Jack Sprat could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean:
And so, betwixt them both, you see,
They lick'd the platter clean.
(traditional nursery rhyme)
~~~
~~~
All of the people of Parcel saw the Sprat family as
gluttonous and overindulging. Although, there was more to the Sprats’ excessive
fanaticism… Centuries before, the Sprats were given a blessing (or a curse, as the
Parcellites saw it) of utter devotion. This family could not avoid – nor understand
– their extremities.
Most people have heard of Old Jack Sprat who never ate a
bit of fat in hopes to stay lean...
... and also of his wife Julie who, on the other
hand, ate nothing but fat in order to maintain her voluptuous figure.
(desserts)
Likewise,
Little Johnny Sprat desired to become a runner so he couldn’t help but run everywhere.
All day he was running to and fro, no one understood how he had so much energy,
but it was all in his head – he was devoted.
Then there was Little Jenny Sprat
who had always dreamed of becoming a singer so she sung everything – “Motheeeeerrrr,
have you seen my shoes todayyyyyy?”.
Not surprisingly, people found the Sprats
annoying to say the least. Their superabundant personalities made it hard for
them to function in normal situations. For example, little Johnny was always
being sent to the principal’s office for running through the halls of Parcel
School and little Jenny was constantly being asked not to sing. Their
exorbitance grew out of control and Old Jack became so slender that he had very
little strength while Julie found herself so large that she could hardly move. The
Sprats grew more and more frustrated with their lack of self-control and
decided that they had to do something about their situation so Old Jack, Julie,
Little Johnny, and Little Jenny all dedicated their blessing of utter devotion
to moderation.
(balance)
The Sprats became functioning, even excelling, citizens of
Parcel and, more importantly models of proportion to all – living proof that,
indeed, moderation is key.
Bibliography: This story is based on the nursery rhyme "Jack Sprat could eat no fat" in The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang (1897).
Ashlyn, this was a cute and creative story. My favorite thing is that you included a picture that related to each character. Also, I thought it was clever that you made up children for the couple in the nursery rhyme.
ReplyDeleteTying the theme from the nursery rhyme to the movie Ella Enchanted was a nice touch. I distinctly remember seeing that movie so long ago in theaters, so it's cool to see it pop up again in a class.
Ashlyn, you have a very creative mind and it shows with how you expanded just four short lines into an entire story. I like how you explained the theme of devotion for all of the family members and the pictures for each of them was a nice touch. The underlying moral of moderation was great and, I think, is always applicable to any society.
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