Choose 2 characters from the stories listed:

Rapunzel/Hansel & Gretel/Cinderella/Red Riding Hood/Tom Thumb/Sleeping Beauty/Snow White/Rumpelstiltskin

Write an Acrostic poem using their names about a tea party in Grimm's world

Tea Party Etiquette

Such a lovely idea, I

Never would have dreamed

Our invitations

Would have been so successful

When everyone arrives

Have them all take seats

In the garden with a cup of

Tea for

Each

Get everything set and

Ready then

Exuding charm, pour the

Tea containing the

English Laurel and

Let the agony begin!

storytellers challenge - story under 2000 word using two of any of the above stories and including all the following words

fireplace/sword/grove/stoke/underbrush/mourn/seven/friendship/ cardboard/giver

Anatomy of a Grandma

"All rise! Court is in session, the Honourable Judge Abel Verdict presiding."

"Mr. Armor, is the prosecution ready?"

"Ready, your Honour."

"Defense ready, Mr. Pester?"

"We are, your Honour."

"Proceed, Mr. Armor."

"At this time, your Honour I would like to call Mrs. Hood."

"Mrs. Hood, you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth by gum?"

"I do."

"Mrs. Hood - may I call you Grandmother?"

"I'm not your grandmother."

"Uh, right. Very well, you know the defendant Mr. B.B. Wolf?"

"Yes."

"Could you please tell the court just how you know Mr. Wolf."

"He came to my cottage and gobbled me up,"

"But you are here aren't you, Grand- Mrs. Hood?"

"A huntsman nearby heard my granddaughter screaming and he rescued me."

"And what happened then?"

"The Huntsman took the Wolf away to another part of the forest."

"Thank you very much."

"Cross, Mr. Pester?"

"Thank you, your Honour."

"Mrs. Hood, you say that Mr. Wolf gobbled you up."

"That's right."

"But in the words of the prosecutor, you are here aren't you? In other words, Mr. Wolf never really 'gobbled you up'."

"But he di--"

"Thank you, that's all, Mrs. Hood."

Mr. Armor."

"Re-cross! Thank you, your Honour."

"Mrs. Hood, isn't it true that the Huntsman rescued you from inside Mr. Wolf?"

"Yes."

"Thank you. No further questions."

"Your Honour, I call Red Riding Hood."

"You've been sworn in, Miss Riding Hood so can you tell us what happened at your grandmother's cottage on the day in question?"

"I told my mother I wanted to visit grandma and she packed a basket of goodies and told me not to doddle in the forest or talk to strangers."

"But you did doddle and talk to a stranger--"

"Objection! Leading the witness."

"Sustained."

"Go on, Miss Riding Hood."

"I stopped in a little grove to pick some flowers and he came out of the underbrush and started talking to me. I told him I was on my way to grandmother's cottage. I hurried away and didn't see him again."

"Until you got to your grandmothers."

"Objection! Leading the witness."

"Sustained."

"What happened and your grandmother's?"

"She was in bed- I mean he was in her bed but I didn't know it was him. I asked about her ears and eyes and she said the better to hear and see me with then I saw her teeth and she said the better to eat me with!"

"And what did you do?"

"I ran outside screaming and that's when the huntsman showed up. I was in a dither! He saw the wolf and waved his sword-- made him cough my grandma back up."

"And what happened after that?"

"The huntsman, took Mr. Wolf far away in the forest."

"Thank you, Miss Riding Hood."

"Your witness."

"You say your mother told you not to doddle yet you did. She also told you not to talk to strangers, yet you did. You struck up a friendship with a total--"

"Objection! Mr. Pester is pestering the witness."

"Sustained. Ask a question, Mr. Pester."

"Why did you tell Mr. Wolf you were going to your grandmother's cottage?"

"I- I don't know . . . he seemed . . ."

"Yes? He seemed what, Miss Riding Hood?"

"Objection, pestering again."

"Overruled, answer the question."

"Nice."

"He was NICE! Not the carnivorous wolf you claim him to be."

"Obje--"

"No further questions."

"Mr. Armor?"

"No questions, your honour and no more witnesses at this time."

"Mr. Pester?"

"Yes, your Honour. Defense calls Mr. B.B. Wolf."

