The Bake-Off

by Adele K. Thomas

‘PIPPING PIPIS!’ puffed Pam. ‘That BARNACLE has got SOME CHEEK!’

  ‘Turtleville doesn’t want a BAB’S BISTRO!’ cried Olivia.

  ‘You SNEAKY SEA SNAKE!’ snapped Grandmer Coral.

  ‘Settle down!’ shouted a flustered Herb. ‘Ms Barnacle, as you can see, the townsfolk of Turtleville want to save the Tearooms. We will go ahead with Chloe Coral’s BAKE-OFF. I now call this meeting OVER.’

  After the meeting the mermaids and Grandmer Coral made their way home.

  ‘Chloe, you were MERMAZING up there,’ said Carol. ‘And you stood up to that BEASTLY BARBARA!’

  ‘Who are you calling BEASTLY?!’ snapped Barbara, making them jump as she appeared from nowhere.

  ‘Barbara,’ said Carol, frostily. ‘If you think you’ll get your greedy mitts on MY Tearooms, you’re dreaming! I’d rather be SUCKED INTO A SINKHOLE before I see it turned into a BAB’S BISTRO!’

  ‘We’ll see about that,’ Barbara said with a sly smile. ‘You will regret this! Don’t say I didn’t warn you.’ With a SWISH of her tail she swam away.

  ‘What in BLABBERING BLOBFISH is that supposed to mean?’ muttered Willow.

  Chloe shrugged. ‘Whatever it is, I don’t think it’s good.’

  Later that evening, the mermaids made their way to Turtleville Lagoon and got to work. The bake-off was in less than a week and they had A LOT to do. Luckily, Pam was a STARFISH with a plan.

  Pam’s voice BOOMED across the lagoon, ‘Okay, I need ALL EYES ON ME and your FULL ATTENTION!’

  ‘The bake-off is in FIVE DAYS,’ Pam continued, ‘so we need to get our GILLS INTO GEAR and work like we’ve never worked before! The future of the Tearooms depends on us!’

  ‘To keep us on track,’ added Chloe, ‘we will follow this TIMETABLE OF TASKS. We can’t be LAZY LOBSTERS if we want to be prepared for Saturday and sell lots of tickets.’

  ‘Are you ready?’ cried Chloe.

  ‘SHELL YEAH!’ cheered the mermaids.

  Monday’s task was EASY-PEASY! With ‘Get a good night’s sleep’ ticked off the list, the mermaids woke up bright and early, ready for Tuesday’s task …

  A FISHTASTIC day of making posters and banners for the bake-off.

  Wednesday’s task was SUPER FUN! Chloe and Willow set up a booth in town and signed up four great contestants for Saturday’s competition. Even Kirk the cranky krill fancied his luck!

  Thursday’s task was a challenge. The mermaids had to set up the Town Square for the big day and they needed HELP! Luckily, with the promise of a SEAWEED SCROLL, Doug Dugong was more than happy to muck in.

  Now all that was left to do was …

  BAKE, BAKE, BAKE!

  The mermaids decided they would make MER-MUFFINS for townsfolk to buy on the day to help raise a few extra sand dollars.

  By Friday evening they were EXHAUSTED! It definitely didn’t feel like their usual holidays, but none of the mermates cared because they were going to save Turtleville Tearooms!

  Chloe smiled as she ticked off Friday’s task on the timetable. ‘We’ve done EVERYTHING on the list!’

  ‘WOOHOO!’ cheered Olivia.

  ‘Tomorrow is going to be FISHTASTIC!’ hollered Sophia.

  ‘I can’t WAIT!’ added Willow.

  ‘Can we sleep now?’ said Smedley with a big yawn.

  That night Chloe FLOPPED into bed. She was just about to drift off to sleep when a VERY WORRYING thought POPPED into her head.

  BARBARA BARNACLE.

  The week had WHIZZED by and Chloe had forgotten all about the mean mermaid. But now she couldn’t get the SNEAKY SEA TOAD out of her head. As Pam SNOOZED and SNORED, Chloe suddenly remembered the last thing Barbara had said to her grandmer … ‘You will regret this! Don’t say I didn’t warn you.’

  What had that BOTHERSOME BARNACLE meant? Was she going to ruin the bake-off?

  Chloe had no idea. But she had an ICKY feeling in her tummy that Barbara had BIG plans of her own for the bake-off.

