Compare and Contrast

    Folklore is the traditional lore or legends of a people. The stories are often false or greatly exaggerated. Different cultures have differences in their stories as well as similarities. The stories “Axe Murder Hollow,” from Pennsylvania, “Pink,” from Florida, and “The Maid of the Mist,” have some differences but also have their similarities.
    In a way all the stories I read are quite sad. They all have death in them. The murders in “Axe Murder Hollow” and “Pink” are much more similar than in “The Maid of the Mist.” In “Axe Murder Hollow” and “Pink” the murders are fueled  by a rage jealousy. A ghost axeman, who's wife had cheated him, chopped up a young couple because he was jealous of their relationship in “Axe Murder Hollow.” In “Pink” chokes his wife to death when he become jealous of the young garden hand he believes that is a little to friendly. The death in “The Maid of the Mist” is a bit different. The maid’s village water supply is poisoned by a giant serpent. The people get sick and begin to die.
    Only two of my stories are truly scary. “Axe Murder Hollow” and “Pink” both have murder in them by a jealous husband. The ghost man from “Axe Murder Hollow” haunts that dreadful road and searches for happy couples to kill. The husband in “Pink” kills his wife and gets away with it. He just creates a clever story about his wife leaving him and not coming back. The only scary character in “The Maid of the Mist” is the giant serpent. He poisons the water and waits for the people to die so he come back for them.
    The endings of the stories I read were happy and sad. The ending for “Axe Murder Hollow” was sad. The ghost kills the couple. The ending for “Pink” was sort of bitter sweet. Although the husband got away with murder he tragically died of a heart attack soon after he returned home from his extended “vacation.” The ending of “The Maid of the Mist” was also bitter sweet. The giant serpent was killed and never returned but Heno’s home was destroyed. He did make them new home in the end.
    All folklore has it's own style. Each culture will slight differences in their structure or style. They will also have their similarities such as happy endings and disturbing endings.