This is a children’s story that I wrote using some of my business education. It is meant to teach kids about supply chain. I wrote it in a very short time and I don’t think that I could duplicate it, showing that inspiration truly comes from a different source.


Little Carle Trentworth woke up about seven or eight. Got out of bed and started his day. He brushed his teeth and combed his hair. Put on his clothes, then went right downstairs.
When Carle got down stairs he went right to the table. His Mother had made him a breakfast delight. He turned to his Mom and asked so polite, “Ketchup Please!”
There was a slight pause before his mother’s response, “You see we have no ketchup at all. Not one little drop, and we shall not have any more till I’ve time to shop.”
Carle asked to be dismissed and left right away. This was a matter that could afford no delay. He went down to the store and said to the man mopping the floor, “Ketchup Please!”
The little old man looked down and smiled. “My son I’m afraid that you came a little to late. That lady over there took the very last bottle. You’ll just have to wait until they bring the next order.”
Well this was no good! Not good at all! Carle turned around and marched out again. He marched down the street right past all his friends. He would solve this at once, the sooner the better. He would go to the warehouse to address this matter.
He came to the warehouse and knocked on the door. A man came around to ask what he was there for. “Ketchup Please!” The man looked startled then came the response. “I’m sorry my son we sent out our last case. We have to wait for the factory to make some more paste.”
That was enough. Carle was moving right down the street. He went out a mile until he came to the factory gate. The guard at the gate met Carle with a smile. “Well hello there my lad. What are you here for?”
“Ketchup Please!”
“I’m sorry dear boy the factory’s not open. We need more tomatoes to make the ketchup for which you were hopen.”
This was just wrong. Why could they not understand? Without his ketchup his food would be bland. So he went out of town to the old farmer’s farm. Went up to the farmer asked using all of his charm. “Ketchup Please!” The farmer looked shocked. He stood scratching his head. Then came the response that Carle would dread. “Well son I’m afraid that the seasons not right. It will be five more months till the tomatoes are ripe.”
Well this was the end. Carle didn’t know what to do. His mother arrived in a very bad mood. She took him home to eat his food.
Here he was again, just Carle and his food. He still had no ketchup to make it taste good. So he closed his eyes and took a big bite. The surprising thing was that the food tasted fine!