Wordzzle 60 - The polar bear and the hunter
This is my contribution to this week's Wordzzle. Wordzzle is a game in which each week word lists, used to create stories, are given on the blog Views from Raven's Nest. Participating users post their stories on their own blogs.
This is the fourth time I've played the game.
Ten Word Challenge:
preparation,
tic-tac-toe,
splurge,
auction block,
the bitter end,
milk,
papyrus,
when the parade passes by,
bill of lading,
stone wall
A papyrus and a jug that once held milk, both items from an Egyptian tomb, were on the auction block and he just had to have them. He kept bidding till the bitter end, as the price went higher and higher. He was really splurging, doing this, but he couldn't help himself. He had passed up a piece of stone wall so that he could be sure that he had enough money. It was a good thing that he had gotten a look at the bill of lading, and seen in advance all that was going to be auctioned. There was no substitute for good preparation. He was not going to be one of the folks that just sits there when the parade passes by, watching and doing nothing.
When the auction was over, he went to get his items. On the way he happened to get a good look at the piece of stone wall he had passed up.
He paused. No! It had the tic-tac-toe hieroglyphic he had been looking for for years! He wondered if he could talk the buyer into trading with him.
Mini Challenge:
polar bear,
20 seconds,
get it together,
spasmodic,
antiquity
"I've got maybe 20 seconds to get it together," the polar bear thought, "and do something to stop that idiot from shooting me and mounting me for posterity in a room full of antiquities." It had considered offering the man a Coke, but finally decided that it might be misinterpreted.
"Maybe if I can convince him that it's hunting season for something else, maybe that would do it," it thought. The polar bear looked around at the vast expanse of empty ice. There didn't seem to be any other animal to shoot. Then it heard something above it and looked up. "Ducks! Yes, that would do it! Duck hunting season!"
It ripped a board off a crate, something that its Coca-Cola had been delivered in, and proceeded to write swiftly, almost spasmodically, on it. There wasn't much time left, so it would have to be brief. It finished and quickly held it up. It said "DUCK" in large bold letters.
The hunter paused and stared at it, then suddenly dived flat onto the ice.
The polar bear looked at him for a moment, the sign drooping slightly. Then it put the sign aside, ambled off, and leisurely went into the water. "Oh, well, whatever works," it thought.
Mega challenge:
preparation,
tic-tac-toe,
splurge,
auction block,
the bitter end,
milk,
papyrus,
when the parade passes by,
bill of lading,
stone wall
polar bear,
20 seconds,
get it together,
spasmodic,
antiquity
It was on the auction block, and then it was gone. Just like that. He could hardly believe it. The tic-tac-toe board, carved out of oak and the size of a small table, was gone. It had been part of his family for years, one of many antiquities that had been handed done through the ages. Not many of them were left now. At least he had gotten a good price for this one. With that and the papyrus sold, he could afford to splurge a little now, maybe even buy some gourmet ice cream instead of the store-brand stuff that seemed to be mostly frozen milk.
"You better not spend too much," the polar bear said. "It's going to have to last for a while, and you've still got bills to pay."
The man sighed. "Are you a mind reader, too?"
"Of course I am," said the polar bear. "I am, after all, all in your mind. At least I think I am."
"I'm going to count slowly to 10," the man said, "and when I finish you'll be gone."
"It didn't work before," said the polar bear. "Better make it 20. If 20 seconds of counting doesn't do it, you're really in trouble."
"Never mind," the man said, and got up to go.
"I'm with you to the bitter end," chortled the polar bear. "You'll never get rid of me!"
"You weren't always here, said the man. "I'll get it together somehow, and then you'll be gone. I'll learn to meditate, I'll set out candles, I'll even play relaxing recordings of waves on a beach. I'll do whatever it takes, make whatever preparations I have to make. And then one day, you'll be gone."
"You'll never get rid of me! I can even show you the bill of lading from when they delivered me!"
"There is no bill of lading!" the man shouted. "You're a figment of my imagination!" Some nearby people turned and looked. Even some people who weren't so nearby. The man turned his face away from them and bent his head down, one eye twitching spasmodically.
"Still too many people here, huh?" asked the polar bear. "A whole parade of them in fact. Well, good. I like to be there when the parade passes by."
The man ground his teeth and muttered under his breath. "It's like beating my head against a stone wall."
"It would be," the polar bear said, "except you've already sold the stone wall."
This is the fourth time I've played the game.
