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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

“Too bad the grass is never greener” by Paris Fowler

Submitted to Contest #88

It had seemed too easy, all he had to to was agree to leave behind a family he could not stand to be with, a life he hated beyond measure. His mother always simpering, not understanding why her love was not enough to sate him, always telling him he must be patient with life. That good things would come to him. "But I want more. I deserve more, and I deserve it NOW!" His voice had brought fear to his mothers eyes, her hand clutching at her tattered shawl. He hated her, innocent Violet. Hated that he had not been chosen, not been given the c...

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“THE GOLDEN VIOLIN ” by Nirmala Nababsing

Submitted to Contest #88

The golden violin In a remote island found in the middle of the ocean, far from other shores, there lived a young prince. His parents the king and queen were getting old and wished that the prince gets prepared to reign over the island. The prince was handsome. He had gentle behaviour, was courteous, kind hearted and compassionate. He won the hearts of every inhabitant of the island, His most enjoyable moments were those he spent in nature, listening to the songs of the birds, streaming of rivers and whispering of leaves. In the ...

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“The Sweetest Of Snares” by Kas Reidva

Submitted to Contest #88

Author's note: The first part of the story describes suicidal thoughts, so please don't read this if that is upsetting to you. Also, this is a follow up to my other story "If You Must Live", but it can be read alone. The sun was shining in all his undaunted glory, chasing away any clouds foolish enough to try and mar the immaculate summer sky. A lazy breeze dispersed the afternoon heat, keeping the temperature from becoming stifling. It was a perfect day. The kind that one remembers from childhood and yet, never encounters again. Iro...

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“The Price to Pay” by Amber Pontious

Submitted to Contest #88

The heat and smoke from the flames encircling the room made it hard to breath as Lia stretched, reaching for the dagger that lay just beyond her reach. Heavy boots smashed her grasping fingers into the floor. A choked sob wrenched its way out of her, but she refused to let the tears fall. With his other foot, the man kicked the dagger across the room. “Give up Princess Dahlia. There’s no way for you to win.” The man knelt beside her, removing his foot from her hand. He wrenched her face up to meet his eyes, gripping her chin with his rough...

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“Fairytale gone wrong in all the possible ways” by Willow Kendr

Submitted to Contest #88

It’s been quite a while now since the demon last appeared in one of Jo’s dreams, but that was probably because Jo hasn’t been having any dreams in the first place – only nightmares, which are quite tiring to have sixteen times in a row. Jo hated waking up in the middle of the night because once she wakes up, she’s not going to fall asleep until the next night comes. Wrapped up in a blanket, Jo wandered who she is going to see tonight: her mother and all the so called “challenges” she makes her daughter go through to prove she deserves to be...

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“Trivial Beauty” by A Mehendale

Submitted to Contest #88

Nisha stood in front of the mirror.It hung on the wall opposite her bedroom window, large and oval and gilt to the point of gaudy. Flecks of gold had flaked off over the years, leaving the frame looking somewhat battered and worn. A relic, clinging to a time not its own.She examined her reflection in the lightly smudged glass, perhaps for the last time. A shrewd gaze traversed her opposite self, half critical, half considering. She looked, nice, she decided. Pretty, even, though her hair was merely tied back and her clothes uncomplicated, si...

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“Peace for a memory” by Trista Shea

Submitted to Contest #88

She could feel the ever tightening bind of their judgement whenever she slipped away from the refuge of her dwelling. Even the guard perched outside the door burned a hole through her skull with his spiteful gaze as she made haste for the forest. The whole village whispered falsehoods about Yrsa, the new wife of their chieftain. Nidingr, is how they brand her now. They cast their blame, but know nothing of the truth. Yrsa wore the hood of her cloak so low that if it was not for her knowledge of the village pathways, she would surely topple o...

