I used my tech tip this week to learn about embedding twine stories rather than just linking to them! This choose your own adventure is a retelling of Ellen C. Babbit's The Foolish, Timid Rabbit. There are three different endings, so have fun and feel free to play more than once!
Showing posts with label Story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Story. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Monday, April 20, 2020
Week 13 Story: Why the Fairy Hates the Goblins
"Goddamnit, not again," sighed the fairy as she rolled over in her bed and pulled the pillow over her head. This was the third time this week that the goblins had decided to have their meal after midnight. She wouldn't mind there odd meal times if it wasn't for the screaming. It always woke her up.
When they first moved into her island, the goblins actually weren't terrible neighbors. The helped her deal with her pest problem, since all of the little humans had gotten it into their heads that the fountain of youth was located on the island. Her protective storm charms usually blew them off course enough to keep them away.
Recently though, the fog charm had begun to fade (she really needed to get around to redoing it). This meant the sailors could actually see the island and would swim to shore if the storms wrecked their ships. She understood that the goblins couldn't eat their previous prisoners while the next group was around, but did they have to torture the poor men before eating them? Hadn't anyone ever taught them to not play with their food???
It had been about a month since the midnight feedings had begun, and the fairy was sick and tired (literally) of never being able to sleep through the night. "I need to figure out a way to teach them a lesson," she thought. "What if I rescue the next lot that comes in? A few days of hunger might teach them to treat their food better."
And so the fairy began casting her spells. When a group of sailors washed ashore, she watched them and determined which one was the leader. Later that night, while the men slept, the goblins snuck away to feast on the group before that was in the dungeons. "Wake," the fairy whispered in the captain's ear. He snapped awake and realized his wife was missing. In the distance he heard screaming, but thinking it was just a nightmare, he quickly settled back into sleep. Until his wife returned that is. Already having been shaken from a deep sleep, he heard her come in the door. She was singing about all the men she had eaten. She stepped past the window, and in the moonlight the captain saw that his wife was actually a goblin!
He pretended to be asleep and first thing in the morning called for his men. "We must leave this place! Our women are not women at all! They plan to eat us!" he cried.While the crew was doubtful, they trusted their captain. Seeing that her plan had worked, the fairy revealed herself to the group. The men were startled at first, but the capitan recognized her from the night before and reassured him.
"Thank you for heading my warning, young sailors," she said, "For far too long I have listened to the cries of the goblin's prisoners at night as they are eaten alive. I cannot stand it any longer. Meet my pegasus by the sea cliffs after your brides have snuck out to feast tonight. You will be taken home to safety." The fairy turned on her heel and vanished into thin air.
That night, the sailors all pretended to fall asleep early. When midnight struck and the she-goblins snuck out for their dinner, the men all met by the cliffs. A brilliant white pegasus appeared out of the night and by some magic fit all 12 of them on it's back. It rose into the air with two powerful beats of its wings and the next thing anyone knew, they had been dropped off at the beach outside of their village.
The fairy was awakened once more that night by the sound of frustrated cries when the goblins returned to find their meals missing. She smirked to herself and dozed off...
Author's Note: This is a story that never got posted from ALL the way back in week two. It's based on W. H. D. Rouse's Goblin City. In the original story, it is mentioned that the fairy hated the goblins. I wanted to expand on that. At the end, only half of the sailors believed their captain and went home, but I chose to save them all.
When they first moved into her island, the goblins actually weren't terrible neighbors. The helped her deal with her pest problem, since all of the little humans had gotten it into their heads that the fountain of youth was located on the island. Her protective storm charms usually blew them off course enough to keep them away.
Recently though, the fog charm had begun to fade (she really needed to get around to redoing it). This meant the sailors could actually see the island and would swim to shore if the storms wrecked their ships. She understood that the goblins couldn't eat their previous prisoners while the next group was around, but did they have to torture the poor men before eating them? Hadn't anyone ever taught them to not play with their food???
It had been about a month since the midnight feedings had begun, and the fairy was sick and tired (literally) of never being able to sleep through the night. "I need to figure out a way to teach them a lesson," she thought. "What if I rescue the next lot that comes in? A few days of hunger might teach them to treat their food better."
