Storytelling for Week 4: Full Bellies

After Shah Ali ordered food to be given to the two hungry men and seeing them weep, he reached out and ushered the men into his palace. The two men were continually weeping, partly from sadness and partly from defeat. Ali sat the two men down and asked them to speak about themselves. The old man went first.

"I live in a village to the west of the Capital called Mollaque. I live there with my beautiful wife. We had three children, but they now live in the Capital to the East called Shamaa. They work very hard and make enough money to put food on the table for their families. We proudly have six grandchildren". said the old man with a smile. He continued, "They make the long journey and visit twice a year. We all gather in our tiny house, gather what money we have together and cook a grand meal, dance and tell stories form the past."

Ali and the young man were fond of the old man's story, eagerly waiting on the next word. Ali snapped his fingers and called upon his servant to bring wine, assorted cheeses and fruits. All the while he was giving orders his gaze never left the old man's face. The old man was so entranced by his own story he did not notice an assortment of the finest foods in the land sat down right in front of him. Instead, he continued telling Ali and the young man about his grandchildren and family. When the old man was finished telling Ali and the young man about his life, Ali clasped his hands together and said, "I greatly admire your storytelling! I can tell you have such a beautiful family." Ali turned to the young man and asked him to speak.

"I live to the south of the Capital in a village called Fraque. I take care of my mother. My father passed away during the last full moon. I am strong, so most of my work is laborious and tiresome. Although, I enjoy starting a building and seeing it through until it is finished. I once built a shop for a very beautiful woman and her family in the Capital. I fell in love with her from a distance, but I could never do anything about my love because she was of the upper class." the young man said.

Building Man
(Return of Kings)

Again, Ali and the old man listened intently to the young man's story, hanging on every word. Ali confided in the young man's loss of love. "I too, lost the love of my life. She was taken away by her family from the Capital when I was a young prince." confided Ali.

The three me continued to share stories about their lives and share values about the world. The three men became very relaxed inside the palace. And without noticing continued to eat and drink what was placed before them. They talked and eat well into the night and created a bond to last forever.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I started the story at the end of the original story. The story end by the wicked Shah Ali fives two extremely hungry men a very small amount of food. Basically he taunts and torments them. The two men get upset because they are so hungry and complain that the other is able to eat more of the food more quickly. The story originally peaked my interest because it had to do with food, but after finishing the story it became dark and twisted. To make the characters and general plot more appealing I wanted to shift the focus. So, I had to take a different approach and finish the end of the story and make it a happy one. The story was pretty short so I was able to add life and give characters a personality that shed a more favorable light on all of them. I knew I wanted to make a royal figure more humble and kind, while also giving the two poor men back stories to make them more relatable. The two men talk in detail about their families and their past, which help form the bond between the three men. The story this is derived from is Teeth and No Teeth.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Book: Georgian Folk Tales
Author: Marjory Wardrop
Year Published: 1894
Web Source