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.

Reading Notes: Welsh Fairy Book (Part A)

The Flag of Wales, featuring the red dragon from one of the myths. (Wikipedia)

One thing that stuck out to me about The Welsh Fairy Book is the dry humor throughout. Examples are found in the barber looking out for his "cervical vertebrae", or the note that dancing with the devil "might not be the most direct route to Paradise." I think that these might have been flourishes of the translator.

A consistent theme in these stories was the focus on prophecy. Many of the stories come down to "There was a foretelling that something would happen, then it totally did." Another common theme was the presence of fairies. It seems from these stories that Welsh fairies are almost human, but exceedingly beautiful, wealthy, and magical.

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

Reading Notes: Beowulf (Part B)

In this section of the reading, Beowulf has many battles. Consistently, his enemies use magic. The nature of the magic in this legend is really interesting: There are spells to deepen sleep and to sense the plots of faraway foes. I wondered how Grendel came to be, because his "mother" seemed so different in nature than him. She was magical, so I wonder if she created him by some unnatural means?

A painting of Grendel by J. R. Skelton. (Wikimedia Commons)

It turns out that the picture I found for Part A of Beowulf fighting a dragon came from his final battle. At first, I was surprised that Beowulf died during his fight against the dragon, but the more I think about it the more I feel that a "warrior's death" is fitting. Especially with the emphasis on his bravery, it's only a fitting end.


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

Reading Notes: Beowulf (Part A)

I was excited to read the legend of Beowulf this week because it should give me material for my storybook. I need some terrible monster for my character to battle with, and it seems like Grendel will be a great point of inspiration. Part A of this reading served to build tension around what is bound to be an exciting battle between Beowulf and Grendel.

A painting of Beowulf fighting a dragon by J. R. Skelton (Wikimedia Commons)

One thing I noticed while reading this story is the value that is placed on bravery. Especially evident in the exchange between Beowulf and Unferth, courage is the most admirable quality in this to those who established this legend. Beowulf is very strong, but he's kind of mocked for it. It's his bravery that wins him respect.

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

Week 10 Story: How Rabbit Got Long Ears

One morning, just after sunrise, Rabbit found himself hungry for breakfast. The plains were rich with grasses, but Rabbit was very choosy. He wanted only the best grass to eat. He hopped around in search of quality grass, but everything he found was mediocre. Rabbit eventually saw Coyote and Fox talking in the distance. He wondered if they might be talking about top-shelf grass, but didn’t dare approach and risk his life to these predators. This was when Rabbit had small ears, and he couldn’t hear the two from his vantage. Rabbit decided to pull on his ears to stretch them out. The stretching hurt Rabbit, but he made his ears a medium length: long enough to hear the conversation between Coyote and Fox.

Rabbit could hear coyote ask, “Fox, this is a very specific question out of character for my species, but have you seen any good grass lately? I’m asking for a friend.”

Fox replied, “Coyote, you don’t have to be shy with me. As a matter of fact, I have found some prime grass! I’ll have to whisper the location to you, it’s in a secret place. Last time I found some good grass, Rabbit ate it all.”

Very quickly, rabbit stretched his ears even further so he could hear Fox’s whisper. Now, they were very long and stuck up like sprouts.

Fox whispered, “The best grass is just north of here, across the river.” Coyote thanked him and the two animals began another conversation completely unrelated to vegetation.

Rabbit was very happy with himself and hopped north. At the river, he stopped to look at his reflection in the water. His ears were very long now, but he rather liked the new look. Soon he found the promised grass, and ate his fill until he fell asleep happily.

This is why Rabbit now has very long ears.



Author’s note: In the Native American mythology of the Great Plains, animal species are personified as single characters. In this week’s reading, there were a few “origin stories” of some animals’ defining features. My story plays on existing stories of Rabbit, who tends to be sneaky, crafty, and a little self-serving. I decided I’d make up a story explaining how Rabbit’s ears got to be so long.

Bibliography. Myths and Legends of the Great Plains by Katharine Berry Judson. Web Link.
Photo: A rabbit eating grass, taken by M. L. Haen. Wikimedia Commons.

Tech Tip: Word Count

For this week's Tech Tip, I added a word counter to Chrome (the extension can be found here). I think I knew that this tool existed, but I hadn't decided to try it out until I saw it as an optional Tech Tip. I can see it being incredibly useful, as previously I would prewrite my documents in Google Drive because of the included word counter. Now, I can write my blog posts and comments directly on the page!

