

Tom and Lily were friends who liked to play in the garden. One day, they found a big onion in the dirt. They wondered what it was and how it tasted.
"Let's race to the kitchen and ask Mom," Tom said.
"OK, but I will win," Lily said.
They ran as fast as they could, holding the onion between them. They passed by the dog, the swing, and the flowers. They laughed and shouted as they raced.
But when they got to the kitchen, Mom was not there. She was in the living room, talking on the phone. She looked at them and frowned.
"What are you doing with that onion?" she asked. "It's not a toy. It's for cooking."
Tom and Lily stopped and looked at each other. They did not know what cooking was. They wanted to try the onion.
"Can we eat it?" Tom asked.
"No, you can't. It's very strong and spicy. It will make you cry," Mom said.
She took the onion from them and put it on the counter. She told them to go and wash their hands.
Tom and Lily were sad. They wanted to taste the onion. They thought it would be fun.
They went to the bathroom and turned on the tap. They put their hands under the water. They felt something wet and cold on their fingers.
They looked at their hands and saw that they were covered with onion juice. They smelled the onion and made a face.
"Yuck!" Tom said.
"Yuck!" Lily said.
They rubbed their eyes and felt a sting. They started to cry.
They ran back to the living room and hugged Mom. They told her they were sorry.
Mom smiled and wiped their tears. She gave them a kiss and a cookie.
She told them that onions were good for some things, but not for racing.
Tom and Lily nodded and agreed. They decided to race with something else next time. Something that was not loud, strong, or spicy. Something that was sweet, soft, and fun.
