Belly like a Barrel

Prompt:

"Write a scene or a character description, letting yourself go wild with adjectives and adverbs. After you're done, trim the excess. You might be surprised by how much you like what's left."

The King was an old man with a belly as round as a barrel. When he moved from sitting to standing, several attendants would rush over. Two would take an arm and the third would spot the other two. After hard breathing and swearing, the King would be standing. Since it was such a hassle for him, he preferred to stay in one position when he had company. But the day Benedict and I visited to complain of his cruel tactics the King became so utterly incensed with our opinions that he attempted to stand all by himself. His face turned beat red and his breathing became rapid and ragged. His servants shuddered to help him but he waved them away vehemently.

Finally, he stood and looked up at Benedict with eyes the size of lima beans. Benedict towered over him. The King was so unattractive that I wondered how he had ever achieved his status as ruler over the kingdom. Kings could usually move about freely without help. But the what the King lacked in physical pros he made up for with his intense wealth and a sharp mind. His over zealous ego filled in any remaining holes and so the public didn't see him for what he truly was, an over-weight tyrant. The people of the kingdom knew their king as a prideful but caring man. That is they believed that until they had direct proof otherwise. Many believed that his soldiers acted without orders and that the King didn't know of their atrocities but in truth the horrendous acts were usually his idea.

Revision:

The King was an old man with a belly shaped like a barrel. When he moved from sitting to standing, several attendants would rush to his aid. Two would take an arm and the third would spot the other two. After hard breathing and swearing, the King would finally rise to a standing position. Since it was such a hassle for him, he preferred to stay in one position when he had company. But the day Benedict and I visited to complain of his cruel tactics the King became so utterly incensed with our opinions that he attempted to stand all by himself. His face turned beat red and his breathing turned ragged. His servants fidgeted in place with desire to help him but he waved them away vehemently.

Finally, he stood and arched his neck so he could look up at Benedict with eyes the size of lima beans. Benedict towered over him. The King was so unattractive that I wondered how he had ever achieved his status as ruler over the kingdom. Kings could usually move about freely without help. But the what the King lacked in physicality he made up for with his intense wealth and sharp mind. His over zealous ego filled in any remaining holes and so the public didn't see him for what he truly was, an over-weight tyrant. The people of the kingdom knew their king as a prideful but caring man. They believed that until they had direct proof otherwise. Many believed that his soldiers acted without orders and that the King didn't know of their atrocities but in truth the horrendous acts were usually his idea.

So uhm... I had a really hard time writing with too many adjectives. Or at least in my opinion the adjective level was good. So I didn't quite get this exercise. But I like what I wrote. :)