Week 6 Lab: TedEd Videos on Style

For this week's story lab, I watched the eight TedEd videos about creative writing and style. Here are some of my observations and key takeaways from my two favorites!

I really enjoyed the video on creative constraints. I learned about how some restrictions on tasks actually help us produce interesting things and help our brains better process what we want to do. In some subjects, like science and engineering, certain constraints are inevitable. These constraints can be especially useful though in helping humans achieve our goals and invent interesting devices. Constraints can guide our decision making in many critical ways. Many extraordinary scientific inventions that have impacted multiple fields were the product of facing creative constraints.

Another video that I especially enjoyed from the set was "What 'Orwellian' really means." I've heard this term a lot and read parts of George Orwell's book 1984, so I had some base knowledge before watching. I learned from the video that "George Orwell" was just a pen name for author Eric Blair. The video explains that reducing the term "Orwellian" to simply be a synonym or substitute for "authoritarian" doesn't fully capture the author's message in the classic 1984. In fact, the video asserts, lazy use of the concept "Orwellian" actually relates to a passion of Blair's: the use of words and how language can shape societal ideas. The state in 1984 dramatically alters the English language to discourage critical thinking, thus altering the populace's perceptions of reality. Orwell was concerned about a form of this occurring in not only authoritarian states, but also in democratic societies. The video also introduces the concept of immoral actions and evil concepts being disguised in complicated, scholarly language to obscure how bad they are. Even the language used in basic marketing ads and normal speeches by politicians are crafted to make us think certain things and in ways. Additionally, the urge to mindlessly regurgitate certain phrases and sentences we hear in modern media actually can discourage us from insightful critical thinking. The ability to communicate complex thoughts with clarity and sound structure is an essential component of mental freedom.

Headstone of Eric Arthur Blair (George Orwell) in All Saints' parish 

churchyard, Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire. Source: Wikimedia

Reading Notes: Twenty-Two Goblins, Part B

Here are my reading notes for Part B of the unit for this week!

Bibliography: Twenty-Two Goblins, translated from Sanskrit by Arthur W. Ryder, with illustrations by Perham W. Nahl (1917).

I want to keep focusing on interesting names for today's notes. In the first story for today's reading, the author tells us of a woman named "beautiful." The goblin telling the story remarks that "No doubt the Creator put together in her the priceless elements of charm and loveliness after his practice in making the nymphs of heaven." Many of these riddles by the goblin so far have revolved around love, romance choices, and attractive characters, so this name fits in with others that have occurred. However, this one is perhaps the most clear in what it signifies about the character.

A whole family is given interesting, descriptive names in the next short tale. The author describes a "merchant named Jewel....His wife was named Pleasing, and a daughter named Pearl was given to her prayers." The names of the family members signify wealth and happiness. The daughter's name and origin perhaps indicate her status as a special blessing. It seems that the wife, "pleasing," must be well-liked by her husband and/or others around them. The King of the city that this family lives is named "Hero-banner." This name suggests success and might. The names, which are all introduced early in this story, are rich and help frame the subsequent tale and riddle.

The next story features another merchant's daughter, this one "named Passion. Everyone who saw her fell in love and went mad with passion." This continues a consistent motif in the riddles of the goblin: a beautiful young girl who attracts multiple suitors. In this same story, there is a king named "Glorious," which is a name consistent with another recurring character archetype in Twenty-Two Goblins: the heroic, successful, mighty king. However, the name of the king in the following story isn't as praiseworthy. The author tells readers of "Earth-boar," whose name seemingly implies brute physical strength but a lack of intelligence, morals, refinement, and/or true heroism. Another interesting name in this story was a village named "Sacrifice." This could indicate many things, and I initially interpreted the name as a foreshadowing of something to come in the story. 

Multiple vibrant, strong names contributed to this frame story and the fun riddles within!

Illustration by Perham W. Nahl from 

Arthur W. Ryder's Twenty-Two Goblins (1917). 

Source: Wikimedia

Reading Notes: Twenty-Two Goblins, Part A

For this week I read Part A of the "Twenty-Two Goblins" unit, which was translated from Sanskrit.

Bibliography: Twenty-Two Goblins, translated by Arthur W. Ryder, with illustrations by Perham W. Nahl (1917).

I want to focus on character names, as Ryder has translated the Sanskrit name meanings into English equivalents.

