Write a cautionary fable about someone who always lies.

Posted in Adults on Oct 25, 2022

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 116 stories

“Ask Me No Questions ” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #88

“Hi, I’m Jason.” He extended his hand. “The Argonauts are outside with the boat.” ‘Shut up! You dork!’ “I’m Jill…” She took his hand and glanced around conspiratorially. “Parking that thing must be a… pain.” He laughed at her joke. “That’s good. Not everyone gets it.” Ice broken. ‘Maybe this won’t be such an ordeal…’ They each paused, expecting the other to talk. The silence hadn’t yet become strained. He gestured to the hostess’ station. Jill said, “I never had a blind date with a person so legendary.” “Really? This is my first,” he lied...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Staircase” by Gerald Daniels

Submitted to Contest #88

For many years, maybe longer than I care to remember, I've stood sentinel at the bottom step, biding my time until I too will put my foot upon the staircase. The waiting has taken its toll on me, I'm fifty years older than my death and my body has aged beyond the point of my passing. But time stretches out before me, slowly unwinding itself until the moment when I feel I can forgive. But there are knots in its cord, little trickery's that tighten and weave in on themselves, slowing everything just when I think I have a clear run to the end. ...

7 comments 7

Read story

“The Dark Messiah” by Gregory Pinson

Submitted to Contest #88

You even notice how leaves chime in the wind, especially during fall as they flutter from branches to the ground. It goes unnoticed, unbothered, just another cycle of life. What happens if a leaf stood up to this cycle, forced its way into remaining immortal. Using ideas, certain actions to cast a shadow unto all. Our connection is boundless, the food we eat together makes me happy. How do I know I'm in darkness? I create my perception therefore I am God. I am a man so I must dominate all. Into this world I come, I come before my mother who ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“ lies change lives” by Lucy Thompson

Submitted to Contest #88

“She did it!” Lacey McFann, a 16-year old girl, that struggles with never telling the truth. It’s Thursday, 12:34 A.M. Lacey is in a middle of a fight with her boyfriend. “I didn’t cheat on you I swear!” She lied. “Oh yeah then why did I see on Hannas story you were kissing my best friend!” He yelled. “Listen, just think why, why would I ever do that to you. We’ve been together for four years! I love you!” She cried out faking her cry. “That could have been someone that looks like me!” “Then why is that girl wearing the exact same ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Cry Wolf” by Story Time

Submitted to Contest #88

Well, I don’t see why I should say anything. The wolves are storming the village and I’m down in the basement, because I knew they were coming. I knew, because I go out to the forest everyday, and sometimes, out in the forest, you see things, and sometimes you don’t. Often, I don’t. But you see, I get so bored, and so, sometimes, lately more so, I come back from the forest and I tell funny stories about things I may have seen in the forest. You know, like a bunny that looks like a porcupine or a bush that looks like a lamb or a wolf ...

2 comments 2

Read story

“The House That Lies Built.” by Jeannie Labelle -Potvin

Submitted to Contest #88

Ginny and Sarah sat in the restaurant sipping Chai tea. It was delicious and they savoured it along with the wonderful food set before them. Ginny even laughed when Sarah first suggested murdering Joe. He was her second husband. They had been married many years before and divorced many more.Her nervous giggle quickly evolved to a more somber response as she realized Sarah was perfectly serious.At first Ginny was slightly horrified, but warmed to the idea as Sarah began outlining several plans. She listened carefully to Sarah’s schemes but be...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Liar, Liar, the Truth is Dire” by LM Konkel-Dixon

Submitted to Contest #88

*Featuring characters from "Message from the City" and "A Family Secret" Alyvia taps her pointed nails against her throne's armrest. "I don't see why you're so upset." She had gone for a more elegant appearance today for her fae form. Draped in silk with a veil that went behind her in the form of a train, Alyvia felt particularly royal. "You have always had an... attachment to these humans." "You've had more than your share of attachments as well, sister," Alyn retorts. He pauses to adjust the wraparound garment carefully tailored ...

2 comments 2

Read story

“It Takes One To Know One” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #88

The trouble with Davey was that we couldn’t help liking him. We dreaded him coming in to use our public access laptops, and we braced ourselves against his screeches, demanding or plaintive, across the room, when he wanted – or more to the point demanded – our attention. Which often, in practise meant MY attention, and he had a way of doing it that, though I tried not to let it show, grated on me like the proverbial fingers on a glass window pane. My name is Polly, and he had a habit of preceding it with a shriek of EEEHHH, that was more sui...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Merchant's Husband” by You'd Think A Writer Would Have A More Creative Name .

