _Step-bv-Step Graphics.

2. "ABC's of ChildrenBook

Production,"

byDaniel S.

Cutler inthe September/October _{1991, Step-by-Step}

Graphics.

3. _"PicturingYourselfin the Children's Book Market,"

by

Betsa Marsh in the _{February 1992,} The Artist's

40

Equipment

Hardware

13"

Apple Color Monitor

Macintosh Llci

APS Technologies External Hard Drive 5.25"

44 Megabyte Removable Cartridge Apple Laser Writer IlNT

Canon CL 500 Color Copier

Kodak 7700 Continuous Tone Printer

Software

QuarkXPress 3.11

Adobe Photo 2.01

Adobe _GalleryEffects

Camera

Fujica ST 901 35mm LED

Film

41

Photo References

Exceptional Stock Photography. SelectsVol. 3.

New York: FPG International.

1. #1747 _{by Larry West,} 22.

2. #1885 _byLeeKuhn, 36.

3. #1834 _{by Jeffry}W. _Myer, 31.

4. #1839

by

_JeffryW. _Myer, 31.

5. #1981 _by Arthur_Tilly, 46.

Exceptional Stock Photography. Selects Vol. 4,

New York: FPGInternational.

6. #5043 _by Floyd _Dean, 151.

7. #4926 _byDave andJeri _Gleiter, 138.

8. #5060 _by Diane _Padys, 152.

9. #3858 _by John Terence _Turner, 26.

10. #3971 _byToyohiro _Yamada, 38.

Ireland Observed. New York: Oxford University Press Inc.

11. Glendalough: the Round Tower

by MagnumT _Hoper, 34.

The Great Pilgrimageofthemiddle Ages,

New York: OxfordUniversity Press Inc.

12. St. Guilhem-le-Desert

by Dr. _Reutling H. Hell, 123.

Photonica, New York: Urbane USA Inc

13. #6 _by Masakazu _Kure,

14. #7 _by Naomi _Hayase,

15. #7 _by MarikoAbe,

16. #7 _by David _Brookover,

162.

177.

131.

ComstockStock _PhotographyCatalog., tenth edition.

New York: Comstock Inc.

42 17. #4017 18. #2319 19. #2383 20. #4238 21. #2317 22. #4206 23. #4589 24. #4553 25. #3299 26. #3298 27. #4381 28. #4317 29. #4582 -Rowboat, -Redwoods, -Waterfall, -Waterfall, -Tortoise, -Treetrunks, - Stone walls, -Silk, -Women, -Women, -Roads, -Flowers, -Stone texture, 177. 30. 69. 187. 28. 186. 201. 200. 147. 147. 193. 190. 201.

The ClassicNude, New York: American Photographic Book _Publishing Co., Inc.

30. Father and Son

by George M. Hester

30. Male Nude Model

by George M. Hester

Photo Images bv Author

32. _Philip Hoffin bushes

33. _PhilipHoff_lyingback

34. Scanned image ofauthor's hand

Model Release

I )We),

Ph

ii

Ip Hoff-

being of legal age hereby consent and authorize

~JI~

'e/sj,

1

, successors, legal representatives

~nd

assigns to use

and reproduce a photograph(s) taken by

z.J"fd«ldLWsL

in::'</'/

v...

and to reproduce my name (or any fictional name), photograph, picture of portrait in all

forms and media, for any and all purposes including publication and advertising of every

description. No claim of any kind will be made by me. No representations have been

made to me.

I hereby warrant that I am of legal age and have every right to contract in my own

name; that I have read the above authorization and release prior to its execution and

that I am fully familiar with its contents.

Patrick Byrnes

Date Witness

Philip M. Hoff

Name Address

44

Selected

Bibliography

Grimm,

Jacoband_{Wilhelm. The Complete Brothers Grimm}

Fairy

Tales. Edited

by

_Lily Owens. New York:Avenel

Books, 1981.

Disney, Walt. Beauty and the _{Beast Screen Play written}

by Lida

Woolverton. 85 min. Calif.: Buena _{Vista, 1991.}

VHS videotape.

