So my friend The Cocktail Maven, book clubber extraordinaire and creator of the ever popular “Cocktails in Historic Places” group, e-mailed me with the news that PROMPTuesdays inspired her to complete a 2,000-word short story.
And I was pleased.
So pleasured was I that I thought she should create this week’s PROMPTuesday prompt.
Which she did.
And it was good.
In fact, where I riff on stuff like vibratons and Rapturenators, The Cocktail Maven comes up with an elegant prompt that is not about a massaging device OR a machine that sucks you into heaven.
Enough said.
After this, of course:
(courtesy of The Cocktail Maven, who sadly, does not yet have a blog of her own):
The ancient Greek storyteller, Aesop is known for morality fables featuring anthropomorphic animals, insects, plants, and even statuary. This PROMPTuesday, I’d like to see everyone knock out a little fable of their own. Take a principle you live by, put it in a story and create your own axiom for the ages. The final sentence of your story should state the moral.
A little rusty on your Aesop? Think along the lines of “The Tortoise and the Hare,” “Androcles and the Lion,” “The Fox and the Grapes,” or this familiar one about the Ant and the Grasshopper:
In a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
“Why not come and chat with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of toiling and moiling in that way?”
“I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same.”
“Why bother about winter?” said the Grasshopper; we have got plenty of food at present.” But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew:
It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.
Usual PROMPTuesday guidelines apply (see below). Have Fun!
- You must write your entry in 10 minutes. This encourages top-of-mind, primal thinking before the ego and judgmental brain kicks in. Just set a timer, make your kid count to 600 slowly, whatever. It’s an honor system. And I trust you.
- Keep to 250 words or less.
- Please have fun. Don’t put pressure on yourself. Together, let’s rediscover the simple joy in the writing process.
- Post your submission in the comments OR post in your blog and leave a link to your blog in the comments.
Okay, here it is:
The Guinea Pig and His Mother
I did… The Ant & The Grasshopper… The Sequel! :)
Is that cheating?
http://mommamary.blogspot.com/2008/07/promptuesday-12.html
Okay! Here’s my attempt!
THE WARTHOG AND THE SHOPKEEPERS
There once was a warthog with enormous tusks. His tusks were strong and they rose high into the air. They made the warthog look terribly fierce and intimidating. After many years of tearing through the forest frightening all the other animals, the warthog grew lonely. It was time for a change. “I think I should like to work in a shop,” the warthog decided. That way, I shall meet lots of people and never be lonely.” So the warthog set off for town that very day.
When the he got to town, he saw a dress shop across the town square. “That is a very pretty shop,” thought the warthog, “perhaps I shall work there.” But when the customers saw him come in the door, they all screamed and ran away. “No, no, no!” Cried the dressmaker. “You are much too fierce and intimidating to work in my shop”. The warthog hung his head and left.
Next he saw a tiny shoe shop. “May I work in your shop?” The warthog asked. “No, no, no!” said the cobbler. “Your tusks are much too large for my tiny shop. They will get in the way.” The warthog hung his head and left.
Feeling very sad now, the warthog decided to try the bakery. “May I work in your shop?” asked the warthog. “My, my, my!” cried the baker. “What lovely tusks you have! Those tusks would be perfect for delivering my doughnuts. Yes, yes, yes, you may work in my shop!”
And so the warthog lived a long and happy life delivering doughnuts all over town. He made many friends along the way and never felt lonely again.
MORAL: We each of us are perfect when put to perfect purpose.
Holy fudgesicles! You’re gonna make me think on a day when I have too much going on and think you can get away with it? Why I oughta…
Once I figure out how to put a damper on the seven emergencies running concurrently here, I think I want to try this. Then again, I should know better than to try thinking.
I to will likely have to make this a Wednesday project. We’ll see.
I’m pretty sure my entire life is some sort of cosmic “how-not-to-do-things” fable, but I’ve posted an attempt at a tale with a smaller scope.
Once there was a chicken who could not say “no” to anything. Everything any farm animals asked of her, she would do. “Help me turn over this earth?” asked Pig. “Certainly,” said Chicken. And she did. “Help me organize my oats?” asked Horse. “Of course,” said Chicken. And she did. Whatever help the animals needed, she would offer. Sometimes her coop was so messy at night that she could hardly stand it — but then she was so tired that she just shoved over the scrappy pile of feathers and crumbles and fell asleep on her feet anyway.
Of course, Chicken had a lot of her own things that she really wanted to do. She had Grand Ideas and Big Dreams, not to mention several chicks of her own to take care of. But she was always running around, here, there and everywhere, getting things done as fast as she could, and it was easier to put aside her own Big Ideas and help everyone else with their smaller, more urgent tasks.
Then one day, when her chicks were grown, and her coop was clean, and Chicken was feeling only a bit tired, she thought to herself, “perhaps NOW I can start working on my Big Project.”
