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A lesson in Life – Katie's Chocolate
This short story is a lesson in life. Never take chocolate from children. If you do, you will surely be sorry. And, the following happened a few years ago.
I had just finished eating. Frau Sieder's lunches were simply fantastic. And, her little corner Gasthaus was one of the best in Vienna. I was a regular guest. Frau Sieder cooked and Ilse her daughter served and cleared up. A team that worked very well. And, Ilse had a daughter named Katie - and Katie was seven or eight at the time of this story.
Little Katie was in the Gasthaus doing her homework. She was alone in a corner. And, to keep her quiet and obedient, she had been given a bar of her favourite chocolate. Little Katie was happy.
And then, just for a laugh, I took Katie's bar of chocolate right out of her hands and ate it all up. I smiled and laughed, and told little Katie, in a jokingly way, she should be careful. Someone might come and eat her chocolate all up! I laughed. Everyone else, I believed, would find my prank very funny and join in with the fun. And, Katie, of course, would find it hilarious. I was wrong. Katie was furious!
And, Katie started to cry. “He's eaten my chocolate” she sobbed in a very loud way. And, she cried even more. All of a sudden, all the guests were looking at me. No one was eating. I tried to say sorry and explain. A joke – nothing more. All I got back were killing black looks and Katie cried even more. Then came the scoldings.
Ilse scolded me, Frau Sieder scolded me, and all the other guest joined in with the scolding as well. And, Katie, I believed, was enjoying my disgrace. She was turning the knife. Deeper and deeper it went.
There was only one thing to do. I went over the road and bought a new bar of chocolate. Katie's favourite. But, Katie refused it. She was stubborn. She was turning the knife even more. She was not going to give in. She was winning. So, following Ilse's advice, I left and went back to my office.
And, when I went back again the next day, things were as if nothing had happened. Ilse was just as friendly as ever, and Mrs Sieder was happy as well. It had all been a storm in a tea-cup. Nothing more. And, I was happy. I hadn't been banned. And, everyone else was happy to see me as well. And, when I saw little Katie again, she not only gave me a smile, but offered me a piece of her chocolate as well. I smiled. We were friends once again.
Katie had learned that a prank is a prank, and I had learned that children don't like their sweets being taken. I have never done it again.
This is a story that's a lesson in life and it happened a long time ago. The day I took Katie's sweets.
A lesson in Life – Katie's Chocolate
English / German / Hungarian / Finnish
advice - Rat / tanács / neuvot
banned – verboten / kitiltva / kielletty
furious – wütend / dühös / raivostunut
obedient – gehorsam / engedelmes / tottelevainen
prank – Streich / csíny / kepponen
scolding – Schelte / szidás / haukkumiset
sobbed – schluchzte / zokogott / nyyhkytti
stubborn – stur / makacs / itsepäinen
storm in a tea-cup - Sturm im Wasserglas / vihar egy teáscsészében / myrsky vesilasissa
