Each night, deep in the mountains, a Dragon counted his treasure; each morning he wanted more.
One evening he flew over a lake. Looking down, he spotted diamonds, but his greedy talons caught only water.
An Owl watched him all night, swooping and diving among the stars. “How beautiful,” she thought.
Not all treasures can be held in the hands.
This week we were asked to write an original fable in exactly 51 words, excluding the moral at the end. Check out the rest of the stories on the YeahWrite microprose grid!
Christine Hanolsy 
This is so beautiful. I love that there’s a literal and a metaphorical meaning to the moral, too.
LikeLike
I love how the two characters are foils of each other on either side of your moral, that one enjoys the beauty she experiences and gains the treasure of that enjoyment, while the other seeks enjoyment in the wrong places and is still discontent.
LikeLike
I love this imagery. I was expecting the owl to think the “diamonds” in the water were beautiful, not the swooping dragon. You always make every word count in your micros and I learn something every time I read yours.
LikeLike
I loved how you set the rhythm with the “deep in the mountains.” That instantly made it feel like a story I wanted to lean in to.
LikeLike
I loved this. Your description of diamonds on water and a swooping dragon made a picture pop immediately into my head. I also liked the way you handled the lesson. I thought it would be something about greed, but you turned it into something lovely without making it feel gimmicky or disjointed.
LikeLike
I really enjoyed the imagery here. Very well done painting this in so few words!
LikeLike
The picture your tale paints is beautiful!
LikeLike
The imagery in this piece is so gorgeous, Christine! Loved this.
LikeLike
I love how you juxtaposed the characters and told so much about each in so few words. Well done!
LikeLike
Wise owl. As for the dragon, sigh, living in a magical land, are we?
There’s something so soothingly eloquent about your writing.
LikeLike
Love the “diamonds” moonlight on the water imagery.
LikeLike
I loved this fable and message. Poetic!
LikeLike
This was so beautifully underwritten, leaving the reader to fill in the gaps with just enough clues to give us the whole picture.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful story!
LikeLike
I really liked your fable. Great picture painted throughout.
LikeLike
Oh, I think I’m with the owl — I’d enjoy watching a dragon dance like that.
LikeLike