How would you feel if nothing was working out the way that you planned it? This is exactly what happens to Hugh, a fowler living in old England, while trying to capture birds for his king. No matter what he did, one dove always escaped. Again and again he tried to capture this one bird, and it never worked. One day, he was surprised with an offer that would have changed his life forever. If you were offered this choice, would you have taken it? “The Hundredth Dove,” written by Jane Yolen, is a great story that shows what can happen to people when temptation comes their way.
Almost everyone is able to connect with Hugh, including me. When people are dedicated to a job, or a project, or some other idea that is important to them, people will go to great lengths to reach their goal. This is exactly how the fowler felt with carrying out the task the king gave him. Hugh was so dedicated; he had a badge that read “Servo” across his chest. If I was in the fowler’s place, I probably wouldn’t have gone to the extremes that he went, yet I would still consider my job very, very important. Even though I wouldn’t have been so adamant about catching the dove, I understand why he was doing this. This job was monumental to him, and with him thinking that, absolutely everything had to be perfect.
Even though it’s uncomplicated to connect with Hugh and how he felt about his profession, another part of him is just as simple to connect with. While trying to capture one hundred birds, each day, there was one dove that escaped the net. No matter how many times he tried, this bird was uncatchable. Finally, after five tries, the bird was his. Or, so it seemed. Once Hugh captured it, the dove offered him many choices that would change his life forever, yet it would destroy the life of another. The fowler couldn’t decide what to do. It’s simple for me to connect with Hugh not being able to choose, yet if I was in his place; I would not have taken the dove’s offer. I would have let it go, and walked away without a second glance. Though I wouldn’t have thought about it as strongly as the fowler did, I would have still been tempted. It’s uncomplicated to see that other people could connect with him too. When people are tempted with almost everything they want, it can change how they think and act.
Jane Yolen’s wonderful short story shows what can happen to people when temptation happens. Hugh was just an ordinary man, trying to do his job. A single white dove could have changed his life for the better, yet it would have destroyed another one. It’s simple to connect with Hugh and his indecisiveness about the dove. Could I connect with the fowler and his feelings? It’s very simple for me to connect with him, even though I would not have thought about taking the offer for that long. What would you do, if you were in his place? “The Hundredth Dove,” written by Jane Yolen, is an exceptional story that shows what people can turn into if temptation finds them.
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