I have, once again, decided to take part in one of Susanna Leonard Hill’s story contests. In other words, I am a glutton for punishment.
I kid, I kid. I always appreciate a challenge.
Here are the rules: The story cannot be more than 100 words. It has to be Halloween themed. And it must contain the words “black cat,” “spooky” and “cackle.”
Below is my (very) humble submission. Enjoy!
***
SPOOKY PIGGY
“Boo!” Cuddles shouted. “Boooo! Did I scare you? Am I scary?”
“No,” Claude said, his eyes shut tight.
“Spooky, then? Wooooo! Boooo! Boo woo!”
“Guinea pigs are not scary.”
“Yes we are! Maybe not black cat scary like you, but we are.”
“I am not scary, just sleepy. And you are just noisy. Go.”
With a sad sigh, Cuddles went. Claude closed his eyes.
But then he heard something.
A terrible something.
BATHWATER!
Claude scurried under the daybed.
“Now, that’s scary,” Cuddles said, leaning against the faucet.
She then let out a squeaky little cackle.
Hey, Look! A Writer Fellow! 
Very cute! Love the idea of a scary guinea pig. Good luck with the contest.
Thanks, Robin! Are you submitting something?
No, I wasn’t going to. I’m pathetically behind (stuck might be a better way to put it) on some rewrites that I have to get done. So, I’m going to pass on this one. Good luck!
Aw, too bad. Good luck with your revisions!
Thanks a bunch!
Hahaha! You made me laugh, Mike! Love your take on spooky halloweensie 🙂 Excellent accompanying illustration, too! (Almost as good as a certain picture of Phyllis which will soon be unveiled :)) Thanks so much for entering my confounded contest – great job!!! 🙂
Oh, how could I NOT enter your confounded contest?
And do tell your lovely groundhog I said hello.
Oh that is the cutest story and I must share this with poor Johnny who has almost been eaten twice by our dog – yikes!
Dang! Keep that pig safe, my friend!
I know the second time I had to scoop them up so fast yikes!
I love this! I can’t wait to show it to my six-year old, who has been campaigning for a guinea pig for a while now. 😀
Your daughter is wise. A sweeter animal you’ll never find.
Hahaha! That’s great!
T’anks!
This is great! I love the characters and the humor. What a fun story. Great job, Mike!
Thanks, Cheryl. Glad you liked it.
At the sound of bath water, my cat would be shaking in his spats (he’s a Tuxedo cat, you know!) I love a Guinea Pig with evil intent. lol
I am a big fan of stories where cutie patootie rodents outfox their predators.
EEEEEK! Bathwater! Scurry away as fast as your little legs will take you, Cuddles! Fun story, Mike.
Thanks, Beth.
This is so clever and fun!
Thanks, Kristi. I like your story, too!
And congrats on your upcoming book!
Love your illustration! Guinea pigs are totally spooky. There’s that way they sit completely still with only their lips twitching while they stare into your soul! Mwa Ha HA!!!!
No one ever suspects the guinea pig! Mwah ha ha!
So cute! Everything about this post makes me smile.
Thanks, Heather!
I love your crafty, cackling guinea pig! Go Claude!
Thanks, Stacy. Guinea pigs are the best, eh?
Especially the ones with a ‘TUDE!
My son would definitely find this story–the bathwater part–terrifying. When will he voluntarily take a bath? When pigs cackle!!! hahahhhahhahahaaa
I see you “replaced” the rat with a pig. Why can I not get the Chinese Zodiac calendar out of my head?
Don’t mean ta bum you out, but my pig, Pig, passed away before the rats came into the picture.
My next pet will most likely be a goat. So I’ll still stick to the Chinese calendar.
You have my deepest sympathies. I’m thinking you need to find a pet with a longer lifespan, fewer heartaches and bathtub rings.
As one who is pro rodent (aka “prodent”) I must come to accept quality companionship over quantity.
So does that mean you’re more prodent than prudent?
