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Discover weekly, the best short stories

Looking for a steady supply of funny short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

150+ Funny Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. The world can get dreary and overwhelming, so when you’re looking to have a good laugh, take a scroll through our free collection of funny short stories.

Funny Short Stories – Page 10 of 10

Strange Case

Weekly Contest #338

Warning: mature themes I closed the book with a snap and dropped it on the floor next to the couch. "I just finished Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."Adrian had been on his side on his bed. He raised up on one elbow and looked at me. He remarked casually, "The name of the doctor should actually be pronounced to rhyme with treacle. I found that out when I came across an old black-and-white movie version."I should have known. He'd gone to France without any knowledge of the language and came home having memorized the French national anthem. Of course ...

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The Annotated Survival Guide to Your Imminent Cosmic Irrelevance

Weekly Contest #338

Teddy Yuen found the book on a Tuesday, which was already a problem because nothing good has ever happened on a Tuesday. Black Tuesday cratered the stock market and kicked off the Great Depression. The Greeks have considered Tuesday unlucky for five hundred years because Constantinople fell on one. That time you texted your ex at 2 AM with what you thought was a "mature and measured" message but was actually unhinged goblin behavior—also a Tuesday, statistically speaking. The day is cursed, and anyone who says otherwise is trying to sell you...

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The McDonald's Date

Weekly Contest #338

We had reconnected after four years, in the grocery store in the neighborhood. Honestly, I reluctantly accompanied my mom there. According to her, a young woman had to know to wake up early in the morning, complete all errands for the day and ensure that her husband and children would be taken care of. In college, we had mutual friends and would greet each other in passing. Being taller than him wasn't a problem, but there was something about him that I liked. He would get a look of curiosity in his eyes which made me to wonder what he was t...

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Tail wagging for conversation

Weekly Contest #338

He brushed the long black oval ears from his eyes as he leaned down examining the bottom shelf of books. He was in the non-fiction section, feverishly going in and out of the aisles. Each time he walked out into the common area he garnered the attention of the people who were otherwise buried in their books. He was dressed in a dalmatian onesie, complete with a hood and ears and a tail. He was unbothered by the attention he received, instead he was fully focused on finding whatever he was looking for. He emerged from his search, a...

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Dogs Arf Us

Weekly Contest #338

Day One: I never wanted to work at Dogs Arf Us. In fact, before my first shift, I’d never even seen a dog up close. But the rent was due, and the only place hiring was this sketchy-looking pet store where all the employees wore shirts that read, “We Don’t Sell Dogs, We Are Dogs.” I figured it was a joke. It wasn’t a joke. My manager, Todd, had the enthusiasm of a golden retriever on espresso. “You’ll love it here, Craig!” he barked—literally barked—as he handed me my employee badge. “Welcome to the pack!” I was starti...

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The Perilous and Most Honorable Society of Those Who Have Seen the Thing

Weekly Contest #338

The invitation arrived in Declan's mailbox between a Spectrum bill and a coupon for forty percent off at Bed Bath & Beyond, which should have been his first clue that something weird was happening, because Bed Bath & Beyond had been dead for two years and yet here was a coupon, pristine, urgent, offering savings on bath towels that no longer existed in any accessible retail dimension.The invitation itself was printed on paper so thick it felt like holding a slice of expensive cheese. The text was embossed in gold: You Have Been Obser...

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The Super Pals

Winner of Weekly Contest #338 🏆

Have you ever slept through your alarm and had to skip breakfast? Have you ever wished for more protein in the morning than what bland oatmeal could provide? Have you ever been stranded in the woods, starving, with nothing but a raw egg? If you answered “yes” to at least one of these questions, Lenny Livingston could have helped. You see, Lenny had a superpower. …Well, it was less a superpower, and more a “specific issue resolver.” Lenny Livingston could [insert drumroll here] fry an egg under any circumstances, provided he had a frying pan ...