"Mr. Wolf, you are under oath so I ask you, did you gobble up Mrs. Hood?"

"I did not."

"Could you tell us in your own words exactly what happened on that day."

"I was just meandering through the woods when I heard this screaming and I hurried to see what it was about. That Red Riding kid was coming out of this cottage door with the old lady behind her."

"You didn't meet her earlier in a grove?"

"No. I ran up and asked what was wrong. The old lady was hysterical and I grabbed her to settle her down. Just then that other guy arrived and started pushing me around."

"What happened then?"

"The old lady starts screaming that I was trying to gobble her up. She was just trying to stoke up the situation for that huntsman."

"And you were just trying to help."

"Yes."

"And what about this sword business?"

"There was no sword."

"Really! So Miss Riding Hood lied about the sword?"

"Objection!"

"Thank you, Mr. Wolf."

"Mr. Armor."

"So, you were simply minding your own business and just happened to hear screaming."

"Yes."

"What about the fact that you were wearing Mrs. Hood's nightgown and her frilly sleeping hat?"

"Objection, facts not in evidence,"

"We have the items in question, your Honour and some of Mr. B.B. Wolf's hair was found inside both articles of clothing."

"Sustained. Answer the question."

"Your honour I beg the court's permission to consult with my client. We had to prior notice of this--"

"Denied. Answer the question."

"Must have got there when I was holding her."

"They got inside the garments . . . I see. Thank you,"

"Cross, your Honour?"

"Proceed."

"So in the struggle trying to calm Mrs. Hood, some of your hair was floating around and got into her clothing."

"Must have, I guess."

"Mr. Wolf, have you ever heard of a person being eaten or swallowed and then surviving without a scratch?"

"No sir. Be pretty strange if that happened."

"Indeed. Thank you, Mr. Wolf."

"Prosecution calls The Huntsman."

"Sir, in your statement you said you heard the screams coming from the cottage and you ran to see what happened,"

"Correct."

"Then you waved your sword at Wolf and made him cough up Mrs. Hood."

"I uh- I didn't have a sword . . ."

". . . No more questions, your Honour."

"Mr. Pester?"

"Mr. Huntsman, it appears you confirm Mr. Wolf's statement about there being no sword."

"I didn't need a sword to stop that monster."

"And you didn't have one did you? Did you!"

"Answer the question."

"No."

"So Miss Riding Hood lied. I wonder how much of her whole story is a lie, I mean swallowing somebody and the coughing them up."

"It wasn't a--"

"That's all, thank you."

"Court will adjourn for lunch. Everybody back in forty minutes."

"All rise."

"What do you think, Mr. Armor?"

"Our case is good but that last part was damaging. Come, sit over there and eat some of those cardboard sandwiches."

"They are pretty bad aren't they? Do you think the jury will believe him?"

"I saw them all nodding, Grandma."

"I'm not going to mourn the fact that we had that setback. We know the truth and before this is over, so will all of them. I have an idea. You and your grandmother just stay strong, we'll get through this."

"But what if Big Bad Wolf goes free?"

"Please, dear. Let Mr. Armor handle this."

"All rise, court is back in session."

"Your Honour, the Prosecution calls Mr. Thomas Thumb."

"Objection, you Honour. We had no prior notice of this witness."

"Mr. Armor?"

"This gentleman is an expert witness who has volunteered his services to the court on behalf of clarification of the defence claim that no person being eaten or swallowed could survive without a scratch."

"I'll allow it but tread carefully Mr. Armor."

"Thank you, your Honour."

"Mr. Thumb to expedite this trial would you go straight to your story as you described it to me."

"Well I've had some close calls in my short life, first being nearly drowned in a pudding--"

"Objection, your Honour. A pudding?"

"Sustained. I warned you, Mr. Armor."

"Mr. Thumb please, just as you told me earlier."

"Well, my mother took me out in the cow field one day and while she tended the cattle she was afraid the wind might blow me a way so she tied me to a thistle. Next thing I knew a cow had eaten the thistle, me included!"

How did you get out?"

"I just kicked and scratched in that old cow's stomach until it spit me out."

"And you weren't hurt?"

"I'm here ain't I?"

"Go on, please."

