Week 2 Story: Once Upon a Time, My Mother Sold Me to a Snake
This morning, I woke up expecting another boring day on our family farm.
My mother went to the market yesterday, and didn't return until this morning. My sisters, who I dubbed Thing One and Thing Two, had given her two enormous lists of gifts for her to get them while she was there, so I imagine she would have to take her time coming home with the large load to carry. I had only asked for three roses, and even then, I let her know she didn't have to get them for me if she didn't want to. I hoped, because of the long time it was taking her to walk back from the market, she hadn't gotten them.
Finally, around mid-morning, my mother appeared, trudging down the driveway carrying very large sacks on her back. Three red roses were clenched in her fist.
I met in her in the driveway, taking one of the sacks from her and helping her into the house. My horrible, selfish sisters immediately set on the bags like starving lions on an antelope, without so much as a greeting to our mother. As I went to hug her, my mother pushed me back, a frown on her face.
"I brought you the roses you asked for, dear, but I'm afraid they come at a price. I took them from a castle garden a few miles away, and in penance for stealing them, I had to promise you to the owner," she told me.
I stared at her for a few moments, not quite comprehending what she had just said.
"Wait. I told you that you didn't even have to get the roses if you didn't want to, so you decide to trade me for them to some crazy man? Are you insane? You didn't even have to get them!" I exclaim, outraged that my own mother would give me to a stranger for flowers I had requested. She didn't even want the stupid flowers, I did.
"Well, he's not really a man, so to speak. He's a giant snake. Have fun. You'd better get going." She said, turning to my two dreadfully horrendous sisters and helping them unpack the sacks.
Sensing the dismissal, I snatched the stupid flowers and began to make my way to the castle, muttering under my breath about my ridiculous mother and my dysfunctional family.
I neared the castle, noticing the beautiful rose garden. As I entered the gate, the giant snake came upon me, demanding that I nurse him on my lap for three hours each day. I scowled at him, but ultimately complied. The situation was very awkward and uncomfortable, mostly because I didn't like snakes to begin with and I had absolutely no idea how to nurse one.
On day three of this routine, the snake came to me with a sword, and requested that I cut his head off with it.
Maybe if he's dead, I thought, I won't have to stay here anymore. Maybe I could live in his castle!
So, without issue or hesitation, I took the sword from him and sliced his head clean off.
From the body of the now-dead snake, a second snake emerged. It was the same snake as the first! I frowned at him, wondering why he would ask me to kill him if he wasn't going to die. Was this a test?
The second snake, seeming surprised that I had cut his head off without argument or hesitation, requested that I cut his head off again. Immediately, I complied, sensing a pattern. I wondered how many times I would have to kill him today.
I saw something beginning to emerge from the second snake's body, and I assumed that this was a third snake, who would undoubtedly ask me to cut his head off once again. Wanting to save time, I stabbed the figure before it could emerge, killing it swiftly. The snake's body stopped moving, and nothing emerged from it. I stood there for an hour, watching the body to see if another reincarnation of the snake would come forward, but he never did.
Maybe he had finally gotten what he wanted. Maybe I was free.
When night began to fall, and the snake had still not moved, I went to the castle, finding it fully stocked with everything I might need.
I lived there happily for many years, tending to the rose garden and killing every snake I came across.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
If you've gotten to this note, that must mean you read my story. Thank you for trudging your way through! This story is based on the story The Three Roses (link and bibliography below), but includes a new point of view, and a new ending. I thought that poor Mary deserved a better ending- one that didn't involve Stockholm Syndrome. I hope you enjoyed it.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
"The Three Roses" by Josef Baudis, from The Key of Gold. Web Source: Anthology.
My mother went to the market yesterday, and didn't return until this morning. My sisters, who I dubbed Thing One and Thing Two, had given her two enormous lists of gifts for her to get them while she was there, so I imagine she would have to take her time coming home with the large load to carry. I had only asked for three roses, and even then, I let her know she didn't have to get them for me if she didn't want to. I hoped, because of the long time it was taking her to walk back from the market, she hadn't gotten them.
Finally, around mid-morning, my mother appeared, trudging down the driveway carrying very large sacks on her back. Three red roses were clenched in her fist.
I met in her in the driveway, taking one of the sacks from her and helping her into the house. My horrible, selfish sisters immediately set on the bags like starving lions on an antelope, without so much as a greeting to our mother. As I went to hug her, my mother pushed me back, a frown on her face.
"I brought you the roses you asked for, dear, but I'm afraid they come at a price. I took them from a castle garden a few miles away, and in penance for stealing them, I had to promise you to the owner," she told me.
