Hero Challenge (as issued by Barry Northern)

[Jot]

Ed lived on a hill that was slowly, but surely, sinking into the nearby swamp, and everyone on the hill wanted Ed to stop the sinking, but he told them to "shove off." The Village Wise Man (whose brother was, by a twist of irony, the Village Idiot), gave Ed a pair of Teflon stilts and a crash course on stilt walking, so that Ed could walk safely through the swamp. In the swamp, Ed found a talking frog who told him how to find his way to the cave of the Evil Wombat, whose magic was making the swamp grow up around the hill. At the Cave, Ed and the frog (whose name was William Augusto Montenegro, but who preferred to be called Jim) snuck up on the sleeping Wombat and beat him to death with the stilts. Ed returned to the village, where he found the Evil Wombat's friend, the Evil Badger, who challenged him to a stilt-duel, at which the Evil Badger was an expert. Ed recalled the teachings of the Village Idiot (who was also an expert in the use of stilts, and had given Ed secret training at night while his brother, the Village Wise Man, slept) and defeated the Evil Badger; The Evil Badger repented of his Evil ways and with his dying breath, the Formerly Evil Badger told Ed the location of his stash of teflon-coated stilts, with which Ed could lead the villagers to a safer hill, or maybe somewhere that wasn't surrounded by an evil, enchanted swamp.

[Daniel]

All hail the new master!

[Ian Rochford]

You mean the Evil Badger wasn't actually Ed's long-lost father?

I found the dialogue a bit stilted... ;->

[JMac]

I take it back. Fling the frog. :)

[Jot]

Thanks, Barry, for posting a cool challenge like that. I hope a lot more people take you up on it. Challenging strictures on writing can lead to some intensely creative stuff that the writer never knew they had in them, so keep them coming if you have more!
And, I think an official champion Belt would be more appropriate... easier to transfer to a new champion when one arises!
Thanks Jodi, that really makes my day! I should have named the Frog Jodi!!

[JMac]

This is my favorite of yours, Jot (and not just because you have a frog in it)!

[Barry Northern]

Thanks for taking up my challenge Jot. You are now officially the crown champion. I will have to work hard to beat that word count!

[Chris Campbell]

:-)

[Jot]

I have never jousted, but I have dueled, and I have stilt-walked...
I'd like to joust.....