Listen and read-along with this sweet story by, Sylvia Hyland.

There was such a noise going on in Mrs Bumble’s kitchen!

“What did you say?” The cook was shouting. “Did I hear you right? Did you say that you are going on strike, Woody?”

“Yes, I am,” muttered Woody, even though he was quite scared of Mrs B.

The cook sat down, with a thump, onto her wooden stool. Her face was getting more and more red by the minute! She yelled at the chambermaid, to fetch her smelling salts, and the shy little thing scuttled off like a scared rabbit.

Mr Dobson, the butler, came down the stairs demanding an explanation for all the unnecessary noise.

“I have never heard anything like it in all my years of service,” he said.

“Mr Dobson,” spluttered Mrs B. “My rolling pin refuses to work and I have so much to prepare for her ladyship’s tea.”

“Now, now, calm down and leave this to me,” said the butler.

Woody the rolling pin stood to attention when he saw the head butler approaching him. Woody had a lot of respect for the old butler, as he had always been very kind to all the kitchen utensils.

“Well now, what exactly is all this about Woody?” the old butler asked quietly. “You know that you can tell me anything that may be worrying you.”

Woody didn’t quite know how to explain the way he felt, but he thought that he had better try.

“Well, the thing is, I don’t like hurting anyone and when I have to flatten and roll over pastry I think that I can hear it crying and it seems so unkind to hurt it,” explained Woody.

Mr Dobson laughed. “Is that all that is bothering you, and is that why you have gone on strike?”

“It isn’t funny,” shouted Woody. “How would you like to be rolled and flattened like a pancake?”

“I wouldn’t like it one bit,” Mr Dobson said, (trying to keep a straight face). “But you see, that is because I am a human being and we feel things. but pastry is only flour, fat and water, so it can’t feel any pain.”

The butler continued.

“I think that you must have a very vivid imagination and I also think that you owe Mrs B an apology”.

Woody did apologise to the cook and she was, surprisingly, very forgiving. So much so that she actually sat Woody down and had a chat with him!

She said, “Have you ever thought what pleasure you have helped me to give everyone upstairs?”

Mrs B then said to Woody.

“Just imagine the Master and Mistress tucking in to our steak and kidney pie, or the children enjoying the apple pie and custard. Remember, Woody, that you helped to make the pastry special when we work together.”

“I had never thought of that.” Woody said.

Now whenever he is picked up by Mrs B to make a delicious pastry dish, he glows with pride!

The End

About the Author

Sylvia is eighty years young, with a very vivid imagination. She loves to write, especially for children. Sylvia has three children, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. She also enjoys reading, gardening, and going for walks where she lives near the sea at South Shields, Tyne & Wear.