According to BookRiot a 'micro-flash' story is less than 1000 words. I think this is about 300 words. Fable God was in the Garden passing out abilities. Icthys received the ability to breathe water, Canis found The Pack, Felinus the ability to always land feet first, and so on. All was proceeding apace without mishap or drama when God said, “Well, what do the snakes want, then?” Squamus, lord of the Snakes said, “God, let our ability be silence. To move without sound is a fine thing, and this is what we want.” “So be it,” said God, and so it was. But one snake, Crotalus, hissed, “Unacceptable! Silence is not a gift! It is the absence of sound. I ask you, how can an absent thing be a gift?” God was new to the job, but there’s some things you just know, like when you’re the lord and master of all creation. So, God was a bit peeved when He* replied, “Well, up to now you’ve been enjoying an absence of unending torment in the fires of Hell. I’d consider that a gift, if I were you.” At this point Squamus broke in, “Please God, forgive him! He is a young and childish snake, just a rube really, lives out in the desert and forest without the advice of more urbane snakes like myself. Why, look at him! I bet he hasn’t molted in months! “Hmm. Well, young Crotalus, I will be merciful. You shall not slither in silence like your kin. Let your reward also be your rebuke, and a reminder to all not to jerk me around. There, it is done.” Laughter arose around him. Crotalus reared back in sudden comprehension and shame as he beheld what now adorned his tail: A thing most commonly found clutched in a babies’ fist! And that is how the rattlesnake got his rattle. *To attribute gender to what many believe to be The One and ONLY God is really silly, you know. Besides, it isn’t inclusive of other belief systems like Goddess religions or multi-deity pantheons. But for some reason, my idea of making an acronym of ‘She, He, It, They’ into a pronoun for general God-ness never took off, which perplexes me.** -- Didactylos **Admittedly, the Hallelujah chorus would be different if my innovation was implemented. Instead of the current monotheistic, "And He shall reign forever and ever!", it would be sung "And SHIT shall reign forever and ever!" Which, hmm..... It's definitely harder to sing that way.