  ‘Wakey-wakey!’ sang Pam. ‘We don’t have time to be SNOOZY SEA SLUGS.’

  Chloe groaned as Pam nudged her out of bed. ‘I don’t think I slept a PERIWINKLE last night. I had the WORST dream that Barbara Barnacle ruined the bake-off.’

  ‘She wouldn’t dare,’ said Pam.

  Chloe hoped Pam was right. Because today was the BIG DAY!

  As Chloe and Pam arrived at the Town Square, her mermates were already hard at work.

  ‘Morning, Miss Chloe, Pamela,’ Smedley said with a nod. ‘We’ve set up the ovens in the bake-off tent, Sophia has decorated the ticket booth and Willow has made this MARVELLOUS collection box for all the donations and ticket sales.’

  ‘Willow, thank you. It’s MERMAZING!’ squealed Chloe.

  ‘Bruce is manning the bake-sale booth,’ continued Smedley. ‘Against my recommendation, I should point out – the GREEDY GUPPY has already SCOFFED FIVE MER-MUFFINS.’

  ‘Well, he won’t have time to eat anymore because everyone is starting to arrive!’ cried Chloe.

  It seemed like everyone in Turtleville had turned up for the bake-off. The Town Square was CLAM-PACKED and the collection box was almost FULL!

  ‘Oh, Chloe, you are my ANGELFISH!’ sang Grandmer Coral. ‘This really was a MERMAZING plan. I think we will be able to save our Tearooms after all.’

  Chloe was HAPPY AS A HALIBUT, and it was finally time for the BAKE-OFF COMPETITION! But unbeknownst to Chloe and her mermates, floating in the shadows and out of sight, was a very UNWELCOME guest … BARBARA BARNACLE.

  ‘Welcome, everyone, to TURTLEVILLE’S FUNDRAISER BAKE-OFF!’ said Chloe. ‘Time to meet our contestants. First up, we have the lovely NORMA! With a passion for pastry and all things SWEET, she is going to treat us to some MORE-ISH MANGROVE MACAROONS.’

  ‘Sounds DELICIOUS!’ cheered Sophia. ‘In kitchen number two we have Turtleville’s FAVOURITE builder, DOUG! He will be swapping his hammer for a rolling pin and has promised to WOW THE CROWD with a PICKLEWEED PIE.’

  ‘My tummy is RUMBLING and we still have TWO MORE contestants,’ giggled Willow. ‘In kitchen number three, the fabulous JUDY will be serving up a SENSATIONAL SEA JELLY SPONGE.’

  ‘And finally, in kitchen number four, he’s PASSIONATE, he’s FEISTY, he’s ONE IN A KRILLION … It’s KIRK!’ boomed Olivia. ‘Kirk has refused to reveal what he is baking, but he has told us it will be a SHOWSTOPPER!’

  ‘BAKERS, you have two hours,’ said Smedley. ‘On your marks … GET SET … BAKE!’

  The crowd WHOOPED and CHEERED as the bakers worked their way through their recipes. The time seemed to WHIZ by and before long Smedley called the 30-minute warning.

  ‘Who do you think will win?’ asked Willow.

  ‘Judy’s got my vote,’ said Bruce. ‘SEA JELLY is ALWAYS A WINNER in my eyes.’

  ‘What about Kirk?’ said Frida. ‘I can’t wait to …’

  Suddenly, something caught Chloe’s eye. She saw a SWISH of a tail and a GLIMPSE of a HEADBAND. Was BARBARA BARNACLE here?

  But before Chloe could say anything the timer BUZZED for the END of the bake-off.

  ‘Okay, BAKERS! Show us your bakes!’ hollered Pam.

  OOOOHS and AAAHHHHS filled the tent as the four contestants revealed their creations.

  ‘Which baker blew you away?’ continued Pam.

  ‘Was it NORMA and her MORE-ISH MACAROONS? DOUG and his PERFECT PIE? JUDY and her SUPER-DUPER SPONGE, or did KIRK steal your heart with his …’ Chloe paused. ‘What actually is this, Kirk?’

  With a huff, Kirk held up his bake. ‘Mine is a one-of-a-kind SEAWEED SCROLL MEGA-CAKE with SEA FOAMUCCINO FROSTING in honour of Turtleville Tearooms.’

  Kirk took a bow and the crowd cheered.

  ‘Now it’s time for the TASTE TEST!’ announced Chloe. ‘Have a NIBBLE and vote for your FAVOURITE BAKE!’

