READING JOURNAL

 

( https://weheartit.com/entry/349997728 )

1^st Short Story

The Elvenking and The Little Bird

 

In an Elven kingdom in the far-east, winter has come. The snow colored the whole scene into white. In one of the palace balconies, the King was enjoying the view in front of him. Winter has always been his favorite season. Because the mist that descends makes the forest landscape becomes more enchanted.

From a distance seem a flash of shadow. Longer, it gets closer and clearer. The King did not believe what he saw. A small bird flew from the west, then stopped to greet the King. The King welcomes the little bird with kindness. Allowing the little bird to sit on his fingers.

“What are you doing out here in the winter, little bird?” The king asked. “You should sleep in your warm nest.”
“Praise to the King,” said the little bird. “I just came back from a long trip, my lord.”
“A long trip?”
The little bird nodded.
“Amazing,” said the king. “I’m sure, that would be a great story you can share with your family.”
“I know it.”
“You say you just came back from the west?”
“Right, my lord.”
“Then, do you see my son on your way here?”
“Ah, yes! I see the Prince riding fast to the west.”
“If it so, he’s already on the right path.”
“But, my lord, where will the Prince go in the winter like this?” Asked the little bird. “He’s getting away from his house.”
“I sent him away,” the King replied. “there’s a job has to do.”
“Cannot it wait until the winter passes, my lord?”
“I’m worried, if it waits longer, it will be too late.”
“I’m flying home, but the Prince just drove away,” said the little bird regretted.
The king smiled. “No need to worry. He’ll be back soon.”
“I hope so.”

“It seems, you really like my son.”
“Of course, my lord. The Prince’s so friendly to every animals around the kingdom.”
“Nice to know that.”
“Exactly, where did you send your son, my Lord?”
“To the Dark Forest on the Mainland.”
“Dark Forest? Isn’t that place so dangerous?” the little birds’ shock. “No Human dares to enter the forest, they say, an evil witch lives there.”
The king smiled again. “There’s nothing to fear for my kin,” he said.
“I see. But, why did you send your son to go there, my Lord?”
“Some old friends need help.”
“Help for what?”
“To hunting witch.”

 

Author: Dee Anne

Source : Cerpenmu.com / Cerpen Bahasa Inggris

              http://cerpenmu.com/cerpen-bahasa-inggris/the-elvenking-and-the-little-bird.html

Analysis:

a.      I like the 3^rd paragraph when the King and the bird are talking. Showing that Elven’s Prince is a nice and humble to animals around there.

b.      Yes, the King. As I conclude from the story, he sent his son to the Dark Forest on the Mainland although he knew it was dangerous. He built strong character to his son, no fearless.

c.       I love the bird. Because in this fiction story, bird is talking like a human. But in general, I love all the character on this story.

d.      It gives strong impression that shows a strong kingdom.

e.      No, I am not. It’s quite clear I think.

f.        With the prince’s troops, they may lose some people but finally conquer the witch successfully.

 

 

2^nd Short Story

Me and My Guardian Angel

 

Hi, my name is Rachel. I had a guardian angel that always with me every day in my life. His name is Jason.

This began when I went to the forest to fetch some firewoods. It was getting dark and I still have nothing. so I decided to keep looking though the air began to cold.
When I was in the middle of the forest. I saw a big tree.
I was so tired, so I decided to sit for a while. When I was sitting around, I suddenly heard a loud enough voice, like someone who speaks it is right behind me.
“hey, you sit on my feet!” said him. I was so frightened and get up from where I was sitting. I took all my stuff and wanted to go immediately. But, when I wanted to leave, I’ve heard that voice again and said “wait… don’t go!”
“who are you?” I asked to him.
“my name is Jason. I was a big tree that you are sitting on earlier.”
“do not joking me okay! A tree talking to me? Are you kidding me?.. come,.. show your self!” I said loudly.
“in fact, I was an angel who was cursed became a big tree. So please help me! I’m begging you.” i agreed to help him, but he had to tell me everything.
Turns ou, he is the angel who was cursed because he fell in love with a woman he met in that forest. As the angel, he was not supposed to fall in love with a human, then he was cursed by the gods into that big tree.
“I’ve been here thousands of years into this big tree. no one was willing to help me because they were afraid when they heard my voice. So please, help me!!”
“But I don’t know how to help you.”
“you just need to break the existing branch at the top end of my body, and I’ll be free of this curse.”
“But, I’m not a good climber and you’re so high. How do I get up there?”
“please… just do what you can do to get up there. I promise, if you can do it, I will be your guardian angel and all your wish will be my command.”
“okay, I’ll try to do my best..”
finally, I was able to free him self from the curse and he became my Guardian Angel who always obeyed my wishes just like his promise.