Lukens, RebecaJ. A Critical Handbook of_{Children's Litera}

ture. _Scott, Foresman and _Company, 1976.

Golden, Caren. "What Archetypeare You?" EastWest.

September/October 1991.

Campbell,Joseph. The Herowith a Thousand Faces. New York:

Princeton _{University Press, 1949; BoilingFoundation Inc.,}

1973.

Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia. Harper_Trophy, 1987.

Inkeles, Ellen Opat. "ATonal Approach to Scratchboard Art."

Step-bv-Step

Graphics. September/October 1991.

Dayton, Linnea. "A_Photoshop Montage."

Step-by-Step Electronic Design. _May 1990. Vol. 2. No. 5.

Mutter, Scott. Surrational Images, Photomontages by Scott Mutter. Chicago: _University ofIllinois _Press, 1992.

Exceptional Stock Photography. Selects Vol. 3. New York: FPG

International.

Exceptional Stock Photography. Selects Vol. 4. New York: FPG

International.

Hell,Vera and _Hellmut. The Great Pilgrimage oftheMiddle 45

Ages. New York: Clarkson N. _Potter, Inc.

Photonica. New York: UrbaneUSA Inc.

Hester, GeorgeM. The Classic Nude. New York: American PhotographicBook _{Publishing Co., Inc.,} 1973.

Shulevitz, Uri. "The Art of Children's Books." _Step-bv-Step Graphics. March/April 1985.

Cutler, Daniel S. "ABC's ofChildren Book

Production."

Step-bv-Step Graphics. September/October 1991.

Marsh, Betsa._"Picturing Yourself in theChildren's Book

Market."

46

The

Tower

and

the

Wall

by

I wrotethis _storyto

fulfill _my desireto

createimages

within the _mind,

and notjuston

paper orcanvas

orcomputers.

It is dedicatedto

mymother,

lone Harriet Walls _(Wahlfors) forthe _{encouragement,}

support and

love

that made it

The

Tower

and

the

Wall

IL

Dut, dut, dut, dut, dut, dut, duft The sound wokehim. He

turnedhis headtolook outthesmall window ofhisroom.

As he did so, a mildjolt of pain raced through his neck.

Hewinced alittle. He had _{momentarilyforgotten,} butthe

pain _quickly reminded him to lie still. _{Dut, dut, dut, dut,}

dut, dut, dut\ There it was again. Outside his window he

could see the ancient oak tree. Its leaves had begun to burn with the autumnfire red,yellow and orange _blazing

in the _morningsun. Itwas so vibrant and alive with color

thathecould not recall ever_seeing itmore beautiful. But

then, henever took the time to _{really look} atit ashe did

now._{Dut, dut, dut, dut, dut, dut,} dut Thesound waslouder

this time. He knewwhat made the sound, but he wanted

to see it for himself. He _{looked earnestly} through the

branches of the oak when _suddenly it appeared. A

red-capped woodpecker was_hopping aboutthe tree_searching

for bugs to feed upon. It thrilled him to watch it as it

flipped aboutfrom branch to branch. He held his breath

as if it might discover him and _fly away. _Yet, even after it disappeared from view, he continued to watch for its

The TowerandtheWall 2

hammering:_{Dut, dut, dut, dut,} until the soundfaded away.

Still, the view of the tree filled his window with the

dancingcolors of autumn.

While watchingthe tree, he realized how he had taken

his sight for granted. If it had not been for the

confrontation thatalmost costhim hislife,hewould never

have given it another thought. In fact, he was amazed,

absolutely amazed, to find himself _lying in his bed

recovering from wounds that should have left him dead.

Although he couldn't remember all the details of what

hadhappened,it_reallydidn'tmatter; hecould sort itout.

Still, so much had happened; he felt it was important to

rememberit.Itshould notbe forgotten.

But how could he sort matters out if he didn't know

where to begin? It had to start somewhere. What day?

Whatevening? That's it! Maybe itwas the_eveninghe first

heard the tale told tohim_byAvial. The tale, yes, the tale!

