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Ash and co. and the Brocklings
in
"Dinner and a Story"
We look in on one particular house in Pewter City, where a brown haired boy about eighteen years old is frantically studying a cookbook, looking for something that he and his nine other siblings will like. He understands that his parents are tired of having macaroni and cheese for three nights in a row, so they have left him and his friends in charge of the house and dinner for the night.
"Any luck with a dinner menu, Brock?" a black haired boy asks as he enters the room. He adjusts the red and black cap crowning his messy hair, then opens the refrigerator and retrieves a soda.
"Not so far..." Brock sighs. "I'm finding stuff the three of us like, but we're having to cook for my siblings here..."
"Picky-eater central, here we come." a black haired girl sighs as she joins the boys in the room.
"Dawn's nailed my predicament on the nose--what's something you can fix for nine other kids, and you also know that five of them are various degrees of picky?." Brock sighs as he turns the page.
"Pizza?" the black haired boy suggests.
"That we can make, Ash?" Brock interjects--he doesn't want to order pizza unless he absolutely has to.
"When's dinner? We're hungry!" a child demands from across the hall.
"What are we having?" another child asks.
"How much do I have to eat?" a third child complains.
"Dinner will be cooking shortly--but you have to come in here to see what it is." Brock assures the children as he closes the book with a recipe for chicken and rice bookmarked--he has made this for his parents before, and now wants to see if it will be a hit with the children.
"What's the plan?" Ash asks.
"Start the kids on some broccoli and cheese to hold them over while I make the main course." Brock instructs as he clears space from the counter to work--he knows that broccoli and cheese is one of the few vegetables all the children will eat. "I'll be telling them a story while I make the main course--and when I reach the end, they'll see the main course--chicken and rice."
"What a great idea!" Dawn smiles as she sets the table.
"If you guys are hungry now, we have broccoli to hold you over until our main course is ready!" Ash calls while he waits for some broccoli to steam in the microwave. As nine other children charge into the kitchen and take their places at the table, he ladles out some of the steamed broccoli and cheese into bowls and serves them to each child.
"So, what are we really having if you're giving us our vegetables first?" a boy asks.
"You'll find out at the end of the story I'm going to tell you." Brock explains. "When I get close to the end, I'll give your plates to you covered..don't uncover them until I tell you what's on them, okay?"
"Okay!" the children chorus. They watch intently as their brother goes to work.
"In a far-away land, there was once a carpenter with three daughters...let's call them Celia, Iris, and Luchia." Brock begins as he thaws the chicken under running water. "They lived in a little house in the capital city of the land, so the royal palace wasn't far away. The house also had a garden filled with flowers and herbs--and one particularly large clump of basil." He shows the children the basil he is going to use before continuing. "The king of the land was especially fond of riddles, and not only told them to every official and servant in the castle, but to anyone and everyone he met." He retrieves the defrosted chicken from the water and begins cutting it into cubes as he continues "One day, he passed by the carpenter's house and saw Celia, the eldest, watering the flowers, the herbs, and the clump of basil. He called out to her 'Young lady, grant me your best appraisal, how many leaves in your clump of basil?' Celia turned a lovely shade of Charizard red, and dashed into the house, deeply embarrassed." The children giggle as Brock starts to heat some canola oil in a skillet.
"Then what happened?" a girl asks as she bites into a broccoli floret drowned in cheddar cheese.
"The king passed by the house the next day, where he saw Iris, the middle daughter, tending the garden." Brock replies as he begins cutting up the basil. "He asked her the same question, and she too dashed into the house, deeply embarrassed. The day after that, he returned a third time, where he saw Luchia tending the garden, and again posed the question 'Young lady, grant me your best appraisal, how many leaves in your clump of basil?' Luchia snapped back with this question..."
"Your Highness, give me your best reply, how many stars are in the sky?" Dawn fills in the dialogue as she pours juice for each child.
