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Cheese, Peas and Chocolate Pudding
When I was in second grade, the following story was in my school reader, (which I've since discovered was called "Believe and Make-Believe (Sheldon Basic Reading Series)") and I remember sitting with my mom at home listening to her read it out loud before bedtime. It was one of my favorite stories, and I was happy to stumble across it again out there on the internets. The credit I found was to "Caroline Feller Bauer" but I've since discovered (see comments below) that it was written by Betty Van Witsen.
There was once a little boy who ate cheese, peas and chocolate pudding. Every day he ate the same thing: cheese, peas and chocolate pudding.
For breakfast, he would have some cheese, any kind: cream cheese, American cheese, Swiss cheese, Dutch cheese, Italian cheese, cottage cheese, bleu cheese, green cheese, yellow cheese, even leiderkrantz. Just cheese for breakfast.
For lunch, he ate peas: green or yellow peas, frozen peas, canned peas, dried peas, split peas, black-eyed peas. No potatoes, though; just peas for lunch.
And for supper he would have cheese and peas and chocolate pudding for dessert. Cheese, peas and chocolate pudding. Cheese, peas and chocolate pudding. Every day, the same old thing: cheese, peas and chocolate pudding.
Once, his mother bought him a lamb chop. She cooked it in a little frying pan on the stove, and she put some salt on it and gave it to him on a little blue dish. The little boy looked at it. He smelled it (it smelled delicious!). He even touched it. but -- "Is this cheese?" he asked. "It's a lamb chop darling," said his mother. The boy shook his head. "Cheese," he said. So his mother ate the lamb chop herself, and the boy had some cottage cheese.
One day, his big brother was chewing on a raw carrot. It sounded so good and crunchy, the little boy reached his hand out for a bite. "Sure!" his brother said, "Here!" He almost put the carrot into his mouth, but at the last minute he remembered and asked, "Is this peas?" "No, it's a carrot," said his brother, "Peas", the little boy said firmly, handing the carrot back.
Once his daddy was eating a big dish of raspberry pudding, It looked so shiny red and cool, the little boy came over and held his mouth open. "Want a taste?" asked his daddy. The little boy looked and looked at the raspberry pudding. He almost looked it right off the dish. "But, is it chocolate pudding?" he asked. "No, it's raspberry pudding," said his daddy. So the little boy frowned and backed away. "Chocolate pudding!" he said.
His grandma bought him an ice cream cone. The little boy shook his head. His aunt and uncle invited him for a fried chicken dinner. Everybody ate fried chicken and fried chicken and fried chicken, except the little boy. And you know what he ate. Cheese, peas and chocolate pudding. Cheese, peas and chocolate pudding. Every day the same old thing: cheese, peas and chocolate pudding.
But one day -- ah, one day a very funny thing happened. The little boy was pretending to be a puppy. He lay on the floor and growled and barked and rolled over. He crept to the table where his big brother was having lunch. "Arf, arf!" he barked. "Good Doggie!" said his brother, patting his head. The little boy lay down on his back and barked again. But at that moment, his big brother dropped a piece of something right into the little boy's mouth. The little boy sat up in surprise because something was on his tongue. And that something was warm and juicy and delicious!
And it didn't taste like cheese. And it didn't taste like peas. And it didn't taste a bit like chocolate pudding. The little boy chewed slowly. Each chew tasted better. He swallowed the something.
"That's not cheese," he said. "No, it's not," said his brother. "And it's not peas," he said. "No, not peas," said his brother. "It couldn't be chocolate pudding." "No, it's certainly not chocolate pudding," said his brother, smiling, "It's hamburger."
So the little boy thought very hard. "I like hamburger!" he said.
So ever after that, the little boy ate cheese, peas, chocolate pudding and hamburger.
Until he was your age, of course. Then he ate everything!
October 31, 2005, 2:53 PM | « Previous | Next »
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Comments
1 On Tue, Dec 13, 2005, Jody said:
The original story was by Betty Van Witsen -- it was in a teacher's read aloud book published in the early 1970's. My Grandma was a first-grade teacher and had this book. She used to read it to us all the time growing up. She still has it, but it's no longer published. This Caroline whoever has plagiarized the story and not very well. The original has Jell-O in it -- not raspberry pudding not to mention other slight variations.
