250 words
When the author was a boy growing up in Baghdad many grieving women would often visit his grandmother. The mourning lady and his grandmother would chat for a while, but once the opportunity presented itself he would ask the women to tell him a story. His favorite stories were of romance and fairytales, since they tended to be long and entertaining. When the women agreed, they all gathered around the brazier, while she told her story.
Depending on how late it was the women would change the stories slightly. They may omit some parts, to shorten the story, if it was late. They may add pieces of other stories if it was early. Sometimes the other would protest the women cutting pieces out of the story, but she would just brush him off and promise to tell it another time.
The stories the women used to tell him, The Thousand and One Nights, have been told and passed down through generations. These captivating stories keep both the old and the young entertained. These stories show how important a good story can be. Throughout this book there are countless examples where an intriguing and odd story can save a life. There are four categories of stories throughout the Arabian Nights. There are romances, fairy tales, folktales, and comics/historical anecdotes. One of the many reasons these stories have been around for generations is how well they can make the supernatural and the extraordinary blend right into everyday life. How they have weaved an amazing story of adventure, wonder, and pleasure but they hid it all into the normal and boring.
150 Words
While growing up in Bagdad, grieving women would often visit his grandmother. During their visit, he would often ask them to tell him a story. His favorite being stories of romance and fairytales, since they were the longest and most entertaining stories. Sometimes when it was late the women would try to shorten the stories, but not without protest from him and his grandmother. Although typically they would only promise to tell him the longer version another time.
These stories have been passed down through many generations. They captivate both the young and old with their romances, fairy tales, folktales, and comedy. Often weaving the supernatural into the natural world. Making the unrealistic and wonderful seem almost real. The stories of The Arabian Nights show countless examples of how a good story can save a life, whether it be your own or someone else’s.
150 Characters
The author would often have women tell him stories, his favorite were romance and fairytales. Many of the stories he was told have been passed down from generation to generation.
Reflection
I feel like the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing is the amount of detail you capture. In paraphrasing, you attempt to get the exact meaning of the author’s words, but by summarizing you’re trying to capture just the essence of their words.
