Food Foibles
Reading lessons proved quite easy for Uncle, though he privately suspected the fillies already knew how to read, given they'd been raiding his spell library for their unsupervised experiments. The fillies readily grasped both English and Chinese letters as he taught them their meanings. Writing, however, proved far more challenging, likely due to the absence of fingers.
Apple Bloom managed somewhat by holding the writing implement in her mouth and moving it with her tongue. While impressive, Uncle found it mildly disturbing for reasons he couldn't put his finger on. Beyond that, he didn't like being handed a writing implement with slobber on it.
Sweetie Belle was easily able to manipulate pencils or pens with her magical aura...but her fine control was somewhat lacking. More often than not, her letters would shape gigantic, or she'd end up driving her pencil or pen through the paper - and sometimes through the table - when she tried to mark a period. She found this nearly as frustrating as Uncle did.
Scootaloo had the most problems with writing. While she was, surprisingly, able to grip a pencil with her feathers, her wings were far too small to reach the paper from her side, and attempts to hold the paper at her side or see it as she wrote resulted in contortions of her body that were more amusing and painful than effective. She also lacked Apple Bloom's dexterity when holding an implement in her mouth, and had a tendency to chew while thinking. Uncle was surprised to discover that her teeth - like the others' - were quite well developed, leading to her chewing through three pencils. He was very glad he had not attempted to give her a pen.
Uncle had attempted teaching them to hold writing implements with their hooves, as he'd seen Apple Bloom and Scootaloo demonstrate gripping ability with hooves that should easily have translated to holding a pencil or pen. Apple Bloom often gripped a vial in magic lessons in one hoof, pouring the contents into another vial she held in the other. Scootaloo, in reading lessons, frequently carried a book in each of her four hooves to her spot to pleasure read...especially if Uncle relented and let her read comic books. On closer examination, he'd noticed that their hooves generated low level magical fields, similar to what Sweetie Belle generated from her horn, but far more limited and only visible when he brought his own magic to his senses. As best he could tell, this field only worked for gripping things, like doorknobs and similar objects.
He had raised his concerns to Jackie...who had presented a possible lesson solution that was of such simplicity Uncle was surprised he hadn't thought of it before. Then again, even with them reading, writing, and talking, Uncle still tended to think of the fillies as magical creatures. Fully sapient magical creatures, but still creatures. Because of the pendants, however, Jackie had come to think of them as children first, magical creatures second, and his suggested approach was obvious, in treating them like children. Since they had some manual dexterity and teeth, the solution was obvious: chopsticks.
As such, the five were now seated around the dining table, bowls of chow mein with tofu in front of each of them, as Uncle and Jackie prepared to teach the fillies how to eat with chopsticks. In order to improve the lesson so that the fillies could learn by watching, Jackie and Uncle were both wearing socks over their hands to make them more hoof-like.
"First step, learn to hold chopsticks together," Uncle instructed, picking up his chopsticks in one socked hand. Managing to get a grip on them, he held them up in proper alignment and clicked them together. "Should be able to click like this. Try."
Apple Bloom glanced down at the utensils before her worriedly, lowering her hoof atop them and trying to grip them. Picking them up proved easy enough. Manipulating them single-hoofed while gripping proved much more difficult, and frequently led to her dropping one or both. However, she continued to struggle with it doggedly.
Sweetie Belle quickly levitated her chopsticks into the air, holding them in proper alignment. However, when she tried to click them together, one snapped cleanly in two from the force of the impact. Squealing in frustration, she quickly grabbed a replacement from the large pile Uncle had provided her just in case it happened and tried again, only for the other one to break at the click. She continued this determinedly, struggling to learn the control where the chopsticks were held but did not break.
Scootaloo picked one chopstick up in each forehoof, clicking them together as demonstrated. She then smiled proudly up at Uncle, thinking she'd found the trick to the lesson.