I tend to do alright with word count, and whether I go over or under depends a lot on how much I have to say. My stories naturally tend to be longer when they have more elaborate plots or need deeper exposition. Usually, when I'm getting close to the minimum word count, I ask myself how I plan to wrap up the story. Sometimes I'm not even close to a stopping point though!

There are 160 words in this blog post. :^)

Tech Tip: Embedded Youtube Video

Below, I've (hopefully) managed to embed a Youtube video for this week's Tech Tip. I chose a video that I found recently and that made me laugh, so I hope you enjoy!

Tech Tip: Bookmarks

For this tech tip, I explored bookmarking in Chrome. One thing that I learned is that you can create sub-folders for your bookmarks to more efficiently organize them, but I don't think that I use enough bookmarks for this to be terribly useful.

I use bookmarks sparingly, and I already have all of mine on the bookmark bar! Something I've learned about myself is that I can get very easily distracted by bookmarks for social media, games, etc. I keep my bookmarks reserved for websites relating to work and school, which helps me stay on track when I need to be working. For everything else, autocomplete usually does the job!

Tech Tip: Einstein Generator

This week, I used this website to make the above image. The quote that I placed on the blackboard comes from Frank Ocean's Blonde, which I was listening to while I made this!

Reading Notes: Native American Hero Tales (Part B)

Traditional moccasins, featured in many of these myths. (Wikimedia Commons)

The first story in Part B was downright spooky. The way in which the boys' mother was killed was Joker-esque, and the fact that the unborn children survived the death was unnerving. The story was also interesting in its structure because the father kept telling them what not to do, even surely realizing that they had disobeyed him at all past points. I think I'll write a story for this week from his perspective!

I commented in Part A on the observation that murder is seemingly allowed but not appreciated in some of these stories. This trend continues in this section. Instead of exact punishment, killers in these myths are subjected to elaborate plots for vengeance.

Overall, these stories feel very loose, especially in the way they deal with magic. It almost seems like anyone can perform at least some sort of magic act without exposition. This makes the stories feel a little dream-like and unpredictable.

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

Reading Notes: Native American Hero Tales (Part A)

A bluejay, one of the heroes in this reading. (Pixabay)

I enjoyed this week's reading because it rode the line between realistic and supernatural. Many of the obstacles faced by the heroes were won with wit and the help of others, while others were won with supernatural aid. Sometimes, I was confused by the motivations of characters. For example, I don't know why the Unnatural uncle was allowed to kill any boy he wanted unless they could fight back.

I especially liked "The Attack on The Giant Elk and Great Eagle". It was refreshing to have a story in which the hero is rewarded for persistence in the face of failure. Many times he had to try four times before he was successful in performing part of the plan, which is in contrast to most hero stories of near-immediate success.

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

Tech Tip: Motivational Poster

As a tech tip this week I made a motivational poster using this website. I wanted to inspire myself to finish the semester strong!

Photo source: Pexels

Reading Notes: Great Plains (Part B)

Compared to the first part of the reading, this reading had more stories about animals and how they came to be the way that they are. The rabbit seemed to have a consistent character, usually tricky and self-confident. When I write my own story this week, I think that I'll make it about the rabbit.

A rabbit. (Wikipedia)

There were also a number of ghost stories in this section, but they weren't as much guides for the afterlife as they were horror stories. Ghosts in these myths tend to be antagonistic and fear-inspiring. I was most surprised to learn that in at least one legend, ghosts can be shot and wounded. I was confused though, because a shot to the leg appeared to wound the ghost's head.

Bibliography. Myths and Legends of the Great Plains by Katharine Berry Judson. Web Link.

Reading Notes: Great Plains (Part A)

This week we're reading Native American myths, and I chose to read stories from the Great Plains. I share a name with one of the tribes! Most of the legends are origin stories, dealing with either the history of the natural world or the history of social traditions. The latter stories read a lot like instruction manuals for how people should behave.

A picture of the Great Plains (Flickr)

I was especially impressed by the number of ghost stories and the diversity of explanations. It seems like becoming a ghost is an inevitable part of the afterlife, and whether you're allowed ghostly lodging or are doomed to roam the earth is dependent on your actions in life. In some cases it depends on the circumstances of death, and in others it depends on the completion of rituals.

Bibliography. Myths and Legends of the Great Plains by Katharine Berry Judson. Web Link.