The Crumb in the Cubby — Every day, Tessa slid her backpack into the lowest cubby, patted the red apple in its side pocket, and waited for lunch with her hands tucked tight. Read the full story →
Every day, Tessa slid her backpack into the lowest cubby, patted the red apple in its side pocket, and waited for lunch with her hands tucked tight. She wanted to open the shiny lunchbox clasp herself, but it always snapped, CLACK, louder than a stapler. Until one day, her backpack gave a tiny sneeze that smelled like cinnamon toast.
Because of that, the class hamster, Noodle, poked his whiskers out from behind the apple leaf, wearing a crumb on his head. Because of THAT, Tessa had to open the lunchbox fast before Noodle nibbled her sandwich into a door. Her fingers shook. “I can do one clack,” she whispered. CLACK! Open it popped, and Noodle marched inside for the crumb. Next time you spot the apple pocket, check carefully—something brave and whiskery may be hiding where nobody thought to look.
