Week 4 Story: Got Enough Food?

Image of a horn of plenty from Pixabay

Once, there was a small village hidden deep within the woods. It was a very peaceful village far from the wealth and prosperity of the nearby kingdom. Although they did not live lavishly, the people of this village lived comfortably. One man, however, was dissatisfied with the wealth of food and drinks the people of the kingdom enjoyed while they had to live off much smaller rations. Another man, in a neighboring home, lived in spite of everyone around him. He was continuously jealous of what he couldn't or didn't have. One year, a famine struck the kingdom and the surrounding villages. Distraught by the lack of food, both men prayed to Jupiter, begging him to grant their wishes. To punish the men for their lack of continual worship of the gods, Jupiter placed one condition to the granted wishes. He made it so whatever the man wished for, would be taken from someone nearby.

The first man, who hadn't eaten a proper meal in weeks, went to sleep wishing for a barrel of fresh fruits. The next morning, to his delight, was a barrel of assorted fruits next to his bed. Rejoicing, he awoke the fellow villagers and shared his good fortune. Having seen this, the second man grew envious and went to sleep wishing for all the fish in the river. To his delight, barrels and barrels of fish filled his small hut. That night, all the villagers ate fish till they couldn't eat another bite. The next night, the first man wished for all the grains, vegetables, and meats he could possibly imagine. And to his delight, the entire town was full of fresh foods. Having seen this, the second man wished for twice as much food as the first man had desired. Having heard of the villages great fortune, the king of the neighboring kingdom sent an army to claim the food. However, he wasn't the only one desperate for food. The next morning, a thousand men from ten different kingdoms surrounded the poor village. Full of rage from a lack of food, the village was pillaged and the poor villagers were left with nothing. Trying to wish for more food, both men were left disappointed as they found nothing awaiting them after their slumbers.
Meanwhile, Jupiter watched is disappointment as both men had rid the world of all its food in their own greed.


Authors Note: This story is my adaptation of Jacobs 54. Avaricious and Envious (Perry 580) I took a very similar premise and characters, but added a back story and an alternate ending. The original story had two men, one full of greed and the other envy. They eventually became each others downfall as one became blind.