The Rich Man's Clothes
A Very Short Story
An emperor who had no clothes was once gifted with a rich man's attire. Wearing them seemed like a breeze in the air covering his soul. His steps quickened and the marvellous seemed possible. Even his daydreams seemed remarkable but there was nowhere to put them so he stuffed his hands in his pockets. With no touch to his senses, the world became cloudy - no gift giving his new point of view. Through the mind of an apple, his thoughts grew...if only I can. The apple became a new world he could almost taste. Then he realized that the apple and the clothes were not his own, nor the windswept thoughts between the threads. So he made bare his mortality and walked naked in the sunlight.
About the Creator
Canuck Scriber Lisa Lachapelle
Vocal Top Story 13 times + Awesome Story 2X. Author of Award Winning Novel Small Tales and Visits to Heaven XI Edition + books of poems, etc. Also in lit journal, anthology, magazine + award winning entries.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insight
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
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More stories from Canuck Scriber Lisa Lachapelle and writers in Fiction and other communities.
The Cup Stirs Itself
It was the year 1900. The storyteller, (ahem)...I mean, the Fortune Teller stared into the teacup with great concern. She swirled it this way, then that, tipped it a bit first to the right, then to the left, and lifted her head to stare at her client with a raised eyebrow at Miss Butter Tart in front of her. The young woman was all of 22 years old. Bright red curls piled on her head with a hairpiece, long skirt, gloves and fashionable bag. Her chaperone waited outside. Spoiled, indifferent, but not carefree - the word was not invented yet in the context of womanhood.
By Canuck Scriber Lisa Lachapelleabout a year ago in Fiction
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Author’s Note This story contains references to childhood trauma and a parent’s experience supporting a child through recovery, including moments of emotional crisis. The focus is not on graphic detail, but on a family’s survival, vigilance, and the quiet, ongoing work of caregiving.
By Stacey Mataxis Whitlow (SMW)3 days ago in Fiction
The Ritual of Winter Challenge Winners
Welcome to the Winners Announcement for The Ritual of Winter challenge. This prompt focused on winter rituals and the meaning that settles into them over time. The top pieces stay grounded in ordinary acts and repeated routines, letting winter shape the work through pace, attention, and restraint.
By Vocal Curation Team6 days ago in Resources
Comments (14)
well written
Love it!
So glad that he came to realise that he was free to be who he was. A great top story!
cute
Oh, but I love the freedom and self-discovery found herein. Well done. Congratulations, too, on the Top Story!
Oh, this is beautiful. Congrats on the TS.
Lovely, thoughtful flash. Nothing like a bit of nudity to help contemplate humility. Met a rich guy the other day who dressed in the least dressy way imaginable.
What is the prompt/challenge for this, sorry I missed it
I've recommended your piece for a Top Story in this week's "Raise Your Voice" https://shopping-feedback.today/resources/raise-your-voice-thread-09-19-2024%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv class="css-w4qknv-Replies">
A refreshing twist on a classic. Love it!
This should be an entry in the SOC challenge , it is poetry in a single paragraph
That’s like a lucid dream, half real half absurd. Loved it!
This is unique. I love it.
People say the first line must be good. I feel the last line is just as important: 'So he made bare his mortality and walked naked in the sunlight.'