Worked an 11-hour shi(f)t and am a tad wired. It’s 1:00 a.m. and I can’t sleep. This story swam in my head on my way home. After some deliberation, this is what I came up with. 🙂
Thank you, always, to Rochelle for being the ultimate cat-herder with this unruly group! This week, she chose Liz Young‘s photo. Last time I checked, it was July and not October which makes this choice all the more fun and challenging. Smooth, Oh Purple One!
Care to join in on the fun? It is, you know… Fun that is. And when people read your stories and comment on yours, as you do theirs, well, the joy is multiplied. So, do not be shy, click on the Blue Frog below and add your link. Easy-peasy!
Copyright ©Liz Young
Sing Like a Caged Bird
“Send me off forever but I ask you please
Don’t fence me in…”
“Shut up!”
“No? Don’t like that one? How ’bout:
‘She’s in the jailhouse now…
Ah-di-o-dalee-eehee-dee-o-ti!'”
For Chrissakes… you are so not worth this agony. Stop!”
“What? You kidnap me, lock me up, hope to get who knows how much moolah from my folks and you want me to keep quiet? Screw you! I’m useless to you dead.
“I’m stuck in Folsom Prison
And time keeps draggin’ on….”
“Fine, Little Birdy, sing. You ain’t getting out ‘til your folks pay up.” He left, closing the door behind him.
A Dalectable Life 
Love it, how annoying. But I’m afraid that’s par for the course if you’re getting into kidnapping.
Isn’t it Thursday today? This is madness
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Not all prisoners take it sitting down… 😉
It is! We get our picture on Wednesday and technically have two days to think about our story (well, up to a week, honestly) – but most of us like to write on Wednesday! Gives me a chance to read all of ’em when I do that…
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How come I don’t get a picture? I’ll speak to my MP
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All ya have to do, is take it from mine and run with it… or subscribe tp Rochelle’s blog and you too will get the photo of the week… 😉
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Thanks, I feel slightly left out I’m going to investigate further, I’m sure I joined last week. Does she email?
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If you subscribe to her blog (with the email option) you will get it in your inbox…
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runtshell@gmail.com 😉
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Ha! Great story! Keep singing little bird.
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Thank you! Glad you liked….
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Brilliant take, Dale, and I love the layout and the songs. Gave me my first laugh of the day. PS I assume the funny “Freudian” slip in your preamble is deliberate?:):)
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Thank you Jilly… So very glad I did give you your first laugh of the day… and
as mentioned to a few readers… it was a Freudian slip that was corrected to shi(f)t 😉
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If they keep singing they’ll either get released or murdered, I think 🙂
I’m hoping you didn’t really work “an 11-hour shit” 😦 I wouldn’t be able to sleep either after that 🙂
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Depends on how much she is worth 😉
And boy… when I make a Freudian slip, I make a big one!!
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What a lovely whimsy
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So very glad you thought so.
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That’s a very inventive take on the prompt, Dale. And funny as well. Now I look more closely at the prompt, there’s a distinct air of defiance about the caged person. You caught that well.
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Thank you Penny. I so like it when I go outside the box… so to speak 😉
Am glad you see that.
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🙂
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The victim fights back. Not sure now which way this will go. For me, I’d let the warbler go and hang the money. Especially when he gets round to the Johnny Cash collection…
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Yes, she does. I almost made it so that he let her go… but figured I’d leave it hanging a bit
As she already did… 😉
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That little victory goes to her. Brilliant story, Dale. She better be careful not to get her mouth taped shut.
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It does, Gabi! Yes, I was considering that happening too… 😉
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Dear Dale,
Not sure why but my, sufferin’ succotash, my mind went to Tweety Bird. Can just hear him singing Folsom Blues…Love it.
Shalom,
The Purple One
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Dear Purple One,
Ha ha ha!!! Love it.. “I hear that train a-coming, coming ’round the bend….”
Lotsa love,
Dale
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I tawt I taw too too twain. 🤪
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LOL! You nut!
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I can’t decide if this is helping her cause of making things worse for herself. She’s defiant at least.
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That she is. And it may come to pass that he gets royally fed up…
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Great take on the prompt Dale, it’s an interesting strategy, let’s hope it works 🙂
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Thank you, Andrea. I sure hope it does too! 😀
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A new twist on The Ransom of Red Chief. I love it. I like the Johnny Cash, but wish you had time for “Let’s rock everybody, Let’s rock. Everybody in the whole cell block, Was dancing to the …” well, you know… 😉
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So glad you did! I did consider adding Elvis but ran outta words… you know, that whole limit of 100 and all… 😉
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Yeah, that 100 word thing… I said something about running out of time, but I meant running out of words.
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I still got it 😉
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I love her spirit
BTW, re the 11-hour shit, I’m sure there’s something you can take for that 😉
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Me too!
And I’m calling it a Freudian slip… I have changed it to shi(f)t 😁
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And another smile …
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… Yay! …
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Q,
Not where I saw you going with this, but YES! Poetically dark humor, which is right up my alley. I’m just wondering how many songs it’s going to take before the prisoner is released without a ransom . . .
Peace and necessary melodies
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B,
Glad I sent you off a different track! Love that you love my dark humour 😉
I’m thinking there are quite a few songs in that noggin of hers and if he really can’t take it… can go either way!
