A Cake for Grandma

Today is Grandma Rose's birthday. She is seventy-five. Leo is ten, and he wants to make a cake for her.

Leo's mom is at work, but his big sister, Emma, is at home. “Can you help me?” Leo asks. “Of course,” says Emma.

They put flour, sugar, eggs and milk in a big bowl. Leo mixes everything. The kitchen is a mess, but Leo is happy.

The cake goes in the oven. Then Emma's phone rings. She talks and talks.

Suddenly, Leo smells something. “The cake!” he shouts. He opens the oven. The cake is black on top.

Leo is very sad. “Now I don't have a present for Grandma,” he says.

Emma looks at the cake. “Wait. The inside is OK. We can cut off the black part.”

They cut the top off the cake. Then they put cream and strawberries on it. Now it looks beautiful.

At six o'clock, Grandma Rose arrives. Leo gives her the cake.

Grandma eats a big piece. “This is the best cake in the world!” she says. Leo and Emma smile. The black part is their secret.