[ tar-uh-did-l ]
Noun
- A small lie.
- Fib.
Let’s Write…
** Either a story beginning, a story ending, a piece of flash fiction, a poem–inspired by the word, taradiddle, where does it take me? Where does it take you?
The village was in an uproar! Bells rang in alarm, and people filled the streets, speaking angrily to one another, not trying to whisper.
“Have you heard?” one uttered.
“It can’t be true!” another responded.
“Oh, God, I hope not,” said the first.
Then, there he was. The one they’d been speaking about, the causer of the uproar. Flanked by two police officers, a young man walked down the cobblestone street through the center of the village. The angry, hurt voices went silent as they watched.
The boy was barely sixteen, and he looked to all the faces staring as if hoping for a lifeline. No words of protest came, no declarations of, “let the boy go!”
Soon, the entire town was in the simple, wooden courthouse.
“Thomas,” the Judge spoke from atop his perch. “You have been brought here to answer the charges of a most heinous crime. Do you have anything to say before we begin?”
The boy looked up, but before he could speak, the attorney sitting at the opposing table interjected.
“Your honor,” he said. “Might we simply hear from the witness first? Rather than allow more tomfoolery from this boy?”
The Judge seemed to deliberate and then nodded. An old woman took a seat beside the Judge’s bench, and the Judge instructed her to tell her story.
“Well, it was like this,” she began. “Thomas told me–in fact, I have it in a letter–that he was going to bring me a blueberry pie today. Just to be nice.”
“Then, what happened?” The Judge asked.
“He brought it over, but when I cut into the pie, it wasn’t pie! It was… a cake!”
The courthouse erupted into shouts of rage and cries of pain.
“I’ve heard enough,” the Judge said, banging his gavel. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?”
Thomas looked around worried, and confused. “I just thought it would be funny–a laugh.”
A woman fainted in the back of the courthouse at his words.
“Take him away,” the Judge said. “Let us hope he learns that some lies are simply sinful!”
Notes/Thoughts/Ideas
Ok, two things. First, I was tired this morning, and I thought something more comedic would wake me up a bit. Second, I love pie. Cake is, eh. Pie is great. Any questions? Lol.
So, this is not a story that’s meant for anything more than what it is right here. But, as always, I’m sure we can make it into something. A satiric TV show where this boy Thomas keeps getting into trouble by ridiculous means.
It could be funny… maybe?
What do you think of Taradiddle?
Cake or pie? Crucial question. Answer correctly : )
Leave your thoughts, your own story beginning/ending, flash-fiction, or whatever in the comments! Where did taradiddle or my story take you?
If you liked this, check out the comedy short story The Three-Legged Knight.
Today’s word is from Dictionary.com.
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