The Spelling Bee

It was the Turnersville Third Grade Spelling Bee. Fran Blancowitz squared off against little Mel Fromberg. The auditorium was packed with students, staff, parents, and relatives.

“Mel, spell the word ‘Dog,’ please.”

He managed it slowly.

“Now, Fran, spell the word ‘Letter,’ if possible.”

No problem. 

Next Mel correctly spelled ‘Cat’, after Mr. Atkins, the principal and questioner, used it in a sentence – ‘The cat chased the dog.’

“Fine…Now, Fran, spell ‘Manuscript.’”

She did. But, from the audience, her parents and relatives objected – he was tougher on Susie. 

Mr. Atkins turned to Mel.

“Okay…Spell the name ‘Blancowitz,’ Mel."

From Guest Contributor David Sydney

For the prompts Manuscript and Letter.

Spelling Bee

The third grade spelling bee at Crispus Attucks Elementary was an annual event that attracted international attention. Students trained strenuously for the competition in hopes of being crowned champion. Thanks to corporate sponsorship, the prize had surpassed one million dollars. Just making it past the first round was considered an exceptional feat.

"Fugacious."

"Legerdemain."

"Pusillanimous."

Parents complained about the difficulty of the vocabulary. Officials ignored them, claiming it was the whining of losers. You never heard the winner complain.

"Oneiromancy."

I.A.N. was the winner again this year. It marked the 13th straight year the artificial intelligence device had emerged victorious.