"The king was surprised that Luchia did not blush and flee from him as her sisters had done." Brock continues--by this time the oil is softly crackling, so he adds the chicken, making a quiet sizzle punctuate the air. "He rode away without answering Luchia's challenge, but silently vowed to get even. Some time passed, until one day, the king disguised himself as a candy maker. The three daughters had quite the sweet teeth, and ran to meet him as soon as he approached. He told them they would receive one candy in return for a kiss." As if on cue, Ash leaves a dark chocolate kiss at each child's place for dessert. "Celia and Iris were appalled, and returned to the house; but Luchia struck a bargain--one kiss for every candy he had. Once the king returned, he removed his disguise and waited for the hour when the garden would be watered." Brock pauses to tend the chicken before filling a saucepan with water. "He arrived as Luchia appeared to tend the garden and called out his usual question: ''Young lady, grant me your best appraisal, how many leaves in your clump of basil?' Luchia replied with her usual retort..."
"Your Highness, give me your best reply, how many stars are in the sky?" Dawn fills in the dialogue.
"This time the king was prepared--he called again to Luchia 'You with your answers smart and handy, how many kisses did you give for candy?' This time Luchia was surprised--she turned a lovely shade of Charizard red and dashed into the house, deeply embarrassed." The children laugh as Brock adds some rice to the now boiling water and covers it to simmer. "Some months passed, and rumors began flying through the land that the king was very sick. This gave Luchia an idea--she disguised herself as a Haunter, took her favorite Ponyta, and set out for the palace. The guards were afraid, and immediately let her into the king's chamber. She said to him..."
"Arceus has called you--it is time for you to fly to the heavens." Dawn fills in more dialogue as she refills some of the children's glasses.
"The king was frightened, and pleaded with the 'Haunter' to let him live. Luchia granted his request--for every time he kissed the soft spot under the Ponyta's flaming tail, she would give him one more year to live." Brock continues as he sets the finished chicken aside to cool. "The king dashed outside to Luchia's Ponyta, and gave it many kisses in that place. Before long, his illness had gone away, and he was healed. He soon returned to the house just as Luchia came to tend the garden, and the usual exchange began: 'Young lady, grant me your best appraisal, how many leaves in your clump of basil?'
"Your Highness, give me your best reply, how many stars are in the sky?" Dawn fills in the dialogue.
"You with your answers smart and handy, how many kisses did you give for candy?"
"How clever, my lord! Answer me without fail, how many times did you kiss under the Ponyta's tail?" Dawn shoots back in character.
"The king was impressed, and began thinking of ways to make Luchia his wife." Brock continues as he checks the rice. "But he also wanted to get even with her for besting him at riddles. So he sent word to the carpenter that he wished Luchia to be his bride, on one condition--she was to come neither buff nor dressed, nor riding nor seated nor walking--if the carpenter failed, he and Luchia would be killed." He slides a used knife into the sink with a clang to illustrate his point. "The carpenter was devastated, but Luchia had an idea..." He begins spooning the cooked chicken and rice onto the children's plates and covering them, which Ash then delivers to each child. "She set out for the palace wrapped in an old fishnet, and hitched behind the Ponyta, so that she met each part of the king's condition." He tidies his work area as he concludes. "The king was amazed at Luchia's cleverness, and the two of them were married." He turns to address the children. "Their life thereafter was perfectly nice, so now it is time for chicken and rice!"
The children uncover their plates and gasp in surprise when they see chicken and rice before them. Ash, Dawn, and Brock hold their breaths as a girl bravely takes a bite.
After a few tense seconds, the verdict comes: "This is great!" Rave reviews come from around the table:
"Mm!"
"Pass the butter, please!"
"This stuff's not bad!"
"Where'd you learn to make this?"
"You ought to tell the story to Mom and Dad when you make it for them!"
Brock heaves a relived sigh--his experiment was a success, and he taught the kids to eat something new without complaining--at least for one night.
