Growth Mindset: Stories of Growth

A painting of Beowulf. (Wikimedia Commons)

Of the stories, we've read of this class, one character stands out to me as exemplifying the growth mindset perfectly. Beowulf is a character who is never content to rest on his laurels and is always trying to improve himself and gain renown. It would have been easy for him to content himself with his great strength, but he wanted to do more to prove his mettle. Even after he slays Grendel, he longs for a challenge that can top that one! The fact that he's always trying to move forward and accomplish new great feats makes him an icon of the growth mindset.

Bibliography. The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs. Web Link.

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm - Hunt (Part B)

"Bearskin" was an interesting story on two fronts. First, I thought it was interesting that the first part of the story echoed the struggle that a lot of veterans face in reintegrating into civilian life. It was noteworthy that this struggle is in folklore as early as the Brothers Grimm, if not earlier. Second, by the end the story really felt a bit like Beauty and the Beast. "Hans the Hedgehog" felt the same way, because both involved the man showing his "true self" after the woman had already agreed to wed him.

A Hedgehog. (Pixabay)

Speaking of "Hans the Hedgehog", that story was weird. Honestly it didn't seem to have much of a moral message and the plot was so absurd that the whole thing felt a bit like a fever dream. The bit where he stabbed the princess from the first kingdom was probably the weirdest part for me.

Bibliography. Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, edited by Margaret Hunt. Web Link.

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm - Hunt (Part A)

The stories in this section are a bit longer than most of the short stories we read for this class, and they seem to have a rhythmic structure in common. In all three stories in Part A, actions are repeated over the course of the story and ultimately there is resolution. The final story, "Allerleirauh", is the most concrete example of this.

Thumbling on a man's hat. (Wikimedia Commons)

The story of "Thumbling" is interesting because it relies on the premise that though he's tiny, he has a voice that's as loud as any other. Of course his small size is a sign of some magical origin in itself, but his loud voice leads one to further question the nature of that little dude.

Bibliography. Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, edited by Margaret Hunt. Web Link.

Week 13 Story: Lori, Greg, and the Devil Himself

A canyon. (Flickr)

Two travellers, Lori and Greg, once came to a massive canyon while on a lengthy expedition. It was clear that they needed to cross the canyon, but neither knew how it might be done. The two argued for some time, and Lori became annoyed with Greg before long.

She exclaimed, “Oh, just hush. Why don’t you go hunt for our dinner while I consider this predicament.”

As Greg stormed off, Lori sat at the canyon’s edge and quietly cursed her companion. He never seemed to do anything but argue and whine. He was a very poor hunter, and in truth Lori had sent him away just to get some quiet. Still, the problem of crossing the canyon remained.

Lori heard footsteps behind her and thought it must be Greg on his return. She turned around to ask why he had returned so soon, and saw instead that it was a stranger in monk’s robes. Lori was very observant, and immediately recognized that he was the devil in disguise.

He spoke, “Hello, traveller! How goes it?”

Lori figured that it didn’t hurt to be honest. “It goes well enough, but I can’t think of how I might cross this canyon.”

The devil’s eyes lit up. “As a matter of fact, I am the world’s fastest brick mason! I would love to build you a bridge, but as a fee I’ll have to claim the first creature that crosses it.”

Lori knew that the devil would try to steal her soul if she crossed the bridge, but agreed anyways. The disguised swindler set to work immediately, and the bridge was finished just as Greg returned empty-handed from his hunt.
Lori rolled her eyes at Greg, but introduced him to the bridge builder. “This kind man built us a bridge! Since you’re so light without any game to weigh you down, maybe you should try crossing first.”

Greg did so indignantly, and no sooner did he reach the other side than did the devil snatch him up and take him to hell. Lori whistled as she crossed the bridge and continued on her way.



Author’s note: This story is based on the Welsh myth of “The Devil’s Bridge”. The legend has it that there once was a woman who was separated from her cow by a river. The Devil, disguised as a monk, built her a bridge in exchange for the first living thing to cross. The Devil expected her to cross the bridge without thinking, but she tricked him by sending her dog across. In my story, the woman is a bit more mischievous and sends her travelling companion to hell in exchange for safe passage.

Bibliography. The Welsh Fairy Book by Jenkyn Thomas. Web Link.

Week 12 Story: Beowulf's Race

“On your marks! Start!”

With that announcement, Beowulf and Breca bounded into the raging sea, each man determined to best the other in a treacherous swimming race. The rules were simple: first to the far shore would be declared victor. A testament to the courage of the two men, the route was several days’ swim even in good weather; yet presently a storm raged on, churning the sea and provoking great waves. The sky was blackened by grim clouds. This would be Beowulf’s first true test of might. He had been challenged by his compatriot Breca as a means to prove his alleged strength and bravery.

