FEBRUARY 2017 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge -- VICTORY TO VICTORIA SILVERWOLF!

[Dave Barsby]

Two Heads Aren't Better Than One

It begins with the witches curse, like most things do.

It is an itch, an ache, a burning, a pimple, a boil, a tumour, with hair, a mouth, teeth, eyes, ears, a nose and a voice that tells me to wither and die. And I can’t move my body and I lose my voice and hearing and sight.

And I become a tumour, a boil, a pimple, a burning, an ache, an itch. ..

 

[Lex E. Darion]

The Quest


“You’re obsessed!” shouted his wife.

“I need it to make me great.”

“You ARE great, in my eyes.” Tears streamed as she left with her suitcases.


The quest for ‘The Pill of Destiny’ had shadowed Quentin’s eyes and greyed his hair before he stood at the entrance to the hollow. On a dais in the centre lay The Pill.


He swallowed.


He grew. He grew to 30 feet. “That’s not what I meant!”

 

[Hugh]

Johnny Sunbeam ​

They called him Johnny Sunbeam because he slid down sunbeams and danced on dewdrops. For many he was the coolest of them all.

That was until he met Jealous Jack and the Shadow Crew and a chill slithered through the Great Wild Wood.

Yet, inside a week another Johnny was spinning away faster, more dazzling than ever.

You see my love, the universe insists there always be a Johnny Sunbeam to light up our hearts.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Fables

“Bucky your art would be perfect, sign up! 12 issues max. Who’s going to buy a book about talking animals?

“Bill, I don’t know if I want to be associate…”

“12 issues! One year. We’ll be cancelled after 5.”

Thirteen years later.

“12 issues, Bill?”

“I might have slightly underestimated.”

“Slightly? It’s 150!”

“You didn’t draw all of them, Buck…!”

“I drew most of them! And 10 spinoffs!”

“Sit back, think 14 Eisners!”

“Sigh.”

 

[Parson]

A Growth in Intelligence​

Sly Fox ate well because he found stupid prey. Gingerbread Boy had been a snack, but now chicken dinner arrived.

Henny asked, “Have you seen Gingerbread Boy?”

“Yep, brought him across the river.”

“I'm to take him home. But I can't swim.”

“Could give you a ride.”

Henny's brain surprisingly engaged. “You're a fox.” she accused.

“So? Safe passage! On my honor.”

Henny took the bridge because: “A sly fox has no honor.”

 

[Bowler1]

The Life Giving Forest

In a sunny glade on a large lifeless mound, lay a fox at ease. ‘This had been the largest ants nest,’ said the Fox, ‘with ants scurrying and running, never once resting.’

He stretched, enjoying the warm sun. ‘They’d striped the forest bear, their numbers knew no end.’

A lazy flick of his bushy tail, ‘they’re all gone now, not one left. Only the animals of the forest remain, almost as if they’d never been.’

 

[mosaix]

The Little Girl and The Young Newlywed

Once upon a time a little girl asked a young newlywed, “Miss, why is your tummy getting so big?”

“Well,” replied the young newlywed, “I'm so happy and content with married life that I'm eating lots of food and putting on lots of weight.”

Later the young newlywed was surprised to overhear the little girl whisper to a friend, “She's having a baby.”

Moral: Being pregnant doesn't automatically turn you into a good liar.

 

[Culhwch]

Cat and Dog

Cat watched, feigning disinterest, as Dog fetched the ball. Again.

Later, Cat asked, ‘Why do as they command?’

‘It makes them happy. That makes me happy.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘Try it.’

Curious, she did. When the Owner called, she … came. And there were belly rubs. There were often belly rubs, true, but these were better, somehow.

‘Well?’ asked Dog.

‘It was fine, I suppose,’ she sniffed.

But afterwards, Dog noticed, Cat always came when called.

 

[BigJ]

Purpose

“Once more.”

“Yes, mother.”

“If you see a wolf?”

“I run, or die.”

“If you see a bear?”

“I run, or die.”

“If you see a man?”

“I run, or die.”

“Good.”

“Mother?”

“Yes?”

“Do we deer exist to die?”

“Not only to die.”

“Huh?”

“Everyone dies. It’s in every moment until then that life finds meaning. A meaning you must find for yourself.”

“I don’t know that I can.”

“Search your heart. You will.”

 

[Tommy Brauer]

The sword in the stone often is the dream of every man.
But when its raised, armies come for the man who holds it in his hand.
Grip it tight, but you shall see, all you get is death in your sight.
So much for dreams of heroes, and songs of bringing darkness to the light.
The sword is death. Drop it. See your light within.
You are still king without the blade of legend.

