PETER THE PICKLE

Peter the pickle must have been the sourest, greenest and loneliest pickle ever to live in a jar; he had gross green lumps all over him and smelled of old mouldy lemons. The other vegetables and fruits gossiped and joked about why he was so green and sour. Some said he fell into a can of green paint and got lemon juice spilled all over him when he was just a small pickle, while others believed that it was a genetic thing and could not be changed.

None but Peter would know the truth. Peter was only so green because of jealousy. He knew he was ugly and smelly, unlike all the other colourful bright foods like Mrs. Cake with her sweet whipping cream topping and Mr. Orange with his juicy citrus flavours. And because of this Peter was sad. He could never have any friends to play with or to talk to. So Peter would sit in his jar waiting to be eaten.

But one day the fridge was opened and a new jar of pickles was put in. Of course Peter was not interested in the new fridge mates. It's not like any of the new pickles would want to be his friends. Right? Wrong! One pickle in that jar would change Peter's life forever. But for now poor old Peter justmoped around in his jar, all alone, as sad as ever.

One of the new pickles named Pickadilly was a great hit with the rest of thefoods. He ran around dancing little jigs and sang silly ditties to all of his new found friends. Some of the other foods joined him in a fast paced dance. He stopped dancing suddenly when he saw Peter and asked an apple named Arnold who was sitting near him who that sad looking pickle in that lonely jar was.

"Oh, him", said Arnold trying to remember the lonely pickle's name, "That's Peter the pickle. Don't mind him; he doesn't like company very much!"

"Why is he so sad?" asked Pickadilly.

"No one knows really; but I don't think he would be sitting in his jar if he wanted friends!"

"Has anyone ever tried talking to him?" the curious Pickadilly wondered.

"Not that I know of."

"I think I'll go and cheer him up!" said Pickadilly only to be interrupted by an astonished Arnold.

"You can't be serious! It'll be a big waste of time that's all!"

"How can you know that if no one has ever tried?"

Arnold didn't know what to say.

"Even if he wants to be alone no harm will be done if I only try,"Pickadilly added. So off went an exited pickle in hopes to cheer sad old Peter up!

Peter the pickle sat by himself watching the other foods singing, dancing and having fun. Oh how he wanted to gather up all his courage, march out there and dance around happily. But no, he was much too ugly to fit in with the rest.At least that's what he thought.

"Hello?" Pickadilly's voice called from the top of the lonely jar.

"Go away!" yelled Peter "I don't want to be made fun of!"

"I'm not here to make fun of you. I'm Pickadilly; one of the new pickles. Can I come in?"

It took a bit before Peter answered. "Well, ok. Come on in, Pickadilly."

Pickadilly crawled into the old, almost empty jar and sat beside Peter. "Why the long face, Peter! There's a party outside and you just sit here like a sad goose waiting for cheese to age!"

"Well you see.I'm just too scared they will make fun of me and laugh at my green lumps."

"Don't be silly Peter!" Pickadilly shouted, "Look at me! I'm covered in green ugly lumps too but every one out there is my friend anyway! All you gotta do is walk up there and have fun. It's not what's on the outside Peter. It's what's in you that really counts!

Peter thought for a moment about Pickadilly's wise words before answering. "Ok Pickadilly, I'll go out and dance and sing like the rest. But if one of them laughs at me because of my ugly green lumps than I'm coming right back here!"

"Deal!" replied Pickadilly "But hurry up before the music ends!"

The foods slowly stopped dancing when they saw Peter and Pickadilly come to join the dancing.None of them could believe that Peter the pickle actually came out of his jar.

Pickadilly broke the silence with a song.

Oh Peter the pickle as sad as can be,
Would sit in his jar saying "Woe is me!"
All the other foods would dance and play,
While Peter the pickle just wasted away.

Humble dee doogle dee trum flum flu
C'mon Peter it's up to you!
Higgle dee piggle dee um flum flay
Come out dear pickle come out to play!

So out came Peter with a smile on his face
And he danced all night cuz he found his place.
For sad old Peter has found his friends
And now will be happy till the earth ends!

So Peter the pickle lived happily-ever-after with his great food friends and especially with his new best friend, Pickadilly, the dancing pickle.

ŠErik Frostrup, 2005
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