Anne of Green Gables: The Liniment Cake

Marilla decided to invite the new minister, Mr. Allan, and his wife to tea, and Anne begged to be allowed to bake a layer cake for the occasion.Anne adored Mrs. Allan more than anyone else in Avonlea, and she wanted the cake to be perfect.On Wednesday morning she baked it with great care, and when it rose light and golden, she was overjoyed.

She filled it with layers of ruby-red jelly and imagined Mrs. Allan asking for a second slice.That evening, Anne decorated the tea table with roses and ferns, and everyone agreed it looked lovely.Even shy Matthew came to the table in his best clothes, determined not to embarrass Anne.

Everything went well until Anne’s cake was finally passed around the table.Mrs. Allan took one bite, and a very strange look crossed her face — but she said nothing and kept eating politely.Marilla tasted it too, and cried out at once, “Anne Shirley! What on earth did you put into this cake?”“Nothing but vanilla, just like the recipe said!” Anne answered, her face turning red with worry.

Marilla sent Anne to fetch the bottle, and when she smelled it, her face turned pale.“This isn’t vanilla — it’s anodyne liniment!” Marilla said. “I broke the liniment bottle last week and poured what was left into an old, empty vanilla bottle. I should have warned you.”Anne had a bad cold and simply hadn’t been able to smell the difference.

Ashamed and heartbroken, Anne ran up to her room and threw herself on the bed, crying as if she would never stop.“I’m disgraced forever,” she sobbed to herself. “Everyone in Avonlea will hear about it, and Mrs. Allan will never want to see me again.”

A moment later, Anne heard a light step on the stairs — it was Mrs. Allan herself, coming to comfort her.“My dear girl, you mustn’t cry like this,” Mrs. Allan said gently. “It’s just a funny mistake that anybody might make.”She took Anne down to see her flower garden instead, and by the time the guests left, Anne decided that tomorrow would simply be a new day with no mistakes in it yet.