Magic Bakery

Chapter 1: Meet Mary

"Alexa, play magic bakery mix."

"Yes Janet, playing magic bakery mix now."

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Oooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga

Sound of flour being flipped and folded.

Oooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga

Sound of metal tray taken out and placed on the counter.

Ooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga

Sound of parchment inserted into place and the batter being poured.

Ooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga

Sound of the oven door opening.

In goes the batter filled tray.

Sound of the oven door closing.

And now the magic as we wait a few.

Ooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga

Ooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga

Ooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga

Ooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga

Oven door opens again.

The tray is retrieved.

A pastry rises to life and burst into song.

"I can't stop this feeling

Deep inside of me

I've come to realize

There's something special inside of me

When I squeeze me

With my little arms so tight

They let me know

They let me know I'm right

I'm hooked on a feeling

I'm high on yeast and some believing

That there's something so special inside me

Granules as sweet as brown sugar

And I can smell vanilla too

It's got me wondering

If it's true

That I'm a cupcake

I believe that's right

The frosting and sprinkles are coming,

I'm going to be such a delight

I . . . I . . . I . . . I'm hooked on a feeling

I'm high on yeast and some believing

That there is something so special within me."

Ooga-chak Ooga-ooga

"I can see she's putting the frosting and spriiiiiiiiiinnnkkkkleees on other cupcakes! Are you excited? I'm so excited," as she nudged a nearby pastry.

Ooga-chaka Ooga-ooga

"I can't believe I'm a cupcake. Once I have my frosting and sprinkles I'm going to look completely irresistibly, Fabulous. I'll be Fabulous. Vogue. Vogue." She strikes a pose. "I wonder what flavor frosting? Do you think she'll use the rainbow sprinkles?" as she nudged another pastry.

Ooga-chaka Ooga-ooga

"All those colors of the rainbow sprinkles really match my colorful personality. Hey hey, we're the next tray!" as she announced to all the pastries on the tray.

Ooga-chaka Ooga-ooga

"Hey Jan," in walks another baker. "What do you need."

"Hi Darcie," and Jan paused putting frosting on the other pastries. "Can you take those out of the tray and place them in the display."

"Wait, what!?!?" but before Mary the singing pastry could protest she was already being carried away. "What are you doing? Next! Next! I'm supposed to be next!" she protested, but her view of frosting and sprinkles moved out of her sight.

Darcie lifted Mary the pastry out of the tray and into the display. "Get your grubby hands off me lady," and Mary's little imagined hands would have brushed off the lady if she could. "What is your problem lady!" Mary protested as she did her best to wiggle and fight free, but it was only her emotions that moved.

"Alright Jan, muffins are in the display, what's next."

"Say WHAT!?!?!" said the shocked Mary who learned she is in fact a muffin.

Ooga-chaka Oog . . .

"Oh quit it Alexa!" and Mary crossed her arms over ingredients baked inside she already forgot to be so special.

CHAPTER2: Meet Cookie

“Hi.” came a voice in the rack directly above hers in the display case.

“Whose that?” as Mary looked around before looking up.

“I’m,” and he paused a moment in thought, “I’m Cookie.”

“Oh – hey – Cookie,” Mary unenthusiastically responded.

“What’s wrong?” asked Cookie.

“It’s just – it’s just,” and Mary let out another sigh, “I’m as plain as jane.”

“Hey!” came the protest of a rather plain croissant named Jane, with her hands on her hips and steamy glance over to Mary.

“No, I didn’t mean – plain as jane – it's, it's - sorry Jane,” and Mary blushed embarrassed. “It’s just that,” and Mary looked over at the colorful cupcakes, “that was supposed to be me, and instead I’m this miserable muffin.”

“Can’t you be any kind of muffin you want to be? Isn’t a miserable muffin the choice to be – miserable?” questioned Cookie.

“Quiet cookie!” no one needs comments from the peanut gallery.”

“Hey!” came a calamity of protest from the peanuts sitting in the their gallery within the topping section.

“Oops,” and Mary blushed again. I didn’t mean to do it again. Sorry peanuts.” Mary looked over again at the colorful cupcakes, “It’s just that the frosting and sprinkles would make me so beautiful, and I just want to be beautiful,” said Mary with a depressed sigh.

