Editor's Note: Sally Clark's stories and poems have appeared in anthologies and books published by Tyndale House, Thomas Nelson, Howard Books, New World Library, Center Street, Adams Media, and Chronicle Books. Find her at www.sallyclark.info.
A frog and a toad hop into a tavern
where the evening fun has just begun
and the humans have all gone home leaving
jostles of beer and puddles of ale on the floor
and one talkative rat, deep in his cups,
with an outrageous story to boast
about how he drove a coach and six horses
to the King's great castle and delivered a beauty
most rare; how his long tail cracked over
the heads of horses that leapt at his commands;
how his four-fingered paws grew another and held
the reins and himself sporting velvet and silver-trimmed
silks, high, high, high above, as he bounced
and jolted along; he swears, yes, swears,
that the tale is true to the intoxicated swarm of
insects, rodents, lizards, and toads,
his voice rising above their laughter and slaps
on the back and shouts of that's a good one,
that is, you old sot. The rat retires his story,
whiskers quivering as he downs another pint.
C’mon on along, the frog croaks to the toad. I've
heard that down the road there's a bloke,
a mouse this time, claims he's run with a mane
and tail in harness, no less, now this’ll be a good one...
Image by John A. Grimshaw.
6 comments:
This was a fun and short piece; this is one anthropomorphism I really enjoyed. :)
I think this poem is very clever and creative. The writer did a very good job at making the reader understand that this was related to the Cinderella story without just coming out and saying anything too obvious. I think that it is a very creative way to incorporate the Cinderella story into a poem that starts out being not even related to the fairytale. I thought it was neat to read about the rat’s perspective and how he was sort of bragging about being able to take the “beauty” to the castle. I could picture the rat sitting in a dirty bar at the end of night, chugging away at his beer and swearing to the others that the story is true. As compared to reality, most stories told in the bar are exaggerated with the help of alcohol and I thought it was clever how the author took a twist of the Cinderella story and brought in the rat who was trying to convince everyone else that what he had done was true.
AJ
This was a fun piece to read. It is something different than what were used to reading in fairy tales in class. Usually stories are based around a family or a member of one family. The adventure of rodents after dark when the humans have left is a good production, one to read to kids. But people with their inner child inside can always enjoy it! This story kind of reminds me of the movies “Stuart Little” and “Ratatouille”, these movies were based around rodents as such portraying human-like characteristics. These animals in the movies were basically talking and interacting just as humans would. This is another piece that really interests me because it being told from another “imaginary” character’s perspective from the story of Cinderella. These types of stories are some of my favorite to read about. Great job with this post, I loved it!
Ruth S.
“It Must’ A Been a Full Moon” is such a fun and light hearted tale. The use of animals from famous fairy tales interacting in human like setting really captures the spirit of enchantment. The rat’s story, drawn from Cinderella, is too grand for a rat to have experienced, and for any of the other creatures to believe. It is almost as if he is an early explorer retelling his countrymen of the gold, riches spectacular wonderment, and exotic things he has seen in his travels either provoking in them wonderment or denial, and all the while knowing the truth. It makes me think that the creatures live in a magical place of wonderment where they can be pulled into fairy tales and sent back once they have fulfilled their duty to the realm, and what the frog and the toad do not know is that they will be called upon to play a role one day, but for now are fascinated at the tales of those who have already experienced the mysticism.
-Adam Z.
These stories and poems that take on different perspectives are so fresh and exciting! Along the lines of learning about Red’s warning to her supposed daughter in “Red Cape,” by Lissa Sloan, as well as the fairy godmother’s qualms in “Her Dark Materials,” by Amanda C. Davis, we now read as a rat involved in Cinderella’s transformation comes forward and tells his drinking partners about his privileged experience. Like other grand tales (which are often too grand for your average person, or animal, in this case, to experience) those who become familiar with them see it as a sort of fiction or lie that is made up to entertain or assert boastfulness. Our poor rat friend is simply explaining his story that is met with understandable disbelief. Through the rat’s explanation, I almost get the sense that all of these magnificent tales are realistic events that very well could have occurred in past history. The downside is that most take these tales as simply that. Of course, that is just my inner child trying to convince me that fantasy could be reality.
-JP
I liked this piece a lot. It was really fun to read for me and I liked how it is drawn from the rats in Cinderella from their point of view rather than a human character's point of view. I thought that was very interesting and different which is why I think I like it so much. It takes the idea that animals connect with humans and can talk to them which for me, are my favorite fairy tales to either read about or watch. It was funny to me that coming from the rat's perspective is that I can see him telling everyone what he was able to do when talking to his friends. But no one believed that he took the beauty to the king's castle because that is hardly possible for anyone to believe his adventure when he is a rat. Loved this post! Very fun to read! T.R.
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