The Respectful Meal

Hungry Lou had dinner one night with Frank Tapadasta. Lou was head of the Mopadopa family. They went to Wolododi's Ristorante. They had good food there. Hungry Lou got his name because he loved being hungry. That meant he got to eat.

The Mopadopa Family was the big family who ran stuff. The Tapadasta Family was a lesser known family coming up in the ranks. They were meeting to make sure everything was okay between families.

"I like the bread here." said Frank.
"Me too," said Hungry Lou, "did you try it with some oil?"
"Oh yeah that's my favorite." said Frank.

Frank had suggested the restaurant, and as a gesture of kindness, Lou met him there. Hungry Lou was usually quite picky about where he ate. They ate their food and talked about business. It seemed they reached a healthy agreement where both families could benefit from what they had set in place. Both parties smiled and nodded. Frank and Lou took the final bites of their entrees.

"Ah, this was such delicious pasta and sauce that I'm almost not hungry!" joked Lou.
"Who would you be if you weren't Hungry Lou?!" responded Frank. They both laughed.
"How about a dessert?" asked Frank.
"Okay, you twist a my arm. I want a cookie." said Hungry Lou.
"Excellent choice. Gino, bring him a the best cookie in the house."

Gino Bambino, the waiter, ran to the kitchen to prepare it. The men waited politely and patiently.

"Here comes a great cookie for you!" said Gino Bambino as he brought out a big cookie on a plate.
"I love cookies! I'm gonna eat a that cookie." said Hungry Lou.

Hungry Lou picked up the big cookie with two hands. Gino and Frank and the rest of the restaurant watched with excitement for Hungry Lou to eat his cookie. Hungry Lou took a big bite.

"CRUNCH!" said the cookie. Hungry Lou's eyes went wide. The restaurant's mouth agape. Complete silence. Hungry Lou put the cookie on the plate, put his hands together, his eyes down and spoke.

"...You invite me to your territory, request my assistance to make a deal with you, break bread with me, then ask me to cleanse my palate... with a crunchy cookie?"

The restaurant was so silent you could hear a crumb drop.
"I have never been so insulted in my life!" Hungry Lou stood up in a rage. From the back, Marco Bopadina of the Tapadasta Family came running out, with a cloth restaurant napkin to wrap around Lou's neck, to strangle him.

Frank Tapadasta stood up.
"The crunchy cookie was a gift to you from my grandfather Frank Tapapini! Whose famous soft cookie recipe burned to ash when you torched he and his house to the ground!" shouted Frank. Frank grabbed the rest of the crunchy cookie from the plate, "Because of you, my family only eats crunchy cookies. So please... enjoy this final cookie, as a last respect to my late grandfather."

Frank began to jab and jam the crunchy cookie into Hungry Lou's mouth. It crushed and crumbled in Frank's hands and on Lou's face. Crunchy scratchy crumbs everywhere. It was not a pretty sight. Gino Bambino had to look away.

"Eh! Eh! Ew! Cough!" said a choking Hungry Lou.

Hungry Lou gave one final cough of air, bouncing a few crumbs out of his mouth. Justice had been served. The Tapadasta family never had to eat another crunchy cookie again.