And so the fairy began casting her spells. When a group of sailors washed ashore, she watched them and determined which one was the leader. Later that night, while the men slept, the goblins snuck away to feast on the group before that was in the dungeons. "Wake," the fairy whispered in the captain's ear. He snapped awake and realized his wife was missing. In the distance he heard screaming, but thinking it was just a nightmare, he quickly settled back into sleep. Until his wife returned that is. Already having been shaken from a deep sleep, he heard her come in the door. She was singing about all the men she had eaten. She stepped past the window, and in the moonlight the captain saw that his wife was actually a goblin!
He pretended to be asleep and first thing in the morning called for his men. "We must leave this place! Our women are not women at all! They plan to eat us!" he cried.While the crew was doubtful, they trusted their captain. Seeing that her plan had worked, the fairy revealed herself to the group. The men were startled at first, but the capitan recognized her from the night before and reassured him.
"Thank you for heading my warning, young sailors," she said, "For far too long I have listened to the cries of the goblin's prisoners at night as they are eaten alive. I cannot stand it any longer. Meet my pegasus by the sea cliffs after your brides have snuck out to feast tonight. You will be taken home to safety." The fairy turned on her heel and vanished into thin air.
That night, the sailors all pretended to fall asleep early. When midnight struck and the she-goblins snuck out for their dinner, the men all met by the cliffs. A brilliant white pegasus appeared out of the night and by some magic fit all 12 of them on it's back. It rose into the air with two powerful beats of its wings and the next thing anyone knew, they had been dropped off at the beach outside of their village.
The fairy was awakened once more that night by the sound of frustrated cries when the goblins returned to find their meals missing. She smirked to herself and dozed off...
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| via Pixnio Here's to hopefully being somewhere warm and sunny for the summer |
Author's Note: This is a story that never got posted from ALL the way back in week two. It's based on W. H. D. Rouse's Goblin City. In the original story, it is mentioned that the fairy hated the goblins. I wanted to expand on that. At the end, only half of the sailors believed their captain and went home, but I chose to save them all.
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Week 12 Story (Lab): Twine Game!
After completing this monstrosity of a game, I have a new appreciation for the all of the work done to create and maintain computer programs and websites. It's simple, but I hope you enjoy it!
Note: This link should open in a new window. There's no "End Game" or "Exit" option, so you'll just have to close the tab when you're done. I wouldn't recommend accessing it on your phone as the display is a little clunky.
Play Game!
Note: This link should open in a new window. There's no "End Game" or "Exit" option, so you'll just have to close the tab when you're done. I wouldn't recommend accessing it on your phone as the display is a little clunky.
Play Game!
Sunday, April 12, 2020
Week 11 Story: One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, YOU Fish!
Author's Note:
**Trigger Warning** Panic/Anxiety attack. I don't know if it was having to think about how mine feel in order to write the scene that set it off, but I don't want anyone else to have issues. The particular paragraph will be in red if you need to skip over it.
Welcome to your life as a fish! This story is based on the Jataka tale The Three Fishes as told by Ellen C. Babbitt. Three brothers are traveling up river and hit civilization. The fish whose perspective you'll be experiencing wants to return home where it's safe, but his brothers refuse. They end up getting caught in a fisherman's net, so Very-Thoughtful (you) comes up with a plan to free them. It works! The brothers then agree to return home. I wasn't a fan of the names, so I changed them. These particular fish are based on the Chanos Chanos, or Milkfish, found in the pacific ocean. There is surprisingly little known about the Milkfish, although it is a close relative of the Salmon. The beginning of this fish's life will be expanded on in my storybook after I have time for some further research.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You're in a sack. "Gotta get out. Gotta get out. Gotta get out..." This mantra plays over and over again in your head. No other thoughts can push it out. You begin wiggling as hard as you can. "Gotta get out!" You squirm and push until... "Freedom!"
You bust out into the open water. "Gotta swim. Gotta swim. Gotta swim." There's something coming. You don't know what, or even how you know, but you know that out of the millions of other clear squiggles in the water around you, only a few of you will make it.
"Come on Gillbert! I want to leave already!" your youngest brother Krilliam whines at you.
Your other brother, Sheldon, scolds him, "Oh leave him alone, Krill. Berty is just nervous... as always."
