mouse

Word count 217
Can use any form of the word: singular, plural, past, present ,future tense.

Word List

I thought I would try one phrase, to see if it works or not. However if you choose not to use the phrase use the word I picked in its place


Auspicious
Canopy
Eclipse
Silhouette
Buffet
Burgundy
Whimsical
Beguile
Wreath
As-snug-as-a-bug-i n-a-rug
Or
if you don't want to use the phrase then use the following word --

Melancholy

mouse

Dragon is right - if you hyphenate the phrase it comes out as one word in the count on Word.

maddyjean08

Suppose I'll give it a try....

maddyjean08

Joy Ana had always been an adventurous person, so when the letter came in the mail saying she could get a million dollars or take a trip to the Amazon Rainforest, she chose the Amazon.

For her, the choice was most auspicious, and so was the tropical bird she was staring at in the middle of the Amazon forrest. Whenever she looked up, her view was covered with a canopy of bright green tree leaves. If she could find a spot where the sun shone through, it looked almost exactly like an eclipse.

Everywhere Joy Ana looked, it was like a buffet for only the biggest and toughest predators. She did, however, feel sorry for a little burgundy lizard crawling on a tree. She knew it wouldn't live for long, so she thought it best to get it out of sight.

Watching some of the tropical animals fumbling around was rather whimiscal and made Joy Ana chuckle. However, she could never get over every lizard's beguile.

When it was time to go, Joy Ana had made a wreath of tropical flowers and had caught several lizards. She was filled with melancholy as she said good-bye to the lizards and let them go.

Joy Ana waved to the Amazon and hopped on her plane.

maddyjean08

Oh, it's 217 words and is titled 'On her Plane'.

mouse

Maddy
This is an absolutely charming story. So glad you jumped right in.

Shanley

I agree with Mouse, Maddy. I liked it too. Although it's one thing that made me smile: I'd figure if you had one million dolloars you could go Amazon whenever you feel like. Beautiful story, anyway.

Shanley

+to (go to Amazon)

maddyjean08

Ah, i guess Joy Ana isn't a thinker.

giraffe

217 without title

THE ECLIPSE

Sipping his Burgandy under the canopy by the lake, George was feeling elated. He had a way of soaking whimsical investors into his ' get rich quick' schemes.

"All it takes is a beguiling attitude." He told his companion. "You just shmooze them, flatter and flirt a little, and before you know it, they feel snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug."

Joseph asked "Don't you feel at all guilty or responsible for fooling them?"

"No way." George laughed. "It's their own stupidity that leads them right to me."

Joseph was miffed. "I don't know if I want to buy in." he said. "It seems too auspicious to be real. And how do I know you aren't playing me for a sucker, too?"

They'd been sitting out all evening waiting for the eclipse and it was about to happen - to both of them. Just as the silhouette of the Earth started to pass over the full moon, a wreath of diffused light seemed to light up the sky. They both felt somehow different.

"I feel wierd." George said. "I don't think I want to promote this anymore."

"Oh, but I really do." Joseph responded. "Let's go hit the buffet - my treat."

"No. This is wrong. Don't do it."

"Oh, now you suddenly have a conscience. You finally convinced me. You ain't backing out now, Buddy."

Dragon

One question mouse, when's the cut-off when you'll choose the next torch bearer?

Doug

maddy: I enjoyed your story too. I think you missed the word "silhouette" though, but I'm probably just blind. If I was in the Amazon besides admiring the amazing beauty of it all, I'd be watching out for those "predators" that's for sure. Cute story and a nice start.

Doug

Giraffe: A very good story with the "eclipse switch" scenario. For being so few words you used them wonderfully developing a thoughtful story. I'm not sure if an eclipse has real effect on people, but I know for a fact that a full moon does. I could write a dissertation on that one! Once again a great story with an interesting twist ending. I truly enjoyed it.

giraffe

Yeah, it does, Doug. Every lunar eclipse you switch personalities with the nearest person. Last one, I was next to a 6 yr. old girl. I love it, but she's miserable. Oh well. lol

Maddy, you just get better all the time. What a surprise - the Amazon.

