Reading Diary Post A: Tejas Legends

(Woodpecker)

This week I chose to read Tejas Stories, mainly because the title caught my attention. Being from Texas, I was required to take Texas history in elementary school and middle school, so I am a tad bit familiar with the stories of old "Tejas". However, I have not heard many of these stories in this unit, so I definitely enjoyed reading them!
I thought the story Why the Woodpecker Pecks was a really cute and lighthearted story. I loved that the beginning of the story has a very descriptive intro. The voice of the introduction is fun and "bouncy". The transition into the origin of why the woodpecker pecks was an interesting one. I thought the idea that Manitou turned the Indians into birds to look for the children was a very creative take on the story. I was a bit confused as to how to the story would end up. I also thought it was interesting that the plant that is referred to in the story is peyote because it has been known to be a prominent part of the Native American culture.

Another story I really enjoyed was the The Cloud That Was Lost. I loved that is definitely told as a children's story, and is therefore, a sweet, fun story. It's funny to me that so many of the stories, like these, are a reference to "why things are the way they are". I'm such a "matter of fact" kind of person, that if someone would have told me a story like this as a kid, I would have never believed it! But I love hearing different culture's perspectives on things and how the earth was creative, and this story is no different. I think the idea that cloud rest up in the mountains is such a cute explanation to why there's always fog in the morning up on mountain tops. Not to mention the idea of the flowers gaining their colors from the clouds - too cute!