Stories (my retelling)
Draft 1
The Selfish Giant
Retold by Carolann Parr
Inspired by Nick Ellsworth
Originally by Oscar Wilde
Originally by Oscar Wilde
In a land far, far away there lived a gentle Rock Giant {name}, this giant lived down in the middle of{forest name} forest, far away from his previous home within the {mountain name} mountain, to build himself a lovely home with a large, beautiful garden, away from all of the other not so gentle Rock Giants. {Name} was very proud of his new home and all the lovely things he places within the gardens, he finally had a place he was proud to call his own and he would do anything to keep it safe. His favorite part of his new home is when spring time would come to visit, the flowers would bloom in all of their bright colours, the fruit would grow from the trees and bushes and most importantly, the Sporelings from Mush Village would come up to play. They would arrive just as the sun began to rise, laugh and played until night sky fell upon the forests. "Good Night Mr. Giant" the sporelings would shout up towards {name} as they began their journey home, {name} giving his large, silly smile as he waved back. During this time the wind would blow through the many branches of his tress, softly rustling the leaves as {name} rested his eyes, ready for the sporelings to return tomorrow.
One year later, {name} returned to his old home up in the mountains to visit his only friend {fname}, who lived so high up in the mountains that you can touch the clouds and see the starts, however it ways always cold up there. While on his visit, the topic of his new garden came up.
"You let those filthy sporelings into your garden!" {fname} shouted at {name}. {fname} along with the other rock giants who live up in {mountain name} didn't like the shroomlings, especially their children the sporelings. {fname} spent the next hour telling {name} how bad the sporelings are and how foolish {name} is to let them play within his garden.
"I known you for decades {name}" {fname} said taking a huge, messy bite of the rock and blueberry pie "You're a push over and let anyone stomp all over you. You will let them play all day in your garden all day long, eating your food, destroying your flowers" {fname} carried on, emetizing every 'your'. "Mark my word {name}, they will destroy every part of your garden without a care in the world, moving on to do it to someone else, all of your hard work will go to waste cause you cant stand up for yourself" {fname} said while still chewing on the pie "its like your not even a Rock Giant, no wonder you have no friends" {fname} finished saying as he left the room, leaving {name} alone to think on what his friend has told him.
Thinking long and hard on what his friend had told him, {name} came to the conclusion that {fname} was right and with that, his once living heart began to turn to stone. "He's right, I am a push over, but those sporelings are just young" {name} thought "{fname} is a lot older than me though, they have been taking things from my garden " {name} train of thought finished, realizing that {fname} is corrected he wasted no time in packing his things and began his journey back down the mountain, thought the {rock giant village}, passed his old house, across the {lake name} to the middle of {forest name} where his garden lived.
Upon arriving to his garden, his heart began to change on the sight of all the children playing and harvesting the fruits in small woven baskets. Before a smile could grow on his face, in the far corner on his garden under a apple tree he saw a little girl, cutting at the flowers in his favorite plant box. Anger built within his stone body as he realize {fname} was right all along, those filthy sporelings have no respect for him or his plants.
"Get out of my garden you filthy things!" {name} yelled in his deep, booming voice that made the trees shake. "Get out, you are no longer welcome here" he carried on, chasing the sporelings away from his garden. In fear of the angry giant, the sporelings dropped there things, running of back home to safety.
Upon arriving to his garden, his heart began to change on the sight of all the children playing and harvesting the fruits in small woven baskets. Before a smile could grow on his face, in the far corner on his garden under a apple tree he saw a little girl, cutting at the flowers in his favorite plant box. Anger built within his stone body as he realize {fname} was right all along, those filthy sporelings have no respect for him or his plants.
"Get out of my garden you filthy things!" {name} yelled in his deep, booming voice that made the trees shake. "Get out, you are no longer welcome here" he carried on, chasing the sporelings away from his garden. In fear of the angry giant, the sporelings dropped there things, running of back home to safety.
Once all of the sporelings have left his home, {name} began to build a tall strong wall of rocks around his garden, planting thorn bushes on the outside. Placing a signs around the wall stating 'keep out' and 'stay away' he finally entered his garden locking the gate behind him "that will keep them out" {name} sighed before going up to his room, as the night sky grew closer and the wind made there nightly song the Rock Giant rested eyes, waiting for his coming days without the sporelings in his way.
The next day was much colder then the rest, winter has come but it seem to be a lot colder then the previous ones. Opening his windows, {name} was hit with hail and snow, down below all of the flowers slouched over, the trees leaves rested dead on the floor and a layer of ice and snow rested on every surface it could reach. Closing his window, {name} returned back into his home, starting a fire and beginning his winter routine, waiting for spring to come again. As the weeks came and go, {name} began to notice that his garden remained dark and gloomy, no blossoming flowers and no budding leaves, just ice and snow covering every surface. Being confused on what was happening, {name} traveled to the tallest tower of his home to look beyond the wall, only to notice a carpet of green and pink on every tree, blooming flowers and all the wildlife doing that they do. Spring has come, but {name} garden remained just as cold if not colder, from the first winder fall.
Years passed of the seasons coming and going beyond his wall but winter remained, the trees beginning to drop more as the years go, some even falling down. {name} spent his days trying to find out what happened, trying to fix it, he spoke to every person he could and read every book he could get his hands on but nothing helped. He would collect living plants to try and replant his garden, but as soon as it touched the soil they would die, he even tried replacing his soil but the plants carried on dying, he blamed the shroomlings for it all.