 

Author: Vindha Mambo

Source : Cerpenmu.com / Me and My Guardian Angel

               http://cerpenmu.com/cerpen-bahasa-inggris/me-and-my-guardian-angel-2.html

Analysis

a.      I love when Rachel was frightened of Jason’s voice. I was wondering if it was kind of horror vibes.

b.      Yes. Jason changed it all. He enriched the story and brought readers to fairyland with his story.

c.       I like both of them. Because both of the characters are connected one another.

d.      It makes me feel so satisfy because finally Jason turns back and Rachel has her guardian angel.

e.      Nothing.

f.        They are being best friends till the end and still meet on the afterlife.

 

 

3^rd Short Story

Just The Way I Am

 

 “Sorry, but we need a taller person, Miss Tanners,” said that young lady.
“Our shop has tall shelves, so we need a taller person to work here,” she added.
I can understand that,
“Well its okay, no problem. I’ll try to find another part time job.”
So, I walked to my home. It was Saturday evening so I thought I did not want to go home earlier, so I change my direction. I went to my friend’s house, Gina. She always made me feel better.
Gina opened me the door when I got to her house. She was surprised because I did not tell her before, that I will go to her house.
“Andrea, what’s up?” she asked
“Nothing I just being refused from the Lucky store, because I’m not tall enough to take a thing from their shelves,” I said.
Gina looked at me. I know I might look miserable, because she knew that it was not the first time for me to have been rejected from a job that I applied.
“Oh, honey,” she said.
“Wait a minute,” she added then she went to her kitchen and came back with a cup of tea.
“Here, drink it. It will calm you down,” she handed me the tea.
I drank the tea and feel a little comfortable. I sighed,
“Well, it is not my first time, so I can handle it,” I said, more like talked to myself.
Gina hold my hand and said, “You know, you always be my brilliant and great best friend I’ve ever had. You are special, Andrea.”
I smiled, “Thanks Gina, you are my best friend. You know, I always feel comfortable with myself, but sometimes, you know, sometimes I have an imagination if I were a taller girl. I mean, it will make me more confident. I can get, more friends, part time jobs, got into my favorite school and…,” I was shy for saying the last word. Gina looked at me and smiled,
“And?”
“And boy…” I was so shy to say the last word, because, Gina knew that I fell in love to a boy in campus.
“So do you really fall in love with Kevin Kettering, huh?” Gina Asked me.
I was embarrassed, but yes I fell in love with Kevin, my new friend in campus. He was so handsome and always treated me nice. He never said something bad about my posture and always acted like I was same with other people. So I told Gina about my feeling,
“Yeah, I fall in love with him, but you know, he always had a beautiful, smart and tall girlfriend,” I know I even looked more miserable now.
“Hmm you know what, Andrea? Yesterday my mom brings me a magazine, and I found this advertisement, about a medicine which can make you 5 cm taller in every single month,” Gina said.
“Really, what’s the name of the medicine?” I asked excitedly.
“Well, I forgot it, but wait, let me see, I think I placed the magazine in this room, this morning. Wait a minute”. Gina was looking for the magazine
Around the room, and yelled,
“There you are!” She went back to the couch and sat next to me, she started to open the magazine.
“Hmmm, I think the advertisement is in the page 5, wait! Ahhh, here it is!” She yelled and gave me the magazine.
I read the advertisement. It said that this medicine can made someone 5 cm taller in a month. If this medicine really worked, I would have a chance to be Kevin’s girlfriend. So I thought I would buy this medicine.
“Thanks Gina you are my savior! I’ll buy this medicine,” I said and hugged her.

