The Prince Who Loved a Frog
"Milord Crown Prince has fallen in love with a frog," the Lower East Minister reported grimly.
This was not quite the truth.
"I swore I'd marry the frog if it could jump over the great old elm in the garden, because it claimed it had crossed over the top of the palace," the prince explained to his father, who was pinching the bridge of his nose again. "There's something wrong about that frog," he added darkly.
"Even aside from the fact that it was talking with you?" his younger brother Fenn asked.
"Obviously it was a magic frog," said Crown Prince Athel, attempting sarcasm. "But why it's taking my vow so seriously is quite a different thing."
"You'd think an educated adult of this day and age would know how to hold their tongue around magical creatures," remarked the king, "especially 'obvious' ones."
***
This is the opening of a story I finished today and read at writer's group. I scribbled out quick this week, because it was amusing, and I thought would be fun for everyone to hear. Seems it was!
There was a fearsome turnout of people there to pay their dues for the year, but once I got actually started my newly diagnosed stage fright wasn't so bad. Getting few laughs toward the beginning are kind of key when you like to write funny stuff...and this one I tried to play to my strengths, as far as wit goes.
Fenn is actually the main character, and I secretly adore him. Without the "secret" part.
This was not quite the truth.
"I swore I'd marry the frog if it could jump over the great old elm in the garden, because it claimed it had crossed over the top of the palace," the prince explained to his father, who was pinching the bridge of his nose again. "There's something wrong about that frog," he added darkly.
"Even aside from the fact that it was talking with you?" his younger brother Fenn asked.
"Obviously it was a magic frog," said Crown Prince Athel, attempting sarcasm. "But why it's taking my vow so seriously is quite a different thing."
"You'd think an educated adult of this day and age would know how to hold their tongue around magical creatures," remarked the king, "especially 'obvious' ones."
***
This is the opening of a story I finished today and read at writer's group. I scribbled out quick this week, because it was amusing, and I thought would be fun for everyone to hear. Seems it was!
There was a fearsome turnout of people there to pay their dues for the year, but once I got actually started my newly diagnosed stage fright wasn't so bad. Getting few laughs toward the beginning are kind of key when you like to write funny stuff...and this one I tried to play to my strengths, as far as wit goes.
Fenn is actually the main character, and I secretly adore him. Without the "secret" part.