Merlin and Will crept quietly toward the delicious smell. They peeked through the widow to see the woman pulling the dumplings out of the make-shift stove. "Go on then Merlin." Will urged. The little eight year-old looked at his older friend.
"What? I thought you said you would do it!" Merlin whispered urgently.
"No, you're much smaller than I am and you'll be able to get by her without her noticing. Go on then," Will said and pushed his smaller companion toward the door, handing him a little pouch to put their bounty in. Merlin slowly crawled to the open door and He peered around the edge to make sure the coast was clear. He tied the pouch tight enough so it wouldn't fall off but loose enough so that he could open it to put the dumplings in.
Once he saw the woman turn away to the counter, he quickly and quietly, a feat for the little clumsy lad, got behind her large laundry basket near the table. He peeked up and flinched when he saw the lady beating the dough on the counter with a large wooden spoon. Merlin looked at the window where Will was peeking in terrified. He was imagining the whooping he would get if he were caught. Will could see the terror in little Merlin's eyes and he gave him a nod of encouragement. Go on, he mouthed.
Merlin peeked to see the woman continuing the abuse of the dough so he reached up a cautious hand and grabbed a dumpling. He opened the pouch and put it in, careful not to smush it. He sat on the laundry basket and grabbed a few more pushing them into his bag. He nodded to Will and untied the bag throwing it to his friend who caught it easily. Will's hand caught a glass, making it clink and the woman turned right as Merlin dicked.
The plump woman stalked to the window and looked out and Merlin quickly his behind the laundry basket. She shook her head, steadied the glass, and walked back to her work. Merlin crawled out and he and Will ran for their hideout in the woods to eat their prizes.
Meanwhile back in the house the woman watched the two boys run away, shaking her head, how stupid did they think she was anyway?