of giants and giraffes – Six Sentence Story

artwork by phil burns

This challenge is produced by GirlieOnTheEdge with the following simple rules:
Write 6 Sentences. No more. No less.
Use the current week’s prompt word – VERGE

Click here to hear the author read his words:

of giants and giraffes

I stare at the woman, once again stunned at how some people seem to exist on the verge of stupidity.

My long-time friend, colleague and creative collaborator Phil Burns, artist and illustrator extraordinaire, and I are at the event we have arranged to promote the release of the first book in our Jack the little Giant trilogy.

We, or rather I, have read the little tale to the invited audience, Phil has discussed some aspects of his artwork which, I hasten to say, elevates our creation well above the level of the cheerful children’s rhyme that my words suggest, and we are now mingling.

The aforementioned lady is haranguing me about an aspect of our work that, she claims, stretches her credulity rather too far.

I should perhaps explain that the book relates the adventures of a little Giant, that is to say a Giant who is pretty much a toddler, who sneaks out at night, is tricked by a fox with an unexplained French accent into destroying a well-loved Glasgow landmark, then goes to the zoo and talks to a selection of animals about his mishap.

This lady, seemingly unperturbed by the improbability of these happenings, is upset by a scene-setting couplet which reads, for the sake of rhyme and rhythm,
‘He goes into the city and sees a high tower
The clock at the top shows it’s ten past the hour’
but which, as she stridently berates me, fails to accurately reflect the time shown in Phil’s superb hand-painted image shown above!

* * *

To see the director’s cut of the ‘movie’ of the book, with additional characters and other ridiculous stuff, I invite you to please click here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsELmvd7YSs

Unknown's avatar

About ceayr

A Scot who has discovered peace in a small town he calls Medville on the Côte Vermeille, C.E. Ayr has spent a large part of his life in the West of Scotland and a large part elsewhere. His first job was selling programmes at his local football club and he has since tried 73 other career paths, the longest being in IT, with varying degrees of success. He is somewhat nomadic, fairly irresponsible and, according to his darling daughter, a bit random. So, nobody’s perfect.
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26 Responses to of giants and giraffes – Six Sentence Story

  1. Bridgette's avatar Bridgette says:

    Why do people have to be like that? Makes you wonder if they are always looking for the faults in everything they do and what kind of life they must lead as a result. Great writing, as usual. Off to check out the YouTube video 🙂

  2. Cassa Bassa's avatar Cassa Bassa says:

    Great story! I enjoy the YouTube vedio too.

  3. Liz H's avatar Liz H says:

    Rolling my eyes so far to the back of my head that surely the lady in question will be blinded by the refection, into silence.

  4. She’s no lady! Love the director’s cut – I think my granddaughter might too!

  5. There’s one in every crowd, CE. 🙄

  6. A terrier with a bone that woman.
    Sounds like, (despite that flagrant flaw) a fun book.

    • ceayr's avatar ceayr says:

      I’ve had to live with that flaw all these years, D., lying awake at night…
      Check out the link, it might infect your brain but not your computer!

  7. clark's avatar clark says:

    yeah… frickin Readers (or Viewers, depending on medium) lol! I guess any attention is better than invisibility.

    fun Six, though

  8. Wish some people, you just nod, and mutter something about being sorry, and then tell her you see someone you just have to speak to and dash off. Sometimes it works.

  9. We all are familiar with that “one person”. Seen and heard them in action. Tear someone/something down to build oneself up, syndrome – no imagination, no sense of fun!

  10. I think to satisfy the lady you should have immediately attacked Phil with a rubber chicken and told him to apologise for his lack of cinema verite. In awe of your combined creativities, you two little Giants.

    • ceayr's avatar ceayr says:

      If I’d had a rubber chicken to hand – and why didn’t I, you might well ask – it would not have been Phil on the bouncy end of it!
      And thanks, Doug, we did have our moments.

  11. Frank Hubeny's avatar Frank Hubeny says:

    She has a point, but you might tell her that 10 past the hour in giant-land looks like 8 o’clock for the rest of us. Or come up with some other creative explanation.

    • ceayr's avatar ceayr says:

      Ah yes, Frank, she can accept that a baby Giant chats to giraffes and hippos but all she can see in a magical piece of art is a time difference.
      Valid point, I agree.

  12. The perennial battle between the left and right brain, between fact and fiction, between logic and fantasy. Will it never end?

  13. jenne49's avatar jenne49 says:

    There’s always one, isn’t there?
    I think your narrator shows admirable restraint towards the haranguer, I’d have been tempted to suspend her from the crane.
    And your intriguing summary of the story of Jack the Little Giant sent me straight to discover more in the director’s cut of the movie – it’s a magical escapade.
    I particularly like Helen the Hippo – and the can-can in the kilt!

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