For sale: baby shoes, never used.

12/28/2008
—Ernest Hemingway

The original short short story and the inspiration for this website. In the 1920s, Ernest Hemingway’s colleagues bet him that he couldn’t write a complete story in just six words. They paid up. Hemingway is said to have considered it his best work.

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148 Responses to “For sale: baby shoes, never used.”

  1. 12/29/2008Stories told in just six words. « Six Word Stories says:

    [...] of short short stories consisting of just six words. It was inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s famous challenge. It will include stories by famous writers, reader submissions, myself, and the Internet at [...]

  2. 1/7/2009Nicole says:

    Hands on the Bible
    scared like a child
    God holds you liable
    for what you’ve done

    homicidal
    stared down your idols
    a pretty baby
    never born

    you cant believe it
    you didnt mean it
    but they saw you do it
    and they know your name

    rats in the attic
    toys in the cellar
    she’s an addict
    he wants to learn

    hands on the bible
    egomaniacal
    as you screw yourself into oblivion
    worn and faded
    stoned and jaded
    you’ll have to face it
    on your own
    smashed on the pavement
    stunned in amazement
    everything you make comes crawling back to you

    you can’t believe it
    you didn’t mean it
    but they saw you do it
    and they know your name

    so hands on the bible
    scared like a child
    God holds you liable
    for what you’ve done

    homicidal
    stared down your idols
    a pretty baby never to be born

    you can’t pretend that you don’t know the reason
    for the reaping that you sow

    hands on the bible
    hands on the bible
    hands on the bible
    hands on the bible

  3. 1/7/2009Sarah says:

    Thin ghost of innocence drowning.

  4. 1/8/2009Kathy Willhoite says:

    She wished she could. No talent.

  5. 1/8/2009Sara Toussaint says:

    Demented. Decadent. She could only hope.

  6. 1/9/2009M.W. Paris says:

    I remember when…ooh, something shiny!

  7. 1/9/2009Hasan Karadayı says:

    Existence of existence should be exist.

  8. 1/10/2009Gracie Paduano says:

    three kids. one tutor. one teenager.

  9. 1/10/2009Hoagie says:

    Drunk driving, oak tree, closed casket.

  10. 1/10/2009Nazara dilworth says:

    Wait. Eww this tastes like poetry.

  11. 1/11/2009paul marnul says:

    Mexico. Soul mates. New York…..Chicago.

  12. 1/11/2009Ulv! Ulv! » Blog Archive » Kort som faen says:

    [...] Forrige innlegg var om kort tekst. For to dager siden fikk jeg et tips om Six Words Stories fra Gunnar. Det er en slags spontane beskrivelser blir haikuhistorier. Seks enkel ord skal gi deg hele dramaet. De lenker til Flash Fiction og siterer Hemingway:  For sale: baby shoes, never used.  [...]

  13. 1/12/2009Joe Nardi says:

    Her whispers echoed through his life.

  14. 1/12/2009Aaron Minchau says:

    Always, nothing more than a human

  15. 1/12/2009Aaron Minchau says:

    Broken before the bell tolls twelve

  16. 1/13/2009Nicole Hunt says:

    Remembered his name. Made it hers.

  17. 1/14/2009Aaron Levine says:

    Yes? No? Shut the fuck up

  18. 1/14/2009OMG! WTF? » Blog Archive » I Found Something Cool Online Again says:

    [...] This is a collection of short short stories consisting of just six words. It was inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s famous challenge. [...]

  19. 1/14/2009Prattle Assassin says:

    See that unloaded gun? Oops, sorry!

  20. 1/14/2009Christopher Blea says:

    So we gasped. She just floundered

  21. 1/15/2009Peter Kantor says:

    Origami party society. Lighter not invited.

  22. 1/15/200914 year old cryptic girl says:

    sorry, i meant quizilla.com not quibblo

  23. 1/15/200914 year old cryptic girl says:

    that was not a quote btw

  24. 1/15/200914 year old cryptic girl says:

    and neither was that, thank you.

  25. 1/15/200914 year old cryptic girl says:

    or that dangit!

  26. 1/16/2009laura palmer says:

    went on.live on.die alone

  27. 1/16/200914 year old cryptic girl says:

    I’m crazy enough to be human.

  28. 1/17/2009Mac says:

    Mornings dying, stars fall at night.

  29. 1/17/2009Mac says:

    Been too long living not alive.

