6-year-old Rose and Robby were very small for their age and extremely skinny. They both had dark black hair, bright, cheerful, friendly, laughing blue eyes, and sweet, chubby, soft, rosy cheeks. The kids always had a huge appetite, along with several of their pets, including Chikki Squirrel and Bunny Rabbit and Teddy Puppy and Jenny Cat.
One day, their mother gave them a creamy red velvet cupcake to eat each. Their jaw hit the ground and their eyes popped out of their heads. They were overjoyed and started dancing around the room with shining, excited eyes and watering mouths. Their mother laughed and they sat to eat on the dining table near the refrigerator and started eating delightedly and hungrily. So did Chikki and Bunny and Teddy and Jenny.
Their mother took out some bread, butter and cheese from the refrigerator, closed its door and went to sit on the couch.
Suddenly, while the siblings munched on the cupcakes, low, distant, muffled little voices reached Rose and Robby’s sharp ears, and they stared at the refrigerator in surprise. What was going on?
Meanwhile, inside the refrigerator, all the foods were chattering together, discussing, “What should we do about it?” Cashewnut was asking miserably. “There must be something!” said Egg sorrowfully. “We need a plan,” cried Chilli desperately. “A rather good one,” agreed Milk in despair.
“One that will work,” added Coconut in dismay.
“Whatever are you talking about?” frowned Chocolate, puzzled. Everyone turned to her. Jam raised her eyebrows. “Well, you see,” she began, looking troubled, “The family that lives in this house is eating our friends every day. The number of us foods here is reducing day by day. Soon there will be none of us left!”
“None of us know how longer we are going to live, for somebody opens the door every now and then and chooses one of us randomly,” put in Lemon.
“So, we’re trying to think of a clever idea to stop people eating and drinking us,” explained Cola.
“We’ve already lost two of a dozen cupcakes, and plenty of Bread, Butter, Cheese, and lots of other dry snacks, fruits, vegetables, sweetmeats and dry fruits as well,” reminded Ice Cream. “Have you thought of something yet?” asked Toffee hopefully. “I don’t think so,” answered Chocolate. “You?”
“None of us have thought of a plan yet,” replied Pickle.
Rose and Robby were extremely sad and very sorry after hearing this, but what could they do? They had to eat food to live! “I wish humans ate grass,” sighed Ice. “You know, like all the herbivores. Then we foods would be left alone.”
“We foods are foods, after all, so we are eaten by humans as foods, which we are,” sighed Custard.
“The whole thing’s so sad,” sobbed Jelly.
“But we can’t do anything, can we?” wailed Carrot, trembling.
“Yeah, it’s hopeless,” wept Spinach. “Well, we can have a dance party while we’re together and alive,” grinned Beetroot nervously, and flinched at the sight of everyone frowning and glaring and scowling at him, as if warning him to take everything seriously.
Meanwhile, Rosy and Robby had finished their cupcakes. They left some cream for their pets to lick and ran to their parents and told them everything. At first, they didn’t believe their children and went to listen for themselves. However, they came back looking very stern and the kids thought better of it and gave up.
Rosy and Robby were sure they were telling the truth – they were absolutely certain that they had not imagined, dreamt, or gone mad. But they didn’t tell this to anyone else, for they knew that no one would believe their little secret!
—THE END—