Just then, the farmer came out of her house and asked Chicken, “Help me fix dinner?” “With pleasure,” said Chicken. And the next thing she knew, the farmer pulled out her biggest knife, and CHOP! off went Chicken’s head. She ran and ran and ran around the yard just as fast as she could go, before she finally stopped…and then was made into dinner.
What she figured out, right at the very end, though, is that spending all your days running around like a chicken with your head cut off will invariably end in never accomplishing what you REALLY want to do — unless your whole life is just a rehearsal for running around like a chicken with your head cut off.
*****
Sorry if this is awful. I was never good at fables. But I did try. In only 10 minutes.
Also, I have to say that I am sooo sorry that I missed including you on my new blogroll. I feel so badly. That will be remedied tonight!
MommyTime wins Da Goddess’ Writing Award. How’d you know this was exactly how this week has progressed? Though I must say, everything I’ve read thus far from all the participants is excellent and makes mine look like doggerel. I’m off to sit in the corner in my dunce cap.
Tinsenpup: I’m in love with your palm pig.
Momma Mary: Not cheating, but even if you did: I like it!
Cocktail: I loved your moral. And thanks for a fun PROMPT!
Da G: I have not been thinking all day, so I’m with you.
Temple Stark: Wednesday works for me!
Tanya: Great “poo” moral. It’s a mantra around here.
MommyTime: NOT awful! I so relate! I’m glad you shared a prompt! And don’t worry about the blogroll…I’ve discovered some GREAT new blogs from it. Thanks for that!
Da G: Word.
THE TURTLE AND HIS SCULPTURE:
One particularly hot and humid day, a turtle was feeling bored and listless. So, at the edge of his pond, he stacked some polished, round pond rocks upon the mushy sand — first a large rock, then a small rock, and then a medium rock on the very top.
A fox came walking by, and seeing the rocks exclaimed. “My friend! I see what you are after! The medium rock on top of the others symbolizes the plight of man to reach the pinnacle of his success!”
The fox ran into the forest and returned with a bear. The bear, upon hearing the fox’s translation, exclaimed. “Yes, I agree, Brother Fox, but you see the large stone on the very bottom symbolizes the plight of the supporters, helping others smaller and weaker than them.”
The fox and the bear ran back into the forest and returned with the badger, who, upon hearing the fox’s and bear’s interpretation of the turtle’s sculpture, exclaimed “Absoutely, my friends – but do you not see the middle rock symbolizes the plight of the hunted, pulling the universe together in pure harmony?”
Finally, unable to contain himself, the turtle exclaimed. “But you are all wrong! The rocks are just supposed to look like a tree stump!” Upon which, all three of the other animals shrugged and walked back into the forest unimpressed.
MORAL: Artists, keep your mouths shut! The interpretation of your sheer genius is often from the unintentional!
Fox wandered out to the field in search of a meal late one day.
Encountering the hare along the way he greeted him.
“Hello friend Hare” says Fox, “Have you a supper to share.”
“Ahh, that I might” says Hare, “That I might.”
So Fox joins Hare as they proceed toward the farm together.
“You might get supper here,” says Hare.
“Ahh, that I might,” says Fox, “that I might.”
And Hare finding the veggies was soon enjoying a delicious supper in the pea patch.
Meanwhile Fox slinked to the chicken house and stole away with a hen.
As Hare left the garden patch there was Fox in the edge of the wood with tail feathers all that remained of the hen and a sated look on his face.
“Tis true Hare,” says Fox, “Tis ever so true what they say of mights. And it was a good supper except for them.” Looking at the tail feathers and picking his teeth with a bit of wing bone.
“Yes,” says Hare, “and what truth might that be,” noticing the wee specks on the tail feathers.
The moral of the story being: “You might or might not do what you say, but indeed “mites” are on a chicken’s rear end.”
So when someone says “I might” remind them, “Mites are on a chickens rear end.”
Hey!!! I “mite” play again some time :)
I finally got it done.
http://templestark.com/tas/?p=36
Appropriately called Better Late Than Never.
I’m having fun reading this from this week and last week. I don’t look at any until I do mine. … Looking forward to next week …
Nice job, everyone! I’m thrilled that so many people decided to play.
MommyTime – Commenting here since yours is not posted on your blog. Nice use of farm animals! This feels really Aesop to me, and I love the moral.
Wade: Good advice! So, so true.
LarryG: Good to see you playing in this sandbox! Thanks for a fun read!
Temple Stark: Was worth the wait!
Cocktail: Thx for hostessing. And keep us posted on your new blog!
Okay, I’m cheating, but I just this very minute found your website, and I recently wrote an “Aesop” entry on my blogsite, so I thought I would share. My newbie apologies – I couldn’t figure out how to get my link in here – you’ll find the post “A Little Bedtime Story” under the “Butterfly Moments” label on my blogsite http://www.leaveyourself.blogspot.com
Love your blog, San Diego Mama!