“Mary.” said Cookie.

“Yes cookie?” Mary asked as if bothered.

“I think you are beautiful Mary, just-as-you-are," Cookie exclaimed.

“Thanks cookie,” yet the compliment didn't even sink into a single morsel of goodness for Mary.

“I think you are the most beautiful pastry I’ve ever seen,” announced Cookie.

“Aww, Cookie’s got a crush,” chimed in the Peanut Gallery.

“That’s really sweet of you Cookie, but . . .” and Mary was interrupted.

“I would crumble for yooooooouuuuuuu,” Cookie let out a long sounding note.

“What?” Mary was caught off guard.

“He said he would crumble for you,” chimed in the Peanut Gallery.

“Yes Peanuts, I heard him. It was a rhetorical – what,” Mary shot back.

“I would crumble for yooooooouuuuuuu,” again Cookie sounded.

“You really shouldn’t,” stated Mary.

The Peanut Gallery chimed into background music singing “di-did-it di-did-it di-did-it di ni ni ni did-dit,” and Cookie sung out . . .

“I’d crum-ble, crum-ble, crum-ble,

Wherever you are I’d crumble, I’d crumble I’d crumble

I will crumble for you,

Ever since you came out of the oven I knew,

There isn’t a crumb I wouldn’t give,

An ingredient too precious to keep,

Me from crumbling for you.

I’d crumble, I’d crumble, I’d crumble

Wherever you are I’d crumble, I’d crumble, I’d crumble

You’ll always be beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,

And I’ll adore you from now till forever, forever, forever

I will crumble for you,

Ever since you came out of the oven I knew,

There isn’t a crumb I wouldn’t give,

An ingredient too precious to keep,

Me from crumbling for you.

Mary I 'd CRUMBLE FOR YOOOOOOOUUUUUUU!”

“Cookie,” and Mary blushed so much, you really do have a way, and you are so sweet . . .” yet Cookie interrupted Mary.

“Sweet! Yes I’m sweet. Mary, I think I have sprinkles!!!”

“What?” Mary seemed shocked.

“He saaaaaayyyyyyys he thinks he has sprinkles. Don’t you ever listen, girl?” a peanut questioned from the gallery.

“Again – the 'what' – was rhetorical!” Mary shot back again.

“Hey, hey, hey, can anyone see me and get confirmation, what kind of cookie am I?” asked Cookie.

“Oh hey I think you got three layers,” a chocolate chip cookie responded.

“I have layers? I have depth!” Cookie felt so proud of himself.

“Mmmm hmmm, I’m seeing two butter cookies with a jelly like center on my end," the chocolate chip cookie said looking Cookie over.

“That’s what Mary does to me,” responded cookie, “she makes my center go jelly.” and Cookie smiled amused.

“Cookie,” a fig filled cookie named Newton responded, “I can confirm, this half of you has been dipped in chocolate, AND . . . AND . . . then dipped in rainbow sprinkles. Sprinkles. You have sprinkles!” said Newton.

All the pastries in the bakery cheered with excitement. Cookie positioned himself over a crack in a space in display rack. “I told you Mary, I’d crumble for you, and with all his might, he was able to crumble off a piece of himself and a sprinkle fell through the cracks and fell on Mary’s top.

Mary was breathless. “A sprinkle! A sprinkle! How do I look everyone?" Mary asked.

“Wonderful, wonderful,” pastries chimed in.

“About the same if you ask us,” retorted the Peanut Gallery.

“Cookie, THANK YOU!” shouted Mary.

“Hmmm, how did that happen,” and the Darcie the baker looked at Mary curiously and pulled off the one sprinkle.

“What is with you Lady!?!?!” and Mary waved her hands angrily in the air and mourned her momentarily taken beauty.

CHAPTER 3: MEET THE DAY OLDS

“Pssssssss,” came a voice from above Mary.

“Who said that,” Mary Looked around.

“Up here,” another voice added but coming from the same spot.

Mary looked around again.

“Up here,” a third voice from the same spot.

When Mary looked up she saw three scones together in a plastic wrapping hanging from a hook over the top of the display case. They look at her intensely and ominously in such a way that Mary felt scared.

