There are strange things done 'neath the midnight sun,
According to Robert Service.
I'll tell you a tale that'll chill without fail;
'Twould make Bear Grylls grow nervous.
This chappy named Jack had a fancy kayak
And a yen for the sort of adventure
As you sit on your couch, you would prob'ly go, "Ouch!
He's suffering from 'stremest dementia."
He set out one day in a casual way
With a grin and the best walrus jerky,
Past the bergs and the floes till his nose nearly froze;
Survival already seemed murky.
Then like a bad joke, his paddle it broke.
Who'da thought it could happen to him?
Our 'venturous wonderer marooned on the tundra
Could see that his prospects were grim.
But Jack was no quitter, he didn't grow bitter,
He'd been in such tight spots before.
Since the weather was cool, he looked round for fuel;
To survive he'd need fire, that's for shore.
But the only firewood that would burn any good
Was the kayak he'd dragged from the water.
If he burned that wee boat he'd have no means to float
Off home to his sweet wife and daughter.
As the Northern Lights flashed all Jack's hopes were dashed;
Fate had him, there was no way to beat it.
Though hard luck was his, the tale's moral is,
"You can't have your kayak and heat it!"
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| Writing Prompt |
Write a short fable-like story where the last sentence starts with: "And the moral of the story is". This can be on any subject, true or fictional, and can be in any voice, as long as the moral is stated in the last line. A new twist on an old fable is also allowed. Be creative and have fun! Maximum word count: 300 |
Author Notes
Nobody specified prose only, hence my poetic effort.
Please excuse the slightly inventive language in places and the imaginative rhyme - put it all down to poetic licence in the pursuit of humour.
The first line of the poem is a steal from Robert Service's wonderful yarn 'The cremation of Sam Magee.' If you don't know it, do yourself a favour and see why I would like to write like him!
Bear Grylls is the star of the TV show Man v Wild and frequently finds himself in tight spots like the hero of our little tale
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