Right from the start, we get a sense of the setting and main character from the translated name meanings: "On the bank of the Godavari River is a kingdom called the Abiding Kingdom. There lived the son of King Victory, the famous King Triple-victory, mighty as the king of the gods."
A place called "Abiding Kingdom" with a King whose name implies military success suggests power and strength. We then meet a "monk called Patience" in the introduction. This name seems to clash in style with the name of the King, but both could be relevant parts of an "Abiding" kingdom. Names can carry so much literary weight in stories! In contrast to these names, we also meet another central character in the introduction: the goblin. The goblin isn't given a name, which is perhaps also significant.

In the first riddle of the goblin, readers meet a "very beautiful daughter named Coral." This is a nice name that seemingly signifies innocence and perhaps purity. In the next story, we are told of a king named "Merit," perhaps indicating his success and goodness. The king's advisor in the story has a daughter named "Moonlight, who was worthy of her name, for she was famous for her matchless beauty and charm." Names play a significant role in introducing how a character will operate in a story. This especially seems to be the case in short stories where the author has less time to develop a character's profile via detailing their actions.

I really enjoyed the stories from this week's part A of the unit. The riddles were clever and often stumped me, and the framing story was highly entertaining! Focusing on names allowed me to think closely about different characters and their attributes.

Illustration by Perham W. Nahl from 

Arthur W. Ryder's Twenty-Two Goblins (1917).

Source: Wikimedia

Week 5 Story: The Bartender's Secret

The Bartender's Secret

by Derek Bixler

It was a warm September night in Laredo, Texas. I'll never forget it.

My life was in shambles. I wanted badly for my ranch just east of town to be a financial success, but four of my cows died just that week. At 57, my window of opportunity to glimpse the American dream was shrinking quickly. A close friend of mine got caught in a tornado less than three moths prior and died. I lost my house that same night and spent the little cash I did have building a new one. Not to mention that the house was for myself alone; though I was well-known around town, I never found love.

In a fuzzy state of mental darkness and dissatisfaction I drove my 1994 Chevy truck into town for a few beers. I slipped into a local bar and took a seat at the counter. Struck up a conversation with the bartender. He was quiet, older gentleman. Smooth skin and soft features. He had a peaceful glow about him. "Call me Sid," he nonchalantly instructed me.

I felt like I could trust Sid. There was something almost otherworldly about his presence. About 5 or so beers in, I started telling him about all my troubles. I recounted my recent problems and how they seemed to be a culmination of an unhappy life. I told him about how I never fulfilled my desires. I had hoped for so much and life had let me down. Sid's words changed my life.

"I once had it all," Sid started. "I was born into a wealthy family. Went to the best schools, inherited a fortune. My wife and children were beautiful. Yet I knew that one day I would grow old. All of the beauty and wealth would fade and I would eventually die."

Sid was compelling. He methodically continued, "I set off on my own. Isolated myself in nature. It was there I made a discovery about life: unhappiness is a product of desire. By letting go of my desires and passions, I have achieved peace."

Sid's word struck me. I left the bar and started to restructure my life. I let go of my hopes for my ranch, my desire for money, and my tortured passion for success. All became clear as I began to live by Sid's life philosophy. It's been almost a year now; I am content.



This story contained story features and elements from the The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold (1922).  The bartender "Sid" is based off of Siddhartha, aka the Buddha. "Sid" relays to our unhappy narrator a loose version of the Buddha's life story and one of his realizations presented in the story of Siddhartha and the Hermit: that "Unhappiness is born of desire; that man is to be pitied who is a slave to his passions." The secret of the bartender? He was a reincarnation of the Buddha!

Image info: Picture of a bar in Jackson, Wyoming by Miguel Hermoso Cuesta. Source: Wikimedia

Reading Notes: The Life of Buddha, Part B

I'm going to focus on beautiful sentences (again!) for part B of this week's reading unit on the life of Buddha.

Readings source: All notes are from stories in part b of the Buddha unit. Story source: The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold (1922).

In the first story of part B, the Buddha is preparing to leave his father's house and set out on his own. As he reaches this moment, he utters these words: "The deep joy I feel, the indomitable strength that now sustains my will, the assurance that I have a protector even though I am alone, all these things tell me that I am about to attain my goal." I found the phrases in this short speech striking. Siddhartha clearly senses some sort of grand destiny is in reach. The confidence of these words reflect a person who has found a calling toward something higher.