  While the mermaids collected the voting tokens from the townsfolk, Chloe kept her eyes PEELED for that BOTHERSOME BARNACLE. But she couldn’t find her ANYWHERE!

  Mayb
e she hadn’t seen her after all. If Barbara really wanted to ruin the bake-off, she would have done it by now. Wouldn’t she?

  Even though she was still worried, Chloe had more important things to do. It was time to announce the WINNER of the BAKE-OFF!

  The crowd went quiet as Chloe and her mermates floated onto the stage.

  ‘Townsfolk of Turtleville, the votes have been counted,’ said Chloe. ‘This bake was delicious, original and some might even say it is ONE IN A KRILLION! The winner of the bake-off is … KIRK!’

  The whole town erupted into CHEERS. ‘Now we have our winner, does that mean we can eat all the bakes?!’ Bruce shouted over the noise.

  ‘YES, BRUCE!’ replied the mermaids.

  The bake-off had been a SUCCESS and everyone was STUFFED TO THE GILLS with cake.

  ‘I don’t think I have ever eaten so much,’ groaned Willow.

  ‘This has been the BEST DAY!’ Bruce said as he ate another MER-MUFFIN.

  ‘It has been fun,’ giggled Olivia.

  ‘SO FUN!’ agreed Sophia.

  Chloe sighed. ‘I just hope we raised enough sand dollars to save the Tearooms.’

  ‘Let’s find out,’ Sophia said as she swam off to get the donation box from the ticket booth.

  As the mermaids waited for Sophia, Grandmer Coral and Herb came to join them on the picnic blanket.

  ‘Chloe, my CLEVER LITTLE COCKLE, this whole day has been FISHTASTIC!’

  ‘Best event Turtleville has held in years,’ said Herb. ‘You mermaids have quite the talent for MERMAZING plans.’

  At that moment Sophia came WHIZZING through the water, GASPING and PANTING. ‘The donations box … IT’S GONE!’

  ‘What do you mean, it’s GONE?’ cried Pam.

  ‘It must be somewhere,’ said Grandmer Coral. ‘Maybe someone moved it?’

  ‘But who would move it?’ spluttered Sophia.

  ‘Oh no!’ Chloe gulped nervously. ‘I don’t think someone moved it, someone’s TAKEN it!

  And I know exactly who it was.’

  ‘Are you saying someone has STOLEN the donations from the bake-off?’ sobbed Grandmer Coral.

  ‘Who would do such a thing?’ said Herb.

  ‘Someone who doesn’t want us to save the Tearooms,’ said Chloe. ‘And someone who’s had their eye on it for years, that’s who!’

  ‘BARBARA BARNACLE!’ cried Grandmer Coral.

  ‘The one and only,’ Chloe said with a nod. ‘I thought I saw her just before we announced the winner, but I assumed my mind was playing TRICKY TUNAS on me.’

  ‘Herb! We’ve got to tell Constable Crabigail Crick! We can’t let that BAD BARNACLE get away with this!’ shrieked Grandmer Coral.

  Luckily, Constable Crabigail was close by, enjoying a slice of Kirk’s winning cake.

  In a matter of seconds, the CRIME-STOPPING CRAB had the whole town gathered to help find the missing donation box.

  ‘Listen up! We’re going to search every NOOK and CRANNY until we find BARBARA BARNACLE. She can’t have gone far, so we need to act FAST,’ said Crabigail.

  ‘We have already searched the Town Square,’ said Smedley. ‘And there is no sign of her at Turtleville Lagoon.’

  ‘What about Cape Kelp Forest?’ suggested Willow.

  ‘Good thinking, Miss Wave. Everyone, TO THE FOREST!’ hollered Crabigail. ‘Spread out and keep your eyes peeled for CLUES.’

  ‘I should have known Barbara would do something to ruin the bake-off,’ grumbled Chloe.

  ‘Over here!’ Frida yelled. She was holding what looked like a piece of cloth in her tentacle. ‘I think I found a CLUE.’

  ‘That’s Barbara’s HEADBAND,’ gasped Chloe.

  ‘SHUSH!’ said Smedley. ‘Can you hear that?’

  The forest was silent. But then …

  ‘HELLOOOOO? HEEELLLLP!’ called a voice in the distance.

  ‘That voice sounds VERY familiar,’ said Bruce.

  ‘Mermates, I think we’ve found Barbara,’ Chloe said, smiling.

