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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#87: Fool Me Once

From trickster gods to office pranks, humans have long been fascinated by mischief and mayhem. There’s just something about breaking free of the rules of polite society and causing a bit of chaos that appeals deeply to our psyche.

This week, let’s embrace that playful spirit. Whether it’s someone being pranked or doing the pranking, there’s plenty of opportunity to dive deep into your characters’ motives and reactions. No joke — it’s time to break out the (metaphorical) cream pies and throw some anarchy at your protagonists.

This week's prompts

Write about a mischievous pixie or trickster god.

Kids – 206 stories

Write about someone who’s spent a whole year planning a big prank, and now they’re finally ready to pull it off.

Middle School – 75 stories

Write about someone who hates pranks and spends April Fools’ Day doing good deeds instead.

Holiday – 69 stories

Start your story with a big company pulling an April Fools’ prank that ends up going horribly wrong.

Holiday – 82 stories

Write about someone who goes to great lengths to avoid being pranked on April 1st, only to realize they had the date wrong and it’s already April 2nd.

Holiday – 60 stories

Stories

“Vacant” by Lani Lane

Submitted to Contest #87

Mr. Whitaker started his day with making Mrs. Whitaker’s favorite breakfast: pancakes. He had opened his pantry door that morning and found only a half-full bag of pancake mix on the shelf. He grinned, thinking of Mrs. Whitaker’s singing in the kitchen as she flipped pancakes in a well-worn frying pan. He cooked up a dozen and split them up over two plates. Then he carried them to his neighbor’s door and knocked by kicking.” “Mr. Whitaker!” said Mrs. Herman, smiling as she threw open the door. “What a surprise!” He held out the pancake...

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“Fallibility” by Angel Elle

Submitted to Contest #87

If you were to ask me who I am, I would be inclined to lead you astray. Not necessarily for the sake of maleficence, but rather for the joy of mischievousness. You see, I must deceive in order to achieve my objective. It is my inclination and my delight. I mean no harm, and you will take no offense, so long as you are capable of laughing at yourself. But, woe to the one who takes offense. For if you cannot get along with me, you will most certainly learn how to get along without me, unwittingly banishing hope in the process. To forsake the v...

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“Thereby Hangs A Tail” by Howard Halsall

Submitted to Contest #87

There was once a boy called Billy Nutbeam who lived with his mother and father in a small cottage near a dense forest. His father worked at a nearby farm. Billy accompanied him to see the young calves and the new yellow chicks.But animals and birds didn’t like Billy. He always pulled their tails. He just did it to tease them, and they hated it. It frightened them. Billy didn’t care, and he just went on pulling them.Billy pulled the tail of Whiskers, his mother’s cat, and often caught hold of the long, shaggy tail of Bingo, his father’s old d...

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“The Tale of Macsen Bach, Ogden Mawr and clever Jack the Green” by Lizzy Duffield-Fuller

Submitted to Contest #87

Way back when, a while ago, upon the days of old,There was upon a winter’s night, a winter’s story told,Of Macsen Bach, the pixie-man, a fae both bright and bold,And Ogden Mawr, the trickster god, and his famous pot of gold.Macsen was a mischief, and Odgen was a fright,And both of them together made a nightmare of the night,For each of them contended with the other to decide,Who was the king of trouble, and who'd be left aside.If one of them would spoil the milk, the other’d turn it pink,If one of them would steal the cheese, the other’d mak...

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“The April Pixie” by Svara Narasiah

Submitted to Contest #87

Olette was awoken by a sound. Not the kind of sound you usually hear, such as a car passing by or the hiss of a shower. No, this sound came from inside Olette. It was a little voice, urging her to wake up and do her job. Get up, it said impatiently. You have a long day ahead of you. Well, it was right. Olette opened one bleary eye, sat up, and rubbed away the sleep with her tiny fists. She looked down at her irresistibly comfortable nest and wished for nothing more than to settle down and sleep for a few more months. But she had a job to do....

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“You Can't Fool Me” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #87

Chester Huffinpuff was known as a practical joker to all his friends, family, and coworkers, but each year on April Fools Day, Chester would be on his guard instead of pulling pranks. He knew that someone was going to try their best to get him back for the jokes he had played on them throughout the rest of the year. When he awoke on this sunny April first morning, Chester went through his daily routine. As soon ...

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“Who is Ilona Marchenko?” by Darya Silman

Submitted to Contest #87

IA blast of light swished through towns and villages, turning out electrical devices and making pedestrians' hair stand on end. Babushka Glafira in a small city Aprelovka, Kirov oblast, who just made herself comfortable to watch the 6 am program thought that it was the 1st April joke from her spoilt grandson. But Glafira was a loving grandmother: she decided to wait till 8 am.The grandson's phone was put on mute. A long-desired day-off after a week of pressure and deadlines lay before him. The old experimental device had to be taken apart an...

