Sharing the Last Biscuit

Sharing the Last Biscuit It was getting close to bedtime. The sky outside was turning that soft purple colour that meant the day was nearly done. Inside the house, everything was warm and peaceful. Olivia lay in her bed, thinking about something that had happened today. Something small, but something special. It had happened at snack time. The biscuit tin had been passed around. Everyone had taken one. Chocolate biscuits with crumbly edges and little bits that melted on your tongue. Delicious. But when the tin came back around, there was only ONE biscuit left. And two people who wanted it. Olivia remembered looking at the biscuit. Then looking at her friend, who was also looking at the biscuit. Their eyes met. What should she do? Part of her wanted to grab the biscuit quickly. It looked so tasty. Her tummy grumbled at the thought of it. But then Olivia looked at her friend again. Her friend looked a little bit hungry too. And suddenly, grabbing the biscuit did not seem like the right thing to do. So instead, Olivia picked up the biscuit very carefully. She held it gently in both hands. And then... SNAP. She broke it right down the middle. Two pieces. One for her. One for her friend. Her friend's face had lit up like a little sun. "Thank you," said her friend, taking the piece that Olivia offered. And Olivia remembered the feeling that came next. It was a warm feeling. A glowing feeling. It spread through her chest like hot chocolate on a cold day. Sharing felt GOOD. They had sat together, eating their biscuit halves. And somehow, somehow, that half biscuit had tasted even better than a whole one would have. Every crumb seemed sweeter. Every chocolate bit seemed richer. Olivia remembered how they had munched happily, side by side, grinning at each other with chocolatey smiles. Now, lying in her bed, Olivia smiled at the memory. She had given something away. She had made her biscuit smaller. But the warm feeling inside her had grown bigger. Much, much bigger. It was strange, thought Olivia. When you share, you have less. But you also have MORE. More friendship. More warmth. More of that lovely glowing feeling. Her friend had smiled at her for the rest of the day. And Olivia had smiled back. It was like they shared a secret... the secret of the last biscuit. Olivia yawned softly. Her eyes were getting heavy now. She thought about tomorrow. Maybe there would be another chance to share something. A toy, perhaps. Or a space on the carpet. Or a turn on the swing. Each time she shared, thought Olivia sleepily, that warm feeling would come back. Like a hug on the inside. Like sunshine in her heart. Olivia snuggled deeper under her blanket. The room was quiet and cosy. The stars outside her window twinkled peacefully. She remembered the SNAP of the biscuit breaking. She remembered her friend's happy face. She remembered the way sharing had made everything feel just right. Two halves. Two smiles. Two friends. One perfect moment. And as Olivia closed her eyes, she felt that warm feeling again. It wrapped around her like a soft blanket, keeping her cosy and content. Sharing really was the best feeling of all. Better than keeping something just for yourself. And so Olivia slept, dreaming of chocolate biscuits and kind friends, of breaking and giving and the wonderful warmth of generosity. The end.