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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?

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

“Murderous Mage” by Graham Kinross

Submitted to Contest #193

TW: swearing, necromancy and rhyming couplets. A mage took a stroll in a deep dark hood. A drunk saw the mage, and the mage looked good. “Why do you wander, cute little mage? Why twist your face with such awful rage?” “A man killed my friend mister drunk, it’s true. A man killed my friend, and I know it was you.” He had rotten teeth, in his rotten jaw. And the drunk gave the mage a hearty guffaw. He had gnawed nails on his twisted fingers, A vomitous reek that so often lingers. “Killed your friend, no mage, not I. I know of your ki...

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“Breakdown” by Grant Jahn

Submitted to Contest #193

The sun is at its peak. And Russell is sweating. “The car’s turning into a hotbox, Jake.” He says. “Even with these windows down. How much longer do you think?” His friend peaks from behind the open hood of the car. Even that little sliver of image through a dusty windshield, is like looking at a mirror. Short curls, defined jaw, beady eyes. The only difference is the glasses. Even after all of this time, these two friends still look exactly like each other. Last night, the bartender kept doing double-takes because Jake was wearing contact...

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“ZODIAC” by Barikisu Abdallah

Submitted to Contest #193

I quietly followed my father into the forest in the middle of the night.The rain was falling heavily and my Dad kept running, looking around as if he was expecting something to happen.I was only seven and I could hardly catch up with my Dad, since he didn’t expect me to follow him.He sighed deeply, stood for a moment, and pointed the gun in my direction, but I hid at the back of a big tree as fast as I can. “A brave man never hides!” he shouted, but I stood as quiet as I could. He shot three times until he was convinced that n...

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“Platitudes for those Left Behind” by KT George

Submitted to Contest #193

Trigger warning: Grief, death of a loved one. Profanity. “It’s been sixteen hours and twenty-two days since I held her in my arms,” Sisely told her therapist. “Have you been able to cry?” Sisely shook her head no. “How about your sleep?” Sisely shrugged and quirked her mouth into a frow...

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“Brodir Bear and the Grumble” by Hannah P. Simmons

Submitted to Contest #193

When I was young, we told stories around the fire, beneath the sky, seated in the lap of the Earth Mother. The cold wind teased our backs, but the warmth of the embers kissed our noses, and there was nothing else but the fire, and the story. In the darkness of the night, the voices carried a new magic that brought Brodir Bear, and Sastyr Mouse to life.Brodir Bear was big and strong. Brodir could find the sweetest berries, catch the quickest salmon, and fight the Snow Spirits with his long, dark claws. And when he stood back on his feet, and ...

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“With The Best Of Intentions” by Richard E. Gower

Submitted to Contest #193

James Inglebrook glanced down at the screen of a smartphone on his desk, and frowned. His voice held just a tinge of annoyance. “You’re late, Steve.”Puffing, and perspiring slightly, Steve Kellog plumped himself down in the stuffed-leather client-chair in front of the big executive desk. “Good to see you again too, old buddy! I know! I apologize, and it’s a long story.”James smiled thinly, making his mien appear less severe, and more tolerant. “As I recall, it always is.”Steve settled into the depths of the chair and gave a great sigh, ...

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“Caught” by Stevie Burges

Submitted to Contest #193

This story mentions sex. The city Nathan and Heather lived and worked in had an international airport a mere 5 miles from where they lived. After a careful discussion, it was decided an airport only 5 miles from the office was not a good bet. There was instead an airport approximately 50 miles away - surely no one from the office would go there! Heather’s sister knew she was having an affair, and Nathan had recently moved in with her. The elder sister Bonnie had been having a sneaky affair for the last eighteen years and w...

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“The Favor” by Everly Lockhart

Submitted to Contest #193

As Lewis finished dragging the couch to the curb, the phone in his pocket vibrated. He pulled it out, swiped the screen and a blue hologram appeared of a man with shaggy hair wearing a beanie. “Bart, what’s the holdup? You said one-thirty.” Lewis said, rubbing his back. "It's ten past." “Dude, okay, you’ll never believe this. Cyber security shut down the galacticway just outside of Mars. Something about a skimmer chase.” After a few taps on the touch screen, a news article overlayed the hologram. The suspect was one Mac Anderson, las...