In the following story section in the unit, the Buddha has set out on his own and is in a land near the hermits. He states this piece of philosophical wisdom: "Unhappiness is born of desire; that man is to be pitied who is a slave to his passions." I'm not very familiar with Buddhist philosophy, but I found this idea quite compelling. As humans it seems that the more we desire for our circumstances to change or to live out our often inelastic dreams, the more we make ourselves miserable. I've found in my personal experiences that the less I focus on desire the more I find serenity and stability.

A subsequent story involves the Buddha entering the area of another kingdom as a destitute beggar. The king's reaction to seeing him was filled with awe: "The king paused near the tree, and, speechless with wonder, reverently gazed at the beggar." I loved that the king was humble enough to realize that he was in the presence of someone truly great, even though the Buddha was impoverished and he was the king. This sentence reflects the openness of the king and the compelling nature of the Buddha.

I enjoyed this unit a lot!

Painting of the Buddha by artist Otgonbayar Ershuu.
2004. Source: Wikimedia

Reading Notes: The Life of Buddha, Part A

This week I want to focus on content for my notes! One techinique I will use will be the "Wikipedia" strategy, where I will look for relevant information that provides background information on the content on the stories.

Readings: All notes are from stories of the Buddha unit. Story source: The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold (1922).

This week's readings were on the life of the Buddha, so I went to the Wikipedia page on Gautama Buddha. I learned that the Buddha was "Believed to have lived and taught mostly in the northeastern part of ancient India sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE" (Wikipedia). I didn't realize that the Buddha, whose given name was Siddhārtha Gautama, lived that long ago! For whatever reason, I always imagined that he lived around the same time as Jesus Christ rather than a few hundred years prior. It was interesting to me to learn in the Wiki article that scholars of historical Buddhism aren't entirely sure what teachings should be attributed to Gautama and what exactly happened in his life. There is even disagreement among academics on what exactly were the teachings and practices that early followers of Buddhism adhered to and which teachings these followers considered central.

I also found the story about Hindu gods meeting and interacting with the Buddha interesting. More info about the Buddha in Hinduism can be found on this Wikipedia page. I learned from this page that "In Vaishnava Hinduism, the historic Buddha or Gautama Buddha, is considered to be an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu." I never knew that these two traditions had a notable overlap in one form of Hinduism. The page also notes that many contemporary Hindus revere the Buddha.

In a subsequent story, a sage is chosen to be the teacher of the Buddha. The teacher, however, is quickly impressed by the young Buddha and realizes that he has nothing to teach him. The sage, named Visvamitra, has his own Wikipedia page which I explored. According to some traditions and legends, he was not only a wise teacher but also a king in ancient India. Visvamitra (or Vishvamitra) is an important figure in some classical Hindu texts according to the page.

I really enjoyed reading the stories on the life of the Buddha this week and learning more about Buddhism and Hinduism via Wikipedia!

Image of "The Dream of Queen Maya" from Pakistan, ca. 2nd century. Schist, 

H. 6 1/2 in.; W. 7 5/8 in. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Source: Wikimedia

Storybook Plan

As I mentioned in my previous project post, I've decided to do my storybook project on Saint Francis and stories surrounding his life! I'm planning on using the perspectives of other characters to retell major episodes from his life. I've named my project "Visions of Francis: Storybook of a Saint."

The first story I found last week is from The Little Flowers of St. Francis, translated by W. Heywood on the Sacred Texts website. As I said last time, this story recounts how a young boy, just accepted as a monk into the Order, was living with Francis and other friars. One night, the boy arises and can't find Saint Francis. The boy goes looking for Francis and then sees something amazing: "Christ and the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist and the Evangelist and a very great multitude of angels who spake with St. Francis." I would love to retell this story from the perspective of the boy, going into further detail about what he saw that night. Per Laura's suggestion, I'm going to use this boy as the central storyteller for the length of the project! Every other story will be told from the perspective of this boy having visions of the life of Saint Francis. This initial story will be the first "vision," and the other stories will also be told from the boy's perspective.

The second story I want to work with is Saint Francis and Brother Wolf, which can be found in the Saints and Animals unit in the UN-Textbook. I want to explain how exactly Francis was able to tame this wolf and create peace in Gubbio, from the point of view of the young boy having a vision of the events. I want to emphasize the legendary reverence that animals had for Saint Francis.

