#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?
This week's prompts
Write a story containing the words “it’s the thought that counts.”
Dialogue
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46 stories
Stories
“An Idle Helping Hand” by Levi Michael
Submitted to Contest #193
“Pieces” by Crissie Dittrich
Submitted to Contest #193
“Transformational” by Kelly Jackson
Submitted to Contest #193
“FOR YOU” by Melinda Madrigal
Submitted to Contest #193
“Bare Souls” by Anna Giangiordano
Submitted to Contest #193
“Brother: Nineteen Years, Zero Days” by William Moreau
Submitted to Contest #193
$250
Prize money
186
Contest entries
115
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.
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