THE END
in
"Dinner and a Story"
We look in on one particular house in Pewter City, where a brown haired boy about eighteen years old is frantically studying a cookbook, looking for something that he and his nine other siblings will like. He understands that his parents are tired of having macaroni and cheese for three nights in a row, so they have left him and his friends in charge of the house and dinner for the night.
"Any luck with a dinner menu, Brock?" a black haired boy asks as he enters the room. He adjusts the red and black cap crowning his messy hair, then opens the refrigerator and retrieves a soda.
"Not so far..." Brock sighs. "I'm finding stuff the three of us like, but we're having to cook for my siblings here..."
"Picky-eater central, here we come." a black haired girl sighs as she joins the boys in the room.
"Dawn's nailed my predicament on the nose--what's something you can fix for nine other kids, and you also know that five of them are various degrees of picky?." Brock sighs as he turns the page.
"Pizza?" the black haired boy suggests.
"That we can make, Ash?" Brock interjects--he doesn't want to order pizza unless he absolutely has to.
"When's dinner? We're hungry!" a child demands from across the hall.
"What are we having?" another child asks.
"How much do I have to eat?" a third child complains.
"Dinner will be cooking shortly--but you have to come in here to see what it is." Brock assures the children as he closes the book with a recipe for chicken and rice bookmarked--he has made this for his parents before, and now wants to see if it will be a hit with the children.
"What's the plan?" Ash asks.
"Start the kids on some broccoli and cheese to hold them over while I make the main course." Brock instructs as he clears space from the counter to work--he knows that broccoli and cheese is one of the few vegetables all the children will eat. "I'll be telling them a story while I make the main course--and when I reach the end, they'll see the main course--chicken and rice."
"What a great idea!" Dawn smiles as she sets the table.
"If you guys are hungry now, we have broccoli to hold you over until our main course is ready!" Ash calls while he waits for some broccoli to steam in the microwave. As nine other children charge into the kitchen and take their places at the table, he ladles out some of the steamed broccoli and cheese into bowls and serves them to each child.
"So, what are we really having if you're giving us our vegetables first?" a boy asks.
"You'll find out at the end of the story I'm going to tell you." Brock explains. "When I get close to the end, I'll give your plates to you covered..don't uncover them until I tell you what's on them, okay?"
"Okay!" the children chorus. They watch intently as their brother goes to work.
"In a far-away land, there was once a carpenter with three daughters...let's call them Celia, Iris, and Luchia." Brock begins as he thaws the chicken under running water. "They lived in a little house in the capital city of the land, so the royal palace wasn't far away. The house also had a garden filled with flowers and herbs--and one particularly large clump of basil." He shows the children the basil he is going to use before continuing. "The king of the land was especially fond of riddles, and not only told them to every official and servant in the castle, but to anyone and everyone he met." He retrieves the defrosted chicken from the water and begins cutting it into cubes as he continues "One day, he passed by the carpenter's house and saw Celia, the eldest, watering the flowers, the herbs, and the clump of basil. He called out to her 'Young lady, grant me your best appraisal, how many leaves in your clump of basil?' Celia turned a lovely shade of Charizard red, and dashed into the house, deeply embarrassed." The children giggle as Brock starts to heat some canola oil in a skillet.
"Then what happened?" a girl asks as she bites into a broccoli floret drowned in cheddar cheese.
"The king passed by the house the next day, where he saw Iris, the middle daughter, tending the garden." Brock replies as he begins cutting up the basil. "He asked her the same question, and she too dashed into the house, deeply embarrassed. The day after that, he returned a third time, where he saw Luchia tending the garden, and again posed the question 'Young lady, grant me your best appraisal, how many leaves in your clump of basil?' Luchia snapped back with this question..."
"Your Highness, give me your best reply, how many stars are in the sky?" Dawn fills in the dialogue as she pours juice for each child.
