Class Reading- Tales of Juha

I really liked this read. I found it a lot more interesting that the other pieces we have read because of the witty humor and the cleverness in each story. I was really surprised by the amount that I could actually relate to and I found myself wishing that I could come up with "come back" like Juha had. I also found it humorous how he was able to use his witt to get out of basically every situation.

There were a few stories that I particularly enjoyed. The first was the story of Juha and his two wives that he gave a necklace too. This story really displays his cleverness and ability to get out of predicaments. Second, I really liked the story about Juha steeling a donkey, which then got stolen. When asked how much he sold it for he replied, "at cost." Again, the way he handled the situation was really funny. I think I liked this one because I am not really a funny or witty person, so I wish I could come up with something like this right on the spot as he did. Lastly, I thought the story about Juha naming the baby racewinner was really funny. This one stood out to be because he was able to bring out a social issue that would normally never be brought up and that a topic that people would try to avoid. He also does it in a stealth and witty way and makes the others kind of pause to take it all in. I could imagine myself in that group of friends with my mouth open like, "did he just say that."

Although I found many of the stories very funny, I also didn't understand a lot of them. In particular, I didn't know what he meant when he told the story of the two women fighting. But, all in all, I enjoyed this reading.