Uncle and Jackie waited patiently, the dishes covered to protect them from splinters, until Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had each managed a successful click of their chopsticks. Uncle then uncovered each of the bowls. "Now, hold bowl close to mouth, and use chopsticks to bring food to mouth, like so." Picking up his own bowl, he brought a bit of noodle and tofu to his mouth with his chopsticks, giving it a soft blow before putting it in his mouth. Jackie mimicked the actions, having a bit more difficulty with his socked hands than Uncle was.
Apple Bloom attempted to mimic the actions, but had difficulty picking up her bowl. When she finally managed it, she had difficulty maintaining the focus on both bowl and chopsticks to move them. Eventually, her frustration reached its peak when she dropped one of the chopsticks. Growling, she held the other like a spear and stabbed it through some vegetables and tofu before swirling it around. With noodle caught on the tofu and vegetable, she stuffed the mouthful into her mouth. She hummed in pleasure as she chewed.
Sweetie Belle managed to get the first mouthful into her mouth via bowl and chopsticks without any trouble...but her pleasure at the taste caused her magic to spike, resulting in her chopsticks being embedded in two different walls and her bowl flipping through the air. She managed to catch the bowl before anything spilled, setting it gently back on the table. When she tried to pick up fresh chopsticks, however, they snapped in her grip. She slammed her hooves on the table with a squeal of frustration, which caused her bowl to flip off and onto her head, spinning on her horn. She looked up sadly at Uncle and Jackie, sniffling.
Sighing, Jackie set his bowl down and covered it before picking her up. "Come on," he said gently. "Let's get you cleaned up, and then I'll make you a fresh bowl..."
Uncle sighed as he watched them walk off, then turned to his last charge. Scootaloo had picked up the bowl with her two chopsticks and buried her face in it, snarfing the food up. "Aiyah!" Uncle snapped. "Scootaloo! A proper young lady does not eat like hog on farm!"
Scootaloo lifted her head from the bowl, her face covered with bits of sauce, noodle, and vegetable. She smirked, blew a raspberry at Uncle, then went back to eating.
At that moment, Jackie had returned, Sweetie Belle wrapped in towels and a fresh bowl in his hand. He glowered down at Scootaloo. "Not cool," he chided gently.
Scootaloo's eyes widened in surprise, and she promptly set the bowl down, looking up worriedly.
Uncle sighed, putting one socked hand to his face. He wasn't sure if he should be relieved he had a way to reign Scootaloo in now, or upset at how...idiotic it seemed.
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Don't blame them, chopsticks are tricky, I speak from experience.
Hilarious chapter... Sweetie Bell's frustration is adorable and I had similar problems when I first tried chopsticks. I can use them, but I'm usually to hungry to bother and just ask for a knife and fork.
Another great chapter! Just wanted to let you know, this story and your work in general loosely inspired me in a way.
7230181 Agreed. I still have problems using them.
Chopsticks were easy back then when I was a kid...but now, had to relearn how to use them when I had no forks to use...
7230190 Yeah, they're not the easiest things to master at all, even with fingers!
Chopsicks... Fun. I always find the squared off chopsticks to work better than the rounded ones.
Tried the chops a couple of times, there's no and then there's the no I used.
This chapter actually wasn't as cringe worthy hilarious as I figured it would be, which I have no problems with.
DAMN IT, WHY MUST YOU PUT THAT IMAGERY INTO MY HEAD!?
Whew. As an America, chopsticks took me a while, but now I can't imagine eating ramen, sushi, or dumplings without them.
Ha! That'll keep her in check.
Chopsticks are tricky. So tricky, trick to using them eludes me.
Goddamnit. Now I want to eat chow mein.
Thanks a bunch.
7230238
They definitely take some getting used to. Mostly, it's all about finger position.
At least they're trying. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
I can get chopsticks to work, but everyone tells me that's not how to do it.
I would have thought Sweetie could just picked the food up in her magic.
Chopsticks are awesome.
At least this attempt to teach them didn't... bowl over too badly.
Guess the fillies are learning to... get a grip.
