Poisonous Mushroom

Tommy was outside enjoying the warm sun in Mushroom Town when he noticed something suspicious. Tommy went over to investigate and he was shocked at what he saw. At the base of his mushroom house he saw a milky white substance smeared all over the side of the house. Tommy dipped his finger in the substance and sniffed it. He knew right away what it was.

Tommy had to tell his father what he had just found. On the way to the bakery where his father worked, Tommy checked several other mushroom houses and found that they too, had the same milky substance on them. Tommy was very worried about this.

“Father!” exclaimed Tommy, all out of breath from running. “Someone is poisoning Mushroom Town.”

“What?” asked Father. “Did you say someone is poisoning our town?”

“Yes,” said Tommy.

“Let me guess,” said Father, a very worried look coming over his face. “A milky white substance smeared all over the side of the houses.”

“Yes,” said Tommy, puzzled. “That is what I saw.”

“Oh no!” exclaimed Father. “I was afraid of this.”

“What Father?” asked Tommy, now more worried than ever before. “What is going on?”

“We have to stop this poisoning or we are going to lose all our houses here in Mushroom Town,” cried Father. “This substance will eat right through the mushrooms and the mushrooms will be history before long.”

“Father,” said Tommy. “How can we stop this from happening?”

“There is a special substance that counter-acts this poison,” said Father. “We must prepare it and spray it on the houses right away.”

“Father,” said Tommy. “How do you know so much about this? It is like you’ve experienced this before.”

“Yes,” said Father. “About 30 years ago, Mushroom Town was almost destroyed from someone poisoning the houses and I think it is the same thing we are experiencing all over again.”

“But,” said Tommy. “Who would want to poison our houses?”

“The villagers from outside Mushroom Town,” said Father. “They are jealous of our houses. They want houses just like them but their king won’t let them live in mushrooms because he thinks that all houses should be built out of wood and rocks so that he can collect the taxes from them. See, Tommy, we don’t pay taxes on our houses here in Mushroom Town.”

“Oh I see,” said Tommy. “But still that is no reason to destroy our houses.”

“I know,” said Father. “You are right but the villagers from outside Mushroom Town think differently.”

That afternoon, Father and Tommy worked hard making the substance that would counter-act the poison and the next morning, all of the houses in Mushroom Town were sprayed with the substance. Mushroom Town was safe and secure and the residents decided to throw a nice party in Father and Tommy’s honour.