The story is inspired by both Rutu's recollections of what she liked as a child, and by her own daughter, Michal. When Rutu said to Michal one evening, "How badly you eat! What would you do if the Queen invited you to dine at the palace?"
The story draws from Rutu's personal experiences of what delighted her as a child, and also from her own daughter Michal. One evening, Rutu remarked to Michal, "You eat so inadequately! If the Queen were to invite you to dinner at the palace, what would you do?"