"This was an exciting part. One day an eagle snatched me up and flew to the top of a castle and dropped me. A giant that lived there picked me up and popped me into his mouth. Well I bit that sucker's tongue until he yanked me out and tossed me over the wall into the sea."

"What happened?"

"A fish swallowed me."

"Your Honour . . ."

"Sit down, Mr. Pester. Witness may continue."

"A fisherman caught the fish and took it to the palace as a gift for King Arthur. Pleased, he ordered the fish cooked for dinner and when they cut it open there I was!"

"And you were unhurt."

"I'm here, right?"

"Then what happened?"

"They took me to the king, told him the story and he knighted me!"

"Your HONOUR!"

"Are you finished Mr. Armor?"

"For the moment, yes your, Honour."

"Now, Mr. Pester."

"Mr. Thumb do you really expect this court to believe such a fanciful tale? I mean, being eaten and spit out what, seven times or so then being knighted by King Arthur?"

"It's all true sir as I sit here. The King, he's a generous giver he is."

"Your Honour, must we sit here and listen to such poppycock? You heard the lies--"

"Objection! Is Mr. Pester calling King Arthur a liar?"

"Never mind, your Honour, I will swear the oath and settle any doubt."

"Your Majesty!"

"Your, Honour. And greetings to you, Sir Thumb."

"Your Majesty."

"But- but . . ."

"Will that be all, Mr. Pester?"

"I- I, uh . . ."

"The court will take that as a yes. In light of these irrefutable circumstances I am closing the trial and finding Mr. B.B. Wolf guilty of attempted gobbling and perjury. I would suggest you take your client and have a nice chat about his future, Mr. Pester. Court is adjourned."

"All rise . . . uh you can remain seated, your Majesty."

"Oh, Mr. Armor, you did it! You won!"

"Best part is yet to come. The King has invited us back to the palace to roast marshmallows in his fireplace and listen to Sir Thumb's tales of adventure."

"Oh dear, I really have to get back home. Mother will be worried sick."

"Yes, and I think I need to get back to my bed after such an ordeal."

"But that means . . ."

"C'mon then, Armor old pal. We can roast marshmallows together and I'll tell you about the time I fell in the milk pail, or the angry chicken. Maybe the cat that was good one."

"Miss Riding Hood? Mrs. Hood . . . grandma?"

**************************************************************

Honourable Mention

Flash Fiction Forum challenge  - 1000 word maximum journal entry of hero/heroine's darkest hour from one of the listed tales:

Rapunzel/Hansel & Gretel/Cinderella/Red Riding Hood/Tom Thumb/Sleeping Beauty/Snow White/Rumpelstiltskin

Journal entry - Hansel 1812

The moon's light is fractured as it staggers through the branches of the forest trees. I can hear my younger sister breathing softly beside me as she finally succumbs to sleep. Writing is difficult but I am managing with what meagre light is available to record the frightening, unbelievable events that have overtaken our lives.

I have to write his when she is asleep so that she won't be more upset and fall into a deeper depression. It came as quite a blow to learn that our own parents would sacrifice their children because there wasn't enough food and choose to abandon us deep in this forest. Gretel cries and worries about being lost and with good reason.

Journal entry - Hansel 1812

I cannot give up, I promised Gretel I would take care of her and that we would come out of this, find our way back and all would be well, although I doubt now we would be welcome. We have wandered aimlessly, unable to find a path that may lead us safely anywhere.

Nights are cold and he sounds of animals send shivers up my back. I hold my sister in my arms and murmur soothing words of comfort. She knows that I am frightened as well and that while I coax her into sleep, I get very little, constantly watching the dark shadows.

Each day I tell her we might get lucky and finally find a way out of the forest but it just grows darker and deeper. I can't answer her questions about our parents, only try and keep her calm. She cries all the time now, frightened, and we are both tired and very hungry.

Journal entry - Hansel 1812

Today we were blessed. After hours of stumbling through thick forest, chewing on roots and bark we came to a small clearing that held a welcoming looking little house made of bread! Gretel cried but his time with joy. A kindly looking old woman beckoned from the door way and we hurried forward to receive her hospitality.

Journal entry - Hansel 1812

. . . . . .