Amy’s New Friend

a story for Sam and Grace, by Grandpa John

“What a nice set of biscuits you’ve made!” said Grandma, spooning a few crumbs into her mouth. “But this time, Amy, there’s one more job to do before you lick the spoons. We’ve got to put smarties in the middle to make their noses, then some chocolate drops for their eyes and mouth. 

“That’s two jobs, Grandma, not one!” protested Amy. Grandma smiled.

“Alright, I’ll do the chocolate drops and you can do the smarties,” she said. Amy nodded.

A few minutes later, the biscuits were laid on a plate ready to eat at teatime. Grandma said she needed to put her feet up for a rest. But, as Amy looked at the plate, one biscuit seemed different, as if its eyes weren’t just a lump of chocolate. They seemed to sparkle. In the same way, the mouth seemed as if it were smiling, not just a row of drops. Amy decided she was going to save this biscuit. She took it upstairs to the room she shared with big brother Daniel, and then placed it on the table near her bed. She gave it a name: Betty. And she fitted a little dolly’s dress onto Betty, fixing the straps around her top.

At teatime, all the biscuits were eaten up. Everybody told Amy and Grandma how much they’d enjoyed them. Daniel had been out playing football and said how hungry he was. He ate four!

-o-O-o-

Mummy and Daddy noticed that Amy seemed excited that evening as she went up for bathtime. Daddy read her bedtime story, then he and Mummy hugged her and kissed her goodnight. It was Mummy who saw the biscuit first.

“Amy, you can’t eat biscuits in bed,” she said. “You’ve already cleaned your teeth.” Amy looked upset.

“But Mummy,” said Amy in a little voice, “I’m not going to eat her. She’s my special friend, Betty.”

Amy could hear Mummy and Daddy talking outside her room. A moment later, Mummy came back in and said, “Alright Amy, you can keep Betty by your bedside, so long as you don’t eat her. Do you understand?”

-o-O-o-

In the middle of the night, Amy woke up, to feel a gentle tug on her pyjamas. Betty seemed to have grown bigger, as if she had the face of a real person. She motioned to Amy as if to say, “Get up and come with me!” Gently, Amy picked Betty up and opened her bedroom door.  She knew she wasn’t allowed to go downstairs on her own at night, but suddenly she found herself outside in the garden. There on the lawn were a whole troupe of biscuits, joyfully dancing. And there was Betty dancing alongside them. They were performing a ballet to music that sounded like tinkling bells, conducted by a beautiful, delicate lady. 

Amy gazed in wonder. She wanted to ask, “Who are you?”. The lady seemed to understand her question and said, “I’m the Sugar Plum Fairy.”  

-o-O-o-

“Amy! Amy?” came Daddy’s voice, “You’ve slept a long time this morning. It’s breakfast time!”

Amy yawned. Then straightaway, she looked for Betty. She’d gone! In her place were a few tiny crumbs. Amy’s eyes filled with tears. Daddy carried her downstairs and began to make up a bowl of cereal for her.

“What’s the matter with her?” asked Daniel.

“Well, she went to bed with Betty, her biscuit, last night,” explained Daddy, “but Betty’s gone.” He looked into Daniel’s eyes, searching for answers. “I wonder where?”

“Oh, that!” said Daniel. “I woke up before Amy this morning and I felt hungry. But – it was just a biscuit, not a person!”

Amy’s face became red, and she blurted out, “But she was real! She took me outside to see her dancing a ballet in the night!”

Daniel laughed. “You’ve been dreaming,” he said. “Come on Amy, a biscuit’s just a biscuit. And it tasted very nice! But I’m sorry, I should have asked you before I ate it.”

Mummy put her arm around Amy. “I think Daniel owes you a biscuit,” she said, “but I’m sure he’s right. You were dreaming.”

Poor Amy wouldn’t be comforted until Grandma said, “Tell you what. Today let’s give Daniel a turn making biscuits. He’ll probably eat most of them but you can choose one to keep for yourself, Amy.”

Amy stopped crying. This morning was her ballet class and she needed to get ready.

-o-O-o-

At lunchtime, Daddy seemed quiet.

“You won’t believe this,” he said, “I got up very early this morning and came outside to water the plants. I found Betty’s dress on a the stone at the side of the lawn.”

Daniel thought for a bit. “That’s funny! When I ate Amy’s biscuit this morning, there wasn’t any sign of a dress on her.”

Grandma smiled. “Well, well, Daniel. We’ll have to hope you end up with your own biscuit friend after we’ve been baking this afternoon…” 

THE END

The cover picture is AI generated. The pictures in the story are stock images.