Give Them Cake

In the main street of town was the Dreamy Cream Cake Shop with windows agleam with iced favourites and small pastries . Children loved to stand outside and gaze in at the display wishing that they had some money to buy just one of those special delights . Deek always went home from school past the cake shop because he loved to smell the aroma of fresh donuts . Looking costs nothing but as far as Deek was concerned looking wasn't good enough . Despite having no money he decided he was going to cross that line between right and wrong .
He had planned a snatch and grab long before he had reached the cake shop on his way home . He waited until the last customer walked out of the shop and saw his chance when Mr Ralters the shop owner left the counter unattended to answer a telephone call in the back room .
Deek slipped inside the shop with his mouth watering . He slid open the front glass door window and quickly snatched a cream sponge cake from the display stand . He raced out of the shop and swallowed it as he ran off down the road . It tasted so sweet and melted easily in his mouth .
Suddenly a hand grabbed Deek by the collar .

"You greedy little thief !
Said Casey the Cop .

"what are you talking about ?
Deek replied .

"I was watching you from across the road as you smashed the window of the cake shop and stole all those cakes and now you are going to pay for it ."

"But I only took one cake ."
Said Deek .

"That's what you say . I have a witness who can back my story and you are in big trouble young man .
Casey said .

"What are you talking about ?
Deek said, struggling to catch his breath as Casey gripped him tighter .

Casey the cop put the squeeze on and said ,d
"Now you are going down in a blaze of flames unless you do as I tell you ."

Deek started to cry and said ,
"I never did it ."

"Yes you did ."
Said Casey and he dragged Deek back to the Mr Ralters cake shop .

"Well . Well . If it isn't the young thief who stole the cake ."
said Mr Ralter .

Deek fell to the ground and screamed ,
"All right . I took the sponge cake but I never smashed the window ."

"Thank you Mr Casey .I'll take it from here ".
Said Mr Ralter .

Casey left the shop and the shop owner put a closed sign on the door
"Right then . What do you call yourself ?

"Deek "
Came the reply .
"I'll call you Sleeky Deek then . So come on follow me into the kitchen ."

They walked into the back where Deek was told to sit down on a stool .

Mr Ralter opened a note book and wrote down some figures . The he took a sponge cake from a cooling tray and eat it in front of Deek . He pressed another into the ground before offering it to him to eat . Deek refused and Mr Ralter looked firmly and him and said .

"Sleeky Deek what a terrible thing you have done breaking my window and stealing my display sponge cake . There are other extra costs for making my life difficult . That's how I see it .

"I never broke you're window ."
Deek exclaimed .

"That's what you say . I figure that you owe me about a good days work starting from now . So if you do as you're told in my kitchen , maybe I'll forget about the broken window . I'll tell you what ."

Mr Ralter said as he grabbed a broom from the corner and placed it into Deeks hand .

"You can start by sweeping up the kitchen floor .Then after that you can do the wash up in the sink . After you've finished that you can help roll out the dough for tomorrows pastries. Then if I can think of anything else I'll let you know . 

Deek did as he was told and said ,
"I'm sorry Mr Ralter for stealing a cake but I never broke your window

"You were Sleeky enough to grab from my shop when my back was turned so I can be just as Sleeky too . Keep working or I'll call Casey and press more serious charges .

Deek swept up and washed up, then he had an idea . He replaced spice instead of icing sugar and salt into the castor sugar . Now he was ready to even up the score .

When it was time to begin to roll the dough he added a few extra spices to the mix when Mr Ralter wasn't looking .
At the end of the day when all the work was done Deek watched as all the trays and cakes tins were placed into the oven . After the timer was turned on Deek was allowed to leave .

"I don't feel as angry now . On your way . If I ever see you in my shop again I'll throw you out . Now move . "
Said Mr Ralter .

Deek went running up the road and had to invent a good excuse for his parents who must have been worried sick about their boy .
When he got home he told his Mother that he had to help an old lady who had taken a bad fall . His Mother was so proud of him that she gave him a special cake with a cup of hot chocolate . Deek ate the cake and drank the cocoa and said with a grin,

"What do you call this cake Mum ?"

"It's a tea spice sponge cake ."

"Very nice ."
Said Deek who finished every crumb before going to bed .

The next day on the way to school Deek noticed a large crowd of people outside the Dreamy Cream Cake Shop . They were all shouting and waving their fists as poor old Mr Ralter tried to explain what was wrong .

As Deek walked past all he could hear Mr Ralter say was ,

"It wasn't me . I swear . I don't know who put the herbs into the custard tart .
Please let me replace them ."

The people were red with rage . Mr Ralter was blue in the face with worry and Deek went skipping off to school like a gazelle over a rocky mountainside .

THE END