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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write a story featuring an animal who subverts expectations (like a snuggly tiger, or something more magical, like a literal fish out of water).

Posted in Kids on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 69 stories

“Making Friends” by Emily Nghiem

Submitted to Contest #41

I met Mr. Casey after I injured my back and quit doing yard work. My dear Edna gave our tools away to the old man to store in his garage, a few blocks away on the other side of the school. Since Mr. Casey ran the church program for students working odd jobs during the summer, we donated our lawn mower and gardening tools in exchange for free services, which he continued to provide during the school year when the kids were too busy.Lately, however, after his dog Max died in late August, Mr. Casey withdrew from church activities and stopped ma...

6 comments 6
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“Sniveling Weasel Goes to School” by Jubilee Forbess

Submitted to Contest #41

Once upon a great time ago, there was a weasel named Snovlin. Except he was whiny and pathetic so everyone called him Sniveling Weasel. He was a purple and reddish weasel, with two eyes and a mouthful of tiny sharp teeth. One day his mother said, “My Boy, I think it’s time you go to school. Mostly because I can’t stand your face!”So he packed his bag like the sniveling weasel he was. He packed a tiny sharp teeth toothbrush, a lemon juice parfait, three waffles, a crayon, his tire swing, no pants, because he was a weasel, and a stuffed panda ...

17 comments 17
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“Cocoa Bear ” by Anna K Firth

Submitted to Contest #41

                                                                  It was very cold. Snow fell in thick flakes from the dark sky as I walked towards the main street of town. Firelight flooded from the windows, turning ...

12 comments 12
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“bright blue meteorite” by Masha Kurbatova

Submitted to Contest #41

There were wild horses on Mars now, and everyone knew it was Sampson Fields’ fault. The classic tale, an unstable genius, a complete mental breakdown, a lashing out, a break-in at the laboratory where the foals were kept in sterile stables hooked to tubes and monitors. He set all of them free the day after he turned in his resignation letter. Rumor was he’d written it in his own blood on a crumpled lab report. But just a rumor. It was in fact typed in twelve-point Times New Roman and formatted very correctly. No one ever saw him again. ...

11 comments 11
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“Deep Space Canine” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #41

1“Grrround Control, mission has successfully been completed, repeat, mission has been successfully completed, Grrround Control.”“Roger that, Major Rover, thank you for your hard work. Huzagudboi, huzagudboi, yoragudboi, yezyoragudboi.”“Huzagudboi yourself, Captain. Major Rover over and out.”Major Rover allowed himself to drift for a moment, taking in the sights. He never got tired of it — and doubted that he ever would. He sighed to himself, contentedly, as he floated through the pretty void, all manner of stars and planets lacing the cosmic...

3 comments 3
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“A thread unfurling” by Chloe-Ly Grimont

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #41

The first accursed vibration resonates through me, causing my flower’s petals to bounce and sway precariously as they take in the shock. Plop. A tremor runs up my legs, and I struggle to stay put as I sway back and forth. Plop. Another drop descends almost directly upon me, and a shiver racks my body. I flutter my wings and half-fly, half-fall towards the nearest patch of undergrowth. I hear the pounding up above, beading and reaching past the shady foliage that protects me. After several feverish hours, the pour abates. In the storm's ...

16 comments 16
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“We Need Beasts” by Kathleen March

Submitted to Contest #41

I have two turtles. Their names are Ike and Mike. They aren’t very big - their shells are about 6” long - but size is irrelevant with these dudes. My guys are really special. So special that I’m seriously considering renaming them: Ichabod and Michael. Sounds a little more fancy, yes? Unless somebody goes over my head and gives them nicknames like Ick and Mick, which are worse than Ike and Mike, for sure.What you should know about this pair is that they have special abilities. Not only can both of them play fetch as well as any dog, but they...

6 comments 6
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“Morgana” by Harken Void

Submitted to Contest #41

I am the whisper in the trees. The shadow in the night. I am a tale better left untold.A tail, better left unseen.Every mother has her demon. Her worst intention, hidden behind something sweet and fluffy. Something that she sets loose when dark deeds need to be done. And Mother Nature has me. I am that demon. I am that worst of intentions, the dark deed needed done. I am the one she sets free when nightmares don’t cut it. When people fail to heed her final warning. When there is no other way.I am the harrowing that follows in the p...

