Once upon a time in a magical land called Sprinkleville, there stood a famous cupcake castle. The castle was made entirely of delicious cupcakes, each one frosted with vibrant colors and topped with sugary sprinkles. One sunny day, the mischievous Minty Mischief, a friendly little gnome, hatched a plan to steal all the cupcakes from the castle. Known for his love of sweet treats, Minty could not resist the temptation of the cupcakes’ mouthwatering aroma.

Minty’s plan involved disguising himself as the royal cupcake chef, Crumbly Confection. He sneaked into the castle’s kitchen and whipped up a batch of cupcakes that were more salty than sweet. The townspeople were puzzled by the sudden change in taste, but no one suspected that it was Minty’s doing. As chaos erupted in Sprinkleville, Minty silently plotted his next move.

As days went by, the citizens grew desperate for the return of their beloved cupcakes. Nobody could solve the mystery until a young girl named Ella, with an extraordinary sense of smell, joined the search. Ella’s nose led her straight to Minty’s gnome hideout, under a magical peppermint bush. Determined to save the day, Ella mustered up all her courage and crept closer to the secret entrance.

Ella discovered that Minty was using a contraption to swipe all the cupcakes magically without being seen. With a cunning plan in mind, Ella grabbed a bucket of icy cold water and, just as Minty reached for another cupcake, she doused him. The water washed away Minty’s disguise, revealing his true identity. The townspeople were both shocked and relieved, as they finally had the answer to their cupcake mystery.

Realizing his plan had been foiled, Minty apologized for causing chaos in Sprinkleville. The townspeople forgave him when he vowed to use his gnome magic to bake more cupcakes for everyone. And so, with a sprinkle of magic, Minty and Ella worked together to create the most delicious cupcakes the land had ever tasted, spreading joy throughout Sprinkleville once more.

The Cupcake Castle Caper taught the people of Sprinkleville that dishonesty always leads to trouble. It reminded them to cherish the things they love and to work together to solve problems. From that day forward, the town celebrated their newfound appreciation not only for cupcakes but also for the importance of honesty and trust. And as the sweet aroma of freshly baked cupcakes filled the air, laughter and happiness once again filled the streets of Sprinkleville, making it the sweetest place on Earth.

🎧 Listen:

📖 Vocabulary:

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What was the castle in Sprinkleville made of?
2. Who hatched a plan to steal all the cupcakes from the castle?
3. How did Minty disguise himself in order to steal the cupcakes?
4. Who eventually discovered Minty’s gnome hideout?
5. What did Ella use to reveal Minty’s true identity?
6. How did the townspeople react when Minty’s plan was foiled?
7. What did Minty promise to do after his plan was foiled?
8. What did the people of Sprinkleville learn from the Cupcake Castle Caper?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Once upon a time in a magical land called Sprinkleville, there stood a famous (1)______ (2)______. The castle was made entirely of delicious cupcakes, each one frosted with vibrant colors and topped with sugary sprinkles. One sunny day, the mischievous Minty Mischief, a friendly little gnome, hatched a plan to steal all the cupcakes from the castle. Known for his love of sweet treats, Minty could not (3)______ the temptation of the cupcakes’ mouthwatering (4)______.

Minty’s plan involved disguising himself as the royal cupcake chef, Crumbly Confection. He sneaked into the castle’s kitchen and whipped up a batch of cupcakes that were more salty than sweet. The (5)______ were puzzled by the sudden change in taste, but no one suspected that it was (6)______’s doing. As chaos erupted in Sprinkleville, Minty silently plotted his next move.

As days went by, the citizens grew desperate for the (7)______ of their beloved cupcakes. Nobody could solve the mystery until a young girl named Ella, with an extraordinary sense of smell, joined the search. Ella’s nose led her straight to Minty’s gnome hideout, under a magical peppermint bush. Determined to save the day, Ella mustered up all her (8)______ and crept closer to the secret entrance.

Ella discovered that Minty was using a contraption to swipe all the cupcakes magically without being seen. With a (9)______ plan in mind, Ella grabbed a bucket of icy cold (10)______ and, just as Minty reached for another cupcake, she doused him. The water washed away Minty’s disguise, revealing his true identity. The townspeople were both shocked and relieved, as they finally had the answer to their cupcake mystery.

