Chandrika loved pizzas. She could eat them at any time of the day, and preferred pizza to any other dish. The mere aroma of a pizza could wake her up from a deep sleep. Her parents used to offer Chandrika pizzas as a reward for any accomplishment because they knew how much she loved this treat.

Chandrika had first tasted a pizza at a friend’s birthday party when she was four years old. Her parents had thought she would grow out of this craze, but Chandrika’s love for pizza had lasted four years. Her eighth birthday was coming up and her mother was making plans for the birthday party. They had agreed on the main item on the menu. Of course it was pizza.

Chandrika’s mother was worried that her daughter did not eat other, healthier foods. In fact, as they were discussing plans for the party, her mother was clearing up Chandrika’s lunch bag. She saw that all the fruits and veggies she had packed had come home untouched. “It’s important to have a well-balanced diet,” she told Chandrika. “Pizza alone will not do.” Chandrika had heard this lecture dozens of times before, so she rushed out of the house to go play with her friends! She got back in time to do her homework, and then it was dinner time and cartoon time. Chandrika then said goodnight to her parents and went to bed. The next day was her birthday and she was sure it would be a fun day! 

The smell of her favourite cheese pizza woke Chandrika up early. She was sure her mother had made pizza as a special birthday breakfast. She rushed to the bathroom to get ready and what a shock she got. Her face looked like a pizza with melted cheese on top! Her eyes looked like olives, and her mouth and nose seemed to be bell peppers. Chandrika screamed for her mother. “Mama, I’ve turned into a pizza!”

There was no reply, so Chandrika raced out of the house yelling for her mother. As she ran past a bus stop, a stray dog tried to jump on her to get a bite of pizza. “Shoo! Get down!” Chandrika yelled, but the dog was not going to listen; he could smell pizza and wanted some. Chandrika stopped trying to shoo the dog away and instead turned around and ran away as fast as she could. 

Pretty soon, she was out of breath because she had been running fast, so she stopped. As she was gasping for breath, she noticed she was near a fruit stall. As she was about to pop a grape into her mouth, a cow wandered up and tried to take a bite of her face! Chandrika screamed and ran away again. She headed for the playground, hoping other children would save her from the dogs and cows that wanted to eat her. Even as she ran, some dogs began chasing her, smelling the pizza. To make matters worse, a couple of monkeys joined them! Chandrika was terrified.

She ran as fast as she could, and finally reached the playground. She rushed in, and was delighted to see it full of kids playing. But even as she started running towards them, they looked up and saw...pizza! The kids began yelling for their friends to come and eat this new form of pizza.

Chandrika was terrified. She was exhausted with all the running and knew that the kids would catch her easily. “Maaaaa!” she screamed, hoping her mother could hear.

“Nobody messes with my daughter,” was all she heard as she was lifted far above the ground. Higher and higher she went, till she began to feel very cold. She grabbed her blanket, and realised she was still in bed. It had been a bad dream!

Chandrika jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. Yes, she still had her face. “I haven’t turned into pizza, mom!” she yelled as she ran into the kitchen. Her mother looked puzzled. “I want fruits and vegetables only for breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” announced Chandrika. Her mother looked even more puzzled. “I was just going to make your favourite cheese pizza for your lunch,” she said.

“No, no. I want a healthy breakfast and lunch. Oh, and fruit for my snack,” said Chandrika, shuddering at the thought of pizza. She sat down to eat fruit for breakfast, and ate so many apples her mother was shocked. “Careful, Chandrika!” she exclaimed. “If you eat so much, you’ll turn into an apple.” She laughed. Chandrika wasn’t laughing, however. She finally understood the importance of a well-balanced diet, which meant enough of everything and not too much of anything!