Guess Apple Bloom decided to... take a stab at it.
Looks like Sweetie Belle is really... piling on these lessons.
Another enjoyable chapter. Good job.
It's nice to eat with chopsticks, especially with ramen, rice, bits of meat, and sushi.
Using them is all in the fingers, really.
I always thought that ponies had some sort of proto-fingers and thumbs that were usually tucked away inside of the front hooves.
7230570 only question now is,... how de hell can scottaloo hover?
7230590
As was covered in story, a combination of foal magic surges - where the inner magic isn't hobbled by conscious thought as much - combined with the chi boosting diet Uncle's been feeding them.
Eh..using chopstick come quite natural to me...but it was not until i reached the age of 16 that i began to master eating with it.
and yeah, using hoof to eat with chop stick is difficult if not outright impossible.
7230512 Agreed
7230439 the pun the puns yes uncle sure to the matter in hand
7230654
Quite good, actually.
7230514 No, that's NCMare's Night Mares stories (well worth it)
pre06.deviantart.net/c5c1/th/pre/i/2014/097/f/7/night_mares___sweetie_belle_00_by_ncmares-d7dh2zx.jpg
Chapter 12:
"Aiyah!"
\
Chapter Count: 1
Total Count: 14
"One More Thing!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 28
7230695
Not exactly what I was thinking about...
I'm passable with chopsticks and whenever I work up the motivation to cook something with Rice or am desperate/hungry/broke enough to dig into my Raman stash I'll pull some out. I was complete rubbish with them until about my Sophomore year of High-school. My dad was away on a business trip, we had a full cupboard of Raman, we ran out of clean forks and I didn't want to do the dishes...
Once you get past "Over Thinking" how to use them it's really not that much of a struggle...
Pfft!
7230758
You're actually counting Uncle's catchphrases?
Well.... make sure you have the final tally of how many per chapter when the final chapter comes along, because I have a feeling that it's going to be a rather amusing tally to do... otherwise just have the total tally of it.
7230991 And then you realize someone else is doing a Bad Day counter as well- we'll just have to see how far THAT one balloons past the Uncle ones.
7230439
Next time, he'll teach them to play Chopsticks on the piano!
7230439 Chopsticks are the worst! I can't blame Sweetie for... snapping.
The facts Scootaloo figured it out... made her look like a talent hog... I guess?
At least Applebloom tried for second. Sadly, nothing would stick.
Poor Sweetie, she needed a clean get-a-way after that mess!
Of course, all old wise masters know that chopsticks is the answer.
Is it just me or has uncle gone a few chapters without saying ONE MORE THING!
7231792 No, he said it four times last chapter.
I guess their practice with chopsticks can be rather choppy.
When I first tried using chopsticks, it took me about a week to be passable at them, and a month to master them...
Now, I can eat ANYTHING with chopsticks. Noodles, Rice, Dumplings, Ribs, Souls of my Enemies, Jello, Soup... absolutely anything.
7230237
Didn't quite get it until I read your comment...
Apple Bloom Fellatio....
7232571
I kind of find it sad, I can use chopsticks better then my Korean cousins. Granted, they live in Vancouver.
7233146 That shits racist Amman. Just cause their Asian doesn't mean they automatically know how to use chopsticks. Learn to not stereotype.
7233421 I'm not. My Aunt and Uncle have been trying to teach them for years.
7233467 I'm taking the piss. I apologize for the fact that my sarcasm didn't come out properly through written text. I was attempting to make a joke based on the fact that you mentioned Asians and chopsticks in the same sentence and it did not work as well as I'd hoped.
7230181 I watched so much anime that using chopsticks was really easy.
I imagined holding them through sock... That might be impossible for me.
7234017 holding them with a sock is fun you want hard use an oven mit made of kevlar
7230181 ya, in the beginning those things are incredibly frustrating, until you get the trick to use them.
It took me a while before I could handle chopsticks. Hooves cubes the difficulty.