One day a young, naive mouse named Gus decided he wanted to have some fun with his neighbor on a boring sunny day. Tired of running through the halls and chasing the scent of cheese, he scurried across the lawn to Harry the elephant's rainforest home. Harry was large, even for an elephant, and wrinkles lined his face and trunk. His mind was full of knowledge and his legs sore from travel.
Thinking he was so clever, Gus squeaked at Harry, "Please come dine with me tonight, Harry. I am so terribly bored and in need of company." Harry agreed, happy to please the young mouse. They set the time for 6 p.m. and Gus scurried back home, chuckling as he went.
(mouse)
Promptly at 6 p.m. Harry stomped to Gus' tiny home. Gus greeted him, serving a wheel of cheese fit for three mice, but smaller than Harry's foot. Being too polite to say anything, Harry could only touch his trunk to the block of cheese, barely eating anything all night. Gus ended the night with a laugh, sharing with his friends the great tale of Harry the elephant trying to eat cheese.
Harry spent the next few days pondering how to teach Gus a lesson. Being old and wise, Harry didn't want to lose his temper and or yell at the young Gus. Using his mellow disposition, Harry devised a plan to show Gus his own treatment.
The next week Harry calmly asked Gus to dinner, promising fruits and grasses. Surprised, Gus happily agreed and went to meet Harry. When Gus arrived, Harry had prepared an elaborate meal… All high above Gus in the trees. While Harry feasted, Gus sat frustrated on the ground floor, unable to reach any of the food. Gus scurried home, hungry and ashamed for how he had treated his old friend.
Author's note. This story is based on the Aesop for Children tale "The Fox And The Stork." In the original story, the Fox invites the Stork to eat dinner serving only soup, which the Stork could not eat. Being even-tempered, the Stork didn't get angry but invited the Fox to dinner where he served fish in a tall jar that the Fox could not reach. The lesson was that one should not play tricks on your neighbors unless you can stand the same treatment yourself.
Bibliography. "The Fox And The Stork" by Aesop, from The Aesop for Children (2006). Web Source: The Aesop for Children.
Jessica-
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting twist on Aesop's "The Fox and the Stork." I had never read this story before and I was afraid I was going to hear of the demise of the stork at the fox's hands in your author's note. I was happy this was not the case. You managed to take this story and make it your own by not only replacing the characters (Fox for Mouse; Stork for Elephant), but finding a characteristic from each character that would translate well to the tricks played in the original.
What a wonderful adaptation. I enjoyed it very much!
-Michele
This really sounds like what the tale would be told about an elephant and a mouse. The flow was very close to the original, and the tone was simply perfect. It really read like something straight out of Aesop's collection, and to reach that kind of synchronization with the work you're copying is very impressive indeed. After all, it's what made Virgil famous!
ReplyDeleteJessica, I really enjoyed all of the details you added to your story. It really brought the whole thing to life! The original story is definitely embedded within yours, yet you somehow gave it a modern twist. The moral of this story is one that is still prevalent in our society today. It’s one of those stories that you tell your children so that they have manners.
ReplyDeleteGreat story! The pattern of the story definitely reminded me of an old fable but the diction was more modern and detailed. I appreciated all the imagery you created in this tale; I really felt as though I could see the action taking place. Plus, I think the animals you chose actually fit the moral of this tale better than the original. Cute pictures as well!
ReplyDeleteGreat story! I really enjoyed reading it. I am always identified with the temper of elephants they really do seem so gentle and wise! I think it was really fun to choose a small mouse and a really large elephant; this made the story very entertaining to read! I also loved the moral of the story, like other comments have said I think this is a moral that could definitely be used in modern times.
ReplyDelete