Fractured Fairy Tale Contest Entry

It's time again for Susanna Leonard Hill's spring contest.

Welcome to the March Madness Contest. Below is my entry for the twisted traditional tale in under 400 words (395 to be exact.)

Thanks for reading. Pop over the river and through the woods to read the other entries. Mark your calendar for March 27th. That's the day you'll be able to return to Susanna's blog and vote for the finalist who has written the best story.


Without further ado, I present

GOLDIE AND THE THREE SQUIRRELS

        Once upon a time, a little girl named Goldie discovered a little cottage in the woods. The cottage was, in fact, so little that Goldie decided to take it home with her. “C’mon,” she said to her doll, “this will be the perfect house for you and Teddy.” Without another word, Goldie scooped up the cottage and bounded home.

        Goldie didn't know there were three squirrels inside the cottage: a papa, a mama, and a baby squirrel. As Goldie ran, everything inside the little house began to bounce and bump and tumble around. The kitchen chairs crashed against the walls of the little house. Papa Squirrel’s chair knocked a hole in the wall, because it was so hard. Mama Squirrel’s chair knocked her down, but she wasn’t hurt, because it was so soft. Baby Squirrel’s chair knocked into the fireplace and smashed into splinters.

        Papa Squirrel grunted. Mama Squirrel groaned. And Baby Squirrel moaned, “Boo-hoo.”

        As the cottage tipped this way and that, their bowls of acorn soup slid from the table. Papa Squirrel’s soup splattered on his shirt. “Ouch, that’s hot,” he said.

        Mama Squirrel’s soup splattered in her lap. “Brr, that’s cold,” she said.

        Baby Squirrel’s soup flew across the room and splattered against the wall.

        Papa Squirrel steamed. Mama Squirrel sighed. And Baby Squirrel cried, “Boo-hoo.”

        By now Goldie had reached her own bedroom. She put the squirrels' cottage on the floor next to her dolls, but before she could look inside, she heard her mother calling. “Goldie! Time for lunch.”

        When all was quiet, the three squirrels crawled out from under their jumbled furniture and crept into Goldie’s room. The squirrels examined everything. They climbed her bookshelves. They poked in and out of her dresser drawers. They wiped their sticky fur on her curtains, brushed their fluffy tails with her hairbrush, and nibbled some candy from her coat pocket. They searched her toy box. Finally, they explored the big, big bed.

        They were so exhausted from their adventure that Papa Squirrel curled up on the bed post, because it was very hard. Mama Squirrel snuggled into the pillow, because it was very soft. But Baby Squirrel cuddled close to Goldie’s teddy bear and fell fast asleep. Goldie returned to the room and stared wide-eyed at the mess the squirrels had made.

        Papa Squirrel slumbered. Mama Squirrel slept. And Goldie wept, “Boo-hoo.”