Wednesday 18 October 2017

Bedtime Story (18/10/2017)


I am TERRIBLE when I'm hungry; I get "hangry" and all I can think about is how much I want to eat something!  They say stories come from the heart, but this one definitely comes from the stomach!

You can also listen to this story as a podcast!


Hungry Hugh

Hugh was playing with his remote-control car when it first happened.  A loud rumble, that seemed to make his whole tummy shake.  He clutched his belly and frowned.  He'd been so busy playing, he'd barely noticed how hungry he was, but suddenly, it was all he could think about.

Hugh bounded down the stairs and hurried into the kitchen, where his dad was cooking dinner.  "How long until dinner's ready?"  Hugh asked.  He pulled his best "sad face" and blinked up at his dad.

Dad chuckled as he stirred the food in the pan in front of him.  "About twenty minutes," he said.  "You can have a biscuit, if you like," he added, nodding at the biscuit tin.

Hugh opened the tin and took a biscuit.  Then, checking that his dad wasn't looking, he took another, then another.  Scurrying back up to his room, Hugh nibbled on the first biscuit.  Each bite tasted sweeter than the last and before long, he'd scoffed the second biscuit, too.

Hugh glanced at the clock on his bedroom wall.  There were still fifteen minutes until dinner.  He took a deep breath, trying to ignore the gnawing in his belly.  But it was no good; before long, the third biscuit was gone, too.  And Hugh was still hungry.

Creeping down the stairs, Hugh decided he simply couldn't wait until dinner.  He needed something else to eat and he needed it now!  He headed into the lounge, where his younger sister was watching cartoons on TV.  Spying the fruit bowl on the sideboard, Hugh wandered over to it, pretending to be looking for something else.  "Have you seen my pencil case?"  Hugh asked his sister.  He quickly grabbed some grapes from the fruit bowl and shoved them into his pocket, before his sister turned to look.

"Isn't it in your school bag?" 

"Oh, of course," Hugh replied, laughing.  He darted out of the room and into the porch, where his school bag was kept.  Sitting on the little bench, underneath which everyone's shoes were stored, Hugh hungrily ate his stolen grapes.  But it seemed as though each bite only worsened the rumbling in his tummy.  He was still hungry!

Hugh looked down at his watch.  Ten minutes until dinner.  He sighed and sank lower onto the bench.  Suddenly, an idea formed in his mind; Hugh grabbed his school bag and opened it, hoping he might have something left in there that he could eat.  He knew he'd given his lunchbox to his mum, but maybe, just maybe, there was still something left over from snack time.

Sure enough, right at the bottom of the bag, was a packet of raisins that he remembered he hadn't completely finished, that day.  He fished the packet out and tipped the contents into the palm of his hand.  Five raisins came out, all stuck together in a clump.  Hugh ate them all in one go!  The hunger pains in his belly were getting a little less severe, now, but he still felt like he wanted to eat something else...

Hugh snuck into the conservatory at the back of the house.  Mum had just finished making some decorations for the Halloween party they'd be having in a couple of weeks' time.  Hugh hurried to the cupboard where all the party things were being kept.  Opening the door, he fumbled around until he found the large packet of sweets Mum had bought for trick-or-treaters.  He figured it wouldn't matter if just one sweet was missing...

Hugh gobbled up a large marshmallow.  It tasted so good that he simply had to have another.  And some gummy worms.  And a chocolate pumpkin.  Hugh took a look at his watch.  There were only a few minutes left until dinner time.  He sighed with relief and headed into the dining room to take his place at the table.  

His tummy didn't feel hungry, anymore, but it did feel strange.  

As Dad brought out the food and laid it on the table, Hugh pulled a face.  "Do you mind if I only have a little bit of dinner?"

Dad frowned.  "I thought you were starving?!"

Hugh smiled, sheepishly.  "Actually, it turns out... I'm full."  He patted his swollen belly, sighed contentedly and sank into his chair.  "I think I might need a sleep."

"What on Earth have you been eating?!"  Mum gasped.

But Hugh was already snoozing in his seat, dreaming of his secret feast.


THE END

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