It was a sunny morning in the cozy little house nestled in the countryside. Birds chirped outside the window, and the sweet scent of blooming flowers filled the air. Inside, a golden-furred dog named Lala stretched and yawned in the warm sunlight streaming through the window. She glanced over at the soft cushion in the living room, where her best friend Lu, a baby monkey, was still snoozing peacefully, his tiny arms curled around a stuffed banana toy.
Lala loved Lu more than anything. They played together, napped together, and sometimes even got into little mischief together. But today was going to be special. Lala had a big plan. She had seen Farmer Cutis cooking many times before, and now she was going to try it herself. She was determined to cook Lu’s favorite meal: sausages and potatoes!
“Today,” Lala whispered to herself, “Lu will have the yummiest breakfast ever!”
She tiptoed quietly into the kitchen, trying not to wake Lu. Her tail wagged with excitement. She had seen where Farmer Cutis kept the ingredients—sausages in the fridge and potatoes in the basket under the counter.
First things first: the potatoes. Lala carefully nosed open the cupboard and spotted the big brown potatoes in the basket. She nudged two of them out and rolled them across the floor. They bumped into a cabinet with a soft thud. Lala froze, ears perked. No sound from Lu. Good.
Now, she had to wash them. She stood on her hind legs and turned on the sink tap with her paw. A jet of water sprayed out, splashing everywhere. Lala barked in surprise and jumped back, getting her ears wet. But she wasn’t going to give up. Carefully, she pushed the potatoes under the water, using her nose to roll them around. Once they were nice and clean, she dried them with a kitchen towel—well, more like smushed them in a towel until they stopped dripping.
Next, the sausages. Lala opened the fridge door with her teeth—she had seen Farmer Cutis do this trick with the handle before. Cold air rushed out, making her shiver. But there they were! Juicy, plump sausages sitting on a plate. She grabbed the edge of the plate in her mouth and gently dragged it to the counter. One sausage rolled off and landed on the floor. Lala was tempted to eat it right there and then, but she remembered her goal.
“This is for Lu,” she reminded herself with a proud nod.
Now came the tricky part—cooking.
Lala had seen Farmer Cutis use the big black frying pan on the stove. She dragged the heavy pan over and somehow managed to nudge it up onto the burner. She jumped up and balanced with her front paws on the counter, tapping the stove knobs with her nose until—click click WHOOSH!—the flame came on!
“Woohoo!” Lala barked softly, proud of herself. She placed the sausages in the pan and watched them sizzle. The smell was mouthwatering.
Next, she needed to chop the potatoes. That was hard without thumbs. Lala pushed a potato onto a cutting board and tried to use a plastic knife from the drawer. It wasn’t sharp, but it was safe—and she managed to cut the potatoes into uneven little pieces by pressing down hard with her paw. Some were thick, some thin, but they’d do!
She tossed the potato chunks into the pan beside the sausages. Oil popped and sizzled, and steam rose up in clouds. Lala coughed and wagged her tail happily. It smelled delicious!
Meanwhile, in the living room, Lu was beginning to stir. He sniffed the air, his nose twitching. Something smelled amazing! He sat up, rubbing his eyes, and looked around. Lala wasn’t in the room.
“Lala?” he called, hopping off the cushion.
He followed the scent down the hallway and peeked into the kitchen. His eyes went wide.
There was Lala, wearing a frilly pink apron, standing proudly by the stove. The pan was sizzling, and the kitchen was a little smoky—but it smelled heavenly.
“Lala!” Lu cried, clapping his hands. “Are you cooking?!”
Lala barked happily and wagged her tail.
Lu ran over and gave her a big hug. “You’re the best chef ever!”
Lala barked again and gently nudged Lu toward the small table in the corner. She had already placed a plate there and was now carefully using a spatula to scoop the cooked food from the pan. The sausages were golden brown, and the potatoes looked crispy and perfect—well, a little burnt on the edges, but still tasty!
She placed the food on Lu’s plate and even added a tiny sprig of parsley from the counter—just like she’d seen Farmer Cutis do.
Lu sat down, his eyes sparkling. He picked up a fork and took a bite.
“Wow!” he said with his mouth full. “This is the BEST sausage and potatoes I’ve ever had!”
Lala barked proudly and sat beside him, tail wagging.
Lu leaned over and gave her another hug. “Thank you, Chef Lala. You made my day!”
As Lu ate, he offered bites to Lala too. They shared the meal, giggling and enjoying every bite. The kitchen was a mess—flour on the floor, potato peels on the counter, and a few oil splatters on the stove—but neither of them cared.
Just then, Farmer Cutis walked in, his eyes going wide.
“What in the world…?” he said, looking at the chaos. Then he spotted Lala in her apron, and Lu happily eating at the table.
Farmer Cutis scratched his head and chuckled. “Well, I’ll be. We’ve got ourselves a little chef!”
Lala barked in agreement, her chest puffed with pride.
From that day on, Lala became known as “Chef Lala.” Every weekend, she and Lu would sneak into the kitchen for a special cooking adventure—sometimes pancakes, sometimes soup, but sausages and potatoes remained their favorite.
And even though the kitchen would always end up looking like a storm had passed through, it didn’t matter.
Because nothing tasted better than food made with love… and a wagging tail.
