A QUICK GLANCE AT THE STORY
The story is about a boy who works in the kitchen of a grand palace in Italy a long time ago. His job is to carry ice blocks from the ice house to
the kitchen. At first, he plays with the ice and wastes it. His master, Ahmad, teaches him a lesson by locking him in the cold ice house for a few
minutes. The boy learns his lesson and never plays with the ice again.
As he works in the kitchen, he watches the cooks and learns how they make food taste better. But Ahmad tells him that they are not cooks, they
are engineers who make special frozen desserts for rich people. The boy is curious and asks questions about the recipes, but Ahmad refuses to
explain.
One day, the boy finally tastes the ice dessert for the first time and is amazed by its flavor and coldness. He secretly starts tasting every dessert
they make. Over time, he learns how to make different types of frozen treats, but Ahmad keeps some secrets from him.
The boy dreams of making a new kind of ice—smooth and creamy like modern ice cream. So, at night, he secretly experiments with different
ingredients in the kitchen, trying to discover the secret of making real ice cream.
ALL CHARACTERS
1.
The Narrator (Unnamed Boy) – The main character and storyteller. He works as a kitchen worker in a grand palace, carrying ice blocks and
learning how to make frozen desserts. He is curious, eager to learn, and secretly experiments to create ice cream.
2.
Ahmad – The narrator’s master. He is an experienced ice maker who teaches the narrator how to make frozen desserts but keeps some
secrets to maintain his superiority. He believes ice making is an art meant for the wealthy and follows strict traditions.
3.
The Cooks – They work in the palace kitchen, preparing food using different techniques. The narrator observes them and learns from their
methods, inspiring his own ice-making experiments.
4.
The Wealthy and the Great – The rich people for whom Ahmad and the narrator make frozen desserts. They represent the upper class, who
can afford such luxuries.
THE WHOLE STORY (EASIER VERSION)
A long time ago, in a big palace in Italy, a boy got a new job in the kitchen. One of his jobs was to carry heavy blocks of ice from the ice house in
the palace garden to the kitchen.
The Boy Plays with Ice
The first time he carried the ice, he found it fun! The ice was slippery, and he played with it—sliding on it, throwing it against the wall, and
watching it break into shiny pieces. But he got so excited that he forgot to do his real work.
The Master Teaches a Lesson
His master, Ahmad, found him playing with the ice. Ahmad did not shout or get angry. Instead, he told the boy to follow him. He took the boy
inside the ice house, which was very, very cold. Then, Ahmad shut the door and left him inside.
At first, the boy felt happy because he thought he had escaped work. But after a few minutes, he started shivering. The cold felt like fire! His
body was shaking, and he felt weak. Finally, he pushed the door, and it opened. Ahmad was standing outside, waiting. The boy understood the
lesson—never waste the ice again.
Learning in the Kitchen
Every night, the boy slept near the warm kitchen fire. He watched the cooks making food. They made fruit purees, used flower perfumes in
sweets, and created wonderful dishes. The boy got excited and told Ahmad they could use these tricks in ice-making. But Ahmad said, "We are
engineers, not cooks. Cooking is for women. We only make ice."
Ahmad's Secrets
Ahmad and his family had been making frozen desserts for the king for many years. They had special books filled with old recipes. But Ahmad
kept some secrets in his mind. He never questioned the rules—he just followed them.
The boy was very curious. He always asked, "Why do we do it this way?" But Ahmad never explained.
Tasting Ice for the First Time
For two years, the boy worked without knowing how the ice tasted. One day, he asked Ahmad, "Can I taste it?" Ahmad laughed and let him try.
The boy took a spoon and tasted the ice. It was cold, crunchy, and sweet! At first, it hurt his throat, but then he loved it. Ahmad smiled and said,
"Now you understand. This is not for us. We make it for rich people. They can afford to waste so much money on something that melts so fast."
But the boy could not forget the taste. From that day, he secretly tasted every ice they made.
A Secret Dream
Ahmad only taught the boy because he needed help, not because he wanted to share his knowledge. The boy learned about different types of
ice desserts. Some were crunchy like crystals (sorbetti), and some were soft and flavored with spices (sherbets).
But the boy had a dream—he wanted to make ice that was smooth and creamy, like modern ice cream.
Secret Experiments
Ahmad only allowed four flavors, and he never let the boy read the recipe book. But the boy wanted to create something new. So, every night,
when no one was looking, he experimented in the kitchen.
He froze cheese, fruit juices, and even soups! He mixed different things, hoping to discover the secret of soft, creamy ice.
And so, the boy lived two lives—by day, he followed Ahmad’s rules, and by night, he was a secret scientist, trying to create something amazing.
The End (Or a New Beginning!)
The story ends with the boy still searching for the secret to creamy ice. Would he discover ice cream one day? No one knows, but he never
stopped trying!
