Later in the year when the seeds sprung in the summer, the Fox passed the Tortoise again saying, "may God give you strength" and then went on his way.
Harvest time came again and the Tortoise was busy sowing his corn. The Fox appeared wanting his share of the corn. The Tortoise was in dismay. "Your share of what?"
The Fox said, "God give you strength right?" The Tortoise responded, "because you said 'God give you strength' doesn't mean you have a right to a share of my crops."
The two started fighting over the subject and challenged each other to a race. Whoever wins will get all of the crop. The two set off.
The Tortoise immediately hid in a nearby bush to throw off the Fox. The Fox felt confident that he was running so far ahead. He stopped and took a break to get something to eat. He took so long that the Tortoise eventually passed him. The Fox still thought the Tortoise was so far behind. When the Fox reached the finish line, the Tortoise was there waiting for him. The Tortoise knew that because he was greedy, he was eventually going to lose. The Tortoise kept his entire crop and his dignity too.
Tortoise Bowl-On-The-Back and the Fox by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O Lorimer
Author's Note: When I read this story, I knew I wanted to write a little spin off from the Tortoise and the Hare: the story we all knew and loved growing up. Merging them together was easier than I thought. The original story ended with the two in a race but it wasn't the same as the Tortoise and the Hare story.
Greedy Fox. Source: Max Pixel
Hi! I really enjoyed your story! You're right, it's a great mix of the Tortoise and Hare and the Tortoise Bowl-On-The-Back and the Fox. I think this story includes an important lesson about investment in others. If you passively encourage them, you have no right to their fruition. But if you actively encourage them, you are a much better friend and supporter and they will probably ask you to share in their rewards.
ReplyDeleteHi Peyton!
ReplyDeleteI love the story. I think that your take on the tortoise and hare is interesting, and your narrative worked well. Changing the story to be about greed and how you invest in others and yourself really worked well. I think that you could have added more dialogue at the end to paint a scene of the reactions to the end or the race, but it was really good!
Hi Peyton! I loved this story. I'm very familiar with the Tortoise and the Hare (isn't everyone?) and your rendition worked out and was explained very well. Being selfless does solve lots of problems, and I feel that your story explained that. Encouraging others help self-motivate, too, so this was a fun read! Good job!
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