For my third story, I want to use another text from The Little Flowers of St. Francis on Sacred Texts. This one tells of Francis liberating a friar who had been, essentially, possessed by a demon. This story is short and pretty wide open, so I will add several creative details. Perhaps Francis will say some sort of mystical prayer and lay a blessing on the friar. Like the other stories, I plan to retell this from the perspective of the young boy having a vision of the great deeds of Saint Francis.

To end the storybook, I will cut back to the young boy in his room and have him explain how these amazing visions have impacted him. He will express great awe for the character of Francis and Francis's life events.

I want to express the values of Saint Francis through this storybook, including discussing his care for creation and deep love for the world around him. Using the boy from the first story as the narrator throughout will be a fun framing tool to help present some of Saint Francis's legacy through the lenses of childlike wonder.

Comment Wall

"Saint Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata" by
Salvador Maella, 1787. Source: Wikimedia

This will be the comment wall for my storybook on Saint Francis! Here is a link

to my storybook project.

Story Lab: Crash Course Myth Videos

For this assignment, I watched the three Overview of Mythology videos from Crash Course on Youtube. 

In the first video, I found it interesting how the Crash Course teacher described the study of mythology as drawing upon elements from many different fields including religion, literature, anthropology, and history. He then goes on to note that in mythology readers will often encounter several different versions of the same story and also several different interpretations of certain stories.  Defining the term "myth" can be quite difficult, which is discussed at length in the video. Crash Course decides to define a "myth" as a story having "significance" and "staying power." Finally, the teacher points out that there are several different theories involving the academic study of myths.

In the second video, the teacher describes different theoretical approaches to mythology and ways of analyzing myths. He mentions that the critical analysis of myths has been going on since about the mid 500s BCE! Some early thinkers (including Plato) conceptualized myths as falsehoods. Some early Christian leaders latched on to this idea and fit it into their religious views. Others thought of myths as simply a form of primitive science, which seems to be much too narrow of a definition. The teacher then goes on to tell us that mythology as a study didn't began to really grow until the 18th and 19th centuries. Many modern anthropologists attempt to connect myths to the lived experiences of humans in unique cultures. Some psychologists have seen myths as human projections of the unconscious. Other modern scholars tend to look at myths by focusing on their structures. 

The final video covered heroes and the hero's journey. Heroes are included in the myths of almost all societies, and "hero" can be a hard term to even define. The Crash Course teacher discusses scholar Joseph Campbell's theory of "The Hero's Journey" and it's notable influence on the field of mythology. One of Campbell's central ideas involves the notion that heroes can tell us a lot about ourselves.

I really enjoyed learning more about mythology, defining myths, theories of mythology, and the concept of a "hero" from these videos!

Public domain image by Wikimedia user "Salamander724"

Source: Wikimedia

Reading Notes: Gospel of Mark, Part B

For this section of the reading unit on the Gospel of Mark, I'll be focusing on beautiful sentences and language use.

The first sentence that stuck out was a short teaching of Jesus: "And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, "Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me." I really enjoyed the way Jesus
(via Mark) frames this lesson. The idea of receiving Christ was somewhat mystical in nature, and the emphasis on children highlighted to me the value Christ is consistently placing in this Gospel on the members of society who don't have power or are most easily oppressed. I would like to use language that provokes a sense of curiosity and mysticism in my own story writing.

Shortly after, Jesus speaks again on children in another teaching: "Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." To me, this teaching seems to promote the simple sense of joy and wonder that children tend to have in contrast with the jaded, hard-hearted worldview that many adults seem to operate with. Regardless of its full and accurate meaning, the sentence worked well in the context of the reading. These teachings of Jesus sometimes buck against the prevailing attitudes of society, both then and now.

Another teaching later in the unit again suggests that Jesus was not impressed with wealth or those in society who are powerful. After a man refuses to give up his possessions to follow Jesus, Jesus laments to his disciples "How hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." This metaphor is vivid and makes the point well. Perhaps if I retold some of Christ's parables and restyled some of His teachings for my storytelling exercise this week, I could incorporate modern versions of these stories and metaphors. I would aim to make the metaphors vivid and strong like the ones found in Mark, just perhaps more relevant to modern audiences.

I've really enjoyed reading the Gospel of Mark!