"The king was surprised that Luchia did not blush and flee from him as her sisters had done." Brock continues--by this time the oil is softly crackling, so he adds the chicken, making a quiet sizzle punctuate the air. "He rode away without answering Luchia's challenge, but silently vowed to get even. Some time passed, until one day, the king disguised himself as a candy maker. The three daughters had quite the sweet teeth, and ran to meet him as soon as he approached. He told them they would receive one candy in return for a kiss." As if on cue, Ash leaves a dark chocolate kiss at each child's place for dessert. "Celia and Iris were appalled, and returned to the house; but Luchia struck a bargain--one kiss for every candy he had. Once the king returned, he removed his disguise and waited for the hour when the garden would be watered." Brock pauses to tend the chicken before filling a saucepan with water. "He arrived as Luchia appeared to tend the garden and called out his usual question: ''Young lady, grant me your best appraisal, how many leaves in your clump of basil?' Luchia replied with her usual retort..."
"Your Highness, give me your best reply, how many stars are in the sky?" Dawn fills in the dialogue.
"This time the king was prepared--he called again to Luchia 'You with your answers smart and handy, how many kisses did you give for candy?' This time Luchia was surprised--she turned a lovely shade of Charizard red and dashed into the house, deeply embarrassed." The children laugh as Brock adds some rice to the now boiling water and covers it to simmer. "Some months passed, and rumors began flying through the land that the king was very sick. This gave Luchia an idea--she disguised herself as a Haunter, took her favorite Ponyta, and set out for the palace. The guards were afraid, and immediately let her into the king's chamber. She said to him..."
"Arceus has called you--it is time for you to fly to the heavens." Dawn fills in more dialogue as she refills some of the children's glasses.
"The king was frightened, and pleaded with the 'Haunter' to let him live. Luchia granted his request--for every time he kissed the soft spot under the Ponyta's flaming tail, she would give him one more year to live." Brock continues as he sets the finished chicken aside to cool. "The king dashed outside to Luchia's Ponyta, and gave it many kisses in that place. Before long, his illness had gone away, and he was healed. He soon returned to the house just as Luchia came to tend the garden, and the usual exchange began: 'Young lady, grant me your best appraisal, how many leaves in your clump of basil?'
"Your Highness, give me your best reply, how many stars are in the sky?" Dawn fills in the dialogue.
"You with your answers smart and handy, how many kisses did you give for candy?"
"How clever, my lord! Answer me without fail, how many times did you kiss under the Ponyta's tail?" Dawn shoots back in character.
"The king was impressed, and began thinking of ways to make Luchia his wife." Brock continues as he checks the rice. "But he also wanted to get even with her for besting him at riddles. So he sent word to the carpenter that he wished Luchia to be his bride, on one condition--she was to come neither buff nor dressed, nor riding nor seated nor walking--if the carpenter failed, he and Luchia would be killed." He slides a used knife into the sink with a clang to illustrate his point. "The carpenter was devastated, but Luchia had an idea..." He begins spooning the cooked chicken and rice onto the children's plates and covering them, which Ash then delivers to each child. "She set out for the palace wrapped in an old fishnet, and hitched behind the Ponyta, so that she met each part of the king's condition." He tidies his work area as he concludes. "The king was amazed at Luchia's cleverness, and the two of them were married." He turns to address the children. "Their life thereafter was perfectly nice, so now it is time for chicken and rice!"
The children uncover their plates and gasp in surprise when they see chicken and rice before them. Ash, Dawn, and Brock hold their breaths as a girl bravely takes a bite.
After a few tense seconds, the verdict comes: "This is great!" Rave reviews come from around the table:
"Mm!"
"Pass the butter, please!"
"This stuff's not bad!"
"Where'd you learn to make this?"
"You ought to tell the story to Mom and Dad when you make it for them!"
Brock heaves a relived sigh--his experiment was a success, and he taught the kids to eat something new without complaining--at least for one night.
THE END
