The Cuppycake Syndrome
Afternoon Tea with the Boys
Gracie was returning with permission for her and her sisters, Luna and Rosie, to visit Pawpaw while they were busy packing a little case.
Wait a moment… packing?
Yep!
It was a dainty little case, decorated with delicate floral patterns, pearly accents, and tiny silver clasps that gleamed ever so prettily in the light.
All three looked like Southern belles straight out of the last century.
Gracie wore daisy-yellow gold, Luna was dressed in bluebell-flower blue, and Rosie wore raspberry red with rosy-pink accents. Each of their lovely outfits was trimmed with white, giving the three of them a matching, elegant look.
Well now, if that isn’t special!
Gracie delighted, “Okay girls, ready to go?”
Luna and Rosie stood at attention, and then smiled with matching, dainty curtseys, placing a finger under their chins, and laughed.
“Ready!” they chimed in unison.
Gracie followed suit, imitating the two debutantes with a graceful curtsey of her own.
Gracie: “Ready!”
The three little angels held hands with Rosie carrying the case, as they marched right up to the Edge of Forever and sprang off as though it were a high-diving board!
Down, down, and… well, I suppose down yet again they flew toward Earth, just as they’d rehearsed.
Oh, what a beautiful sight to see! Three little doves descending gracefully through the universe…
Hey wait just a moment…
What are these three little angels up to, anyway?
Well, whatever it was, the three little angels landed daintily in front of Pawpaw’s house, rang the doorbell twice, and waltzed right through the door.
Now, Sneek, Snide, and Snark were just outside, supposedly spying on Pawpaw…
Wait a minute.
Snip was supposed to be around here somewhere, too!
Snide: “OW! Snip! Come out of that flower bed!”
Aw, there he is! Lurking in the flower bed, of all places.
Snark: “Will you two shush and be quiet!”
Sneek: “We are supposed to be in all ways surreptitious!”
Snip: “I thought we were supposed to be clandestine?”
Snark: “That too! Now get down!”
And so began quite a commotion, as all four tried to squeeze themselves into the tiny flower bed beside the front door.
Snark: “Whose foot is in my face?!”
Snide: “And whose tail is in mine?!”
CHOMP!
Snip: “Aaaa-oooooo!”
Snide: “Heh heh heh.”
This time Snide got Snip! Well, it’s about time.
Snide: “Aaaa-oooooo! Snip, you pesky little imp!”
BONK! BONK!
Apparently, Snark and Sneek had decidedly and most thoroughly discussed the matter of keeping quiet with Snip and Snide — via kinetics, with illustrated examples.
How intriguing.
Meanwhile, as the mean little devils were fussing, the door suddenly opened.
Out came Luna and Rosie, carrying folding white chairs and their dainty little case.
Snark immediately shushed the others with a sharp, “Shh!”
The girls unfolded their chairs, opened the case, and — would you look at that! — they brought out a tiny table complete with an adorable little tea set.
Oh, how darling! They were playing at tea party!
Snide whispered, “Oh, how ‘darling’ they’re playing tea time!”
BONK!
Apparently, Snide required another free demonstration. As the proper little angels played at being “sophisticated” grown-up ladies, it was simply too much for Snide.
For he just couldn’t bear to listen to polite conversation, friendly pleasantries, and courteous, respectful manners for five whole minutes without bursting into tears.
So Snark held him down while Sneek wrapped him up with his own tail and stuffed his mouth full of tulips.
Luna and Rosie tried their very best not to snicker and pretended not to hear a thing.
Luna cleared her throat delicately. “My, my! What a lovely day for Aunt Bee’s cookings!”
She reached into the case and brought out a plate of little cuppycakes.
Luna: “Won’t you please have one, Miss Rosie?”
Rosie smiled sweetly. “Thanks you!”
“Oh, only one?” Luna exclaimed. “Here, have two! Don’t be bashful, dear. There are oh, so many more!”
Now, at the mention of Aunt Bee’s cooking, all four little devils froze.
Aunt Bee's cooking — especially her cookies — was absolutely, positively, and quite specifically TOP-NOTCH forbidden for all little devils.
And yet, secretly, confidentially, and most auspiciously, they absolutely, positively, and quite specifically LOVED her cooking!
Rosie: “Oh, this is sos goods! Oh, Miss Luna, won’t you please join me? These are the mostest delicious cuppycakes evers!”
Luna: “Mmm, mmm, if you say so! So good!”
Now, all four little devils were drooling and wiggling, each one trying desperately to pretend that they had absolutely no desire whatsoever for those cuppycakes.
Well, except for Snip.
Snark and Sneek had to sit on him to keep him quiet!
Luna and Rosie teased those little devils something awful until Luna finally exclaimed, “Oh, my! I just forgot! I have something to do inside!”
