Susanna Leonard Hill’s 5th Annual Halloweensie Contest*: write a 100-word Halloween story appropriate for children using the words costume, dark and haunt. (I threw in some older sketches for fun – enjoy!)
Creeeaak…
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Trick or treat.
Rick and Pete?
No. Trick or treat!
Oh. Stinky beets?
We’re trick or treaters!
You’re picky eaters?
We’re wearing costumes!
You need the bathroom?
UGH!!!
Bug?
It’s dark out here!
A shark is near?
We’ll bare our teeth!
You like my wreath?
Open the door!
No, I don’t snore,…but I’m hard off hearing.
We’re gonna haunt your house!
You caught a mouse?
Aw, forget it.
Slug and lettuce?
Goodbye…and good riddance!
…Creeeaak…
Why are you leaving? I love kittens!
*Read the other entries as they are posted over the next 5 days HERE
julie rowan-zoch 
Love it. I almost woke the kiddo up early laughing. I hope slug and lettuce don’t show up at my door on Halloween.
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I have a slug infestation in my yard if you change your mind!
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Oh, Sorry! Still don’t want any. 🙂 I’m going through the link list and am doubling up on some folks. Read yours again still LOLing.
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You’ve Halloweensie mad!
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Haha! Great concept. Love it, Julie! And your drawings, as always, are wonderful!
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Thanks for popping in, Iza!
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I Love it!
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Thanks for making me smile this early in the day, Marla!
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Hahaha. I love the line, “You’re picky eaters?”!!
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I was a terrible PE, Joanna!
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Very fun and I love the illustrations, they remind me of Tove Jansson.
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Moomins boomins! Thanks for stopping by, Johnelle!
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Oh, you know how I loves the puns and wordplay. Too funny, my friend! And how much do I love those crows as clothespins? THIS MUCH. I’ll take a set of those. Fabulous as always, Miss Julie. ❤
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You and David blew me away this morning! You need share buttons, baby!
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HaHaHa! So fun! Love the humor. Great job, Julie!
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This old bat thanks you, Cheryl!
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Funniest story ever. You need to win. I can just imagine the smoke coming out of the ears in frustration.
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Only wish we had more trick-or-treaters here so I could pull this off for reals!
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Haha this is too funny!
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My mean streak shows! Thanks for popping in!
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How fun. As always I enjoy your illustrations.
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Thanks, Rena! Hope you are entering too!
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Such fun! And love, love, love those crow clothespins. (I have eaten at the Slug and Lettuce — a pub in England!)
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I have too, Beth! The name has been stuck in my head for 30yrs!
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Ha! How fun and wonderful. 🙂
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I love the fun of this contest!
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OMG I absolutely love this!! And those crow clothespins are brilliant. Good luck in the contest!
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Crowspins, dontcha know! Thanks for popping in, Jean!
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I loved it! So clever and great!!! I love the illustrations too!
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Thanks, Kimberly. Reading all the entries on a rainy Monday has been great!
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Wonderful story, and wonderful illustrations! I see a hint of last year’s words in the entry. I love it!
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OH! I suppose that can happen – now I gotta look the words up!
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Love it! This really made me smile!
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Thanks, Al!
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very cute! you know those kids wearing masks are hard to understand sometimes!
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True dat!
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HAHAH! Awesome! I love the pictures too.
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Thanks, Mishka!
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Very clever entry Julie! Love it!
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Thanks, Patricia!
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So very clever, Julie! I love the crows as clothespins!
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Thanks, Ann! Just making do!
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Love this – so much fun!
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Thanks – and for stopping by!
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Love, love, love this! So funny…and your art is magnificent, Julie. 🙂 GREAT job! (it’s funny because it is so close to the truth…especially if kids are trick or treating in a 55+ community)
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A senior living village for witches, maybe!
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Ewwwwww, slug and lettuce. Don’t forget us—in the frigerator drawer. We’ll fill the space with slime and gore. 😀 Sorry, couldn’t help myself…..Awesome story! Good luck in the contest!
