There once was a man and a woman. The man, much like other men, woke up with the sun and spent his days hunting for food, only returning home when the sun had set for the day. The woman, much like other women, spent her days alone, taking care of the house and preparing food for her man when he returned home.
There was a time when the two lived comfortably with no conflicts. They enjoyed their duties and were very much in love. But as time passes, change is unavoidable. And the man and the women spent so little time together (the man hunting and the woman housekeeping), that the two grew apart. The man, so devoted to the hunt, never noticed that he and his wife were growing apart; however, the woman, who spent much of her time in the day simply waiting for her husband to return home, grew quite lonely and introverted. For a time, she considered taking her own life. She would do it right after her husband left for the day, and then she wouldn’t have to feel so lonely anymore. Many times the man left for the day, but not once could the woman bring herself to this terrible deed. As far apart as the two had grown, she knew the man still depended on her. Without her, the man would be all alone, and she couldn’t bear to leave him like that.
So one day, after the woman had a midday meal, she went out and sat by the shore. Recently, she had found that sitting and watching the tides recede gave her some time to reflect on the good times she shared with her husband. On this day, she sat down, and not more than thirty minutes after she had arrived, she heard a soft purring behind her. She turned around and saw a mangy orange and white cat. The cat walked right up to her and rubbed her cheek against the woman’s leg. The woman knew that the man would never let her keep a pet. Pets were banned by law, and punishable by death.
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| (Image Information: An orange and white cat; Web Source: Wikimedia) |
“You must go,” The woman whispered to the stray, “You can’t stay here or they’ll kill you.”
The cat looked at her endearingly, and then cocked her head as if to say, “But why? I want to be friends.”
The woman thought this was cute, but she knew that the cats fate was unavoidable if she stayed. “Go! Leave Now!” The woman yelled. This startled the cat, and it backed up a few feet, eyes wide as saucers. The woman felt bad for this, so she stuck her hand out toward the cat, apologizing for her outburst. The cat wearily walked towards the hand, and began to purr as she rubbed her cheek against it. The woman knew she would never let this cat go no matter what. She had to keep it hidden from her husband.Author's Note: This story is a story that shares only the title with its inspiration. "The Wife Who Lied" was a story about a woman who pits two tribes against one another because of her lie. She pays for her transgression by bleeding to death after two men cut her arms off. In this story, there is also a wife who lies, but it is different because she lies about keeping a cat. And who could turn away a purring cat meow.
"The Wife Who Lied" from Eskimo Folk Tales by Knud Rasmussen, with illustrations by Native Eskimo artists (1929).
Wow, it seems like you were very creative with this story! From the summary you gave in your author's note it seems completely different from the original. Was the part about the husband and wife growing apart in the original? That was my favorite part of this story. I thought that section was beautifully written. I also really liked the parallel structure you used for your opening paragraph. I also liked how you described the cat's movements and personality. It definitely sounds familiar :) On a technical note, you said "women" in the second paragraph when it should have been "woman." I also would have liked to known what happened with the cat and the woman. Was she successful in keeping her secret pet, or did she suffer a terrible fate like the woman in the original story? Still, this way I can just pretend there is a happy ending! Great job!
ReplyDeleteStoffel, this was a really creative story. I think it was a very interesting way to take the original story and make it your own. I thought you did a great job at developing the character and including some dialogue to further develop the characters. I also think the picture you included was great! Overall, I thought this was a great story! Good job!
ReplyDeleteI've had an incident very similar to this once. I was watching over a friends two cats while she was studying abroad without the apartment complex office people knowing. Twice they almost found out about them. If I could, I would have kept them because they were so adorable and had such quirky personalities about them, so I understand this woman's predicament. I also appreciate how you made this story-retelling much less gruesome than the original. I like stories with happy(er) endings.
ReplyDeleteStoffel,
ReplyDeleteI definitely enjoyed your slightly more PG version of the story. I'm curious which portions of the original were different from a pure plot standpoint, i.e. the wife and husband slowly growing apart. I appreciated your including a cat in the story, I guess I shouldn't be especially surprised after your introduction haha.
I thought your story was a very interesting approach to rewriting this tale. After reading the author’s note, it took me a minute to realize what you said about the story only being the same in title. I would’ve liked a little more detail about what happens in the original story, as I didn’t read it, so I’m not familiar with the details of the plot, but overall, I thought your story was great!
ReplyDeleteHello Stoffel,
ReplyDeleteThis story made me feel really emotional. First, I cannot understand why someone would want to take their life. I have never been in that position or mindset. My heart goes out to those that may be or have been in that situation. Secondly, I have two Shih Tzus; therefore, I completely understand how you cannot avoid the power of a pets eyes. My puppies are so spoiled but I do not care because they are so cute! Great story!