© Ayr/Gray
Many thanks to Jenne Gray and C.E. Ayr for their photo prompt, THE UNICORN CHALLENGE. 12/13/2024). No more than 250 words in length.
What to have?
Too late for a coffee, but doughnuts were always good to go with, as were cookies and pastries. Jan and Dean had already fed him a hearty lunch, so a sandwich was out of the question. He couldn’t quite make out the last line of goodies painted on the outside of the tourist shop, but it seemed to promise more. This birthday trip to the remote island of Bovinia was a dream come true; Shep was painfully aware how tight finances were for the couple. His heart swelled with love and gratitude.
“How about an ice cream, Pet?” Jan murmured. She dug in her pocket for her final coin. Avoiding his eyes, she handed it to him. “Just go in and pick what you want. Dean and I have to make a quick side-trip, but we’ll be back. You wait here, ok?”
Shep eagerly took the coin and hopped into the shop. Pushing his snout up to the display case, he shook his heavy bangs back and surveyed the flavors on offer. While deciding, he ambled through the store admiring the home-crafted artwork, the local authors’ books (half-price), scented unguents, pillows and more.
The shop had emptied by the time he chose raspberry cayenne chocolate. Backing out the door, cone clutched between his hooves, he stood by the bench outside.
The sun set. Jan and Dean didn’t return.
“Another abandonment,” sighed the shopkeeper. “But he’ll make a nice mascot.”
Shep became a favorite with all the kiddies.
© Liz Husebye Hartmann (2024)
Valley of the Trolls 
That would have been sad if it weren’t for the last line. He certainly landed on all four hooves!
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Jan and Dean’s loss was the town’s sweet gain. ;-)
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Cute story!
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Thanks, Joanne!
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Poor little coo, but at least he’ll be well fed.
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And with lots of love from the kiddoes. Altho’ comments here suggest tennis balls will be needed for those Highland Horns, before too long…
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Jings, Liz, another Ol’ Shep heartbreaker!
My daughter used to demand that I sing the song to her, even though it made her cry every time.
Maybe I should have taken lessons from Jan and Dan before they headed back to Surf City and abandoned this poor wee mite.
Great piece, still smiling here!
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What?! There’s a song about about Ol’ Shep?! (Swiping madly to do a Google search). Glad to make you smile!
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Oh my! Git Along, Little Dogie!
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Hint: you don’t want to be standing next to that beast when it sneezes or shakes its head to get the hair out of its eyes. Whenever my neighbor takes his Highland calf for their daily walk, he puts a tennis ball on the inside horn to keep from being gored.
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Good to see you back in the WP saddle again, Greg. Yes, in flash we can cherry pick our dangers…poetic license! Wheeeee!
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Aw that’s so sad, poor fella!
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But he landed in a new, loving home, after all of it!
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A sad journey with a happy ending then!
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Exactly. Tough times…
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He is cute! This story was making me sad as I had a good idea Jan and Dean weren’t coming back but you turned it around, Liz, by making Shep the adored mascot of Bovinia. Lovely story!
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That was just delightful, Liz.
Such creative use of the prompt picture.
I’m sure Bovinia is very happy with its new mascot.
I have a wonderful picture in my head now of a wee hielan coo with an ice cream cone clutched in his hooves.
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He’s cute, isn’t he? 🥰
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