Eat Without Getting Fat

"Without a word, just a nod of his head, Graybeard invited Jack to follow him into the shack. He sat Jack down at the tiny table and put a mug of milk in front of him, which Jack gulped down without even taking a breath. When he set the cup down Jack saw that Graybeard had already put a plate of hot food there for him. Roasted meat with sliced apples, a thick slice of bread and butter, and ruby colored pickled beets almost flowed over the sides of the tin plate. Jack’s eyes grew round at the sight of it! The fragrance was as welcome and familiar as the spicy and homey smell of his mother’s holiday dinners. Jack looked up. Graybeard was handing him a spoon and fork with a slight smile tugging at his mustache."


This is a scened from Parted Clouds, my novel for young readers. At this point in the story Jack has been lost for some time and is really hungry. He meets a man who welcomes him into his home and serves him a marvelous feast.

There are so many traditional stories about abundant food. Food is prominent in our family gatherings and social events, so why not in stories? Here are a few traditional stories about food that you probably remember. Hansel and Gretel find a house made of sweet treats. The Gingerbread Boy is about a woman who bakes a cookie and then chases it as it runs away from her. Goldilocks and the Three Bears is about a child who enters a home uninvited and eats the food she finds on the table. A less well known story is the Magic Cooking Pot. A hungry girl meets an old woman who gives her a magic cooking pot. She takes it home to her mother and says the appropriate words. All is well until one day when the mother uses the pot to make some food and she does not know the right words to make it stop. You can imagine the mess!

Food plays an important role in current literature, too. There is a genre of mysteries known as culinary mysteries where food is a major ingredient. Often recipes are included. So go ahead and enjoy a good food story.

You can eat it all without getting fat.