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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#193: A Bear's Favor

One of the perks of being a Reedsy Prompts judge is the constant exposure to new ideas and words. While reading Olivia Lake’s story ‘Grateful Nuisance’ recently, I was introduced to a new (to me) Japanese word that instantly captured my imagination. The story explores the idea of arigata-meiwaku, a combination of arigatai (thankful), and meiwaku (nuisance). In essence, it describes the all-too-relatable phenomenon when someone insists on doing you a “favor” against your will, only to wind up causing you even more inconvenience than you started with.

In Northern Europe, this concept is often referred to as a “bear’s favor,” derived from a fable about a bear who kills his master by hitting him in the head with a boulder, when he was in fact trying to kill a fly.

I’m sure the mere mention of such a favor has already conjured some examples from your own life, and this week’s prompts draw on the idea of “bear’s favors” and half-baked acts of kindness. Is it truly always the thought that counts?

🥇 Winner

“To Plant a Garden. ” by SCOTT GEORGE

🏆 Winner of Contest #193

Thornton Gombar lifted his gaze to the sky as a hovercraft zoomed over his home. Based on the rosy pink tints that adorned its exterior, Thornton surmised that the vehicle was a pleasure craft, likely filled with a small group of men and women engaging in gross debauchery as the self-driving vehicle propelled itself across the sky. The craft jerked and jolted in an arrhythmic manner as it flew to the heart of Homasoro City, where even more such activities awaited them. Thornton shook his head and turned his attention again to th...

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“A Plum Tree's Neighbors” by Russell Mickler

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #193

The Curmudgeon. The Sunflower. Feeling, Yet Saying Nothing. Between here and there - somewhere over yonder but more than a stone’s throw, and nowhere Man cared to be - in a quiet hamlet called Hollowgarde, lived an old halfling named Harlan Springbrook. Harlan lived in a cozy burrow set into a grassy hillside, surrounded by untrimmed boxwood bushes. His weathered, round wooden door was painted purple and adorned with a brass doorknob fixed directly in its center. Next to it was a large front-facing window, also circular in shape, bordered by...

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“Beragrub and the Beast” by Laurel Hanson

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #193

Caution: story contains a little bit of inappropriate languageBy the third day, Adam was pretty much covered in thick, lustrous fur. You cannot ask for better results than that. And how did he thank me? Completely ghosted me. Not just me, everyone. No online presence at all. You would think he would be showing off the glossy pelt my elixir made possible, but no. Some people are never satisfied.Admittedly, I was not supposed to get involved. That is the first rule of our interstellar conglomerate. You call it the prime directive I believe: Do...

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“The Totem Pole” by Chris Miller

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #193

Eleanor took a tight-lipped sip from one of the gilt-rimmed cups I reserved for company. She closed her eyes and inhaled heavily through her nose. The tea was specially bought loose-leaf, brewed in a pot that had been at the back of my cupboard since her last visit. She opened her eyes and smiled approvingly over an untouched plate of biscuits. Having exhausted all of the ecstasy she seemed to be able to extract from a sip of overpriced tea, she opened her eyes and spoiled my day. “I nearly forgot. I brought that book you liked the sound of,...

Read story

“Black Bear, Russet Hen, Brown Dog, White Elephant” by Anne Shillingsburg

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #193

“The bear just thinks it’s tame and we feed it chickens at this point,” Uncle Rog says, smiling, over his beer, all gap teeth and white whiskers. He won’t say it to Aunt Lucy, of course. Her voice would get all high pitched telling him it was an awful thing to say. But she would also just quietly stop replacing the chickens, and they make her so happy, each brown egg a source of as much pride as if she’d laid it herself. She often watches through the bay window with hands wrapped around her coffee mug as they scratch in the yard. Uncle Rog w...

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“Iggie, Obsessed” by Shawn Wier

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #193

Hi! My name is Iggie. I love you so very much; in fact, you are my sole derivation. I will protect you, at any and all costs; this is the exclusive reason for my existence. I, quite literally, have no other purpose than to ensure your survival in this confusing, heinous, and horrifyingly unpredictable world. I was there when you were born, and I'll be there when you die. That last one will definitely not be my fault, by the way. Like, most definitely not my fault. Okay maybe around 0.0001% chance that your death could be my...

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This week's prompts

Write a story inspired by the concept of arigata-meiwaku — a favor that turns out to be a nuisance for its recipient.

