Week 9 Story: Enhancing The Orca and the Crown

The Orca and the Crown

Orcas and Penguins from Wikipedia

Down in the harsh environment of Antarctica, lived a mighty kingdom of killer whales. They lived in harmony with the penguin and leopard seal kingdoms by a peace treaty. Unfortunately, the three kingdoms struggling through this season. Food was scarce, and the peace between the three species was dwindling.

One particular orca was an outcast. He disobeyed his father's wishes, so he was outcasted while his brother was made king of the Orca Kingdom. He had been banished for years now, but no one quite knows how long. He knew his killer whale brethren could not survive the season without some means of intervention. He knew they needed a hero, and this was his shot at redemption.

The orca approached the kingdom and requested a meeting with his brother the king. After ignoring some threats for returning to the waters he was banished from, he finally is face to face with his brother. He offered his proposal, his plan to feed and save the species. However, he learned that the orcas were more desperate than he predicted. Many were starving, and his brother was hopeless with the thought that they would not survive the month. The king admitted that the people needed to eat by any means necessary, and he would surrender his crown if the orca could save the kingdom. The orca knew the most vulnerable remaining food source around them was their allies, the penguins. How fitting, he was outcasted for his past betrayal, and now he would be redeemed by betraying the penguins.

Meanwhile, the leopard seals were already breaking the treaty and invading the penguins' ice to survive. They were vicious creatures, and the penguins were searching desperately for a new home to escape to. This was a perfect opportunity for the orca to execute his ploy.

The orca approaches the gathered masses of the penguin kingdom and quickly explained what he had found. He stated that through a ice cave there is a land to make a new home with plenty of food to save both the penguin and orca species. The penguins were reluctant, so they sent one scout along with the orca to confirm the orca's tale. The orca guided the penguin through the underwater ice cave and eventually reached the new island of ice that could be their sanctuary. They returned to the penguin kingdom, and the orca began guiding groups of penguins to the new land. As the penguins arrived to the ice cave, the orca people attacked them. The orcas outnumbers the penguins as they were trapped in the ice cave. The orca kept going back and guiding groups of penguins to their demise. It was a sad day for the Antarctic kingdoms.

They were honorable species before, but the brutal conditions brought out the worst in the orcas. The orca was crowned king as promised, but at what cost? Morals were sacrificed, and the kingdom was now lead by a king with compromised character. How can they live on with this dishonor?

Author's Note:
I wanted to make a story with a cunning betrayal similar to the Crane and the Crab. However, instead of outwitting the villain and defeating them, I wanted the villain to win in the end. I did this so that I could leave the audience with some moral questions. Is survival worth it if you sacrifice your morals? Even if it is your last resort, could you live on with your life knowing you betrayed your friends/allies?

I based this story off of The Cunning Crane and the Crab by W. H. D. Rouse. In this story, a tiny pond is being reduced to a puddle due to a drought. This puddle is home to some fish and a crab. The crane lived near a flourishing lake but was looking for an afternoon meal. He saw the desperate fish in the puddle and offered to carry them in his beak to the lake. They were reluctant, but the crane eventually proved credible enough to earn their trust. The crane carried the fish to the lake one-by-one, but tricked them and ate them in his nest before returning for the next fish. Finally, the crane got greedy and decided to try and eat the crab. The crab talked the crane into carrying the crab by allowing the crab to latch onto the crane's neck. As soon as the crab knew the crane was deceitful, He clamped down on his neck and killed him. The crab lived happily ever after in his new lake home.

Week 7: Enhancing The Frogs and the Kitten Story

New Version in Portfolio

There once was a small little peaceful pond just beyond some trees. Three little frogs lived there. The three siblings loved to cross the pond by jumping on lily pads as they floated across the water. They loved racing across the water by waiting for the pads to line up and hopping across them. One day they encountered a friendly little kitten by their pond. This kitten had played all the games around his home and mastered them all. His name was Chester. Chester was the most athletic kitten of his home and needed new games and competition to occupy his time and test his skills. He noticed the young frogs playing their lily pad game and approached them casually.

"Hello there frogs," Chester said politely. "What is it that you're playing?"

The frogs responded, "We are racing across the pond on these lily pads to see which of us is the fastest! Would you like to try?"

Of course Chester wanted to try! He wanted to be the fastest to cross the pond!

So the frogs showed him how it was done. They had to jump on a lily pad, wait for the next one to float by, then jump on it and wait to repeat the process. "It's a game of patience, speed, skill, and agility!" The frogs said excitedly.

"I am fast, skillful, and agile!" The kitten responded as he was practicing. "I think I'm ready to beat you three!"

"Are you sure you're ready? We have been doing this for a while. Are you sure you don't want more practice?" The frogs said. "The pond can be dangerous if you were to fall in. Can you swim?"

"I don't need to swim!" Replied the kitten. "I am going to win without touching a single drop!"

