Poetry Society of Colorado: The Moral of the Story
THE MORAL OF THE STORY (Open)
Deadline: May 18, 2019
Sponsor: Cheryl Wilkie
Theme: Optional
Form: Narrative
Style: Fable
Line Limit: 40
MUSTS: 1. Your fable must have a moral, stated at or near the end of your story.
2. Characters in a fable must be animals, inanimate objects, plants, natural forces (like the wind), or creatures from legends.
SHOULDS: 1. Humans, as characters, should be incorporated only when there are also talking animals, etc.
2. The narrative story should be clear enough for the reader to see the relevance of the stated moral.
POSSIBILITIES: Your fable might be for children or for adults, serious or humorous, topical (political) or universal. It might be set in no particular time, or in the past, the present or the future. You might consider recalling Aesop’s or other old fables and using them to jump-start a newer, fresher idea:
The Four Oxen and the Lion: United we stand, divided we fall.
The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Appearances can be deceptive.
The Dog and the Shadow: Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.