Will Power

Cookies
by Arnold Lobel

To*d baked some cookies.

“These cookies smell very good,” said T*ad.

He ate one.

“And they taste even better,” he said.

To*d ran to Fr*g’s house.

“Fr*g, Fr*g,” cried To*d, “taste these cookies that I have made.”

Fr*g ate one of the cookies.

“These are the best cookies I have ever eaten!” said Fr*g.

Fr*g and To*d ate many cookies, one after another.

“You know To*d,” said Fr*g, with his mouth full,

“I think we should stop eating.

We will soon be sick.”

“You are right,” said To*d.

“Let us eat one last cookie, and then we will stop.”

Fr*g and To*d ate one last cookie.

There were many cookies left in the bowl.

“Fr*g,” said To*d,

“let us eat one very last cookie, and then we will stop.”

Fr*g and To*d ate one very last cookie.

We must stop eating!” cried To*d as he ate another.

“Yes,” said Fr*g, reaching for a cookie, “we need will power.”

“What is will power?” asked To*d.

“Will power is trying hard not to do something
that you really want to do,” said Fr*g.

“You mean like trying not to eat all of these cookies?” asked To*d.  “Right,” said Fr*g.

Fr*g put the cookies in a box.

“There,” he said.  “Now we will not eat any more cookies.”

“But we can open the box,” said To*d.

“That is true,” said Fr*g.

Fr*g tied some string around the box.

“There,” he said.  “Now we will not eat any more cookies”

“But we can cut the string and open the box,” said To*d.

“That is true,” said Fr*g.

Fr*g got a ladder.  He put the box up on a high shelf.

“There,” said Fr*g.  “Now we will not eat any more cookies.”

“But we can climb the ladder and take the box down from the shelf and cut the string and open the box,” said To*d.

“That is true,” said Fr*g.

Fr*g climbed the ladder and took the box down from the shelf.

He cut the string and opened the box.

Fr*g took the box outside.

He shouted in a loud voice, “HEY BIRDS, HERE ARE COOKIES!”

Birds came from everywhere.

They picked up all the cookies in their beaks and flew away.

“Now we have no more cookies to eat,” said To*d sadly.

“Not even one.”

“Yes,” said Fr*g, “but we have lots and lots of will power.”

“You may keep it all, Fr*g,” said To*d.

“I am going home now to bake a cake.”