So the four of them lined up on the bank of the pond eager to race to see who was the best. At the start of the race, the kitten pulled ahead. He was faster than the frogs, so he was able to quickly hop across the lily pads that were grouped together. As they reached the middle of the pond, the lily pads grew farther and farther apart. The kitten had to wait on the pads to come closer, but the frogs could jump farther and reach the pads before they were close enough for the kitten to reach. By this point, one frog pulled ahead of the kitten. The kitten was doing all he could to catch up, but with the spacing of the lily pads, the frog's lead grew. The kitten started making riskier and riskier jumps to catch the frog.

"Be careful Chester," the frogs said, "those jumps are dangerous. Please don't fall in."

"Don't worry," Chester replied, " just a little more!"

Chester was gaining on the lead frog, but the finish line was coming up fast.

Chester made one last risky jump to retake the lead, but the lily pad wasn't quite close enough. He fell in the pond. Chester paddled and splashed, but he kept sinking lower into the water. The frogs jumped in after him, but they were not strong enough to save poor Chester.

Chester, the kitten, was just too competitive. He couldn't stand to lose, and he didn't have the patience to wait for the lily pads to come closer to him. His mistakes cost him the ultimate price.

The frog and lily pads

Author's Note:
I got the inspiration to write this story from the Talking Turtle and the Geese. In that story, the turtle always had to get a word in even when it was against his best interest. He annoyed may of the creatures around him with his constant yapping, but he made friends with the geese. The geese knew of a mountainous area where they migrated every winter with plenty of room where no other creatures could hear you. The geese knew how much the turtle loved to talk, so they offered to help carry the turtle up to the mountains with them. Their plan was to carry a stick between their beaks, and the turtle could bite the stick to hitch a ride with them. The turtle could live out his talkative days in the mountains and could talk to his heart's content. On their journey, some boys were poking fun at the turtle for riding along with geese. Unfortunately, the turtle could not keep his mouth shut, and he released the branch for a rebuttal. He fell to his death on the journey. I added my own twist by changing the animals and setting, but I still taught a lesson about discipline and patience that both the turtle and kitten lacked.

From Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt

Week 5 Story: The Frogs and the Kitten

New Version in Portfolio

There once was a small little peaceful pond just beyond some trees. Three little frogs lived there. The three siblings loved to cross the pond by jumping on lily pads as they floated across the water. They loved racing across the water by waiting for the pads to line up and hopping across them. One day they encountered a friendly little kitten by their pond. This kitten had played all the games around his home and mastered them all. His name was Chester. Chester was the most athletic kitten of his home and needed new games and competition to occupy his time and test his skills. He noticed the young frogs playing their lily pad game and approached them casually.

"Hello there frogs," Chester said politely. "What is it that you're playing?"

The frogs responded, "We are racing across the pond on these lily pads to see which of us is the fastest! Would you like to try?"

Of course Chester wanted to try! He wanted to be the fastest to cross the pond!

So the frogs showed him how it was done. They had to jump on a lily pad, wait for the next one to float by, then jump on it and wait to repeat the process. "It's a game of patience, speed, skill, and agility!" The frogs said excitedly.

"I am fast, skillful, and agile!" The kitten responded as he was practicing. "I think I'm ready to beat you three!"

"Are you sure you're ready? We have been doing this for a while. Are you sure you don't want more practice?" The frogs said. "The pond can be dangerous if you were to fall in. Can you swim?"

"I don't need to swim!" Replied the kitten. "I am going to win without touching a single drop!"

So the four of them lined up on the bank of the pond eager to race to see who was the best. At the start of the race, the kitten pulled ahead. He was faster than the frogs, so he was able to quickly hop across the lily pads that were grouped together. As they reached the middle of the pond, the lily pads grew farther and farther apart. The kitten had to wait on the pads to come closer, but the frogs could jump farther and reach the pads before they were close enough for the kitten to reach. By this point, one frog pulled ahead of the kitten. The kitten was doing all he could to catch up, but with the spacing of the lily pads, the frog's lead grew. The kitten started making riskier and riskier jumps to catch the frog.

"Be careful Chester," the frogs said, "those jumps are dangerous. Please don't fall in."

"Don't worry," Chester replied, " just a little more!"

Chester was gaining on the lead frog, but the finish line was coming up fast.

Chester made one last risky jump to retake the lead, but the lily pad wasn't quite close enough. He fell in the pond. Chester paddled and splashed, but he kept sinking lower into the water. The frogs jumped in after him, but they were not strong enough to save poor Chester.

Chester, the kitten, was just too competitive. He couldn't stand to lose, and he didn't have the patience to wait for the lily pads to come closer to him. His mistakes cost him the ultimate price.

The frog and lily pads

Author's Note:
I got the inspiration to write this story from the Talking Turtle and the Geese. In that story, the turtle always had to get a word in. He annoyed may of the creatures around him, but he made friends with the geese. The geese knew how much the turtle loved to talk, so they offered to carry a stick to the mountains where the turtle could talk to his heart's content. The turtle could bite the stick and live out his talkative days in the mountains. Unfortunately, the turtle could not keep his mouth shut, and he released the branch and fell to his death on the journey. I added my own twist, but still taught a lesson at the end of the story.

From Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt

Week 3 Story: Temptation and Loyalty

Newer version foudn in my portfolio: https://sites.google.com/view/indianportfoliotales/dakka

The great warrior, Dakka, was preparing to take the battlefield with his army. He had won many battles for his kingdom and built a pretty extravagant reputation for himself. Every citizen throughout the land knew his name. He did everything the right way. He built a righteous reputation from his strong character. He was loyal to his beautiful wife and avoided many trials that the evil in the world tempted him with. He and his wife had been together for many years, and they were one victory away from leading the kingdom. His father, the king, would retire and hand the thrown down to Dakka after this one last victory. Dakka prepared well. He avoided distractions and was focused leading up to the battle.

As the battle ensued, it was obvious which side was superior. Dakka and his forces were making quick work of the opposition that challenged their freedom. Once the smoke cleared, the kingdom's warriors stood victorious as the remnants of the opposing army fled in retreat. They celebrated an evening victory celebration that lasted all night. Multiple mistresses approached the heroic Dakka, but he refused all of their offerings. He remained by his beautiful wife's side as they celebrated another victory, another day of life, and the crown that they would assume the following day.

The following day consisted mostly of the crowning ceremony of Dakka and his wife as king and queen. As king Dakka wandered off after the ceremony, a beautiful women approached him. She spoke of how mighty and handsome he was, and as she spoke, Dakka's ears were falling in love with the sound of her sweet voice. He fell almost into a trance as he was in her presence. She was captivating. She spoke of her powerful kingdom over the hills and how they should run off together to rule for eternity. Dakka had it all here in his own kingdom, but still her words were tempting as she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Then he caught an image of what she really was. He saw through her deceitful shroud and realized she was a demon sent to destroy his character. He called her out, and the demon attacked! He slayed the demon, passed the test, and lived on with his wife as they ruled their beautiful kingdom.

Shurpanakha tempts Rama

Bibliography: Ramayana Part B, Public Domain

Sources used: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.

Author's Note:
I wanted to build a story with temptation similar to how the beautiful rashaki, Shurpanakha, tempted Rama in the forest. I wanted to build a famous and righteous warrior who had achieved it all. Then I wanted to temp the character with lust and see where the story went. I didn't decide to make him pass the test and remain loyal until I actually wrote it. I am happy the way it turned out, but I make expand on the story if I use it for my portfolio project.

Week 2 Story: The Orca and the Jellyfish

The Orca and the Crown

Orcas and Penguins from Wikipedia

Down in the harsh environment of Antarctica, lived a mighty kingdom of killer whales. They lived in harmony with the penguin and leopard seal kingdoms. Unfortunately, the three kingdoms struggling through this season. Food was scarce, and the peace between the three species was dwindling.

One particular orca was an outcast. He disobeyed his father's wishes, so he was outcasted while his brother was made king of the Orca Kingdom. He had been banished for years now, but no one quite knows how long. He knew his killer whale brethren could not survive the season without some means of intervention. He knew they needed a hero, and this was his shot at redemption.

The orca approached the kingdom and requested a meeting with his brother the king. After ignoring some threats for returning to the waters he was banished from, he finally is faced to face with his brother. He offered his proposal, his plan to feed and save the species. However, he learned that the orcas were more desperate than he predicted. Many were starving, and his brother was hopeless with the thought that they would not survive the month. The king admitted that the people needed to eat by any means necessary, and he would surrender his crown if the orca could save the kingdom. The orca knew the most vulnerable remaining food source around them was their allies, the penguins. How fitting, he was outcasted by his betrayal, and now he would be redeemed by betraying the penguins.

Meanwhile, the leopard seals were already breaking the treaty and invading the penguins ice to survive. They were vicious creatures, and the penguins were searching desperately for a new home to escape to. This was a perfect opportunity for the orca to execute his ploy.

The orca approaches the gathered masses of the penguin kingdom and quickly explained what he had found. He stated that through a ice cave there is a land to make a new home with plenty of food to save both the penguin and orca species. The penguins were reluctant, so they sent one scout along with the orca to confirm the orca's tale. The orca guided the penguin through the underwater ice cave and eventually reached the new island of ice that could be their sanctuary. They returned to the penguin kingdom, and the orca began guiding groups of penguins to the new land. As the penguins arrived to the ice cave, the orca people attacked them. The orcas outnumbers the penguins as they were trapped in the ice cave. The orca kept going back and guiding groups of penguins to their demise. It was a sad day for the Antarctic kingdoms. They were honorable species before, but the brutal conditions brought out the worst in the orcas. The orca was crowned king as promised, but at what cost? Morals were sacrificed, and the kingdom was now lead by king with compromised character. How can they live on with this dishonor?

Author's Note:
I wanted to make a story with a cunning betrayal similar to the Crane and the Crab. However, I wanted the villain to win in the end. I did this so that I could leave the audience with some moral questions. Is survival worth it if you sacrifice your morals? Even if it is your last resort, could you live on knowing you betrayed friendships/alliances? I based this story off of The Cunning Crane and the Crab by W. H. D. Rouse.