Realizing his plan had been foiled, Minty apologized for (11)______ chaos in Sprinkleville. The townspeople forgave him when he vowed to use his gnome magic to bake more cupcakes for everyone. And so, with a sprinkle of magic, Minty and Ella (12)______ together to (13)______ the most delicious (14)______ the land had ever tasted, spreading joy throughout Sprinkleville once more.

The Cupcake Castle Caper taught the people of Sprinkleville that dishonesty always leads to trouble. It reminded them to cherish the things they love and to work together to solve problems. From that day forward, the town celebrated their newfound appreciation not only for cupcakes but also for the importance of honesty and trust. And as the sweet aroma of freshly (15)______ cupcakes filled the air, laughter and happiness once again filled the streets of Sprinkleville, making it the (16)______ place on Earth.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. How would you feel if you lived in a town made entirely of cupcakes?
2. Do you think Minty’s plan was clever or sneaky? Why or why not?
3. What is a contraption? Can you think of any other contraptions that people use?
4. How do you think Ella felt when she discovered Minty’s gnome hideout?
5. Do you like cupcakes? What is your favorite flavor?
6. What is the lesson that the people of Sprinkleville learned from this story? Do you think it’s an important lesson?
7. Have you ever had a mystery to solve? How did you go about solving it?
8. How do you think the townspeople felt when they realized Minty was the one behind the cupcake theft?
9. Do you think Minty should have been forgiven for his actions? Why or why not?
10. How would you feel if someone stole something that you loved?
11. Have you ever had to work together with someone to solve a problem? How did it go?
12. Can you think of another story or movie where honesty and trust are important themes?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. magical
2. mischievous
3. aroma
4. chaos
5. disguise
6. contraption
7. cunning
8. doused
9. foiled
10. vowed
11. cherish
12. caper
13. appreciation
14. honesty
15. laughter

Meanings:
(A) Playfully causing minor trouble or annoyance
(B) Poured a liquid over, typically abruptly and heavily
(C) A means of altering one’s appearance to conceal their identity
(D) An adventurous or daring enterprise
(E) To hold something dear or to value it highly
(F) Recognition of the quality, value, or significance of people or things
(G) Prevented from succeeding in a clever or underhanded way
(H) Promised solemnly to do a specified thing
(I) Having or showing skill in achieving one’s ends by deceit or evasion
(J) Complete disorder and confusion
(K) Possessing or using supernatural powers
(L) The sound of someone laughing
(M) The quality of being truthful and free from deceit
(N) A distinctive and typically pleasant smell
(O) A device or piece of equipment, especially one that is odd or complicated
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the mischievous gnome?
(a) Crumbly Confection
(b) Ella
(c) Sprinkleville
(d) Minty Mischief

2. How did Minty disguise himself?
(a) As a magical peppermint bush
(b) As a gnome hideout
(c) As the royal cupcake chef
(d) As a bucket of icy cold water

3. Who solved the mystery of the missing cupcakes?
(a) Ella
(b) Minty
(c) Crumbly Confection
(d) The townspeople

4. How did Ella catch Minty in the act?
(a) By using her extraordinary sense of smell
(b) By baking more cupcakes
(c) By dousing him with icy cold water
(d) By disguising herself as Minty

5. What did Minty promise to do after his plan failed?
(a) Steal more cupcakes
(b) Use his gnome magic to bake more cupcakes
(c) Apologize to the townspeople
(d) Leave Sprinkleville forever

6. What did the Cupcake Castle Caper teach the people of Sprinkleville?
(a) Dishonesty leads to trouble
(b) Cupcakes are delicious
(c) Minty is a mischievous gnome
(d) Ella is a hero

7. How did Minty’s cupcakes taste?
(a) Sweet
(b) Bitter
(c) Spicy
(d) Salty

8. What did the people of Sprinkleville celebrate at the end of the story?
(a) Minty’s apology
(b) Their newfound appreciation for cupcakes
(c) Ella’s bravery
(d) The sweet aroma of freshly baked cupcakes

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Ella finds Minty’s gnome hideout under a magical peppermint bush.
2. Minty and Ella work together to bake delicious cupcakes and bring joy back to Sprinkleville.
3. Minty Mischief is a mischievous gnome who loves sweet treats.
4. Ella, a young girl with an ordinary sense of smell, hinders solving the cupcake mystery.
5. Minty’s plan involves making cupcakes that taste sweet instead of salty.
6. The castle in Sprinkleville is made entirely of cupcakes.
7. Minty reveals himself as the royal cupcake chef, Crumbly Confection.
8. Ella aids Minty’s plan by drenching him with warm water.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this story in two sentences. Here are some hints:
Who are the main characters?
What happens in the story?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What was the castle in Sprinkleville made of?
The castle was made entirely of delicious cupcakes.

