Chocolate Fever
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''Chocolate Fever'' is a
juvenile fiction Young adult literature (YA) is typically written for readers aged 12 to 18 and includes most of the themes found in adult fiction, such as family dysfunction, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality. It is characterized by simpler world build ...
story that was authored by
Robert Kimmel Smith Robert Kimmel Smith (July 31, 1930 – April 18, 2020) was an American novelist and children's author. Smith was born in Brooklyn, New York and first learned to read from his mother Sally. Smith was inspired to become a writer at age eight, when h ...
. The story was published in 1972.


Plot summary

Young Henry Green loves chocolate so much, he eats it every day and puts it on everything: chocolate
mashed potatoes Mashed potato or mashed potatoes (American English, American, Canadian English, Canadian, and Australian English), colloquially known as mash (British English), is a dish made by mashing boiled or steamed potatoes, usually with added milk, butt ...
, chocolate-sprinkled
noodles Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures and made into a variety of shapes. The most common noo ...
, chocolate
marshmallows Marshmallow (, ) is a confectionery made from sugar, water and gelatin whipped to a solid-but-soft consistency. It is used as a filling in baking or molded into shapes and coated with corn starch. This sugar confection is inspired by a medicina ...
, etc. As it apparently has no adverse effects on Henry's health or well-being, his parents allow it. Then one day at school, Henry does not feel right. During class, he notices that he is breaking out in little brown spots, on his arms. He shows them to his teacher, Mrs. Kimmelfarber who initially dismisses them as freckles. However, the spots suddenly appear on his face as well, and Mrs. Kimmelfarber rushes Henry to Nurse Farthing, the school nurse. She determines that Henry has a strange
rash A rash is a change of the skin that affects its color, appearance, or texture. A rash may be localized in one part of the body, or affect all the skin. Rashes may cause the skin to change color, itch, become warm, bumpy, chapped, dry, cracke ...
, but cannot determine anything else. Both Mrs. Kimmelfarber and Nurse Farthing smell a mysterious odor of chocolate in the air, which they initially think little of. Suddenly, the small brown spots begin turning into larger brown lumps, similar to chocolate chips, with an audible popping noise. Alarmed, Nurse Farthing takes Henry to the hospital. At the hospital, Henry is examined by Dr. Fargo, who sends a
culture Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...
from the lumps to the lab for further analysis. Just as he smells the aroma of chocolate, the lab returns with the news that Henry's lumps are made of "100% pure chocolate". Dr. Fargo announces that Henry is the first person in history to be diagnosed with "chocolate fever", and makes plans to broadcast his discovery to the world. Homesick, frightened and disliking being treated like a science experiment, Henry flees from the hospital. The hospital staff and police pursue Henry for a lengthy chase, but he eventually escapes. Afraid of facing Dr. Fargo again, Henry opts to run away. He later runs into a group of boys from another school who bully him over his appearance. Henry bluffs them by telling them that his chocolate fever is a contagious and deadly disease, and they allow him to escape. That night, an exhausted Henry attempts to hitchhike beside the highway, where he is picked up by a delivery driver named Mac. Mac convinces Henry that his parents are probably worried about him and offers to drive him back home, but the two are unexpectedly hijacked by two criminals named Lefty and Louie, who believe Mac is hauling a load of valuable furs. They are confused to find that Mac's truck really contains a load of chocolate bars. Now left with two unexpected hostages, the crooks take Mac and Henry back to their hideout and tie them up while they plan what to do next. A group of dogs on the trail of Henry's chocolate aroma burst into the hideout, distracting Lefty and Louie while Mac frees himself and takes their guns. The police arrive and arrest the criminals. Mac and Henry drive on to the candy company to drop off the cargo of chocolate bars and call Henry's parents. Plant owner Alfred "Sugar" Cane recognizes Henry's illness and explains that the only way to cure chocolate fever is by eating the opposite of chocolate:
vanilla Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus ''Vanilla (genus), Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the flat-leaved vanilla (''Vanilla planifolia, V. planifolia''). ''Vanilla'' is not Autogamy, autogamous, so pollination ...
. He gives Henry a small box of vanilla pills, and explains that when he was a boy, he too, overindulged in chocolate, and subsequently suffered from chocolate fever. While Mr. Cane still loves chocolate today, he learned to enjoy it in moderation. Back home, Henry recovers from his chocolate fever and the brown spots vanish. He joins his family at breakfast, where he learns that Mr. Cane, Mac, Nurse Farthing, and Dr. Fargo have all called to check in on him. When his mother offers him
chocolate syrup Chocolate syrup, sometimes called chocolate sauce, is a sweet, chocolate-flavored condiment. It is often used as a topping or dessert sauce for various desserts, such as ice cream, or mixed with milk to make chocolate milk or blended with mil ...
on his pancakes, Henry remembers moderation and decides to go without the syrup, using
cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, b ...
instead. He is so delighted by the taste of cinnamon that he finds himself thinking of all the other foods that might be improved with cinnamon, only to wonder if there might be such a thing as "cinnamon fever".


Animated adaptation

On May 18, 1985, an animated adaptation of ''Chocolate Fever'' was shown on the ''
CBS Storybreak ''CBS Storybreak'' is a Saturday morning anthology television series that originally aired on the CBS network from 1985 to 1989. Hosted by Bob Keeshan (and in its 1993 return by Malcolm-Jamal Warner), the episodes are half-hour animation, animate ...
'' TV program. This adaptation was also released on video by
Playhouse Video Playhouse Video was a sub-label of CBS/Fox Video operating from 1984 to 1989. The company was responsible for release of some older, kids and family aimed Fox films, in addition to other things CBS/Fox Video had the rights to at the time. The com ...
.


References


External links


''Chocolate Fever'' at Powell's Books''Chocolate Fever'' at Random House, Inc."CBS Storybreak" Chocolate Fever (TV episode 1985) at the Internet Movie Database
{{Portal , Children's literature American children's novels 1972 American novels 1972 children's books CBS Storybreak Fiction about chocolate