Finally – it’s Friday (well, it is here anyway). A very tough challenge this week based on a fabulous work of art by Claire Fuller. I chose to get serious and explore the theme of Janus, the two-headed Roman god of transitions – nah, just kidding, I went for something silly as usual. Enjoy!
For those who don’t know, Friday Fictioneers is a challenge to write a 100 word story from a picture prompt. It’s hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields, and anyone can play. Thanks for hosting, Rochelle! Check out the link at the end of my story to see what other fictioneers did with this week’s prompt.
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copyright-Claire Fuller
A Pint Of The White Stuff
Poor little Solomon Riggs was born with two heads, but his mother loved him just the same.
Mr Riggs was shocked and instantly blamed the radiographer who had failed to spot his son’s additional appendage during his wife’s scans. The radiographer blamed the doctor who was often late to work and always bleary-eyed. The doctor blamed the milkman who never delivered the milk on time, which stopped him from getting his Weetabix.
And the milkman?
He was long gone. As soon as he heard about Solomon’s condition, he skipped town, pulling his cap down tight to hide his second head.
(100 words)
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Need more Friday Fiction? Click the blue frog to read more stories from other fictioneers!
Need more words? Click here for my response to the DP Challenge (1000 words) The Girl Who Floats Up Hills
Need more silliness? Find out what happened when Fabio fell face-first into the industrial grating machine at the Parmigiano-Reggiano factory (600 words)
Love it!
Thanks, Ruth!
Very nice piece. I really liked your removed narrative style! Well done.
Thanks Parul. I’d like to pretend the removed narrative style was a deliberate choice, but the story fell out of my head that way. Thanks for your lovely comment
appreciate your honesty!
Which head did it fall out of? Do you deliver milk? Good one!!
janet
You beat me to the punch, Janet! I was going to ask the same question. Oh this was too funny, El! Love it. Applause!
Shalom,
Rochelle
really cute and kind of a journalistic style. I liked this.
Thanks train-whistle. Glad you liked it
Ah, the classic milkman tale. I like your take on it.
Oh yes, the old ones are the best…
I love the title to this story…. Funny right from the start and I didn’t even know it until later in the story! The jokes I could make but won’t Great Job!
Tom
Hi Tom, I’m sure I don’t know what you mean – the title refers to a pint of milk. What else could it possibly be?
Thanks for your lovely comments.
Aha! The milkman!
Ha! The blame game and the milkman escapes before getting caught!
A very different take on the prompt and nice story.
Thanks muZer. Glad you liked it
Very wry! Loved the detached narrative.
Thanks Sandra, glad you enjoyed it.
Now I know why my milk comes curdled. I’m the last customer on the milkman’s circuit.
The poor man’s probably exhausted by the time he gets to yours
I am imagining a neighbourhood with 2-headed kids running about everywhere!
I love that idea – maybe there should be a sequel!
This was adorable! Very clever.
Thanks Sarah, glad you enjoyed it
Oh, how interesting and funny. The faithless Mrs. Riggs. Very unique take on the prompt. Well done
Hi readinpleasure, thanks for your lovely comments. Glad you liked it.
Haha. Loved how you turned a serious condition into a funny tale. And it’s always the milkman, isn’t it?! Well done.
Thanks Beth. I have to confess that I didn’t really consider the seriousness of the condition – I was just being plain shallow! Thanks for commenting
That. Was. Fabulous! Made me chuckle out loud in my office
Thanks AR Neal. Your. Comment. Was. Fabulous. Also.
Hope you didn’t get too many stares at the office.
lol. made a very interesting read..
thank you
Re: your comment to Parul, “but the story fell out of my head that way.” Dare I ask which head? Very clever, well-told story–and worthy of a hearty guffaw.
Lol. I only have the one, honest! Glad you thought my little tale was guffaw-worthy!
Great ending – and funny comment read above too! But the denouement was very well done too..
Hi yer pirate. Thanks for commenting. I think the comments are at risk of outfunnying the story this week!
Excellent, well written and funny!
Thank you
Hilarious! Loved the way you set it up
Thank you, glad you liked it
I loved the bounce of the words almost more than the story itself – fantastic, both!
thanks t – love your name, short but sweet
It unfolds like a nursery rhyme. Like one of those builds and repeats, but of course, it’s not. Far from it! This was great!
Hi Amy
thanks for this – I’m so glad it worked for you, that’s exactly what I was aiming for. Thanks for commenting.
haha ^^ this is great… i like the way it’s written too ^^ and haha love the title
Hi kz. The title was my favourite bit – although i didn’t think of it until after I’d written the story. I had a quiet snigger to myself when it popped into my head.
The perfect circular story, with just the best first line. I loved it
Thanks Claire. Glad you liked it.
Dear El,
Go to the head of the class this week. Perfect title, story and MC. i am still smiling as I type this, the image of the milkman leaving town fast, the double entendres, all of it. perfect.
Aloha,
Doug
Wow, Doug – thank you so much for this amazing comment. I’m going to print it, frame it and put it on my wall
If you have Beeblebrox as milkman everything can happen. Fortunately I was not drinking milk while reading this… My screen is still unstained. Very funny.
Thanks Bjorn – I didn’t even think of Beeblebrox, don’t know why as I’m a huge Douglas Adams fan. Glad I didn’t get your screen dirty
El Appleby,
So clever. I loved the winding tale.
Denmother
Thank you!
Absolutely charming! I loved everything about this!
Thanks. What a lovely comment
Oh fantastic. I love this. The way you’ve layered the blame backwards is great.
Thanks Sarah Ann, I was aiming for a ‘this is the house that jack built’ sort of thing. If I’d had 200 words I could have made a very long chain of blame!
Finally a funny! That made me LOL.
Thank you. I love making people LOL
LOVE IT!!!!
Thank you!!!
It’s always the milkman, even a two headed one. ha! Didn’t expect that. Really good El!
thanks Jackie – I managed to surprise you then!
Excellent. As I read the last line and realised what was coming I laughed out loud – a true LOL. Thanks El.
Thanks Trey. Glad I made you LOL
“pulling his cap down tight to hide his second head.” – oh, I like it! I like the way you take us through the long line of finger-pointing (which reminds me of “Who Killed Cock Robin” and “The House that Jack Built” – it develops a sort of folklore rhythm), and I like the unexpected end. Wonder if Mrs. Riggs ever saw the milkman with his hat off??
thanks for your lovely comments. I reckon the milkman kept his hat firmly on his head!
Ha! The milkman. Who would have thought?
Well, at least it wasn’t the butler
Why is it a story that explains the milkman’s side of things is creeping into my mind. I blame you for this mental quandry E.L. It is you and your darned good story. Very good direction you take with his.
I love the idea of a parallel story from the milkman’s point of view – you should write it!
What a hoot, I loved it and laughed a lot
Thanks Linda – I love making people laugh
And you do it well too
i had no clue where that was going. well done. best one this week.