As one writer said, “Pucker up!” The Lemon Queens have stories to share that will have you smacking your lips for lemonade. The right amount of sunshine, the balance of color, and a bit of sweet to balance the tart. Whether sunflowers or bold girls with a lemonade stand, there is something delightful in the name.

Writers pushed their imaginations and found stories full of pucker, pride, and playfulness. Find out who the Lemon Queens are from biscuits to monsters with magic and realism in between.

The following are based on the August 27, 2020, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that features Lemon Queens.

Canyon Lands by Saifun Hassam

Lightning flickered across golden sandy tracts of the Five Canyons Land. Deep beneath sandy soils, paleontologists discovered extinct microbes and algae with yellow chromophores. Over eons, pigments stained layers of soil with vibrant lemon and orange hues.

Spirals of pinnacles, the Lemon Queens, towered over yellow sandstone cliffs. In the sunlight, the Lemon Queens glowed crimson, fiery red and sparkling citrine.

From dark long shadows, dust rose like mystical spirits in flowing robes of the yellow and red landscape. A rider emerged flying on her steed across the open plains. Topaz jewels and silver threads flashed in the sunlight.

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The Lemon Queens by kathy70

In this year like no other in memory, I am spending more time in the garden. The flowers are mostly putting on their last show for this season. All the veggies know their time is almost at an end, how do I stretch the days. Is there any way to keep the sun higher and brighter in the sky. I, the oldest of the Lemon Queens will need help doing this task. I gather all the queens and instruct them on the chant. As we gather an eclipse happens now the sun is really gone for four more years.

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Last Words by Simon Prathap D

Mr.Sam would like to share few last words about Madam Bea.

You know, Good people have got very less time on this planet. She is a tall woman, and I’ll call this is a fall of lemon Queen sunflower. Why? you’ll not like her, but, she is a good person, she is a queen in heart, cares for everyone around, she will go any extent to save people she care, like a sunflower, stands tall like a beacon of light and attracts beautiful people like a flower attracts butterflies, we are going to miss her. Rest in peace Bea.

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Maybe Even Prettier by Donna Matthews

“What’s this flower called mom?”

“A lemon queen.”

“And this one, mom?”

“A poppy.”

“This one, mom?”

“Oh, she’s a primrose.”

“Primrose?! I have a friend at school named Primrose. Well, I did. I haven’t seen her in my zoom class this week. Do you think she still goes to my school, mom?”

“I don’t know, honey.”

“Will we ever get back to normal, mom?”

“Certainly. Do you see all these flowers? Each spring, they grow back from hibernation. They look dead, but then they come back. Things look bad now, sweetheart, but they’ll grow back. Maybe even prettier.

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A Place for Everyone by Norah Colvin

Rose prickled and turned away from the newcomer. “You can’t blow in here on a breeze expecting to be welcomed,” she whispered to a neighbour.

Sweet Pea belied her name, ignoring the stranger and trailing away to mix with others of her own kind.

Even cousin Marigold wasn’t hospitable, fearing he might spoil their whole bunch.

He didn’t tempt rejection by the glamourous golden Queen outstanding in the field.

Instead, he sailed right by and alighted far from cultivation where his lowly origins wouldn’t raise a brow.

…

“Look! A dandelion! Do you like butter or cheese? Let’s play!”

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The Lemon Queens by Eliza Mimski

The blonde fields. Stalks of lemon queens. Blue skies and clouds that drift.

Marla lay back in the field, worried about her upcoming wedding day. She didn’t love Xavier, but at 45 you had to marry someone. Who wanted to grow old alone? She posed her question to one of the lemon queens, its chocolate face studying her.

“You mustn’t settle,” it firmly said. “Hold out for true love.”

She asked another.

“You can grow to love him,” it said.

Neither helped.

“Which thing would you rather be unhappy about?” asked the third.

She smiled. She had her answer.

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My Lemon Queen by Ruchira Khanna

“The house looks so clean. Where’s my cyclone?” Dad inquired as soon as he entered his home.

“She’s mostly been in her room since then. Let me get her.” said five-year-old Trisha’s Mom.

“Aha! There’s my Lemon Queen,” he said with glee and was quick to extend his hands towards her. His daughter came towards him with exuberance and landed on his lap.

She placed her tender fingers on his cheek as the dad started to tickle Trisha. Her giggles filled up the room, and the parents’ face radiated like the sun from the happiness that she spread year-round.

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Magic Lemon Queens by Ann Edall-Robson

“Nana, what are they?”

“They are known as Lemon Queens. Only those who believe will experience their magic.”

The sound of a gruff voice broke the mystical moment.

“Are you spinning that yarn to her, too? They’re dragonflies, nothing more!”

“Think whatever you like son. I’ve watched you talking to them like you did when you were her age.”