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“Butterfly Clips” by Hungara Gamelia

Submitted to Contest #88

` Kalaythia tugged at the clips in her hair, reassuring herself that they were still in place. They were, just like always. Today she’d added bright multicolored metallic butterflies to the boring plain black ones that never left her hair. They added a pop of color to her dusty gray braids. The clips; or Sqalen however were practically apart of her head, she never took them off. The only time she’d never worn any, was as a baby, far beyond her own memory. Then again all of her people wore them. They were an integral part of ...

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“The Ghost Prince” by Joseph Ahart

Submitted to Contest #88

David had never run so quickly before in his life. Fire grew in his legs and lungs as he sprinted through the open field, hearing nothing but his own gasping breaths. Donning a fine silk cloak, the Prince stood out like a wildflower in an empty plain. Soon the royal guard would be upon him, and soon he would be dead. Crows cackled up high on their barren perches. Dead crops sprawled as far as the eye could see. It had been hours since David had fled the castle. He never realized how expansive the farmland was outside of the keep. Beyond t...

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“My Mother and Her Creatures” by Jean Bloom

Submitted to Contest #88

My mother was an amusing soul. As a kid, we would wander the lush dark oak forests, searching for: toadstools, mushrooms, green snails, toads, chipped acorns, cardinals, and above all else: faeries. My mother would go hysterical looking for them. "She was a fool", the town we lived in would say, "She has gone completely mad". About eleven, I believed every inch of madness she would say. "Look at this June, a house made for a faerie!" She said, peering at the hole in the tree's bark, a small one; filled with moss. "Come June, I found a tiny m...

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“King Wesley” by Kira Pye

Submitted to Contest #88

King WesleyPart One: Prince WesleyThere was once a prince by the name of Wesley. He lived in an enormous castle with his father and his three sisters. Being the only son of King Tiberius, he was next in line for the throne, even though all his sisters were older than him- a fact of which they would often remind him. Wesley had wanted to be king his whole life. He’d always dreamed of one day sitting where his father sat, sadly, at only fourteen years old, he had a long way to go. Wesley spent everyday training with knights, studying...

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“The Beginnings of June” by Catherine Hammond

Submitted to Contest #88

It was early morning when June walked into the quiet cafe a few streets down from the apartment complex. She ordered a 16oz cup of chai and found a small table by the shop window to sit at. People watching. It was her favorite pastime in this small town of Oakwood Hills. June watched as a woman standing at the register in a purple coat with a tan scarf tied around her neck. A slight breeze entered the front door, shifting the scarf away from the bruises that were around her neck. June stared down into her tea as if she had just witnessed a s...

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“The Outcast” by Kate Lyn

Submitted to Contest #88

"Blasted!" yelled Magnolia. "You just can't do anything right can you?" she said, her voice laced with anger. He had only been working there two days and he already managed to mess up just about every task he's been given. "I am so sorry i promise it won't happen again." he said, his voice sounded childish as he pleaded for her to give him a second chance. "Out!" she boomed as she pointed to the door. Her wings fluttering in annoyance. He left the store, his head drooping down. Everywhere he went people muttered vain things towards...

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“The Hollow” by Chloe Pendergrass

Submitted to Contest #88

When I awoke that day, nothing was the same as it had ever been before. The moment the morning sun hit my face I knew I was somewhere unfamiliar. I was lying in the middle of what seemed to be a field of tulips. I felt confused, did I wander off in my sleep? No, I mustn't have, I’d never seen any place like that before in my life. Was I dreaming? This seemed the most likely option but when I failed to rouse myself from rubbing my eyes or willing my sleep to end, I decided it must indeed be real. That is when the dread came. Someone mus...

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“Where the Bana Blooms” by Kevin Bao

Submitted to Contest #88

When the boy woke up, he found himself lying on the bank of a seashore. The waves gently swayed and moved around him, as if holding on to something important. The boy straightened his head and glanced toward the sky. The sunset here was dazzlingly beautiful, showing a gradual change from the color orange to pink little by little just like the color spilled on the orange flavored ice cream after mixing strawberry jam with milk. Well, I haven't eaten ice-cream for a long time, the boy thought with a small shrug. With th...

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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!

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