Jack And Mack

• Olive Van Riel, Grade 1, Baulkham Hills North Public School -
• Short Story
• 2022

Excellence Award in the 'Summertime Fun ONLINE' competition

One day, Prince Mack was walking along one of the many corridors in the palace when he saw an Eastern brown snake. THUMP PUMP went his heart. He kindly opened a door to the garden and let the snake go even though he knew it was venomous. The snake zoomed out.

The next day, Mack was walking to the royal cable car when he bumped right into King Jack. He was grateful to see his father because he had an enormous problem. He wanted to bake a chocolate cake for his friend Lily but he was too little to bake on his own.

King Jack whispered that he was a talented baker and he was not too busy today. Mack was surprised but excited.

King Jack told Mack that he needed eggs, milk, butter, chocolate and the venom of an Eastern brown snake.

The venom of an Eastern brown snake!

Prince Mack was terrified but King Jack assured Mack that the venom of an Eastern brown snake was a very important ingredient for cake icing.

‘Won’t the venom poison everyone who eats the cake?’ asked Mack.

King Jack said that the venom would be mixed with glossy milk to make it safe to eat. Glossy milk was a magical ingredient made from dewdrops and pixie dust.

King Jack bought all the ingredients except for the venom of an Eastern brown snake.

The venom of an Eastern brown snake!

King Jack was dismayed when he told Mack that the shop didn’t have any snake venom. Prince Mack remembered the Eastern brown snake that he had seen and went to find it in the garden. He asked the snake to give him some venom and the snake timidly agreed.

King Jack and Prince Mack kept the venom of the Eastern brown snake in a cup, being careful not to spill it. King Jack took the royal cable car to the secret room at the top of the castle where he kept his cabinet of sweets and magic ingredients. He found his tiny, gold jug of glossy milk and took the cable car back to the kitchen.

Prince Mack had the mixing bowl ready. Plop! Splash! In went the ingredients. Swish, swish! They mixed them speedily together. Clatter! Into the hot oven went the baking tray.

When it was ready, King Jack carefully took the cake out of the big oven. Clink! Jack and Mack mixed the venom and the glossy milk. It was a thick, orange goo. Prince Mack tried it. It tasted amazing! He was surprised that snake venom icing could taste nice.

The Eastern brown snake slithered silently into the kitchen. ‘I ssssmelled the delicioussss cake baking in the sssscorching hot oven. Can I pleasssse tassste ssssome cake?’

‘Definitely!’ said Mack.

Mack took the cake to Lily’s party just in time. Lily was very happy about her exciting, exclusive, extravagant cake. ‘Thank you!’ she said to Mack who felt warm, fuzzy and proud.