“Your Majesty, I beseech you…”
“It is not your place,” the king continued rewrapping tampered-with food parcels. “I’m surprised it’s you who objects.”
“I live for the court,” the jester looked at his pointy shoes mumbling, “and this may bring the end of it.”
“What was that?”
Taking a deep breath, the jester lifted his head, bells on his hat jingling. “The commoners…they will revolt.”
“Nonsense!” The king’s face reddened, softened, and then he laughed. “Ah, another of your jokes.”
The jester cringed. “No joke, Your Majesty. Substituting carob for chocolate… It may be the end of the kingdom.”
The weekly 99-word Flash Fiction Challenge over at Carrot Ranch
February 4, prompt: Substitution – In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that features a substitution. *Bonus points for fairy tale elements.
#BlogBattle is a monthly writing prompt for flash fiction/short stories hosted by Rachael Ritchey.
February Prompt: Revolution
Lemon Shark Reef 
Yeah, don’t mess with the chocolate or coffee supply. You’d be doomed.
Nice story. : )
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Oy. The coffee. That would be the end of it, for sure. Didn’t have enough space to write about the king hoarding the chocolate for himself, but you get the idea. 🙂 Thanks, Cathleen.
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Actually, the first thing that came to mind is the Boston Tea party. People get REALLY attached to their small luxuries. : )
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Yikes. No boycotting of taxes or violent protests here. Just a silly story. The prompt word (substitution) made me think of a tweet I’d written years ago:
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In uprising is definitely in order, Sarah.
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I would think so. 😉 Thanks, Robbie.
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Tale as old as time: the food was revolting, so the peasants had no other choice to do the same.
Very clever!!
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Ha! Revolting food leads to revolting behavior? Sounds about right.
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Ha! That jester is wise. Love this.
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A wise fool. 🙂 Thanks, D.
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The peasants are revolting…! Delicious bite of humor here. The fact the king was rewrapping food parcels made me wonder if he was getting ready to poison somebody. The jester’s revelation proved that maybe I wasn’t so wrong. Fun read!
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Ah, yes. I was hoping to lead readers to think he was poisoning them. And, no, I suppose you weren’t so wrong. 😉 Thanks! (Delicious bit of humor… I see what you did there.)
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haha, my mind went the same way. 🙂 And agreed. lol
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🙂
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Great flash. But what happened to carob? I used to eat it in the 80s. Now wondering if it’s me or the food trends that have changed.
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Oh, there’s nothing really wrong with carob. 🙂 But there’s something about eating a food that’s advertised as substitute for chocolate that is highly disappointing (to say the least).
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I’d be leading that revolt. Don’t mess with the chocolate!
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I’m right beside you, my friend, sword drawn.
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Enough is enough! Off with the king!
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Indeed! 🙂
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Short and sweets Sarah…or should the be short and missing chocolate? Bound to cause a revolt if the whole point of a food parcel was chocolate! Although there’s chocolate and chocolate… not that I’m a connoisseur or anything. I do know one chap that considers certain styles commoner chocolate and that only Hotel Chocolate counts!! I’ve also heard rumour American versions are, shall we say, lacking in true flavour.
I digress… fun extract and long live the peasants!
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Only hotel chocolate? Interesting… I’d like to stay in those hotels!
I’m no connoisseur but prefer dark chocolate. The darker the better. Over the years, I’ve learned expensive isn’t always better quality but, honestly, sometimes, it really is. 😉 Long live the peasants (and their advocate, the jester)!
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Hotel chocolate is, as I’m sure you know, a brand name for some pretty impressive chocolate. They also do fine dark chocolates of which I’m also a big fan!
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Ah. No, I didn’t catch on to that. Haha! I thought you were referring to the chocolates you get in fancy hotels. You mean the brand: Hotel Chocolat. I haven’t tried it! I must.
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Am easy mistake and possibly I could have tightened it away from hotels haha. But you haven’t tried it yet? Are you in for a pleasant surprise then. Definitely try their dark stuff too.
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Will do. Thanks!
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Ha! A kingdom of chocolate lovers are surely going to revolt! A fun story, Sarah. 🙂
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Yes. And don’t call me Shirley. 😜
Thanks, Diana. It was silly fun prompted by that tweet up there. ^^^ As soon as I heard the prompt, I thought of that tweet.
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I won’t call you Shirley. Lol
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Just when I thought I couldn’t love you more, you get the Airplane reference.
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Passenger: Nervous?
Ted Striker: Yes.
Passenger: First time?
Ted: No, I’ve been nervous lots of times.
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😂 That’s it.
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