A beautiful princess would daily go to the jungle to fetch water from the river for her people. One day the Lion followed her to the river entranced by her beauty. The Lion found an irreplaceable amber stone while walking far into the jungle and gave it to the princess. Every day after that the princess would gather water while the Lion told stories of other areas of the jungle filled with many wonders. Slowly, the princess began to have feeling for the Lion but feared to tell her parents because she knew they would never approve of their love. One day the Lion asked the princess to not go back to the village but instead stay with him and become his wife. The princess was overjoyed and agreed to marry the Lion. All she needed to do was grab something from the village and they could leave. As the princess tried to sneak back into the village her parents snatched her and tied her up. The King and Queen had noticed that the princess’s trips to get water were growing longer and longer so that had a spy watching her. They forbade the princess from seeing the Lion ever again and from ever leaving the village. The Lion waited days for the princess to come back to the river but she never returned. Instead a new boy was coming from the village to fetch water but when the Lion tried to talk with the boy he ran back to the village scared.
The Lion called for the Mongoose, he needed a favor to save his beautiful princess. The Lion asked the Mongoose to burrow into the village and find the princess and free her. The Mongoose agreed but only if the Lion agreed to pay him with all of the Lion’s teeth and claws. For the Mongoose knew that if they Lion did not have his teeth and claws he could no longer be the King of the Jungle. The Lion angrily growled “NO” how was he supposed to survive without his teeth and claws. But the Mongoose did not care and began to go away. The Lion agreed to the deal. Even if he was to perish at least his beautiful princess would be free but first he wanted to make sure the princess made it out of the village safely. The Mongoose burrowed into the village and found the princess locked inside a hut. When the Mongoose explained that the Lion was waiting for her out in the jungle so that they could run away the princess could not contain her joy.
She grabbed her bag and the Mongoose helped her sneak out into the jungle to meet the Lion. When the princess and the Mongoose arrived the princess and Lion embraced each other so happy to finally be back together. The Mongoose then asked the Lion for his payment. Sadly, the Lion started to pull out his teeth, the princess confused urged him to stop until the Lion explained the deal he has made with the Mongoose. The princess asked the Mongoose if he would instead take a priceless amber stone as payment for rescuing her. Eagerly the Mongoose took the deal. The princess pulled out the amber stone from her bag and gave it to the Mongoose who rushed away with his payment. The Lion was able to keep his teeth and claws and him and the princess could now be together.
Love can conquer all boundaries!
Authors Notes: This story was based on one of the stories from The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs called The Lion in Love. In the originally fable the Lion falls in love with a beautiful woman and ask her parents if he can marry her. Her parents were afraid of what the Lion would do to them if they told him “no” so they agreed but only if he removed his teeth in claws so that he could not hurt their daughter. The Lion removed his teeth and claws so that he can marry the women and goes to the parents again who then laugh at him and tell him “no” but now they had no fear that he could hurt them. Ending with “Love can tame the wildest”. In my story, I chose to make the women a princess since the Lion is the King of the Jungle. I also took a theme of the princess going to get water from the river daily after the Disney movie “The Jungle Book”. Like Mowgli the Lion watches the princess get water and is mesmerized by her beauty but Lion has the courage to talk to the princess. I also wanted to bring in another animal that would still cause the Lion to have to sacrifice his claws and teeth for his love. I choose to use the Mongoose because they are an animal that burrows and could therefore sneak into the village without being detected. Unlike the original story I wanted my couple to end up together despite their many differences. Which is why there is a stone to replace the teeth and claws. The stone is made from amber which is known for its calming proprieties, like how the Lion and princess were so at ease together. I hope you have enjoyed my story and would love to hear feedback!
Love can conquer all boundaries!
The King of the Jungle. Source: Pixabay
Authors Notes: This story was based on one of the stories from The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs called The Lion in Love. In the originally fable the Lion falls in love with a beautiful woman and ask her parents if he can marry her. Her parents were afraid of what the Lion would do to them if they told him “no” so they agreed but only if he removed his teeth in claws so that he could not hurt their daughter. The Lion removed his teeth and claws so that he can marry the women and goes to the parents again who then laugh at him and tell him “no” but now they had no fear that he could hurt them. Ending with “Love can tame the wildest”. In my story, I chose to make the women a princess since the Lion is the King of the Jungle. I also took a theme of the princess going to get water from the river daily after the Disney movie “The Jungle Book”. Like Mowgli the Lion watches the princess get water and is mesmerized by her beauty but Lion has the courage to talk to the princess. I also wanted to bring in another animal that would still cause the Lion to have to sacrifice his claws and teeth for his love. I choose to use the Mongoose because they are an animal that burrows and could therefore sneak into the village without being detected. Unlike the original story I wanted my couple to end up together despite their many differences. Which is why there is a stone to replace the teeth and claws. The stone is made from amber which is known for its calming proprieties, like how the Lion and princess were so at ease together. I hope you have enjoyed my story and would love to hear feedback!
I like how you changed the girl into a princess. Your vocabulary and descriptions are also so vivid, I can imagine the scene completely from your words. I love the addition of the mongoose and how the lion goes to him for help to save the princess because it still sticks to the main moral of the story that the lion would give up anything for the main character.
ReplyDeleteThe details you added and the changes you made to this story really made it come alive for me! I think the scene from the Jungle Book where the girl goes to get water is beautiful, and it fits well here and gives the whole story a romantic and sort of mystical feel. The mongoose is a creative addition to the story, and I like that it gives the lion an extra challenge! I also like how you changed the theme, allowing the lion to conquer all his obstacles to be with the princess, but the taming that he was willing to undergo still fits with the original moral. I think if you added some dialogue, maybe when the lion gives the amber to the princess or when the mongoose and lion talk, it might make the story even more life-like!
ReplyDeleteAshley, I really enjoyed that your story took the original premise and gave it a positive ending. Your use of symbolism is comparable to that of an established author. The mongoose, the fact that you made the princess just as in love with the lion as the lion was with her, and the theme of sacrifice are all welcomed additions to a realistically macabre origin. Great job!
ReplyDeleteAshley, I thought the way you used elements from The Jungle Book to make a twist on an Aesop's fable was really creative. I also appreciate that you changed the story to allow the lion and the princess to end up together — it gave the fable a completely different message, and a much more positive one than the original. It would have been neat to hear some dialogue between the princess and the lion, or the lion and the mongoose. I look forward to reading more from you!
ReplyDeleteI loved this story so I also wrote my story partly based on this! It is interesting to see how you took yours in such a different direction. I have never seen the Jungle Book, so I didn't pick up on the elements from that at first. Way to give a happy ending because you wanted it! While I gave my main character a happy ending, my "lion" indeed had to give up his teeth. I liked how you had the princess fall in love with the lion by discussing far away places, but would have liked to see more of why the lion fell in love with the princess! But great writing!
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