Wordzzle 92 - The Scarecrow and the King of the Turtles
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 my entry number 36, for Wordzzle week 92.
Ten Word Challenge:
sugar,
mortgage,
logical,
roller skates,
outlandish,
Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,
cumberbund,
unexpected,
photo album,
scarecrow
The Scarecrow looked outlandish in my roller skates. The cummerbund didn't help, especially since it tended to slide down to his knees. I watched him as he rolled around, his boneless body flowing back and forth as he tried to keep his balance. The visit had been totally unexpected, and I still wasn't sure why he came.
He finally rolled up to me and, bracing himself against the house, took the skates off. He then took off the cummerbund and handed it and the skates to me, thanking me as he did so. I said I was going to have some tea with sugar and offered him some, but he declined, saying that liquids were bad for his straw. I folded up the cummerbund, something my grandfather had owned, and put it back in its drawer, and the skates back in the closet. Then we sat on the couch and talked for a while, and I showed him my photo album.
When it was time for him to go, I remarked that it was good that he had come when he did. I was behind in paying the mortgage, and it looked like they were going to repossess the house. He unbuttoned his shirt a little and reached into his chest and pulled out a large sum of money, tens of thousands of dollars, maybe more, and handed it to me, telling me to take it. I looked at it, surprised, and finally slowly took it. I asked him where it came from, and if he was sure he wanted me to take it. He wouldn't say how he got it, but assured me everything was alright. And yes, he wanted me to take it, that he didn't need money himself and it was logical for me to have it, and this was something he wanted to do. I thanked him profusely, and he nodded at me, and looked happy and a little embarrassed, if a scarecrow could look embarrassed. We hugged then and he left. I watched him go, ambling loosely along, an occasional bit of straw falling out. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and he came a little early this year.
Mini Challenge:
tomatoes,
turtles,
basement apartment,
circumference,
make my day
The King of the Turtles came slowly toward me, a large creature with a huge circumference. I had hidden in my basement apartment, but they had found me anyway. "We have the building surrounded," he said. "Yield your tomatoes to us."
I got up and went toward the refrigerator, trembling a little, and got out the bag. I picked up one of the tomatoes from it and held it for a moment, looking at it and at the King. "Go ahead, make my day," went through my mind, and I thought of throwing it, as I had thrown some others that day. The King's massive presence, though, and the thought of the others waiting, many of which would surely come in, took away any will to fight. "Sure," I said, handing him the bag. "All you had to do was ask."
Mega challenge:
sugar,
mortgage,
logical,
roller skates,
outlandish,
Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,
cumberbund,
unexpected,
photo album,
scarecrow
tomatoes,
turtles,
basement apartment,
circumference,
make my day
The King of the Turtles sat on his thrown, or, rather, lay in it. A bag of tomatoes was on the floor beside him. "It was as you said," he told the Scarecrow. "We found him in his basement apartment. He gave us the tomatoes without a struggle."
The Scarecrow nodded toward him, bowing a little even. "I'm glad to hear that, your highness," he said.
"We knew we could count on you," said the King. "Your detective skills are widely known. I have your fee ready, plus a little more." A line of turtles slowly walked in, pulling a small cart filled with an outlandish sum of money.
"This is most unexpected, your highness," said the Scarecrow. "This is enough to pay off a whole mortgage."
"Nevertheless, I want you to have it. I have far more money than I can ever spend, and finding the perpetrator has made my day. It is only logical that you take it. Think of it as a little extra sugar on top."
It was more than a little extra sugar, thought the Scarecrow, not that he ever consumed such things. A little extra straw was all he needed, as he sometimes lost bits of it along the way. "Thank you very much, your highness," he said.
"Let us take some pictures of the occasion," the King said. "For the royal photo album."
A ramp was brought up and the King slowly made his way down it, his massive circumference swinging to one side and then the other. The Royal Photographer came up, then, and the camera was erected on its tripod, and pictures were taken of the King and the Scarecrow and the money in various official poses. The Scarecrow then thanked him again, bowing low, and took the money and walked out, turning and bowing again at the doorway.
He walked away from the Royal Castle/Residence/Burrow, stuffing the money in his chest and musing to himself. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Now maybe he could get some roller skates and dress up fancy, maybe even wear a cummerbund, something he had always wanted...
This is my entry number 36, for Wordzzle week 92.