Ten Word Challenge:
preparation,
tic-tac-toe,
splurge,
auction block,
the bitter end,
milk,
papyrus,
when the parade passes by,
bill of lading,
stone wall
A papyrus and a jug that once held milk, both items from an Egyptian tomb, were on the auction block and he just had to have them. He kept bidding till the bitter end, as the price went higher and higher. He was really splurging, doing this, but he couldn't help himself. He had passed up a piece of stone wall so that he could be sure that he had enough money. It was a good thing that he had gotten a look at the bill of lading, and seen in advance all that was going to be auctioned. There was no substitute for good preparation. He was not going to be one of the folks that just sits there when the parade passes by, watching and doing nothing.
When the auction was over, he went to get his items. On the way he happened to get a good look at the piece of stone wall he had passed up.
He paused. No! It had the tic-tac-toe hieroglyphic he had been looking for for years! He wondered if he could talk the buyer into trading with him.
Mini Challenge:
polar bear,
20 seconds,
get it together,
spasmodic,
antiquity
"I've got maybe 20 seconds to get it together," the polar bear thought, "and do something to stop that idiot from shooting me and mounting me for posterity in a room full of antiquities." It had considered offering the man a Coke, but finally decided that it might be misinterpreted.
"Maybe if I can convince him that it's hunting season for something else, maybe that would do it," it thought. The polar bear looked around at the vast expanse of empty ice. There didn't seem to be any other animal to shoot. Then it heard something above it and looked up. "Ducks! Yes, that would do it! Duck hunting season!"
It ripped a board off a crate, something that its Coca-Cola had been delivered in, and proceeded to write swiftly, almost spasmodically, on it. There wasn't much time left, so it would have to be brief. It finished and quickly held it up. It said "DUCK" in large bold letters.
The hunter paused and stared at it, then suddenly dived flat onto the ice.
The polar bear looked at him for a moment, the sign drooping slightly. Then it put the sign aside, ambled off, and leisurely went into the water. "Oh, well, whatever works," it thought.
Mega challenge:
preparation,
tic-tac-toe,
splurge,
auction block,
the bitter end,
milk,
papyrus,
when the parade passes by,
bill of lading,
stone wall
polar bear,
20 seconds,
get it together,
spasmodic,
antiquity
It was on the auction block, and then it was gone. Just like that. He could hardly believe it. The tic-tac-toe board, carved out of oak and the size of a small table, was gone. It had been part of his family for years, one of many antiquities that had been handed done through the ages. Not many of them were left now. At least he had gotten a good price for this one. With that and the papyrus sold, he could afford to splurge a little now, maybe even buy some gourmet ice cream instead of the store-brand stuff that seemed to be mostly frozen milk.
"You better not spend too much," the polar bear said. "It's going to have to last for a while, and you've still got bills to pay."
The man sighed. "Are you a mind reader, too?"
"Of course I am," said the polar bear. "I am, after all, all in your mind. At least I think I am."
"I'm going to count slowly to 10," the man said, "and when I finish you'll be gone."
"It didn't work before," said the polar bear. "Better make it 20. If 20 seconds of counting doesn't do it, you're really in trouble."
"Never mind," the man said, and got up to go.
"I'm with you to the bitter end," chortled the polar bear. "You'll never get rid of me!"
"You weren't always here, said the man. "I'll get it together somehow, and then you'll be gone. I'll learn to meditate, I'll set out candles, I'll even play relaxing recordings of waves on a beach. I'll do whatever it takes, make whatever preparations I have to make. And then one day, you'll be gone."
"You'll never get rid of me! I can even show you the bill of lading from when they delivered me!"
"There is no bill of lading!" the man shouted. "You're a figment of my imagination!" Some nearby people turned and looked. Even some people who weren't so nearby. The man turned his face away from them and bent his head down, one eye twitching spasmodically.
"Still too many people here, huh?" asked the polar bear. "A whole parade of them in fact. Well, good. I like to be there when the parade passes by."
The man ground his teeth and muttered under his breath. "It's like beating my head against a stone wall."
"It would be," the polar bear said, "except you've already sold the stone wall."
posted by Stephen at 4/24/2009 11:08:00 PM
4 Comments:
These were all just wonderful! So creative and witty! I loved them.
All enjoyable, but the second one had me tee heeing out loud.
Oh if only he had looked at the stone wall first!
Your second and third stories had me in giggles. :)
Super!
Loved the irony in the first piece and the imaginary "friend"? in the final one. Thanks for a good read!
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