2 On Wed, Dec 14, 2005, Steph Mineart said:
Jody, thanks for the information! Do you have the name of the reader? I'd love to search for it on eBay.
I love the story and would rather attribute it correctly. I wish I had the original, because I loved it as a kid, too.
3 On Tue, Jan 17, 2006, Jodi Bacon said:
Loved this book as well as a small child. My kindergarden teacher read this to us and gave us samplinig of cheese, peas, and of course chocolate pudding. Wonderful memories. Would love to find a copy of this to share with my child
4 On Sun, Mar 5, 2006, Kelly Williams said:
My aunt was a kindergarted teacher and I remember going with her to school on occasion before I was old enough to enroll. This was my favorite story. I have a photocopied copy of the book that my children love to hear but would love to know if anyone knows of anywhere I could get a real copy of the book. I have searched everywhere.
5 On Mon, Mar 20, 2006, Lisa Hames said:
I am looking for the story as well. My mother used to read this to us at bedtime and my sisters and I have fond memories of it. She is turning 60 soon and we would love to present her with a copy. Any ideas? Lisa Hames
6 On Fri, Mar 31, 2006, Sandra C said:
This was my favorite book which my father read to me all the time. I want to find it!!!
7 On Wed, Apr 5, 2006, Kaa said:
lol, how cute my mum used 2 read this book to me.. it was in a short story book i am sure.. too bad i cant find it now.. very cute story brings back happy memories love it!! i still have the book somewhere.. good luck to the rest of you in finding it.. yeh my copy had jell-o in it aswell..
8 On Fri, May 12, 2006, mary said:
I too am searching for this book! I have an old copy that my mom had as a kdg. teacher that I read to my 2nd graders It is always a favorite! If anyone finds a way to get a copy please let me know! Thanks
9 On Mon, Jun 5, 2006, Jacqueline said:
My husband went to Palms Elementary School at Culver City, California. When he was on first or second grade (he doesn't remember very well), the school put on stage this story and he played the little boy. The play was filmed and was broadcasted on PBS. Now, we live in New York, and I would like to get a copy from PBS. I’m been doing a little research with no luck yet. And Mary, try amazon.com, someone was selling the book.
10 On Sun, Sep 10, 2006, MWS said:
I was a Kindergarten Teacher for 32 years and read this story to my children every year. I would love a copy for my grandaughter. I have told her the story, but I know she'd love having the book. Any information where I could get a copy, would be most appreciated !
11 On Sat, Dec 23, 2006, juarez said:
wow! this is one of the few stories i remember from elementary school. i think i was in 1st grade, back in 1981! to this day, whenever someone asks me what i would like to eat, i usually reply, "cheese, peas, and chocolate pudding" and nobody gets it. thanks for posting the story.
12 On Fri, Mar 23, 2007, Shirley Wheeler said:
Steph, did you ever get the name of the reader from Jody? I would also like to find it.
13 On Sat, Feb 9, 2008, tony van witsen said:
"Cheese, Peas and Chocolate Pudding" was indeed written by my late mother, Betty Van Witsen, but it was first published in the 1950s. The 1971 edition must be a reprint. I didn't know it was made into a play or a TV program, though.
--Tony Van Witsen
tonyvanwitsen@gmail.com
14 On Sun, Mar 30, 2008, Amy Stafford said:
I too love this story, so I set out on a hunt for it. What I did find is a book called Let's Hear A Story (30 Stories and Poems for Today's Boys and Girls)by Sidonie Matsner Gruenberg (1961). This book has the story Cheese, Peas and Chocolate Pudding by Betty Van Witsen in the book, not to mention several other good stories. I just bought this book off of e-bay and I am so excited to have this story to read to my son!
15 On Sun, Mar 30, 2008, Amy Stafford said:
Search for the book Let's Hear A Story (30 Stories and Poems for Today's Boys and Girls) 1961. This book has the story you are looking for in it, not to mention other good stories. I just bought this book off of e-Bay.