Bernard the bulldog loved biscuits. Not just any biscuits, mind you, but perfectly round, golden-brown, slightly-burnt biscuits. Every Sunday morning, Bernard would wake up with his tail wagging, nose twitching, all for one thing: the Great Biscuit Bake-Off.
Bernard’s owner, Emily, was a terrible cook. Really terrible. Her scrambled eggs looked like sunshine after a thunderstorm, and her pancakes resembled flat tires. But when it came to biscuits for Bernard, Emily transformed into a baking champion. Every Sunday, she’d put on her favourite apron (covered in mysterious stains) and head to the kitchen with a determined look.
This particular Sunday, however, things were different. Emily woke up with a terrible headache and a sore throat. “Oh no,” she croaked, “I can’t possibly bake today!”
Bernard, who understood some words (mostly biscuit), perked up his ears. No biscuit? This was a disaster! He whined and paced, his short legs churning like tiny windmills.
Emily, seeing Bernard’s distress, had an idea. “Alright, Bernard,” she said in a raspy voice, “how about a competition? You help me bake, and whoever makes the best biscuit wins!”
Bernard tilted his head, confused. Baking? He knew how to chase squirrels and drool on slippers, not cook! But the word “biscuit” was too tempting. He barked his agreement, tail wagging furiously.
Emily, with Bernard “assisting,” was a sight to behold. Flour flew everywhere, eggshells landed on the floor like tiny white grenades, and Bernard, covered in a white dust cloud, looked like a miniature ghost. Still, they persevered. Emily, despite feeling awful, managed to show Bernard the basic steps: mixing, rolling, and cutting the dough. Bernard, for his part, “helped” by enthusiastically licking the spoon (mostly because it had leftover batter) and “proofing” the dough by sitting on it (which flattened it considerably).
Finally, the misshapen biscuits were placed on a baking tray. They looked more like lopsided moons than perfect circles, but Bernard didn’t care. He barked excitedly, tail thumping against the floor.
Into the oven they went, and the waiting began. The kitchen smelled of burnt flour and something vaguely eggy. Bernard paced back and forth, occasionally whimpering with anticipation. After what seemed like forever, the timer beeped.
Emily, wincing at the smell, carefully opened the oven. The sight that greeted them was…unusual. One biscuit was completely black, another looked like a deflated balloon, and the rest were a strange shade of purple.
Bernard, however, didn’t seem to mind. He woofed happily and started bouncing around, eager to devour his “masterpieces.”
Emily laughed, her headache forgotten for a moment. “Alright, alright, little monster,” she said, picking out a slightly-burnt, kind-of-round biscuit. “Let’s see who wins!”
She broke the biscuit in half, offering one piece to herself and the other to Bernard. They both took a bite.
Emily’s eyes widened. The biscuit, despite its strange appearance, tasted delicious! It was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, with a hint of burnt caramel from the overcooked bits. Bernard, of course, gobbled his half down in one enthusiastic chomp.
They sat there, Emily with a cup of tea and Bernard with his tail wagging contentedly. The kitchen might have been a disaster zone, but it didn’t matter. They had shared a funny, chaotic experience, and that, in the end, was even better than a perfectly baked biscuit.
Vocabulary Notes
wagging (v): moving quickly back and forth (often used for a dog’s tail)
twitching (v): moving suddenly and slightly in a quick, nervous way
determined (adj): feeling sure you will succeed in doing something
croaked (v): spoke in a hoarse, rough voice (often when sick)
perked up (v): became more interested or lively
churned (v): moved quickly in a circular way
sore throat (n): a painful feeling in your throat
persevered (v): continued doing something difficult despite problems
behold (v): to see something surprising or unusual
grenade (n): a small bomb that explodes when thrown
cloud (n): a large mass of water vapor in the sky that can cause rain
persisted (v): continued doing something despite difficulties
dough (n): a soft mixture of flour, water, and other ingredients used for making bread, biscuits, etc.
licked (v): to move your tongue over something to taste it or clean it
batter (n): a mixture of flour, eggs, and milk used for making cakes, pancakes, etc.
proofing (n): allowing dough to rise before baking
misshapen (adj): not having a regular or perfect shape
anticipated (v): looked forward to something that is going to happen
whimpered (v): made a low, soft cry (often used for an animal)
beeped (v): made a short, high-pitched sound
winced (v): closed your eyes and moved your face away suddenly because of pain
unusual (adj): different from what is normal or expected
devour (v): to eat something quickly and greedily
contentedly (adv): in a happy and satisfied way
disaster zone (n): a place that is very messy and untidy
Story written by Google Bard AI
Image created by dezgo.com AI
CC Music: Callouts, Sunset Dreaming
Reading Short Stories/Content for English Learners 
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