Bullying is a huge problem today and people often do not realize that their actions have impact, sometimes very undesirable impact, on the lives of others. The Ketchup Incident, inspired by a true event stemming from a bully, was written to help people, especially children, understand that even things that seem trivial to themselves can have disastrous outcomes on the lives of others. It is a short story designed to make people think. Although The Ketchup Incident is a sad story, there are valuable lessons to be gained from it. Sometimes kids act like bullies and they don't even know it. This story was written to help children and adults understand that even a seemingly harmless prank can have a disastrous outcome on the lives of others.
"I cried from both eyes." --S.M., 8 years old, boy
"It is the saddest story I have ever read." -- M.T, 11 years old, girl
