A Careless Cook
Although taken from a short story set in East Africa, this incident could happen anywhere to any girl helping her mother to cook. It was the satisfied cluckings of chickens finishing the remains of a great feast that reminded me of the groundnuts. Yes, every nut was gone. How stupid I had been to leave them uncovered with the kitchen door wide open, But such self-reproach did not occur to me at the time. For I was filled with a terrible anger and an overwhelming desire to punish the greedy offenders. I seized a pestle and raised it high up above my head. By this time they had seen me and were flying in disorder all over the kitchen. They tumbled over each each other through the doorway. I let down my powerful weapon just in time to hit the last one right on the head. I did hit! It was the most active hen of the lot and therefore my bitterest enemy. Got you this time!" I gasped in triumph as it croaked painfully. But my victory song did not last, for in a m...