  30. 1/17/2009Mac says:

    Failed to plan. Planned to fail

  31. 1/17/2009Mac says:

    Lost her sweater. Kept his jacket.

  32. 1/17/2009Mac says:

    Watch what you say. I do

  33. 1/17/2009Mac says:

    Watch what you say, I do.

  34. 1/17/2009Mac says:

    Trick heart, slick mind, tired eyes.

  35. 1/17/2009Mac says:

    We do and we don’t fly.

  36. 1/17/2009Neil Murrell says:

    Aerial impaled postman. Best reception ever.

  37. 1/18/2009Carl William Brown says:

    The Pooh, an Italian music band. Puahh!

  38. 1/18/2009Michael O'Connell says:

    Happiest man in the world laments

  39. 1/18/2009Ryan Cheng says:

    How come life is like that?

  40. 1/18/2009old Texas geezer says:

    Blank page. Words run in mind.

  41. 1/19/2009Marsha in Texas says:

    Dear Geezer Guy - Are you a poet or a writer. Either way I am a fan.

  42. 1/19/2009MEDIAMORPHOSIS’ BLOG » Six Word Stories says:

    [...] word stories è un contenitore di racconti di 6 parole, che prende ispirazione direttamente da Ernest Hemingway, che nel 1920 compone la sua short-short story, dopo aver accettato la sfida di un avventore di un [...]

  43. 1/29/2009tina smith says:

    I think therefore I am…thinking?

  44. 1/29/2009Alice H says:

    Ate date expired food. Never again!

  45. 2/12/2009Erin Carey says:

    In the aftermath, she preferred solitude

  46. 2/12/2009Erin Carey says:

    She wondered why she wasn’t enough

  47. 2/12/2009Erin Carey says:

    Breaking bread with gods is sobering

  48. 2/24/2009lydia says:

    we used to exist without computers

  49. 2/24/2009orlando says:

    Aces full baby needs new shoes.

  50. 3/1/2009Esc says:

    “It’s ok! happens to all guys…”

  51. 3/1/2009Subtelty says:

    Sometimes I wonder if I exist…

  52. 3/2/2009beajerry says:

    Radio blares ghost story… without batteries.

  53. 3/2/2009Andrea Nicolo' says:

    My story doesn’t fit six words.

  54. 3/2/2009Elroy says:

    Incontinent rockstar: shit hits the fan.

  55. 3/3/2009nowbounce says:

    two days under calories, i surrender

  56. 3/3/2009mike says:

    careful sire, last man still missing…

  57. 3/3/2009Dan Blake says:

    Wake, work, sleep. Resistance is futile.

  58. 3/3/2009Mike H says:

    Myanmar horror. Sliced throats. Burma shave.

  59. 3/3/2009Ross says:

    what’s so good about being average?

  60. 3/16/2009Wendy V. says:

    She ordered coffee. Black, no sugar.

  61. 3/23/2009Tom Rubio says:

    Rocks, this street of lost hubcaps.

  62. 3/24/2009Raphael Wyeth says:

    What’s so bad about being average?

  63. 3/30/2009Shunty says:

    Tried,cried but she dint agreed!!

  64. 4/8/2009Gayathri says:

    She got promoted, Wife to Friend

  65. 4/25/2009Angelia Megahan says:

    The daughter despised. Her mother demeaned.

  66. 4/29/2009Braden D. O'Neill says:

    Because last man standing went missing

  67. 4/29/2009Gaurav Kumat says:

    Got up. Went work. Came home.

  68. 4/30/2009Frau Glock says:

    remember: blackberries are fruits. not organizers.

  69. 5/7/2009Ty_Fitzgerald says:

    Compose, Half press, Click, Review, Despair.

  70. 5/8/2009Dawn Leonetti says:

    Stories alone couldn’t fill her soul.

  71. 5/8/2009Dawn Leonetti says:

    Lipstick helped distract from deep conversation.

  72. 5/12/2009Robert A. Knight says:

    Tailgaiters do it from behind

  73. 5/27/2009isaline8 says:

    Wrong DNA test discovered after abortion.

  74. 5/27/2009Twitter and Other Musings « Muse says:

    [...] site only allows 140 characters per post.  I couldn’t help but think of Hemingway with his six word story (”For Sale. Baby Shoes. Never Worn.”) and what a great tweeter he would be.  Trained [...]

  75. 5/29/2009Paddy says:

    Absolute doesn’t exist. Then saw bottle.