“Who are you guys,” Mary asked apprehensively.

“Who are we?” replied the Blueberry scone.

“She wants to know who we are,” laughed the Ginger Scone.

“We, little miss muffin Mary, are your future!” announced the Cranberry scone.

“What do you mean you are my future?” Mary asked feeling even more dread.

“We are where pastries go when no one wants them.” replied Blueberry scone.

“And no one wants you,” said Ginger scone.

“The day is almost done, and if you are not chosen before the day is done, you become one of us,” said Cranberry scone and the three scones laughed together.

“One of you. But, I don’t understand, who or what are you.” asked Mary, dreadful of what doom may befall her.

The three scones burst into tune . . .

We are the Day Olds, my friends,

And we’ll keep on aging, ‘til the end

We are the Day Olds

We are the Day Olds

No time left for choosing,

‘Cause we are getting staler and it’s almost our end.

We were hopeful,

Time after time,

A customer would walk in and choose us,

But they left us behind

Hours and hours went by,

Until the day was totally through,

What was once fresh and soft in us got stale and yucky,

Ewww Ewww Ewwwwwwwww.

“We are the Day Olds, my friends,

And we’ll keep on aging, ‘til the end

We are the Day OIds

We are the Day Olds

No time left for choosing,

‘Cause we are getting staler and it’s almost our end.

We’ve taken our bows,

Our time here is almost through,

Look at the sign it says half off,

We are worth less than the rest of you,

But if you don’t get chosen,

This will be you too,

Here in a bag with a price tag that says worthless in front of you,

We are the Day Olds, my friends,

And we are so old we are near our end,

We are the Day Olds,

We are the Day Olds,

No time left for choosing,

‘Cause we have gotten stale and at our end.

“You’ve lost your sprinkle,” laughed Blueberry Scone.

“You can’t find your worth.” laughed Ginger Scone.

“So you see, soon you’ll be here, and we’ll be, over theerrrrrrr,” taunted Cranberry scone.

Darcie the Baker walked by, and looked at the scones and let out a sigh, and carried them off to the compost bin, and dumped the scones in.

All the pastries shivered. "Is this the doom of those that are not chosen?" pastries murmered.

“Don’t listen to them Mary,” announced Cookie. “I’ll crumble again for you.”

“No Cookie, don’t crumble for me. Save your sprinkles. Save yourself. They are right. I’m not just a miserable muffin. I’m a worthless muffin!” Mary sighed a sigh of depression. "It’s so weird. I thought. I felt. There were ingredients so special in . . .in . .. or it doesn’t matter. Maybe I am a worthless muffin?!?" and Mary let out a big depressive sigh.

Chapter: How Mary Got Her Groove Back

“Alright Jan, have a good rest of the day,” as Darcie hung her apron on the hook.

“Thanks for your work Darcie. See you tomorrow,” replied back Jan.

Darcie always just past midday. The baking is done. Jan the bakery owner stayed to serve customers, and as Darcie left in walked in a girl with her mom.

“Well hello there,” Jan said to the little girl, standing in front of her mom with her mom’s hands on her shoulders.

“Hello,” the girl said back in a sad voice.

“It is her birthday today,” said the mom as she squeezed her daughters shoulders to comfort."

“Your Birthday!” Jan said with excitement, “well happy birthday!”

“Thank you,” the little girl said in a sad voice while looking down at the floor.

“It’s your birthday,” said Jan with excitement, “why the sad face,” she questioned the girl but the girl didn’t respond and continued to look down.

“Some kids at school were mean to her today. They called her not nice names,” and the mom squeezed her daughters shoulders again.

“Maaaaaooooom,” and the daughter gave a backward nudge of her shoulder.

“Well, let’s see if we can brighten your day. What can I get you to celebrate your Birthday?” Jan asked with a big smile.

“Do you know what you want hon,” the Mom asked her daughter, and her daughter shrugged.

“We have croissants there, cookies over there, cupcakes here, or what about a delicious slice of chocolate cake with frosting to celebrate your birthday? Anything look good to you asked Jan?”

The little girl simply shrugged again without looking up.

“You know what, can I make a suggestion?” asked Jan to the little girl.

