So, Mama, Granny and Zahara set off for the supermarket, while Uncle Joe kept an eye on David and Lebo.

“I’d like to speak to the manager,” said Mama when they got there. She used her cross voice, and the manager came running.

“How can I help you, Madam?” he asked.

“Somebody took the drumstick from our chicken!” cried Mama, Granny and Zahara together.

“That is very serious,” said the manager. “I’ll call the woman from the roast chicken counter.” He picked up the intercom and said, “Roast Chicken Counter Woman, Roast Chicken Counter Woman, please come to the manager’s office urgently.”

Mama tapped her foot and waited. Soon the woman from the roast chicken counter came running in. “Can I help you?” she asked.

“This customer says you took the drumstick from her roast chicken,” said the manager.

“No, I didn’t,” said the woman. “I put the whole roast chicken in the packet and gave it to Granny.”

“Oh no, no, no!” said Mama. “When I opened the bag with the chicken in it at home the drumstick was gone!”

The woman quivered and quaked in her shoes. “I didn’t take it, I promise. I didn’t,” she said.

The manager was very angry. “Fetch these people another roast chicken right away,” he bellowed. “Granny, I will give you a whole new roast chicken for free, and a chocolate cake, to say sorry.”

So, Mama, Granny and Zahara went home with a whole new roast chicken in a white bag, and a big chocolate cake in a box.

When they got home, Daddy was back from work. “Where have you been?” he asked. “Why haven’t you had lunch yet?”

So Zahara told him the whole story. She was very surprised to see Daddy looking so shocked.

“Oh no,” said Daddy. “I’ve done a terrible thing. I took the drumstick as I was leaving for work. I was hungry, and it smelled so good.”

“Oh no,” cried Mama. “I got that poor woman at the supermarket into trouble for nothing.”

“And I put the idea in your head that she might have taken it,” said Zahara. “Oh no!”

So, Daddy, Mama, Granny and Zahara packed the second roast chicken and the chocolate cake into a packet, and they went all the way back to the supermarket. When they got there, they went straight to the manager’s office.

The manager was so worried when he saw them – AGAIN! “Oh no, what is wrong now?” he said to himself. “That woman is going to shout at me again.”

But Mama didn’t shout.

“We’re very, very sorry,” said Mama, Granny, Daddy and Zahara.

“It’s all my fault,” said Daddy. “I was hungry. I took the drumstick. Please call the woman from the roast chicken counter.” The manager picked up the intercom. “Roast Chicken Counter Woman, Roast Chicken Counter Woman, please come to the manager’s office urgently.”

The woman from the roast chicken counter looked very scared when she saw Mama, Daddy, Granny and Zahara. “Please, don’t fire me,” she said to the manager. But Daddy took out his wallet and gave the manager the money for the roast chicken and the chocolate cake. Then he gave the woman the packet. “Here you are,” he said. “I’m sorry we got you into trouble. Please enjoy these.” The woman was very pleased to have a chicken and a cake for her lunch.

But Zahara was disappointed. “You gave away the chocolate cake,” she said. So Daddy took out his wallet again and bought another roast chicken and another chocolate cake. After lunch everyone had a slice of cake – Mama, Daddy, Granny, Uncle Joe, Zahara, David and Lebo. But the biggest slice of all went to Zahara, because she was Daddy’s special girl.