Saint Blaise and His Beasts:
This is a neat story! I like how it's a reciprocal relationship between the saint and the animals - he heals them and they bring him food. It's neat how even the emperor and soldiers recognized that the wild beasts would not hurt him. I don't like the ending though how after he walked on water, he was beheaded...
Saint Comgall and the Mice:
I like how the author explains what Comgall means and speaks directly to the reader telling them that it is interesting. When the author makes a point about peanuts not being invented yet, it makes me think that when this tale was written, that was a very popular food that perhaps people carried around in their pockets? Anyways, I love how the author included stories about both the mice and the swans - very cool! I wonder if Croadh would have gone after Comgall since he indirectly caused this.
The Wonders of Saint Berach:
This story is pretty neat! I really like how the saint helped the cow and wolf both meet their needs but also reconcile via love and not revenge. I also think it's very neat that he was able to save a young boy's life and that even though the boys at the end of the story made fun of him, he was not ill-natured and merely taught them a lesson without being cruel or excessive about it. I'm glad the rich man was not allowed to destroy the monastery. I'm also glad the king saw him as a holy man and not a warlock or anything to do with witchcraft.
The Fish Who Helped Saint Gudwall:
I like the background on the story (the terrible storms) as well as explaining the mindset (it wasn't highly regarded to value one's own life amidst danger). It was confusing though when the Gudwall's friend moved into a new house but then they set off to find a place to live? I love the description of the waves crashing on the rocks. The author is so talented at describing the sea - very impressive! I love the imagery of this story but wish there was more of a story on the fish building them a defense.
Animals at Sturtmoor Pond
Source: Wikipedia
Oh this is GREAT, Taylor: I am glad the instructions made sense. Last semester, students asked for a way to do more than one unit, and some students also found the essay not very fun to write... so, this is something new! I am really glad that the option appealed to. Stories of the saints are one of my favorite storytelling traditions, as are animal stories, so this book about saints and their animals is one of my favorites! :-)
ReplyDelete