Week 14 Story: How I Got Outsmarted by a Mere Peasant
I was but a little devil. I toiled under the earth's surface but could bear no more. I yearned for some fruits of the earth, so I went on about my journey to the surface. There I surface, upon a pile of hot coals, in a peasant's field, where I watched him work the soil. Here I lay in wait until he approached me.
So, when the peasant finished with tending to his field, he began making his way home when he spotted me. Having peaked the peasant's curiosity, I patiently waited until he arrived. Upon his arrival, he asserted that I sit on top of a treasure.
To his blunt assertion, I confirmed his suspicion, for I had brought with me a treasure of gold and silver to bribe him of some of the fruits of his hard labor. So, I extended my offer out to the peasant. For the next two years, he shall give me half of everything his field produced, and in return, I shall give him my treasure of riches.
So, it was agreed that for the first year, I shall receive everything that grew above the ground, and the peasant shall keep everything that grew below the ground. I was quite happy with this decision and returned back to my dwelling, boding my time until a year had passed.
Upon a year's passing, I returned to the surface again, eagerly awaiting my share of the peasant's crops. However, unbeknownst to me, the peasant had the audacity to plant turnips! While he took all of the turnips to his shack, I was left with withered leaves! Surely, the peasant was not to get the best of me. So, I negotiated that for the last year, I shall take everything that is grown below the ground, and the peasant shall keep everything that is grown above the ground. To this, the peasant calmly accepted. So again, I returned back to my dwelling, boding my time until yet another year had passed.
Upon another year's passing, I returned to the surface again, eagerly awaiting my share of the peasant's crops. However, unbeknownst to me, the peasant had the audacity to plant wheat! While he took all of the wheat to his shack, I was left with stubble and weeds! Surely, the peasant has gotten the best of it, for the peasant made his way over to me and plucked my precious treasure from my measly hands! I was loathsome and returned back to my dwelling, not knowing what to do with myself.
Author's Note: The original story of The Peasant and the Devil tells of how the peasant outsmarted the devil. After tending to his field, the peasant spots a pile of ashes in the middle of his field. Out of curiosity, he comes over to find a little black devil laying on top. The peasant asserts that the devil is sitting on a treasure. To this, the devil extends his offer to the peasant: for two years, the devil shall receive half of all the peasant's field produces in return for a treasure of gold and silver. Both agree to the deal. The devil shall keep everything that grew above the ground while the peasant shall keep everything that grew below the ground. Outsmarting the devil, the peasant grew turnips and kept all of his crops. The second year, it was said that the devil shall keep everything that grew below the ground while the peasant shall keep everything that grew above the ground. Outsmarting the devil yet again, the peasant planted wheat. So, the peasant kept all of his crops and made off with the devil's treasure. For my rendition of the story, I decided to retell it from the perspective of the devil. I thought it would be interesting to retell as if I were being tricked or outsmarted by the peasant. Though most readers may think of the devil as the antagonist, I described the devil as the protagonist in my story, yearning to have some of earth's fruit for himself. Yet, readers can emphasize with the devil as he is outsmarted time and time again, until he has nothing left. I also opted for a somewhat parallel for the last two paragraphs of the story to emphasize how the devil got outsmarted yet again.
Bibliography: The Peasant and the Devil from The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales translated by D.L. Ashliman (1998-2013)
So, when the peasant finished with tending to his field, he began making his way home when he spotted me. Having peaked the peasant's curiosity, I patiently waited until he arrived. Upon his arrival, he asserted that I sit on top of a treasure.
To his blunt assertion, I confirmed his suspicion, for I had brought with me a treasure of gold and silver to bribe him of some of the fruits of his hard labor. So, I extended my offer out to the peasant. For the next two years, he shall give me half of everything his field produced, and in return, I shall give him my treasure of riches.
So, it was agreed that for the first year, I shall receive everything that grew above the ground, and the peasant shall keep everything that grew below the ground. I was quite happy with this decision and returned back to my dwelling, boding my time until a year had passed.
Upon a year's passing, I returned to the surface again, eagerly awaiting my share of the peasant's crops. However, unbeknownst to me, the peasant had the audacity to plant turnips! While he took all of the turnips to his shack, I was left with withered leaves! Surely, the peasant was not to get the best of me. So, I negotiated that for the last year, I shall take everything that is grown below the ground, and the peasant shall keep everything that is grown above the ground. To this, the peasant calmly accepted. So again, I returned back to my dwelling, boding my time until yet another year had passed.
Upon another year's passing, I returned to the surface again, eagerly awaiting my share of the peasant's crops. However, unbeknownst to me, the peasant had the audacity to plant wheat! While he took all of the wheat to his shack, I was left with stubble and weeds! Surely, the peasant has gotten the best of it, for the peasant made his way over to me and plucked my precious treasure from my measly hands! I was loathsome and returned back to my dwelling, not knowing what to do with myself.
Field of Wheat - Courtesy of Britannica
Author's Note: The original story of The Peasant and the Devil tells of how the peasant outsmarted the devil. After tending to his field, the peasant spots a pile of ashes in the middle of his field. Out of curiosity, he comes over to find a little black devil laying on top. The peasant asserts that the devil is sitting on a treasure. To this, the devil extends his offer to the peasant: for two years, the devil shall receive half of all the peasant's field produces in return for a treasure of gold and silver. Both agree to the deal. The devil shall keep everything that grew above the ground while the peasant shall keep everything that grew below the ground. Outsmarting the devil, the peasant grew turnips and kept all of his crops. The second year, it was said that the devil shall keep everything that grew below the ground while the peasant shall keep everything that grew above the ground. Outsmarting the devil yet again, the peasant planted wheat. So, the peasant kept all of his crops and made off with the devil's treasure. For my rendition of the story, I decided to retell it from the perspective of the devil. I thought it would be interesting to retell as if I were being tricked or outsmarted by the peasant. Though most readers may think of the devil as the antagonist, I described the devil as the protagonist in my story, yearning to have some of earth's fruit for himself. Yet, readers can emphasize with the devil as he is outsmarted time and time again, until he has nothing left. I also opted for a somewhat parallel for the last two paragraphs of the story to emphasize how the devil got outsmarted yet again.
Bibliography: The Peasant and the Devil from The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales translated by D.L. Ashliman (1998-2013)
Hi Jackie,
ReplyDeleteThis is a refreshing retelling going about it from a change in perspective. As opposed to changing out characters, viewing the original story in a new point of view seems more challenging. It's also fun to empathize with the bad guy for once! Your writing here is very well-spoken.