Charlie and Lola S4 12b. Dinner with Charlie

Charlie is Invited to Dinner

After a busy morning at school, it was finally time for lunch. Charlie joined his friends Marv and Harvey in the lunchroom.
Charlie: (opens his lunchbox) Mmm-mmm! There's nothing I love more than a delicious cream cheese, lettuce and tomato sandwich!
He took a big bite and smiled.
Harvey had a strawberry jam pasty for lunch.
Charlie: Hey, Harvey, what is that?
Harvey: A strawberry jam pasty.
Charlie: Harvey, a pasty is pastry, vegetables, meat...
Harvey: And strawberry jam. Mmm! Want a taste?
Charlie: I don't think so.
Marv: No thank you.
Marv took his lunch out of his backpack. It was a shiny blue box.
Charlie: Hi, Marv. What kind of lunch box is that?
Marv: It's called a bento box. My mum and dad got it for me in Japan!
Each compartment held a different kind of food: chicken satay, baby corn, star fruit... and that wasn't all.
Marv: Each compartment holds a different kind of food: star fruit, chicken satay, baby corn, chocolate pudding... and that's not all! Look at this!
Marv took his utensil out of the box.
Charlie and Harvey: Wow!
Harvey: Cool fork!
Charlie: Cool spoon!
Marv: It's both -- it's a spork!
Charlie and Harvey were amazed.
Charlie: Oh, a spork!
Marv took the spork into his bento box and pulled out a Brussels sprout.
Marv: And this is a Brussels sprout. It's from Belgium... in Europe!
Charlie: You like Brussels sprouts?
Marv: They're delicious! At my house everything is perfectly delicious!
Then Marv had an idea.
Marv: Charlie, you simply must come to my house for dinner!
Charlie: Really? Will there be (gulps) Brussels sprouts?
Marv: Of course not, we never eat the same food twice in one year.
Charlie was happy to hear that.
Charlie: Oh, okay. I'd love to come. Thank you!
Marv: Brilliant! I'll have my mum call your mum.
At home that night, Charlie decided that he needed to practise his manners before going to Marv's house for dinner, so he hosted his own dinner party. He reminded his guests to say to always say "please" and "thank you"...
Charlie: And remember, always say "please" and "thank you".
Guest: Thank you.
...and to put their napkins on their laps.
Charlie: Now, this is your napkin, and it goes on your lap.
He told them never to fall asleep at the table.
Charlie: Pedro, no sleeping at the table.
He made sure they remembered to chew with their mouths closed.
Charlie: And Sizzles, always chew with your mouth closed. Good boy! At a fancy dinner party, everything needs to be perfect!
Charlie imagines what a dinner party at Marv's house would be like.
Butler: Mr. Marv is expecting you.
He pictures a fancy party at a mansion in the English countryside...
Charlie: Wow, that's the biggest mansion I've ever seen!
Butler: Please, Mr. Charlie, allow me.
Marv: Charlie, you've come at last! Lovely to see you! Mwah! Mwah!
Charlie: Lovely to see you too, Marv. Mwah! Mwah!
...with waiters on roller skates serving pink milk in tall glasses with curly straws...
Marv: I hope you like pink milk.
Charlie: I adore anything that's pink.
Marv: It's time for the entertainment.
Charlie: What entertainment?
And monkeys juggling fruit...
Charlie: Wow! Monkeys juggling fruit!
Marv and Charlie: (laughter)
Charlie's mum interrupted his daydream.
Mum: Charlie! Lola! Dinner's ready!
At the dinner table...
Dad: Mmm, spaghetti and meatballs, my favorite!
Mum: Why, Charlie, don't you look nice.
Charlie: Thank you, mum. Lola, would you pull out the chair, please?
Lola: Of course.
So she did. Unfortunately, Lola took the seat.
Charlie: Hey! What the... (sighs)
Mum: Here you are!
Charlie's sister Lola slurped her spaghetti, splattering his shirt with tomato sauce.
Charlie: (gasps) My shirt! Rule of Life #374: If you have to sit next to a little sister eating spaghetti, you'd better wear a raincoat.
Lola: (laughing)
One of her meatballs fell to the floor, where Sizzles, the dog, picked it up in his mouth.
Lola: Sizzles, that's my meatball! Come on Sizzles, drop it!
Dad: Lola, there are plenty of meatballs.
Lola: But Dad, that's the best one.
