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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#88: Fairy Tale Truths

Did you know that April 2nd marks Hans Christian Andersen’s 216th birthday? Andersen’s work has been adapted and reimagined so many times it's become part of our literary DNA. In fact, it's hard to imagine the world of fairy tales without them. And while some were based on old folklore, many sprang from his own imagination — sometimes even incorporating details of his life and using the genre's fantastical trappings to write parables about his experiences.

 

This week we invite you to use your stories to explore larger truths. Whether you set them in a magical fairy tale realm or not, stories are a wonderful way to examine important ideas. So sit back, reflect, and prepare to let your imagination run wild through the forest.

This week's prompts

Write a cautionary fable about someone who always lies.

Adults – 116 stories

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

Stories

“AUTHOR OF THE IMAGINARY” by Paulo Blanco

Submitted to Contest #88

Writing about an author famous for his fairy tales was a pleasantly received challenge, not that I knew them very well, and was thus endowed with a special advantage. The certainty of inspiration was really a competitive advantage, and I was not surprised; it had taken me many times before, making me write admirable articulations, which, morbidly, I had not yet dared to present to any of my beta-readers. When it took me, I knew it was a guarantee of a full service job, hair, beard and mustache. Blown away by it, electrifying those thousand g...

7 comments 7
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“Haiku-dja Help Me?” by Michael Boquet

Submitted to Contest #88

Once upon a timeThere was a teller of talesWho lived all aloneHis home a towerBrightly lit and well-furnishedAnd chock full of booksThough given no nameHe thinks of himself as “Scribe”This name makes him smileThe Scribe is the sourceOf stories across the landBoth past and futureAll writers know himThough they may be unawareOf his influenceFrom him come ideasSent to writers old and newOn the wings of dreamsBent over his deskQuill in hand and ink nearbyThe Scribe weaves storiesThe stories we knowMyths, fables, classics, and moreCome straight f...

35 comments 35
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“Smile For Me” by Allie Mae Sakry

Submitted to Contest #88

Princess Aoi sighed as she stared out the window of her office, daydreaming of taking a walk in the palace gardens and ignoring the heavy piles of documents in front of her. “Is something the matter, Your Highness?” The palace tutor Giles Christophe looked up from his papers with concern. “There’s so much to do, Giles,” she whispered. “I fear I’ll spend most my life reading and signing documents, giving attention to nothing but parchment.” She sat up in her chair and grabbed the next document from her unfinished pile. Gil...

4 comments 4
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“The Snake With a Plan” by Trina Ann Pion 🍀🌹🍀

Submitted to Contest #88

Thousands of years before humans controlled this planet, snakes ruled the land. They had the same green-colored armor, with their tongues whole and eight long, lean legs which made them hard to escape from, especially if one was caught in its death grip or bitten with its sharp, venomous fangs. Known as the most dangerous of creatures, the snakes wore their power like a king wore his crown. Not only were they dangerous, but their stories of indestructibility traveled from one shore to another when the world had yet to crack and sep...

6 comments 6
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“Only You” by Dobbie Iyke

Submitted to Contest #88

It all began in Pirate elf street. The day before Christmas, I and my family travelled to Canada to see my mother's grandma. We boarded a plane tho.Ohhh i forgot! My name is Cee Jim and I'm sixteen years of age.I kinda believe in goblets, spells and magic. I am the only child of my parents. I am loved by everyone i know and came across. My favourite TV program is F.r.i.e.n.d.s and my favourite actress from the program is Jennifer Aniston also known as Rachel Green in the movie. I prefer cats to dogs, yeah yeah. I am done with college.Allllll...

4 comments 4
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“The Names of the Game” by Kathleen March

Submitted to Contest #88

Just to make things clear: I do not tell the truth. Not now, anyway. I am unable to. If you run into me somewhere, just be aware of this: I will lie to you.  Don't take it personally, please. I wasn’t always a liar, you know. Well, maybe you don't know, but I'm telling you lying's not my style, so you'll probably believe me. Probably. Most people are incapable of admitting they are megalomaniacs. When somebody does, they are special. You might learn something from their stories. What I'm telling you now is that I am a liar. I don...

9 comments 9
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“The Sea Goddess ” by Rose Quartz

Submitted to Contest #88

Goodmorning Mr. Archer. How are you feeling? “It’s Archy. Where am I?” He said, rubbing his eyes.  “You're in the hospital. We just conducted surgery on your right leg, you should feel like yourself within a couple of days. Is there anybody I can call for you?”  “Who are you? How did I get here? Tell me!” “Sir, I am going to need you to relax. I am a nurse, my name is Percula and I have a degree in psychology. I am going to help you on your path to recovery. Can you tell me what you remember from last night?” “No, I don’t know anyt...

