Reading Notes: Tejas Legends, Part B

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I found a lot in this set of stories that I really enjoyed reading. First, in "Why Hummingbirds Drink Only Dew" I like the sense of loyalty given to the birds. The hummingbird made a bet with the heron and lost the bet. It didn't really have to keep its word but according to this story, it kept its word forever.

I'm really big on symbolism and I really think "The Maiden Who Loved a Star" did a great job of showing blind love in a very symbolic way. I think this would be a good story to just re-tell, without making too many changes to it.

I thought "Old Quanah's Gift" was an incredibly moving story, I thought. The old man spent most of his life making this incredibly beautiful and meaningful blanket. Then when he dies, he leaves it to whomever deserves it the most, which happens to be himself. In the end, seeing worth in another brought beauty for all of the tribe. Again I think this is a really fun symbolic story. I'd love to try my hand at writing with symbolism more.

I feel like this set of stories theorizes answers to a lot of big picture questions. For example, where did illness first start? I think there is a lot of potential for writing inspiration in this set of stories.

Source
"Tejas Legends: When the Storm God Rides", retold by Florence Stratton, online source