The Cake

Once a Cake would go seek his fortune in the world, and he took his leave of the Pan he was baked in. "I know my destiny," said the Cake. "I must be eaten, since to that end I was made; but I am a good cake, if I say it who should not, and I would fain choose the persons I am to benefit." "I don't see what difference it makes to you!" said the Pan. "But imagination is hardly your strong point!" said the Cake. "Huh!" said the Pan. The Cake went on his way, and soon he passed by a cottage door where sat a woman spinning, and her ten children playing about her. "Oh!" said the woman, "what a beautiful cake!" and she put out her hand to take him. "Be so good as to wait a moment!" said the Cake. "Will you kindly tell me what you would do with me if I should yield myself up to you?" "I shall break you into ten pieces," said the woman, "and give one to each of my ten children. So you will give ten pleasures, and that is a good thing." "Oh, that would be very nice, I am sure," said the Cake; "but if you will excuse me for mentioning it, your children seem rather dirty, especially their hands, and I confess I should like to keep my frosting unsullied, so I think I will go a little further." "As you will!" said the woman. "After all, the brown loaf is better for the children." So the Cake went further, and met a fair child, richly dressed, with coral lips and eyes like sunlit water. When the child saw the Cake, he said like the woman, "Oh, what a beautiful Cake!" and put out his hand to take it. "I am sure I should be most happy!" said the Cake. "And you will not take it amiss, I am confident, if I ask with whom you will share me." "I shall not share you with any one!" said the child. "I shall eat you myself, every crumb. What do you take me for?" "Good gracious!" cried the Cake. "This will never do. Consider my size, and yours! You would be very ill!" "I don't care!" said the child. "I'd rather be ill than give any away." And he fixed greedy eyes on the Cake, and stretched forth his hand again. "This is really terrible!" cried the Cake. "What is one's frosting to this? I will go back to the woman with the ten children." He turned and ran back, leaving the child screaming with rage and disappointed greed. But as he ran, a hungry Puppy met him, and swallowed him at a gulp, and went on licking his chops and wagging his tail. "Huh!" said the Pan.