It’s Thursday and time for a new story challenge. Can you tell a story in 52 words using the following words in it somewhere:
- TIGHTROPE
- GOTHIC
- SQUEAMISH
- MANNEQUIN
- VIOLIN
The previous challenge was to write a story in 61 words using the following six words in it somewhere:
- SPONGE
- WHISTLE
- CAROUSEL
- GROOM
- BUCKET
- UPSTAGE
Here are your entertaining stories:
Like a Sponge I was going through life soaking everything up then like a Bucket on a Carousel I started to Whistle while I worked then to Upstage my friends I went online and found a Groom that made me happy as a clam for the rest of my life.
Carol was a sponge. Taking from everyone, giving nothing back. She loved attention, feeling proud to get a wolf whistle, riding the carousel. At least it wasn’t a rollercoaster where you needed a bucket in front of you. She began to groom her hair running her fingers through it. She thought she could upstage everyone. Until she fell off the carousel.
Lou by the Sea:
Admirable Ambition
The groom was learning how to whistle like a wolf when it came out louder than he expected. The horse kicked the bucket (but didn’t die). The soapy sponge landed between his pointy ears.
Neddie in the neighbouring stall looked on with glee. Keen to upstage, he announced his intention to join the living carousel at the local fair. Admirable ambition.
Nicola Daly:
‘Upstage right,’ the dame mutters. ‘Mister-Puffed-Up-Director couldn’t get me further away from the audience if he tried. And I’m to sit on this upturned bucket, grooming the donkey’s backside, whistling songs from ‘Carousel’. Next, he’ll be telling me to shove sponges down my front.’
‘Harry! Shove these sponges down your bodice. Nobody likes a panto dame without a bit of cleavage!’
One in Every Crowd
The groom’s vows were suddenly upstaged by a whistle.
David always hoped to check marriage off of his “bucket list”. His career with ICE had resulted in a carousel of all-consuming dedications. Today, it was time to “step off” for himself.
Shockingly one deranged person, soaked in outrage like a sponge, decided to use “hatefulness” as punishment for his honorable service.
The site of the old county fairground was silent except for a distant train whistle. Benny, the groundskeeper, knelt with a sponge and bucket, scrubbing the carousel horses one final time.
Tomorrow, his little brother’s wedding would upstage everything — he was even asked to groom the groom. But today, this rusting merry-go-round was his alone, spinning slowly at the park.
Life With The Wife – Trouble and Strife – Will Someone Kindly Hand Me a Knife?
I met her on the carousel
Life since then a living hell
Ever since we were engaged
I’ve been consistently upstaged
The world since being made a groom
Spent with bucket, sponge and broom
And hark! I hear her bloody whistle
Thus must end this short epistle
The groom tried not to upstage the bride, but chaos had other plans.
During photos near the carousel, a child blew a whistle, a bucket toppled, and someone threw a wet sponge during a carnival game.
Laughter erupted.
By sunset, the couple agreed their imperfect wedding had become wonderfully unforgettable.
The groom was getting ready for his big moment. He dipped a sponge into the bucket and patted his brows. He took a shot of courage to whet his whistle before entering the church. But right before entering the church, he was upstaged by a lonely little dog on the carousel that captured his heart.
Vindicated by Sweat
Henry pondered his life as a coaching inn groom. His existence had become a mere carousel of work and sleep. It was a necessary evil, in order to dispel the accusation that all he did was sponge off his parents. His younger brother seemed always to upstage him. He filled another bucket, and with a whistle headed back to the stable.
At half-time, Hamlet sat in his corner, whilst Horatio took the sponge from the sponge-bucket and wiped and groomed Hamlet’s feveréd brow.
Unwilling for distraction by the drink offeréd by his Uncle – ‘A king of shreds and patches’ – and not wanting to be upstaged by Laertes – who was ‘not worth the whistle’ – Hamlet rejoined the carousel of Act 5, Scene 2.
