Mary Kay Bonfante is the Readers’ Choice in this week’s Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge. The winning entry is decided by the popular vote and rewarded with a special feature here today. (In the case of a tie, the writer who submitted an entry first is the winner per our rules.) Without further ado, here’s the winning story:
Monkey Business
by Mary Kay Bonfante
Penny and Zippy were new at the Mango Lei Circus. Brandon the trainer had made progress on some routines with the young monkeys. There was a small crowd Tuesday night, and Mr. Chipper wanted to try them out.
The animals came last, because they were guaranteed to entertain. The glittering horses marched around, with various dogs following. Crates of mangoes lined the aisles of the rotunda, which was a great attraction, because after the show, everyone could take a bag of mangoes.
The monkeys watched from offstage. Ladies in shimmering outfits swung from trapezes, landing gracefully on the horses, riding them around the ring with the ponies and dogs.
The monkeys swung from the trapezes, which came naturally. From high above, they saw the opportunity to ride the ponies, and jumped aboard.
The ponies were startled, never having been mounted by anything as wild as a monkey. They went charging into the aisles, inadvertently tipping over several crates of mangoes. Penny and Zippy were pleased because mangoes were now available, and started shrieking.
Mr. Chipper and Brandon demanded order, unsuccessfully, while the audience roared with laughter. The dogs barked in response to the shrieking monkeys. Horses and dogs, alarmed at the cascade of mangoes descending upon the center ring, ran up the aisles that were clear. Penny and Zippy dismounted the ponies and began enjoying the mangoes.
Everyone, except the other animals and staff, felt highly entertained, and concluded that the Mango Lei Circus had an exceptional program.
Congratulations! That was a great story!
Thank you, Pat! It was fun to write.