Picking up his daughter, he whispered into her tiny ear.

“Do you think they are magic?”

She nodded.

“Me too! Don’t tell Nana, okay?”

Giggling, she blew a magical kiss to her Nana as they watched Lemon Queens take flight.

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The Stand by Pete Fanning

At the courthouse steps, Sergeant Nelson was watching the men with rifles trade insults with the masked skateboarders when his deputy rushed over.

The deputy removed his gas mask. “Sarge, we have a situation on the South Lawn.”

“Yeah?”

The deputy pointed across the courtyard, where two schoolgirls, one black, one white, both wearing tiara’s, sat hands crossed and smiling at a makeshift cardboard stand. The sign read, Lemon Queens.

“No permit, boss.”

The Sergeant laughed. He sat a hand on his deputy’s back. “You know what, Deputy? I think we could all use what they’re selling right now.”

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Appeal by Annette Rochelle Aben

When they were little, people referred for them as the Lemon Tarts as the only treat they ever brought to the church bake sale were lemon tarts. Of course, they had no competition, for no one dared to challenge them they way an ordinary chocolate chip cookie might demand. One must be rather dedicated to perfect a lemon tart!
Over time, the tarts advanced in age and like their bite-sized lemon goodies, they remained favorites of the congregation and fans of the bake sale. To honor their steadfast contributions, and their age, they became, the bake sale Lemon Queens!

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The Lemon Queen Festival by Colleen Chesebro

“So, what does it say?” Francine asked.

Rachael stared at the positive pregnancy test results in her hand. “It says I’m pregnant. Now, I’ll never fit into my dress for the Lemon Queen Festival.”

“Mom’s going to blow a gasket when she finds out. What are you going to do?”

Rachael pondered her sister’s question before answering. “I’m not sure. I might have to live with Dad.”

“Mom will never let that happen. Just tell her the truth!”

“Tell me what?” Mom asked from the doorway.

“I’m going to miss the Lemon Queen Festival this year,” said Rachel sheepishly.

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Lemon Queens by Frank Hubeny

They call themselves the Lemon Queens, bitter as a lemon and twice as nasty. Don’t get me wrong. I love lemons. I even eat the rind. But those two with their cursing, spitting and hostility give lemons a bad name.

I have no intention of kneeling to these queens to pacify them. That’s just what they want. That’s just what they’re not going to get.

We arrested them last night. They hurled a trash can through a store window. Their lawyer insisted they were peaceful protesters. Then someone bailed them out. Now someone will have to arrest them again.

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Lemon Queens by FloridaBorne

It’s hard enough being recently widowed, harder yet to move from your large home of 40 years into a senior community.

The neighbor who owns the backyard facing mine is a “chatty Karl,” a person who asks ridiculous questions like, “Are you growing Lemon Queens this year?”

“No. I don’t like lemons.”

“They’re sunflowers,” he chuckled.

“Gardening is not one of my talents,” I frowned. “If you want to see something die, ask me to tend it.”

Thank God he hasn’t spoken to me since. Perhaps the shotgun next to my rocking chair had something to do with it.

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Lemon Queens of Nevada by Charli Mills

Lara, Eugenie, and Jess scrambled up the wooden slats of the corral to watch Big Bones Janey sort the dinks from the keepers. Roundup always smelled of warm sage and fresh horse apples. Wispy sun-bleached hair escaped the matching braids on the young cousins and in the afternoon breeze, their fringe formed halos. Janey trotted past the wide-eyed girls, winking. She called them Lemon Queens and taught them how to settle a stallion without breaking his spirit. Fifteen years later, riding stunt horses for Hollywood westerns, the Lemon Queens owed their skills to the maverick horse trainer of Winnemucca.

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Royalties by JulesPaige

Bob and Cora let their seven year old granddaughter run loose in the heliocentric field of Lemon Queens. It would be the last year for that crop. Well, any crop since they’d decided to retire. No one in the family wanted the farm. The developer gave them a very good price. They could move to a warm climate and never worry about shoveling snow again. They could buy or build just the right place to welcome their children and grands any time they wanted to visit.

little princess found
all her subjects heads bowing
as she skip danced passed

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Lemon Queens by Sue Spitulnik

When Michael rolled out of the church back door he saw Tessa standing at the far side of the parking lot dabbing her eyes. He went to her. “What’s upset you?”

“Look at Mrs. Staples’ house. It’s run down and her gardens have gone to weeds. Remember those tall yellow flowers called Lemon Queens? It wasn’t summer until they bloomed.”

“I’m afraid she’s gone into a home and her kids won’t sell the house while she’s alive, so it sits.”

“That’s awful. I’m going to visit her and share my memories. I wonder where I can buy lemon Queens.”

