The Calico Critters Village Supermarket is always full of delicious food. The owner, Sam The Gray Cat Father, is famous for finding good things to eat. One day Sam hears about some very rare and good-tasting mushrooms, and he decides to go out into the mountains.
“I won’t be back till late,”
he tells Linus the Gray Cat Boy and Lauren the Gray Cat Girl.

“Look after the store for me today.”
Hearing this, Freya the Chocolate Rabbit Girl and Ralph the Walnut Squirrel Boy put up their hands.
“We’ll help!” they say.
They’ve always wanted to help in the supermarket. After Sam has gone, Holly the Silk Cat Mother comes to the supermarket.

“Welcome!” shout Freya and Ralph. As Holly looks around the store, they race ahead.
“How about some nice, fresh vegetables?” says Freya.
“The bread is fresh-baked, you know,” says Ralph.
Holly goes home with her arms full of groceries.

“She bought lots of things I recommended,” says Freya.
“She bought more of the things I recommended,” argues Ralph.
So they decide to see who can sell the most. Seeing them, Lauren shakes her head.
“Oh, well,” she says, and keeps quiet.
“Freya’s sure to sell a lot,” thinks Ralph.
“What can I do?”

Now Hilda the Hamster Mother comes in with her twins. She is having a hard time carrying things while she pushes their baby carriage. Ralph has an idea.

“I know! I’ll deliver the things she buys for her!”
As a squirrel, Ralph is quick and active, so this is perfect for him.
“If you buy from me, I’ll deliver everything for you!”
“Yes, please!” say the customers, and they come over to Ralph.
“That was a great idea!” says Ralph, who is now very busy.

Freya, on the other hand, thinks, “I like cooking, so I’m going to use that to advertise.”
She decides to use food from the supermarket to make sweet things to eat, and to have the customers taste them. Set out on the counter are pies and other delicious-looking things.
“Please try them,” says Freya.
“They’re all made with food from this supermarket.”

Soon the supermarket is filled with customers, and Freya is busy cooking.
“Hurray, I win!” she smiles as she bustles about. So at first the two are doing very well indeed.

But after a little while, Ralph has so many things to deliver that he starts to get confused.
“Let me see...carrots for the Milk Rabbits, corn for the Chihuahuas...what else was there?”
The Bears get fish when they were expecting potatoes, and the Red Deers only get one of their tomatoes. There are more and more mistakes like this, and finally Ralph cries, “I can’t do this!”

Meanwhile, everyone is pleased with what Freya has made, but she’s used up all the ingredients, and there is nothing left to buy for the customers who ask for them.
All she can say is,
“I’m sorry, we’re all sold out,” and send them away empty-handed.

Ralph and Freya have tried too hard, and all they’ve done is cause trouble. Late that afternoon, as they are cleaning up, Freya and Ralph apologize to Linus and Lauren.
“We shouldn’t have tried to beat each other,” says Freya.
“I’m sorry we caused so much trouble,” says Ralph.

“That’s all right. You both tried really hard,” say Linus and Lauren, trying to cheer them up, but it doesn’t help.

“Helping out in the supermarket was a big mistake. They’ll never let us do that again,”
Freya and Ralph think sadly as they go home. But the next day Lauren has a surprise for them. She tells them the supermarket is filled with customers wanting their groceries delivered, or hoping to taste the food there. Freya and Ralph’s ideas for tasting and delivery are a big success.

“So come and help out in the supermarket again some time,” says Lauren. Freya and Ralph are delighted.
“Sure! We love the supermarket,” they say.

THE END