Taming of the Shrew - Allusion - Sunday Writing Essential

Taming of the Shrew

There was a maiden once

Who was not at all a dunce

But a most unpleasant damsel

Who resented every counsel

Whenever she was in a foul mood

When she spoke

Along with words came out a brood

Of slimy, wriggly snakes in colours

To suit the moods of varied flavours

From mildly insolent

To outright rude, malevolent

I need to tame the shrew

Her mother thought

I need to say a word or two

“If you do not change your ways, my dear

Become sweet as the Queen of Sheba

Forever you will stay a spinster

Or spend your life in a cloister.”

“Ha! I would much prefer that kind of life”

Said the daughter

“Than to marry some old miser

Be bound to him a slave-wife.

And if you do not want to hear

More from me on this matter

Then do what Vincent did

Just cut off your ear!”

As soon as the last word she did utter

The bright red snake

That came out of her mouth

Turned back its glowing head

Stuck its fangs in the grumpy damsel’s pout

OUCH!

That shook her to the core

Her pout was so sore she forgot to be mean for ever more

“I’ll marry “, she said

Much to her mother’s delight

And she didn’t tarry

Soon she produced babies sweet as honey

Who, when they grew up

Loved the dole and rock n’ roll…alas

“Life’s an ass”, she muttered

“If you don’t roll up your sleeves

And do some decent work

You are nothing but common thieves.”

Not liking what they heard

“That sucks”, they said and they all fled.

Like the Prodigal Son they found the big wide world

Not to be as rosy and cosy as they would have preferred

So one day they packed their sack

Returned home

And as the story goes, she took them back

Accepting their penitence

Remembering her own impudence

To end the tale in Aesop’s fashion

Here’s the final caption:

“The moral of the story, you can see now clearly

The arrogance of youth can cost you dearly…and

Your mother you can always call

‘cause she loves you warts and all.”

© irina dimitric

The Prompt:  Write a story using the device of Diary Narration.  No more than 1000 words, please.

And/or write a poem which uses some sort of historical or literary allusion—or throw one into your story.

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