The Stolen Fish

My nephew, Ibrahim, had me read a story he was working on for school. I don't have it with me to quote directly, but he's a paraphrasing of "The Stolen Fish" It is "realistic fiction."

Peter asked for, and received, permission from his parents to go swimming in the pool (apparently one in their backyard). While he's swimming, his parents bring the family fish tank outside and place it near the edge of the pool so Peter could watch them as he swims. Two of the fish lep from the tank and into the pool. Peter dives underwater to retrieve them. Upon resurfacing, he discovers that the one remaining fish is missing from the tank and has obviously been stolen

[This is as far as he had written. Thinking the story was almost over, I asked him how it ends.].

Peter then searches all the houses on his block for his fish, but is unsuccessful. When he returns home defeated, he discovers that the other two fish have also been stolen. He calls the police, who respond and investigate the fishnapping. They leave without discovering anything.

That night Peter sees a robber stealing fish from his neighbor's house. He knew it was a robber because of the robber mask he was wearing. Peter follows the robber to a house around the corner and then calls the police again. The police arrive in full force, prepared to charge the house. Unfortunately, the robber had barricaded the door. Also, the house was made of concrete so they couldn't use a drill to break through a wall. They tried to use another tool, but the house was brick inside the concret and that too failed.

Having failed, the police left again. Peter commandeers a jackhammer from somewhere and drills under the house and busts in from the basement. He spots the robber getting prepared to kill the fish.

......................

That's where I stopped him, it dawning on me that maybe he's making it up as he goes and doesn't really have and endgame planned. I struggle to explain to him why this isn't realistic fiction, but it's difficult. Nothing in that story is physically impossible. Unlikely characters and motivations, sure, but far from fantasy. Eventually I had to ask him about the robbers mptives.

"Why," I asked, "was the robber stealing fish?"

"Because he's hungry" he answered matter of factly.

"But if he's breaking into houses, why didn't he steal food from the fridge?"

"Because he liked fish."

"So why didn't he just steal money so he could buy fish from the grocery store?"

"Because he wanted them as pets, too."

Fair enough, I guess?

The Real Lion King

[Note I'm probably not going to be writing here regularly. Just wanted to share something that was on my mind]

A couple of weeks ago, I watched The Lion King with my niece and nephews. It was the first time I'd seen the movie in a long time. The movie was as great as I remembered it, but now there was something that bothered me.

Namely Scar.

His motivations are a bit unclear. Why does he try to kill Mufasa and Simba? I mean, I get that he wants to be king, but enough to kill his own family? He'snot shown as being mistreated by the royal family at all, so it seems as if he, being the king's brother, would be able to command any creature in the kingdom and they'd obey. The only one who wouldn't have to is Mufasa himself. So he commits murder because having dominion over every creature except one isn't dominion enough for him? Doesn't make sense.

Liik, there is no story more about people fighting for power than A Song of Ice and Fire series, HBO's "Game of Thrones", and even there characters have other motivations besides just thirst for power. Stannis wants to be king because he knows that the crown is rightfully his. He wouldn't fight for it without that knowledge. Robb is fighting for revenge and secedes The North from the rest of the country because of what happened to his House at the capital. Danaerys wants to take the crown for both the above reasons. Scar, however, just wants to be king? That seems oo childish a motivation.

Now, there is one possibility that makes sense, but it completely changes the movie. As we know, Simba's parents are both played by Black voice actors. Simba, on the other hand has Jonathan lor Thomas playing him as a kid and Matthew Broderick as an adult. Scar is played by Jeremy Irons. Now, what if Simba is actually Scar's illegitimate son?

I'll wait for you to recover your knocked off socks.

`Now, with that possibility in mind, we could put the pieces together of the real story behind The Lion King. 

The story starts with a young Scar. Scar is resentful of his older brute of a brother. Mufasa has none of the intellagince that Scar has, but is still revered by everyone. It's obvious to Scar that the only reason Mufasa is so revered is that he's the heir apparent to the throne. That, and the fact the Mufasa is tougher than everyone else. Scar, on the other had, is rather sickly and is constantly ostracized by all the other young animals, led by Mufasa of course, for having the recessive black mane. 

