Extra Credit Reading Beowulf Pt B

Beowulf lay still on the couch. A fog was creeping up outside. After some time there was a rustling in the trees. A deep grunt of a pig could be heard. The fog parted and a shadow loomed. Grendel stood at the entrance of the keep while Beowulf and the Earls slept soundly. He began to try and get the door open.

Grendel cast a spell to make those who were sleeping sleep even harder. Eventually Grendel got through the door of the keep. Beowulf came out of his dream spell and he saw Grendel. After Grendel devoured Hondscio he tuned his eyes to Beowulf. Beowulf, who was stung with loathing, leaped from the bed.

They fought silently in the fog filled hall. Beowulf gained the upper hand and flew at Grendel. He twisted Grendel's arm, and Grendel fell to the floor. Grendel oozed a slimy sap that smelled like vinegar and sickened Beowulf. Beowulf called on the strength of the Gods and he ripped off Grendel's arm.

Then the spell wore off on the rest of the Earls. Grendel ran out the door into the fog. The next morning men hoisted Grendel's arm from the ceiling. Men came from all around to view this trophy.

The king and queen thanked Beowulf. They had a feast that lasted for days. A messenger came and interrupted the celebration. He told them that Lord Aescher was dead. He said that he was murdered by some new fiend. Grendel's arm was missing.

Wealhtheow told Beowulf "this must be the work of Grendel's mother. Your work here is not done."

Beowulf told his men to come because they have a new monster to fight. Black Unferth stepped forward and told Beowulf that he was sorry for ever doubting him. He gave Beowulf his magic sword.

Photo by Ricardo Cruz on Unsplash

Bibliography
The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs, with illustrations by Henry Pitz (1933).

Reading Notes Looking Glass Part B

Alice's first thought was that she must have been dreaming about the Lion and the Unicorn and those queer Anglo-Saxon Messengers. At this moment her thoughts were interrupted by a loud shouting of 'Ahoy! Ahoy! Check!' and a Knight dressed in crimson armor came galloping down upon her, brandishing a great club. Just as he reached her, the horse stopped suddenly: 'You're my prisoner!' the Knight cried, as he tumbled off his horse.

Then the white knight shows up and he says the same thing and tries to take Alice as his prisoner. They began banging away at each other with such fury that Alice got behind a tree to be out of the way of the blows.

Alice asks the knight about his body. The Knight looked surprised at the question. :What does it matter where my body happens to be?" he said. "My mind goes on working all the same. In fact, the more head downwards I am, the more I keep inventing new things."

Alice has a golden crown on her head. She was not surprised at finding the Red Queen and the White Queen sitting by her. She would have liked very much to ask them how they came there, but she feared it would not be quite civil. However, there would be no harm, she thought, in asking if the game was over

The White Knight. Source

Bibliography
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (1871).

Reading Notes Looking Glass Part A

The glass was beginning to melt away like a mist. Alice was through the glass and had jumped lightly down into the looking glass room. There was a fire in the fireplace. The pictures on the wall seemed to be alive.

Alice heard the Red King and Red Queen go past. A white pawn began screaming at the table behind Alice. The White Queen screamed "Oh my! My precious child!" Alice picked up the queen and set her on the table next to the pawn. Next Alice picked the king up more slowly and gently than she did the queen. She dusted all the ash off of him too.

The king takes out a notebook and begins writing a memo. Alice took his pencil and wrote "THE WHITE KNIGHT IS SLIDING DOWN THE POKER. HE BALANCES VERY BADLY" in his notebook.

There was a book lying near Alice on the table, and while she sat watching the White King she turned over the leaves to find some part that she could read. She told herself "it's all in some language I don't know. She realized she had to hold the book to a mirror because she was in the loking glass world. It was a poem about the Jabberwocky.

Alice realized she needed to hurry. She thought to herself "if I don't make haste I shall have to go back through the Looking-glass before I've seen what the rest of the house is like! Let's have a look at the garden first!" She was out of the room in a moment, and ran down stairs.

She wandered on until she came across two little fat men. One of them had "DUM"embroidered on his collar, and the other "DEE." Alice asks them what the best way to get out of the woods is. Alice didn't want to hurt either of the boys feelings so she shook both of their hands at the same time.

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Source

Bibliography
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (1871).