  With a FLICK and a SWISH of their tails the mermates WHIZZED through the water.

  And there she was, stuck in the seaweed slime with her tail TANGLED and TWISTED in SWAMP GRASS.

  ‘HA! We’ve caught you RED HERRING HANDED!’ exclaimed Sophia.

  ‘I’ll take that,’ said Constable Crabigail as she tugged the donation box from Barbara’s grasp.

  ‘You LURKING LIMPET!’ snapped Chloe. ‘It WAS you at the bake-off earlier.’

  ‘I knew I should have worn a disguise,’ grumbled Barbara. ‘Now can someone GET ME OUT OF THIS SWAMP OF SLIME!’

  ‘First things first,’ said Olivia. ‘I think you need to say SORRY to Grandmer Coral and Chloe.’

  ‘And explain why you stole all the sand dollars,’ added Willow.

  Everyone stared at the BEDRAGGLED BARBARA until finally …

  ‘FINE,’ said the stubborn mermaid. ‘If you had just let me take over the Tearooms, none of this would have happened!’

  ‘You stole all the donations so we wouldn’t be able to fix the Tearooms?’ exclaimed Chloe.

  ‘Yep! And then you’d have no choice but to let me to turn it into a BAB’S BISTRO,’ huffed Barbara. ‘I would have got away with it too, if it wasn’t for this DISGUSTING SLIME PIT I fell in.’

  ‘Well, thank POSEIDON for SLIME PITS!’ cheered Olivia. ‘HIP HIP HOORAY!’

  ‘Now we have the donation box back, we can finally SAVE THE TEAROOMS!’ sang Pam.

  ‘And you, Ms Barnacle,’ said Constable Crabigail as she SNIPPED away the swamp grass tangled around Barbara’s tail, ‘ARE UNDER ARREST!’

  It had been a busy start to the holidays for Chloe and her mermates, but it had all been worth it because they had SAVED TURTLEVILLE TEAROOMS!

  With Barbara Barnacle behind bars, Doug began the repairs straightaway. Turns out the bake-off raised just enough money to fix the Tearooms AND buy Grandmer Coral a BRAND-NEW oven.

  On the day of the GRAND REOPENING, the whole town came to celebrate.

  ‘Could I have everyone’s attention, please?’ said Grandmer Coral. ‘Thank you, everyone. Without your help, I wouldn’t have been able to get the Tearooms up and running again.’

  ‘Well, we couldn’t live without your SEA FOAMUCCINOS and SEAWEED SCROLLS,’ chuckled Herb.

  ‘Oh, Herb.’ Grandmer Coral blushed. ‘And lastly, a special thanks to my sweet little ANGELFISH, Chloe, and her MERMAZING MERMATES. When they saw I was in a pickle they put their TAILS TOGETHER and found a way to help me.’

  As the crowd cheered, Chloe and her mermates gave Grandmer Coral the BIGGEST HUG. ‘Grandmer, you’re such a SOPPY SQUID,’ Chloe giggled.

  Later that evening Chloe and her mermates were chatting and eating yummy cake in the brand-new Turtleville Tearooms kitchen.

  ‘You know, my grandmer is right,’ said Chloe. ‘I couldn’t have come up with a MERMAZING PLAN to save the Tearooms on my own. You’re the best MERMATES a mermaid could have.’

  ‘Now who’s the SOPPY SQUID?’ chuckled Sophia.

  ‘It was nothing,’ said Smedley with a coy smile.

  ‘Yeah,’ agreed Olivia. ‘We had so much fun planning the FISHTASTIC BAKE-OFF.’

  ‘As long as we’re working together, EVERYTHING IS FUN!’ added Willow.

  ‘And as long as there’s CAKE,’ said Bruce as he stuffed his face.

  ‘So, what shall we do for the rest of the holidays?’ said Chloe.

  ‘How about that TAIL TENNIS TOURNAMENT?’ exclaimed Olivia.

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  Penguin Random House Australia is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com.

  First published by Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd, in 2019

  Text co
pyright © Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd 2019

  Illustrations copyright © Adele K. Thomas 2019

  The moral right of the author and illustrator has been asserted.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, published, performed in public or communicated to the public in any form or by any means without prior written permission from Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd or its authorised licensees.

  Cover and internal illustrations by Adele K. Thomas

  Cover design by Tony Palmer © Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd

  ISBN 9781760147150

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