It’s nearly the end of the week and so it’s story challenge time. Can you tell a story in 52 words using the following words in it somewhere:
- DISGUISE
- CHERISH
- WATERFALL
- BOOGIE
- DRAW
The previous challenge was to write a story in 39 words using the following four words in it somewhere:
- PEACOCK
- NEWSLETTER
- CYMBALS
- TOOTHPASTE
Here are your super stories:
Lou by the Sea:
Lessons in attention grabbing
The cosmetics company newsletter announced the name for the new toothpaste – ‘cymbals’. Your new white teeth would bring attention similar to that of crashing percussion. The peacock on the lawn spread its tail feathers in glorious technicolour. Point taken.
“What are these strange-looking cymbals, Captain Peacock?”
“Egyptian Hieroglyphs, Miss Toothpaste. Now let me see: water, horned viper, newsletter, twisted flax, lion, double reed, eye of Horus, typewriter—“
“Typewriter?”
“Yes. How else would they ever get a newsletter out?”
Nicola Daly:
‘In April’s newsletter the feature article is about a peacock playing cymbals with a photo of him giving a toothpaste smile like a salesman. Can peacocks smile?’
‘Must do if there’s a photo.’
‘You learn something new every day.’
Tony:
Upon entering Buckingham Palace, Kate distributing a royal newsletter blinked twice.
A depressed peacock, played cymbals dramatically, while a deranged corgi brushed the throne with toothpaste, insisting that it simultaneously improved diplomacy and dental hygiene …
God save the King!
In Protest
Percival Peacock never comprehended that he was imaginary.
He got steamed when his image appeared in a newsletter toothpaste advertisement without his permission! So infuriated, he organized a make-believe cartoon protest and planned to march upfront defiantly banging cymbals.
A beautiful peacock named Romeo was out front trapsing across the cymbals little Billy from next door left on the ground. Silly Romeo, he loves attention. Toothpaste on plants just last week, he’ll made the cover of my newsletter.
As I was brushing my teeth one morning, I heard a crashing of cymbals out my window. Looking out there was a peacock, promoting his newsletter on a signboard saying, ‘ Not A Turkey’. I started laughing spitting toothpaste everywhere.
The newsletter’s front page story was about a peacock flapping its wings like it was playing the cymbals in a marching band. Laughing at this, I accidentally spat some toothpaste out, watching as it landed right on the photo!
Susan Batten:
The girl in the green silk sari handed me their newsletter with the peacock logo, bowing and giving me her toothpaste smile, while the fine gold bangles on her slim wrists chimed together like temple bells and faraway cymbals.
Jim put down the newsletter reminding parents to polish brass instruments such as cymbals with toothpaste. The Peacock being the school mascot, the uniform colors were blue, purple and gold. Charlie took pride in his school and the band.
When Amos opened his newsletter he was surprised to see an ad for used cymbals right next to one for toothpaste. “Marketing run amuck,” was his only comment.
Vampire Bird
The local bird park sent out an emergency newsletter. “We have a juvenile peacock here creating havoc. He’s been stealing the toothpaste out of the staff bathroom. He seems only scared of cymbals. We need. You have? Help, please!”
I almost spit out my toothpaste upon seeing the peacock fanning his beautiful feathers in my front yard! Wherever did he come from? The newsletter said John Bonham broke his cymbals in a fury one year live in concert!
As the cymbals clanged, the peacock opened his feathers and stood majestically proud. I watched in awe with my mouth agape and a tube of toothpaste in one hand and the monthly newsletter in the other.
Featherless Cap
The peacock toothpaste company was flummoxed as to why their current advertising campaign wasn’t the hoped for success. Their newsletter sought answers, and it was pointed out that finding a new symbol to represent the product didn’t mean cymbals.
A peacock is all showy,
Whitening toothpaste makes your teeth glowy:
That’s two down and two to go,
Now let’s see what my thoughts will show:
A newsletter keeps everyone in touch
And cymbals can often be too much.