Ten Word Challenge:
sugar,
mortgage,
logical,
roller skates,
outlandish,
Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,
cumberbund,
unexpected,
photo album,
scarecrow
The Scarecrow looked outlandish in my roller skates. The cummerbund didn't help, especially since it tended to slide down to his knees. I watched him as he rolled around, his boneless body flowing back and forth as he tried to keep his balance. The visit had been totally unexpected, and I still wasn't sure why he came.
He finally rolled up to me and, bracing himself against the house, took the skates off. He then took off the cummerbund and handed it and the skates to me, thanking me as he did so. I said I was going to have some tea with sugar and offered him some, but he declined, saying that liquids were bad for his straw. I folded up the cummerbund, something my grandfather had owned, and put it back in its drawer, and the skates back in the closet. Then we sat on the couch and talked for a while, and I showed him my photo album.
When it was time for him to go, I remarked that it was good that he had come when he did. I was behind in paying the mortgage, and it looked like they were going to repossess the house. He unbuttoned his shirt a little and reached into his chest and pulled out a large sum of money, tens of thousands of dollars, maybe more, and handed it to me, telling me to take it. I looked at it, surprised, and finally slowly took it. I asked him where it came from, and if he was sure he wanted me to take it. He wouldn't say how he got it, but assured me everything was alright. And yes, he wanted me to take it, that he didn't need money himself and it was logical for me to have it, and this was something he wanted to do. I thanked him profusely, and he nodded at me, and looked happy and a little embarrassed, if a scarecrow could look embarrassed. We hugged then and he left. I watched him go, ambling loosely along, an occasional bit of straw falling out. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and he came a little early this year.
Mini Challenge:
tomatoes,
turtles,
basement apartment,
circumference,
make my day
The King of the Turtles came slowly toward me, a large creature with a huge circumference. I had hidden in my basement apartment, but they had found me anyway. "We have the building surrounded," he said. "Yield your tomatoes to us."
I got up and went toward the refrigerator, trembling a little, and got out the bag. I picked up one of the tomatoes from it and held it for a moment, looking at it and at the King. "Go ahead, make my day," went through my mind, and I thought of throwing it, as I had thrown some others that day. The King's massive presence, though, and the thought of the others waiting, many of which would surely come in, took away any will to fight. "Sure," I said, handing him the bag. "All you had to do was ask."
Mega challenge:
sugar,
mortgage,
logical,
roller skates,
outlandish,
Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,
cumberbund,
unexpected,
photo album,
scarecrow
tomatoes,
turtles,
basement apartment,
circumference,
make my day
The King of the Turtles sat on his thrown, or, rather, lay in it. A bag of tomatoes was on the floor beside him. "It was as you said," he told the Scarecrow. "We found him in his basement apartment. He gave us the tomatoes without a struggle."
The Scarecrow nodded toward him, bowing a little even. "I'm glad to hear that, your highness," he said.
"We knew we could count on you," said the King. "Your detective skills are widely known. I have your fee ready, plus a little more." A line of turtles slowly walked in, pulling a small cart filled with an outlandish sum of money.
"This is most unexpected, your highness," said the Scarecrow. "This is enough to pay off a whole mortgage."
"Nevertheless, I want you to have it. I have far more money than I can ever spend, and finding the perpetrator has made my day. It is only logical that you take it. Think of it as a little extra sugar on top."
It was more than a little extra sugar, thought the Scarecrow, not that he ever consumed such things. A little extra straw was all he needed, as he sometimes lost bits of it along the way. "Thank you very much, your highness," he said.
"Let us take some pictures of the occasion," the King said. "For the royal photo album."
A ramp was brought up and the King slowly made his way down it, his massive circumference swinging to one side and then the other. The Royal Photographer came up, then, and the camera was erected on its tripod, and pictures were taken of the King and the Scarecrow and the money in various official poses. The Scarecrow then thanked him again, bowing low, and took the money and walked out, turning and bowing again at the doorway.
He walked away from the Royal Castle/Residence/Burrow, stuffing the money in his chest and musing to himself. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Now maybe he could get some roller skates and dress up fancy, maybe even wear a cummerbund, something he had always wanted...
posted by Stephen at 12/11/2009 11:35:00 PM
2 Comments:
You created a real character with that detective/rollerskating scarecrow. There was a magical, Wizard of Oz-ish feel to your story and I was totally drawn in. You descriptive powers are excellent, I could 'see' the whole thing. My hat, as always, is off to you.
Wonderful as always. I love the image of the roller skating scarecrow, his rescue of his friend in need and then the answer to where he got the money in the later stories. Fun and entertaining as always.
Post a Comment
<< Home