You sigh and shake your tail. "Thanks Shell. Okay, fine, but I want it noted that I think this is a TERRIBLE idea!" Krill swims in a few rapid circles in excitement. He's been talking about wanting to go to the shallow waters for a few months now, but at the ripe old age of four your need to find a mate has finally begun to kick in as well. Despite the many risks of heading towards the humans, and your extreme anxiety about them, your biological urges can't be ignored any longer. "On one condition," you say after the bubbles from Krill's celebration drift away. "You both have to listen to me since I'm the oldest."
"By a few minutes!" Sheldon and Krilliam cry in exasperation. They both hate when you bring up the age difference, but their reactions make you laugh every time.
"It's not my fault my head got stuck in the sack..." Krill mumbles to himself. They begrudgingly agree, and with that you flick your tail to shoot past the two of them and shout "Last one to the reef is a stinky sea snail!"
The three of you race to the incline that marks the beginning of the reef, but you stop just short of it, suddenly frozen in fear. The icy chill of panic sweeps through you and the blood runs from your fins. You feel your gills stop moving and your tail slow to a crawling sweep. Your head is filled with visions of nets, hooks, talons, and any number of potential ends you and your brothers could meet by venturing further. "I can't. It's too dangerous. We'll all die." Your mouth suddenly begins working again and you inhale water as fast as fishily possible. It rushes out through your gills as you desperately struggle for oxygen. "We're gonna die. We're gonna die. We're gonna die..."
Krilliam and Sheldon finally catch up to you and their presence snaps you back from the edge. The tips of your fins still tremble a bit, but you push forward with them as your breathing slowly returns to normal. Night has fallen, so you encounter no obstacles in your journey. The three of you settle down for a snooze in the sand and wait for morning.
When the sun rose, the hunt began. After two nights at the reef all three of you have managed to find females preparing to lay their eggs. On the third day, a large shadow approaches. It's the fishermen! While there have been a few boats out in the open ocean during your life, they were very infrequent and there was only ever one at a time. As a second shadow arrives from the opposite direction, you realize your worst fears are coming true.
Thankfully the fishermen don't stay long, as a storm began right after they dropped their nets. "Alright, we've all had our fun. I think it's time we went home," you desperately plead with your brothers. "There is danger here!"
"Just two more days!" Krill begs.
"Or even one more night! We can leave tomorrow morning!" Shell adds. You reluctantly agree and remind the two that they agreed to listen to you.
You stay for an extra three days, and on the morning of the fourth the fishermen return. Krilliam and Sheldon are too busy chasing each other around the reef in a game of tag to even notice the net that's been dropped right in front of them! You try to shout a warning, but they crash right into it. You feel the panic begin to set in, but shake it off. "Not now! I can freak out about this later! I need to save them, but how?" An idea pops into your head. You swim to the surface just beside the net and start splashing around to make it look like a fish has broken through. Then you dive back back down and go to the other side to do the same thing, making it look like there are now two holes in the net.
Assuming there were no fish left, the fisherman pulled it in by only one corner to inspect the damage. Your brothers race out of the trap towards you. Through panicked gulps, they both get out that they are finally ready to listen to you and return home. The three of you head back to the open ocean. For the next five years, you only return to the reef for two nights at a time and there are no further incidents.
When the disease starts to spread, you think nothing of it. Surely it won't reach you. Then the red spot appears. It isn't bad at first, but as the sore quickly grows you know your time is coming. You send your brothers away in the hopes that they will be safe. Your vision begins to blur. You feel yourself sinking. Unable to stop it, the water gets colder and darker. Then everything goes black.
**Trigger Warning** Panic/Anxiety attack. I don't know if it was having to think about how mine feel in order to write the scene that set it off, but I don't want anyone else to have issues. The particular paragraph will be in red if you need to skip over it.
Welcome to your life as a fish! This story is based on the Jataka tale The Three Fishes as told by Ellen C. Babbitt. Three brothers are traveling up river and hit civilization. The fish whose perspective you'll be experiencing wants to return home where it's safe, but his brothers refuse. They end up getting caught in a fisherman's net, so Very-Thoughtful (you) comes up with a plan to free them. It works! The brothers then agree to return home. I wasn't a fan of the names, so I changed them. These particular fish are based on the Chanos Chanos, or Milkfish, found in the pacific ocean. There is surprisingly little known about the Milkfish, although it is a close relative of the Salmon. The beginning of this fish's life will be expanded on in my storybook after I have time for some further research.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You're in a sack. "Gotta get out. Gotta get out. Gotta get out..." This mantra plays over and over again in your head. No other thoughts can push it out. You begin wiggling as hard as you can. "Gotta get out!" You squirm and push until... "Freedom!"
