A new shop was built in the Sylvanian Village. It was a very grand, beautiful shop with white walls and a pink pointed roof. The children looked in the windows to see what kind of shop it would be. Most of the children thought it would be a jeweller's shop. But then one day, a delicious smell came from inside.
“It’s a cake shop!”
cried Freya the Chocolate Rabbit girl.
“Hooray!”
cried Ralph the Walnut Squirrel boy.
The children were very happy about the new shop.

The baker of the cake shop was Veronica the Toy Poodle mother. The shelves of the shop were full of beautiful cakes that Veronica had made. She was very particular about both the ingredients and the design, and the cakes looked they were covered with jewels.
“I’m going to make a special cake to celebrate the opening of this shop”,
said Veronica.
“Would you like to help?”
The children were very excited.
“We’re going to make the most beautiful cake ever!”
they said.

But the cake decorations were all very complicated, and were much too difficult for the children to help with. They were very disappointed.
“Don’t worry”,
said Veronica, smiling.
“I need your help coming up with an idea. I want to make a special cake that makes people think of the Sylvanian Village. Can you tell me the best places in the village?”
“Yes!”
said the children happily.
“Follow us!”

The children showed Veronica to the flower garden and the orchard, Acorn Mountain and the Humming River. As they led her from one place to another, they told her all their stories about each place.
“Freya brought me a bunch of flowers from here in spring”,
said Piers the Bear boy at the flower garden.
“Piers always knows where to find the best fruit”,
said Ralph at the orchard.
“The river runs through the village and all the way out into the forest”,
said Freya at the Humming River.

“Thank you!”
said Veronica when they all got back to the cake shop.
“You’ve given me a great idea.”
She hurried into the kitchen and began baking. The children waited excitedly outside the cake shop. They couldn’t wait to see Veronica’s special cake.
“I wonder what kind of cake it will be?”
said Freya.
“I think it’ll be a strawberry cake”,
said Piers.
“I hope it’s an orange cake”,
said Ralph.

At last Veronica’s special celebration cake was finished.
“Here it is!”
said Veronica as she brought it out. It was a splendid three-layer cake decorated with strawberries, oranges, blueberries and fluffy whipped cream!
“You told me about all the things in the village that made you happy so I made the cake with all the things you like”,
explained Veronica.

“I’ll bake a cake like this every day and put it in the window”,
she added.
The children were very happy to hear that.
“We’ll come and try some every day!”
they said.
As she watched the children happily choosing a slice each, Veronica had another great idea for a new cake. She went to the kitchen right away and started baking. The children couldn’t wait to see what the new cake would be.

THE END