Tony's Experiment
Children's Story
"Do you want a sandwich?" asked Tony's mum. Tony was eyeing the cake, but he thought it was unlikely his mother would let him have any cake until he'd eaten a sandwich or two.
"Oh, all right," he muttered, ungraciously. He reached across the picnic table for a ham sandwich. He removed the top layer of bread to check whether there was mustard on the ham. He didn't like mustard. The ham was clear, so Tony lifted it out of the bread and ate it. While his mother wasn't looking, he crumbled the bread and tossed it to the seagulls.
But he wasn't quite quick enough. "You really ought to eat some bread, you know," remarked his mother. "It won't do you any good just eating the things you like."
Tony had often had this conversation before with his mother, and he knew how it ended. It always finished with him having to eat lots of things he'd rather not eat. Things like vegetables and fruit and bread, which his mother always said were good for him. But today was a special day. They were at the seaside, and the sun was shining warmly and Tony's mother was very relaxed. He thought he'd try a new tack.
"Mum," he said in a careful, reasonable voice. "Could we try an experiment?"
His mother was lying on her back, sunning herself. She opened one eye, suspiciously. "What sort of experiment?" she asked.
" Well," said Tony, "you're always telling me I have to eat certain foods because they're good for me. But I shall never know that for myself unless you let me eat things which might be bad for me and prove it to me! Suppose you let me eat anything I like for six months, then if I'm ill or if anything bad happens I'll go right back to eating all the good foods and never complain again. How about that?"
His mother frowned and he thought she was about to say no. But to his surprise, she suddenly nodded. "All right," she said. "That will take us until February next year. We'll just see what happens."
Tony couldn't believe his luck. Although it was only August and he wasn't due back in school until September, he was already planning his packed lunches. He'd have crisps and chocolate biscuits and fizzy drinks until they came out of his ears, and all his friends would be green with envy.
Tony started his experiment immediately. He bought a huge bar of chocolate and ate it all. He felt a little sick afterwards, but it didn't last long since he washed the chocolate down with a whole bottle of fizzy lemonade. He felt great. He woke up in the middle of the night feeling hungry, but it wasn't a problem. He simply went downstairs and helped himself to a bowl of ice cream.
And so it went on. The funny thing was, he found he was much more hungry than he used to be, so he had to eat a whole lot more. But that didn't matter, since he really enjoyed everything he was eating.
When Christmas came, he could eat a whole a box of chocolates all by himself, no problem. And he didn't feel ill. He didn't run about so much, and somehow or other he'd stopped playing football with his friends and stopped riding his bike, but it was OK as he'd discovered video games.
In January, they had the annual school photograph. Tony quite enjoyed the school photographs, since he looked good in his school uniform and it was a nice present to send to the grandparents. He sat in front of the camera and beamed.
But when the photographs came out, Tony was horrified. He couldn't believe he was looking at himself, for his face was a huge flab of fat and his eyes almost disappeared into folds of flesh. He had no idea when he'd grown fat. He just hadn't noticed.
"Let's see your picture, Porky," shouted his friends, and one of them snatched it out of his hands. A huge roar of laughter went up as the photo was passed from hand to hand, and Tony was deeply ashamed and very unhappy.
He didn't show the photograph to his mother, but he said to her quietly, "Could I have some proper sandwiches for lunch tomorrow, please?"
She looked at him, and a small smile hovered around the corners of her mouth. But she simply nodded. "Of course you can," she said.
"Oh, all right," he muttered, ungraciously. He reached across the picnic table for a ham sandwich. He removed the top layer of bread to check whether there was mustard on the ham. He didn't like mustard. The ham was clear, so Tony lifted it out of the bread and ate it. While his mother wasn't looking, he crumbled the bread and tossed it to the seagulls.
But he wasn't quite quick enough. "You really ought to eat some bread, you know," remarked his mother. "It won't do you any good just eating the things you like."
Tony had often had this conversation before with his mother, and he knew how it ended. It always finished with him having to eat lots of things he'd rather not eat. Things like vegetables and fruit and bread, which his mother always said were good for him. But today was a special day. They were at the seaside, and the sun was shining warmly and Tony's mother was very relaxed. He thought he'd try a new tack.
"Mum," he said in a careful, reasonable voice. "Could we try an experiment?"
His mother was lying on her back, sunning herself. She opened one eye, suspiciously. "What sort of experiment?" she asked.
" Well," said Tony, "you're always telling me I have to eat certain foods because they're good for me. But I shall never know that for myself unless you let me eat things which might be bad for me and prove it to me! Suppose you let me eat anything I like for six months, then if I'm ill or if anything bad happens I'll go right back to eating all the good foods and never complain again. How about that?"
His mother frowned and he thought she was about to say no. But to his surprise, she suddenly nodded. "All right," she said. "That will take us until February next year. We'll just see what happens."
Tony couldn't believe his luck. Although it was only August and he wasn't due back in school until September, he was already planning his packed lunches. He'd have crisps and chocolate biscuits and fizzy drinks until they came out of his ears, and all his friends would be green with envy.
Tony started his experiment immediately. He bought a huge bar of chocolate and ate it all. He felt a little sick afterwards, but it didn't last long since he washed the chocolate down with a whole bottle of fizzy lemonade. He felt great. He woke up in the middle of the night feeling hungry, but it wasn't a problem. He simply went downstairs and helped himself to a bowl of ice cream.
And so it went on. The funny thing was, he found he was much more hungry than he used to be, so he had to eat a whole lot more. But that didn't matter, since he really enjoyed everything he was eating.
When Christmas came, he could eat a whole a box of chocolates all by himself, no problem. And he didn't feel ill. He didn't run about so much, and somehow or other he'd stopped playing football with his friends and stopped riding his bike, but it was OK as he'd discovered video games.
In January, they had the annual school photograph. Tony quite enjoyed the school photographs, since he looked good in his school uniform and it was a nice present to send to the grandparents. He sat in front of the camera and beamed.
But when the photographs came out, Tony was horrified. He couldn't believe he was looking at himself, for his face was a huge flab of fat and his eyes almost disappeared into folds of flesh. He had no idea when he'd grown fat. He just hadn't noticed.
"Let's see your picture, Porky," shouted his friends, and one of them snatched it out of his hands. A huge roar of laughter went up as the photo was passed from hand to hand, and Tony was deeply ashamed and very unhappy.
He didn't show the photograph to his mother, but he said to her quietly, "Could I have some proper sandwiches for lunch tomorrow, please?"
She looked at him, and a small smile hovered around the corners of her mouth. But she simply nodded. "Of course you can," she said.
