by Art Bupkis
A Drabble (100 words)
Old Mr. Tortoise was very old indeed. As he crawled once more upon the small white pebbles that covered the garden path, it now occurred to him that he had little idea of where he was going, and even less idea of why.
But did it matter? Above a single cloud floated by. It was a pleasant day. He let his four stout legs keep going, step, step, step, step, as they had before.
Still, after a while, he started to wonder if, somehow, it might matter after all. He wasn’t sure. He stopped to think.
Soon nothing mattered, ever again.
A Dribble (50 words)
Tortoise was old, and it now occurred to him that he had little idea of where he was going, and even less of why. But did it matter? It was a pleasant day for a walk.
…Or maybe it did matter. He stopped to think.
Soon nothing mattered at all.
A Drip (25 words)
Old Tortoise now realized he didn’t know where he was going, or why. Did it matter? He stopped his walk to think.
Soon nothing mattered.
A Drizzle (12.5 words)
An old tortoise got lost, stopped to ? why, and died clueless.
A Drop (6.25 words)
Old Tortoise just seized up & died.
A Dew (3.125 words)
Tortoise paused… dead.
A Drool (1.5625 words, baby-talk)
Tata, tors.
A Feghooter’s Dry-Heave (1 word)
Rigor-tortoise.
Desiccation (0)
(Ω –>. †)
>;-) > .
Philosopher, poet, and small-time humorist, The Rt. Rev., Professor, Dr.Art Bupkis, is a literary ward of L. R. Baxter, a professor at the University of Florida.
Oblong 
A Drabble (38 chars)
Aristotle:
“What does it mean to be a good person?”
A Dribble (24 chars)
Descartes:
“What does it mean to be?”
A Drip (20 chars)
Bertrand Russell:
“What does ‘it’ mean?”
A Drizzle (18 chars)
Nietzsche:
“What does it mean?”
A Drop (13 chars)
C.S. Lewis:
“What does it?”
A Dew (7 chars)
Lil Jon:
“Whaaat?”