You bust out into the open water. "Gotta swim. Gotta swim. Gotta swim." There's something coming. You don't know what, or even how you know, but you know that out of the millions of other clear squiggles in the water around you, only a few of you will make it.
 |
| via Wikimedia Commons |
"Come on Gillbert! I want to leave already!" your youngest brother Krilliam whines at you.
Your other brother, Sheldon, scolds him, "Oh leave him alone, Krill. Berty is just nervous... as always."
You sigh and shake your tail. "Thanks Shell. Okay, fine, but I want it noted that I think this is a TERRIBLE idea!" Krill swims in a few rapid circles in excitement. He's been talking about wanting to go to the shallow waters for a few months now, but at the ripe old age of four your need to find a mate has finally begun to kick in as well. Despite the many risks of heading towards the humans, and your extreme anxiety about them, your biological urges can't be ignored any longer. "On one condition," you say after the bubbles from Krill's celebration drift away. "You both have to listen to me since I'm the oldest."
"By a few minutes!" Sheldon and Krilliam cry in exasperation. They both hate when you bring up the age difference, but their reactions make you laugh every time.
"It's not my fault my head got stuck in the sack..." Krill mumbles to himself. They begrudgingly agree, and with that you flick your tail to shoot past the two of them and shout "Last one to the reef is a stinky sea snail!"
The three of you race to the incline that marks the beginning of the reef, but you stop just short of it, suddenly frozen in fear. The icy chill of panic sweeps through you and the blood runs from your fins. You feel your gills stop moving and your tail slow to a crawling sweep. Your head is filled with visions of nets, hooks, talons, and any number of potential ends you and your brothers could meet by venturing further. "I can't. It's too dangerous. We'll all die." Your mouth suddenly begins working again and you inhale water as fast as fishily possible. It rushes out through your gills as you desperately struggle for oxygen. "We're gonna die. We're gonna die. We're gonna die..."
Krilliam and Sheldon finally catch up to you and their presence snaps you back from the edge. The tips of your fins still tremble a bit, but you push forward with them as your breathing slowly returns to normal. Night has fallen, so you encounter no obstacles in your journey. The three of you settle down for a snooze in the sand and wait for morning.
When the sun rose, the hunt began. After two nights at the reef all three of you have managed to find females preparing to lay their eggs. On the third day, a large shadow approaches. It's the fishermen! While there have been a few boats out in the open ocean during your life, they were very infrequent and there was only ever one at a time. As a second shadow arrives from the opposite direction, you realize your worst fears are coming true.
Thankfully the fishermen don't stay long, as a storm began right after they dropped their nets. "Alright, we've all had our fun. I think it's time we went home," you desperately plead with your brothers. "There is danger here!"
"Just two more days!" Krill begs.
"Or even one more night! We can leave tomorrow morning!" Shell adds. You reluctantly agree and remind the two that they agreed to listen to you.
You stay for an extra three days, and on the morning of the fourth the fishermen return. Krilliam and Sheldon are too busy chasing each other around the reef in a game of tag to even notice the net that's been dropped right in front of them! You try to shout a warning, but they crash right into it. You feel the panic begin to set in, but shake it off. "Not now! I can freak out about this later! I need to save them, but how?" An idea pops into your head. You swim to the surface just beside the net and start splashing around to make it look like a fish has broken through. Then you dive back back down and go to the other side to do the same thing, making it look like there are now two holes in the net.
Assuming there were no fish left, the fisherman pulled it in by only one corner to inspect the damage. Your brothers race out of the trap towards you. Through panicked gulps, they both get out that they are finally ready to listen to you and return home. The three of you head back to the open ocean. For the next five years, you only return to the reef for two nights at a time and there are no further incidents.
When the disease starts to spread, you think nothing of it. Surely it won't reach you. Then the red spot appears. It isn't bad at first, but as the sore quickly grows you know your time is coming. You send your brothers away in the hopes that they will be safe. Your vision begins to blur. You feel yourself sinking. Unable to stop it, the water gets colder and darker. Then everything goes black.