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Great story Julie, so much fun!
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This was so funny. I love punny humor and you have it spades! Best of Luck.
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Funny! This one is a romp…pure fun. And I appreciate the chance to see your wonderful illustrations.
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Thanks for stopping by!
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I love puns and other ways of playing with words and this poem has it all. I love the illustrations too! Very Tove Jansson.
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Thank you, Kim! I am a Moomin fan too!
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I love the humor that comes from the “hard of hearing” concept in this story. This is so much fun. Great pictures, too!
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Thanks, Leslie!
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Julie, this is laugh-out-loud fun! This is exactly the kind of humor my kiddos adore. And the sketches are fantastic, too.
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So glad to hear that about your kids – thanks!
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Julia, this story made me chuckle, laugh and giggle. Loved it!
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Thank you, Traci!
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🙂 🙂 🙂 so funny but that is probalby what would happen if I had any trick or treaters come to my door. No one knows I have two ear aids or hearing aids.
But I get lots of warning about Halloween coming from this kidlit community. Ha ha!
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It would be a good excuse for you to be the one tricking the treaters! Thanks for popping in, Clar!
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SO awesome, Julie! Great language and a surprise ending all in 100 words.
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Thanks, Julie!
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Julie, that was just spooktacular! I love the witty, sassy text and the oh-so-clever illustrations!
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Thanks for stopping by, Randi!
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That is hilarious. I never told anyone online (no need to), but I have trouble hearing. A lot of the time I hear just like you portrayed. Perfect!
Someone once told me he fell off a house and I asked how long he’d be riding a horse. He wasn’t amused, but I was only responding to what I’d heard.
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I am sorry to hear that, but the mistake was funny, if not to your friend, though I’m sure he would have preferred riding to falling. Too bad you don’t have the super-power to change reality according to what you interpret!
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“I’m sorry to HEAR that,” I love this! No need to be sorry. I hear great with hearing aids, just hate to wear them. That would be too cool to be able to change reality to what I hear and not what is said. That might even make a good kids story. 🙂
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Chaotic fun! Love the sketches too! Boo! Wahoooooo!
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Love your Halloween salute to who’s on first–and your charming sketches!
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Great post! I like your story a lot! 😀
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Thanks, Erik – your thumbs up means a lot to me!
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Love, love, love that wordplay. And I sure did dig the puns. Those crows are so much fun. Love them. You got IT going on, pal. xoxo
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Thanks, Robyn! I FINALLY got your package out today!!!
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FABULOUS! Julie! 🙂 A Halloween version of “Telephone” 🙂 Those poor frustrated trick-or-treaters… getting tricked themselves! 🙂 And I LOVE the sketches!!! Thanks so much for joining in the Halloweensie fun!
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Thanks, Susanna. I get a dizzy start to each day trying to catch up on entries – you must be pirouetting on auto-pilot!
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I love it! Reminds me of Shel Silverstein. Good luck 🙂
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Tanks, Christie
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You creak me up! Hee! Hee! Very cute, Julie 🙂
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Penny wins the comment pun. 😉
So fun and I love the illos as always!
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Thanks, Cathy!
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Haha! ‘Friends with words’= the BEST!
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So. Much. Fun. Julie! Thanks for sharing!!
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Thanks for popping in, Lindsey!
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Love it! So surprising and funny.
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Thanks, Lauri!
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Great illustrations and story, love the surprise kittens at the end!
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Thanks, Michelle!
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This is hilarious, Julie! It reminds me of one of my favorite picture books, THE HUNGRY THING, by Jan Slepian. Good luck in the contest!
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Hope I can find it at the library! Thanks for stopping by, Becky!
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This is too funny! I can see this as a picture book and readers starting to try the phrase “stinky beets” on Halloween night 🙂
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Thanks, Lori! You just gave me an idea for a pungent ending!
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Love your play on words-very funny-good luck!
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Thanks, Charlotte!
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