Veda bounced out of bed, washed, dressed and skipped to the kitchen.

"Breakfast! Just right after a hard night's sleep!" thought Veda. "Today I will have toast! On my toast I will have butter and marmalade!"

Veda put two slices of bread into the toaster and turned it on. Out of the refrigerator Veda fetched the butter and from the shelf she brought a jar of marmalade. Veda found a knife for the butter and a knife for the marmalade and a plate to put it all on.

Suddenly the toast popped up - all ready! Veda carefully put the toast onto the plate. Next Veda opened the butter dish and used a knife to spread the butter on the toast.

Oh! Veda was getting more and more hungry. In fact Veda was getting so hungry that she had to rub her tummy.

Veda picked up the jar of marmalade and went to open it.

Oh!

The top was stuck! Trying as hard as she could, Veda could not get it to move.

She tried gripping the top with a tea towel.

It did not work!

She held the top of the jar under water from the hot tap as sometimes that made the lids get looser.

It did not work!

She was just about to cut a hole in the top with a tin opener when Naleo knocked on the door.

"Good Morning Veda!" said Naleo, "Are you ready to come shopping?"

"No!" said Veda, "I have not had any breakfast! I cannot get the marmalade open!"

"Let me try!" said Naleo, and he tried twisting the top off but, even though he went very red in the face, it would not budge.

"I know!" said Naleo, "I will take it to Thims next door as Thims is very strong!"

They both left the house and went and knocked on the door of the house next door.

The door was opened by a big man with big thick arms and wearing pajamas, "Hello Veda, Hello Naleo!" he said.

"Good Morning Thims!" they said and were going to say more when Thims said, "Is it morning already? Gosh! I had better get my breakfast!"

"I was going to have my breakfast," said Veda, "but the lid is stuck on the marmalade jar!"

"That is why we are here," said Naleo, "We hope that you will open it so Veda can have her breakfast and we can go shopping."

"Let me see!" said Thims, "He took the jar of marmalade and tried to twist the lid off. He was twisting very hard and he had gone red in the face just like Naleo when suddenly, with a "Plop!" noise, the lid came off.

just as Veda finished saying "Thank you!" Thims said, "That smells so nice I think I will have some on toast myself, may I have a spoonful?"

"Of course you can!" said Veda and let him take a spoonful.

Veda and Naleo went back to Veda's house and Veda made extra toast and they both had marmalade on toast and then went shopping. While they were out Veda bought Thims a present. She bought him a jar of Marmalade.