By Hannah Pell
Little Brown Bear was very excited. It was Fox’s birthday, and he was going to make her a cake. Everyone had wanted to help. Squirrel gave some of his best hazelnuts that he was saving for winter. Hedgehog offered some blackberries that she had picked in the woods, and Badger gave some fresh eggs that he had bought from the Fat White Hen.
Bear had never made a cake before, but he had seen Grandma do it and thought it couldn’t be that hard.
First, he got out all of his ingredients: butter, sugar, flour and the eggs from Badger. Bear dropped the bag of flour, and the whole kitchen, including Bear, was covered in the white dust. He started again, put everything in the mixer and turned it on. It didn’t look right, and there were funny lumps in it.
“Silly Brown Bear,” said Grandma, “you forgot to crack your eggs.”
Sure enough theere were bits of egg shell in Fox’s cake. Bear started to cry.
“Never mind” said Grandma, “I’ll help you.”
They put the butter and sugar in a clean bowl, and mixed it together until it was fluffy. Then they added the eggs, with the shells removed this time. Next came the flour, which Grandma said had to be gently folded in so she did that part. Bear got to smash the nuts from Squirrel with a rolling pin, which was a lot of fun.
They put the mixture in the oven, and when it was finished baking Grandma took it out of the oven to cool. Bear put the blackberries from Hedgehog on the top, and Fox’s cake was finished.
Squirrel couldn’t wait to try some, Badger said it was the best looking cake he had seen and Hedgehog was very proud to see her blackberries on the top.
Everyone took it to Fox’s house. She was very surprised and happy that she had such nice friends. Bear told her that everybody had helped, but Badger said it had been Bear’s idea.
Fox gave Bear a kiss on the check.
“You clever little Brown Bear.”
