The Family Business

Charlie stumbles on a can't-miss family recipe

         "See? Nothing up my sleeve!" Charlie pulled the shiny black robe up his skinny arm to his shoulder. He grinned, the space between his two front teeth giving him a goofy charm.

         Molly giggled as he pointed his white-tipped magic wand at the basket . He enunciated carefully:

Don't just sit there all a'loaf
Bring bread and rolls - a bit of boaf!

         Molly saw the tablecloth over the basket move, and Charlie beamed, his hands on his hips. "Come thhee for yourthhelf!"

         Molly snatched the tablecloth away. There were two loaves of warm bread, and a half-dozen rolls. Charlie grabbed a roll and took a bite out of it. Around a mouthful of bread, he managed: "Itth really good!"

         Molly stepped back, a little unnerved. Charlie saw she was uncomfortable, so he put the cloth back over the basket.

No one wants the bread or toast
So take away the rolls and loafs!

         The cloth moved again. But when Molly pulled it away this time, she found the bread was still there—twice the amount there was before! Each time Charlie tried to make the bread vanish, it doubled! Soon there were loaves and rolls covering the entire table.

         When their father came home, he was amazed at the bounty of bread overflowing onto the floor. He didn't lecture Charlie about playing with powers he didn't understand, though. Instead, he was delighted by the windfall, and he quickly made a plan.

         Two weeks later, he opened up a specialty bakery store with the family name. It wasn't long before he had a branch on every corner.

         And only a few people knew that all the bagels and breads and rolls in the store didn't cost a dime—all because of the wooden toy wand wielded by little Charlie Panera.

NOTES: ▼

Word Count: 298
Submitted for "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge" 
Prompt: Use the words bread, basket, sleeve