The Enormous Cookie

Come closer, children. Let me tell you a story about love, care, baking and of course; an enormous cookie.

It will make your hearts pound and mouths water.

If you like cookies, that is.

The sun peeked from behind the curtains, and gaped at the cookie lying on the floor draped with a ginormous wrapper.

The cookie was large.

No, not large.

It was ENORMOUS.

The Bakers had created this. No, not "bakers". Bakers - the owners and hardworking creators of the best bakery shop in all of the country.

In case you didn't know; let me tell you this.

They were world-class bakers. And if you want to know how, this is it.

The Story of the Enormous Cookie.

Dan and Amanda Baker, the well-known bakers of Jonathan Street, were completely set on making the largest cookie in the world. It was coated with chocolate icing and bits of choco-chips could be seen peeking out from the crust.

'It's perfect, isn't it?' inquired Amanda, surveying it with birdlike eyes. 'I'll say it's perfect,' Dan said, pulling his daughter into a hug. 'I bet it'll win first prize,' he added, but honestly; he had no idea how an eight-foot-tall cookie would be dragged onstage. They needed men, but Amanda had forbidden it. 'We are strong, we shall do it ourselves,' she had declared.

The contest was going to be held two days from then. The best bakers of the century, Karl Harrington and Joana J. Warren were to be the judges; and Dan couldn't help but get the heebie-jeebies. As a boy, he'd wanted to impress both of them with his baking, but he wasn't such a good baker back then, despite his surname.

Now was the chance to show them what the Bakers could do.

'Dad, what are you thinking of?' asked Amanda, planting a kiss on his cheek. 'We're going to win and get the money. Don't you worry. Hey, it rhymes!' She giggled as she skipped off towards the large cookie to check its smell and - well, maybe take a bite or two.

The Bakers were a poor family. They took less and gave more, and that was the problem. They would give away something worth $80 only at $30; and thus their income was less.

They loaned and were in debt all the time, but money was not something to be trifled with.

When "God's Storm", as it was nicknamed, had arrived; it had ripped their house in shreds. Thankfully, Dan and his family had been away at their uncle's, and so they weren't harmed.

Ever since that incident, they craved for money. And this contest was the perfect chance to earn a few hundred pounds - but after all, there's no such thing as a free lunch!

Baking that enormous cookie had taken away half their savings.

'And now,' Dan Baker murmured to himself, 'we'd like our money back. By winning this contest.'

'And now, coming on stage, are the creators of Bakers' Yummy Yum-Yum Cookies!'

Applause and shouts of encouragement met Dan and Amanda as they mounted the stage, rolling the huge cookie forward. An audible gasp came from the crowd.

'This, my dear fellows, is the Baker's Yummy Yum-Yum Bakormous Cookie!' declared Dan, making a swift bow. 'Please proceed, Mr Harrington and Miss Warren,' invited Alice with a curtsy.

The judges got up feverishly from their seats and edged towards the cookie. Joana took out her knife and cut out a piece of it and put it in her mouth. 'W-O-W!' she exclaimed, her eyes wide. 'It's awesome! Karl, you should try this.' Cheers went up from the crowd as Karl munched another piece of the cookie and gave the "Wonderful" sign with three fingers.

Amanda and Dan covered their mouth with their hands, unable to believe it. Karl Harrington and Joana Warren had actually loved their enormous cookie!

'Amanda, darling,' said Dan softly in his daughter's ear, 'I think we just fished out third prize, at least.'

'And now for the results,' announced Warren, and fished out the trophy and the cashbox of notes kept for the winner.

'First prize goes to...'

Dan, Amanda and the rest of the participants waited with bated breath - everybody had tried their best - and thus it was very difficult to say who would carry the trophy home...

'...Bakers Yummy Yum Yum Bakormous Cookie!'

Cheers and jeers went up from the crowd as Dan and Amanda stood up, unable to believe their luck. 'I must know the reason!' muttered Dan, and mounted the stage once more; despite Amanda's warnings.

He gave a thank-you speech and a few words of encouragement, before moving on to the final question:

'Could you please tell me, my dear judges, why you gave our cookie the first place?'

Warren and Harrington shared a smile and replied in the microphone:

'Because it was baked with love. You see, the size was marvelous, yes.

'But the thing that mattered was that you baked it with love - and that could be deduced from its taste. The size and quantity doesn't matter, my dear Bakers. But the quality of it does.'

Everybody applauded and cheered at these words, but Amanda and Dan were aghast. 'So -' began Amanda. '- the size did not matter at all!' finished her father, and pulled his daughter into a hug.

The crowd went wild and the judges clapped.

The realization was epic - and many people, apart from Amanda and Dan Baker; need to realize that quality is important.

And I know they realized that wholeheartedly - for the writer of this story - I -

I am Amanda.

Are you asking me whether business was booming after that?

Well, yes - it was.

And we finished the ginormous cookie in three days with the help of all our neighbors.

If you ever reach Moreau Street, we'll be there.

The creators of Bakers' Yummy Yum Yum Cookies.

Oh yes, and we'll be there with a cookie.

An ENORMOUS one.

Written by AHANA C.

Age 10 +