COCOA 



CHAPTER I 



A SURPRISE PACKET 



IT so happens that I drop in to see you at a moment 

 when you are busy unpacking a parcel. Friends 

 such as we are, travelling companions who have pulled 

 out together many a time on old trails and new for 

 thousands-of-miles long journeys, do not stand on 

 ceremony when they meet. 



"Surprise packet just arrived!" you explain ex- 

 citedly, proceeding to make quick work of removing 

 string and paper. One by one you carefully extract 

 the contents of a packing-case, unwrapping each find 

 from its tissue-paper covering, or drawing it out of its 

 corrugated cardboard sheath before you again dip into 

 the paper shavings to try your luck once more. 



In a few minutes the table is set out with a variety 

 show of good things a daintily beribboned big box of 

 mixed chocolates, pound, half-pound and quarter- 

 pound packets of plain chocolate, cartons of Neapoli- 

 tans, a slab of nut-milk chocolate, a box of chocolate 

 almonds, a tin of cocoa, a tin of chocolate biscuits, a 

 tin of chocolate powder, a tin of cocoa and milk 

 powder, and a tin of condensed cocoa and milk. 



"What a tuck-box !" you exclaim "food for the 

 gods!" 



" The very name !" I break in hurriedly, before you 



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