Toby stood in the long queue at the post office. He held a large brown box. The box was very heavy. Toby wiped sweat from his forehead. He checked the time on his phone. Finally, it was his turn. He put the heavy box on the counter.

“Good morning,” said Brenda, the clerk. “Where are you sending this parcel?”

“To my aunt in Scotland,” Toby replied.

Brenda picked up her scales to weigh the box. The scales made a loud beep. “This is very heavy,” she said. “What is inside?”

“It is a fruitcake,” Toby said. “My mother made it.”

Brenda looked at him. “A fruitcake? It weighs ten kilograms! That is not a normal cake.”

“It is a very dense cake,” Toby explained. “She used too much flour and sugar. And she dropped it on the floor, so it is very hard now.”

Brenda laughed. “I cannot send this by normal post. It will break the sorting machines.”

“Please,” Toby said. “I must send it. She will be sad if I do not.”

“I can send it by the heavy parcel service,” Brenda said. “But it will cost a lot of money.”

Toby sighed. “How much?”

“Fifty pounds,” Brenda said.

Toby opened his wallet. He counted his money. “I only have twenty pounds,” he said.

Brenda smiled. “Then you have a problem.”

Toby thought for a moment. He looked at the heavy box. Then he looked at Brenda.

“Okay,” Toby said. “Can I send the box, but not the cake?”

Brenda frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I will take the cake out,” Toby said. “I will eat it here. Then I will send the empty box to my aunt. She just wants to see the box to know I received it.”

Brenda stared at him. “You want to send an empty box?”

“Yes,” Toby said. “And I will eat the cake. It will take me all day, but I am very hungry.”

Brenda shook her head. “No. I will not accept an empty box. The post office rules say a parcel must have a real item inside.”

Toby groaned. “Fine. I will not send it. I will take it home.”

He picked up the heavy box. It was even heavier this time. He walked to the door.

“Wait,” Brenda called out.

Toby turned around. “Yes?”

“If you eat the cake here,” Brenda said, “I will give you a free cup of tea. And I will watch you eat it.”

Toby smiled. “Deal.”

He sat on a bench near the window. He opened the box. He took out the hard, heavy fruitcake. He took a big bite. It was terrible. It tasted like old bricks and sweet dust.

Brenda brought him a cup of tea. She sat opposite him and watched.

Ten minutes later, Toby stopped chewing. He looked pale.

“Are you okay?” Brenda asked.

“It is too hard,” Toby mumbled. “I cannot eat it.”

“I told you,” Brenda said. “Now, what will you do with the cake?”

Toby looked at the cake. Then he looked at the heavy brown box. He smiled.

“I know,” Toby said. “I will send it to my worst enemy.”

Brenda laughed. “That is a brilliant idea. I will wrap it in extra strong tape.”

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Vocabulary Notes

Queue: Noun
Example: “Toby stood in the long queue at the post office.”
Meaning: A line of people or vehicles waiting for their turn to do something or go somewhere. This word is very common in British English.
Similar words: line, waiting line, sequence.

Dense: Adjective
Example: “It is a very dense cake,” Toby explained.
Meaning: Having parts that are firmly packed together; not light, fluffy, or airy. In this context, it means the cake is very heavy and solid.
Similar words: compact, thick, solid, heavy.

Sigh: Verb (it can also be used as a noun)
Example: Toby sighed. “How much?”
Meaning: To let out a long, deep, audible breath. People usually do this to show that they are tired, sad, disappointed, or resigned to a difficult situation.
Similar words: breathe out heavily, groan, express resignation.

Frown: Verb (it can also be used as a noun)
Example: Brenda frowned. “What do you mean?”
Meaning: To bring your eyebrows together and down, making lines on your forehead. This facial expression shows confusion, worry, concentration, or displeasure.
Similar words: scowl, look displeased, look confused, glare.

Mumble: Verb
Example: “It is too hard,” Toby mumbled.
Meaning: To speak in a quiet, low, or unclear way, often because you do not want to be heard clearly, or because your mouth is full or you are tired.
Similar words: mutter, whisper, speak unclearly.

Story and image generated by Qwen AI.

Video generated by MoneyPrinterTurbo AI.

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.

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