Doug

217 including title

Charlie

Charlie sat quietly under a canopy of brilliant stars. A buffet of nature sounds filled the night. Chirping crickets added a whimsical orchestra of pleasant sounds.

He was intent on eclipsing his brothers’ record of spying 49 shooting stars in one night. His mother told him to stay within shouting distance and stay warm. He was snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug with his hand made burgundy Indian blanket and the cushy chair from the back porch. He was sitting along a row of tall pines that cast silhouettes of shadow men onto the barn in the pasture.

He was beguiled by the stillness and gazed upward as one shooting star after another blazed across the moonlit sky above. He stopped counting at 150. A faint light shown through the stand of pines quite near to where the creek crossed the pasture. Knowing it was an auspicious occasion of star gazing he decided he had had enough and slowly walked towards the faint light.

He arrived at the source of the light and saw a pine cone wreath hanging on the door of a modest farmhouse. A young lady appeared at his side and he began to tell her his star gazing tale. Caught up in his own excitement he didn’t notice that the young girl had disappeared. He was alone.

giraffe

Doug, another good, eerie tale. (Nitpicking, I think you meant 'shone' not 'shown'.)

mouse

Dragon. Thanks for reminding me. Since Christmas is next week and people may be busy getting ready lets give it a few extra days . Cut off is the 28th of Dec and I'll post my choice on the 29th.

We are off to a real good start.

Maddy-- you did miss 'Silhouette'. Can you work it in somewhere.?

Doug

Giraffe: Thanks for catching that. oops. And thanks for the nice comments also.

ladyhwin

No title - 217 words. I found this one confusing after I wrote it, but thought I would post it anyway.



Why was she standing beside the road, holding her bag of Christmas cards? People wondered this as they hurried past. She was a curious sight, with her mud-streaked burgundy jacket and bright red hair. Most people refused even to glance her way; very few went so far as to smile at her. Did anyone wonder what her name was? Where she came from? Probably not.
Her name was Elizabeth and she was Scottish. She had moved to London when her father had become jealous. Her auspicious voice was slowly eclipsing his own fame as a pianist. So she left her home and gave up singing, choosing instead to become known for her whimsical and melancholy nature – no one was to know that she owned the popular Eliza Buffet.
But why was she there? No one knew. No one guessed that she was the one that lived in the small mansion just outside the city and collected wreaths to decorate her home. No one ever supposed that she spent many long evenings beside the fire thinking of little beguiling quotes to write in her cards. No one speculated about whose silhouette it was that appeared every Christmas in the sunset, long hair fluttering, skirts billowing. No one ever knew that each cards she offered contained hundreds of dollars.

ladyhwin

whoops, realized that I forgot the word canopy. Sooo, here's the same story, slightly rewritten. 217 words.



Why was she standing beside the road, under that canopy, holding her bag of Christmas cards? People wondered this as they hurried past. She was a curious sight, with her mud-streaked burgundy jacket and bright red hair. Most people refused even to glance her way; very few went so far as to smile at her. Did anyone wonder what her name was? Where she came from? Probably not.
Her name was Elizabeth and she was Scottish. She had moved to London when her father had become jealous. Her auspicious voice was slowly eclipsing his own fame as a pianist. So she left her home and gave up singing, choosing instead to become known for her whimsical and melancholy nature – no one was to know that she owned the popular Eliza Buffet.
But why was she there? No one knew. No one guessed that she was the one that lived in the small mansion just outside the city and collected wreaths to decorate her home. No one ever supposed that she spent many long evenings beside the fire thinking of beguiling quotes to write in her cards. No one speculated about whose silhouette it was that appeared every Christmas in the sunset, long hair fluttering. No one ever knew that each card she offered contained hundreds of dollars.