Once upon a time, there was a group of spices who lived in a spice rack in a cozy kitchen. Oregano, Nutmeg, Mace, Lemon, Paprika, and Mint were best of friends and loved to have fun and play games together.

One day, Oregano suggested that they should have a spice race to see who was the fastest. Nutmeg was very confident and thought that he would surely win, as he was the strongest spice in the group.

The race began and all the spices started to run. Nutmeg was in the lead, but suddenly, he tripped over a piece of mint and fell to the ground. Paprika, who was right behind him, saw what happened and quickly stopped to help Nutmeg get back up on his feet.

Lemon, who was in third place, didn't like to play fair and decided to use his lemon juice to make the others slip and slide. But, little did he know, Mint had a secret weapon up his sleeve - his fresh, cool scent! He wafted it in Lemon's direction, making him sneeze so hard that he lost his balance and fell over.

Mace, who was always the quiet one, suddenly burst into the lead and looked like he was going to win. But, just as he was about to cross the finish line, Oregano called out, "Wait, Mace! You forgot the most important part of the race - the spices must also use their special powers to help others along the way!"

Mace realized his mistake and immediately ran back to help the other spices up. In the end, they all crossed the finish line together, and everyone cheered.

The spices learned that winning wasn't the most important thing - it was about helping each other and having fun. From that day on, they continued to have races, but always made sure to include their special powers to help their friends.

And so, Oregano, Nutmeg, Mace, Lemon, Paprika, and Mint lived happily ever after, bringing joy and flavor to every dish they were a part of.

Reflections

1. Who were the six spices in the story and what was their special power?
2. Why did Lemon use his lemon juice to make the other spices slip and slide?
3. What did Oregano say was the most important part of the race?
4. How did the spices help each other during the race?
5. What did the spices learn at the end of the story?
6. Which spice do you think would have won the race if everyone had played fair?
7. Can you think of another special power that each spice could have had?
8. What do you think would have happened if Mint had not wafted his fresh scent towards Lemon?
9. Why do you think the spices continued to have races after the first one?
10. Do you think friendship is more important than winning? Why or why not?