A young girl was taking herself on an expedition and needed some provisions. In the store cupboard under the stairs, she found a huge jar of peanuts. These would be perfect, she thought, a pocketful of these would keep her going all morning.

She squeezed her hand through the neck of the jar and grabbed as many nuts as she could hold. But when she tried to pull her hand out she found it would not come, no matter how hard she tried. She cursed the stupid jar and presently began to wail with anger and frustration.

Her father heard the noise and discovered his daughter on the floor of the cupboard, her hand stuck in a jar of peanuts. “If you got it in, I’m sure you can get it back out,” he said. “But not without letting go of almost all the nuts,” the little girl replied.

“Just take what you can, for now, and when you need more, put your hand back in,” her father advised. “Only don’t tell your mother,” he added. “But that will take forever,” the girl complained. “I am going to need a lot.”

“It’s up to you,” her father concluded. “But those are your choices.”

The girl did not like this advice. As soon as her father had gone, she lifted the jar above her head and brought it crashing to the floor. Shards of glass and peanuts sprayed across the stone. But in her hand she clutched the fistful of the precious supplies she needed.

And she set off on her journey.

© Richard Parkin 2021