The groom decided to whistle their song while upstage at the reception. The sponge wedding cake was topped with a carousel that turned in time with the music. While whistling, the groom moved the cake downstage. Standing on a bucket for more height, the groom lost his balance and he and the cake bottomed out in the orchestra pit.
Run, Girl, Run!
The groom wasn’t going to be upstaged by his best man’s flawless tuxedo. He blew his whistle and his bride obeyed and brought a bucket of water. He dunked a sponge in and threw it at his best man. All he could do was jump on the carousel nearby and ride to safety. The bride wished she could do the same.
She wiped down the carousel fitment in the cupboard, a stupid contraption taking up more space than being practical. Totally useless.
She dunked the sponge in the metal bucket.
It was unladylike to whistle, but she didn’t care.
Time to groom the dog, a hairy mutt with huge brown eyes and muddy paws.
She laughed when his howling upstaged her whistling.
Murray Clarke:
The wedding celebrations were going well. By getting married, Phil, the groom, was working through his bucket list, but he was easily upstaged by his gorgeous bride, Helen.
The best man, Sadiq, had arranged the entertainment that included dipping a sponge into a bucketful of iced water and then, on the whistle, hurling it at the guests who were riding on a carousel.
I thought I remembered a whistle being blown right before my motorcycle accident. In my state thoughts spun around my mind like a carousel eagerly awaiting to upstage each other. My brain bucket absorbed most of the injury like a sponge but I needed to be groomed for an emergency surgery to mend all of the broken bones in my body.
Star Pony
I threw my soapy sponge in the bucket and whistled a tune of relief. I have been grooming Willow, the star Shetland for nearly three years now. And every year he became more popular at this old town’s carnival.
e upstaged his fellow pony siblings with his curious and silly nature. Memorable rides on the mobile pony carousel was their specialty.
Wedding Day Circus
At the county fair, a groom arrived riding a carousel horse, determined to upstage everyone. Mid-vow, a runaway bucket landed on his foot. He blew a whistle for dignity, but a mischievous sponge launched from a game booth and smacked his face. The bride laughed so hard she nearly married the best man instead. The crowd applauded wildly.
Wedding Morning Rush
A groom with trousers far too tight,
Scoffed all the sponge oh what a sight.
The carousel spun extremely fast,
Sent eggs flying before breakfast,
A whistle blew from Granny’s sock,
Which terrified Grandfather’s clock.
A leaky bucket stole the show,
By balancing on a passing crow.
To upstage all this confusion,
Ma ate her hat – or was all this – just illusion?
At dawn, the weary groom carried a bucket through the abandoned fairground. Beneath the silent carousel, he found a soaked sponge and a silver whistle. When he blew it, painted horses awakened, circling without music. A rival magician tried to upstage the miracle with smoke and mirrors, yet the horses carried children remembered only in dreams, and the fairground forgave everyone.
Rall:
on the groom’s bucket list
was to get married on a carousel
at the fun fair
it was not easy finding a bride
to agree to this
someone to soak up his crazy ideas like a sponge
he whistled a sigh of relief when it did finally happen
he no longer feared being upstaged by that couple
marrying at the traffic lights
Dizzying
The bride slipped away from the reception, following a whistle of wind coming from the glowing piazza. A merry-go-round spun, golden and dizzying. She laughed out loud; could this night be real?
Forgotten now her bucket of worries and sponge-full of doubt. All of it, gone.
Her groom found her there… breathless, euphoric.
No carousel could ever upstage this magical moment.
“No other racing facility will ever upstage this one,” his grandfather had told him.
That was before the land was sold.
Like his grandfather, he was the head groom, but to a different kind of animal.
Tossing a sponge into a bucket of water, he walked past the vacant barn toward the carousel.
No more would horses come to his whistle.
If this has come through more than once, I do apologize. Technical issues enhanced by rainstorm power outages are not my best friend this week.
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Image credit: Pinterest
Esther Chilton 
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