Friday 3 September 2010

Magpie Tales #30 The Apple


Willow at Magpie Tales hosts this meme. Click here to read more tales.
She had been told not to eat the apple but it lay in the bowl, looking at her, tempting her. It was her favourite fruit and the favourite of her favourite fruit – sweet, juicy, crisp. Her mouth watered as she imagined, no, remembered the taste and the texture. 
Why should she not eat it? She hadn't been told why, simply that she mustn't. She picked it up and held it close to her nose, savouring the scent. She rolled it around in her hands, marvelling at the gradations of colour, the subtle patterning, the smoothness of the skin that held such delight in its firm grasp. Tantalising!

Tentatively, she licked the surface of the fruit. There! No harm had come to her from that. Possibly she had misheard – perhaps she had been advised not to eat it, not ordered. There was only one apple in the bowl. Maybe someone else wanted to make sure it would be theirs. Greedy! Unkind!

The longer she caressed the apple the better she was able to convince herself that the order which was advice was really merely a suggestion. Finally, in her mind, no words were spoken - just a gesture had been made, a little smile and a shake of the head, almost as if to say, 'You do love apples, don't you?'

She sighed happily and took a bite from the apple. At once she screamed in pain. Her mother rushed into the room.

'Eve', she cried, 'I told you not to eat that apple. Now you've broken that bad tooth and the dentist will have difficulty extracting it.'

Eve sobbed, her tooth exposed and raw, just like the rapidly browning flesh of her favourite fruit.

17 comments:

  1. Very nice, I enjoyed the story - I guess it's true at least sometimes that 'mother knows best.' :) Love that the girl's name is Eve!

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  2. A delightful tale, especially the child's name, but I can't help feeling sorry for poor little Eve.
    Kay
    Alberta

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  3. a very funny and intelligent approach!

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  4. I love the way she persuades herself until what she heard suits what she wants-very clever!

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  5. New take on old story. Very nice!

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  6. This is such a beautifully written story. It has made me really want to eat an apple and I do have one waiting for me in the fridge.

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  7. terribly cute but the best part is the child's name.... Eve!

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  8. This is so good, I wasn't expecting the ending.

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  9. smiles. how often do we do just the same in convincing ourselves what we want is right...her name as eve is a wonderful touch. nice mag!

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  10. With a name Eve, she is bound to persuade herself against all Mother's warnings!

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  11. Clever twist - though painful! LOL

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  12. Love that her name was so appropriately "Eve"!

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  13. Well told. Poor Eve should have listened to the voice from On High. I was expecting God to smack her, but the mom appearing was even better.

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