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101 Word Short Stories

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Handle with Care

September 13, 2021 10 Comments

By J Sagar

Jacob banged his elbow on the windowsill and the doves fluttered away. Rubbing his elbow, he watched them disappear behind an oak.

Just then, Henrietta yanked the keyboard from his desk.

It took him a moment to switch from green-and-serene to fight-or-flight mode.

He bolted towards her, navigating a labyrinth of furniture. As he reached for the keyboard, he tripped over a charging cable and fell.

A sharp bang reached his ears, followed by a peal of villainous laughter. He lifted his head to face the scene of disaster.

“Jenny,” he said to his wife, “what’s toddler for ‘Expensive, don’t break’?”

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Valli says

    September 13, 2021 at 11:58 am

    Lovely little tale… good imagery… well done…

    Reply
  2. J Sagar says

    September 13, 2021 at 1:12 pm

    Thanks for the comment!

    Reply
  3. nancy liddle says

    September 13, 2021 at 7:50 pm

    i hear you! i like the noise in the story – the onomatopeia effect – same situation with dogs – ha ha.

    Reply
    • J Sagar says

      September 21, 2021 at 9:00 am

      ? Thank you!

      Reply
  4. Paul Lewthwaite says

    September 14, 2021 at 5:21 pm

    Nice, funny story, capturing a ‘typical’ gleeful moment that I’m sure many parents will recognise!

    Reply
    • J Sagar says

      September 21, 2021 at 9:02 am

      Indeed. Thanks!

      Reply
  5. Amanda Barusch says

    September 14, 2021 at 11:07 pm

    Yes! I love the toddler’s peal of villainous laughter. So true to life…

    Reply
    • J Sagar says

      September 21, 2021 at 8:56 am

      Thanks!

      Reply
  6. Stacey says

    September 15, 2021 at 10:07 pm

    As someone with two toddlers at home, I can confirm that ‘expensive, don’t break’ doesn’t exist in their vocabulary

    Reply
    • J Sagar says

      September 21, 2021 at 9:01 am

      Haha! Thanks for reading.

      Reply

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