Peace and singin’ the blues
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My prediction? The get out of jail free card is in the mail! Hahaha!
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Woot!
😀
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goodie, she has time to practice. once the ransom is paid she can audition at america got talent competition. 🙂
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Buahahaha!!!
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I only saw your 11 hour shift….. shxt indeed!!!! You poor lamb. I bet you felt kinda caged too – and maybe you thought of all those children in their cages, separated from their parents…. who knows?!
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LOL… I tell ya…. I am too old for that kind of shizzle… my body ain’t liking it one bit.
I think it was a definite Freudian slip… 😉
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I wasn’t relating to your Freudian slip – but to the endlessly long and tiresome 11h shift! One shouldn’t have to do that anymore at a certain age – I couldn’t even stand on my feet for a fraction of the time…. You are a hero! Bisous (kisses) K
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I could not agree more… and I’ve reached that certain age! Bisous ma chère! D
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What a delightfully different take on the prompt. LOVE it!!!
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So very glad you liked my little silliness 😉
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SMILING … LOLOL – ing … and can’t begin to say anything more.
You are something else, girl.
Isadora 😎
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LOLOing, eh? I’ll take that as a very good sign…
I am 😉
xoxo
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I hope she’s right that he won’t risk killing her. Some songs will drive even normal people to do crazy things, and this guy is clearly already halfway there! I guess as long as she says away from “Never gonna give you up…”
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So do I…
Well… for now, they are all “prison” songs… but who knows? She may change her tune!
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keep singing – and this was a fun metered piece!
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Thank you, Yvette! So glad you enjoyed!
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🙂
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Hee-hee, hee 🙂 Well, Dale, I think that captive is living dangerously. If I was into taking people hostage and they kept up that singing (especially if she was tone deaf), I might end up doing something drastic to silence her. There speaks a singer who, at times, could gladly have throttled her fellow singers, but never has … yet!
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She is taking a chance, to be sure… one does what one can 😉
Glad I got a hee-hee, hee out of you!
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This reads so real from here …….
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So glad it does!
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Don’t stop singing little bird . Great read.
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Glad you liked Piyali!!
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This guy does with first.half.of.twentieth.century songs what I do with ’60’s songs. When all else fails, keep singing
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There ya go! Do what you must, I say 😉
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Great picks for lines of songs. Your good imagination at it again. 🙂
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Thank you, Ina! I dunno where that one came from 😉
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And they don’t beat him up? What nice kidnappers.
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Maybe she needs to be kept unharmed…
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An 11-hour shift is insane, so sorry! A very creative take on the prompt with a nice twist. I admire the spunk of the girl held captive. Hope it doesn’t come back to bite her. =)
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It is. Too much!
Thank you, Brenda. I hope it doesn’t either!
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Such an inventive take on the prompt Dale – so witty to build in the songs. Get a sense that the hostage is quite feisty — think she’ll be ok.?
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I truly like to think so, Francine!
Maybe the hostage guy is a neophyte…and at a loss on how to deal with her!
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Ha ha ha, something tells me that the kidnapper’s resolve, and sanity, will not remain this strong for too long 🙂 Around an year ago, I wrote a story (in three parts) about a kidnapping. Lots of Indian cultural references in it, but you might find it fun 🙂 https://jagahdilmein.wordpress.com/2017/05/16/taan-se-taal-mila-in-which-two-legends-come-face-to-face-and-one-of-them-plans-a-coup-against-a-third-legend/
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Glad this made you laugh, Anurag. I don’t know! He might start singing with her 😉
Will check it out.
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A kidnapper’s job isn’t easy 😀 Enjoyed this piece and the comments Dale 🙂
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So very glad you did!
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Singing, unless you are good at it, is a good way to irritate anyone cooped up with you. So unless shes really a songbird, i think her strategy is risky.
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But worth a try… she’s not willing to just sit there and be a victim…
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Hope it worked. A lady with oomph.
Lovely take.
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Thank you, Patrick. She has oomph to spare!
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Hopefully the kidnapper does not resort to more violent methods of keeping her quiet. Though I get the feeling he is not cut out for crime.
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I think you’re right, Fatima. I don’t think he could do anything to hurt her.
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If she always sings like that, the kidnapper may have to PAY HER FAMILY to get them to take her back. 🙂
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Right on!!
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I like her (his?) feistiness! Love your take on the prompt!
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Elle!!
Merci mon amie!!
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Avec plaisir! 🙂
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Trapped! But seems to still have stong will. I wonder if she will escape 😊
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I like to think she’ll be let go! 😉
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Brilliant take.
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Than you
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Well at least now we know why the caged bird sings.
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To drive her captor nuts!
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Persistent little bird, she might escape her cage in the end. Loved the spirit in this story.
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Thank you. I like to think so!
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Oh, I like your “caged bird’s” attitude! I hope she sings as out of tune as I do. 🙂
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I dunno if that would hinder or help her… but it sure would be satisfying rather than just sitting there.
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That is one feisty little kidnapped person. She definitely ain’t a victim. Great attitude. She needs to find the most annoying ear worm and sing it on repeat, then maybe the kidnapper will let her go to save his sanity.
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I like to think so! Now that you say that, it makes me think of a story line on Walking Dead where they torment a prisoner with a song that plays on a loop….
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