After a week of hunting alongside the Lion, he had eaten only the scraps of their kills.
Worse could be said for the Wolf and the Jackal, who were content to submit to the Lion's idea of sharing, even if it meant they went hungry.
In his bitterness, the Fox began to plan. He wondered how to use the Lion's selfishness to his advantage. "How," he thought, "can I quarter a carcass so that we all get enough to eat? How can I satisfy the Lion's hunger, and feed my own revenge?"
As the Fox sat at his favorite watering hole, ruminating on his intentions, he was suddenly overtaken by a giant shadow. He looked up, directly into the eyes of his salvation.
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This was certain to be their hardest hunt yet, but the Fox had manipulated his peers masterfully - everyone knew their role.
The Jackal would back the poor beast into a corner, where the Wolf, waiting quietly, would snarl and incite fear. Meanwhile, the Fox would weave between the beast's clumsy legs, causing him to stumble. Finally, the Lion would perform his typical heroics, completing the kill.
His plan had gone off perfectly. When it was time to quarter the slain elephant, the Fox knew he had won. He allowed the Lion to complete the usual speech, assigning himself a quarter for his bravery, another for his strength, the third for his wisdom, and the fourth for his pride.
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That night, the Lion ate and ate while the Fox looked on. By his last bite of the first quarter, the Lion's roars had become weak groans. Halfway through the second quarter, the Lion's jaw ached with the strain. However, the Lion made it all the way through the third quarter before his stomach burst, ending the Lion's life with a loud belch.
The Fox, pleased with himself, split the remaining quarter into thirds, happily sharing with the Wolf and the Jackal. Yet, while they merrily ate their fill, a watching elephant became frustrated.
Author's Note: "After the Hunt" serves as a sequel to Aesop's The Lion's Share. As I thought about the debauchery displayed by the Lion, I began to imagine what the Fox must think, and what he might do when he's hungry.
Image Information: "A Sly Fox," and "A Watchful Elephant"
The idea of doing a sequel to a story never occurred to me, so thank you for introducing me to the idea of it! I may very well use this myself in the future.
ReplyDeleteI like the way that you make use of the concept of the 'clever fox', which wasn't particularly prominent in the original story but is a well-known idea that people can easily connect. Additionally, I like the way you end the story, with an elephant watching in frustration - although it is not entirely clear to me the exact emotion of the elephant. Whether its frustration is anger at its brethren being eaten, or annoyance/anger at the casual way that the Fox used another elephant in its plan without a care.
Hi Jessie! I agree with Jason that it never crossed my mind to do a sequel to a story! What a great idea thank you! I symbolism of the "clever fox" and "proud lion" were well used in this story. I was not sure exactly what the fox's plan was. Was it to trick the lion to biting more than he could chew? Also, does the conclusion of the frustrated elephant mean there will be a sequel to your sequel? I look forward to next weeks story!
ReplyDeleteHey Jessie! It was clever how you used the first line of the fox being 'frustrated' and paralleled it at the end with the 'frustrated' elephant so that there is a hint of another story to follow. It really incited a feeling of mystery and the method made the story only more intriguing. The layout of the story is very interesting and easy to follow, because it is well-structured with the chronological events of the story. It was really enjoyable and fun.
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