Beowulf took an immediate lead, nearly unfettered by the crashing waves that pushed back at his progress. It should be said that both men were fully equipped with armor and weapons against the legendary beasts said to lurk these waters. Though it was uncomfortable to swim in such conditions, Beowulf was a man of such strength that he was able to press on at an impressive speed.

For the first day, the greatest obstacle Beowulf faced was the sea itself. Even he was brought near exhaustion by his navigation of the unrelenting waters. After some time, he pause to take in his surroundings. Breca was nowhere to be seen, nor was the shore of home. Black sky and black waters raged with equal intensity. Beowulf swam through the night and only when dawn broke did the storm begin to calm. Fatigued, he calmed his pace as the waved subdued.

He wasn’t able to relax for long.

Many yards in front of him, he saw a great many bubbles breaking against the water’s surface. There was something breathing beneath the sea, and perhaps it was coming up for air. Beowulf braced himself and readied his sword in preparation. Soon enough, a serpent’s head came crashing into the open air, staring at Beowulf through slit eyes. Its scales were oily and green, and it opened its mouth to reveal fangs like daggers.

A sea monster (Wikimedia Commons)

The appearance of this sea monster was enough to rejuvenate Beowulf as he charged to make the first attack. He attempted to strike the serpent, but narrowly missed as the creature darted behind him. A whip of its tail knocked the steel helmet from Beowulf’s head. Beowulf turned to protect his skull against the next strike, and quickly slashed at the tail that made a second attempt at his head. As quickly as the battle had begun, it was over: the serpent, cut in two, sank to the bottom of the sea with one last hiss.

Though he made the attempt to swim onward, he was drained of all energy after the rush of battle slowly faded. At length he went limp in sleep, carried by the waves to an unknown shore. When he awoke days later, he knew not yet that he was the victor in a most honorably contested race.



Author’s Note: In The Story of Beowulf, some reference is made to a race between Beowulf and Breca. Until Beowulf battles with Grendel, the race is his only real claim to fame. I decided to write out how it might have gone! The legend tells of massive waves and sea monsters in a several-day race, and I tried to be true to that.

Bibliography. The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs. Web Link.

Week 11 Story: The Disobedient Sons

A member of the Crow Nation. (Wikimedia Commons)

There once lived a father, a mother, and two boys. The father knew his boys were clever, but also knew that they were lazy and would do anything to get out of honest work.

A cruel old woman lived at the top of a hill with her boiling kettle, and any time someone came too close, she’d snatch them up and cook them. Meanwhile, the father and his family had nothing to cook with. The father considered the ways by which he might steal the kettle from the cruel hag.

At last, he came to a devious solution. He called his boys to him and instructed, “By no means are you to visit the top of that hill, for there’s an evil woman there who will boil you alive.”

The boys were mischievous by nature, and of course had to disobey their father’s instructions. They went to the top of the hill and dumped the kettle over on the old woman while she slept, killing her. They proudly returned the kettle to their mother and father.

The father had to pretend to scold the two boys, even though his plan worked perfectly. He had another job for his sons: to bring back delicious snake meat for boiling in their new kettle. This time, he instructed the two, “By no means are you to go on the other side of that hill, for there is a dangerous monster who will do you great harm.”

Of course, the boys’ curiosity was so strong that they had to go over the hill and see what the great danger was. They found a monstrous green snake, bigger than either of them. Before the snake noticed the boys, they hatched a plan. The younger child would distract the snake while the other stabbed it in the heart through it’s back.

“Oh great snake, look here!” the younger boy shouted.

The snake turned around and took notice of the child, slowly slithering closer.

“Yes, great snake! Come nearer so I may pet your scales!”

The snake drew closer slowly and hungrily, but before he got too near, the older boy stabbed him in the heart. The children brought the snake back to their family, and again the father had to pretend to scold them.

On and on this went, and the two sons never suspected their father’s true intentions, content with their chore-free life.



Author’s note: In the original Crow myth, “Lodge-Boy and Thrown-Away”, two sons constantly disobey their father’s orders. The story is told from the perspective of the boys, so the father’s true intentions are obscure. I thought it was funny that after each time they broke a rule, the father would give them a new rule (which was quickly broken). I thought it would be interesting if having his rules broken was the father’s intent all along!

Bibliography. Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson. Web Link.

Reading Notes: Welsh Fairy Book (Part B)

The story "The Bride from the Red Lake" followed a structure that I've seen in almost every culture's myths that we've explored. Someone is warned not to do a thing, and then they go and do it; usually out of carelessness. This time around there was a bit of humor to it, whether intentional or not. "Don't pelt your wife with clay" seems like an easy enough rule to stick to.

Something that I noticed in both Part A and Part B of this week's reading is that most of these stories focus on illusion in some way. Much of the plot is driven by things appearing as they're not, and it seems that illusion is the most common type of magic. supernatural beings appear as people, shells are made to look like money, and whole buildings are obscured from view.

Devil's Bridge, which makes an appearance in one myth. (Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography. The Welsh Fairy Book by Jenkyn Thomas. Web Link.