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End of a Dream by Reena Saxena

A vision in pale yellow floated through the park. This is my new neighbour, Miss Daisy. I would’ve named her Sunflower though.

As if on cue, she turned towards me and smiled. I guess I missed the acerbic expression in her eyes.

“I heard some noise yesterday, and your house help sneaked in on the pretext of asking if I needed something. Let me make it clear, Mr. Whoever-You-Are, I value my privacy.”

I added more sugar to my already sweet lemonade, as she stomped away. Well, now there is a reason I’ll label her Lemon Queen.

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The Lemon Queens by Joanne Fisher

In Lana’s dream she was warned the Lemon Queens were coming. Abruptly she awoke and began shivering. You would think Lemon Queens would be something pleasant, but in reality it was a euphemism for humanoid figures with blotchy sallow skin unpleasantly stretched over their thin frames. Their hands had long fingers that ended in sharp claws used for disemboweling their victims. They also had sharp pointed teeth for ripping throats open.

Lana sat up in her bed in the dark her arms cradling her shaking body. On the edge of hearing the door handle to her bedroom slowly opened.

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The Rush of The Morn by Bill Engleson

Eyes glued shut,
middle of the morn,
Wobble to the window,
Screen ripped and torn.
Flies buzzing in,
Making for my toast,
Lava butter rolling,
Time for a riposte.
Sun streaming in,
burning up my eyes,
trip on the rug,
crush a dozen flies.
Pick myself up,
grab a cuppa joe,
out on the deck,
watch the morning glow.
Birds peck at seeds,
cats about to pounce
savvy birds fly away,
Watch old kitty flounce,
Morning is so bright,
Best Its ever been,
Hydrangea, blue and rich
Snuggles to the lemon queen.
The day’s fair majestic,
a satisfying scene.

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Naming the Biscuit by Anne Goodwin

“We can’t call them that!”

“Why not? They’re lemony. They’re puffy. They’re not lemon crisps.”

“Why not? Because it’s a term of abuse.”

“Nonsense! No-one thinks that anymore. Homophobia’s consigned to history. Along with racism and blaming women for being raped.”

“Remind me of our demographic.”

“Middle Englanders. Conservatives with a C both big and small. People who’d never dip a biscuit in their tea.”

“Unless it’s a ginger snap?”

“They don’t buy ginger snaps. They’re for the hoi polloi.”

“Royalists?”

“To the core. Loyal to Prince Andrew. Think Harry should be shot.”

“Then let’s call them Lemon Queens.”

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Lemon the Queen of Fruits by Ellen Best

When I teach my daughter about Lemons she’ll say, ‘they are sour, and need loads of sugar before you use them.’ I will pour her a homemade lemonade, sweetened with Agave. I’ll tell her how lemon juice can cure heartburn, it’s the only citrus fruit that turns alkaline once joined with saliva. While passing her a slice of my lemon drizzle poppyseed cake, I clean my glass to a sparkle with a used lemon skin as we speak. We will chat about life and love as I slice lemon and freeze them, for days when there are no more.

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Lemon Queens by Priorhouse

Lydia and June carried in numerous bags and crates with workshop supplies.

Catching their breathe, they placed the heavy items down and began setting up:

Water bottles

worksheets

pens

name tags

June Spread out a yellow table cloth across the round table in the corner.

Lydia spread out six dozen sliced lemons.

The workshop would have their speciality “lemon-themed” group activity.

There would be a taste test to experiment with sour.

Lemons would be added to water to alkalize the body and provide Vitamin C.

Standing back, they dimmed the lights and smiled.

The Lemon Queens would strike again.

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The Queens by R. V. Mitchell

Vincent sat at his easel and squinted at the majesty of the queens in his vase. The Paris series had been a success. Now a year later, Arles beckoned. The pot – simple, two-toned, was a perfect tool, as was the plain wall of the studio.

“How many sunflowers?” he questioned to himself. “Ten. A dozen more or less.” He grinned to himself. “The public needn’t know how many are actually in the vase, only the number in my mind.”

With that Vincent picked up his palette and began to mix his yellows, as the lemon queens awaited their day.

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When Ranch Chores Is a Drag by D. Avery

“Kid, where’d them two towheaded twins git off to?”

“Went inta the bunkhouse, said they’d be right out. They say they wanna work fer Carrot Ranch? Or the Saddle Up Saloon?”

“I reckon the Ranch. Tip an’ Top Lemmon are hardy hard workin’ cowboys. They’ll be a fine hep aroun’ here, ‘specially since yer always doin’ ever’thin’ but yer chores these days, what with thet saloon an’ all.”

“All this mention a the saloon, Pal. Reckon this is a crossover piece, huh?”

“S’pose… Whut?! Kid, who’re them fancy dancehall girls struttin’ along the bunkhouse veranda?”

“Introducin’ the Lemmon Queens!”

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