A Rat's Nose: Chapter 2: Helping in the Kitchen

The only thing Cheddarnose likes better than challenging his friends is to help his mother with her cooking. He likes to mix things like nutshells and dandelion petals around in different ways, and see how they turn out. Today, however, he is helping his mother make walnut shell cakes for the special Valentine’s Day dinner they always have. He brings her the walnuts which she cracks open, filling the insides with sugar and cinnamon, and coating the outside with honey. He is then obliged to get a few chunks of ice to store the nuts in. They taste very good, and he sneaks a few tastes on his way to get the ice to pack them in. On Valentine’s Day, the honey coating has frozen nicely, and Cheddarnose’s father sends his compliments to the chef. That night, Cheddarnose snuggles up in his share of the straw. When he is certain his parents are asleep, he sneaks down to the kitchen, and takes one last nibble of that delicious spicy, sugary, honey-coated treat.