He could _suddenly see the pieces come together. Eric

closed his eyes and thought back to that day. . . the day

Avialreturned.

c^

^

Itwas late spring. One ofthose warm _sunny days that

draws you outside into the sun. He remembered how

refreshing itwas to feel the new mountain air wash over

his face. So, taking advantage of Babcia's* good nature,

Eric managed to _{slip away} from his father's inn. The

chores could wait. He was _feeling restless and wanted to

go outside to explore the hills. There was a pond where

Ericenjoyed_{spending time,} and _todaywas the perfectday

Babciapronouced-_bop'cha-_{is Polish lor}grandmother.Not in the lormalmanner,but in the

The TowerandtheWall 3

for it. Itwas one ofEric's favoriteplaces.Therewas always

somethingnewtodiscoverand_nobodyeverbothered him

there. But maybe thatwas because itwas so close to the

Dark Wood. Thevillagers never came _up this_{way because}

they said the Dark Wood had mischievous spirits. Eric

hadn't seen _anything out of the _ordinarywhen he was

there,soheshruggeditoff as an old wife'stales.

Eric called out for Bear and off_they ran together. He

and Bearhadspent most ofthe _dayat the pond.Bearwas

inone ofhisplayful moods. Hechased around theair and

rolled in the grass.When Eric splashed water athimfrom

the edge of the pond, Bear barked back in a _scolding

manner. Eric laughed and splashed him more. He loved

Bear and his crazyways. He always thoughtofBearas the

best_dogintheworld.

Mostofthat_dayEricwaded in and out ofthepond. The

mountain waters thatfed the stream were _icy cold so he

couldn't _stay in for _{very long.} He had spotted a large

green _{frog basking} in the sun _among the reeds. As he

bent down with his hands stretched forward _ready to

capture it, the bells from down in the village square _rang

out. Thesound traveled _upinto the air andover thehills.

As the _growingsound _rangout over the field toward _Eric,

it starded a large black bird in a _nearby tree. The black

bird, angered _by the disturbance, flew out over the pond

calling loudly. Suddenly the frog to dived beneath the

surface ofthe water and Eric's hopes of_capturing itwere

lost. "Darn that birdl Darn those bells!" he thought to

himself.

"Ohno, thebellsl" Eric looked_upat the position ofthe

sun. It was _beginning to _creep to the edge of the

mountains that formed their valley. Eric had been so

The TowerandtheWall 4

Itwas_gettinglate, and hewas latewith his chores andhis

supper. He climbed out ofthe pond and _quickly put on

his boots. _Calling Bear after _him, he rushed back to the

inn for his supper and to do his chores before it got too

dark.

Located behind his father's inn is the cottage where

Avialstayed _duringwinter.As he raced _bythecottage,Eric

noticed a light through the opened door. He knew Avial

was gone on his usual summer excursions and would not

be back until late fall. _So, he assumed Babcia had taken

advantage of Avial's absence to clean and air out the

cottage. _Normally, she would not go near the place. Avial

hadnever allowedherthe_opportunitytoorganizehislife.

Besides, she always said_keepingupwith the innwasmore

than enough workfor_anywomen.

Eric and Bear burst in through the back door to the

kitchen tofind Babcia_standingatthe table,puttinga wax

cloth over a bowl offood. She looked _up at him with

concern in her eyes. "It's about time you showed up,

youngman. When you're out on the hills, let'snot forget

there arechorestobedone."

Heshrugged hisshouldersandsmiled. "I'm sorry! Itwas

such abeautifulday,I couldn't_helpmyself. I'llmakeit up

toyou

tomorrow."

"Well,we'll see when tomorrowcomes. Rightnow, Iwant

you to go out to the stable and tend to the horse of our

guest.Whileyou're_doingthat, I'llwarm_upyour

supper."

"Wehavea new

guest?"

"Yes. I think he's _planning to _stay awhile. So be a good

boy,anddoagoodjob caring for his

The TowerandtheWall 5

"Babcia,youknow I always_{do my best}withthe

horses."

"Yes,Iknowyoudo. Sogo now! Getout ofhere before it

getstoodarkandI forgettowarm_upyour

supper."

Babcia gave him a _big warm smile and waved him off

with the towelin herhand. She alwayshad a towel in her

hand.

