Page 25 - STRAWBERRYSURPRISE22

Downstairs, in the restaurant, the family were getting things ready

for the inspectors’ visit. Lily was practising folding napkins into lily

shapes. Mum was in the office throwing stuff out of a cupboard.

“We don’t need this anymore,” she said tossing out an old pair of

wellington boots. “Or this, or this, or this!”

Alfie ducked as unwanted items flew towards him. There was a

headless doll, a handleless bag, half an umbrella and a pair of old

socks.

Mum kept some strange things in her office cupboard. Good idea

to get rid of them before the inspectors came, thought Alfie.

“I don’t know what this is doing in here,” said Mum, holding up an

inflatable dinosaur. “Ah, at last, here are the papers I was looking

for.”

“I can help if you like,” said Alfie.

Mum passed Alfie a bundle of old magazines and catalogues to

sort out.

“Just throw out all the old ones,” she said.

Alfie sorted the papers into three piles: Rubbish, Recycling and

Keep For A Bit Longer. Only two things were in his Keep For A bit

Longer Pile. One was a magazine that had a photograph of a chef

25