11 comments 11
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“LIFE FIRST” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #41

The rains, the trains and the elephants are all objects enchanting forever. Heavy rains, speedy trains, swaying elephants are very attractive. For children specially, once they notice any of them, life comes to a standstill. Ananya too was no different. In fact, she had an obsession with elephants. Some years ago, her father had taken his family to Thailand and Ananya had a chance to go on Elephant Safari. It was a free ride for children. She was too small to sit alone on the elephant. Her father had tucked her with him. Initially, she was s...

3 comments 3
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“Amara's song ” by Prathamesh Chavan

Submitted to Contest #41

Today, I was amazed by the, wonderful and never setting sea water .It looked the sea has no ending as far as you can reach full of blue colour.I had always imagined to sail this long voyage and my dream came ture ,it was wonderful feeling .Though sun was high ,no cloud's could be seen ,"do some work boy" shouted a voice ."Yes,sir" , I would do best I shouted too .He was my uncle and he had promised to take me to, long voyage and seen as many places beyond ocean .I reminded myself to work , nothing more in life to do now. I have lost everythi...

0 comments 0
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“Barnyarn” by Matt Strempel

Submitted to Contest #41

The crowd erupts with whistles and gasps as the live band punches out a feverish, stabbing brass sting. The host strides to the centre of the stage, waving as the crowd claps to the beat.While the band continues, the unseen voiceover man announces, ‘Live from London to the world, it’s Barnyarn! The show where we can walk with the animals, talk to the animals, grunt and squeak and squawk with the animals. And here’s your host, Bob ‘Doolittle’ Daniels!’‘Thank you, everyone. Thank you,’ says Doolittle Daniels, his voice as bright as his signatu...

3 comments 3
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“Fishing Allure” by Jesper Jee

Submitted to Contest #41

“No mother, I haven’t heard from dad! Why would he call me? And why do you care?”Louise could feel her voice growing louder but was yet unaware of the stares she got as she hurried across the street from East 72st street and into Central Park.She usually hated the people on their phones in the middle of the day, especially in the park. On most occasions before getting ready to shoot she wouldn’t even pick up the phone. Especially when her mother was the caller. But she had moved too quickly. An regretted it too late.“Listen, you are bot...

10 comments 10
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“The Speedy Sloth” by Viviana Lam

Submitted to Contest #41

I am a speedy sloth, and by speedy I mean slightly faster than any other sloth I know. This is how I justify eating more than the other sloths. Obviously, I need more fuel to maintain my speediness. Otherwise, I’d be as slow as the rest of them. My parents are unconvinced, however. They said I was just gluttonous. Gluttonous, can you imagine? Used to describe a speedy sloth like me? Impossible.You might be wondering: why am I speedy? It’s because I am trying to subvert the stereotype of lazy, slow sloths! I’m so tired of human beings associa...

5 comments 5
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“No Prince” by Barbara Eustace

Submitted to Contest #41

No PrinceBy Barbara EustaceI try to stay out the way, because she does nag so.  Nag, nag, nag.  Take just now for example. “Where have you been lately?”, she shouts at me. The truth is, I’ve been plotting. You see, I have a problem. Let me explain.One day, there I was minding my own business when this broad came down to the pond that I thought of as home. Refined little piece, if you like that sort of thing. Pink, rounded in all the right places and well dressed. I’d had a heavy lunch – too many f...

3 comments 3
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“What is She? What is She doing that is so Strange?” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #41

What is She? What is She doing that is so Strange? Her problems all started one morning when she was young and completely by herself. She did not know why she made the decision that she did. There was no one older around to indicate that what she was doing was seriously wrong for one of her species.  She did it initially just on a whim, something she just wanted to try. She was curious about what it would be like to experience the sensations it involved.  She enjoyed it more than she thought she would. So it was not...

8 comments 8
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