Friday, September 01, 2006

Sunday Scribblings #23 - Fortune Cookie


Considering how long my "Monster" Sunday Scribbling was, I thought a "tiny story" was in order for this one! Thank you sincerely to everyone who read "Goblin Fruit" -- I didn't expect that many people to take the time! Thank you!

Fortune Cookie: a tiny story

She cracked open her cookie and read her fortune. It said, “I beg you, do not eat me. Plant me and water me and a tree will grow whose branches will reach to the cloud kingdoms, where you will be greeted as a daughter.” And because she was so full of noodles and water chestnuts and tea she didn’t want to eat the cookie anyway. She tucked it into her purse and carried it home and planted it in her garden. She watered it and watched it. All around it day by day dahlias bloomed and tomatoes ripened but no tree grew. The summer nights began to shorten and cool but still, no tree grew. She ordered Chinese food one evening and it was delivered in white cartons and she ate it cross-legged in the grass watching the slow drift of orange leaves over the garden, and at length, she cracked open her fortune cookie. Her fortune read, “Don’t believe everything you read.”

More Sunday Scribblings here.

28 comments:

Annie Jeffries said...

I have a friend who has been collecting fortunes for years and years. They fill a jar. Unfortunately the jar is hiding after a recent move. I hope she finds it.

sundaycynce said...

Not as "magic" as Goblin Fruit, but definitely delightful and fun. And I liked the fortune coming at the end.

Alex S said...

That was extremely speedy of you-its not even Sunday yet! Now that you are done so early you have time for Sixty Minute Tuesday Dinner, anthropologieing, AND a nosesoak. (Great teeny story by the way! I've missed them!)

Anonymous said...

Aaaaaaahhh! Well watermellons did grow in MY tummy I think.

paris parfait said...

Words of wisdom! Your piece gave me a smile, first thing in the morning. Very clever story.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant! What a great piece! Will be back to read more!
Bye from Thals :)

Kamsin said...

Haha! This is a really cute little story. I guess we can sometimes waste precious time and energy on 'fruitless' enterprises based on a false hope and end up missing other stuff. Thanks for sharing it!

DJPare said...

Ha! Excellent!
And Goblin Fruit was well worth the time spent!

Anonymous said...

I love this story...what I love about all of your stories is the sense that magic lurks right outside of our regular field of vision, but it can come out and poke us into mindfulness at any opportunity. It excites me. :)

I love how you can fit so much sensual detail, so much beauty, into such a short piece.

I need to work on that myself. ;)

(and I LOVE Goblin Fruit...I want you to add to it!)

Anonymous said...

HaHa! Great punchline, Laini. I've got to tell this to K.
Thanks for starting off my day with a laugh!

meghan said...

ha ha ha ha ha haha hah ah ah a!
LOVED it. I've been a bit of a bad blogger and this is a perfect way to come back in - I've missed reading your site. Heh heh heh.

P.S. I sent off a letter to you and Jim know who - fingers crossed!! xoox

liz elayne lamoreux said...

love this laini.
just love it!

as always, the way you look at the world just makes me smile.

kelly rae said...

noooo! that is just wrong!

your writing is always wonderfully enchanting - long or short.

Darlene said...

heee heee

I was expecting the goblin fruit tree to sprout...a peach tree perhaps...and the handsome stranger to be waiting for her in the clouds for a sumptuous kiss ;)

shucks!
enjoyed this just the same..

xxx d

NuttersNotes said...

The ironic twist!!! I loved it!!! You provided a HappyUP!!! chuckle for me today

Amber said...

HA! Good one!
Laini, long or short, a story by you is always worth reading.

:)

Catherine said...

that made me smile :)

Ceebie said...

What a great little story. You've inspired me to try to write a little story of my own next SS prompt...To be able to capture a world in so few words is talent indeed.

GreenishLady said...

Aw... that was just great! And it reminded me of the cruel uncle who told my cousin that planting a lollipop stick would make a lollipop tree grow! Poor little boy, came faithfully to my grandmother's house every day to water his "tree", until some kind adult told him the truth. Is it any wonder he doesn't seem to trust people?

sophie said...

Lovely and light and pretty
images.
EAting chinese food in the
garden:)

Claudia said...

Excellent!

Kim G. said...

You know what they say about small packages! Great short story!

Anonymous said...

Ha! Good one!

Deirdre said...

Good one. I like it.

Patry Francis said...

A tiny story that contains worlds, colors, depth and humor! You are a wonder, Laini!

Shesawriter said...

Now THAT was a good one! LOL!

pearl said...

ahhh....
your sweet lil story made me smile.
magical and delightful....

Anonymous said...

yes, yes, yes, grrl!!!

let's start a cross country movement. i'm in NJ, where things are blah. i want to paint my house pink and green with a little black, like a giant flamingo that can be seen by all the passengers on planes coming into/out of Newark Airport.

ps...i loved "the birth of venus."