Scott was always moving thanks to his fathers job and he actually kind of liked it because he always got the new student attention. Starting Sage Elementary was just like every other time, or so he thought.
The morning started normal, getting introduced, trying to make new friends, failing to make friends, and finally the most important part of fourth grade, finding out when recess was. Scott, being the awkward person he is, asked the teacher and counted down the minutes till 10:30 so he could explore the new playground.
10:30 came around and he ran outside to find his favorite thing, the monkey bars. When he saw them he couldn't help but run and start climbing. As soon as he got all the way across he saw a fairly large boy walking up to the monkey bars. The kid had a mean face and Scott could tell this was not going to be good.
"Hey new kid! Where is my Ipod? I know you stole it!"
Scott looking confused and concerned responded with, "I didn't take your Ipod. I'm sorry its gone though. When did you lose it?"
"I lost it two days ago and I know you took it!"
Scott now getting a smile on his face said, "See, there is no way I could have taken it because I just got here today!"
The bully looked at him and thought for a minute. After he collected his thoughts he said, "Well then I know it was you who called me ugly! Someone told me it was you and your friends."
Scott again looked in confusion, "I do not think you are ugly and honestly have not made many friends so there was no way that was me."
Knowing he was not going to take no for an answer he looked at Scott and ends the conversation with, " I know you are not as innocent as you seem so I am going to teach you a lesson so you know where your place is."
With that final comment the bully grabbed Scott by his arm and dragged him beside the school building where none of the adults could see him giving Scott a black eye and a few scratches.
Scott will always remember that he can be the nicest soul and yet if someone wants to be mean and bully someone, they will no matter what.
Authors Notes:
For this story I chose to base it off of the Aesops Fable, The Wolf And The Lamb. This is a short story about a wolf who knows he is going to eat a lamb for breakfast no matter what. When he approaches the lamb he sees the innocence but finds any reason to eat the lamb even though the lamb defends all of the wolfs accusations. The moral of the story was that no matter what, if evil wants to do something they will.
The Wolf and The Lamb, Aesops Fables, Anonymous, Published in 1919.
What an unexpected ending! After hearing so many tales with "nice" endings, it was surprising to read one that doesn't have one. I felt like this ending captured something that most tales do not convey: the inevitable. Sometimes you just can't fix everything, right? I really enjoyed this tale. It was concise, but contained enough detail to create imagery of the scenes in the mind. More so, you wrote it in such a way that it is a plausible situation. Such confrontations happen all the time. This made the moral of the story hit so much closer to home.
ReplyDeleteGreat job!
I must say, your story ended in a completely surprising way to me. Perplexed, I went on to read the "The Wolf and The Lamb" from Aesops Fables and found that it was just as puzzling. I even called my husband into the room and read it to him as well! This story will definitely stick with me, as it is comparable to so many terrible events that have happened in this world.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing, it was a pleasure to read.
Hello again!
ReplyDeleteI think you did a really good job of taking "The Wolf and The Lamb" and turning it into a relatable story. You played on human emotions that many may have felt before. It's hard to watch people be rude and mean for no reason, but all you can do is try to be the better of the two. You did a wonderful job of keeping the moral of the story and adapting it to a modern tale. Good job!
This was a very well written story, Ace. The theme is very modern in our time, especially with the anti-bullying campaigns that are being implemented in our school systems. The picture you used seemed spot on in depicting the scene that was taking place behind the school. I found it to be a good cautionary tale. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWow, nicely written Ace! I can connect with Scott on the level of being socially awkward at times. I liked how you expanded the story from the interpretation of the fable. It is so sad on how evil will continue to keep doing evil things. At one part of the story I wanted to butt in between the bully and Scott. On the side note, I don't know if you did it intentionally or not but I'm glad you didn't give the bully a name. He certainly does not need any respect from his actions! Can't wait to read your future storybooks!
ReplyDeleteAce, this was a brilliant retelling of the "The Wolf and the Lamb." As I was reading it, I completely forgot that it was actually based off of the idea of a fable because I was so drawn into the story. I like how you made the idea relatable by using school-age characters. Bullying is a major issue, and I think this was a unique way to address it. I look forward to reading more of your work later!
ReplyDeleteAce,
ReplyDeleteI loved your story. Your story reflects the very serious topic about bullying. I liked the way your story is presented. Your story is written in many paragraphs instead of just one big paragraph. This makes it very easy to read and keeps the reader focused in the story. I wish you all the best and hope to read more stories from you.
This reminded me of one of those class children’s chapter books, maybe it’s Judy Moody? Not sure, but I used to love those so your story really caught my attention. Everyone loves a story about the new kid, and there always has to be a bully. I like how you ended it by giving the readers the moral of the story – that clarification is always nice.
ReplyDelete