Hey everyone, and welcome back to Easy English! Today, we have another short story to learn from.

As always, we will read a short story in clear and easy English. At the end of the story, I will explain some difficult new vocabulary for you. I recommend listening to the story straight through the first time—listen the whole way through. Then, we will learn the words, and you can re-listen to the story a second time, trying to remember and hear those words.

OK, let’s get started!

Today’s short story is called The Big Bake Sale. It is quite a lighthearted and fun story today. Let’s get started.

It was a sunny Saturday morning, and the small town of Willow Creek was buzzing with excitement. Today was the annual community bake sale, held in the park. Everyone in town came to buy, sell, and enjoy homemade treats. The money raised would help improve the local library, which badly needed new books and fresh paint.

Tara, a 10-year-old girl with a big dream of becoming a famous baker, was especially excited. She had spent the whole week preparing her best recipe: chocolate chip cookies. Her mum had helped her practice, but the final batch was all Tara’s work.

“These cookies will be the best in town,” she said proudly as she packed them into boxes.

When Tara and her mum arrived at the park, the bake sale was already in full swing. Tables were covered with colourful tablecloths, and each one was piled high with cakes, pies, muffins, and pastries. Children were running around with sticky fingers, and music played from a speaker near the fountain.

Tara found her assigned spot and set up her table. She neatly arranged the cookies on a platter and added a small vase of flowers to make the display look inviting. Her mum helped her put up a sign:

Tara’s Famous Cookies: 2 for $1.00

Her first customer was Mr. Wilson, an elderly man who always wore a bowler hat.

“Good morning, Tara,” he said. “I’ll take four cookies, please.”

Tara handed him the cookies, and he took a bite straight away.

“Delicious!” he said with a smile. “I’ve tried cookies from all over the world, but these might just be my favourite.”

Tara beamed with pride.

As the morning went on, more and more people stopped by Tara’s table. Mrs. Patel bought a dozen cookies for her grandchildren, and even the mayor complimented Tara’s baking skills. By lunchtime, she had sold more than half of her cookies. Tara was starting to think that she might win the Best Baker Prize, given to the baker who sold the most treats.

But then, disaster struck.

A sudden gust of wind blew through the park, knocking over a nearby table. A tray of colourful cupcakes flew through the air and landed right on Tara’s table, smashing into her cookies. Frosting, crumbs, and chocolate chips were everywhere.

“Oh no!” Tara gasped. Her beautiful display was ruined.

Mia, the girl whose cupcakes had fallen, ran over, looking horrified.

“I’m so sorry!” she cried. “The wind knocked them over. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

Tara took a deep breath. She wanted to be upset, but then she remembered something her mum always said: Kindness is more important than winning.

“It’s OK,” Tara said. “Let’s fix this. Together.”

The two girls quickly cleaned up the mess. Tara’s cookies were no longer perfect, and Mia’s cupcakes were squashed. But Tara had an idea.

“Why don’t we combine our treats? We can sell cookie-cupcake sandwiches!”

Mia looked confused.

“Cookie-cupcake sandwiches?”

“Look,” Tara said, picking up a cookie, placing a smashed cupcake in the middle, and adding another cookie on top. “It’s like a dessert sandwich.”

Mia laughed. “That looks funny, but I bet it tastes amazing!”

The girls got to work making more cookie-cupcake sandwiches. They redecorated the sandwiches with sprinkles and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. When they were ready, Mia made a new sign:

Tara and Mia’s Mega Treats: $1.00 each

To their surprise, the new creation was a hit. People lined up to try the cookie-cupcake sandwiches. By the end of the day, their table was completely empty.

As the bake sale came to a close, the organisers announced the total money raised for the library. The crowd cheered, and Tara and Mia high-fived each other.

But there was one last surprise. The mayor walked up to the girls with a golden ribbon.

“This year, the Best Baker Prize goes to Tara and Mia, for their creativity and teamwork.”

Tara’s eyes lit up.

“Really? Even though we didn’t sell perfect cookies?”

“Sometimes the best treats come from a little bit of imagination,” the mayor said with a wink.

On the way home, Tara couldn’t stop smiling. She didn’t just learn a new recipe—she learned that working together could turn a disaster into something unforgettable.

Vocabulary:

• Annual: Happening once every year. (e.g., “The annual bake sale is held in the park.”)
• Sticky fingers: A playful way to describe hands covered in something sweet, like frosting or syrup.
• Complimented: From the verb to compliment; to tell someone they did something well. (e.g., “The mayor complimented Tara’s baking skills.”)
• Squashed: Flattened or crushed, usually by accident.
• Sprinkles: Tiny pieces of sugar used to decorate desserts.
• Teamwork: Working together to solve a problem or complete a task.