2. Who hatched a plan to steal all the cupcakes from the castle?
Minty Mischief, a friendly little gnome, hatched the plan.

3. How did Minty disguise himself in order to steal the cupcakes?
Minty disguised himself as the royal cupcake chef, Crumbly Confection.

4. Who eventually discovered Minty’s gnome hideout?
A young girl named Ella, with an extraordinary sense of smell, discovered Minty’s gnome hideout.

5. What did Ella use to reveal Minty’s true identity?
Ella used a bucket of icy cold water to reveal Minty’s true identity.

6. How did the townspeople react when Minty’s plan was foiled?
The townspeople were both shocked and relieved when Minty’s plan was foiled.

7. What did Minty promise to do after his plan was foiled?
Minty promised to use his gnome magic to bake more cupcakes for everyone.

8. What did the people of Sprinkleville learn from the Cupcake Castle Caper?
The people of Sprinkleville learned the importance of honesty and trust, and to cherish the things they love.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) cupcake
(2) castle
(3) resist
(4) aroma
(5) townspeople
(6) Minty
(7) return
(8) courage
(9) cunning
(10) water
(11) causing
(12) worked
(13) create
(14) cupcakes
(15) baked
(16) sweetest
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. magical
Answer: (K) Possessing or using supernatural powers

2. mischievous
Answer: (A) Playfully causing minor trouble or annoyance

3. aroma
Answer: (N) A distinctive and typically pleasant smell

4. chaos
Answer: (J) Complete disorder and confusion

5. disguise
Answer: (C) A means of altering one’s appearance to conceal their identity

6. contraption
Answer: (O) A device or piece of equipment, especially one that is odd or complicated

7. cunning
Answer: (I) Having or showing skill in achieving one’s ends by deceit or evasion

8. doused
Answer: (B) Poured a liquid over, typically abruptly and heavily

9. foiled
Answer: (G) Prevented from succeeding in a clever or underhanded way

10. vowed
Answer: (H) Promised solemnly to do a specified thing

11. cherish
Answer: (E) To hold something dear or to value it highly

12. caper
Answer: (D) An adventurous or daring enterprise

13. appreciation
Answer: (F) Recognition of the quality, value, or significance of people or things

14. honesty
Answer: (M) The quality of being truthful and free from deceit

15. laughter
Answer: (L) The sound of someone laughing
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the mischievous gnome?
Answer: (d) Minty Mischief

2. How did Minty disguise himself?
Answer: (c) As the royal cupcake chef

3. Who solved the mystery of the missing cupcakes?
Answer: (a) Ella

4. How did Ella catch Minty in the act?
Answer: (c) By dousing him with icy cold water

5. What did Minty promise to do after his plan failed?
Answer: (b) Use his gnome magic to bake more cupcakes

6. What did the Cupcake Castle Caper teach the people of Sprinkleville?
Answer: (a) Dishonesty leads to trouble

7. How did Minty’s cupcakes taste?
Answer: (d) Salty

8. What did the people of Sprinkleville celebrate at the end of the story?
Answer: (b) Their newfound appreciation for cupcakes
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Ella finds Minty’s gnome hideout under a magical peppermint bush. (Answer: True)
2. Minty and Ella work together to bake delicious cupcakes and bring joy back to Sprinkleville. (Answer: True)
3. Minty Mischief is a mischievous gnome who loves sweet treats. (Answer: True)
4. Ella, a young girl with an ordinary sense of smell, hinders solving the cupcake mystery. (Answer: False)
5. Minty’s plan involves making cupcakes that taste sweet instead of salty. (Answer: False)
6. The castle in Sprinkleville is made entirely of cupcakes. (Answer: True)
7. Minty reveals himself as the royal cupcake chef, Crumbly Confection. (Answer: False)
8. Ella aids Minty’s plan by drenching him with warm water. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