"A short story is the ultimate close-up magic trick - a couple of thousand words to take you around the universe or break your heart."
Neil Gaiman
The Shortest Story
It is claimed that Ernest Hemingway wrote a six-word short story that could make people cry for a bet. The wager was ten dollars, which Hemingway won with the following:
"For Sale: Baby Shoes. Never Worn."
E. Hemingway
A beginning, a middle and an end.