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Week 10 Story: Life as an Elephant
Author's Note: I've been having way too much fun researching the birthing processes for different animals. The miracle of life is just so beautiful! I'm a little afraid of what my YouTube recommendations will look like after this class is over though... This story is written in 2nd person perspective to give the reader the experience of living as an elephant. All of the events in this story are based on Ellen C. Babbitt's Jatakas Tales (in order of appearance) The King's White Elephant, Grannie's Blackie, and The Elephant Girly-Face. See if you can recognize the individual stories!
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"I have to stand up! I have to stand up now!"
You don't know where the thought comes from, but as soon as it enters your head you begin struggling to get your legs under you. You manage to roll onto your stomach. It takes all of your might to push up onto you front legs. You feel someone's trunk slide under your rear end and lift you onto all fours. You wrap your trunk around your mother's for support and balance, and you take your first unsteady steps...
The first twenty years of your life pass by without incident. Lately however, there have been some minor mishaps. the most recent one leaving your father with a large splinter in his front left foot. It had swollen to the point that he was left limping around on three legs. Then one day he returned from the forest walking on his injured foot again. Apparently some humans had helped him by removing the splinter and washing his wound. For the next few years, your father would always return to the forest to help the humans pull trees out of the ground. One day he came to you and said, "son I'm getting old. The humans in the forest have done me a great service and ultimately saved my life. However, I am unable to continue to carry their trees as fast or as far as I used to. It is time you take my place."
You have always wanted to meet these forest humans, so you agree and follow your father into the forest the next day. You assume your father's duties and even play in the river with the little humans each night. They enjoy climbing on you and their giggles and shrieks bring you such joy! One day however, a new human appears on the bank and watches while you work to pull up trees. At the end of the day, one of the forest humans takes your trunk in his hands and gently leads you to the shiny man. He takes your trunk and begins to gently lead you away from the group. You glance back at all of your tiny human friends splashing in the water. You hesitate, but the forest humans have given you no reason to not trust them so you turn and follow the man.
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| via Need Pix |
The next few years aren't unpleasant, but you are very lonely. Sensing this, the shiny man takes you to a new village and leaves you with an older lady. She is just the sweetest and lets you play with the village children everyday while she works! "She works very hard," you think to yourself one day. "I wonder what I can do to help?" You notice that she brings home little shiny pieces of metal everyday after work.
As luck would have it, a man and his oxen were stuck in the river the next day. You wade into the cool water and slowly drag all of his carts out. When you finish, the man pulls a bunch of that shiny metal out! As you wonder how you should carry the metal back home, one of the children yells at the man. She seems upset so you stay to make sure she is alright. The two argue back and forth for a bit before you see the man pull out even more metal! He puts it in a bag and ties it to your neck. The little girls smiles at you and holds your trunk as the two of you walk back home.
The look on your older lady's face when she opens the bag made it worth all the hard work you did, so you go back out and help the villagers everyday from then on out.
Life is good going forward. One night you are snoozing by the fence when you hear men talking. You can't understand them, but something about the tone in their voices sets you on edge. You open your eyes, but hold still so it will seem like you're still asleep. Suddenly the men climb over the wall and walk right past you. They're all carrying shiny objects look sharp. You slowly get to your feet, extend your trunk so that it's right behind their heads, and let out the loudest trumpet you can muster. The group immediately drops to the ground covering their ears as lights come on in the house. Your instincts must have been right, because the old lady gives you the biggest treat you've ever seen the next morning!
The rest of you life is peaceful and pleasant. The children grow up and soon you have new tiny humans to play with. As time passes, it gets harder and harder to stand up in the mornings. One day, you know your time has come. You lay down and let out a small trumpet to get your family's attention. The old lady had passed a while ago, but her children had stayed with you. They come out and give you lots of hugs. They seem to know what you do, there isn't much time left. They all lay on you in a big group hug as you close your eyes and slowly drift off into nothingness, feeling the love of your humans in your final moments...
Monday, March 23, 2020
Week 9 Story: Final Life as a Horse (Part 2)
Author's note: This is the second half of my story from week 7. This chunk will hopefully be edited into my storybook by the end of today. This story focuses on the events in Donald A. Mackenzie's Horse Sacrifice with some allusions to his version of King Yudhishthira's Horse.
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Days go by, then weeks, then months. This blasted crowd will NOT stop following you. They've even added new people along the way! There were a few times that a stranger tried to grab you, but some weird dude with magical bendy stick always fought them off. One time you saw a rock turn into a human. You also still have nightmares about the pond you tried to swimming in on one of the REALLY hot days...