I stared at her for a few moments, not quite comprehending what she had just said.
"Wait. I told you that you didn't even have to get the roses if you didn't want to, so you decide to trade me for them to some crazy man? Are you insane? You didn't even have to get them!" I exclaim, outraged that my own mother would give me to a stranger for flowers I had requested. She didn't even want the stupid flowers, I did.
"Well, he's not really a man, so to speak. He's a giant snake. Have fun. You'd better get going." She said, turning to my two dreadfully horrendous sisters and helping them unpack the sacks.
Sensing the dismissal, I snatched the stupid flowers and began to make my way to the castle, muttering under my breath about my ridiculous mother and my dysfunctional family.
I neared the castle, noticing the beautiful rose garden. As I entered the gate, the giant snake came upon me, demanding that I nurse him on my lap for three hours each day. I scowled at him, but ultimately complied. The situation was very awkward and uncomfortable, mostly because I didn't like snakes to begin with and I had absolutely no idea how to nurse one.
On day three of this routine, the snake came to me with a sword, and requested that I cut his head off with it.
Maybe if he's dead, I thought, I won't have to stay here anymore. Maybe I could live in his castle!
So, without issue or hesitation, I took the sword from him and sliced his head clean off.
From the body of the now-dead snake, a second snake emerged. It was the same snake as the first! I frowned at him, wondering why he would ask me to kill him if he wasn't going to die. Was this a test?
The second snake, seeming surprised that I had cut his head off without argument or hesitation, requested that I cut his head off again. Immediately, I complied, sensing a pattern. I wondered how many times I would have to kill him today.
I saw something beginning to emerge from the second snake's body, and I assumed that this was a third snake, who would undoubtedly ask me to cut his head off once again. Wanting to save time, I stabbed the figure before it could emerge, killing it swiftly. The snake's body stopped moving, and nothing emerged from it. I stood there for an hour, watching the body to see if another reincarnation of the snake would come forward, but he never did.
Maybe he had finally gotten what he wanted. Maybe I was free.
When night began to fall, and the snake had still not moved, I went to the castle, finding it fully stocked with everything I might need.
I lived there happily for many years, tending to the rose garden and killing every snake I came across.
A rose in the Jingu Rose Garden, taken by Kikuo Teranishi (1997). Source: Wikimedia Commons.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
If you've gotten to this note, that must mean you read my story. Thank you for trudging your way through! This story is based on the story The Three Roses (link and bibliography below), but includes a new point of view, and a new ending. I thought that poor Mary deserved a better ending- one that didn't involve Stockholm Syndrome. I hope you enjoyed it.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
"The Three Roses" by Josef Baudis, from The Key of Gold. Web Source: Anthology.
Hi Abbi! Wow, this was quite a twist on the original story! It definitely had a more modern feel to it, for one, but obviously the ending was the biggest surprise. In your version, if she had not killed it, would the snake have actually turned into a prince like in the original, or would it still have been a snake?
ReplyDeleteOne problem I read when I read "The Three Roses" was how nonchalant the mother was when she told Mary to go to the basilisk. I'm so glad your Mary knows that it's utterly ridiculous that she needs to go to the basilisk.
ReplyDeleteI gasped out loud when I realized that Mary had killed the prince! It makes sense, she's so over this whole situation and doesn't want to waste time. I love how she just goes back to her regular life and has the attitude of "Good riddance."
The fact that she has no idea is hilarious and also makes me wonder: What would have happened if Mary realized she stabbed the prince? Or what if she did end up meeting the prince? Would the prince ask Mary to marry him? What kind of response do you think she would have? I can imagine a snarky response about how "Mary" sounds identical to "marry?" Or would she be more like "No thanks" and just leave.
Kudos to cutting out the Stockholm syndrome. I personally made it so that Mary and the basilisk were childhood friends or something. Another student wrote it so "The Three Roses" was about three sisters who slew a basilisk. This class has been exciting in seeing the different ways to retell the same story with a similar goal in mind. Namely, remove that Stockholm and lima syndrome.
HI Abbi!
ReplyDeleteTell Ask Give
WOW I really enjoyed your version of the story! It was a fresh initiative take! I like that the main character was strong and questioned why her mom took the roses. I also like the humor embedded in the story. That ending was a nice twist! I was waiting for something to emerge from the snake and then the story took a huge twist!
I wonder why her mom the the roses anyways when she told her mom that it was not too big of a deal if she did not. I wonder what would have happened if she was patient and waited for the prince to be born from the snake. I thought it was funny she cut to the chased and decided to cut the snake to save time and move on. Would she have liked it more or less if she had waited for the prince?
Overall great story!!