  76. 5/29/2009Taka Ohno says:

    You Will be better than now

  77. 5/29/2009T.W.Wombat says:

    Door. Slam! DOOR! SLAM! … Enlightenment? Enter…

  78. 6/1/2009sarah says:

    isnt it
    “For sale: Baby shoes, never worn.”
    ?

  79. 6/4/2009Karl says:

    It happened yesterday. Cold and deadly

  80. 6/9/2009Ajay says:

    Back from holiday. Rats in mailbox!

  81. 6/10/2009mike says:

    press play, cry, stop, rewind, eject.

  82. 6/10/2009A. Bunny says:

    Chain broken. Loving mom to four.

  83. 6/12/2009Midian » Blog Archive » ordinary day says:

    [...] – dupa o idee de Hemingway. Linkul l-am vazut mai demult, in statusul Anei, de atunci urmaresc site-ul constant. De mult [...]

  84. 6/13/2009Dhanraj says:

    Man made wonders. Then came women! - D_policE

  85. 6/21/2009NickWasHere says:

    six words stories great for procrasti

  86. 6/22/2009The Slowest Story Ever Told - PSFK.com says:

    [...] or not you believe that anything truly profound can be said in the scope of nine words (Hemingway only needed six), the project stands in stark contrast to our constantly connected and information [...]

  87. 7/4/2009Faizan Mufti says:

    Wanted to lead and LEAD

  88. 7/7/2009in which yelley has millions of peaches, peaches for free. « it’s peanut butter yelley time. . . says:

    [...] post a comment and I’ll draw a name from a hat contest. So instead I am going to have a Six Word Story [...]

  89. 7/12/2009Essig says:

    Than some great

  90. 7/16/2009louboutin says:

    I like this shoes ,it very beauty and lovely!!!

  91. 7/20/2009Lu C says:

    I waited; coffee, cigarette… walked home.

  92. 7/20/2009Kimberley says:

    He’s gorgeous, kind, intelligent. He’s hers.

  93. 7/21/2009Six Word Stories « The Squirrel Queen says:

    [...] This is a collection of short short stories consisting of just six words. It was inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s famous challenge.” [...]

  94. 7/23/2009Hank Hollman says:

    Ignorant Vote. Obama Elected. America Finished.

  95. 7/23/2009Hank Hollman says:

    Man’s Born Free. Taxed To Death

  96. 8/11/2009Laura says:

    Twitter gets over exited and dies.

  97. 8/11/2009Laura says:

    My students turn to zombies.Oh.

  98. 8/16/2009Elwyn says:

    Age never changed life of dread.

  99. 9/15/2009Reality says:

    World goes on, most people don’t.

  100. 9/16/2009Cuando poco es mejor: Six Word Stories | IdentidadGeek says:

    [...] Word Stories recopila muchas historias extremadamente cortas, inspiradas en el reto que le plantearon a Ernest Hemingway, en la que le pedían escribir ua historia completa en sólo 6 [...]

  101. 10/6/2009Brittany says:

    xlong skirt $50 hospital bill $2000

  102. 10/28/2009Saturn says:

    What takes Dostoievsky days, you seconds.

  103. 11/4/2009andoni says:

    the penguin of linux eats apples

  104. 11/5/2009Jeanette says:

    I ate a juicy catapillar today.

  105. 11/8/2009指甲花*雑記帳 ― Mehndi by VeRi » 6単語で紡ぐ物語― Six-word Story says:

    [...] 自身の傑作だ、とも言ったという ‘For sale: baby shoes, never worn.’ が その元になっている、といわれています。 » Very Short [...]

  106. 11/9/2009SF band member says:

    placed second; played/felt like first

  107. 11/13/2009Skechers Womens Shoes Review Site says:

    Hi!. Thanks a bunch for the blog. I’ve been digging around for info, but i think i’m getting lost!. Google lead me here - good for you i suppose! Keep up the great information. I will be coming back in a couple of days to see if there is any more info.

  108. 11/15/2009Five Percent Isn’t Cutting It « Lady Lumineux says:

    [...] (#tcot) Report, and consider the profound impact of Hemingway’s famous six word story: For Sale: baby shoes, never used. (HT/bonnet tip to @toddeherman for that excellent example of precise, diminutively packaged [...]

  109. 11/17/2009Lee says:

    Pointless Story. Empty Plot. Thankfully Short.

