10 Minute Tales

May 6 - Caution

"There once was a young cucumber." the mother read, sat the foot of the chair. "He was a sad cucumber, because he had no friends."

"Really, mummy?" the child asked, giggling as he sat up. "A cucumber?"

"Yes, a cucumber." the mother smiled patiently. "One day, he decided he would really, really like a new friend, one that wasn't one of his brothers or sisters. The only problem was that he was still connected to the mother vine, and the mother vine wouldn't let him go yet. "You're too young", the mother vine warned. "You have to wait until you're big and strong." "Mummy, I don't want to wait!" the young vine said. "I want to go out there and meet lots and lots of plants!" "If you are certain you want to go, I will not stop you." the mother smiled sadly. "Promise me, though, that you will be careful. If anybody you don't know asks them to follow you, run back home as fast as you can." "Uh huh! I will do!" the cucumber promised, hopping off the vine and down the garden path before you could say how do you do."

"How do you do!" the child blurted out, flinging his arms into the air.

"Yes, even faster than that!" the mother laughed softly, stifling a yawn. "He wandered out of the garden and down the road, when suddenly he chanced upon a cucumber beetle."

"What's a cucumber beetle?" the child asked, hands flopping down to grab the cover on his lap.

"Ah, a very good question, and one the young cucumber would have liked to know as well! You see, the cucumber beetle is a yellow beetle with black stripes."

"Why is it called a cucumber beetle, then? It looks nothing like one!"

"It is called a cucumber beetle because it eats cucumbers!" the mother announced sinisterly. The child gasped.

"It eats cucumbers?!"

"Yes! And this very beetle wanted to eat the young cucumber! "Hello, young lad!" the beetle said hello, rubbing his hands together.  "How are you this fine day?" the young cucumber, not knowing about this beetle, said hello back. "I'm alright, thank you, mister beetle!" the cucumber smiled. "Wonderful! Say, what brings a nice young cucumber out here on his own?" "I'm looking to make a friend!" said the young cucumber. "Marvellous!" said the beetle. "I just so happened to be looking for a cucumber to make friends with! Why don't we go back to my home and we can decide what we want to play first?""

"No!" the child called out, tucking the blanket up to his mouth. "Don't follow him, mister cucumber!"

"Ah, but the cucumber did follow him, quite forgetting his mother's warning. The beetle took him to his home and closed the door behind the young cucumber, and he was never seen again. The end!" she closed the book and put it to one side.

"What was the moral of that story, mummy?" the child whimpered, sniffling a little. The mother leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.

"The moral of the story is that you must never follow strangers, and always listen to your mother."