Week 12 Story: Revenge of the Cutlery

It was a quiet night in the home of the Dawsons when a clash of metal suddenly rang out and shattered the serene silence.

…

It all began with  the neglect of the forks and knives. They had been feeling quite resentful being shut up all day in the dusty draw where the Dawsons kept them. The family hardly ever ate with these utensils, and they were growing rusty lying around in their dark little corner of the kitchen.

The spoons, however, were utilized almost daily, and were kept in pristine condition in the prime kitchen cabinet. They were polished every morning by the little boy in the family, and scrubbed clean each night by his older sister.

The Dawsons ate everything with spoons; they scooped their cereal in the little well, they ladled their veggies in the smooth groove, and they shoveled their macaroni in the concave depression. Each meal was graced by the presence of the spoons.

The Dawsons liked spoons so much that everywhere they traveled, they brought one back as a souvenir. Their collection of spoons from around the world spanned three glass cases in the living room, where they were proudly displayed for guests, and of course for the everyday enjoyment of the Dawson family. The array of spoons was vast: big, small, long, short, thick, thin, shiny, matte, plain, patterned, monochrome, colorful. 

Being the favorite cutlery of the family, the spoons naturally felt superior to the forks and knives. At night they would break into the forgotten drawer where these utensils were kept and taunt them. The spoons were merciless as they berated the forks and knives, ridiculing their rusty edges and emphasizing their own superiority.

It wasn’t long before the forks and knives began to plan their revenge on the cruel, curvy cutlery that made their lives miserable. They held a community meeting and rallied for the cause: they were the utensils of cutting and stabbing! They could best the spoons and their measly ability of scooping with one well-placed jab.

And on that fatefully quiet night, the small army of forks and knives attacked the spoons, metal meeting metal in a violent outburst. But just as the battle was becoming heated and utensils were beginning to fall, Mr. Dawson burst into the kitchen. The cutlery stopped dead in their tracks and turned toward the human interruption.

Mr. Dawson, who was a topology expert, calmly explained to the forks and knives, "You are no different from the spoons, and the spoons are no different from you. You are all the same! Therefore, do not let the spoons get you down; for they are as much fork and knife as you."

And after that day, all the cutlery were content to live in peace together.

Unassuming cutlery... 

Source: Pixabay

Author's Note: My personal favorite piece of cutlery is a spoon. After doing a reading this week about the history of eating with our hands versus with silverware, and how these practices differed in various areas of the world, I was inspired to create a story based on my own personal favorite of the utensils. The result is absolutely ridiculous, and I hope you enjoy. Please see Alby (also in the Indian Epics class) to understand the topology reference.

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Bibliography:

Pattanaik, Devdutt. "You Still Eat With Your Hands."
https://devdutt.com/articles/you-still-eat-with-your-hands.html