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“The Brand Ambassador at the End of the Universe” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #193

After quitting a telemarketing job that wasn't my aesthetic, I spend a lot of time at home. Dad watches me eat my breakfast each morning, then go to my room to play computer games, with steadily escalating frustration as the days and weeks go by. I hear him mumble the word 'failure' to Mom behind closed doors, while she murmurs more comforting sounding words. She must be restraining Dad's bootcamp drill sergeant instincts, for now, at least.From the way his foot taps the floor more loudly each morning, he must be reaching his breaking point,...

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“The Town with No Teeth” by Nona Yobis

Submitted to Contest #193

There once was a town, not much known for ordeals, of people who had no teeth for their meals. No teeth for smiles or piles of food, no teeth to display their feelings or moods. It was quite a sad scene, these toothless folk, whose lives had all but gone up in smoke. Oh, they hadn’t always been toothless. At one time, everyone had a set of white teeth, strong chomping teeth, chewing gnawing teeth. Teeth to eat steak, and for veggies and fruit, teeth to eat cheeses while on their commute. And their teeth lo...

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“A Nightmare Among the Mutated Plants; Tom's Escape ” by Carrie Sweet

Submitted to Contest #193

"Nerdy plant enthusiast Tom discovers a strange plant in his backyard. But when he accidentally pricks his finger on one of its thorns, he gains the power to talk to plants. Little does he know, the plants have chosen him for a greater purpose, and as he delves deeper into his newfound powers, he uncovers a sinister plot involving a group of well-intentioned, plant-based aliens whose actions have caused a dangerous signal to be sent to Earth's vegetation. Can Tom use his powers to save the planet and restore balance to the ecosystem?" He tur...

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“The Witch's Assistant” by Philippa Hibberd

Submitted to Contest #193

(CW: Mention of a manipulative parent)On the morning of her twenty-first birthday, Rosemary woke to find herself staring into a pair of purple eyes.She bit back a sigh. She’d expected this – after all, she’d reached the age that every witch received their familiar – yet she couldn’t say she’d been looking forward to it. During the span of just over two decades, she’d learned to be wary of helpers. In her experience, they were unwittingly counterproductive at best, self-serving at worst.A paw batted at her nose. Just her luck that a cat had c...

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“Airport Run” by Gill James

Submitted to Contest #193

"I really don't get it, Amanda. It all seems so drastic." Amanda. It always meant she was in trouble if Mum used her full name. "I've got to do it, Mum. There's no way I can stay here." "But all that work you've done on the cottage? And won't you miss this boy?" "Of course I will." Mandy stooped down to pat the head of the ageing Golden Labrador. "But you'll be alright with Mum and Harry, won't you Buddy?" The dog whined and wagged his tail slowly. Perhaps he'd recognised the suitcases. And the fact that she'd brought him over to Mum's...

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“The Disguised Protector” by Ian James

Submitted to Contest #193

It was a scene right out of a Greek tragedy: Jackson and Madison, locked in a tense tête-à-tête, their once-jovial demeanor replaced with a cold fury. Despite the raucous revelry of the cafe around them, they were anything but amused. Herman, their hapless compatriot, had once again proven himself to be the thorn in their side. A self-described nerd, Herman's style was a cross between "military school" and "library assistant". He wore his hair slicked down with a dollop of gel, and his glasses were as thick as the bottom of a Coca-Cola bottl...

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“Own Your Swing” by Suma Jayachandar

Submitted to Contest #193

Once upon a time, in the dense forests of Western Ghats, there lived a grey langur, Giria.Giria lived with his troop. He had just been weaned off from his Ma. And was still learning to use his tail to balance himself.One summer evening, as he tore the tender green leaves from the jamun tree and chewed them with his eyes closed, and dreamt of a paradise where he could sit on a tree throne and be offered the succulent leaves on a platter, he was jolted by screechy alarms from his family. He too joined them and made a feeble sound. But wasn’t q...

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$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.

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

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