It was a sunny, breezy afternoon in the quiet countryside. The leaves had just begun to turn golden, a sign that autumn was arriving. Lala, the playful little girl with twinkling eyes and endless curiosity, was exploring the garden behind her house. Her bare feet crunched softly on the dry leaves as she wandered through the bushes and trees, always looking for something new to discover.
Suddenly, something prickly caught her attention under a tall chestnut tree. “Ouch!” she squealed as she gently brushed aside a pile of leaves. Her fingers had touched something spiky and round. Crouching down, she took a closer look and noticed several spiny green shells scattered beneath the tree. Carefully, she used a stick to open one of them and gasped in delight.
Inside was a shiny, brown nut—smooth like polished wood, shaped like a heart, and unlike anything she had ever seen before.
“What are these?” she wondered aloud, holding one up to the light. Her curiosity bubbled over. She gathered a few of the chestnuts in her little basket and ran toward the house, excited to show them to her older friend, Thuy.
Thuy was in the kitchen preparing lunch when Lala burst in, cheeks flushed and eyes glowing.
“Thuy! Look what I found!” Lala exclaimed, holding out the chestnuts like treasures.
Thuy smiled and dried her hands on a towel. She looked at the nuts and laughed gently. “Ah, these are chestnuts, sweetie! They grow in the autumn and are delicious when cooked. You found a real treat!”
Lala’s eyes widened. “You can eat them? But they look so hard!”
Thuy nodded and led Lala to the kitchen table. “Yes, but first we have to remove the outer shells. And then, I’ll roast them for you. They’re soft and sweet inside when cooked properly. Would you like to help me?”
“YES!” Lala shouted, hopping up and down.
Together, the two girls started the process. Thuy showed Lala how to carefully remove the prickly outer shells using gloves. Then, they scored an “X” on each chestnut with a small knife—just enough so the steam could escape during cooking.
Thuy placed the chestnuts on a baking tray, sprinkled a little water over them to help them roast evenly, and slid them into the oven. As the minutes passed, a warm, nutty aroma filled the kitchen.
Lala stood on tiptoe by the oven window, watching the chestnuts slowly open up, their shells curling back to reveal the golden goodness inside.
“Mmm, it smells so good!” she said, nose pressed against the glass.
Thuy chuckled. “It does, doesn’t it? When I was little, my grandmother used to roast chestnuts like this over a fire. She’d wrap them in a cloth to keep them warm, and we’d eat them while sitting outside under the stars.”
Lala listened with wonder, her imagination painting pictures of glowing fires and cozy blankets.
When the timer rang, Thuy pulled the tray from the oven and let the chestnuts cool a bit. Then, she handed one to Lala.
“Go ahead, try it,” she said.
Lala gently peeled away the loosened shell and took a bite. Her eyes lit up.
“It’s sweet! And kind of soft—like a potato but yummier!” she said, grinning.
She quickly ate two more before sighing with satisfaction. “I love them, Thuy. Thank you for cooking them!”
“You’re welcome, Lala,” Thuy said, hugging her. “There are so many wonderful things in nature. I’m glad you’re curious about them. The world is full of surprises.”
Later that evening, Lala asked if they could make something special with the rest of the chestnuts. Thuy nodded and pulled out a small recipe book. “How about chestnut paste? It’s sweet and creamy—perfect to spread on toast or to fill little cakes.”
Lala clapped her hands in excitement.
They worked side by side, peeling more roasted chestnuts and blending them with a bit of milk, sugar, and vanilla. The mixture turned into a smooth, golden-brown paste. Lala dipped a spoon in and gave it a taste.
“Mmm! Even better than before!” she said.
To finish off the day, Thuy baked a batch of tiny cupcakes and filled them with the chestnut paste. When they were done, she topped them with whipped cream and a small roasted chestnut on each one. Lala helped decorate and, of course, taste-test.
That night, they sat on the porch as the sun set, eating chestnut cupcakes and watching the orange sky melt into twilight. The breeze was cool, but Lala felt warm inside—from the food, from the fun, and from the love that came with learning something new.
Before bed, Lala placed one perfect chestnut on her bedside table.
“I want to remember today,” she whispered to herself, smiling. “The day I found chestnuts and Thuy turned them into magic.”
From that day on, every autumn, Lala and Thuy had a tradition. They would gather chestnuts, roast them, and create new recipes together. But nothing ever felt as special as that first discovery—the prickly shell hiding a delicious surprise, the joy of learning, and the warmth of sharing it with someone you love.
And so, a simple nut from the forest became part of their story, a sweet reminder that curiosity and kindness make the world a delicious place to explore.