If you must know, I am a prideful prudish prudent prodent.
I suppose that’s better than being a prickly primly practical primate.
Well, that goes without saying.
Fun, fun, fun! Be careful; Pig looks like he’s planning a Halloween scare for you in that shot! Great illo and cuter photo. :0)
My pig was so cute it was scary.
Yep, kids AND kats don’t like mixing with scary bathwater!
We have bathed our piggie in warm shallow water before clipping his toenails, but he still loathes his pedicures. Or being wet. Or both!
Oh, clipping pig nails is the worst. Since my pig was part longhair, I also had to give her the occasional butt haircut. The ornery little thing was less than thrilled, as you can imagine.
Mmm….matted butt hair is indeed unattractive on just about any mammal. 😉
Indeed.
Eeek. Bathwater is scary!
Well, to cats at least.
And guinea pigs for that matter.
Great surprise ending. You made me laugh!
Excellent!
Aw, I had a guinea pig growing up! So freakin’ cute. Never could bring myself to eat them while I was overseas, despite their being a delicacy… great story 😉
I’m glad you didn’t eat them.
I knew you were my kind of people.
Yep, you nailed that feline smugness that just makes a guinea pig want to…well, you know. You wrote the story. 🙂
Glad you liked the story, Cathy. My sister had a cat so I saw that smugness up close.
I love this! I think you could do a lot more with this pair. Looking forward to it.
Thanks, Kimberly. I would like to explore the Claude/Cuddles relationship further.
That’s the beauty of Susanna’s contests, I think. The rules push me in interesting directions and inspire new story ideas that I can rework and develop after the contest is over.
What fun, Mike! Love that the bathwater was the kicker that brought fear into the heart of the black cat.:) And love your illustration! And your guinea pig is adorable. 🙂 Happy Halloween!
Many thanks for the kind words, Vivian!
I loved your story, by the way.
Cunning little guinea pig! Imagining a guinea pig cackle makes me laugh 🙂
Glad you liked it!
A cackling guinea pig is not much of a stretch, really. They are surprisingly chatty things.
Cackling guinea pig, Black cat! This was giggle good!
I love the way to describe it as “giggle good.” May I borrow that term one day?
Words are there to be shared. Use away.
Yer a peach.
Really cute and clever to bring a guinea pig into the Halloween scene!
Well, guinea pigs deserve a holiday, too!
I have new appreciation for guinea pigs, thanks to you. Adorable Halloween story and love the illustration that accompanied it. Bath water – yes, a new take on scary. CLEVER.
Thanks, Pam!
And you, of all people should consider entering this contest. I still remember when you conjured up that fantastic capybara story way back in the day. And it took you all of 15 minutes to write, if I recall correctly.
What capybara story? I wanna read it!
It’s buried in one of my blog’s comment sections. I wish I could rememember where. I gave Pam a few keywords — one of which was capybara — and she banged out a hilarious story in a matter of minutes. I was dazzled.
I’m gonna have to search for it one day…
9.2 minutes…. :-0
But I don’t know children’s books like YOU know children’s books!
What are you telling me, Pam? You can’t spare another 9.2 minutes and give it a try?
“Oh no!” Billy pointed a finger at a black cat that slinked by.
“It’s just a cat, silly,” his sister Sally said, “Here kitty kitty.”
The black being, more like a sleek seal than a furry cat, sat in front of the brother and sister and licked its paws.
“Cats are spooky!” Jason declared. He took three steps away from the furry feline.
“That’s superstitious – cats are sweet and kind and cuddly,” Sally said. But when she walked up to the cat, its back arched higher than a swing, and its little teeth crunched together with a “Hisss.”
Billy and Sally screamed as they raced away.
The cat’s shape grew larger, sleeker, and with a wink of its whiskers, the witch stood up tall and lean, cackling as she called for her broom and flew away.
Hey! Now you’re cookin’!
