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THUNDER CAKE By Patricia Polacco Grandma looked at the horizon, drew a deep breath and said, This is Thunder

Cake baking weather, all right. Looks like a storm coming to me. Child, you come out from under that bed. t!s only thunder you!re hearing, my grandma said. The air was hot, hea"y, and damp. # loud clap of thunder shook the house, rattled the windows, and made me grab her close. $teady, child, she cooed. %nless you let go of me, we won!t be able to make a Thunder Cake today& Thunder Cake' stammered as hugged her e"en closer. (on!t pay attention to that old thunder, e)cept to see how close the storm is getting. *hen you see the lightning, start counting+ real slow. *hen you heard the thunder, stop counting. That number is how many miles away the storm is. %nderstand' she asked. *e need to know how far away the storm is, so we ha"e time to make the cake and get it into the o"er before the storm comes, or it won!t be real Thunder Cake. ,er eyes sur"eyed the black clouds a way off in the distance. Then she strode into the kitchen. ,er worm hands pulled a thick book from the shelf abo"e the woodsto"e. Let!s find that recipe, child, she crowed as she lo"ingly fingered the grease-stained pages to a creased spot. ,ere it is + Thunder Cake& $he carefully penned the ingredients on a piece of notepaper. .ow let!s gather all the things we!ll need& she e)claimed as she scurried toward the back door. *e were by the barn door when a huge bolt of lightning flashed. started counting, like Grandma told me to, /-0-1-2-34-5-6-7-/8. Then the thunder 9:#9;(& Ten miles+ it!s ten miles away, Grandma said as she looked at the sky. #bout an hour away, !d say. <ou!ll ha"e to hurry, child. Gather them eggs careful-like, she said.

;ggs from mean old .ellie =eck hen. was scared. knew she won!t hurt you. >ust get them eggs, Grandma said softly. The lightning flashed again. /-0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7 counted. .ine miles, Grandma reminded me. ?ilk was ne)t. ?ilk from old @ick Cow. #s Grandma milked her, @ick Cow turned and looked mean, right at me. was scared. $he looked so big. A = went the lightning. /-0-1-2-3-4-5-6 counted. B#9::::::? went the thunder. ;ight miles, child, Grandma croaked. .ow we ha"e to get chocolate and sugar and flour from the dry shed. was scared as we walked down the path from the farmhouse through Tangleweed *oods to the dry shed. $uddenly the lightning slit the sky& /-0-1-2-3-4-5 counted. B::::::? B#-B::::::::?, crashed the thunder. t scared me a lot, but kept walking with Grandma. #nother Cagged edge of lightning flashed as crept into the dry shed& /-0-1-2-3-4 counted. C9#C@L;, C9#C@L; B:::::?, @#-B::::::?, the thunder bellowed. t was dark and was scared. !m here, child, Grandma said softly form the doorway. ,urry now, we ha"en!t got much time. *e!"e got e"erything but the secret ingredient. Three o"erripe tomatoes and some strawberries, Grandma whispered as she sDuinted at the list. climbed up high on the trellis. The ground looked a long way down. was scared. !m here, child, she said. ,er "oice was steady and soft. <ou won!t fall. reached three luscious tomatoes while she picked strawberries. Lightning again& /-0-1-2-3 counted. @#-B#.G B:::::#9:::::?, the thunder growled. *e hurried back to the house and the warm kitchen, and we measured the ingredients. poured them into the mi)ing bowl while Grandma mi)ed. churned butter for the frosting and melted chocolate. Einally, we poured the batter into the cake pans and put them into the o"en together.

Lightning lit the kitchen& only counted to three and the thunder 9999%?BL;( and C9#$,;(. Three miles away, Grandma said, and the cake is in the o"en. *e made it& *e!ll ha"e a real Thunder Cake& #s we waited for the cake, Grandma looked out the window for a long time. *hy, you aren!t afraid of thunder. <ou!re too bra"e& she said as she looked right at me. !m not bra"e, Grandma, said. was under the bed& 9emember' But you got out from under it, she answered, and you got eggs from mean old .ellie =eck ,en, you got milk from @ick Cow, you went through Tangleweed *oods to the dry shed, you climbed the trellis in the barnyard. Erom where sit, only a "ery bra"e person could ha"e done all them things& thought and thought as the storm rumbled closer. $he was right. was bra"e& Bra"e people can!t be afraid of a sound, child, she said as we spread out the tablecloth and set the table. *hen we were done, we hurried into the kitchen to take the cake out of the o"en. #fter the cake had cooled, we frosted it. >ust the n the lightning flashed, and this time it lit the whole sky. ;"en before the last flash had faded, the thunder 9:LL;(, B::::?;(, C9#$,;(, and BBBBB#####99999::::::???????????;( Cust abo"e us. The storm was here& =erfect, Grandma cooed, >ust perfect. $he beamed as she added the last strawberry to the glistening chocolate frosting on top of our Thunder Cake. #s rain poured down on our roof, Grandma cut a wedge for each of us. $he poured us steaming cups of tea from the samo"ar. *hen the thunder 9:#9;( abo"e us so hard it shook the windows and rattled the dishes in the cupboards, we Cust smiled and ate our Thunder Cake. Erom that time on, ne"er feared the "oice of thunder again.

?y Grandma!s Thunder Cake Cream together, one at a time / cup shortening / F cup sugar / teaspoon "anilla 1 eggs, separated GBlend yolks in. Beat whites until they are stiff, then fold in.H / cup cold water /I1 cup pureed tomatoes $tir together 0 J cups cake flour J cup dry cocoa / J teaspoons baking soda / teaspoon salt ?i) dry mi)ture into creamy mi)ture. Bake in two greased and floured 6 J inch round pans at 138 degree for 13 to 28 minutes. Erost with chocolate butter frosting. Top with strawberries.

/. *hy do you suppose Grandma wants the little girl to go outside' KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK 0. ,ow do you think Grandma learned not to be afraid during a thunderstorm' KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK 1. *hy do you think =atricia =olacco decided to write this story' KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK 2. *hat does the author do to make you feel that a storm is coming' KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

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