You had just waded into the cool, refreshing water when you looked down and suddenly saw a lion! Underwater! You ran as fast as you could out of the pond and heard the beast RIGHT behind you all the way to the bank. The bendy stick man yelled something at the sky and suddenly there was no more signs of the lion. You were overcome with a sense of piece and Oh look! Grass!
That was the other thing you noticed during your adventures, all grass tastes different! The winter was cold and long this time. It especially sucked without a stable this time around. It finally started to get warm again, and the grass was growing back, all that sweet, sweet grass... when the bendy stick man suddenly clipped your lead back on! What the fu-
Right now you're back at the stable where this all started. You are lead out into a giant field filled with a bunch of other animals. There are even more people here than when they all followed you around. All of a sudden the people began making a monstrous amount of noise! They are hitting things, blowing into things, and some are just straight up yelling. A long line emerges from the crowd and and they all take turns pouring water over first a man in a big chair, then you. The coolness washes over your ear and forelock, then it runs down your face. The wind blows and you shiver. A man takes hold of your face. You think bout biting him, but decide it's not worth it. He speaks for a bit, then another man grabs your halter, presses his ear against your jaw, and... milk comes out? Well that's new!
The next thing you know, the world goes black...
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| Via Pixabay |
Friday, February 28, 2020
Week 7 Story: Final Life as a Horse
You have been warm and cozy for a few months now, but things have been getting tight lately. There's nowhere to move your legs no matter which way you turn. Today is the day, you just know it! You feel the walls begin closing in around you, even tighter than before. Then everything goes black. You feel yourself land on a hard surface and the space around you is suddenly cold. You snap your eyes open and quickly try to stand on shaky legs. It doesn't go so well, you'll have to practice. There are so many new sights and sounds. It's all so overwhelming. You turn towards the only source of heat in the area, it's your mother. You don't know how you know it's her, but she nuzzles you as you drink some milk from her.
The years pass rather uneventfully. You live a good life in a clean stable. The farmer and his family treat you well, and the youngest daughter likes to sneak you extra carrots in the evening. Then all of a sudden things change. A large group of men surround the outside of your stall one day. They argue with the farmer for some time, though you cannot understand what is being said. You are after all, just a horse. They keep motioning to you as they talk, so you turn around in your stall and ignore them. Later that night, the whole family comes out to see you, and one by one they give you a big hug and a treat. You're not sure what that group of men said to the farmer earlier, but it seems to have upset your family. Not matter, you'll just give them a good swift kick if you see that group again.
Sure enough, the men return a few days later. The farmer places your lead on and hands it to one of them. This is my chance! you think to yourself. I saw the farmer's eldest daughter kick a boy in between his legs once and he fell right to the ground, so that's where I'll aim! As soon as the man leads you out of the stall you start bucking. No way are you gonna let these crazies take you away from your family! You spin and your lead slips out of the stranger's hand. Now's my chance! You rear back and kick as hard as you can in his direction. Bullseye! The poor man collapses and you whinny in excitement. You then turn your ahead to see a look of pure horror and shock on the farmer's face. He grabs your lead rope and hands it off to his wife before rushing to help the man to his feet. The farmer's wife comes up to you and you think, she's here thank me, I bet. After that nasty man made everyone so sad yesterday I think I should get extra treats with dinner toni- wait, why does she sound angry? I just did this family a favor! So you soon discover that the farmer was intentionally giving you away. The audacity! Your new home had better have an all you can eat apple bar!
While your new owner's stable did not, afterall, have an all you can eat apple bar (what a shame), they did let you roam free after only two nights.
You are led out into the field behind the barn. There are hundreds of people all standing around staring at you. The same man who brought you here ties a golden plaque to your head. Well it's not too heavy, and won't come off when I shake my head, so I guess it can stay. The man holding your lead unclips it and step back. The crowd goes silent. You take two steps forward, and as a group they follow you, shuffling forward ever so slightly. Okay, now this is weird, why in Vishnu's name are these crazy people following me? Or are they? What if I go over to that hay bale? As you walk towards the tasty snack, the people all follow you, always maintaining enough distance to be out of kicking range. What a shame.
