This first post shows my stream of consciousness, so bear with my long-windedness in this big block of text. I'm still trying to figure out how to "read like a writer" and focus on parts that best serve me when I go to rewrite my own version of the story.
Source: The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse.
This story is short and simple, but its elements of
suspense and surprise give it complexity enough to keep the reader engaged
through to the end. The setting is somewhat small, but the description gives a
decent visual of two water features affected differently by the summer heat depending
on the overhanging vegetation. Both the action and scene set-up are dialogue-driven,
and the narration is very play-by-play. The characters are nameless and only
identifiable by the type of animal they are which may be purposefully done but does
make them seem a little impersonal and distant almost. I liked the line spoken
by the crane to the fish in the first pond: “In this hot water you will all be
boiled fish before long!” After reading the story and realizing his sinister
plot pans out after all (with the fish, at least), this sentence stands out as
a small bit of foreshadowing or irony. To avoid being cooked to death by the
sun, (which, whether this concern is realistic is debatable) they are persuaded
by their fear to believe in the crane’s trustworthiness. Then the crane essentially
exploits their desperation through a situation he contrived himself— “the cunning
crane” is right. In the weirdest way (please refrain from judgement) this
reminds me of the premise of a series of scenes in the movie “The Many
Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” (click for a 2.35-minute video of the scenes I’m
referring to, it’s really quite charming and will transport you back to
childhood). I guess in a sense, the Crane would be Pooh since they both let
their hunger make them greedy enough to eat their entire inventory of food. In
the crane’s case, this would be all the fish in the first pond, and in Pooh’s
case, all the honey first in his house and then at his friend Rabbit’s house.
This lead to each of their downfalls: the crane then consequently tried to
trick the crab into the same fate as the fish, and Pooh not having been able to
suppress his appetite got stuck in his friend rabbit’s door hole after he
cleaned out his cupboard and was stranded and starved until he slimmed up so he
could be pushed out by his friends. Meanwhile, if you’re unfamiliar you can see
in the clip that Rabbit finds utility in Pooh’s behind in many funny ways, and
in the end, you can see upon his rescue he is flung into a honey tree. Maybe my
association between these stories proves I am a child at heart as I prefer the story
model regarding morality, greed, and moderation that doesn’t have anything to
do with death. Maybe I would reimagine this story somehow with the same message
but more “friendly.” In fact, don’t Disney classics exist at all because they
reinvent common mythological stories to suit young, sensitive viewers? This
just occurred to me that the concept of this class isn’t unlike what the Disney
empire was built on: recreating classics to entertain a desired audience. Excuse
this tangent, I don’t know if it serves the purpose of this “Reading Notes”
post. I did admit I love Disney, so maybe I can somehow let this stir some
inspiration.
(Image Source: Illustration by W. Robinson)
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