Too Many Cooks

 

Archie the Aardvark was hungry. He decided to cook up a broth.

 

Along came Barry the Buffalo.

 

“What’s that?,” said Barry.

 

“Broth,” said Archie.

 

Barry gave it a sniff. “Carrots?,” he said.

 

“Yes,” said Archie.

 

“Needs more,” said Barry, who whipped out a parsnip and proceeded to chop it up.

 

“But I don’t like-” said Archie.

 

Too late.

 

Barry added parsnip.

 

 

 

 

Along came Camilla the Cockatoo.

 

“Broth?,” said Camilla.

 

“Correct, Camilla,” said Archie.

 

“Prawns?,” suggested Camilla.

 

“No thank you,” said Archie.

 

But Camilla added prawns.

 

 

 

 

Along came Darwin the Dingo.

 

“Greetings, Darwin,” said Archie.

 

“G’day, Archie,” said Darwin. “What you doin’?”

 

“Making broth,” said Archie.

 

“Bonza,” said Darwin. “Does it have any garlic?”

 

“No...” said Archie.

 

In went garlic.

 

 

 

 

Along came Emilia the Earthworm.

 

“Mmm, broth...” said Emilia, as she sniffed the air in delight. “May I have a taste?”

 

“You may,” said Archie, as he proffered a very tiny spoonful to Emilia.

 

Emilia sucked up the delightful soupy stuff, then carefully dabbed at the side of her mouth.

 

“It’s good,” said Emilia, “but may I suggest the addition of wasabi peas?”

 

“You may suggest,” said Archie; “but I don’t really like wasab-”

 

In went a packet of wasabi peas.

 

 

 

 

Along came Fabian the Ferret.

 

“Don’t tell me,” said Archie, “you want to add something to my broth.”

 

“Actually,” said Fabian, “I came to ask you if I could borrow five pounds. But since you mention it...”

 

Fabian added refried beans.

 

 

 

 

Along came Germaine the Giant African Land Snail.

 

Archie stirred the broth, as Germaine approached.

 

“Good evening,” said Germaine.

 

“Good evening,” said Archie. “Would you like to add anything to my broth?”

 

Germaine waved her eye stalks, in a negative fashion, and continued on her way.

 

 

 

 

Along came Hendrix the Howler Monkey.

 

“Ooh ooh! Ooh ooh! Ooh ooh!,” said Hendrix.

 

“Why are you talking like that?,” asked Archie.

 

“I’m a monkey,” said Hendrix.

 

“I see your point,” said Archie. “What can I do for you?”

 

Before Archie could intervene, Hendrix took a handful of bay leaves from behind his ear and tossed them into the broth.

 

“Oh for-” started Archie, then Hendrix stuck a finger which he had swilled in the pot into Archie’s mouth.

 

“Quite nice, actually,” said Archie.

 

“Ooh ooh! Ah ah!,” said Hendrix.

 

 

 

 

Along came Irene the Iguana.

 

As she approached the pot, with a bowl of roasted chestnuts balanced on her head, something behind her distracted her.

 

She quickly turned and her tail knocked over the broth.

 

“Oh cheese,” said Archie - which, with a sequence of significant nods, all those in the vicinity concurred would have made a tasty addition.

 

 

 

 

Too many cooks spoil the broth.