Stella woke up and climbed out of bed. Her tummy gave a loud GRROWL — and then she burped. A tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream plopped right onto her pillow.
Stella stared at the ice cream on her pillow and groaned. It was gone already. She pulled on her pink slippers and shuffled out of the room.
In the kitchen, Mom opened the window wide. Warm sunshine poured across the floor. She set a bowl of oatmeal on the table. 'Too much ice cream makes your tummy grumpy,' she said.
Stella shook her head and walked away. Her slippers scuffed the hallway rug. She did NOT want oatmeal.
Later, Stella walked past the freezer. She opened the door — whoosh! Cold air hit her face. Her eyes lit up. One tiny paper cup of chocolate ice cream waited inside.
She sat at the table and took a small bite. The chocolate melted slowly on her tongue. She breathed in the smell of warm bread from the kitchen.
She finished the whole little cup, then carried her empty bowl to the sink. She let out a long, happy sigh.
Stella walked back to the table and looked at the oatmeal. It was still warm. She picked up her spoon.
She took a spoonful. It was warm and soft and kind of sweet. Stella swallowed and smiled.
She ate the whole bowl of oatmeal. When she was done, she set the empty bowl in the sink and patted her tummy.
Mom walked in and saw the empty bowl. She smiled. 'Feeling better?' she asked.
Stella nodded. She felt good. She felt warm. And her tummy was no longer grumpy at all.