Life can be Hard But
Each day, I drive to work. My wife drives to work in the other direction. Our kids put themselves on the bus and spend two hours at home, doing their homework, until one of us returns. Our lives revolve around providing for our two kids. We haven't taken a trip since our honeymoon and get very little time together. I just want a break. I don't even know who my kids are becoming because I never spend time with them.
When I make my commute to work, I always pass a fishing pond. I used to fish when I was young with my dad and it is where we really bonded. I hoped to take my kids with me soon, but I'd have to brush up on my skills first before I tried to teach them.
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| A Pond with Fish |
One day, I got off an hour early from work so I decided to try fishing out again. I pulled into the small little pond, got out my fishing pole and sat down on the bench. My first try I throw the cast out and reel in a stick. It sucks, but I can try again. I throw another cast out. Thinking I have a bite, I reeled it in again, but this time it is a plastic garbage bag. Confused, I try again. This time the same thing happens, but instead, I reel in a little pot. This pot, I open it and a blue man jumps out.
The blue man was aggressive, angry from being held captive. I asked him for his story. He replied, " I am a prisoner to that pot. I have been trapped for years. Your kind always leaves me places where no one will find me for ages after they have used my powers."
Sensing his incoming tantrum, I say; "What kind of powers? Tell me about your strengths." Giving him the opportunity to boost himself, instantly calming him.
He then reveals he is a genie, with great power but enslaved by the owner. I reply, "Give me a life of more leisure and less stress so I can spend more time with my family, and I will set you free."
This calms the genie. He finally saw a chance for freedom and he took it. Agreeing almost instantly, he granted my wish. Moments later, I got a call from work, saying I got a raise- the new position meant fewer hours and more money. My wife called a few moments after that and told me she got a similar offer. Happily, I set the genie free and started dreaming of the new freedom we both found.
Author's Note
I based this slightly off of The Story of the Fisherman. I updated the story and also gave more insights on why he was fishing which was unnecessary to the original. I also changed the genie slightly. The fisherman's genie is homicidal but this genie is more like a toddler without a nap. I figure since he is a dad, it would be better for him to deal with something he was used to. Also, the fisherman does not let the genie go, but slavery is bad so I made that change.
Hi Caitlin! I'm going to practice my "pretend" skills and write some feedback from the genie's point of view.
ReplyDeleteI do sometimes feel like a child; I think it is because I have been bored in that little old pot for thousands of years! I wish I saw more of myself in this retelling. What do I look like? How did it feel to be free for the first time? The fisherman's motivation was so pure, but my experience with wishers is that they are greedy. I wonder if our saintly fisherman was ever tempted to wish again. I am glad that the wish I granted affected more than just the fisherman! I try to leave the most impact possible. Sometimes I do this by granting a wish based off of my interpretation, which does not match the meaning the wisher meant to express. I decided not to do that with the fisherman because I was too hopeful that he would grant my wish in return. Thank you for giving me a happy ending; it is such a nice change!
Hi Caitlin!
ReplyDeleteI really liked your opening to this story. You made it feel like a recognizable scenario for a modern reader. I also really appreciated the somber mood. Part of me wishes I knew more about how the relationship between the main character and his family change after this. Does he ever take his kids fishing? I assume he would now that he has more time but it might be a nice scene to include. The promise to set the genie free and the blue genie reminded me a lot of the Disney version Aladdin which definitely is not a bad thing but it might be more interesting to come up with an alternate arrangement between the man and genie. Great story!
Hey Caitlin, I really liked your story this week! I read the story about the fisherman too, from Scheherazade's tales, so I was able to recognize which story you were telling as soon as the fisherman pulled the genie out of the water. I liked that you updated it and added more modern elements to the story; it was really creative and interesting! I liked, too, that you gave both of them happy endings, because the original story was full of anger and trickery. Great job!
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