Sunday Photo Fiction is a weekly challenge presented by my old friend Al Forbes.
The idea is to write a short story (200 word max) inspired by what you see in his picture (below).
When I saw Al’s photo today I started to sing, quite badly, that old Vera Lynn favourite ‘Girls just want to have fun’.
Or maybe that was someone else, and the Great Dame warbled about bluebirds and things.
Click on this link to enter your tale, and see what others have written.
Copyright Al Forbes
Click on this to hear me read the story.
The Siege
The siege is long and wearisome with too many deaths on each side.
The general looks disbelievingly at the strange little man who says he can get him into the city.
I am a magician, he says, and I am expensive.
Deliver the fortress, says the general, and I will pay your fees.
So he charms the princess in the great tower, but of course is an unwelcome suitor.
He gives her a magic mirror through which he can enter her chamber from the forest below.
He tells the general all is prepared.
He is thrust aside unpaid and the troops pour through.
Anticipating treachery, he has told the princess to turn the mirror.
The attackers plummet into the moat far below.
Soldiers charge from the gates and rout the remainder of the general’s men.
And the magician?
Well, that is me, of course.
I am rewarded with the only thing I ever craved.
The hand of my beloved princess.
I love a happy ending! 🙂 And I love the audio feature you have included! Read me a story! 🙂
Of course, dear lady, my pleasure:
https://ceayr.com/current-story/
This is a true classic fairy tale, C.E. Good triumphed and evil paid the price for bad behavior. I feel sorry for the poor soldiers, though following such an evil leader. Good writing yet again. 🙂 — Suzanne
I love this fairytale with quite a bit of reality in it. A clever magician indeed and a terrible general, not worth his word. Happy the magician got what he most desired and their land is safe.
Hi Amanda, I somehow managed to miss your comment here, my apologies.
Yes, I don’t do a lot of happy endings, do I, so enjoy this one while you can!
Haha I did. I figured out how to do sound on an iPad app. It allows me to do what you said all in the one app. So thanks for your help. I have done a couple poems with audio. Hugs
You have written a happy ending! Are you ill?! I love the idea of the Rapunzel -like figure dwelling in that house. Great story 🙂
Laughing, Angie, thank you for that!
Bouncing with health (apart from the non-functioning paw).
Glad you enjoyed.
😊
Great fairy tale read to this, and great story telling voice 🙂
Thank you, Helen, you are very kind.
It is nice when all the elements are appreciated.
Dear CE,
This story has ut all, treachery, intrigue, magic and romance. Happy to see you wrote a protagonist who realized the desire of his heart. I love to hear you read.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thank you, m’lady, happy you found so much to please you in my little tale.
And there is not much point in writing fiction if I can’t get the gal occasionally, is there?
Let that be a lesson to Pinky!
Ha you got the girl. Have you been approached for the film rights? Maybe Pixar would be interested 🙂
Yes, how about that, puts me one up on my alter ego and his Saturday Sob!
I am expecting a call from Harvey Weinstein any day now.
Ask Graham to give him a nudge, would you?
He’s on the other line. I’ll tell him later
Well, you can’t say the general didn’t deserve that. Had a sniff of the Arthurian about it, this one – didn’t Merlin bewitch Arthur’s mother so Uther could do his wicked business with her?
Loved the twist and the use of mirrors. They’re supernatural things, mirrors, reflecting a version of the world, but not quite the world. Magical stuff.
Love your wizard – smart, ruthless and a romantic at heart! Great story, C 🙂
Thank you, Lynn, I love Arthurian legend, wizards and mirrors, so it is fun to weave them all together.
And you have spotted my darkest secret, a romantic at heart!
Will a dark romance be next on the cards then? Murder, intrigue and a hot love story thrown in? 🙂
That’s awesome. I love it. Plenty of death there as well so you didn’t miss that out 😉
It’s okay, Al, you can laugh now, no mirrors were hurt in the creation of this story.