IMAGE: The Death of Jesus by
artist James Tissot, sometime
between 1886 and 1894.
Source: Wikimedia















Bibliography: Readings from the Gospel of Mark unit in the UN-Textbook. Story source: King James Bible (1611).

Reading Notes: Gospel of Mark, Part A

This week my reading is the Gospel of Mark! I will be using the notetaking style "focus on one character," and focus on the character of Jesus Christ.

The first words we here Jesus speak, following his baptism and subsequent temptation, are "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." Jesus then begins recruiting people in the area to follow him, and they immediately drop what they are doing to do so. The author of Mark must be portraying Jesus as very compelling or charismatic to be that convincing to strangers. Christ then teaches with "authority" and proceeds to cast an "unclean spirit" out of a man there in the synagogue. He sure has a lot of impressive skills in this first section! He then heals a woman, again adding to what we know of his robust set of skills/attributes. Jesus then goes off to pray by himself, and I found this need for solitude after accomplishing a lot to be relatable.

As another person presents himself to be healed by Jesus, Jesus is "moved with compassion" before healing the man. This adds an emotional component to his character. Christ then tells the healed man to "See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way" which is a bit mysterious. In a subsequent story, Jesus forgives a person's sins before healing them. This seems to imply that Jesus has something of a divine nature. He then eats "with publicans and sinners" which seems to make our protagonist a pretty inclusive, non-judgmental guy. In these sections, Jesus teaches in a mix of clever short stories and memorable short lines of wisdom. I really enjoy his manner of speaking. 

Certain religious officials, the Pharisees, keep following Jesus around and accusing him of things and he always has a solid, wise (though sometimes a bit confusing) answer. He then tells a series of longer parables on subjects like the kingdom of God. Jesus gets on a boat and it starts storming. He then makes the storm stop with just words which is pretty awesome. Later, he sends his 12 core followers out to preach and gives them the power to also heal people.

Jesus feeds a large crowd by turning a little bit of food into a lot of food, which is an awesome and practical miracle. He then walks on water towards a boat that his disciples are in, a famous miracle that again shows his great power. I really appreciated the line of teaching towards the end of the reading for today where Jesus says "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?". The final section of today's portion recounts the miracle of Christ's transfiguration, which is a mystical and somewhat strange miracle. 

     Jesus and Minas Coptic icon, from the 6th or 7th century.

     Artist unknown. Source: Wikimedia

Bibliography: Readings from the Gospel of Mark unit in the UN-Textbook. Story source: King James Bible (1611).

Feedback Strategies

The first article I read was entitled "A Troubling Side Effect of Praise" by Youki Terada in 2017. The story can be found here. Terada explains that simply praising children based on their intelligence "can increase the likelihood that they’ll cheat, according to a new study in Psychological Science." This adverse result of what seems like a positive action relates back to Carol Dweck's research on the Growth Mindset and the Fixed Mindset. When children are told they are smart and feel that their value comes from their intelligence, they "feel pressured to meet people’s expectations" according to the article. I found this interesting and wish more parents would be exposed to this research. Raising children can obviously be complicated, and knowing how to praise them in a productive manner seems very important!

The next article I read was called "How to Give Bad Feedback Without Being a Jerk" by Adam Grant and can be found here. Grant explains that the popular "feedback sandwich" approaching to giving constructive criticism doesn't help the person receiving the feedback very much! It's easy to either for you to come off as insincere or for the person to whom you are giving feedback to just ignore the negatives. Instead, Grant proposes 4 steps: "1. Explain why you’re giving the feedback; 2. Take yourself off a pedestal; 3. Ask if the person wants feedback; and finally 4. Have a transparent dialogue, not a manipulative monologue." These steps seem practical and were very helpful for me to read and think about! Grant suggests that following these steps helps the person receiving the feedback stay open to your thoughts throughout the conversation. I plan to practice giving better feedback in the future by putting these steps into action.

Both of these articles were interesting and helpful to read. I enjoyed learning about how to give better feedback, both positive and negative.

Photo of Adam Grant, the author of the second article 

I looked at for today. Source: Wikimedia

Topic Research: Saint Francis

I've decided to do my storybook project on Saint Francis! I want to focus on retelling stories about his life from the perspectives of other characters. I may name my project "Visions of Saint Francis" or "Encounters with Saint Francis."