Murray Clarke:
Did you know that, in Japan, they manufacture toothpaste out of cockroaches? And: peacock feathers are often used in decorative costume design? (Both True!) Not many people know that the editor of our local newsletter plays the cymbals! (Not true!)
In the NBC monthly newsletter “The Peacock” I read an interesting article regarding AI music. An emerging artist was telling the reporter that he never had to worry about some prankster smearing toothpaste all over his top hat cymbals.
The peacock strutted across the garden as she folded the latest newsletter. From the street, cymbals clashed in sudden rhythm. Laughing, she squeezed toothpaste onto a brush, thinking life often announces itself loudly, even in ordinary mornings.
Peacock escape! Trumpeted our local newsletter “The Cymbal”.
Eric the peacock had escaped from a local stately house and had run amok…
The main advert on the front was for whitening toothpaste. “Your dazzling teeth would attract stray birds…”
Drawn to the Dark Side?
The newsletter team knew their “baby” was not the peacock any more: weekly instead of instant, long articles, advertisement for toothpaste and cymbals teachers – boring! They took a vote: Retirement or fake news.
Result: 50:50, last headline:
“Goodbye truth!”
Read All About It
The newsletter headline: A freaked-out peacock was seen shaking his tail feathers at the zoo. A little girl, startled by the band’s cymbals, squeezed her toothpaste on the bird. No one knows why she had toothpaste at that time.
Peacock Pandemonium
The peacock sneezed on the newsletter, knocking over cymbals. Toothpaste flew everywhere. Alarmed, the neighborhood dogs staged a rescue, cats reported live, and the peacock simply smiled, feathers glistening, thinking: “This chaos? Exactly the kind of news I like.
The Phantom Peacock
A peacock penned a newsletter absurd,
Using cymbals instead of words,
He gargled toothpaste, declared himself king,
Then forgot how to fly but remembered to sing,
He serenaded a teapot, offended a chair,
Then vanished completely into thin air!
Not only did I have fun with this one, our two daughters who were home for Easter jumped in with their versions. The first one is mine, followed by the written imagination by our girls.
One
The town of Peacock holds an annual Cymbals Marching Band Parade and Easter Egg Hunt. Details were on the front page of the weekly online newsletter. Unfortunately, the accompanying photograph had mistakenly been replaced by the pharmacy’s toothpaste advertisement. (AER)
Two
My pet peacock is a talented bird. The town newsletter showcased her talents the other day. She plays the cymbals in a marching band. At the end of the day, she brushes her teeth with a crushed seed toothpaste. (DER)
Three
I received a newsletter today about a peacock who plays the cymbals in a band. The band calls themselves Toothpaste Toothbrush Warriors because none of its members have any teeth. The band’s slogan is Brush ‘Em or Loose ‘Em. (TCS)
Rall:
strutting about
like a peacock
handing out news letters
flashing a fake smile
new toothpaste recommended
the clanging of cymbals empty vesselsquote came to mind
gosh the things you have to doto make a living
The Centre produced a newsletter with a peacock at the head of it. It was the anniversary of its opening. Maud listend to the cymbals which suddenly clashed outside, causing her to drop the special toothpaste she was examining closely.
Behold everyone – latest newsletter
Sick yesterday – now feeling better
Celebratory cymbals? Would be a waste
I did have a shave, likewise toothpaste
Proud as a peacock. Wrote what you read
That’s it for now. Going to bed.
Every morning, a peacock delivered a newsletter, its pages smelling faintly of toothpaste. When opened, distant cymbals echoed, summoning forgotten memories. One day, curiosity won, and the reader followed the sound, discovering a hidden garden where stories grew wild.
Percival Peacock published a newsletter no one read. One morning, desperate for subscribers, he crashed a parade …. cymbals clanging, tail fanned wide. A toothpaste company noticed and hired him instantly. His smile, finally, was worth a thousand readers.
***
Image credit: Picture Quotes
Esther Chilton 
Leave a reply to Esther Chilton Cancel reply