The Unicorn Challenge.
A magical new weekly writing opportunity from her – Jenne Gray – and me.
Visit her blog every Friday to see the photo prompt, and post your amazing story in her comments section.
Or on your own blog, and stick the link down in her comments.
The rules are:
Maximum of 250 words.
Based on photo prompt.
That’s it.
To hear me read my story, just click here:
The Wall
Behind the high white wall lies a wondrous land of pastoral perfection.
Vast green rolling meadows, fruit-bearing trees, sparkling streams and lakes populated by duck and swan and replete with every kind of fish.
The air is filled with the voices of songbirds, the buzz of honey-producing bees and the flutter of butterfly wings.
The virid plants provide plentiful sustenance for a multitude of beautiful creatures – from the rabbit to the giraffe, from the squirrel to the elephant.
Not to mention the mystical Haggis and, of course, the loveliest of all Nature’s miracles, the fabulous Unicorn.
This place is a veritable paradise.
We were happy here, my family and I, perhaps somewhat isolated, but with everything we required.
Looking back, I can only remember one visitor…
{Sigh}
That bell hasn’t rung for years.
No one ever calls here now.
Not since those days long ago, before the the trouble started, when I still had a wife and children.
The two boys fell out, of course, quite badly.
I never really understood what that was about.
And Evie, my wife, well, she never fully recovered from her fall.
Before that happened she was so graceful.
It was widely reported at the time – and ever since – to have been caused by the snake.
At least I think it was a snake, but she said it had legs.
Maybe she was right, I don’t know.
I guess it doesn’t really matter any more.
Aye, it’s a sin…
Haggis and Unicorns still romp behind the garden fence. Time to say the right words for youth-restoring admittance? Nice one!
P.S. Great mood-setting use of…Joni Mitchell, is it?
Oh, yes, it’s the goddess herself, the voice of a generation!
What kept you, Liz, this is last week’s story!
I don’t know, you help to run a challenge, folk turn up a week late, mutter, mutter, mumble mumble, sigh…
Glad you enjoyed!
Sure, I knew it was The Garden but that last line still made me smile
Excellent write and the extraordinary Joni.
Thanks, Nancy, I wasn’t sure if that was just a Scottish expression so I’m happy it worked for you.
And there’s no one quite like the blessed Joni, is there…
I like your interpretation much more. And the musical accompaniment was divine…..
Thanks, Violet.
And the delicious Joni was, after all, the goddess of the Ladies of the Valley…
Your warning as to what is/was behind the wall comes/came a bit too late. And you only had to ask and I would have gladly created an ending tune for your story.
Ah, dear Lady, you or the inimitable Ms Mitchell, what a choice!
Masterfully created. Of course, Paradise would include Haggis and a Unicorn.
Thank you, Sally.
And yes, of course!
The Garden of Eden had nothing on that. Apples versus haggis? No competition.
Haggis rules!
Ah ha, that Garden! Really nicely done… and yes, the haggis and the unicorn – perfect!
Yeah, that one.
And, if it was paradise, then it goes without saying…
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Thank you for invoking a certain Garden. I feel better. lol
plus! I got to look up a word: virid*
Nice… the construction: first half of scene-setting, followed by the slow approach of the sad end to our collective first story.
No wonder this ‘hop is in my Top Three favorites!
*goes without saving that even though the computer (when high-lighting offers a definition) I always copy paste… the fun of reading different dictionaries citations and such
Glad you enjoyed, Clark, and always happy to further the education of the colonials.
A quick glimpse of the current news reveals that some of your compatriots are in desperate need of it.
I love the full and luscious description of the land behind the wall.
And a paradise it truly is – where else could you find a Haggis and a Unicorn together?
Oh wait…
But that would mean Scotland is… 😏
Among my favourite lines, this one: ‘And Evie, my wife, well, she never fully recovered from her fall.’
Cool recrafting of the ‘original sin’ story, with more layers to it than it seems at first- which is, of course, signature C. E. Ayr.
Love it.
Thanks, Jenne, it’s always rewarding when a reader picks up on the little subtleties.
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