It was a quiet afternoon, and little Lala had just woken up from her nap with a loud growl in her tummy. The sun was shining, and the delicious smells coming from the kitchen made her even hungrier. Thuy, busy preparing lunch, was boiling dumplings in the pot, carefully watching the stove. But Lala, the little glutton she is, couldn’t wait a moment longer!
Curious and driven by hunger, Lala tiptoed into the kitchen, her eyes scanning the counter for something to nibble on. That’s when she spotted a tray of dumplings sitting nearby. What she didn’t realize was that these were the uncooked ones—soft, floury, and not ready for eating yet!
Without hesitation, Lala reached out, grabbed a dumpling, and popped it into her mouth. She chewed happily, expecting a warm and savory taste. But instead, the dough was sticky, cold, and chewy. Her face instantly scrunched up in confusion. “What is this?” she seemed to think. Still, she swallowed the dumpling and reached for another one.
Just then, Thuy turned around and gasped. “Lala! No! Those aren’t cooked yet!” she cried out, rushing over. Caught red-handed, Lala froze with a dumpling halfway to her mouth. Her eyes widened, and she looked as if she’d been caught doing something terribly naughty.
Thuy gently took the tray away and explained that dumplings need to be cooked first to taste delicious and be safe to eat. Lala looked down, a little embarrassed, and rubbed her tummy, which was now making unhappy noises from the raw treat.
To cheer her up, Thuy quickly finished boiling the dumplings and let Lala watch as they turned soft, plump, and golden. When they were finally done, Lala took a bite and her face lit up with joy. “Yum!” she seemed to say, realizing the difference right away.
From that day on, Lala learned to wait patiently—well, most of the time!—and always check with Thuy before sneaking snacks from the kitchen.
