Storytelling, Week 13: Too Fast To Care

     In a far away desert, tumbleweeds roll as the wind sweeps across the hills. This desert is especially particular because the cactuses grow taller here than any other place in the world. Maybe this is because of the long rainy season, but no one knows for sure. Now, this desert is full of diverse animals. From the tiniest scorpion to the towering coyote the animals here have learned to coexist in harmony. However, there is one animal in particular that leads his life differently than the rest of the animals, the roadrunner.

     The roadrunner is by far the fastest animal in the desert. This might sound great, but he is quite aware of his skills. Throughout the entire rainy season, the roadrunner spends his days running around the desert at outstanding speed. He does this to show off his quickness and agility. Every day the roadrunner runs across the barren dunes, into the rocky canyons, and back to his home in the brittlebush. Each other animal within the desert rolls their eyes as the roadrunner zooms past them.

     One might ask, why is this a bad thing? Sure, it is a little narcissistic, but who isn't from time to time? However, the change between the wet and dry season is drastic. For many months, there is a long rainy season where the desert brush grows tall and the food is plenty. Soon enough, the rain will stop and the foliage will die. This doesn't happen at a gradual pace, the plants die rather quickly. Some animals even say the bushes die over night. While the roadrunner zips throughout the desert, too fast to care about his future, the other animals gather food and prepare for the brutality of the dry season.

     Eventually, this rainy season ended and, sure enough, the foliage began to die. The poor roadrunner realizes that he does not have any food gathered for the dry season. He approaches a small rock cavern where a kind armadillo lives. The roadrunner figures that since the armadillo is the nicest animal in the desert, he will lend him food for the dry season.

          The roadrunner enters the cavern and shouts, "Hello, my armadillo friend! I have a quick favor to ask of you!" The armadillo awakes from his nap and mumbles to the roadrunner.

          "Is it as quick as your speed you run about everyday?" replies the armadillo.

          The roadrunner laughs, "Not that quick, but I have been busy all rainy season and seem to have forgotten to collect food for the dry season. Can I borrow food for this dry season?"

          The armadillo slowly walks to his food dwelling, but hesitates. "You did not look busy all season. You were too concerned with showing off your speed that you forgot to do what is important. I am sorry, but I will not help you."

          The disgusted roadrunner replies, "Why must I collect food when there is plenty in front of me? I spent the season showing the world my amazing speed. I thought we were friends, no?"

          "Fine, I will lend you some food, but only once. However, there is something you must do for this reward. Since you run so fast forwards, you must run backwards to get food from me." the armadillo says kindly.

          The roadrunner excitedly exclaims, "Run backwards! That sounds easy! Now I can show the desert that I can run fast both forwards and backwards!"

     The roadrunner and armadillo leave the small cavern and walk to a giant bare clearing. The roadrunner shouts, "Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to be amazed!" Animals come from their homes and gather around the two. The roadrunner starts to run backwards, but tramples over his feet and falls. He keeps getting up and trying again, but is unsuccessful. All the animals throughout the desert laugh at him.

     The roadrunner received his food that was fairly earned from the armadillo, but spent the next rainy season gathering for food.

Roadrunner

Author's Note:

     I based my story off of a fable of "The Grasshopper and the Ant" within Aesop (La Fontaine). In the original story the grasshopper spends all summer singing in a tree, while the ant gathers food for winter. When winter comes around the grasshopper is without food so asks the ant for some. The ant questions why he did not spend the summer gathering for food and sang instead. The somewhat narcissistic grasshopper says that his singing is wonderful and forgot to collect food. The ant agrees to give him food as long as he dances. The grasshopper can sing, but not dance so he embarrasses himself. The roadrunner within my story parallel's the grasshopper's demeanor. In the end, the armadillo uses the roadrunner's talents against him by making him run backwards. The roadrunner cannot do this so he embarrasses himself.

Larned, W.T. Fables in Rhyme for Little Folks (1918)