Lola chased Sizzles around the table.
Lola: Sizzles!
Sizzles gobbled it up... with his mouth open... leaving tomato sauce everywhere.
Lola: Sizzles! You naughty dog! You ate my meatball!
Sizzles: (barks)
Charlie: (groans) I am quite sure they don't eat like this at Marv's house.
The next day, Charlie walked to Marv's house with his mother and sisters.
Charlie: We don't want to be late for Marv's. They start dinner at exactly 7:00. We'll have big tall chairs, wonderful tablecloths, and at Marv's we'll use sporks.
Mum: Sporks?
Charlie: Yeah, sporks.
Mum: Fancy. You'll remember your manners?
Charlie: Yes, Mum.
Mum: Good. Have fun tonight, sweetie, and don't forget to invite Marv to our house for dinner too. It's the nicest thing to do.
Charlie (horrified): (gasps) OUR HOUSE?
Charlie looked over at his sisters. Lola was blowing bubbles in her pink milk and Barbara's face was smeared with jam. He imagined what dinner at his house would look like to Marv...
Imagination sequence...
Charlie: Welcome to our humble... cave!
Marv: This is where you live?
Charlie: Oh, yes, but only for a while, until houses are invented.
Barbara: (laughs)
Charlie: Come on, let's make cave drawings!
Lola: (laughing) Can't catch me! Can I keep her, Mum? Pleeeeeeease?
Mum: No, Lola. Because I'll end up having to clean up after her.
Lola: Aw, she won't make any messes, will you Doris?
Lola and Mum: (coughing)
Mum: Dinnertime!
Marv: Uh, I'm not really hungry, thank you.
Charlie: Marv, wait! Look, we've sporks!
Imagination sequence ends...
At Marv's house, Charlie gave Marv's mother a bouquet of flowers.
Marv's mum: Why, thank you, Charlie, but I have a rule about no fresh flowers in the house. They make such a mess when their petals drop.
Charlie: Oh, sorry, ma'am!
Marv's mum: Now be sure to wipe your feet, Charlie. We mustn't get footprints on the white carpet!
Marv: Charlie! You're finally here!
Charlie: Hi, Marv!
Marv's mum: Boys, boys, no shouting please!
Charlie (whispering): Hi, Marv. Thanks for having me over for dinner.
Just like any good guest, Charlie told funny jokes.
Charlie: Hey, Marv!
Marv: Yeah?
Charlie: Why do cows have hooves instead of feet?
Marv: I don't know.
Charlie: Because they LACTOSE! (laughs)
Marv: (laughs)
Charlie: Get it? LACTOSE? Lack toes?
Marv's dad: Yes, Charlie, I got it the first time, but it's not nice to tell jokes at the dinner table.
Just as Marv's dad was telling him that it wasn't nice to tell jokes at the dinner table, Charlie saw Marv's mom come out of the kitchen with bowls full of...
Brussels sprouts!
Marv's mum: Charlie, I assume you like Brussels sprouts.
Marv's dad: Mmm, Brussels sprouts.
Charlie: Brussels sprouts?!
Charlie looked down at the pile of green in his bowl. To be nice, he decided to take a very small bite. Maybe Marv was right. Maybe Brussels sprouts were delicious. Maybe not.
Charlie quickly reached for his water glass to wash it down, but... Oops! He accidentally knocked one of the Brussels sprouts out of his bowl, and it rolled off the table and onto the white carpet!
Marv's parents were not pleased. Charlie and Marv were told to sit at the kids' table.
Marv: Are you cross at me?
Charlie: Marv, why would I?
Marv: Because of the Brussels sprouts and the no jokes at the table. And, well, I was afraid you wouldn't be my best friend anymore!
Charlie: Of course we're still best friends. And you should come to dinner at my house.
Later that week, it was finally Marv's turn to come to Charlie and Lola's flat for dinner. It was spaghetti night. Again.
Mum: We're very glad you could come for dinner, Marv!
Marv: (watches Lola slurp her spaghetti) I've never seen anyone do that before.
Charlie: No joking, my sister Lola always eats like that.
Lola: (slurps) Try it!
Charlie: I'll race you!
Mum, Barbara and Dad: (laughing)
Lola: Wait for me!
Dad: (chuckles) Slow down, children. Slow down!
Charlie, Lola and Marv: (laughing)
Turns out, Marv was a natural!
THE END