Shortest Story/Poem

Ernest Hemingway is claimed to have written one of the

Hemingway/Wikipedia

shortest stories ever. It's not sure if it was him or if his story was original (which really it isn't if Wikipedia is to be believed), but the story itself is pretty powerful - and in just 33 characters:

For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.

Is this a story? If so, what is it about?


The shortest story in Spanish was by Augusto Monterroso Bonilla of Honduras, who wrote this:

Cuando despertó, el dinosaurio todavía estaba allí.

("Upon awakening, the dinosaur was still there.")

If this is a story, does it have a plot? Conflict? Setting?

As we get ready to read some poetry (spoilers: Walt Whitman doesn't like war), here's a video from the Vsauce channel on YouTube about the "For sale" story and the shortest poems:

I don't know about the latter examples, including that "m" with the extra hump. This is Mr. Flanagan talking, but I think adding interpretation beyond the author's intent sometimes goes off into the deep end. Then again, it is a good exercise in thought provocation.

That being said, here's my challenge to you: Write the shortest poem or story. Use what you think would adequately tell a story in a few words and characters as possible.

DO NOT REPLY IN THE COMMENTS! Instead, submit your "story" here by 11/25/2014.

Because I have no flair for the abstract, I'm letting you decide the winner. At the end of the deadline. you can click on the link and vote for the top one. And don't be that guy - vote for someone else's. If there is a tie, I will determine which of the two are the best.

Good luck!