Hello,
are there any retired teachers, or older teachers who might know this book and what its called? Or anyone who had it in their book shelf growing up? My year one teacher read it to our class a couple of times and I loved it. It was 1992-93 ish.
It was quite gothic and dark, about a tyrannical king (medieval times) that’s obsessed with food and eating “new” dishes, but every time a cook serves him a meal he’s convinced he’s had it before and puts that cook in prison. All the cooks try to be really creative and unusual by cooking horrible things like spiders legs and the like, but the king always angrily insists he’s already eaten it.
Eventually all the cooks in the land are in prison, except for the last one remaining - a young inexperienced rookie who runs away the night before he is summoned to cook for the king because he doesn’t want to be sent to gaol like all the others. He escapes into the countryside where a kindly couple shelter for a day or two, and then as he leaves they give him a meal to take with him: a piece of bread, some cheese, and an apple.
The king goes after him and catches up with him. Little cook climbs a tree in an attempt to hide and accidentally drops his lunch which happens to be bread, cheese and an apple. King catches it and eats it, has never eaten them before and really likes them. Sees the error of his ways and frees all of the cooks.
The End (at least I think that’s roughly how it goes).
I’m sure this type of book has fallen out of favour in modern times and teachers wouldn’t dream of reading it to their classes today, but does anyone know what the book is called, who wrote it etc.? Or does anyone else remember the story and enjoyed it years ago, like me. I have a son now so thought it would be nice to read it to him (though he’s only one so still a bit little).
Oh it’s not The Cook and the King by Julia Donaldson by the way. I’ve done my research.
I went to a nice primary school in the suburbs in Brighton (my youngest cousin just finished year 6 last week, in fact), if thats relevant at all.
Thanks in advance!