Storytelling for Week 5: The Alliance

The Hares were so persecuted by the other beasts, they did not know where to go. As soon as they saw a single animal approach them, off they used to run.

One day they saw a troop of wild Horses stampeding about, and in quite a panic all the Hares scuttled off to a lake hard by, determined to drown themselves rather than live in such a continual state of fear.

But just as they got near the bank of the lake, a troop of Frogs, frightened in their turn by the approach of the Hares scuttled off, and jumped into the water.

"Truly," said one of the Hares, "things are not so bad as they seem: There is always someone worse off than yourself."

(The Hares and the Frogs)

The Alliance

Once in a forest, there lived hares. They have lived in this forest for hundreds of years; their great great grandfather stumbled upon this land and fell in love with it so much he claimed it as his home. The forest was filled with trees that seemed to reach the sky. The land was green and fertile -- just waiting to be claimed or to be inhabited. The appearance and comfortable atmosphere of the forest was not the only reason the old hare fell in love with this place but also the amiable creatures that inhabited it.

As soon as the old hare decided to make this forest his home, creatures from all over the forest came to greet him and help him feel at home. For these reasons, the hare decided that this forest was the place he would settle and start a family; his children, grandchildren, and grand-children's grandchildren  and so on shall live and flourish here. The hares lived happily in the forest until word got out about the forest's abundance.

Outside of the forest, lived snakes. The serpents were tired of their dry and rocky home. There was hardly any creatures to prey on and the rough rocky terrain made it hard for the snakes to be comfortable. One day, there were these birds flying overhead. The snakes overheard them discussing a place full of food and fertile vegetation -- the forest. The snakes longed for a place where they could slither on soft land rather than rough rocks. As soon as they heard this, they made their way towards the forest. 

At their arrival at the forest, they saw that the forest did indeed live up to their expectations. It was full of creatures that they could prey upon. The ground was covered with soft soil and soft grass. As they further progressed into the forest they noticed hares; their favorite meal. 

For months, the serpents preyed on the hares until the hares had enough. The hares sent out one of their own to seek for help. While looking for help, the hare ran into some frogs. The frogs looked unusually fearful and in a hurry. The hare asked them what they were afraid of. The frogs replied that the serpents have terrorizing them for months. The hare suddenly realized that they were not the only ones being preyed upon but also the frogs.

Finally coming to this realization the hare came up with an idea; the frogs and hares should form an alliance against the snakes. The hares did not stand a chance against the serpents alone but with the frogs by their side they had a fighting chance. The frogs agreed to this plan. 

The hares and frogs stood side by side and were able to drive the snake out of the forest. The hares and frogs lived happily with their family in the forest and their new friendship flourished.

(The Hares and Frogs)

 Author's Notes:

This story is based on the story of the The Hares and the Frogs. The story of the "The Hares and the Frogs" can found in Aesop's Fables. "The Hares and the Frogs" is about hares that are being preyed upon by beasts. The hares attempt to runaway. They run towards a pond and run into frogs. The frog in fear of the hares ran away. The moral of the story is that "there is always someone worse off than yourself." I kept the part that the hares were being prey upon but changed it to where the frogs were also being preyed upon by the same predator as well. I chose the snake to be the predator because they are sneaky, menacing, and greatly feared by many creatures. The hares and frogs share a commonality: they are both being preyed by snakes. It is because of this commonality that the hares and frogs form a friendship and decide to face the snakes together. Alone they could not challenge the snakes but together they were able to run off the snakes. I wanted the moral of the story to be that one can accomplish more working together rather than working alone.

"The  Hares and the Frogs" from the Fables of Aesop (1902). Web source: Sacred Texts Archive.