Week 1 Storytelling: Johnny's Birthday

"PAT-A-CAKE, pat-a-cake, baker's man! (So I will, master), as fast as I can: Pat it, and prick it, and mark it with T, Put in the oven for Tommy and me."

(traditional nursery rhyme)

The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang and illustrated by L. Leslie Brooke (1897). Web source: Project Gutenberg.

There once was a little boy named Johnny who lived in a small, quiet town. All those living in the town knew Tommy to be extremely impatient. Everyone knew that his birthday was coming up in less than a week, because he did not let a moment pass by without announcing it for all to hear. He absolutely could not wait to be seven!

Even his best friend, Tommy, was getting tired of hearing about it. However, Tommy knew that he only had to hear about it for another week and then would be free of hearing about Johnny's birthday for at least another 8 months. Also, how could Tommy complain when he knew that he would get to eat some of Johnny's birthday cake?

Ah, birthday cake; the local baker's specialty. Golden, baked to perfection. Topped with delicious frosting. Each bite leaving you wanting more. Knowing that one would be able to eat the baker's  cake in less than a week was something anyone would be impatient about.

The days went by, each seeming to be longer and longer. Johnny was still as impatient as can be, which of course got worse by each passing moment. However, the day finally came and Johnny turned seven!

He woke up in the morning, eager to get out of bed and celebrate with the world. But first, he had to meet up with his best friend, Tommy. He and Tommy spent the entire morning together, laughing and celebrating Johnny's birthday. All they could talk about was the baker's cake they were going to have that night. It had been on their minds for the past month. Waiting for the bakery to open felt to them like an eternity.

Noon finally rolled around, and of course Johnny was the first in line.

"You made it! I was worried you wouldn't be here," the baker joked as Johnny rushed into the store.

"Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man," Johnny screamed with excitement, "pat it, and prick it, and mark it with T, Put in the oven for Tommy and me."

The baker gladly agreed and made the most delicious birthday cake Johnny had ever tasted.

Tommy and Johnny finished off the night celebrating Johnny's birthday with the last bite of cake.
"I can't wait until next year," Johnny sighed.

Photo of a man using a balance to measure a mass of flour. Source: Wikipedia

Author's Note:
This nursery rhyme was one I had heard growing up. It is about someone demanding a cake from a baker. The baker complies, agreeing to make the cake as fast as he can.

I got the idea for my story from the words in the nursery rhyme. The quickness of the baker reminded me of impatience, which is why the person in the story requesting the cake is young and eager to get his cake. I decided to make Tommy his best friend so they could share in the delicious cake together, because I believe that enjoying cake with friends always sounds better than enjoying cake alone.

I used this image because it is of a baker diligently making the perfect cake, which is how I imagined the baker in my story making his cake. He's measuring out everything necessary to ensure the success of his masterpiece of a cake.

I chose this nursery rhyme because I have been craving cake for the past few days; enough that I was inspired to write a short story about it. The delicious cake described in the story is exactly what I have wanted to eat. Hopefully soon I can taste a great baker's cake!