A FORK that once lived in a household was a great teaser, never to leave others in peace. “I’m just teasing you!”, he kept saying and every time he found someone defenseless, he gave them a strong pinch.

“We need to do something to protect ourselves”, the spoon told the other silverware of the household one day. They all agreed. Sensing that his intentions were good, however, they thought the best solution would be to find an equally playful way to show him that what he was doing was wrong. So they decided to play hide and seek.

The next day, they all got out in the garden to get some fresh air. While the fork was away, they hid behind stones, trees and bushes. When the fork returned, he found nobody. “Where is everybody?”, he wondered, yet everyone kept silent.

“Here!”, the tupper exclaimed a few seconds later and came out of his hideout behind a tree. “Come catch me and give me a good pinch!”, he added and ran as fast as he could. As soon as the fork realized they were playing a game, he got excited and ran after the tupper.

Only a moment later, the jewel case came out of her hideout in the other corner of the garden and shouted: “Here!”. The fork instantly changed direction and ran after her. “Catch me… if you’re quick!”, she added and ran as fast as she could to get away. So quick was she, in fact, that half her jewels fell on the ground. Yet, she managed to hide again before the fork had managed to get any close.

“Here!”, the vase exclaimed from its own hideout in the third corner of the garden. “Well, what you ‘re doing is not very fair!”, the fork protested, his sweat dripping all over as he realized they had agreed to come out of their hideouts only when they were sure he was too far away. Yet, he continued running.

And so their game continued, until, at some point the forgetful pepper shaker left her hideout, unaware of the fact that the fork was close. “I’ll show you now!”, he said, grasping on the opportunity to get back on them for playing such a game on him and giving her a strong pinch in the back.

So upset was the pepper shaker from the shock, that half her pepper spread in the air. The fork then gave her a second, and a third pinch. The more he teased her, the more pepper she let out. Soon enough a thick pepper cloud covered the garden, and the silverware sneezed non-stop.

The silverware then came out of their hideouts and shouted: “Stop teasing her!”. The fork turned to face them, then let out a loud sneeze himself. Soon the pepper cloud that was covering the garden got so thick that they could barely see. The salt shaker then, who knew her good friend the pepper shaker well, advised them: “Just fall on the ground below the cloud, close your noses and be careful not to breathe any more pepper in!”. So it happened. The silverware did exactly as she told them, covering their eyes and noses so as to protect themselves from the pepper cloud.

As luck would have it, a strong wind blew in their direction, clearing the pepper cloud. The silverware opened their eyes one after another, then stood up on their feet. “I’m terribly sorry… I didn’t mean to…”, the fork apologized, then let out a final sneeze, as he realized his bad habit had put them into real trouble.

So, he took his lesson, never to tease anybody ever again just because he had found them unprotected.