The first story I found is from The Little Flowers of St. Francis, translated by W. Heywood on the Sacred Texts website. It recounts how a young boy, just accepted as a monk into the Order, was living with Francis and other friars. One night, the boy arose in the middle of the night and couldn't find Saint Francis. The boy went looking for him and then witnessed "Christ and the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist and the Evangelist and a very great multitude of angels who spake with St. Francis." I would love to retell this story from the perspective of the boy, going into further detail about what he saw that night. The conversation between Francis and the divine is fascinating material.

The second story I want to work with is Saint Francis and Brother Wolf. This story is from the Saints and Animals unit in the UN-Textbook. I want to retell what happened from the perspective of the wolf and explain how exactly Francis was able to tame the wolf and create peace in the town of Gubbio. I love the transformation of the wolf in this story and how the narrative shows Francis helping a community in need.

Finally, I want to retell another story from The Little Flowers of St. Francis on Sacred Texts, this one about Francis and Friar Masseo. Friar Masseo is asked to perform a seemingly childish, silly task by Francis, and later that day Masseo has both skepticism and praise in his heart for Francis. God then reveals to Francis exactly what Masseo was thinking! I love the potential to explore Masseo's views of Saint Francis from a 1st person point of view.

The Wikipedia page on Saint Francis could also serve as a helpful resource for history, context, and additional stories when creating my storybook.

Another great story possibility, also from The Little Flowers of St. Francis on Sacred Texts, tells of Francis freeing a friar who had been descended upon by a demon. This story is short and pretty wide open, so I could easily take it into creative detail. Like the other stories, I would retell it from the perspective of the friar who encounters Francis.

I love this image of Saint Francis casting out demons in Arezzo! Possibly near the OU study

center there?? Giotto di Bondone is the artist here, source: Wikimedia

Week 3 Story: A Letter to Kentigern

A Letter to Kentigern

by Derek Bixler

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This imaginary letter is adapted from a story called "Saint Kentigern and the Robin" in The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown. In the story, a wise old Saint named Servan has his bird killed by a group of jealous students who are attempting to frame their classmate Kentigern. Kentigern is a successful student and beloved by Saint Servan. As Servan accuses Kentigern of killing the bird, Kentigern begins to pray and God raises the robin back to life. Servan quickly realizes the boy is innocent. Saint Servan then loves Kentigern more than ever before. This fictional letter from the perspective of Saint Servan takes place immediately following that story.

Dearest Kentigern,

Let this letter serve as my formal, sincere apology to your wise young soul. I had never quite realized the extent to which your classmates were jealous of the great pride I take in your success. It never would have occurred to me that they would scheme against you and attempt to frame you for a crime so painful to my heart as the killing of my little Redbreast Robin. That bird, as you know, joins me as a treasured companion as I sing daily songs of praise to our wonderful Creator. To kill this sweet creature was truly a despicable act and not one that I should have believed you would ever take part in. My great moment of distress upon seeing this bird without life led me to unreasonable conclusions. As a saint and trusted instructor, I must learn to keep my wits about me when evaluating painful situations. In contrast, I'm exceptionally proud of the way you handled that tough situation. Your presence of mind to offer sincere prayer paired beautifully with the gracious response from the Lord, as He raised my bird to life by means of your tears. I have harshly punished the shameful classmates who framed you and will treasure you as a pupil even more than before. Surely I won't soon forget, nor the saved bird, nor our God most of all, the thoughtful response you gave today. You will go on to be a respected saint in the church; I am sure of this. All of Scotland will someday remember you for your wisdom. I cannot wait to observe the progression of your life and am proud to be your teacher and friend. After what we have seen today, surely God will continue to watch over your every move. A child of great blessings you are, Kentigern. Grace and peace to you.

With great affection, a contrite heart, and sincere gratitude,

Saint Servan

A photo of Glasgow Cathedral in Glasgow, Scotland, the city

near where this tale of Saint Servan and young Saint Kentigern

takes place. Source: Wikimedia

BIBLIOGRAPHY: The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown (1900). From the UN-Textbook unit on Saints and Animals. Story link: Saint Kentigern and the Robin.

Reading Notes: Saints and Animals Part B

For Part B of the Saints and Animals unit, I'm going to keep focusing on beautiful sentences (like I did at the end of my notes for Part B).

The first story for today was about Saint Gudwall. Early in the reading, the author powerfully sets a scene in Wales: "The island was one of those high mountains poking up out of the sea, with green grass on top, like colored frosting to a cake; and gray rocks below, all hollowed out into deep caves and crannies, as if mice had been nibbling at the cake." I was gripped by this description. The metaphorical language of the description was striking and made me want to visit Wales!