  110. 2/3/2010Ricky in NJ says:

    Lonely Soul, Seeks Other, Loses Himself

  111. 2/9/2010Joey Shannon says:

    Decided not to go; still wondering.

  112. 2/16/2010Halcyon says:

    Emily’s letters from Iraq stopped coming.

  113. 2/16/2010Halcyon says:

    Well fuck, the parachute is jammed.

  114. 2/16/2010Halcyon says:

    “What’s the diagnosis?” I asked. Silence.

  115. 2/16/2010Paul says:

    God in six words? Probably impossible.

  116. 2/20/2010Natassia says:

    all the tools except a knife

  117. 3/11/2010Jen says:

    Past embraces, skin loathing. Jerk.

  118. 3/18/2010Melanie K. says:

    Hard day makes a harder drink.

  119. 3/18/2010discount nike shoes says:

    I always enjoy coming to your website you provide a well worth read on all your articles

  120. 3/20/2010W. Larsen Hughes says:

    Sun rises, sun sets, day passes

  121. 3/20/2010W. Larsen Hughes says:

    Wrecked car, graduation day, empty seat

  122. 3/20/2010W. Larsen Hughes says:

    Empty house, for sale, bank owned

  123. 3/20/2010W. Larsen Hughes says:

    Ships return, empty slippers, waiting dog

  124. 3/20/2010W. Larsen Hughes says:

    Broken jar, spilled honey, happy bear

  125. 3/20/2010W. Larsen Hughes says:

    Beach landing soldier remembers, years ago

  126. 3/20/2010W. Larsen Hughes says:

    Birds sing, children laugh, memories return

  127. 3/22/2010Tom Sebastian says:

    He smiled a toothless smile

  128. 3/23/2010cheap tiffany jewelry says:

    keep at it man, your almost there , thanks for the read!

  129. 3/28/2010Al says:

    Fortune. Fame. Fate. And the unraveling.

  130. 3/29/2010Anne-Marie says:

    For sale: wedding dress, never used.

  131. 4/10/2010tkshoes says:

    What shoes are good for working in wet conditions?
    In the summer I do landscaping cutting grass, and we start early.

  132. 4/15/2010The Manor of Mixed Blessings » Six Word Stories says:

    [...] word stories are just that: stories, told in six words exactly. No more, no fewer. Here’s how this all started. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, it involves Hemingway, and not being fond of his works I am inclined to [...]

  133. 4/21/2010The World in Only Six Words | Drexel Publishing Group says:

    [...] there are quite a few people who think so and a Google search leads to many sites dedicated to six-word stories. It all started in the 1920s, not surprisingly with  Ernest [...]

  134. 5/15/2010Bill Smith says:

    I wrote a ten word story, but can’t say why/

  135. 5/20/2010Ellis Gibson says:

    we always redo our landscape every 2 or 3 months to adapt to the changing weather.,*~

  136. 6/3/2010Eric Hsieh says:

    Loved her enough to pretend otherwise.

  137. 6/20/2010Graucob says:

    Missing: Have you seen this kid.

  138. 6/21/2010Connor Hamilton says:

    His life ended with a whimper.

  139. 6/21/2010M. Fallon says:

    “Go play upstairs son” . . . “Get up…”

  140. 6/21/2010M. Fallon says:

    Jewelry Store/Bank/pawnbroker/jewelry store

  141. 6/21/2010M. Fallon says:

    Google: male widow: widower

    “Whoops”

    *widower

  142. 6/22/2010Andy says:

    The stranger spoke, “Calm down Dad.”

  143. 6/24/2010Hoping for “a good summer full of beautiful sight, sound, and creativity” | Create! says:

    [...] or “soft regular” checked. Those little checked-off boxes speak volumes, no? Like Hemingway’s six-word-story, his self-proclaimed best work. “Kachmar. Infil 506. Full [...]

  144. 7/6/2010Eric plapp says:

    Birthday bungee, broken buckle, oops

  145. 7/7/2010Where should I go? says:

    I’ll never stop running from you.

  146. 7/11/2010Kyle Bailey says:

    when you are looking for baby shoes, choose those that are made from organic materials~;~

  147. 8/5/2010telecom book says:

    nice and inspiring story, thanks

  148. 8/30/2010Bridal shoes flats says:

    Great post on wedding stuff. Sometimes it can be challenging to buy the right wedding accessories. I believe it’s best to go for the high quality products even if you pay a little bit extra. What do you think?

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