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Longevity

Psuedo-myth for the 31_days challenge: 'The boy with no father'

Category: Fantasy - Rating: G - Genres: Fantasy - Characters:  - Warnings: [V] - Published: 2006/03/06 - Updated: 2006/03/07 - 748 words - Complete

Reviews

• Longevity

  (#) Ithilwen 2006-03-12 12:16:29 PM

  Wow. Vivid and visceral. I suppose I can infer why the boy had to be killed, but I don't understand why it had to be the merchant's son, or why the village would want another one.

• Longevity

  (#) armourdude 2006-03-13 03:49:59 AM

  There is a sacrafice when the root is found. Symbolic or something really requires this? Greed for money and comfort for the gold. Just one child every six years is needed. So why farm and work hard when you can pay your way for six more years. Left alot for the reader to figure out, but everything was their for the read wich makes this good short story. I will rate this a good rating too.

• Longevity

  (#) Ithilwen 2006-05-20 11:08:07 AM

  Stumbled across this again. Yep, it's still awesome.

• Longevity

  (#) MarkPoa 2007-02-13 07:02:56 PM

  This was a thought-provoking work... gave me the chills. I'm assuming that the thing that appears due to the bells is the spirit of the murdered child, trying to find its way home. Intriguing story.

• Longevity

  (#) Rous 2007-02-15 04:58:08 AM

  I almost missed the point of the child. I think I understand. The child must die because it knows the location of the root. They would not want to kill one of their own, so they offer the girl to the merchant, thus giving them the sacrifice.
  I almost dismissed this because I missed the connection and the fact he killed the child. It is original and reminiscent of "The Lottery". Very scary stories, both.
  
  Thank you for sharing.
  
  rous

• Longevity

  (#) facia 2007-05-09 08:27:39 PM

  Deep and eerie. It's very powerful the way you tell the story by broadest strokes in such a short space, making each bit speak volumes. The root's details - not just the face and hair but the five-finger leaves, the other name it goes by. The names of Uncle Li, with the boy and then Madam Li short lines after beating the mother. The oblique reference to his mother's future children is perfect...it's easy to read as simply that she shouldn't cry because she'll have more children, and miss the way they know the exact time it takes for another root to grow, and the way they think of future celebrations right afterward. And finally the end, subtle and powerful, tying back into the opening and bringing the story full circle.

• Longevity

  (#) denizbora1705 2010-11-06 07:21:37 AM

  Hi, can I translate this origin into russian?
  
  please send your answer to my account @ fanfiction.net
  
  http://www.fanfiction.net/~denizbora1705
  

• Longevity

  (#) denizbora1705 2010-11-06 07:24:45 AM

  Hi, can i translate this origin. into russian?
  Pleas, send your answer 2 my PM @ fanfiction.net(http://www.fanfiction.net/~denizbora1705)

• Longevity

  (#) Why_Not 2011-01-05 07:00:32 PM

  This was SO good. I feel stupid saying that, because youve already got pleny of great reviews, but I want to make sure you know. I love it.

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