Rosie: “Oh, mes too! I’ll go inside with you! But, oh, all of this wonderful, delicious…”
Luna: “Most scrumptious?”
Rosie: “The crumbs are good too?”
Luna: “I’m sure all this delightful and dreamy food will be just fine for a few minutes. So let’s leave it RIGHT HERE while WE GO INSIDE.”
Rosie snickered. “Okays!”
And inside the little angels went, ever so quietly and suspiciously.
The moment the door closed, the four little devils zipped out of the flower bed!
Tulips went flying everywhere.
They surrounded the little tea table, their eyes as big as saucers.
There, right in front of them, sat the forbidden desserts.
But who would have the audacity, the capacity, the TEMERITY to be the very first one to…
Snip: CHOMP! “Nom nom nom nom…”
Oh, never mind.
Snip already had half the cuppycakes in his mouth. I suppose that was all that would fit?
Those little devils began gobbling up the cuppycakes, every single last one, leaving not even a crumb.
No telling how Snide managed to get himself untied, but he wolfed down at least four of those cuppycakes when—
Sneek: “Look at what I found! There’s plenty more in their stupid little fancy case!”
Well, that was that.
Those little devils stuffed themselves and stuffed themselves some more.
And that case just kept producing all the little cuppycakes their hearts desired!
Within minutes, they had eaten too much and then some more.
And one by one, those little devils toppled over.
They lay there moaning, their tummies bulging, when Gracie opened the door and leaned casually against the frame.
Gracie: “Told you it would work.”
Snide: “Oh, no…”
Luna: “You all fell for it, hook, line, and snicker…”
Rosie giggled. “And yous deserve it too, because you all are little stinkers!”
Snip definitely had something to say.
Snip: BURP!
But it came out that way.
The little devils held their tummies and began to grumble.
Gracie: “How’d you all like my plan?”
The little devils moaned.
Gracie: “See, those are EXTRA-special cuppycakes…”
Luna: “Just tell them already!”
Gracie: “They are angels’ food cuppycakes. REAL angels’ food cuppycakes.”
All four devils’ eyes opened wide.
Luna: “Yep! Filled with goodness and love and righteousness and…”
Sneek: “Oh, no! I’m going to be sick!”
Rosie: “Nope! You’re going to be GOOD!”
Now, Aunt Bee’s cooking can’t change who you really are, and neither can a few virtues. But they can be overwhelmingly overcoming, rather like a lovely, sunny day that simply refuses to let the clouds have their way.
And so those little devils spent the rest of the day belching and burping blessings and good tidings.
Occasionally, they flopped about like fish out of water, howling and hooting and… well, being indiscriminately not very mannerly.
The cuppycakes inside fought their personalities in spite of them.
As the three little angels packed everything up to leave for the day, Gracie couldn’t help but say, “Maybe this will teach you little devils not to spy on Pawpaw!”
Snide: “I’ll get you, my pretties! And your little case too!”
Snip, overwhelmed with goodwill from the angels’ food bubbling up deep inside his tummy, burped, “Gentledevils: Beware the Southern Belles from Missouri!”
As Gracie opened her little Bible and read verses over them, Luna positively glowed with enlightenment.
Rosie bubble-bipped them with her toy Bubble Wand of Love.
Rosie: “Wuv!”
And popped another angel’s food cuppycake right into their little mouths!
Snark blared quite cinematically, “Oh, no! Not again! I’m melting! Melting! What a world, what a world!”
Sneek asserted just as dramatically, “Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful sneakiness?”
Snip belched in Snide’s face by accident, which was certainly no precedent.
Rosie hadn’t gotten to Snide yet when he sputtered, “Snip, you little stoat!”
But Gracie declared, “You have no power here! Now begone, before somebody drops a cookie into your mouth, too!”
Gracie began to glow as she read, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
Snide: “Um, we have to go now…”
And those four little devils, with righteous tummy aches, tore right out of there!
The three little angels stood there blinking for a moment.
Gracie: “Whelp. Time to go, girls! Our job is done here.”
Luna: “There’s no place like home!”
The three little darlings went inside to bid their Pawpaw farewell, leaving behind a generous supply of Aunt Bee’s blessings and cookings.
For angels’ food, you see, settles very well upon pious saints such as he.
And so we witnessed three belles in their beautiful, coordinated outfits, with a dainty tea set, folding chairs, and a fancy little case full of irresistible bait!
And little devils gobbling up angels’ food to their utter undelight!
I doubt those little devils will fall for this again.
Nevertheless, I can’t wait for Gracie’s next little devils’ trap.
Can you?
✦ More adventures with Pawpaw's Little Angels →
Three Little Warriors
