There once was a dog named Princess Stella. Stella was the most beautiful and adored dog in all the land. Her luscious, golden fur was brushed daily and a crown sat delicately atop her head. She was dressed in the finest fashions and there was nothing she loved more than sparkle and shine.
All of the royal pups longed to marry Princess Stella. However, they knew they would never catch her attention without a flashy gift. Stella was gifted with outfits from around the world, designer collars, and the most exclusive chew toys. Alas, none of these presents were enough to please the princess.
The princess was losing hope until one day, when one brave pup presented Stella with what he believed was the most impressive gift she would ever see. He bestowed Princess Stella a diamond. This was no ordinary diamond. This was the biggest diamond that existed in the land!
“Princess Stella!” the dog exclaimed, “I have searched high and low to find the most beautiful gift for the most beautiful princess. It took me years of my life and many miles of travel to find it. I have put every ounce of my resources into perfecting this gift for you.”
Princess Stella’s eyes were bigger than the diamond as she drooled over its beauty.
She squealed in excitement as she greedily ripped the diamond from the dog’s gracious paws. Impressed with the gesture, she ventured home to show off her new prized possession.
On her way home, she came across a castle with tall glass windows. Curious who could possibly live in this beautiful mansion, she took a look in the glass. On the other side she saw a beautiful dog. This dog had luscious, golden fur which must be brushed daily. She was dressed in the finest fashions and a crown sat delicately atop her head. But what shocked Stella the most was the size of the diamond that the dog on the other side was holding. Upset, Stella opened her mouth to bark at this princess. Who did she think she was!? Nobody deserved a diamond bigger than Princess Stella’s!
When Stella opened her mouth to bark at the dog on the other side of the glass, the precious diamond fell from her jaws and rolled into the gutter. Stella looked up to see the other dog’s diamond was gone as well. It was then that she realized that the dog she was staring at was her own reflection.
Jealousy caused Princess Stella to lose sight of how valuable of a gift she had received.
Author’s Note: I used the fable The Dog and the Shadow for this story. In this fable, the main character, a dog, has a piece of meat that he is carrying home. As he crosses the water, he sees his reflection. He mistakes this reflection for another dog with a different piece of meat. When he barks at the “dog”, he drops his meat into the water, losing it forever. I changed this story to be about a fabulous dog who is very materialistic. The moral of the story remains the same: don’t lose sight of what you already have by chasing what you don’t have.
Bibliography: The Dog and the Shadow from The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs, Web Source
What an awesome twist to the story! I like that it is almost a modern twist on the tale, what with the designer collars and exclusive chew toys. I think you did a great job of sticking close to the original moral of the story, but maybe making it a little more relatable for people today. I look forward to reading more of your stories this semester!
ReplyDeleteI love that this was about a materialistic dog! I feel that is the exact opposite of their personalities. We as humans tend to be much more materialistic than dogs.I also think that the best thing about this story was that I was smiling the entire time that I was reading it. I think anything that can bring a smile to someone else's face is a win! I can't wait to read more of your stories this semester!
ReplyDeleteI like how you changed the story. Being materialistic is not going to make you happy and in the end it will be the cause of your unhappiness. That is why you should be happy with what you have, it is not wrong to want things but that should not be the sole basis of your happiness. That way you won't be unhappy if you don't fulfill your dream but instead are content with the things that you have now.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great story with a great lesson so great job there. I really enjoyed reading your details of Princess Stella which involved her wearing designer collars. I like how you were able to capture her greedy nature and jealousy in aspects where she was never pleased and also how she ripped the diamond from the other dog. Great story!
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