David decided, “I’ve lived a good life, maybe it’s best that I share my bounty of nuts with those in need.” He visited the neighboring dens one by one, taking his whole stash along.
He stopped at the first den and sang “Hello friends! I have nuts to spare, take something nutty if you care!”
The other squirrels thought this was a bit degrading, but they were facing down the barrel of starvation so they accepted his offer and took some nuts with gratitude.
A nearby grazing deer saw David’s act of generosity and approached him, congratulating his selfless act. “I’ll remember this, David!” she said before returning to her grazing spot.
David continued to a second den and sang “Buddies! Pals! Take my Nuts! I have plenty so here’s your cut!”
The family of squirrels gladly took some tree nuts and acorns, as a cardinal looked on with admiration. The cardinal flew down from her perch and said “David, your kindness is unmatched. I won’t even need to fly south because you’ve warmed my avian heart.”
David nodded and continued to the next den, where he sang “Nuts are great, nuts are tasty, please take mine and please be hasty!” As he was handing nuts to the den’s inhabitants, a hare passed by and said “David, you’re a credit to squirrel-kind”. David smiled at the hare before moving along.
After several more such encounters, David came to a harrowing realization that he had forgotten to earmark any nuts for his own consumption. “Aw, nuts,” he said, realizing that he would likely starve this winter. David was far too prideful of a squirrel to ask for his gifts back. He headed back to his den, happy that he could help his neighbors but troubled by his own situation.
Days later, a very hungry David rested outside his den. The same deer which witnessed his earlier act of kindness passed by, taking immediate concern at David’s emaciated figure. “David, you look awful!” the deer cried. Remembering that David would have done the same for her, she offered, “I can bring you some of the tastiest grasses from the far neck of the woods”.
David wasn’t the grass-eating type but his stomach rumbled and he accepted the offer. The deer trotted off in search of the promised sustenance.
Before the deer returned, the cardinal flew by and noticed David looking worse for wear. She swooped down and offered to fetch david some bird seed she had been saving in her nest for a special occasion. After all, it was the least she could do for such a generous squirrel. David humbly accepted, happy to have such good friends, and the cardinal flew away to retrieve the seed.
Soon enough, David was visited by the hare. David rolled his eyes before the hare had a chance to speak and chided, “Buddha, we’ve been over this, I’m not going to eat your flesh, that’s super weird and it makes everyone uncomfortable.” The hare, rejected and dejected, hopped away.
With the help of his less-weird friends, David was able to make it through the winter, having instilled a culture of mutual generosity in the woodland community.
Author's Note: This story was based on the Buddhist fable of "The Hare that Was not Afraid to Die". The titular hare of this fable preaches that in order to be virtuous, the other woodland animals should give their food to the needy and fast. The hare in that story, and incarnation of Buddha, offers to sacrifice himself so that a hungry traveler may eat. The same hare makes his way into my story, but not as the main character. In a twist, the story of David the squirrel teaches that generosity is often reciprocated, and giving to others in their time of need can yield karmic returns when the tables turn.
Bibliography. "The Hare that Was not Afraid to Die" from Eastern Stories and Legends by Marie L. Shedlock. (Web Source)
Photo: Squirrel eating a nut. (Source: Max Pixel)
I have to admit, the direct reference to the original story (the line where David tells the hare that he won't eat his flesh) made me laugh out loud, and I then had to explain to my flatmate what I was laughing at.
ReplyDeleteBack to the story: I really like the changed theme of the story, changing it from a story of pure self-sacrifice to a story where kindness begets kindness. There were times where it felt like it was almost straddling a line between a serious story and a comedy, with David singing his offerings in rhyme as well as the previously mentioned line about the hare. Both the serious and comedic parts feel well-written, and I think if you focus on one or the other in future stories, it could result in a great story.
Hey Dakota! I really liked the theme of the story you chose to write about, and I like how you turned the story into having the narrator be the hungry traveler. The incorporation of the hare as Buddha was a great idea and that part flowed really well into the story, so good job on that! Overall, your story was amusing and had a good message at the same time. I can't wait to read some more of your stories!
ReplyDeleteGreat story! I loved the original story yours was based from. and I like your twist on it as well! It contained humor, and was easy to follow. I love the character the squirrel played throughout too. Generosity is always a great lesson to teach! Great use of creativity as well!
ReplyDeleteYour story was very enjoyable to read, and I think you did a perfect job at expressing the theme and the main lesson of the story. There was one part in your story that I really liked. It was that part when David realizes that he had forgotten to save nuts for himself and he says "Aw, nuts". It was a little sad because he realized that he had no food for himself, but I just really enjoyed the play on words at that part. Also, I love that you used a consistent theme in the story and used nutty phrases throughout to keep the story entertaining, and I think the characters you included made your story really fun. David was my favorite, and I liked how you portrayed him and his personality through his dialogue and interaction with others. I think the moral of the story is very important, and your story was a good example of how being generous to others will result in them being generous to you in return. As a whole, I think your story was great!
ReplyDeleteDakota,
ReplyDeleteI especially appreciate the tone of your writing! I could hear your voice in the "nutty" phrases, and loved that you brought your sense of humor to the fable. David's sharpness when answering the hare was surprising - he had been kind and humble until that point, but suddenly became sarcastic and bold. I think that sudden shift adds depth to the theme of the story. Great work!
Okay, I gotta say Dakota.... that bit where he called the hare weird for offering his flesh made me laugh out loud! This whole time, I did not see where this story was going. I had no idea which story it was based on! I was so surprised to see it was loosely connected to the story where the Buddha Bunny offers his body for the sake of others. I also thought it was a bit funny that the squirrel's name was David of all things. It almost felt like naming the family dog Robert, or something of that nature. Too funny! And the writing style! Wow. I loved how the squirrel talked in sing-song, and liked the rhyme. Honestly, overall, this was just an amazing story that brightened my morning. The plot twists were hilarious and the content of the story was heartwarming. There is even a moral lesson. Thank you for the good read!
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