

Lisa and Ben are twins. They like to play in the garden. They see a big green ball on the ground. It is an avocado.
"Look, Ben, a ball!" Lisa says. She picks up the avocado and throws it to Ben.
"Ouch!" Ben says. The avocado is hard and heavy. It hits his arm. He drops it and cries.
"Sorry, Ben, sorry!" Lisa says. She runs to him and hugs him. "Are you okay?"
Ben rubs his arm. He is not happy. He points to the avocado. "That is not a ball, Lisa. That is a fruit. It belongs to the tree."
Lisa looks at the tree. She sees more avocados hanging from the branches. She feels bad. She did not know.
"Can we eat it?" she asks.
Ben shakes his head. "No, Lisa. We need to ask Mom first. She knows how to cut it and make it yummy. Maybe she will share some with us."
Lisa nods. She puts the avocado back on the ground. She takes Ben's hand. They go to find Mom.
They see Mom in the kitchen. She is making a salad. She smiles when she sees them.
"Hi, kids. What did you find in the garden?" she asks.
Lisa and Ben show her the avocado. They tell her what happened.
Mom hugs them. She is not angry. She is glad they are safe.
"That is an avocado, kids. It is a fruit, but it is not a ball. It is harmless, but it can hurt if you throw it. It belongs to the tree, but we can have some if we ask nicely. Do you want to try some?" she asks.
Lisa and Ben nod. They are curious. They want to taste the avocado.
Mom cuts the avocado in half. She scoops out some of the soft green flesh. She gives them each a spoonful.
Lisa and Ben try the avocado. They make a face. It is not sweet. It is not sour. It is not salty. It is not bitter. It is just creamy and bland.
They do not like it very much.
"Can we have something else, Mom?" they ask.
Mom laughs. She gives them some cheese and crackers. They like that better.
They eat their snack. They thank Mom. They go back to the garden.
They leave the avocado alone. They find a real ball. They play with it. They have fun. They are happy.