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The Not-Monster

Weekly Contest #338

It wasn’t just how quiet it was. No, it was never that. It wasn’t even what was said. We’re the bait to the monster that waits. Secret like.And we knew all along what our purpose was. To draw it out. Make it scream and shout. Though I never knew what I was supposed to expect. Everyone was on a need-to-know basis, including me. And probably it. Run away. Run away. Run away, my mind hummed even though I had been invited to this secret little group she was a part of. Edna might have agreed that I didn't belong, though it was hard to tell. She’d...

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Operation: Bull Terrier

Weekly Contest #338

“Hi, how’s it going?” It is a form of greeting that doesn’t actually require you to answer how things are going. In the old days, people simply said “Hello!” out of politeness, not because they genuinely wished for your health. “How’s it going?” can be ignored, or you can answer just as briefly with another “How’s it going?” and perhaps add a “Thanks.” English speakers ask “How are you?” and get “Good. How are you?” in return. Shimmy and I were well-acquainted, so there was no need to inquire about health or trade meaningless phrases. “Oh, i...

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The End of Mary Lou Hatton’s Big Beautiful Women Book Club

Weekly Contest #338

MARY LOU HATTON My thick thighs announce themselves as I climb the old stairs. Each step groans under me. A loud pounding echo bounces through the library’s high-ceilinged halls, long before I reach the top stair. If that weren’t enough, my slip-in gym shoes contributed their own rubbery chorus. Thump. Squeak. Thump. Squeak. Squeak. At the top, I lean on the wall, out of breath. My glasses slide down my sweaty nose. I whispered a husky prayer: Please don’t let me need to be resuscitated in front of the book club. I was gassy; little poots e...

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Momentum

Weekly Contest #337

The metronome bar ticked back and forth for what felt like 100 billion light-years, at least, according to renowned audial physicist Dr. Ivan Barr. Various pitches from keyboards repetitively floated into his clouded yet ever-curious brain. He and his colleagues were running a study under their current research topic, nicknamed “The Laws of Music”. They were experimenting with different instruments in an attempt to find the objective, “perfect” mathematical scale and tuning system for music. Dr. Barr was known for his architectural concert h...

11 likes 1 comment 1
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If the Shoe Fits...

Weekly Contest #337

If the Shoe Fits…“Go find the owner of this glass slipper.”-The Prince; Cinderella Searches tend to be unsuccessful if one is uncertain of the target. Such was the case for Wally, living an unfulfilled life but unaware of what was missing. He could only hope he’d someday stumble into true happiness.“You really think your new bowling shoes are going to help, Wally?”“I think so, Tom. If nothing else, it will make me feel more confident.”“A good scout doesn’t blame his equipment. Your new bowling ball didn’t do much for you last week.”“What are...

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As We Have Always Done

Weekly Contest #338

The invitation arrived on a Tuesday, which immediately suggested it was not meant for me.Tuesday is not a day on which mysterious things are supposed to happen. Tuesdays are for leftover emails, mild disappointment, and the quiet understanding that nothing dramatic will occur for at least another forty-eight hours. The envelope alone violated this expectation. Thick paper. Cream-colored. No return address. My name was written in ink that suggested someone owned a pen specifically for this purpose.Inside was a single sheet of cardstock, folde...

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Family Values

Weekly Contest #338

Douglas’s heart swelled with pride; his vegetable patch stood every chance of winning a gold medal at the annual produce show. The allotment bloomed with ruby-red plums, plump, sweet blackberries, and rows of fern-like fronds of juicy carrots. It was a sultry, mulch-scented late autumn day; when leaves squelched underfoot and caterpillars concertinaed their fat green bodies under old bricks and fell asleep. Hanging low in the sky, the sun prickled the bronzed shoulders of busy gardeners.Scraping mud from his Wellington boots, on the honed ed...

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Land's End Diner

Weekly Contest #337

“Jessica!” The man yelled as he ran through the doors of the diner. He fell to his knees, sobbing for Jessica, whoever she was. “Jessie. I’m sorry. Where are you?” Poor guy didn’t know he was dead. Melinda watched from the counter in front of the kitchen, sipping coffee as some of the other patrons looked at the traumatized customer, then moped back to their meals with a lifeless gaze. “Jessica!” He was so shocked he couldn’t stop to think how he ended up in a diner that floated in the sky. Poor souls like his occasionally made it to Lan...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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