It was a nice Sunday afternoon when I decided to go to a drugstore to buy the medicine that Gina had references me. There were only three customers in the drugstore when I got there. I waited for 5 minutes, till the shop keeper called me and gave me the right medicine. When I got out from the drug store and wanted to went home, someone called my name and he was standing behind me,
“Kevin!” I was surprised.
He laughed at me, so annoying but he was very handsome.
“Stop laughing you stupid!” I yelled, pretend that I was angry. He tried hard to stop laughing, and asked,
“What are you doing here?”
“What do you think people doing in the drugstore, huh?”
“Ok, ok, so you are buying medicine, right? Are you sick?” he asked and looked worried.
“No I’m not sick, it’s just vitamins. I have to go home now. See you later!” I did not want him to know that I was lie.
So I went out from the drugstore, but Kevin holds my hand,
“What?” I asked,
“Well, actually I got a difficult assignment and I am wondering if you can help me,” he said.
I was thinking for a while and thought that it would be another beautiful evening with him, so I told him that tomorrow evening at my house will be okay.

Kevin came to my house the following evening, he looked gorges. He wore a black tight shirt and blue jeans which really fit his body. I felt so embarrassed, because I just wore a very usual T-shirt and skirt that was made me look worse. We went into my house, there were my parents sat in the living room and watched television,
“Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Tanner,” Kevin greeted my parents.
“Good evening, Kevin”, said my mom. “So, are you guys going to work on your assignment together again?”
“Yes, mom, he asked me to help him,” I said.
“Well, why don’t you make two cups of hot chocolate, it will help you relax when you find that the assignment is difficult,” said my dad.
“Okay, mm Kevin, you can wait in the balcony, I’ll go there in ten minutes.”
Kevin was waiting for me in the balcony and was very excited when he smelled the hot chocolate, so I gave him his cup. He drank it,
“Thanks, it is very delicious. You are the best Andrea,” he compliments me.
I was so shy, but I tried to calm myself down by drank my hot chocolate and tried so hard to sound as relax as I can when I said,
“You’re very welcome.” Kevin smiled, and that made me fly.
“I will play the music,” I walk to the table near the balcony and played my CD compilation. We like to listened music while we did an assignment.
A nice song from MOCCA ‘I Remember’ was the first song, which would accompany us to do the assignment.
Thirty minutes left and we got bored. Kevin started to asked so many questions, from the silly one like,
“Do you still take a bath with your rubber duck?”
I looked at him and said “Yes, I do.”
Then he continued to asked more questions, until he came to that serious one,
“Andrea, what actually did you buy in a drugstore yesterday?”
I was confused. I did not know what I had to say. I had never lied to him before, so I decided to tell him the truth, even though it was hard.
“That was, emm that was a medicine that can make me taller in a month.”
“What?” he was shocked. He shakes my shoulder, as if I was not conscious,
“But why did you buy that? What for? I just can’t understand this. Why Andrea? Why?” he asked me.
“Well, oh my god. How should I say this?” I asked myself. I did not know what I should say to him.
“Tell me, Andrea. Just tell me the reason.” He begged.
“Well, actually this is all because I’ve been rejected from Lucky store…”
“What? Is that really your reason to buy those kinds of drugs? Oh my god I can’t believe it.”
No! I haven’t finished my words! Well the real reason is because I love you Kevin. I really want to be with you, but you always with those s*xy and tall girls, oh my god.” I was so shy and finally I cried.
Kevin startled. He looked at me and hugged me. I did not know what I should do, so I just cried and laid on his chest,
“Sshhh… don’t cry, Andrea. Don’t make me sad,” he said.
I just nodded. On this night I wanna swear that I will always be there by your side… The last song from my CD, I do from Ten2Five was on now.
“Do you know why I always asked you to help me with my assignment, Andrea?”
“Why?”
“The only reason is just because I love to be around you. I love how you always tell me the truth, I love how you always make smile and happy. I love you, Andrea.” Kevin looked at my eyes when he said the last sentence.
“But, what about those girls who always be with you?” I asked.
“They are just my friends. Well, maybe they want to be my girlfriend, but me, Kevin Kettering is always want you to be mine, you are amazing just the way you are, Andrea,” he looked at my eyes again.
I looked back to his eyes and I found the truth. It was like he said, I do love you, Andrea. I smiled and he smiled too, THEN he kissed me.
“I love you too, Kevin.”

