Friday Fictioneers is hosted by the wonderful Rochelle, the undisputed master of what I call Sound Bite Fiction.
She sets the weekly challenge, and the standard.
Today’s photo is by Ted Strutz, and the little tale it inspired back in 2013 provoked some interesting, if bemused, comments.
So here it is again.
The idea, as always, is to write a story of around 100 words based on the picture, below.
©Ted Strutz for Friday Fictioneers
Click here to hear me read the story, and pronounce the magic word!
Magic
And this ring is more powerful than any of these potions or lotions or …..?
Yes, it is the most potent piece of magic in the shop.
And how does it work exactly?
You just need her to put it on – look, it is very attractive, don’t you agree? – and say the magic word, then she will love you forever. It is totally irreversible.
And what is the magic word?
Let me write that down for you. Don’t want to do anything silly with this on!
How do you pronounce that?
Auchenshuggle.
Oh dear!
Am I prettier than she is?
Sound Bite Fiction 
I love the magic word. It sounds like something the genie in the movie about Alladin might think up. Care has to be taken as magic has a history of backfiring. Good writing, C.E. 😀 — Suzanne
LikeLike
Love it! 🙂
LikeLike
What a delightful word. And an equally delightful story. Very re-readable. Love the understated ‘Oh dear.’
LikeLike
Nicely paced, funny and clever. 🙂 Oh dear, indeed!
LikeLike
And it rolls so smoothly off your tongue.
Oh dear…lol
LikeLike
Very good 🙂
LikeLike
“Oh dear,” 🙂
LikeLike
This made me smile. 🙂
LikeLike
There you go, making me grin!
LikeLike
It’s seldom that I leave your blog with a giggle, more often with an eek, or ouch, or ugh. And that’s what you get when you try to force love on people. Great fun this week, your reading included.
LikeLike
What a little gem! Thanks for the smile
Annie RIP – my short story
LikeLike
Auchenshuggle! Oh dear!
LikeLike
And an unfettered giggle emerged.
Thanks for that,
Tracey
LikeLike
Haha. Funny take, I like your sense of humer in this one. Also appreciate Neil’s info above in understanding the word. I have only read Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Great write CE 🙂
LikeLike
Good old Aucheshuggle, or Auchentoogle as it was called in Oor Wullie. Best place name for many a mile.
LikeLike
Auchenshuggle!
LikeLike
Thanks for making me laugh. I needed that today 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks for the new word and funny story.
The ‘oh dear’ was just … brilliant.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A bigger work could be titled, Harry Pothead and the Magic Wring. Has possibilities. Let’s face it, Hermione looks HOT now.
Five out of five Auchenshuggles.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love this, so funny and imaginative! And what a word…Auchenshuggle. Sounds like a magical place, indeed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fantastic Ceayr! Amazing take on the prompt and made me laugh. Plus, I have to be honest…you have a stunning voice!!! Heidi 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha! What a great story – lightly comic, harking back to myths and legends and LotR but with a chuckle inducing twist. Love it, C 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Smiling all the way to the 🙂🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 🙂 The ‘oh dear’ was so expressive, the ‘how do you pronounce that?’ so artless. Well done.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Guffaws and giggles
Becareful what you wish for !
Ppffuitt! I’d say that auchenshuggle is nothing to sneeze at. And you pronounced it with panache too!
Oh. Yes I really liked what you did there.
Excuse me, my grin is splitting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear CE,
This piece is magic. Auchenhuggle will be running through my mind today. I can’t help thinking of Love Potion Number 9. Fun story to find at Numpty O’Clock on a Wednesday morning.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Auchenshuggle. How wonderful! The appropriation and reanimaition of prosaic place names as practiced in The Meaning of Liff by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd. Lovely!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Neil, although I think there is nothing too prosaic about Auchenshuggle!
LikeLiked by 1 person