The next story in the unit involved Saint Ailbe. My favorite sentence in this reading was a piece of dialogue. Saint Ailbe says to his wolf-mother, "'When I was little and young and feeble, thou didst nourish and cherish and protect me; and now that thou art old and gray and weak, shall I not render the same love and care to thee? None shall injure thee.'" This line is not notable for any brilliant imagery, but rather for its emotional power in context of the larger story. Saint Ailbe is now wise, wealthy, and loved by humans, and he vows to take care of this wolf who once took care of him.

The next reading was a ballad about Saint Athracta. The ending lines of poetry were impactful during my reading:

"Her realm a holy place of peace,

Where, with the ancient nags,

Lived out their days in pleasant ways

Athracta's faithful Stags."

I found the poetry here rich with strong adjectives. These lines wrapped up the ballad nicely.

I enjoyed the next ballad I read, which was about Saint Felix, yet no lines in particular jumped out at me. The next reading was another ballad, this one about Saint Giles. In this reading, I found the following stanza memorable:

"But on a dewy springtime morn

When April climbed the hill,

There came the wind of silver horn,

Halloos and whistles shrill"

Much like the last ballad I commented on, these lines had strong adjectives and lively language.

Finally, I read about Saint Francis of Assisi. Near the end of the Saint's life, the author paints this picture of an aging Francis: "For he was worn with wandering; he was ill and weak, and his gentle eyes were growing dim so that he could not go along the winding ways. But he was happy still." I was struck by the power in the description of a man who had lived a long, hard life yet still found some measure happiness. It was truly a beautiful image.

 A depiction of Saint Francis and the wolf from Saint Francis of 

 Assisi Church in San Francisco del Rincón, Guanajuato State, Mexico. 

 Source: Wikimedia


BIBLIOGRAPHY: All stories from the Saints and Animals unit in the UN-Textbook. Story source: The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown (1900).

Reading Notes: Saints and Animals Part A

One style of notetaking I want to use this week is focusing on the ending of stories!

The first story, featured a virtuous young man named Kentigern who is framed by his jealous classmates in killing a saint's pet bird. The story ends powerfully with Kentigern praying for the bird to be raised to life, and the miracle actually occurring. Here is the final sentence, talking about the classmates: "They had learned that lesson, and thenceforth they were more kind and respectful to a boy over whom some kind Power seemed to keep special charge."
I love how the author notes the change in behavior of the boys and details the awe they have developed for Kentigern. It closes the story nicely and shows a marked change from the attitudes of the classmates earlier in the story.

The next story I read retold events from the life of Saint Blaise. The saint loved wild beasts, and the creatures would flock to him peacefully. The civil authorities ended up killing Blaise for his adherence to Christianity. The story ends with an impressive scene, as Blaise walks on water as soldiers attempted to drown him and then walks back to shore, choosing to die out of his own readiness and free will. The author explains that memorial bonfires were held in England for a long time honoring the saint. The final sentence notes that "And we can well believe that all the little animals came out of their dens and burrows and nests at the sight of these fires, and thought with loving hearts of the dear old Saint who so many years ago used to be kind to their ancestors, the beasts in the forests of Armenia."
The ending to the story is vivid, and this concluding sentence continues a major theme of the story-- the animals' great love for Blaise. The evocative words here helped me understand the true devotion these animals had for the saint.

The next technique I want to try is focusing on beautiful sentences.

 In the next story I read, on Saint Comgall, the author vividly paints the opening setting: "There the green hills of Saint Patrick's island smile over at the purple cliffs of Scotland across the lane of water where the ships pass to and fro, just as neighbors nod across a narrow street above the heads of the passers-by." I love the use of colors and warm imagery in this sentence.

Finally, I read the story of Saint Berach and this sentence stuck out to me as exceptionally beautiful and descriptive: "After that came a winter when for weeks the ground was white with snow, and the laughing mouths of the brooks were sealed with ice." I love the imagery in the back half of that phrase!

Painting from the 17th century of Saint Blaise's death

by Gaspar de Crayer. Source: Wikimedia

BIBLIOGRAPHY: This story is part of the Saints and Animals unit in the UN-textbook. Story source: The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown (1900).