5 comments 5
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“The Arctic Outcast” by :}} Silverstar

Submitted to Contest #88

This journal belongs to : Thyia Wilkwine ・Date ~ May 12, 1650.Squeezed into a pocket-sized crevice within ice-moulded walls, with which I've claimed my home, had I known the royal guards carrying sachets of cinder and ash around as a new-founded additive to our annual traditions would be the catalyst to my own undoings, I'd have restrained my whole being from breaking the willpower to hold on. Today was a customary, universal tradition in celebration of the first steps taken for the domestication of wildlife known to be Polar Day, ...

52 comments 52
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“Love” by Darya Silman

Submitted to Contest #88

I'Come here, Prince, you'll be safe with me.' A woman squatted in front of John's hideout, his favorite corner between a nightstand and bed. John had never seen a woman like her before. Her skin looked like it was shining white from within, pulsation of thin red veins visible through skin's paleness. The color of her eyes transitioned from dark blue to mesmerizing black with every rise and fall of long lashes. A red-yellow dragon slightly wriggled on her left temple, and he heard the quiet hissing of a golden snake, entwining her right ...

13 comments 13
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“The tale of the third god” by Celine Aoun

Submitted to Contest #88

The sound of hoof beats clicking on the ground diminished gradually as four black horses came to a stop and a bearded man holding a two-pronged scepter descended from the golden chariot that trailed behind them. As soon as his feet touched the ground, the man closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the pure cloudless air in which basked the snowcapped peaks of Mount Olympus. The grim figure stood a few feet away from the golden gates of the heavenly fortress, his stern posture betrayed by the longing in his eyes for the fa...

8 comments 8
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“The Man and The Sundial” by Rose Ann Paga

Submitted to Contest #88

Long ago, there was a man living with his wife. She was one grouchy woman but apparently, the man was loving enough to consider her. They had no children for his wife couldn’t bear a child because of her condition. They lacked every luxurious thing in the world and lived under the shabby thatched of nipa hut in a place unheard of. A far-flung land where they needed a day or two to reach the market. The couple were thrusted with such weights in their hearts, yet they were generous. They loved each other and together, they were living happil...

7 comments 7
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“Dreams and Tambourines” by Tessa Takzikab

Submitted to Contest #88

Disclaimer: I don’t believe in coincidence, so I won’t claim that the fact that this story lines up very nicely with one of the stories in Tanach is merely coincidental. I did, however, make up several parts of the story, and have to choose some interpretations over others. Also, for those of you who don’t know, the Hebrews later became known as Jews. If there’s anything else you need translated or explained, feel free to let me know.***It was hard for most Hebrews. I was from the tribe of Levi, the one tribe that wasn’t forced to work all d...

8 comments 8
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“Removed From Office” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #88

Hanley Norris feared it might come back to bite him in the ass, but he never thought it would be in a literal sense.No matter how many skeletons he stuffed into his closet, a part of him clung to the belief that he’d never get found out. At some point, the house of cards should have collapsed, but it didn’t. So, he stacked the layers, higher and higher. Until the worry that it’d fall abated. And thus grew the ridiculous notion that he might be invincible after all.Hell, he thought as he swiped the contents of his desk to the floor. You could...

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“The Donkey & the Dating App ” by H Bolton

Submitted to Contest #88

There once was a groundhog named Gloria. She had an internet date over lunch at The Watering Hole, the hippest drinks establishment in town. Most animals had to wait in line to get a sip at the Hole. Her date was with a horse named Jack and they had met on Mating Call, an app where animals swipe up or down based on potential suitor’s photos.  Cautiously, she opened the door of the bar and poked her black nose and snout into the establishment. She saw a giraffe, a cobra, a macaw, an opossum, and a donkey. No horse - she left. &nbs...

19 comments 19
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“A gift of great worth” by Kollyndi Rutledge

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #88

Princess Jade of Cainan knelt on the woven rug and grasped the old woman’s warm, crinkled hands. The hands shook in hers and the watery eyes steadily gazed into her own, pouring deep sadness into Jade’s soul. “He doesn’t remember me.” A flood of despair. A fierce love. The emotions poured into Jade. The wavery voice continued. “Sixty years we have lived side by side, serving our people, leading our family, enduring great loss and knowing greater joy.” The old woman drew a ragged breath. “It is all gone. He asks to go home. I cannot comfort...

4 comments 4
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$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

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!

Prompts | Many Hands | 2024-09

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