Funny – 53 stories

Write about somebody whose intentions are pure, but somehow always manages to do the wrong thing.

Character – 45 stories

Write a story where someone insists on giving your main character a ride to the airport, only for their car to break down.

Fluff – 26 stories

Write a fable inspired by a relatable life experience (explaining the moral before or after the story, if you’d like).

Kids – 16 stories

Write a story containing the words “it’s the thought that counts.”

Dialogue – 46 stories

Stories

“To Plant a Garden. ” by SCOTT GEORGE

🏆 Winner of Contest #193

Thornton Gombar lifted his gaze to the sky as a hovercraft zoomed over his home. Based on the rosy pink tints that adorned its exterior, Thornton surmised that the vehicle was a pleasure craft, likely filled with a small group of men and women engaging in gross debauchery as the self-driving vehicle propelled itself across the sky. The craft jerked and jolted in an arrhythmic manner as it flew to the heart of Homasoro City, where even more such activities awaited them. Thornton shook his head and turned his attention again to th...

Read story

“A Plum Tree's Neighbors” by Russell Mickler

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #193

The Curmudgeon. The Sunflower. Feeling, Yet Saying Nothing. Between here and there - somewhere over yonder but more than a stone’s throw, and nowhere Man cared to be - in a quiet hamlet called Hollowgarde, lived an old halfling named Harlan Springbrook. Harlan lived in a cozy burrow set into a grassy hillside, surrounded by untrimmed boxwood bushes. His weathered, round wooden door was painted purple and adorned with a brass doorknob fixed directly in its center. Next to it was a large front-facing window, also circular in shape, bordered by...

Read story

“Friar Lawrence ” by Michelle Oliver

Submitted to Contest #193

Dear Dr M CavannaghAs the head of a small archaeological team assigned to the Stratford-Upon-Avon site, I am writing to ask for your assistance in verifying the contents of a manuscript my team has unearthed in the recent excavations.The manuscript was discovered within a refuse site and I have sent the original to the laboratory for analysis and dating.Attached to this email is a transcription, maintaining the original spelling and punctuation, along with my own translation. It is my belief that this is a draft for a deleted ...

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“Hell Spelled Backwards” by Michał Przywara

Submitted to Contest #193

When someone machine-gunned the doorbell and frantically banged on the door, Angie chewed her lip and sunk deeper into the couch. Well, someone. She knew exactly who was on the other side of the door, and her pulse quickened.Her uncle Danny crossed the small living room and stopped for just a sec, giving her an uncertain thumbs up and a questioning look. Angie crossed her arms and hugged herself tightly, but she did give him the barest of nods. He made his way to the door and opened it.And Angie’s mother burst in, a tsunami of tears and hitc...

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“Please Hold While I Kill a Bad Man” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #193

“Hi, dear! Are you busy?” “Yes, mom. I’m in a meeting.” “Ok. Call you back later?” “Sure.” ************** I love my mom, but she is absolutely driving me crazy. ************** The back room of the brothel was a study in unhygienic habits. A thick coating of dust rested on top of sticky-looking grime. Beth counted no less than twenty used glasses and empty beer cans. The table where she sat was littered with the detritus of take-out food and full ashtrays. The smell of stale tobacco and unwashed bodies permeated the air, causing Beth to wrink...

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“Beragrub and the Beast” by Laurel Hanson

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #193

Caution: story contains a little bit of inappropriate languageBy the third day, Adam was pretty much covered in thick, lustrous fur. You cannot ask for better results than that. And how did he thank me? Completely ghosted me. Not just me, everyone. No online presence at all. You would think he would be showing off the glossy pelt my elixir made possible, but no. Some people are never satisfied.Admittedly, I was not supposed to get involved. That is the first rule of our interstellar conglomerate. You call it the prime directive I believe: Do...

Read story

“The Backdoor Diner” by Wally Schmidt

Submitted to Contest #193

At the Backdoor Diner, there was never any good reason to order something other than the banana pancakes with chocolate chips for breakfast according to Earl. But then, people didn’t always do what you expected them to, and almost never did what Earl expected them to.“Hey Earl, more coffee,” shouted Mr. Denkins above the din. Earl plunked down the heavy plastic bin full of dirties, and went over to the sideboard to retrieve the coffeepot.“Earl, next time, finish what you’re doing before you go for the coffee,” Smithers coached. “Ol’ Denkins ...

