Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    A Present for Cynthia
    A Present for Cynthia
    A Present for Cynthia
    Ebook43 pages35 minutes

    A Present for Cynthia

    By S.E. Batt

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Not every daughter acts the same. Most of them, however, would never ask for a water dragon for a birthday present.

    The Kingdom of Galha faces an unusual challenge, when its princess stands adamant that she receives an elder dragon as a gift for her birthday. Given her strong resolve alongside her fearsome reputation of throwing the biggest strops in the kingdom, King Graham sets out on his mission. Can he bring home a dragon for her birthday?

    A 3500 word humorous short story, bundled with a BONUS short story 'A Talk In The Forest', also at 3500 words.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherS.E. Batt
    Release dateMar 21, 2013
    ISBN9781301663231
    A Present for Cynthia
    Author

    S.E. Batt

    S.E. Batt loves all things light-hearted and humorous. When he's not writing, he's playing video games, talking to other writers, and generally wishing he was writing. He's a proud member of the Forward Motion online writer's group, and sends all of its members a digital thumbs-up.

    Read more from S.E. Batt

    Related to A Present for Cynthia

    Related ebooks

    Fantasy For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Socks

      May 1, 2022

      Socks
      8 min read

    • Article

      Perv-O-Shine And Sleep Vaping: 23 Things I Learned About The World – And Myself – At Glastonbury 2023

      Jun 26, 2023

      Sure, sure, it’s hot, and you’re not going to shower, and this will force some choices at Glastonbury that you wouldn’t make in regular life: shorter shorts, for instance, or a hat. This doesn’t even come close to explaining the wild precision, the c

      7 min read

    • Article

      A Narrow Escape

      Aug 3, 2023

      A Narrow Escape
      2 min read

    • Article

      Small Pebbles Like Raindrops

      Aug 5, 2021

      Small Pebbles Like Raindrops
      3 min read

    • Article

      Pearls before SWINE

      Feb 9, 2022

      Pearls before SWINE
      5 min read

    • Article

      A Perfect Wedding

      Apr 6, 2020

      A Perfect Wedding
      5 min read

    • Article

      Getting STEAMY

      May 4, 2022

      Getting STEAMY
      3 min read

    • Article

      A garden PEST

      Feb 1, 2023

      There are times when I feel I am letting you down. I feel that a certain sense of drama and pizzazz might be missing from these accounts of life at Dear Towers. Just occasionally, I’d like to bring you a 90mph car chase down the high street, weaving

      3 min read

    • Article

      Wise old Mrs Merrow

      Jul 27, 2020

      Littlesea was everything the description said: a white stone cottage with beams and higgledy-piggledy walls and steps away from a tiny quay in a private bay. It would have been the perfect spot for honeymooners had it not had just the one single bed

      8 min read

    • Article

      A dangerous OBSESSION

      Sep 30, 2020

      “I wonder what the Queen dreams about? Apparently we all dream about the Queen from time to time, so does she dream about us in return? Perhaps on a rota system? Or does she have nightmares in which she is about to open Parliament but suddenly reali

      3 min read

    • Article

      Eight Poems

      Sep 1, 2021

      The rain is splashy.The baby is fat as apat of butter.Mother is sleeping.No one is crying.Because it was timeto live with strangersbaby was born.Hearing the rainjumping in puddleshe feels another eventis due in time.Not knowing what,not guessing what

      2 min read

    • Article

      Broken Wings

      Aug 24, 2020

      Whenever Gemma Faber came to London for work, she stayed at Searle’s. It was a luxurious club-type hotel and every time she visited, she felt she’d really made it. The taxi pulled up and her heart lifted at the sight of the lilac-and-gold striped awn

      5 min read

    • Article

      A Perfect Wedding

      Aug 2, 2021

      The door bangs, the house trembles, I hold my breath: Bridezilla is home. My son coined the phrase and normally I try to minimise teasing between my children (a lifetime’s habit, a lifetime’s work) but frankly, I agree with him. A blood-curdling scre

      5 min read

    • Article

      Tomorrows

      Mar 15, 2022

      The night, as most nights, was like a dream. At ten, once I’d fed the dog the last scraps off the stove. Once I’d cursed the cat for scratching up my mama’s antique furniture, then welcomed him back into my arms. Once I’d slicked my hair into a ponyt

      26 min read

    • Article

      When Good Gifts Go BAD

      Nov 21, 2022

      ’Tis the season for gift guides and mall car parks, for emergency vet visits to get the tinsel out of the cat and for absolutely refusing to roast chestnuts on open fires. As the magic of Christmas washes over us with the force of an All Blacks’ fron

      3 min read

    • Article

      High DRAMA

      Oct 12, 2022

      Do you remember that song by the late Bernard Cribbins? The one about the chap who was digging a hole in the ground, and somebody in a bowler hat came along and gave him all sorts of unwanted advice? You might care to keep this in mind while reading

      3 min read

    • Article

      Watch Your Step

      Nov 19, 2020

      Watch Your Step
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Little BALLERINA

      Aug 5, 2020

      The Little BALLERINA
      6 min read

    • Article

      Out On The MOOR

      Mar 20, 2024

      Out On The MOOR
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Library of Gromma

      Jul 10, 2023

      Zac was sweating and panting as he reached the top of the hill. The crooked beams of the library loomed over him. He dropped the buckets of water, swore at the few drops that spilled, and escaped the piercing morning sun in the shade of the library.

