The Uneaten Side Dish
Every morning, a man made a packed lunch for his wife.
She always brought the lunchbox home empty, but seeing it made him sad every time.
One day, she brought it home with some food left inside, and he smiled.
Why?
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Hints
Use as many hints as you need, one at a time.
Hint 1
Even when the lunchbox was empty, he did not think that his wife had enjoyed her meal.
Hint 2
The food left in the lunchbox was a side dish she had disliked before.
Hint 3
She told him why she had left that dish.
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Answer
His wife had lost her sense of taste. She had begun eating even the foods she used to dislike without saying anything. Every empty lunchbox reminded him that she could no longer taste her food, and that made him sad.
That day, however, she had left only a side dish she had always disliked.
“Sorry. This was too bitter for me to eat.”
Hearing her words, he realized that she could taste again, and he was delighted.
Explanation
After losing her sense of taste, his wife stopped saying what she wanted to eat.
“I can’t taste anything, so I’m happy to have the same dishes as you.”
Following her wishes, he made packed lunches for both of them every morning.
She always ate everything. Even the dishes she would once have left because they tasted bitter were gone.
Whenever he saw her empty lunchbox, he felt sad for her: she could no longer taste either the flavors she liked or those she disliked.
Then one day, she left only a side dish she had always disliked.
“Sorry. This was too bitter for me to eat.”
She looked apologetic, but he smiled.
She could taste again.
After so long, hearing her express a food preference was a joy to him.
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