 

Author: Saraswati

Source : Cerpenmu.com / Just The Way I Am

               http://cerpenmu.com/cerpen-bahasa-inggris/just-the-way-i-am.html

a.       It’s when Kevin expressed his feelings to Andrea.

b.       Yes. Kevin’s thought is the best thing in this story. Because not everyone can accept someone without consider their appearance.

c.       I like the way Kevin changes Andrea’s thought. He’s not just popular but has kind heart.

d.       I’m so touched to read this kind of write. Hope that people around the world will do the same, to appreciate other without comparing their appearance one another.

e.       Nothing.

f.        They’ll be a harmonious couple and live happily ever after.

 

 

4^th Short Story

Rp. 100,00

 

 “It’s nothing” said a man tossing the coin away. The old lady directed her eyes to the coin, walked closer and picked it up. She darted toward the man and handed the thrown coin. “Just go, I don’t want it” said the man “I prefer get nothing than taking it.” The old lady insisted. She even put it on the man’s right shoulder; it rested perfectly. She smiled satisfactorily and stood still. The man looked back at her challenging. “I don’t want it, you hear me?” said he rising from his seat. The coin fell down and rolled over the dusty ground and bounced against a log on the side walk. “Kakaktua Raja” said the old lady pointing at the side of the coin. She giggled, took the coin and gave it back to the man. “Take it, I insist” said she “That’s all I have” The man turned his stare and shook his head.

He returned to his seat. He felt the unease had grown since their encounter. In his lifetime career, if taking money from passersby could be called a career, he never met someone that annoying. He rubbed his tattooed right arm, two fighting serpents. They brought masculine sense in him and he believed people feared his fake snakes. Though his friends told him to have a scarier design like skull or lion, he preferred the snakes. Some even laughed over his choice. “You won’t scare Borneans with snakes, they eat them” said his friends. But he had his very own reason preserving the tattoo. He feared snakes. “Face your fear” that was his father advised. So he decided to have the snakes on his right arm. But still he did make any difference.

Many times he wanted to quit the job, the unholy chore. He was a man of religion in his childhood till he lost everything he had and also his faith in God. He never felt proud of what he did. What pride a man could have from taking money from others which he did, most of the time with force and intimidation? He ever considered begging on the street, but he had no ‘face’. People would simply ignore him for his appearance. Who would give a stare at a beggar with tattooed body and healthy posture? He hated the idea. He knew to become a beggar he need to have a pitiful face, thin body, or if possible with deformed body parts. People feared him, young and old, male and female. They paid tribute, he called it ‘security money” as if he was the watch dog of that gangway. But some people feared him not they simply did not want trouble. He knew it. This old lady even had been playing with him. He often saw her; she was a beggar, another unholy worker. Most of the time, he ignored her, but not that day. He felt that he needed to be just to every passerby, though his work was far from the idea of justice. He decided to stop the lady that day. So he took an intimidating posture blocking the gangway. “Gimme money!” said he. The lady stopped and stared directly into his eyes. People tended to avoid his eyes, but she was exceptional. He started to fear the old woman as if he was staring at his mother. His mother used to stare sharply at him every time she got angry. He retreated, and walked to the side walk, head down. Suddenly the old lady handed him a coin, Rp. 100,00.