Submitted to Contest #88

1117 words Rated PG; violence, blood, unsettling imagery Prompt: Write a cautionary fable about someone who always lies. Gather ‘round, those old and young. Come closer, and ye will be met with worlds of mystery. Sit at the stream, drink the sweet nectar within, and be reborn as is the phoenix from the ashes of the fire of the night. Stay at my shoes, and ye will be compelled to go forward with nothing but the stick of virtues and the sly hand. Our story begins when the moon shone above the world, moving downwards, perhaps contempl...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Danny Ducks tall tales ” by Amber Brownlee

Submitted to Contest #88

Danny wanted nothing more then to fit in with his peers, he would always tell tall tales of great adventures and far off lands; fighting large bears and evil witches, only a courageous duckling like himself would attempt such dangerous feats. His grandmother warned him that one day all of his white lies would catch up to him, like most children his age he never listened. In fact his lies became more and more elaborate, his best friend Terry the turtle started questioning the validity of Danny stories. “I don't care if you believe me Terry, b...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Once Upon the girl with the Cow and the Magic Seeds” by Eva Lewis

Submitted to Contest #88

Once upon the girl with the Cow and the Magic Seeds The girl whose legs were the shape of an exclamation mark, did not want the seminal seeds the old man was offering to be planted in her. There were no cows in her family, but the men marketed one anyway, flogging off her mother to an old man who was the highest bidder. Everybody told the girl how lucky she was. From the man’s seminal seeds emerged a house; there grew a slated roof, and ivy t...

2 comments 2

Read story

“The Children of the Forest.” by Marsha Webb

Submitted to Contest #88

Deep in the dark forest was a crumbling old cottage. The wind howled in through the cracks in the frames like a pack of hungry Wolves. A tiny fire was the only warmth in the house and this barely gave out enough heat for the small living room, never mind the rest of the house. The rotten window frames and damaged tiles did nothing to help the bleak atmosphere. The life and love had long since left the house; the crumbling exterior looked like a silhouette of a previous existence. “I’m fffreezing” Howard stammered, he was only...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Sympathy for the Liar” by Erika Crowley

Submitted to Contest #88

Beep, Beep, Beep. The harsh, loud noise of Evelyn Patterson's blaring alarm tone propelled her out of the sweet depths of her dream. Evelyn turned over to check her phone and silence the guilty thief of her slumber. As she checked the time, she considered if she could squeeze in another 15 minutes of sleep but with a deep intake of breathe and a yawn, she pushed herself to get up and out of bed. Her mind immediately paced through her to do list for the day. Her day was filled with endless screen time: online blog tasks, online remote tutor...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Starless Liar” by Amber Zhao

Submitted to Contest #88

The postman sifted restlessly, disgustedly through the growing mound of heartfelt envelopes: all the diverse colours of the rainbow, with crinkling paper enclosed inside-imperfect but loving. Crisp, as icy white as untrodden snow. Splashed with love heart, star and smiley face stickers. And all destinied, postmarked, for one location, faraway, starless and bustling cities away...but sent and, most imperatively, received at all? And was this postman, this post office, this scene, as a bereft mother who trekked home every week to her distraugh...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Willie Tall-Tales” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #88

There was once a boy and his name was Will. He lived with his grandmother in a tiny cottage in a village in Ireland, and the tales that boy could tell! “Why are you late for school, Willie?” the schoolmaster would ask. And Will would make his eyes big and round as he replied that he had been on his way to school, but the Little Folk had enticed him to play truant and spend the day skipping about the meadows with them instead. Or his grandmother would want to know where he had been all day when she sent him for a pail of buttermilk at firs...

2 comments 2

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about an ordinary person speaking truth to power.

Adults – 68 stories

Write about a prince or princess who is asked to give up something valuable as part of a deal to escape the world they come from.

Fantasy – 190 stories

Write a fairy tale about an outsider trying to fit in.

Kids – 173 stories

Write about an author famous for their fairy tale retellings.

Teens – 73 stories

Contest #88

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Fairy Tale Truths

$50

Prize money

622

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Apr 09, 2021 EST

Won by Shannon Ethel 🏆

Title: No More Happy Endings

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

Write a cautionary fable about someone who always lies.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 116 stories

“Ask Me No Questions ” by John K Adams

“The Staircase” by Gerald Daniels

“The Dark Messiah” by Gregory Pinson

“ lies change lives” by Lucy Thompson

“Cry Wolf” by Story Time

“The House That Lies Built.” by Jeannie Labelle -Potvin

“Liar, Liar, the Truth is Dire” by LM Konkel-Dixon

“It Takes One To Know One” by Deborah Mercer

“The Merchant's Husband” by You'd Think A Writer Would Have A More Creative Name .

“Danny Ducks tall tales ” by Amber Brownlee

“Once Upon the girl with the Cow and the Magic Seeds” by Eva Lewis

“The Children of the Forest.” by Marsha Webb

“Sympathy for the Liar” by Erika Crowley

“Starless Liar” by Amber Zhao

“Willie Tall-Tales” by Jane Andrews

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about an ordinary person speaking truth to power.

Write about a prince or princess who is asked to give up something valuable as part of a deal to escape the world they come from.

Write a fairy tale about an outsider trying to fit in.

Write about an author famous for their fairy tale retellings.

Contest #88

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

622

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: