Pancake didn’t see her brother that often so she wanted everything to be just right.

Knock, knock, knock.

“He’s here!” squealed Pancake. She quickly tipped the last of her Pancake batter into the pan and hurried to the door.

“Pancake!” said Pascal, delighted to see his sister. The two Loopies hugged each other and then sat on Pancake’s comfy couches to catch up. They talked about this and that. They talked and talked. In fact they talked so much that Pancake forgot about her pancake, which is very unlike Pancake.

“What’s that burning smell?” asked Pascal after a while.

Pancake’s eyes widened.

“My pancakes!” she exclaimed, and ran to the kitchen. Her last pancake had burnt to a crisp and was as hard as a rock.

“We can’t eat this one,” she despaired to her brother, who was busy eating a pancake from one of her earlier batches, “it’s as hard as a board.”

Pascal’s ears pricked up, “A board?”

Pascal was the best surfer in all the seven seas and all the towns surrounding Acersville. Saying the word ‘board’ to Pascal was like saying the word ‘cheese’ to a mouse.

Pascal took the burnt pancake and hurried out of the house so fast that Pancake could hardly keep up. Pancake followed Pascal all the way to the beach and was just in time to see him floating over the waves on her burnt pancake! He disappeared under a wave and then re-appeared, riding the wave! He was using the pancake as a surfboard! Pancake cheered with glee as Pascal rolled out of the sea, carrying his new surfboard with him.

“Thanks Pancake.” He grinned, “This is the best surfboard I have ever had! And it will be perfect for tomorrow’s competition.”

The following day the beach was full of umbrellas and excited Loopies. They had all come to watch the Surf Competition. Wusky was serving juice in his Beach Cabana Café as fast as his hands could pour! The judges sat under a big shaded area with lots of cool water to drink and lots of scorecards to do their scoring.

The surfers lined up on the shore. One by one they each had a chance to ride the waves. When a surfer finished, the judges would hold up their scorecards, revealing what they thought of that surfer’s efforts in the sea.

Eventually it was Pascal’s turn to surf. He picked up his burnt pancake and headed toward the ocean. All the Loopies were astounded by Pascal’s funny looking surfboard. But they soon forgot about his funny looking board as he surfed, flipped and splashed in the waves. The crowd cheered and the judges gave perfect ten scores! Pascal was overjoyed and so was Pancake!

Later Pascal received a trophy and a medal for the best surfing that day. He smiled when the news crew interviewed him and said, “I couldn’t have done it without Pancake’s pancake!”

© 2007 Ingrid Holtshausen. All Rights Reserved.

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Pancake yawned and sat up in bed, turned on her lamp and squinted at her clock, it was midnight.

Grummmm, grummm, grrrrummmble.

Pancake rolled down the stairs and went to her fridge, she opened it but it was empty! Then Pancake remembered that she had already eaten everything in the fridge for supper. Grrrrrrrrummmmmble, grrrrummmble. Oh dear what was Pancake to do? Without a cookie or sandwich in sight, Pancake had no other choice but to get her coat and shoes and leave the house.

She walked all the way down the street to Acer Square. It was very quiet, every Loopie in Acersville was asleep. She scanned the Square; The Hardware shop, no nothing there would taste good. The hairdresser? She winced remembering the time she had eaten soap, and it wasn’t a good memory! Then, with delight she spotted Crumpet’s Bakery!

Pancake was Crumpet’s cousin and Pancake was certain that Crumpet wouldn’t mind if she ate something from the Bakery – just a teeny-weeny snack, just to end the grumbles in her tummy!

Pancake crept up to the door, she felt guilty for not asking, but it was so late, she couldn’t possibly ask permission now? She turned the door knob, it was open! Pancake tiptoed inside.

The Bakery contained the most amazing and delicious pastries, doughnuts and cakes! Her mouth watered and as quick as a flash she began putting her grumbles to bed! She ate and ate and couldn’t stop, she ate so much she became quite paralyzed. In fact she ate so much that she didn’t even notice the police-men outside! They were shinning their torches into the Bakery windows to investigate the break-in!

Just then she heard sirens and a loud voice saying, “Come out with your hands up!”
Pancake froze. She was so frightened. Were they talking to her? She got up slowly and shook the sprinkles from her skirt and wiped the icing from around her mouth. As she got outside, Police-men surrounded her from every angle, hand-cuffed her, bundled her into their car and sped off to the police station with sirens blaring.

The following day, the Loopies held a trial for Pancake. Every Loopie in Acersville was there, including Crumpet who stood in the court room looking very upset.Pancake was wearing a big orange overall and was led out by two policemen. She was cuffed with heavy chains, and looked like a dangerous criminal. Crumpet gasped when she saw that her cousin was the perpetrator of this crime against her Bakery! Pancake stared at the floor, she felt quite horrible!

The judge looked at Crumpet, “What are the charges against this criminal?” he barked.
“I don’t wish to press charges anymore your Honour.” said Crumpet softly.
Pancake was relieved. The judge glared at her and said, “Then you are free to go.”
“Thank you Crumpet.” She breathed, as the Police removed her chains.
“But!” barked the judge. Pancake jumped at his gruff voice. “There is one thing I am sentencing you to, and that is a few weeks of Community Service!” He banged his hammer and the court was adjourned.

Pancake looked at her cousin. “I’m sorry Crumpet, I was just … hungry.” She admitted, her tummy beginning to grumble yet again.
Crumpet smiled, the judge had given her a good idea!
“How do you feel about waffles and lemonade, Pancake?” asked Crumpet.

Pancake’s mouth watered! “You don’t even have to ask!” she squealed delightedly, thinking of the beautiful breakfast her cousin would be making her!
“Perfect!” said Crumpet. “Then you can get started right away!”
Pancake looked confused, Crumpet only giggled.

So the next two weeks Pancake spent her days squeezing lemonade and making waffles out-side of The Acorn Academy School and selling them to hungry Loopies. Poor Pancake! I hope she’s learnt her lesson!

© 2006 Ingrid Holtshausen. All Rights Reserved.

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