"I should have listen to my people and never moved down here, I should have never let those filthy sporelings near my home. They ruined my garden, all my hard work gone in a blink of an eye" {name} would think to himself as he tried everything he could, blaming the shroomlings for every problem he faced.
Giving up hope on every saving his garden, his home, he began to pack his belongings to move back to {mountain name}. As {name} went around his home to pack his things, a group of young sporelings came across his wall on their way to {lake name} to play in the water. Curious on what lived behind this large, overgrown wall they looked around for an opening to get through the thorns and over wall, not knowing that happened the last time sporelings entered the garden. Walking around the wall, they came across the small gate {name} have locked so many years ago, despite the thorns that have began to grow in front of the gate, the group of sporelings crawled under it and climbed over the fence.
With a big sigh, {name} opened his curtains to look beyond the wall once last time before he returned to his old home, looking down he saw that a small group of sporelings have entered his garden. Before his body could fill with rage, he noticed something he hasn't seen in years, the flowers slowly started to raise again and littles buds began to show on his trees. His heart filling with happiness, he began his way down to his garden to kick the sporelings out before they could ruin his garden again. Once he reached the garden, her realize something he never did before, the sporelings during there play, was helping the grass below them grow. Watching them run around, every step they tock the sad, grey ground began to turn into its bright green again. The stone that once covered {name} stone heart began to bloom again. With deep regret in his soul, {name} slowly began walking towards the group, wanting to welcome them and apologies for his mistakes. Upon seeing the Rock Giants form, the sporelings began to find a way out, being warn about the evil Rock Giant and his garden.
"Don't go" {name} began to softly say "Stay please, this garden belong to you just as much as me, you helped me keep it alive and I was too selfish to see what you was doing" he carried on. With pleading eyes, {name} walked towards his wall and began to remove the rocks, welcoming the sporelings back into his home.
The next day was much colder then the rest, winter has come but it seem to be a lot colder then the previous ones. Opening his windows, {name} was hit with hail and snow, down below all of the flowers slouched over, the trees leaves rested dead on the floor and a layer of ice and snow rested on every surface it could reach. Closing his window, {name} returned back into his home, starting a fire and beginning his winter routine, waiting for spring to come again. As the weeks came and go, {name} began to notice that his garden remained dark and gloomy, no blossoming flowers and no budding leaves, just ice and snow covering every surface. Being confused on what was happening, {name} traveled to the tallest tower of his home to look beyond the wall, only to notice a carpet of green and pink on every tree, blooming flowers and all the wildlife doing that they do. Spring has come, but {name} garden remained just as cold if not colder, from the first winder fall.
Years passed of the seasons coming and going beyond his wall but winter remained, the trees beginning to drop more as the years go, some even falling down. {name} spent his days trying to find out what happened, trying to fix it, he spoke to every person he could and read every book he could get his hands on but nothing helped. He would collect living plants to try and replant his garden, but as soon as it touched the soil they would die, he even tried replacing his soil but the plants carried on dying, he blamed the shroomlings for it all.
"I should have listen to my people and never moved down here, I should have never let those filthy sporelings near my home. They ruined my garden, all my hard work gone in a blink of an eye" {name} would think to himself as he tried everything he could, blaming the shroomlings for every problem he faced.
Giving up hope on every saving his garden, his home, he began to pack his belongings to move back to {mountain name}. As {name} went around his home to pack his things, a group of young sporelings came across his wall on their way to {lake name} to play in the water. Curious on what lived behind this large, overgrown wall they looked around for an opening to get through the thorns and over wall, not knowing that happened the last time sporelings entered the garden. Walking around the wall, they came across the small gate {name} have locked so many years ago, despite the thorns that have began to grow in front of the gate, the group of sporelings crawled under it and climbed over the fence.
With a big sigh, {name} opened his curtains to look beyond the wall once last time before he returned to his old home, looking down he saw that a small group of sporelings have entered his garden. Before his body could fill with rage, he noticed something he hasn't seen in years, the flowers slowly started to raise again and littles buds began to show on his trees. His heart filling with happiness, he began his way down to his garden to kick the sporelings out before they could ruin his garden again. Once he reached the garden, her realize something he never did before, the sporelings during there play, was helping the grass below them grow. Watching them run around, every step they tock the sad, grey ground began to turn into its bright green again. The stone that once covered {name} stone heart began to bloom again. With deep regret in his soul, {name} slowly began walking towards the group, wanting to welcome them and apologies for his mistakes. Upon seeing the Rock Giants form, the sporelings began to find a way out, being warn about the evil Rock Giant and his garden.
"Don't go" {name} began to softly say "Stay please, this garden belong to you just as much as me, you helped me keep it alive and I was too selfish to see what you was doing" he carried on. With pleading eyes, {name} walked towards his wall and began to remove the rocks, welcoming the sporelings back into his home.
Over the next week, {name} went down to Mush Village to apologies to the sporelings, now much older, that he had scared away all those years ago and to welcome everyone to his garden. And with that, {name} along with the sporelings worked together to bring his garden to life once again, removing the walls and thorns, making a small play area and protection from rainy days with the rocks he once used to keep them out. {name}, understanding what he did was wrong, worked every day for years to come to help the shroomlings, using his garden to feed them all and in return they helped him look after his home.
"{fname} was wrong all along, they all was. Shroomlings are not filthy and evil as they say, they work hard to keep the {forest name} safe and happy" {name} thought to himself one night, once all the sporelings have left home. "I will never go back to {mountain name}, my home is here in {forest name}" he carried on, as the starts sprinkled the sky, the wind gently blew through the leaves creating the nightly song, as {name} closed his eyes drifting to sleep waiting for his next day with the Sporelings.