You wander towards the river at the end of the field. Surely they'll stop me if I try to cross the river. They always have before! You step forward and feel the cold water rush over your hooves and ankles, but no one makes a move to bring you back. You plunge across the river and... the crowd follows? Well this is odd. Let's see how far these silly people will follow me...
With that thought, you begin to walk...
Author's Note:
The idea behind this story was to write the first half of King Yudhishthira's Horse (David A. Mackenzie) as if the reader had been reincarnated as the horse to be used in the sacrifice. This will hopefully be the first part of the story uploaded to my project (finally). If all goes well, it will be accompanied by the second half of this story as well as Horse Sacrifice to be one of the three lives the reader will go through before reaching heaven.
The years pass rather uneventfully. You live a good life in a clean stable. The farmer and his family treat you well, and the youngest daughter likes to sneak you extra carrots in the evening. Then all of a sudden things change. A large group of men surround the outside of your stall one day. They argue with the farmer for some time, though you cannot understand what is being said. You are after all, just a horse. They keep motioning to you as they talk, so you turn around in your stall and ignore them. Later that night, the whole family comes out to see you, and one by one they give you a big hug and a treat. You're not sure what that group of men said to the farmer earlier, but it seems to have upset your family. Not matter, you'll just give them a good swift kick if you see that group again.
Sure enough, the men return a few days later. The farmer places your lead on and hands it to one of them. This is my chance! you think to yourself. I saw the farmer's eldest daughter kick a boy in between his legs once and he fell right to the ground, so that's where I'll aim! As soon as the man leads you out of the stall you start bucking. No way are you gonna let these crazies take you away from your family! You spin and your lead slips out of the stranger's hand. Now's my chance! You rear back and kick as hard as you can in his direction. Bullseye! The poor man collapses and you whinny in excitement. You then turn your ahead to see a look of pure horror and shock on the farmer's face. He grabs your lead rope and hands it off to his wife before rushing to help the man to his feet. The farmer's wife comes up to you and you think, she's here thank me, I bet. After that nasty man made everyone so sad yesterday I think I should get extra treats with dinner toni- wait, why does she sound angry? I just did this family a favor! So you soon discover that the farmer was intentionally giving you away. The audacity! Your new home had better have an all you can eat apple bar!
While your new owner's stable did not, afterall, have an all you can eat apple bar (what a shame), they did let you roam free after only two nights.
You are led out into the field behind the barn. There are hundreds of people all standing around staring at you. The same man who brought you here ties a golden plaque to your head. Well it's not too heavy, and won't come off when I shake my head, so I guess it can stay. The man holding your lead unclips it and step back. The crowd goes silent. You take two steps forward, and as a group they follow you, shuffling forward ever so slightly. Okay, now this is weird, why in Vishnu's name are these crazy people following me? Or are they? What if I go over to that hay bale? As you walk towards the tasty snack, the people all follow you, always maintaining enough distance to be out of kicking range. What a shame.
You wander towards the river at the end of the field. Surely they'll stop me if I try to cross the river. They always have before! You step forward and feel the cold water rush over your hooves and ankles, but no one makes a move to bring you back. You plunge across the river and... the crowd follows? Well this is odd. Let's see how far these silly people will follow me...
With that thought, you begin to walk...
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| via PixHere |
Author's Note:
The idea behind this story was to write the first half of King Yudhishthira's Horse (David A. Mackenzie) as if the reader had been reincarnated as the horse to be used in the sacrifice. This will hopefully be the first part of the story uploaded to my project (finally). If all goes well, it will be accompanied by the second half of this story as well as Horse Sacrifice to be one of the three lives the reader will go through before reaching heaven.
Thursday, February 6, 2020
Week 4 Story: Lakshmana threatens Sugriva
How did I get here again? Lakshmana thought to himself as he strode towards the heavy chamber doors that led to Sugriva's throne room. Right, the ungrateful bastard has decided to ignore all of the help my dear brother gave him in regaining his throne and, more importantly, the debt that is owed.
Lakshmana had watched Rama pace the floor of their house for nearly three months now. Sugriva had sworn to assist the brothers in locating and retrieving Rama's wife, Sika. Preparations with the troops and planning strategies should have begun at least a month prior to this, and the deadline was approaching for the agreed upon timeline. Tired of watching his older brother slowly come unravelled, Lakshmana had decided to handle the matter himself.
