Saturday, September 10, 2011

[Story 05] The Hare versus the Tortoise


Create a visual/audio story that's simple and suitable for animation. Write a story that has 2 key characters who share one motivation. Use present tense.

Possibilities:
Both key characters can't get along/ hate each other
both must "journey" together to attain their goal

Keep it simple!



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The Flighty Hare and the Calm Tortoise have a competition to see who will reach the end first, end up acknowledging each other’s speed.

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Set up
The Hare boasting about her speed and escape from the Hawk, leering at the Tortoise about his speed.

Confrontation
It is night when the Hare wakes up, and see that there is a fire. She needs to warn their friends but the route is blocked by the fire. Just then the Tortoise arrives, and tells her that the shortcut is across the stream.
The Tortoise is slow in leading the way and the Hare cannot swim.

Resolution
They helped each other and manage to reach the ending point. The wise crow investigates the scene and tells them what the fire really is.

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“The Humans are here.”

“Pah, who cares about them, I can outrun them anytime.” The Hare exclaims proudly, “Why, the other day, I just escaped from the awful hawk!”

The other little animals express their admiration at that, for every successful escape means a longer life.

“It was merely luck. You only escaped because there was a hole nearby.” The Tortoise scoffs.

“So says the latecomer! Could it be that you are jealous of my speed?”

“Who is? You can barely last from here to the next clearing!”

The Hare and Tortoise continue bickering until the wise Crow stops them with a challenge to see who can reach the next clearing, get the marked flower and come back first. The Hare and Tortoise agree amidst the cheering of the other animals.

“Go!”


It is night when the Hare opens her eyes after her rest. To her horror, the Hare sees a bright reddish-orange light flickering a short distance away that could only means …

“Fire!” the Hare leaps to her feet, panicking.

“What?” The Tortoise asks calmly as he prods nearer to where the Hare is hopping up and down.

“Hah, you just reached? Anyway, there is a fire!”

The Tortoise squints in the direction where the Hare is pointing, “I guess we need to warn the others.”

“But the way back is blocked by the fire!”

“There is a shortcut. We just need to cross the stream a couple of steps away from here.”

“Lead the way!”

The Hare bounces off quickly; anxious to be the bearer of big news, turns her head, only to see the Tortoise prodding slowly along.

“Come on, I’ll try to carry you!” With some difficulty, the Tortoise climbed onto the Hare’s back and then they are off! Bursting with eagerness, the Hare manages to reach the stream-bank under the Tortoise’s directions in a relatively short time despite the extra weight.

“What now? I can’t swim!” The Hare wails in dismay.

“Climb onto my back now.” The Tortoise says, preparing to enter the stream.

“You can swim?”

“I’m a semi-aquatic Tortoise, and this is quite a calm shallow stream.”

With that assurance, the Hare climbs onto the top of the shell.

The Tortoise swims swiftly across the stream, much to the Hare’s surprise, and they reach the other side of the stream-bank where the little animals are waiting for their arrival.

“Hey, I see no flower!” Squirrel proclaims.

“There is a Fire!” Announces the Hare.

The little animals look in the direction of the Tortoise for confirmation, when he gives a small nod, panic starts to set in.

“Silence! I shall investigate this matter.” The Crow says before flying off.

In a few minutes, she is back on her usual branch, trying not to laugh, “It is a Campfire by the Humans.”

The animals heave sighs of relief, forgetting all about the competition. The Hare and Tortoise, embarrassed and remembering how swiftly the other party was hopping or swimming, decide to forget it too.

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