 

[Dan Jones]

Seek, And Ye Shall Find

A boy, seeking wisdom, found Oracle on a tree stump outside town.

Oracle scratched his grey beard. “So young! Return when you’re thirty.”

The boy grew, married, fathered children. At thirty, seeking wisdom, he returned.

Oracle scratched his white beard. “Return at sixty.”

The man grew. His children flew, his wife died. At sixty, seeking wisdom, he returned, but the stump was empty. Fatigued, he sat upon it.

Soon, a boy sauntered up the road.

 

[Phyrebrat]

You Are What You Eat

‘Teenagers!’

Mum jammed his sticky sheets into the washing machine.

Nag, nag, nag.

###

Gregory took another Jelly Baby, sucking then wiping his fingers on the duvet.

‘That’s it!’ Mum said, bursting in and snatching the sweets from him. ‘Any more and you’ll turn into one!’

She stormed out. He pulled back the covers revealing more bags of Jelly Babies – and teenage legs that were turning ruby red and gelatinous.

Wish I’d eaten purple. Purple’s cooler.

 

[Mr Orange]

The Price


They calls it progress

That big, black heap.

Runnin' the world,

Makin' 'lectricity cheap.

It keeps gettin' bigger,

The top is so far,

Dad says that soon

It'll get to t' stars.

Lookin' down on me now,

Through a small, dirty pane,

As I lay in ma bed

Sick from dust once again.

Then everythin' goes dark;

There's a boomin', laughin' sound.

Progress rushes down on us;

The slag takes the whole town.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

The Tale of Aster and Moss


Sun shone, wakening Aster. Moss greeted her from his wall, green heart coiled and cool.

“Come out,” cried Aster. “And grow!”

Moss reached the sun on top of the wall.

“It’s too hot!” he cried. “You must come here, to be safe.”

Aster stretched. Her roots grew wet and heavy. She retreated. Moss curled back into his shade.

“To each their own,” they said. “We grow where we must, to be what we must.”

 

[HazelRah]

The Littlest Bear


"I wish I was the biggest bear."

"You're a perfect size, little one. Now go to sleep."

But when dawn came, he found he could no longer fit into his little bear bed.

He smiled proudly. "I'm even bigger than you, Mamma Bear!"

"Then you must leave home, little one. Big bears don't need looking after."

"But I don't want to leave!"

Mamma Bear sighed as she watched his giant tears splash to the ground.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Let it shine


“It’s pointless! I want more,” the little bird grumbled.

His companions continued gathering nest materials.

A car stopped. Two birds hid, but the courageous one sang his heart out.

A shaggy man picked him up, saying, “You must come and sing at our concert.”

And the little bird became famous throughout the land.

Moral: A bird in the hand of a Rolling Stone gathers no moss, but it’s worth more than two in the bush.

 

[Ursa major]

​

Hope iz Purrfect​

​

​

When I wuz taked from Mom, I hadz a sad. (My purr wuz borked.)

***​

Mai nu, hoomin, mom iz kind. (Her fur change color ebry day!)

But I hadz no toona!

“When ur old enuf,” nu mom sez.

One day, I got toona! I purr.

***​

I sees fabled Cheezburgers on Internets.

“Burgers wif cheez? Neber gonna happen,” sez Ginger from nex’ door.

Mai purr grows louda.



Moral: Wif hope, purr not borked!

​

​

 

[The Judge]

No More Mr Nice Shrew


Pygmy shrew – puny, small;

Bullied, abused, bombarded –​

Swears he’ll grow, show them all.

“Big, I'll be safeguarded.”​

Big he grows, wins his cause;

Every bully quitted.​

But... shrews’ homes have tiny doors.

He no longer fitted.​

Trapped outside, Owl he spied.

Then his size defeats him.​

Though he runs, he cannot hide.

Owl swoops down, and eats him.​

The moral is: grow we should;

Develop self-help attitude.​

Faster, stronger, smarter – good.

But fatter? Never shrewd. ​

 

[nixie]

The Giant's Tale.
​

I sent out beans, hoping they would bring me a friend. they were given to a boy. I watched him plant them and climb up the stalk.

Good a visitor, I prepared a feast and composed a song, fe fi fo fum.

Instead he came and stole my goose, ignored my overtures of friendship.

I tried to follow him to retrieve my pet but he took up an axe and destroyed the stalk.

 

[LittleStar]

Always Remember

Spring dreamt he was big enough to run like Hare or sing like Sparrow.

When he woke the wind picked up, and he rolled down the hill.

He met with friends, and together they ran faster than Hare. And when they found their great mouth waving songs spilled out, louder than Sparrow.

Spring was greatest of all.

But somewhere, he knew, back on the hill, the tiniest part of him bubbled; dreaming of running free.