Max was an expert explorer. His house was his jungle, and his backyard was a whole new planet. He'd peek under the sofa cushions for lost treasure and ask his mum a million questions, like "Why do spiders have so many legs?" and "Do flowers get sleepy at night?". The kitchen smelled warm and sweet like Mum's baking, a smell that always made his tummy rumble with excitement for his tucker.

But one evening, Mum placed a bowl in front of him that wasn't like any tucker he'd seen before. It was a swirl of bright green with lumpy white bits and tiny red dots. It looked like something from outer space! "What is it?" Max asked, poking his fork near the edge of the bowl, but not quite touching the green goo.

"It's a special pasta surprise," Mum said with a smile. But Max wasn't so sure. A surprise? He wrinkled his nose. "I don't know..." he whispered to his toy dinosaur, Rexy, who was sitting next to his plate. "The green bits look like squished aliens. And the white bits look like wobbly rocks." He pushed the bowl a tiny bit further away.

Mum saw his worried face. "Remember how you explored the backyard and found that cool, twisty stick? You thought it was a snake at first, but it was just a stick, and it became your magic wand. Sometimes things that look strange are secretly wonderful." Max thought about his magic wand. Exploring was his favourite thing! He took a deep breath, scooped up a tiny bit of green, a wobbly white bit, and a little red dot onto his fork. He closed his eyes and... pop! He put it in his mouth.

Max’s eyes flew open. Woah! The green stuff was creamy and yummy, the white bits were soft like little pillows, and the red bits were sweet and juicy. It wasn't alien goo at all! It was the most delicious pasta he had ever tasted. He gobbled up every last bite. From that day on, Max knew that being an explorer wasn't just for backyards—it was for dinner time, too. And trying new things was the best adventure of all.