The only animal that doesn't taunt Scar is Sehrabi, the young lioness. Scar and Sehrabi grow to become fast friends and Scar eventually falls in love with her. He's sure she feels the same way about him, but unfortunately she's betrothed to Mufasa.

As they grow older, Mufasa begins to treat Scar better. Easy for him to do as he's going to have everything in life. Mufasa eventually becomes king and has Sehrabi as his queen. Together they rule happily, or so it would seem. The couple is having having problems concieving a child. Scar comforts a distraught Sehrabi once and they have an affai. Sehrabi is immediately pregnant with, what is is clear to both her and Scar, an illegitimate son.

Scar wants to confess to Mufasa. He knows hat Sehrabi, as leader of the lionnesses, can protect him from any vengence Mufasa would take. Sehrabi is hesitant, however. Despite her feelings for Scar, she doesn't want to hurt Mufasa. She agrees to come clean after the baby is born. When Simba is finally born, Scar is disappointed to see that he has brown tufts of hair. It was unlikely that the baby's mane would be black, but he's disappointed nonetheless. Sehrabi, seeing that the baby shows no physical signs of being Scar's son, backs out of her deal with Scar.

It become clear to Scar, as Simba grows older, the boy has none of his intellect and all of his physical prowess (Simba is regularly out wrestled bu a girl, even when he's older and fighting for his life)

Scar grows resentful of Simba who looks at him more like a silly uncle than as a respected elder. Scar decides he's going to set up a trap for Simba with the heyenas, the only animals that really treat him with any respect. He's going to make it seem that Simba's in danger and will, at the last second, appear to rescue him. This'll win the boy's respect as well as gratitude from Mufasa and, especially, Sehrabi. Things don't go as planned as Zazzu is able to alert Mufasa and it is he, and not Scar, who's able to rescue Simba.

Scar decides that the only way for him get the lioness he loves and the son he lost is by killing Mufasa. He, of course, can't kill Mufasa by sheer strength s he uses his cunning. He sets up the trap in the gorge knowing Mufasa would be able to save Simba, but would probably die in the stampede. This would leave Scar free to marry Sehrabi and be a father figure to Simba. Unfortunately, Mufasa is able to escape and begins to climb the gorge walls. Amusingly, Mufasa begs Scar for help. Scar, assuming that Simba would have seen what he'd done comes to down to try to explain himself. It becomes clear immediately that Simba has no idea of Scar's role in Mufasa's death, and moreover, is willing to blame himself. 

Scar realizes that if any adult were to hear Simba's story, they'd immediately realize that he'd been setup so he convinces Simba to run away. Immediately Scar regrets his decision. Spmeone might realize Simba was setup if they'd hear his account of events in the gorge, but someone who'd hear that Scar had urged Simba to run away would absolutely know exactly what happened. Scar panicks and takes the only option he sees avalable to him, he sends the heyenas after Simba.

Scar takes his place as king and now has his queen, but things turn immediately. The heyenas blackmail Scar with their knowledge of his light treason into giving them free run of the Pride Lands. Scar relents for a couple of reasons. First is the obvious, he doesn't want the truth discovered. Second, he realizes that despit being king the other animals still don't really respect him. and the heyenas act as his muscle to get his orders obeyed. Sehrabi is too distraught with the apparent death of her husband and son to ever return Scar's affections. She falls into a deep depression. The lionesses, reverting to their dislike of Scar eat whatever prey they catch out in the plains and bring very little back to Rpide Rock. 

Scar's reign is in shambles when Simba returns. Scar immediately assumes that Simba, having gotten older had realized the truth of what happened at the gorge. He, however is relieved to discover that Simba still stupidly thinks that it was somehow his own fault. Scar uses this to his advantage as he taunts Simba reaffirming his belief that it wa shis fault that Mufasa died. Simba slips off the edge of Pride Rock. Scar can't help but gloat to someone that he killed the mighty Mufasa and chooses that moment to whisper it in Simbas ear before tossing him off the Rock, ensuring his reign. Simba recovers and forces his father o confess. Sicar begs his son to spare him deflecting the blame on the heyenas. Simba exiles Scar. With Scar's lack of hunting skills, exile is as much a death sentence as it is in The Dark Knight Rises. Scar desperately attacks Simba who overpowers the older lion and tosses him off Pride Rock and shrugs as heyenas tear up his father.