儿童英语读物 The Cupcake Caper CHAPTER 1 Mama Tova’s Secret

“Come on, hurry!” six-year-old Benny Alden said, tugging 1 his sister Violet’s hand, practically dragging her down the sidewalk. “Mama Tova just took the cupcakes out of the oven!”



Until a few months ago, the Aldens’ neighbor Maria Tovanoff, who was known to everyone as “Mama Tova,” only made her tasty cupcakes just for family and friends. But the treats were so popular that Mama Tova decided 2 to open a small shop in Greenfield.



She made only 108 cupcakes every day—nine dozen. They all came from the same recipe, but each cupcake was a little different, because Mama Tova added delicious flavors and wonderfully tasty decorations.



When all the cupcakes sold out, the store closed until the next day!



Ten-year-old Violet asked her brother Benny, “How can you tell the cupcakes are ready?”



“My nose knows,” Benny said.



Henry and Jessie, their older siblings 3, began to laugh.



“Benny’s nose is amazing,” Fourteen-year-old Henry remarked, ruffling 4 Benny’s hair.



“His nose is the eighth wonder of the world. And if Benny smells the cupcakes, we’d better hurry,” Jessie said, breaking into a run. “I hope Mama Tova has some left when we get there.”



Henry’s thick brown hair bounced up and down as he kept pace with his twelve-year-old sister. It wasn’t long before they arrived at the front of Sweets, Mama Tova’s new cupcake bakery.



“Oh no,” Henry said, seeing a long line of people in front of the building. “We’ll never get a cupcake today.”



“Thirty-one, thirty-two,” Benny was busy counting the people in front of them in line. Mama Tova’s rule was “only one cupcake per person.”



“You’re number sixty-four!” Benny told Henry, who breathed a sigh of relief.



“Whew! We got here in time,” Jessie said happily.



Benny jumped up and down, clapping his hands and shouting, “Hip 5! Hip! Hurray! We’re going to eat a cupcake today.”



Very patiently, the Alden children stood in line waiting for their turn at the cupcake counter.



“I wish we could buy an extra cupcake for Grandfather,” Violet said.



“Maybe he can come with us next time,” Henry replied. “We could bring Watch on a leash 6 and sit outside at the little tables.”



Jessie, Violet, Henry and Benny lived with their grandfather. After their parents died, they ran away and hid in a railroad boxcar in the woods. They heard that their Grandfather Alden was mean. Even though they’d never met him, they were afraid. But when he finally found the children, they discovered he wasn’t mean at all. Now the children lived with him, and their boxcar was a clubhouse in the backyard. They even got to bring along the stray dog they found on their adventures, a wire-haired terrier named Watch.



“Hey Jessie. Scoot forward, please,” Benny told his sister as the cupcake line moved up a little bit.



Jessie and the others took a few steps closer to the boy in front of them. The sisters knew him from school. His name was Pauly and he was in the class between Jessie and Violet. Pauly had straight dark hair and wore braces 7.



Just before it was his turn at the counter, Pauly turned to Jessie and said, “Can you believe Mama Tova makes me wait in line? I mean I am her nephew, after all.” Pauly complained. “I liked the way it was before she opened the shop. I could have all the cupcakes I wanted, all the time.”



Finally they were almost at the head of the line.



“Next!” called Mrs. Waldman, one of the workers at the shop. It was Pauly’s turn to order. With a sigh, he pointed 8 at a chocolate chip cupcake with purple frosting.



“At least she still gives them to me for free,” Pauly told the Aldens. He went off to eat his cupcake.



“It’s our turn!” Benny announced doing his cheer once again, this time adding, “Hip. Hip. Hurray. A yummy cupcake is on its way!”



“This is the last tray,” Mama Tova announced. She carried three dozen cupcakes to the front. The shop was so busy that Mama Tova needed helpers. Mrs. Waldman served the cupcakes and poured cold milk or lemonade. A girl named Alicia, who was Henry’s age, rang up orders at the cash register.



“Four cupcakes, please,” Henry told Alicia. Each of the Alden children picked out the one they wanted. Benny’s had chocolate cookie dough 9 frosting. Jessie’s was filled with lemon custard and drizzled 10 with lemon icing. Henry’s cupcake had a red cinnamon candy frosting. And Violet picked a purple colored cupcake with blueberry frosting.



“Here you go,” Alicia said. Her curly blonde hair was pulled up under a hat with a huge, floppy 11, red fabric 12 flower in the middle. Her apron 13 was printed with the same flowers. It was the Sweets uniform. Mrs. Waldman and Mama Tova wore flowered aprons 14 and hats, too.



Each table at Sweets had a flowered tablecloth 15 and a vase of fresh flowers on it. Floral pictures of all different kinds hung on the walls around the room. And there were little purple lilies on the wallpaper. Outside there were even more flowers in a beautiful planter box.



“I just love the decorations in here,” Violet told Jessie as they found a table. “All of the flowers make me feel so happy and bright.” She touched one of the petals 16 on the flower in their table vase. “No matter what season it is outside, it will always be spring at Sweets,” Violet said.



“You say that every time we come here,” Jessie said, laughing.



“I know. I think I should paint a picture of some flowers for my bedroom wall.” Violet glanced around. “Maybe some like that.” She pointed to a painting of a single pink flower. “I don’t even know what kind of flower that is, but it’s so pretty. I could stare at that picture all day.”



Jessie said, “I’ll look it up on the internet when we get home. At least then you’ll know what you’re drawing.”



“Thanks, Jessie,” Violet said.



The children began to eat their cupcakes. They were so delicious, no one talked while they ate. Not even Benny.



When he was done, Benny licked his fingers and sighed. “I’m so sad it’s gone.”



“We can come back again soon,” Henry assured Benny, while Jessie handed him a napkin.



“So, how about same time, next week?” Benny asked his brother, eyes wide. “And then we could come the week after that, too.”



“And maybe even the one after that,” Henry promised.



When all the children were finished, they took their plates and cups to the counter.



“Thanks,” Alicia said, taking the dishes.



“Wow, Alicia,” Jessie said, “Your necklace is so pretty.” Alicia was wearing a gold chain with a large glittery letter G hanging from it.



“Thanks,” she said again, lightly touching 17 the letter. “It’s new.”



Just before the Aldens left the shop, Mama Tova came out of the kitchen. She always spent some time in the shop, welcoming her customers. “Hello children,” she greeted as she made her way through the crowd. “How’d you like the cupcakes?”



“I could have eaten all 108 of them by myself,” Benny exclaimed, patting his stomach. “Why are your cupcakes so good?”



Mama Tova chuckled 18. “It’s because of my secret ingredient. I put it in all the cupcakes I make.”



“Oh, will you tell me what it is?” Benny asked. “Please?”



Mama Tova ruffled 19 Benny’s shiny dark brown hair. “Sorry, Benny. It’s an old family recipe. I can’t tell anyone, ever. But I will tell you this …” She smiled, then said, “I keep the secret ingredient right here at the shop, underneath 20 the flower.”



Jessie, Henry, Violet and Benny looked around the shop at all the different flowers. There were flowers everywhere!



Mama Tova winked 21. Then they all laughed together.