Tiger and Rabbit crouched behind a tree. They had a clear view of the valley below. In that valley writhed a great, wild-eyed dragon: its claws ripped the air; its tail whipped angrily; its fangs clacked and flashed.
“What’s happening?” Rabbit asked, trembling.
“Shh,” said Tiger. “Now you will see a thing.”
All of a sudden, the dragon froze. Its body was tense and bizarrely coiled; its tail jutted skyward. Without warning, the dragon vented a tremendous fart, and a billion flowers exploded gaily from its ass.
Tiger roared with laughter, grabbed Rabbit, and farted joyously on his tiny head.
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Why does this put me in mind of the famous story of the bear and the rabbit?
ReplyDeleteExcellent!
ReplyDeleteThis needs to be an illustrated story.
Elisson,
ReplyDeleteThat joke, which I first heard in college, was definitely an inspiration for my story.
In many Korean folk tales, rabbits are portrayed as clever and tricky, often outsmarting other characters. Sometimes this annoys me in the same way that Woody Woodpecker has always annoyed me: I have a desire to see the Woody Woodpeckers of this world get their come-uppance, to face justice for their unprovoked mischief (Bugs Bunny had righteous indignation on his side; he doesn't count).
So Rabbit usually gets the short end of the stick when I write about him. (One famous Korean story, involving a tiger and a dried persimmon, also puts Rabbit through the wringer, but it's hard to think of other stories like that one).
Charles,
You were wondering, in your recent email, what I was going for in the stories I'd like to write. Something along these lines, I guess, although I haven't settled on a proper tone. Ultimately, I'd like to write a story that includes its share of humor, sadness, and wisdom, while also delivering some intrigue and suspense.