Reading Notes: Mississippi Valley/Great Lakes, Part B

I finished the reading for the second unit. I enjoyed the stories, and I like the fact that each one can stand alone by itself. I have definitely noticed that the storytelling style is different from a lot of the other units we have had in this class. I took notes over a couple of my favorite stories from this unit, and I hope I will be able to craft a great story. My favorite story is the tale of how deer used to be man eaters.

• I really liked the description of each predator and its prey
• The story of the wolf shedding its skin to catch the deer was cool
• I also like the confidence of the fish 
• The Fish Hawk was still able to best the fish and track down his food
• The confidence of the second deer to best the human was surprising
• The deer was witness to the wit and power of the human hunter
• I like how the story ends with deer accepting the loss and settling to eat twigs and grass
• The story of the hare and the lynx was also similar 
• It seemed that the hare was determined to find its way back home
• The lynx constantly stalked the hare and made it afraid of its presence
• I really liked the constant riddle-like conversations the two had
• The lynx was just playing with its food the whole time
• The hare was finally confident enough to run without regard for the lynx
• The lynx quietly stalked the hare and devoured it in the end

I really liked the small stories in this unit. I think it is cool to see how the origins of some animals are presented. There are lots of riddles and conversations that occur between animals in these stories. This is something that I found particularly unique about this unit.

(A photo of a deer like the one from the story. Source: Pixaby)

Bibliography: Myths and Legends of the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes by Katharine Berry Judson. Source: UnTextbook