Once upon a time, in a bakery where the frosting flowed like a river and the smell of warm vanilla was always in the air, lived a little cupcake named Cupid. Cupid was very excited because National Dessert Day was just around the corner, and he was supposed to be the star dessert—a perfect vanilla cupcake topped with a swirl of neon-pink buttercream and, most importantly, a glorious shower of rainbow sprinkles.
The night before the big day, Cupid was nestled in his box, dreaming of the oohs and aahs he would inspire. But when the baker, a kind woman named Mrs. Sweet, came in the morning, a horrified gasp escaped her lips.
“The sprinkles! They’re gone!” she cried.
Cupid blinked. He looked down at his neon-pink frosting. It was smooth, it was perfect, but it was naked. Not a single speck of sparkle remained.
A full-blown dessert disaster!
Cupid decided to take matters into his own little paper wrapper hands. He rolled out of his box and began to investigate.
First, he waddled over to Professor Pudding, a stern, yet jiggly chocolate pudding cup.
“Professor,” Cupid whispered, “did you see anyone take my sprinkles?”
Professor Pudding shook, “Dear boy, I was meditating on the perfect consistency of my chocolate! I saw nothing but the smooth, dark depths of my own reflection.”
Next, Cupid found General Gingerbread, a tough cookie with a little too much cinnamon in his attitude.
“General, any intel on the sprinkle thief?”
General Gingerbread crunched his arm a little. “Hmph! I was busy defending the counter from a crumb invasion! I heard a tiny ‘snip-snip-snip’ sound, but I thought it was just the sugar shears.”
A tiny ‘snip-snip-snip’… interesting. Cupid rolled on, his little paper wrapper wheels churning. He noticed a small trail of purple, green, and blue sugar dust leading behind the big mixer.
He followed the trail until he reached a forgotten corner where a very guilty-looking Muffin Man (a little blueberry muffin, not the person) was nervously tapping his dome.
“Muffin Man,” Cupid said, puffing out his paper chest, “where are my sprinkles?”
The Muffin Man slowly reached a little blueberry-studded hand out from behind his back. Clutched in his fist was a tiny, intricately woven sprinkle sweater.
“I… I was cold,” the Muffin Man mumbled, his voice full of shame. “And your sprinkles are so bright and cheerful. I thought if I wove them into a sweater, I’d be warm enough to be the star dessert.”
Cupid stared at the tiny, colorful jumper. It really was quite a stylish piece of confectionery clothing.
“Muffin Man,” Cupid said gently, “everyone knows the best part of a sprinkle is the CRUNCH! And they belong on top of me!” He paused. “But… I do appreciate a good sense of style. Tell you what. We’re all special today. You can keep the sweater, and Mrs. Sweet and I will make you the Best Dressed Muffin award!”
The Muffin Man brightened. He happily gave back the remaining sprinkles, which Mrs. Sweet promptly sprinkled all over a very relieved Cupid.
That day, the bakery was a happy place. Cupid was a spectacular, crunchy star. The Muffin Man won his award. And the baker learned that sometimes, all it takes to solve a mystery is a little sweet detective work and a dash of kindness.
📝 Writing Prompt: The Day Everything Tasted Different
Prompt:
Imagine you wake up on National Dessert Day, but something has gone very wrong! Every dessert tastes like something it shouldn’t. The chocolate cake tastes like pickles, the apple pie tastes like mustard, and the ice cream tastes like… broccoli!
Write a story about:
- How you first discovered the strange, mixed-up flavors.
- Your quest to find out why all the desserts taste so weird.
- How you finally fix the problem so everyone can enjoy a proper sweet treat again!
🍰 Dessert Fun Facts
Here are three quick and tasty facts you can share with your students:
- The Earliest “Cookie”: The word “cookie” comes from the Dutch word koekje, which means “little cake.” The earliest cookies weren’t meant to be eaten—they were small bits of cake batter baked to test the oven temperature before the main cake was put in!
- America’s Favorite: The most popular dessert in the United States is officially ice cream. Americans eat about 20 quarts (which is 5 gallons!) of ice cream per person, per year!
- The Jiggle Test: Jell-O (or gelatin) is actually made from collagen, a protein that comes from animal parts. It’s what gives it that famous wiggle and jiggle! It was once a very fancy and difficult dish to make, but now it’s one of the easiest.
Download the Writing Prompt, Fun Facts, and Story PDF Here.