It was a sunny afternoon, and little Lala was so excited. Thuy had baked a soft, sweet strawberry cake — Lala’s favorite — and promised her a special slice after lunch. With stars in her eyes and a spoon in hand, Lala ran to the kitchen… but when she got there, she froze.
Her plate was empty.
The cake was gone.
Lala’s eyes widened. She looked around the table, then under it, as if the cake might be hiding. But there was no sign of the delicious pink treat. Slowly, her bottom lip began to tremble.
“W-where’s my cake…?” she whispered.
A few seconds later, tears welled up in her eyes, and she began to cry softly. She didn’t want to blame anyone, but she didn’t understand. She had been waiting so patiently. “Who ate my cake?” she sobbed, sitting down with her head in her hands.
Hearing her cries, Thuy rushed in. “Oh no, Lala! What’s wrong?” she asked gently.
Lala looked up with big, watery eyes. “My cake is gone… I didn’t even get one bite.”
Thuy gasped, then looked over and saw tiny crumbs near the edge of the table… leading toward the window. Just then, Chip the mischievous monkey peeked his head in, licking frosting from his lips.
“Chip!” Thuy and Lala said together.