Put it on your blog and give Susanna the link. Good luck, my friend!
That’s hilarious! I love it!
Thanks, Beverly!
Such noble attempts at being scary with his “Wooooo! Boooo! Boo woo!” Very cute story… thanks for the smile. 🙂
Thanks for the kind words, Michelle!
A cute guinea pig can only be scared, not scary. 😉
This is sweet and adorable. I say that because you write children’s stories. I can understand why you’re good at it.
Thanks so much for saying that! I’m glad you liked my story.
Not all guinea pigs live in fear, though. My pig, while not fearless, was a tough, ornery little bugger.
I have a particular fondness for ornery herbivores. That’s why my next animal companion is going to be a goat.
😉
HAW! Great theme. And SCARY! for a guinea pig. Love it. 🙂
Thanks! Piggies can be scary when thy reeeeally wanna be.
I’ll have to read Spooky Piggy soon!! Love the title.:)
Lots of fun–I love how Cuddles found a way to be a fearsome guinea pig!
Thanks, Buffy. I just loooved your entry.
Guinea pigs can be soooo scary. Love the sketch and photo, too.
Yes, they can be crafty little buggers, that’s for sure.
Cute! I love the thought of guinea pigs and Halloween — two things I would’ve never combined. Cute ending too!
Guinea pigs have a long history of instilling fear into the hearts of men. Have you not ever heard of the ferocious were-piggy?
Oh no you di’nt! You actually combined Halloween with a guinea pig. Oh this is just the best! Totally loved the ending. Fun, fun read!
Oh, yes I di’d!
Glad you liked it, Pamela!
Great story. I like the twist at the end.
Thanks, Mocha! Are you back to blogging?
Oooohhhh bathwater..that is very scary… love the story 😉
Thanks, Catherine. Welcome!
So much fun! And I like the illustration!
T’anks, Andrea!
I imagine a guinea pig would find this story VERY scary. Your Pig is adorable — pumpkin colored?
Her fur was a bit more reddish than the photo suggests. Her real name was “Rosie,” but she only answered to “Pig.”
Very cute story. I love the photo of your guinea pig!
Thanks, Pam!
Love the squeaky, evil guinea pig. I used to have one of those…
Oh, not evil. Cuddles is a pig who is just having a little Haloweensie fun…
Great story.
Terrific sketch.
Awesome blog!
Aw, thanks Hook!
And, just so you know, my old offer still stands; if your daughter wantes to touch base once her book is complete, I’ll be happy to chat with her.
Sounds great. Thanks!
Nice one Mike, that cat’s a wuss…but makes for a funny story, and one in which the ‘pig’ wins – hooray! Cat’s are generally far too self satisfied for my liking. Hope you had a great Halloween. Happy cackles, H xxxx
Not a cat person, eh?
I just knew you were my kind of people!
Hahaha! I guess a bath would be scary to a guinea pig. . . fun!
cute cute cute…and so creative
Thanks, Patricia!
haha! Very cute. 🙂
Many thanks, Meg!
Wait, you have a guinea pig? I love guinea pigs. They’re so freaking cute. And so scary!
I liked your story very much, although I have odd cats–they *like* water. They apparently didn’t get the memo that cats aren’t supposed to like water.
I concur. Guinea pigs are so cute it’s scary.
Piggy is no longer of this world, I’m afraid. She was my companion before my (also departed) rats came into the picture. That is the big downside to being pro-rodent (“prodent”); the quality of the companionship is rarely matched, but to get it, you have to sacrifice quantity.
You know how I feel about cats — but it’s pretty dang hard not to like yours. Here’s hoping I can meet them someday (while I wear a respirator, of course).
We’ll set up some sort of clean room or bubble for you so you can greet the girls. Yes, everyone I know with rodent pets says that about being prodent—the quantity of time you have with them. Why can’t all pets live as long as turtles or parrots? Not fair.
A bubble! Just like that God-awful John Travolta movie! I am so there.