Week 2 Story- The Lion's Share
The Lion's Share
As the leader of their village, the Lion usually does not join in on the activities it takes to keep the village running. There is a villager designated for each task, such as the cooking, grounds-keeping, peace-keeping, etc. The Lion was always known to be just. He recognizes hard work when it is there, and reprimands laziness when it occurs. In an attempt to understand better the workings of his villagers, the Lion decided he would spend one day performing the different tasks of the villagers. On this day, the Lion joined the village's hunters, the Fox, the Jackal, and the Wolf, who were in charge of the villages food stock. Unaware of the Lion's ulterior motive, which was to award the hunters for their good work, the group set off. The Lion aided in the hunt, but more importantly, observed who would work the hardest without knowledge of reward. He observed the Fox use his good sense of smell to point the group in the right direction, he observed the Jackal use his wits to strategize a plan, and he observed the Wolf use his size and power to capture the prey. The Lion was pleased to see everything he preached to his village about 'working together' at play. As a final test of their virtue, at the end of their hunt, the Lion asked each member who they believed deserved the hunt as a reward for their work. Stunned, each remember replied that they believed the hunt should be split between the other two, claiming the others deserved it more. Never suspecting of the Lion's intentions, the troupe returned to the village with their hunt and headed straight for the kitchen. Before they could reach it, the Lion interjected, and divided the prize into three equal halves, giving each the Fox, Jackal, and Wolf their share. Bewildered, the three members asked the Lion, "what for?"
Our Rewards are a Direct Consequence of our Actions
Author's Note:
When I saw Aesop's Fables on the list, I knew immediately which type of story telling I wanted to do. I have been a fan of fables for as long as I can remember, with the morals at the ends of the story being my favorite part. I took the time to read through the different parts of the Lion Tales. This story in particular, the Lion's share, was the only one which portrayed the Lion negatively. Normally, the Lion is viewed as the wise, witty, strong, and respected character in the stories, and personally, that's how I enjoy it best. In the original, The Lion's Share, upon returning from their hunt, the Lion demands the share be divided into four parts, and then claims all four parts for himself. That felt almost wrong for me! As a Leo (and someone who believes in all the astrology mumbo), I strongly believe that our symbols match our personal characteristics. I wanted to re-create this story in how I imagine someone who embodies the characteristics of a Leo, would act.
Author's Note:
When I saw Aesop's Fables on the list, I knew immediately which type of story telling I wanted to do. I have been a fan of fables for as long as I can remember, with the morals at the ends of the story being my favorite part. I took the time to read through the different parts of the Lion Tales. This story in particular, the Lion's share, was the only one which portrayed the Lion negatively. Normally, the Lion is viewed as the wise, witty, strong, and respected character in the stories, and personally, that's how I enjoy it best. In the original, The Lion's Share, upon returning from their hunt, the Lion demands the share be divided into four parts, and then claims all four parts for himself. That felt almost wrong for me! As a Leo (and someone who believes in all the astrology mumbo), I strongly believe that our symbols match our personal characteristics. I wanted to re-create this story in how I imagine someone who embodies the characteristics of a Leo, would act.
A depiction of the original "The Lion's Share", in which the lion claims the whole share for himself.
Bibliography:
"The Lion's Share" from The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs. Web Source.
I love your retelling of the Lion’s Share and how you were able to extend the story because Aesop’s fables are generally so short and get the moral of the story across really quickly. I also like how you changed the story to where the Lion is not seen negatively and is instead thoughtful and kind. I was also upset when I first read the story and saw the Lion portrayed in an evil manner.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this retelling! I read the fables this week too and this story really confused me because the message didn't seem to line up with what was happening in the story. I was like what was this supposed to teach me? With your retelling it was very clear what I was supposed to learn which is much more in line with what fables are trying to do. It was really clever that you took something that you felt was misrepresented and changed it to fit the way you wanted it without losing the true message of the fable. Great story and I hope you continue retelling fables because you are really good at it!
ReplyDeleteThe retelling of this story was great! I also feel bad whenever a certain animal is portrayed in a bad way. The way you did it by having the lion not get any of the share, reminds me of the way I think about a lion. To me the lion is the king of the land and should always be respected so I believe you held that up by letting him be seen in a positive way!
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