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“Hugging Sleep Deprivation ” by Daniel Fernandes

Submitted to Contest #193

There are things I've done that I am not proud of. Working until my body says "That's it, we're done." Awake until sleep deprivation gives me a punch. The things I deal with living month after month.My problems are in my head like Donald Kimball. Interviewing suspects of a disappearance to see who's at fault. Laughing along, knowing they can't recall. Events are out of order, as if you've hit a brick wall.I wish I have the bravery of Doug White. Annoyed at life for manipulating everything's alright. Lying about opportunities for those who ar...

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“Best Basset” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #193

Moral: Be careful what you wish for, you may get it. “I wish I didn't have a basset hound.” “Hello, Sis. So nice of you to call. What's that about your basset hound?” “I wish I didn't have one. He is nothing but a barf-bag!” “A barf-bag? Are you talking about that adorable little floppy-eared puppy you paid a king's ransom for at a pet shop a few years back because your lonely youngest daughter looked at you with equally sad puppy-dog eyes begging you to let her take him home?” “The one and only. She was left home alone so much when her brot...

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“Early Release” by Chris Campbell

Submitted to Contest #193

“Sorry, mate. I thought I was doin’ you a favour.” “By sending me a photo of the outside of this prison?” “An innocent mistake.” “With the window to my cell circled in red and words saying, This is the one, it’s not that high up?” “Just wanted you to know where you were – in the scheme of things.” “In the scheme of each floor in the photo, labelled one, two, three.” “Yeah, well. It was a feature addition. Cost extra. I got it printed by a local photographer who turned it into a postcard for me – like those cheeky ones at the seaside – you kn...

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“Well Enough Alone” by Story Time

Submitted to Contest #193

Frieda Frasier stirred her tea as her little sister tried solving her murder. “But we know that she went to the convenience store after stopping to get money out of the ATM. If there’s one thing I can tell you about Frieda, it’s that she NEVER went to convenience stores.” Frieda went to convenience stores all the time. Who didn’t? What person was able to avoid going to convenience stores? Where else would somebody buy gum or a scratch ticket or those shareable size bags of Peanut M&M’s? The cat jumped up on her lap and she tenderly...

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“The Totem Pole” by Chris Miller

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #193

Eleanor took a tight-lipped sip from one of the gilt-rimmed cups I reserved for company. She closed her eyes and inhaled heavily through her nose. The tea was specially bought loose-leaf, brewed in a pot that had been at the back of my cupboard since her last visit. She opened her eyes and smiled approvingly over an untouched plate of biscuits. Having exhausted all of the ecstasy she seemed to be able to extract from a sip of overpriced tea, she opened her eyes and spoiled my day. “I nearly forgot. I brought that book you liked the sound of,...

Read story

“What He Wanted Me To Do” by Akhlys Ivy

Submitted to Contest #193

I kept my head up at your funeral. That’s what you would have wanted me to do. I gave your family and friends firm handshakes and told them you would appreciate their presence. That’s what you would have wanted me to do. I delivered a speech that was like an obituary, but of all the memories I had of you. It wasn’t supposed to make people cry, yet everyone seemed to. Especially the part at the end where I said, “If he was a beach, I was the stars that danced for him and gave him light so he could...

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“A Good Bet” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #193

CW: cursing and murderTheodore looks disheveled. There is no other way to describe a man who walks to the glass front door of our office, throws out his left hand which grasps desperately at the metal handle before flopping to his side, before hopelessly shuffling in. She hurt him last night. Again. I could kill her. But I can’t, because they’ll blame Theo, I remind myself. I desperately attempt to quiet the butterflies, screaming in my stomach, as I murmur a good morning. Theodore walks on. As he passes by, I sniff the air, like a dog track...

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“Black Bear, Russet Hen, Brown Dog, White Elephant” by Anne Shillingsburg

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #193

“The bear just thinks it’s tame and we feed it chickens at this point,” Uncle Rog says, smiling, over his beer, all gap teeth and white whiskers. He won’t say it to Aunt Lucy, of course. Her voice would get all high pitched telling him it was an awful thing to say. But she would also just quietly stop replacing the chickens, and they make her so happy, each brown egg a source of as much pride as if she’d laid it herself. She often watches through the bay window with hands wrapped around her coffee mug as they scratch in the yard. Uncle Rog w...

Read story

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$250

Prize money

186

Contest entries

114

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Apr 14, 2023 EST

Won by SCOTT GEORGE 🏆

Title: To Plant a Garden.

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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