Outtheback doorEricwent withBear_trailingafterhim.

Theyheaded straightfor the stable. _Theydidn't often get

guestswith horses. Usually, the guests _they received were

foottravelersandwanderers with pack animals.

Upon _entering the stable, he _immediately felt that

something was wrong. He found the stalls as _empty as he

had left them that morning. What happened? Where was

thehorse?Maybethehorse hadnotbeen properlytiedand

wandered off. He turned to race out into the yard and

look for the _missing animal when he heard a soft

stomping sound. It came from the farthest end of the

stablewhere _theykept theirprivate stock. Guestswere not

allowed to put animals there. He walked over to

investigate and stopped in his tracks. He couldn't believe

it. There stood a horse that looked exactly like Cloud.

CloudwasAvial's horse foras_long ashe could remember.

But Avialwasgone.

What was Cloud doing here in the stable? He stepped

into the stall and looked Cloud over. He wasjust as

beautiful as always. He admired the horse's whitish _gray

coloringwith dark_grayspots_along hisnose and down his

legs. Hewas asmallerbreed ofhorsethanEric usually had

the opportunity to see. Most horses were work horses.

They were large animals that reminded him of_moving

mountains. People used them for hauling, plowing, and

carrying heavy loads. But Cloud was the perfect size for

The TowerandtheWall 6

Eric saw that _{Cloud had already been} tended to, so he

turned and racedback to the inn tofind out what Cloud

was _doing there. Had Avial come _back, or did he sell Cloud to someone else? _Or, maybe someone had stolen

him? Whatever had_happened,hewas_goingtofindout. As Eric approachedthe back door to the _inn, he heard

voices andlaughter coming fromthe kitchen. He entered

to see Babcia pouring his hot steamy food into a bowl

while someone bent over the _{fire stirring} through the

embers. As the figure stood and turned there was no doubtaboutit.ItwasAvial.

"Avial!"

Eric called out as he flew across the room to

embracehim. "Whata surprise! What are you _doinghere?

We weren't _expecting you back for months. Has

something

happened?"

Availreturned hisembrace.

"No, no, nothing is wrong. I decided to spend the

summer here in the mountains instead of _traveling

around the country. I've seen all there is to see. Besides, I

am_feelingtheeffects of age and it's timeI settled

down."

"Does that mean I'm expected to continue with lessons

through the

summer?"

"No, summer is _my break, as well as yours. _Besides, I

have other

plans,"

and Avial smiled with a wink. Eric

sighed with relief.

"All right, that's enough

now,"

said Babcia, "eat your

suppersoIcan get on with_tendingtoour

guests."

The evening turned out to _{be very} entertaining. The

The TowerandtheWall 7

front of the fire. One of _them, a _lanky dark skinned

gendeman _wearing bright clothes with a cloth wrapped

abouthis _head,began to tell stories. He told stories offar

away lands where people had skin darker than his own,

almost asblackasthenight. Hespoke ofkingsand_mighty

warriorsin alandwhere strange and wild animals roamed.

Eric sat _listening and let his mind fill with the images

described _by the traveler. Hewas always eager to listen to

thesestrange and wonderful tales.

When the gentlemanfinished his stories and retired for

the night, Eric's mind was still reeling, caught _up in the

excitement ofthe traveler's adventures. Hewanted tohear

more. Eric pleaded with Avial to tell one of his tales,

knowing that_{Avial had many} adventures to speak of. At

first, Avial said it was _getting too _late, but Eric persisted

with his pleading until Avial gave in. Avial chose to tell a

secret_{storydirectly}fromthemountain regions whereEric

lived.

Ericprotested,"What kindof_storycan you tellme about

the mountains that I haven't _already heard? _They are

nothing but old wive's tales. I've heard them all. It's the

true stories from strange new lands that interest me. I

hope somedaytoexplorethemformyself."

"Listen to

me,"

saidAvialwith a hushed toneand a stern

look inhiseyes,"the mountainsareyourhome. Topeople

from otherlands the mountainsare as mysterious as their

landismysterious toyou.When you_{travel, remember,}you

are thestranger.Whereveryougo,you will learn thereare

secrets. Ifyou wish to know what those secrets are, you

have to be trusted _by the people who _keep them. _By

sharingwhat you know, you can earn the trust of others.

Butyou must be careful in the _way you approach them.

TheTowerandtheWall 8

careful,theycan cause you greatharm."

"Now, the mountains also have their secrets. Secrets

almost as old as the mountains themselves. Itwould be a

pity for a _young man to explore new _{worlds, seeking}

knowledge, without _knowing the secrets of his own land.

Yes,there are afewsecrettalesyou shouldknowaboutthe

mountains, tales that are true, tales _{only known by} a few

old and wise mountain _folk, who do not often speak of

them._So,bestill andIwilltellyou one ofthem."

"In the olden _days,before the timeof_castles, therewas

builta great _city somewhere _up in the mountains. For its

time, it was a _city that lead to _many trade routes. Riches fromall landspassed through the streets ofthis city. With

so much treasure _passing through _{every day,} the citizens

decided to _{build up} a _mighty wall to protect the people

against_invadingmarauders. At the entrance ofthe wall a

towerwas_built,so a watch could be keptoverthe land for

anysign of_trouble, be it an _invading army, a storm or a

warningof

fire."

"The walls ofthe _city stood _strongfor _many ages, and

the towerwatch saved_manylives. Butas _strong asthewall

was, it could not _keep all the enemies of the people out.

There came a great sickness thatspread across the land,

and the people within the _cityfeared itwould soon strike

them down if _they did not protect themselves. So _they

decided to hide from the rest ofthe world, _hoping to

avoid _any contact with the disease. No _family or friends

living outside the _citywere allowed in tovisit. Out offear

and selfishness, the people plowed _up their roads and

planted trees to hide the _citywithin a great forest. _They

planted secret gardens in the forest for food, and _they

grew medicinal herbs toprotectthemfrom illness. Yet, all

The TowerandtheWall 9

stricken with the terrible illness and everyone died. The

city, without _people, became a_{cold, empty} tomb. No one

mourned thelostcity, and _onlya handful of people lived

to pass on the tale. As the years _passed, weather and

nature began tohave their effect upon the _buildings, and

they slowly crumbled _{away, growing} thick with bramble

and thorn. Some _{say only} the tower stands, still _keeping watch over an _{empty field} of stone. A great _city and its

people _{have become nothing} more than awhispered tale

spoken on thelipsof oldfolkat_eveningfire."

Ericsatin silence. He listenedto the rushing, _crackling

sound ofthefire in the hearth and stared into theflames

untilhiseyesfeltasif_theywould melt. He found the_story a little haunting. He had never heard it and wondered

how many other tales there were like it. Ifthe _story were true asAvial said, then therestill had to be some trace of

the_cityremaining.

He_{looked up} at_Avial,who was also _staringinto thefire

and said, "I would like to look for that city. Who knows!

Maybe a _city once so popular with trade could still have

hiddentreasure tobefound."

Avial turnedhis head and looked Eric in theeyes. Itwas

a_{dark, shadowy}lookthatcaughthimoff guard.Avial held the look for just a moment before a smile crepted across

his face. Then he nodded _silently and waved Eric off to

bed.

Ericwoke the next_morningwith his head _swimming in

strange visions of wild dreams he had while sleeping.

Listening to the strange tales of the night before had

The TowerandtheWall 10

and met some_{wonderful characters.}

Now,he laid back in

bed _thinking about _them,

trying to recall all the wild imaginationsofhismind.Itwastheclosesthewould come to_havingan adventure.

While he _{lay thinking} over the events ofhis _dream, he

decided he no longer wanted to wait for _something

excitingto_{happen in his life. Ifothers went out}

exploring fornew _discoveries, so could he.Butwhere?Where could

hego inthis _valleyno one else had_been, or was_willing to

go. _{Suddenlyhe knew. Of}course! _Whyhadn't he thought ofit before. The excitement of his idea rushed through

him.

"Yes,"

hesaidto_himself,"it'sperfect."

He would start today. Hewould take Bear and explore

theDark Wood.

With that _decided, he leaped out of_bed,<