Once there were two politicians running against each other for a
competitive position. They had spent months, if not years, working on proposals
and ways in which to better the land they lived in and the people were fighting
to represent. One of the men’s plans mainly involved helping those in business.
He had many proposals focused on bettering the work force and the lives of
those who had typical careers in offices. He focused on minimum wage and
bettering the lives of those who work hard every day to provide for their families.
The other politician wanted to focus his platform on children. He wanted to
better schools and daycares. He wanted to better education and make sure that
children were living healthy and safe lives at home. Both candidates had great plans
in store, but they were not concerned with compromising and changing their
plans to involve that of the other candidate.
As time went on, both candidates used all of their resources and clout
in order to gain popularity and support. It was hard for many people to decide
which man to support since both had good platforms: having a good work life is
important because that is where you spend the majority of the day, but children
deserve the best lives they can get. It was frustrating for the people because
they believed that a compromise could be made where both platforms could be promoted.
The candidates were very stubborn. They liked to bicker and fight and
did not like to listen to the people. They maintained focus on the things they
were passionate about and did not budge when it came to negotiation. In the
end, the man who wanted to support the work force won the election. The people
decided that if the work force was better then they could have more
opportunities and abilities to help their children gain the best education and
home life that they could.
At first, things were working out. Peoples careers were really taking
off and there were more job opportunities with better pay. It did not take long
for things to go south. Schools were not getting the resources that they needed
and there were not enough teachers to staff all of the schools. The people had
tried to help, but they could only do so much. Many students were not getting
into colleges or even graduating from high school because the school facilities
were struggling to function. These children’s educations and futures had been
metaphorically crushed.
The people learned a very important lesson after this election. They realized
that it is important to have compromise and that no one person has to win
entirely. When the big men upstairs decide that things have to only be one way,
sometimes this can lead to disaster. When the big important people decide to
fight, someone is going to win and someone is going to lose; it is important to
not let the loss crush the smaller people down below.
Authors
Note: the original story is The Fighting Bulls and the Frog, which is one of Winter's Aesops Fables. It is about
two bulls on top of a hill butting heads, physically. They are fighting to see
who is the most powerful. One bull throws the other over the mountain. When the
falling bull comes down the hill, he crushes the small helpless frogs below at
the bottom of the hill. I decided to try to make it a little more relatable,
especially since we are in an election year. My story does not reflect any
personal views I share, but I think it is interesting to think that so many
people are very closed minded these days and that when this happens, someone is
going to get hurt. Open-mindedness is important and can help to keep everyone
safe and their views heard and protected.
Cartoon of two politicians Pixabay
I am very amazed by your story. To me, it is very difficult to retell the fable story in modern tone and relative scenario. Yet, you did a great job in this story. I love how to use the election scenario, and it fits very well with the theme of the story. I am looking forward to read more modern-adaptable fable stories from you.
ReplyDeleteThe change from the original story was well written. I can see that your goal of making it relate to the modern day by using an election story went nicely. I almost immediately thought of the two presidential candidates.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it was a bit extreme for many children to not graduate high school, it made an impact on the story. I usually find that stories that tell morals are somewhat like the style of what you have written. You did a nice job.
I like the modification you made to the original story. Making it about two politicians is very timely with the election coming up and it goes along well with the original. I also enjoyed that the candidates were never given specific names because it made it so the reader focused more on the story itself and less on trying to personify the bickering characters. Great read!
ReplyDeleteLauren, fabulous job. I love the way that you were able to relate to your audience by modifying the story and making it in modern times. While many of us millennials can’t relate to bulls and frogs, we can relate to stubborn political candidates very well. I wonder if we weren’t currently in an election year, how you could modernize the story without bringing politics in the picture. I’m curious to know what other elements you would use to replace the bull and the frog and still carry on the same message and moral of the story. What if in your story you added more of an explanation of why kids and education are of the utmost importance, maybe by showcasing that those kids are the future of America more depth and urgency could be added to your story. Overall, incredible story. I really enjoy reading it, looking forward to more of your work.
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