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“Tricked Ya! ” by Kirrtanaa Thanesh

Submitted to Contest #87

It was the 31st of March. The day before April Fools. I stepped out of the office, soaked. As a joke, my colleagues had sprayed me with water from a watering can. I frowned, remembering the incident. Usually, I would only leave the office in the evening. But when I found out we weren’t going to be doing any work, I just got up and left when I got sprayed. Absorbed in my thoughts, I turned around the corner and bumped into my annoying friend. “Hi Karen,” said Stan.“What,” I said annoyed.“Why are you wet?” he asked.“Don’t ask,”“Anyway, li...

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“Two Lines = Pregnant” by Courtney C

Submitted to Contest #87

"You don't think it's going too far, do you?" Eddie asked, a note of uncertainty in his voice. He had half a mind to talk his friend out of this crazy idea."Relax, it'll be hilarious," Trevor replied, fingers hovering briefly over the confirm button before tapping it decisively. Immediately, the screen was awash in a blue, pulsing light. Tiny blue and pink balloons trailing curlicued ribbons appeared, floating upwards to fill the webpage. Congratulations Pinkblue Employee 562, your order has been processed!"This could either be the best pran...

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“The Olive Tree” by Kat Sencen

Submitted to Contest #87

NOTE: You may be wondering why I selected nonfiction as a topic for a fantasy prompt (and selected fantasy as well) and that is because half of this is a real Greek myth and half of it is an extension of it that I created myself. “Look to the olive trees if you need my help in life,” Athena told me when we first met. I was but your young, average lad back then, barely eight years old and still living with my parents in a small, rickety house, a far cry from Olympus, though she, being immortal and all, was the same as she is today, l...

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“Don't Prank the Baby!” by Charlie Murphy

Submitted to Contest #87

“Gawthoro, go prank humans,” Dad said.“I’ll do it later.””No, you’ll do it, NOW!””Alright. I’m goin’!" I flew out my little cottage. It was a warm, cloudy day. Crows soared past me. A plane descended in the distance.I flew over a neighborhood and lowered. “Let’s see… kids gathering around an ice cream truck… Nah… a balding man coming home from work?... Nah… an old lady bending for her newspaper. That would be entertaining, but…”Then I saw him! A teenager falling off his skateboard with huge, fat zits cluttering his face.“This‘ll be good!” I ...

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“April Deeds' Day” by Jay DMer

Submitted to Contest #87

I hate pranks. Especially because that one time my cousin and I pranked my best friend and the cops literally almost showed up at my house. Long story, but we got time.So one day, my cousin and I, mostly my cousin, thought it would be a great idea to prank my best friend, Kyrie. (The day before, she met him for the first time. We were at Cape LakeSide and were swimming on the hot day of July 7th.) At the time, I had a great crush on this guy named Augie Miller and he bought me a beautiful mood necklace that I wore around my neck every day an...

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“A Guac to Remember” by Pieter Kreyns

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #87

“So,” Thomas smiled as the waiter left. “Introductions are done, what’s next?” Kasey contemplated her answer. Thomas was a decent-looking guy; early 30s, fashionable hair, clothes that were just this side of pretentious. He hadn’t tried too hard to make her laugh yet but he had energy when he talked. And he had flirted just enough with the waitress to ensure good service but not put a damper on the date. She figured her usual first date line would work. “Well, I guess we should tell each other what we like and don’t like.” The way Thomas’ ...

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“When April 1 Was No Fun ” by Neel Anil Panicker

Submitted to Contest #87

Tell tale scars of last night's debauchery lay scattered all over the 14th floor high rise apartment room that overlooked the Indian Ocean.Contents of a half empty whisky bottle swam all over the checkerboard mosaic floor---a flotilla of still born desires the night had birthed.Competing for misdemeanor were an unlikely assignment of contenders---half burnt cigarette stubs, leftovers of a half eaten Mexican pepperoni paneer pizza and small little icicles of vomit, each the size of a 3rd stage cancerous tumour. Dog eared pages 31 an...

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“Dandelion Parachutes” by Cathryn V

Submitted to Contest #87

“Hurry up everyone,” Bun hops madly in circles over the soft mat of leaves and pine needles, thumping his feet, a call that vibrates throughout the forest. Bun is the sergeant-at-arms for the federation and one of his duties is gathering the members. They arrive filling the air with chirps, clicks, rivets, and grinds. The scent of cedar and pine floats through the air. Bun says, “Quiet down, quiet down. Tuft is on his way. Oh, god here he comes now.”Tuft is a shapeshifter and a tiny trickster, the closest one to human, therefore conside...

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$50

Prize money

492

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Apr 02, 2021 EST

Won by Catherine Hill 🏆

Title: Samill the Trickster

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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