He threw open the doors and stormed into the great chamber. "Sugriva!" He bellowed. The cry echoed off of the walls of the enormous room and brought the music to a halt and all eyes to him. Sugriva had been hosting yet another party. Good. This meant there would be many, many witnesses to pressure the king into fulfilling his promise.
"Lakshmana, my dear boy, what brings you to this marvelous shindig? I figured you and your brother would never come to my home. I've sent the both of you close to 100 invites now... Where is Rama? I must once again thank him for his help in restoring me to my throne." As Sugriva went to move around Lakshmana in search of Rama, he suddenly found himself hoisted by the neck and pinned against a pillar. The guards made a move for their weapons and began closing in on the pair, but Sugriva waved them down.
Lakshmana cleared the red haze of anger that had clouded his vision and released Sugriva's neck. He slumped to the floor, clutching his throat and gasping for breath. He then spoke loud enough for the whole party to hear, "my brother is still at home, pacing a hole in our floor, because you have decided to neglect your end of the bargain for your assistance in bringing his dear Sita back to him. Now Ramam is a gentle, forgiving soul, but I am not. It would do you well to get your lazy, self-centered ass up off of whatever lounging chaise you've been having the maids hand feed you your dinner on before I chop it off and serve it to you on a platter. Do you understand me?"
The silent room let out a collective gasp at the threat on their kings person, but no one stepped forward to defend him. They were all mostly in shock at the idea that the great Sugriva had neglected his debts.
"Yes Lakshmana, I understand you completely. I will begin gathering my troop tonight so that their training my start tomorrow."
"You had better. If I had have to come down here and talk to you again, there will be pain," Lakshmana practically growled before spinning on his heel and exiting the room through the door he had entered, doing his best to slam the heavy slab of wood on his way out.
This story is meant as a fill-in-the-gap or behind-the-scenes type of thing. The gap that was open to be filled was how Lakshmana convinced Sugriva to honor his promise to Rama in The Armies. I hope you enjoyed it!
Lakshmana had watched Rama pace the floor of their house for nearly three months now. Sugriva had sworn to assist the brothers in locating and retrieving Rama's wife, Sika. Preparations with the troops and planning strategies should have begun at least a month prior to this, and the deadline was approaching for the agreed upon timeline. Tired of watching his older brother slowly come unravelled, Lakshmana had decided to handle the matter himself.
He threw open the doors and stormed into the great chamber. "Sugriva!" He bellowed. The cry echoed off of the walls of the enormous room and brought the music to a halt and all eyes to him. Sugriva had been hosting yet another party. Good. This meant there would be many, many witnesses to pressure the king into fulfilling his promise.
"Lakshmana, my dear boy, what brings you to this marvelous shindig? I figured you and your brother would never come to my home. I've sent the both of you close to 100 invites now... Where is Rama? I must once again thank him for his help in restoring me to my throne." As Sugriva went to move around Lakshmana in search of Rama, he suddenly found himself hoisted by the neck and pinned against a pillar. The guards made a move for their weapons and began closing in on the pair, but Sugriva waved them down.
Lakshmana cleared the red haze of anger that had clouded his vision and released Sugriva's neck. He slumped to the floor, clutching his throat and gasping for breath. He then spoke loud enough for the whole party to hear, "my brother is still at home, pacing a hole in our floor, because you have decided to neglect your end of the bargain for your assistance in bringing his dear Sita back to him. Now Ramam is a gentle, forgiving soul, but I am not. It would do you well to get your lazy, self-centered ass up off of whatever lounging chaise you've been having the maids hand feed you your dinner on before I chop it off and serve it to you on a platter. Do you understand me?"
The silent room let out a collective gasp at the threat on their kings person, but no one stepped forward to defend him. They were all mostly in shock at the idea that the great Sugriva had neglected his debts.
"Yes Lakshmana, I understand you completely. I will begin gathering my troop tonight so that their training my start tomorrow."
"You had better. If I had have to come down here and talk to you again, there will be pain," Lakshmana practically growled before spinning on his heel and exiting the room through the door he had entered, doing his best to slam the heavy slab of wood on his way out.
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| via Pixabay |
This story is meant as a fill-in-the-gap or behind-the-scenes type of thing. The gap that was open to be filled was how Lakshmana convinced Sugriva to honor his promise to Rama in The Armies. I hope you enjoyed it!
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