The Great War

Link to story with illustrations on Storyweaver

Sonu stared at her plate. There they were. Those round, green, yucky, things. 

Sonu hated them. She had always hated them. They tasted so bad! 

She tried telling papa that, but he would not listen. “They’re good for you,” he would say, and that was that. 

So, every other day, Sonu would find herself staring at the green things - those terrible peas! 

Sometimes, she would put one in her mouth, and chew it from side to side, but would not swallow it. Other times, she would gulp many of them down quickly with water. But most of the times, she would just sit there and move them around on the plate with her finger, hoping they would disappear. She would look at them carefully, squinting her eyes. 

Sometimes, she could imagine little eyes on them, staring back at her. And mouths too, with an evil smile. It was as though they knew how much they bothered her. 

She could almost hear the leader shouting to the rest of the group – “Hold your ground! Do not give in!” And just like that, all of them would stand at attention, their weapons ready. It was a battlefield! All those green, round monsters were on one side, daring her to fight back.

Now, if Sonu had to choose her own army, it would have been potatoes. Big, strong and tasty!

All in different shapes! Some long and thin, good for hitting the peas. Some large and chunky, good for sitting on the enemy and squashing them. And some would be mashed. They would surround the peas, stopping them from escaping. 

A great war would take place! Oh, what a fight! What a courageous fight! Both sides would put up a strong offense. But in the end, only the potatoes would survive! The green monsters, defeated, would disappear forever. Forever and ever. And never show up again! 

And th- Sonu jerked. She blinked. The battlefield was gone. She was back at the table. Her father was staring at her plate in disgust. 

The peas and potatoes were all over, crushed and smashed and mixed and forming a gooey paste. Sonu couldn’t help giggling at the sight. 

But just then, to her horror, her father took out more peas from the large bowl and put them on her plate. His look clearly said, “Eat”. And just like that, Sonu went back to staring at the little, round, green monsters.