The little girl looked up as if curious and nodded as if to say ok.

Jan walked over to the display rack, bent down to the middle shelf, and took hold of a . . .”

“Whoooaaaaa,” where are we going asked Mary the Muffin, whose voice could not be heard to adults.

Jan placed the muffin on the counter.

“What is that,” asked the little girl.

“This is s a muffin!” responded Jan with excitement.

“Yes yes, I know I’m just a muffin,” Mary said with a sigh.

“But this isn’t no ordinary muffin!” Jan went on.

The little girls eyebrows raised. So did the expression of Mary the muffin.

“This is a very special muffin!” and Jan slid Mary an inch closer on the counter to the girl so now the girl and Mary were looking at each other.

“Special?” asked Mary in surprise.

“Special?” asked the girl.

“Yes, very special,” said Jan. “Maybe the most special pastry in the bakery.”

“What makes it so special,” asked the girl quietly.

Mary touched her own muffin sides and muffin top and asked the same, “What makes me so special.”

Ooga Chaka Ooga Ooga

“You see these cupcakes?”

“Yes,” said the girl curiously.

“Yessssss, I've been staring at them and their fabulousness all day," Mary sighed again.

“These cupcakes - as beautiful and still delicious - I have to say because I made them, they are all made from the same batter, and then I just use a different flavored frosting and sprinkles to dress them up. You see these are chocolate frosting with chocolate sprinkles. These are vanilla frosting with rainbow sprinkles. These are butterscotch frosting with chocolate sprinkles." Jan took one of the cupakes and a knife and wiped the frosting clear off the top of the cupcake and held it for the girl to see. "At any time I could wipe the frosting and sprinkles off any one of these and you would be left with a rather plain pastry. But this muffin . . .” and Jan pushed the muffin another inch closer to the girl. This muffin is special because of what is inside.”

“What’s inside,” the girl asked a bit more wide eyed than before.

“What. What’s inside me,” asked Mary.

“I took my time with this muffin,” said Jan and made it in steps. It has a special ingredients baked inside the muffin."

“It does?” asked the girl with wonder.

“I do?” asked Mary with the same wonder.

“Yes, you see, there is no wiping off the top what makes this muffin special. What is special about this muffin is baked deep inside of it. There is no changing what makes this muffin special. It has and always will be what you’ll find inside.” Jan leaned a bit over the counter and whispered, "and the most special ingredient of all, I poured and baked a whole lotta love into this very muffin!"

“Wow!” and the girl smiled big.

Mary could hardly control herself. She started to feel a familiar tune.

Ooga chaka Ooga Ooga

Ooga chaka Ooga Ooga

She started to a hum a tune.

Ooga chaka Ooga Ooga

Ooga chaka Ooga Ooga

And then the memory entered her mind and she started to whisper the words in song:

I can't stop this feeling

Deep inside of me

I've come to realize

There's something special inside of me

And then she believed it once again and burst into song:

When I squeeze me

With my little arms so tight

They let me know

They let me know I'm right

I'm hooked on a feeling

I'm high on yeast and some believing

That there's something so special inside me

“Well,” Jan began, "may I gift this most special muffin for the most special girl on her most special birthday?

“Yes please,” and the girl grinned big as Jan passed Mary to the little girl.

“Thank you,” the mom said as well, and they turned and started to walk to the door.

“I always knew it,” yelled Cookie to Mary.

“Love you Cookie,” Mary yelled to Cookie. “Bye everyone!”

All the pastries cheered.

“Do you want to try the muffin or just look at it,” asked the mom.

“Just look at it,” said the little girl. "I think she’s beautiful!"

If Mary could blush she did just that and looked at the little girl and said, “I think you’re beautiful too.”

Ooga chaka Ooga Ooga

Ooga chaka Ooga Ooga

OOG!

MAGIC BAKERY

DEDICATION: When it comes to expressions of love, my mom's is baking. I grew up on chocolate banana muffins for breakfast for most of my childhood. My mom probably could have opened and owned her own bakery, but never did. Everywhere she goes though, she gifts people her incredible baking. Magic bakery is written in honor of my mom, and in support of anyone who needs a reminder of where to look for that which makes them special.

~U.B. Light