He was still rubbing his tattoos; the old lady was still looking at him. She came close; the least thing he wanted. “Take this” said she “I mean it” He could not control his irritation anymore. He yelled at the old lady and cursed her. At once some doors and windows opened, people peeked out. He raised his fist, then the watchers closed their windows, silence refilled the narrow street. He returned to his seat with heavy steps. Minutes passed, but the old lady stood still by the narrow road. “Take this” said she “I’ll go” He shook his head. “I’d told you, I won’t” said he. Suddenly the coin slipped into his shirt pocket. “It’s a gift” said she walking away. She looked back few times, and then disappeared by a turn.

He felt defeated. Lost to an old lady; what a shame! He knocked his head with his fist, feeling stupid. Then he reached his pocket and took the coin. He had many similar coins in his hut. It was priceless, he could not use it. So he threw it to his feet, then something caught his eyes. There was something written on another side of the coin. It said “Last coin I’ve ever earned” The inscription struck him like a lightning. His body froze and his breaths were short. The words mocked him, at the moment he felt so embarrassed of what he had been doing. He, too had some coins at home that he earned by working before taking money on the street; he keep them as treasure for he was proud of earning them. He looked at the coin many times and found courage to leave the place. He pleaded not to take money from passerby anymore at that very moment. “Thanks” he cried and left the place with light heart.

 

Author: Tiopanus

Source: Cerpenmu.com / Rp. 100,00

             http://cerpenmu.com/cerpen-bahasa-inggris/rp-10000.html

Analysis

a.       The man’s tattoo. A snake. It’s kind of different because most of people choose something strong but he chooses his own fear. To face his fear.

b.       The old women. She doesn’t give up until the man receives it. And she gives her best to the man.

c.       I don’t really like the man’s greedy. When he rejected the coin many times without checking what was there.

d.       It’s quite touched honestly. Because the old women knows his mean point and makes him cries.

e.       The old lady’s writing on the coin reminds him about how hard he worked at the past.

f.        The man will change his thought, quit his job, and start new clean job.

 

 

5^th Short Story

An Old Man Without Name

Cerpen Karangan: Cinta Nungky Lestari
Kategori: Cerpen Bahasa Inggris
Lolos moderasi pada: 5 February 2018

An honest smile are pointed in the heat of the sun that afternoon. A rumpled hat perched on his head. The hat was always same everyday with hair that almost all of it turned into white. Sober clothes, deep wrinkles on face, and a backless white sandal held to the foot by a dark red thong between the big toe and the second toe. I didn’t know why everytime I saw him I felt amazed. Honestly, when laziness took over my frail body, I started to come here, a minimarket at a crossroads, and then I saw him deeply without he knew. A sequence of prayers suddenly arrived,

Dear God, please gave me his little spirit, made me feel ashamed, and if necessary, made me feel very very ashamed when the words: bored, tired, lazy, no longer in the mood attacked me.

“There is no money, Miss, you can transfer, but you can’t withdraw money in that Automated Teller Machine (ATM)”, an old man reminded me.
“Oh really, sir? Thanks before,” I said to him while gave him two thousand rupiah as parking charge, “well.. this is for you, sir.”
“Oh, you don’t have to, Miss. You didn’t even go inside, did you?”

I smiled to myself thinking of what happened three days ago when my coin was refused by an old man who was familiar with me. But today was empty, the old man wasn’t here. My eyes swept around in all directions, but I couldn’t find his smiley face.
Where was he?

Either he would take my money or not, I finally decided to put that coin, two thousand rupiah above the small chair where the old man usually sat.
And then I told myself, “This is the parking charge, sir.”

 

Author: Cinta Nungky Lestari

Source: Cerpenmu.com / An Old Man Without Name

             http://cerpenmu.com/cerpen-bahasa-inggris/an-old-man-without-name.html

Analysis

a.      When she decided to put coin although the old man wasn’t there, to appreciate his hard work.

b.      The old man. He reminds her to never give up on what she does. Because life must go on although storms come in.

c.       I like the old man with his hard work.

d.      It makes readers not giving up, reminds us that there are billion people out there that more unlucky than us. To feel grateful of life.

e.      Maybe the old man is sick or something when she can’t find him around there.

f.        The old man will see the money, smile, and remember her. After that, she’ll always come and get sharing with him.