      22 min read

    • Article

      Two-Stroke Toilets: The trouble with time travel.

      May 8, 2014

      What’s this?” I said, looking down at the change the old woman had put down on the counter between us. There were bills of the wrong size and color, clunky-seeming coins that were too big and too dull. I stirred a finger in the little pile. She glanc

      31 min read

    • Article

      “Apparently Life Goes On …”

      Jan 25, 2023

      “Apparently Life Goes On …”
      7 min read

    • Article

      A Wind-tossed Spell

      Jan 1, 2019

      A Wind-tossed Spell
      8 min read

    • Article

      Five Poems

      Jul 1, 2018

      Without the adventof Stockholm Syndrome,how could I havelearned to love myself so much? I’m asking Godand New York, can anyonehelp me? (An all-but-audible “or else.”) The captain’s chair:it’s beginning to smella little too much like me. Again.But the

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Library Of Gromma

      Feb 10, 2021

      Zac was sweating and panting as he reached the top of the hill. The crooked beams of the library loomed over him. He dropped the buckets of water, swore at the few drops that spilt, and escaped the piercing morning sun in the shade of the library. He

      22 min read

    • Article

      The Wind Feels Loss

      Aug 8, 2019

      The Wind Feels Loss
      7 min read

    • Article

      “Apparently Life Goes On ...”

      Jan 29, 2023

      “Apparently Life Goes On ...”
      7 min read

    • Article

      Daughter’s DILEMMA

      Dec 29, 2021

      Daughter’s DILEMMA
      3 min read

    • Article

      As you HIKE IT

      Jan 20, 2021

      “I was scrubbing out a pot of raspberry yogurt when the telephone rang, and I mention this just to assure you that life at Dear Towers isn’t all ballgowns and glamour. In fact, I honestly can’t remember the last time that Harrison Ford popped round a

      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for A Present for Cynthia

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      A Present for Cynthia - S.E. Batt

      A Present for Cynthia (with A Talk In The Forest)

      S.E. Batt

      Copyright 2013 by S.E. Batt

      Smashwords Edition

      Table of Contents

      A Present for Cynthia

      A Talk In The Forest

      Thanks

      Other Works

      Free Excerpt from ‘A Hero Unto Death’

      A Present For Cynthia

      The Princess of Galha did not spare any expense when it came to asking for presents. In previous years, grand gifts such as pianos, jewellery, and even land were given to the young queen-to-be, with every event being a resounding success. The problems started, however, when she began demanding an ancient water dragon god for her sixth birthday.

      It started in the throne room. Three grand, golden thrones sat in a line, at the end of a grand red carpet stretching down the corridor. The middle throne was an odd one out, being smaller than the other two, an additional podium underneath it raising it on the same level as its bretherin. The red and gold banners around the room boasted animal-based insignias of grand pride and prestige, which contrasted heavily with the urchin that was sat on the smaller throne.

      It was clear that she was adamant her decision be carried out. Sitting upon her throne, with her arms folded across her pink dress and her face scrunched up, she gave an alternating death glare to her parents, as if they had committed an unforgivable crime. Knowing his daughter for the six years he has, Graham suspected this might be the case.

      Now, come on, Cynthia. Queen Faye spoke in a tone that would calm a raging lion, which made it even scarier when Cynthia did not shift her posture. Your father and I have had a long talk about this. We've juggled the pros and cons, and settled on the idea that summoning a water dragon for your birthday present is just not feasible.

      Don't see why not. The death gaze became more intense. You've got me everything else that I wanted. Now I want a water dragon.

      A water dragon is very hard, if not impossible to make a pet, Cynthia. We would probably not be able to get one ready for your birthday, and even so... Faye looked over to King Graham, her eyes telling him that her usual tactics weren't working. Well...

      ...what your mother is trying to say, spoke Graham, taking the baton from Faye, "is that we simply don't have the resources to keep a water dragon. It would require a big, big lake, and a lot of food on a daily basis. It's not something we can maintain. You do understand, don't you, honey?"

      Make a big lake then. Cynthia shrugged. Dig a big hole in the garden and put water in it, then put the dragon in that. Use your heads.

      But Cynthia, that garden was a present to you from your late Uncle Paul. Graham's tone

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1