GOURDS and QUINCES
by James Hume-Cook · from Australian Fairy Tales
Adapted Version
Two little beetles were very happy. They loved each other very much. Beetle One and Two rode a big cart. The cart had many big pumpkins. The pumpkins were orange. The sun was warm. The day was bright. The beetles did not care. They were happy together. They smiled. They felt safe.
This was their special trip. They wanted yummy food. They were very hungry. They looked for fruit on the big cart. Beetles like fruity flavors. They hoped to find a tasty treat. They looked and looked. They looked everywhere. It was fun. They felt excited.
They saw some yellow things. The yellow things were with the pumpkins. They looked like shiny, yummy fruit. They looked so good. The beetles thought, "Golden quinces!" They wanted to eat them. Quinces are very tasty fruit. They imagined the taste. They felt happy. Very happy.
But the yellow things were not yummy. They were hard. Very hard. They had no taste. No taste at all. They were not quinces. They were just yellow gourds. The beetles were very sad. Their hopes were gone. They felt disappointed.
The beetles got very hungry. They were still on the cart. They hoped the cart would stop soon. Then they could eat. They got a little thinner. But they still loved each other very much. This love made them strong. They waited. They waited a long time. The cart stopped. But there was no food for the beetles. The farmer tipped the pumpkins. And the beetles fell too! They fell into a pigpen with big pigs. The pigs were very big.
The beetles were very surprised. This was a big surprise. They wanted yummy food. They wanted to take it. They wanted to eat it. But now they were in a pigpen. This was not good. It was a bad place.
Do not take things not yours. It is a simple rule. And know what things are. Know them well. This is a good lesson.
Original Story
GOURDS AND QUINCES
Two Beetles brown, came up to Town,
Beneath a load of pumpkins;
With Simon Strong they rode along,
A pair of Country Bumpkins.
And though ’twas hot they murmured not,
Nor thought upon the weather;
For their delight, both day and night,
Was just to be together!
And this was so, as you may know,
Because, by love incited,
Their wedding tour began the hour
That they were thus united!
And so, ’twould seem, a foolish dream,
By fate and Fortune aided,
Began to be a true decree,
When they the cart invaded.
For Beetles’ tastes, whate’er else wastes.
Run much to fruity flavours;
And so, mayhap, they hoped to tap
The best of orchard savours,
When in the straw they thought they saw,—
(And this the truth evinces!)
Amid the heap of pumpkins cheap,
The gleam of golden quinces!
But hopes are vain and fraught with pain
When backed by judgments hasty;
And yellow gourds are hard as boards,
And not like quinces, tasty!
And so these twain must Town attain,
By love sustained, but thinner;
In hopes at least, that they might feast,
When Simon stopped for dinner!
Yet, sad to say, alack aday!
The journey being ended,
Upon their backs, on some old sacks.
They found themselves extended!
And then, instead of meat and bread,
Or food of more pretension,—
They heard the squeal of pigs at meal:
Oh, sorry, sad declension!
For to a pen of porkers ten,
Old Simon tipped his pumpkins,
And with the load, to that abode.
Were thrown the Beetle-bumpkins!
To them, indeed, an awful meed
Of rude and rough requiting—
When they had schemed and fondly dreamed
Of pelf, with love uniting!
And so, ’tis plain—that those who gain
The World’s rewards and pleasures
Can ne’er be sure they them secure,
By raiding others treasures!
And one more fact remains intact:
(The doubters this convinces!)
That those who rise to high emprise,
Know yellow gourds from quinces!
At the conclusion of the Recitation a number of what might be termed the brighter members of the audience took occasion to comment on it; but, judging by what they said to each other, they had not much sympathy for the silly little beetles.
When they were quite quiet again, “Taste,” the second of the Five Story Tellers, began his tale as follows:—
Story DNA
Moral
Those who seek to gain by raiding others' treasures, or who cannot distinguish true value, often face disappointing consequences.
Plot Summary
Two newlywed beetles, deeply in love, hitch a ride on a pumpkin-laden cart, mistaking common gourds for valuable quinces. Driven by a desire for fruity treats and sustained by their affection, they endure a hot journey, only to discover their mistake. Their hopes for a feast are dashed when, at the journey's end, they are unceremoniously dumped into a pigpen along with the pumpkins. The story concludes with a moral about the perils of raiding others' treasures and the importance of discerning true value.
Themes
Emotional Arc
hope to disappointment
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The poem's structure and language are reminiscent of 19th-century children's literature or moralistic verse.
Plot Beats (8)
- Two brown beetles, recently wed, ride into town on a cart loaded with pumpkins, enduring the heat happily due to their love.
- Their 'wedding tour' involves invading the cart, driven by a desire for fruity flavors.
- They mistakenly identify yellow gourds among the pumpkins as valuable golden quinces.
