Week 14 Story: A Story of Greed and Redemption
Once upon a time, there was a prince that ruled over all of the lands. He was seen as a kind and fair prince. But underneath his exterior, he was a vile man. He would pick new laws that would only benefit him. The people did not know his true personality.
One day, there was a big storm that hit the town that he lives in. Usually, rain would not be a problem. On this particular day, the prince was taking a stroll by the river. Suddenly he fell in. His staff could not catch him in time. He began to float down the river. Not long after being in the water, the prince found a log. As he floated downstream, 3 rabbits got on the log too.
A couple of villages down, there was a poor man that had a shack on the side of the river. He did not have a job or a proper house. He was just surviving. When he walked outside, he heard screaming. “HELP US!!,” they shouted. Immediately, the man ran to save everyone stranded in the river.
Luckily, they made it all to shore. But because they were so far away, it would take one week to get back to the palace. The man told the animals and the prince that they are welcome to stay in his shack. It wasn’t much, but it was warm. The man only had one piece of bread left. Without even a hesitation, the man gave the bread to the prince and the rabbits.
This act of kindness transformed the princes thinking. “Why would someone starve for a stranger?” he thought. From that day, he made a promise to himself to be a kind and fair prince and eventually king. The prince was a changed man when he went back to the palace.
Author’s Note:
I picked one of the More Jantaka Tales that was about a prince that was very cruel. He just kept taking and taking from the people around him. When a poor man showed him kindness, he tried to have him killed. At the end of the story, the prince was made king only to be shortly overthrown by the poor man. I wanted to show that the prince would become a nicer person.
I picked one of the More Jantaka Tales that was about a prince that was very cruel. He just kept taking and taking from the people around him. When a poor man showed him kindness, he tried to have him killed. At the end of the story, the prince was made king only to be shortly overthrown by the poor man. I wanted to show that the prince would become a nicer person.
Story Source:
Prince Wicked and the Grateful Animals,
| More Jataka Tales | |
| by Ellen C. Babbitt |
I like the different take you have spun on this story from the Jataka Tales. It kind of feels like this is an alternate version of the events that transpired in the original, where the prince is changed rather than remaining the same. I think it stands as a much better story and teaches a good lesson at the same time.
ReplyDeleteHello, nice to meet you Kelsea!
ReplyDeleteI just got finsihed up reading your week 14 story post "A Story of Greed and Redemption". I like how you took the original tale and kept most everything simialr to its original plot, then changed only the negative parts of it. Having the prince see how bad he was being was a greeat touch!
Hi again, Kelsea! I love that you started your story with a cut and dry explanation of what the dilemma is. It allows us to quickly and easily understand the story. I think this story is a great teaching tool and that it carries an important message. I like your use of dialogue at the end of your story. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteHi Kelsea,
ReplyDeleteI love this retelling of the Jakata tale. The Jakata tales have been my favorite readings through the semester and I am glad you told this one. I like to reimagine the characters as better people too so I am glad that the prince learned his lesson and changed in your story. I would have loved more dialogue but overall great job!