這是我準備給 Fantasy & Science Fiction 課程的第一周格林童話作業。另外老師的推薦版本（並不強制此版本）是19世紀英文版的這個版本：Lucy Crane 翻譯，Walter Crane 插圖版。這是早已過版權因此可以線上全文閱讀或下載的書籍。
由於格林童話的故事相當多樣，所以我決定專挑一篇白蛇來寫。這邊是發想時期的中文稿件，下接最後交出去的英文作業。
基本上我其實認為這說不定原本是兩個故事硬拼湊在一起的。侍從通過找戒指的考驗之後小孩子還不肯睡，只好另外挪了一段娶公主考驗的故事過來這樣？
不過既然老師要我們用隱喻的方法來讀，那麼正好這個故事前半是小孩長大應該離家，後半是年輕人成家必須通過的考驗。
我會認為一開始的國王，既然說是以智慧聞名又什麼都知道，就不應該自己解不出皇后失落戒指的謎題。主角雖然說是「僕人」，但卻有宮中的 superintendence，又有國王聽取動物言語的能力。因此我認為他真正的身份其實是國王的孩子，是王子。
因此在故事的前半，一方面家長要考察孩子是否已經獲得自己的能力，有成人的資格，而成人則必須脫離父母的庇佑；二方面，若以戒指作為女性象徵，國王或許也擔心這個長成的兒子將成為自己的競爭對象。因此孩子必須離家尋找伴侶，以建立自己的家庭。而傳宗接代的任務若失敗，則等於家族生命的斷絕，因此不通過公主考驗的代價即是死亡。
公主的考驗包括三個部份，而這在其他故事裡不斷重複出現的是：以魚（男性象徵）取得戒指（女性象徵），考察主角的男性能力；以螞蟻的勤奮取得食物，考察主角的經濟能力。但唯有分吃了死亡使者帶來的生命果之後，他們才真正熱愛彼此。這部份說的或許是至死不渝的愛情，也可能表示唯有死亡能令人永不分離。

I will focus on the tale of “White snake”. This story is about a male’s maturity and marriagement.
In the first part, the wise king gave the servant the task of ring. It is unlikely that the king himself did not know where queen’s ring is, since “Nothing remained long unknown form him.” The purpose is to test the hero if he has the same ability as the king, a symbol of father. By fulfilling this, the hero proven his maturity and thus he can/should leave his original family for his next stage of life.
This boy should leave his original family after grown not only because this is part of the rhythm of human life, but also here a metaphor about the anxiety between the father and grown son. The hero get his father’s ability by tasting the snake, which can have lots of different metaphorical meaning but here may mean the male genital organ. The queen lost her ring, which is a circle and a symbol of female genital organ. So after the son grown up, he should leave to avoid competition between himself and his father.
The second part of this story has a pattern commonly seen in fairy tales about a hero winning a bride. The hero must complete several tasks to win the bride. If he failed, the result is break of the inheritance, a death of his bloodline. First, three fishes (another symbol of male genital organ) helped him to win the ring in a mussel (here again two metaphors of female), fulfilled the test of sexual function. Then the ants (a hardworking and thrifty animal) helped him to gather enough food, fulfilled the test of economic capacity. Finally, three ravens, the symbol of death, brought him the apple of life. Only by sharing their life and death, a couple can fill their heart with love and live happily together.

同學互評結果

格式（Form）

• student1 → A few typoes, “form” should be “from” and some words need to be capitalized. The first two paragraphs might make more sense as one. But the argument is definitely laid out in an understandable form.
  拼字錯誤，該大寫沒大寫。首二句合成一句更好。論點的陳述方式可理解。
• student2 → The organisation and structure of paragraphs and sentences is very good. However, there are words that are misused because, I guess, the writer is not a native speaker. Sometimes it’s better to go with simpler words, for example ‘marriage’ instead of ‘marriagement’, which doesn’t even exist. Similar problems can be found in grammar – some verbs are incorrect or missing; some words are misspelled. All in all, the language needs to be improved. I would suggest using irregular verb lists and careful proof reading.
  句子與段落的組織與結構很好，不過有些字誤用。有時候簡單的字就已經足夠。有些地方動詞掉了，有些拼字錯誤。（答對了，我是非母語使用者。）
• student3 → 1. An aspect to improve – grammar. 2. An aspect to continue – the organization of the text into paragraphs. Intro + 2, 3, … paragraphs + conclusions
  嗯，總之是文法有問題結構ok。
• student4 → The first sentence in the second paragraph seemed incomplete. The king gave the servant the task of “finding the ring” may have made it more clear. Everything else read well, didn’t note any real problems.
  第二段的第一句似乎不完整。其他都很好。

內容（Content）

• student1 → The argument overall seems valid, and the conclusions of the two sections also seem valid. But I thought fish were usually considered a female symbol in Western cultures?
  論點與兩段的銜接似乎都站得住腳，不過魚在西方文化中似乎是女性象徵？
• student2 → This is a very good analysis of an interesting idea. It was defined well and argued well, with plenty of relevant examples. I particularly liked the conclusion in the very last sentence.
  好分析，點子有趣。定義與討論都不錯，舉例足夠。特別喜歡最後一句的結論。
• student3 → The pattern of the tale is perfectly explained. And the symbolism is clearly highlighted and clarified. The argument is persuasive. There is nothing I could add to that. Thank you!
  故事的結構解釋很好。象徵物被明確的強調。論點有說服力。
• student4 → Some good content. When I read it I only noted that it was interesting that the fellow was accused of stealing the ring, but he did in fact steal a bite of the king’s white snake. You made some good points in the last paragraph making some connections I had not noticed my self.
  內容不錯。我讀這個故事的時候覺得很有趣主角被控偷戒指，但他事實上偷吃了國王的白蛇。最後一段的觀點是我本來沒有注意到的。

其他（Other）

• student3 → Good luck!