- Their hopes are dashed when they discover the 'quinces' are hard, tasteless gourds.
- The beetles continue the journey, growing thinner, sustained only by love and the hope of a meal when the cart driver stops.
- At the journey's end, they are not fed but instead, along with the pumpkins, are tipped into a pigpen.
- They realize their fond dreams of 'pelf' (wealth) combined with love have led to an awful, rough requiting.
- The narrator concludes with two morals: one should not raid others' treasures, and those who succeed know the difference between gourds and quinces.
Characters
First Beetle ★ protagonist
A small, oval-shaped beetle, about an inch long, with a hard, shiny, dark brown exoskeleton. Its body is segmented, and it has six slender legs. It is slightly thinner by the end of the journey due to lack of food.
Attire: None, as it is a beetle.
Wants: To enjoy a 'wedding tour' with its beloved, feast on delicious fruits, and experience the pleasures of life.
Flaw: Naivety and poor judgment, mistaking gourds for quinces, and relying on others' possessions for its own gain.
Starts full of hopeful anticipation for a feast and adventure, but ends up disappointed and thrown into a pigpen, learning a harsh lesson about hasty judgments and taking others' treasures.
Optimistic, romantic, somewhat naive, adventurous, and driven by desire for pleasure and companionship.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, oval-shaped dark brown beetle, about an inch long, with a hard, shiny exoskeleton and six slender legs. It has small, dark compound eyes and short, segmented antennae. It stands upright, facing forward, full body visible head to toe, with a slightly hopeful yet naive expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Second Beetle ★ protagonist
A small, oval-shaped beetle, about an inch long, with a hard, shiny, dark brown exoskeleton. Its body is segmented, and it has six slender legs. It is slightly thinner by the end of the journey due to lack of food.
Attire: None, as it is a beetle.
Wants: To enjoy a 'wedding tour' with its beloved, feast on delicious fruits, and experience the pleasures of life.
Flaw: Naivety and poor judgment, mistaking gourds for quinces, and relying on others' possessions for its own gain.
Starts full of hopeful anticipation for a feast and adventure, but ends up disappointed and thrown into a pigpen, learning a harsh lesson about hasty judgments and taking others' treasures.
Optimistic, romantic, somewhat naive, adventurous, and driven by desire for pleasure and companionship.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, oval-shaped dark brown beetle, about an inch long, with a hard, shiny exoskeleton and six slender legs. It has small, dark compound eyes and short, segmented antennae. It stands upright, facing forward, full body visible head to toe, with a slightly hopeful yet naive expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Simon Strong ◆ supporting
A strong, sturdy man, likely with a robust build from farm work. His hands would be calloused from labor. Given the context of 'Country Bumpkins,' he might have a somewhat rough or unrefined appearance.
Attire: Simple, practical country attire suitable for hauling produce, such as sturdy linen or wool trousers, a plain shirt, and possibly a waistcoat or smock. Colors would be earthy and muted.
Wants: To transport his pumpkins to town and feed his pigs.
Flaw: Lack of awareness of the small creatures around him; perhaps a bit rough in his methods.
Remains unchanged; he is a force of nature in the beetles' story, not a character with an internal journey.
Practical, unobservant (of the beetles), focused on his tasks, and likely unsentimental, as he tips the pumpkins into a pigpen without a second thought.
Image Prompt & Upload
A strong, sturdy adult man with a robust build, weathered face, and practical, short brown hair. He wears sturdy brown linen trousers, a plain cream-colored shirt, and a dark green waistcoat. He stands upright, facing forward, full body visible head to toe, with a stoic and focused expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Country Road
A dusty, sun-baked country road stretching towards a town, likely bordered by fields or orchards, where a cart laden with pumpkins travels.
Mood: Tiring, long, but hopeful for the beetles.
The beetles' journey to town, their 'wedding tour', and their initial discovery of the 'quinces' among the pumpkins.
Image Prompt & Upload
A sun-drenched, dusty country road stretches into the distance, flanked by dry, golden fields under a clear, bright sky. A rustic wooden cart, piled high with large orange pumpkins and straw, rumbles slowly along the path, casting short shadows. The air shimmers with heat, and a few scattered wildflowers dot the roadside. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Pig Pen
A muddy, enclosed area, likely made of rough-hewn timber or stone, where pigs are kept and fed. It smells of farm animals and discarded produce.
Mood: Disappointing, squalid, noisy, a rude awakening.
The beetles' arrival at their final, unexpected destination, where they are unceremoniously dumped with the pumpkins into a pig pen.
Image Prompt & Upload
A rustic, muddy pig pen enclosed by weathered, rough-hewn timber fencing, under a bright but indifferent sky. The ground inside is churned earth and mud, with discarded orange pumpkins scattered amongst it. Several robust pigs root around, their snouts in the mud, near a pile of old, stained burlap sacks. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
