Song of Small Victories

A Dark Little Tale: The Squire and the Endless Deeds

There was once a young squire who dreamed of becoming a knight. He longed for the bards to sing of his courage, to carve his name in the hall of heroes. So whenever a deed was called for, he volunteered.

He fetched water for the castle. He trained until his hands blistered. He fought skirmishes, scrubbed armor, and chased bandits into the hills. Each day he did more, each night he returned with less. His face grew pale, his body thin, his breath ragged.

The bards never sang his name. They were too busy praising those who did less but shone brighter. Still, the squire kept chasing their songs until one night his knees gave out beneath him. He crawled to his bed, dizzy and hollow, and thought, “This is the end of me.”

But as his eyes closed, he whispered a scrap of a tune:

“Though I falter, though I fall,

Still I made it back to bed at all.”

It was clumsy, but it was his. And as he sang, his chest eased, his breath deepened, and a strange warmth filled him.

The next day, he sang again — a louder song this time, about lifting his cup, about washing his face, about opening the stable door. Each small song made him stronger. Each note stitched him back together.

One afternoon, walking the forest path, he sang boldly to the trees:

“I carried the bucket, I lit the flame,

These little victories bear my name.”

A traveler overheard and asked, “Who do you sing for, boy?”

“For myself,” said the squire, startled. “For if I wait for others to sing my deeds, I shall starve on silence. But if I sing them to myself, of myself, I live.”

And so he learned: love need not be chased. When he celebrated his own victories, no matter how small, strength and love grew from within — and others were drawn to his song.

✦ The Ritual

This charm is for when you feel drained by endless striving, or when you wait for validation that never comes.

1. Name Your Deed. Choose one small action you’ve done today (even “I got out of bed”).

2. Make it a Verse. Whisper or write a short line about it. Example: “I brushed my teeth; I am worthy to be clean.”

3. Sing it Aloud. It does not matter if it is tuneless, cracked, or quiet. The spell works when your voice carries your own name.

4. Repeat & Gather Strength. Add verses as the day goes on. Each is a pearl strung on the necklace of your song.

✦ Why This Works

This ritual is about self-validation, executive functioning, and the psychology of reward.

• Naming the deed reframes “small” actions as worthy of recognition.

• Turning it into a verse anchors the memory with rhythm, making it stick in the body.

• Singing aloud triggers breath, vibration, and self-auditory feedback, which regulate the nervous system and release dopamine.

• Repeating the practice builds a habit of celebrating progress instead of waiting for external applause.

  
  

Like the squire, you may discover that your song of small victories becomes its own nourishment. And in time, others may gather to listen — not because you begged for their love, but because your self-love rang true.

Feel free to save and print the ritual page for your Grimoire below!