Eating is necessary whether we like it or not.

Some kids eat a little; some eat a lot!

But most kids eat sensibly; they don’t slurp or snort, except for Eleanor Grace (or Ellie, for short).

Like a food vacuum cleaner, she wolfed down and scoffed, hardly stopping, until she gagged and she coughed.

“You ought to slow down,” said a wise Mr. Noke, "surely no rush is worthwhile if you choke?"

Ellie insisted, “I know what I’m doing” and went straight back to gobbling and chewing. She eagerly wanted to go out and play and hurried to get her food out of the way.

When the recess bell rang and the students dispersed, things for young Ellie took a turn for the worse: She got up too fast and gagged on some cheese which got lodged in her throat and she started to wheeze!

Luckily, Mr. Noke wasn’t too far away. He came up beside her, “Now what did I say?”

“I know what I’m doing,” she stubbornly heaved, but it’s clear that she didn’t for she could hardly breathe.

Mr. Noke quickly jumped into action, flipping Ellie around in a split-second fraction. Holding her ankles, he gave her a jiggle and out rolled the cheese with a whole lot of dribble.

When Eleanor Grace was put back on her feet, she promised, “next time I’ll slow down when I eat”.

And the lesson to learn here from Eleanor Grace is there's no good to come from stuffing your face. Food must be eaten at a calm, steady pace; there's no need to hurry and no need to race. Even if what you're eating is delicious and yummy, rushing will only upset your tummy. But worse, if your meal isn't properly chewed, you might just, like Ellie, choke on your food.