Louis had two green buckets and three sponges. One sponge looked tired.

Louis picked it up. It stayed the shape of the bottom of the bucket.

It has gone crunchy.

“Like a biscuit,” Ava said.

“Not a useful sort of biscuit,” Louis replied.

A car was coming to the wash that afternoon. Louis looked at his money-band. Five coins. He had planned to keep three towards a torch, put one aside and spend one on a doughnut.

A pack of new sponges cost two coins. He frowned at his plan.

“Do you have to buy the work sponges?” Mum asked. “Let's check with Mr Mean.”

Mr Mean came to the doorway. Louis held up the crunchy one.

It has gone crunchy.

Mr Mean turned it over. It did look remarkably like a biscuit.

“The work sponges are mine to supply,” he said. “There are new ones in the cupboard.”

Louis smiled. His plan could stay as it was.

Mr Mean pointed to the old sponge. “That one goes out.”

Before it went, Ava asked whether she could use its shape as a drawing idea. On paper she drew a very square creature with three legs, a hat and crumbs coming out of its ears.

“What is it?” Louis asked.

“The Crunch,” said Ava. “It eats bubbles.”

The fresh sponge made a fine heap of foam. Louis washed the car. Ava added a second creature to her picture.

This one looked suspiciously like a robot.

“It doesn't eat robots,” she assured me.

I was very pleased to hear it.