Thunder Cake
by Patricia Polacco
(Communicate with Cambridge)
Text with Summary and Paragraph wise meaning :
Para No. 1 (Original Text)
On sultry summer days at my grandma’s farm in Michigan, the air gets damp and heavy. Storm clouds drift low over the fields. Birds fly close to the ground. The clouds glow for an instant with a sharp, crackling light, and then a roaring, low, tumbling sound of thunder makes the windows shudder in their panes. The sound used to scare me when I was little. I loved to go to Grandma’s house (Babushka, as I used to call my grandma, had come from Russia years before), but I feared Michigan’s summer storms. I feared the sound of thunder more than everything. I always hid under the bed when the storm moved near the farmhouse.
Meaning (Easy Language)
On hot summer days, the weather became heavy and storms came. Dark clouds, lightning, and loud thunder filled the sky. The loud thunder scared the writer when he was young. He loved his grandmother’s house, but he was very afraid of thunderstorms and used to hide under the bed.
Para No. 2 (Original Text)
This is the story of how my grandma—my Babushka—helped me overcome my fear of thunderstorms.
Meaning (Easy Language)
This paragraph tells us that the story is about how the writer’s grandmother helped him stop being afraid of thunder.
Para No. 3 (Original Text)
Grandma looked at the horizon, drew a deep breath and said, “This is Thunder Cake baking weather, all right. Looks like a storm coming to me.”
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma looked at the sky and calmly said that the weather was right for baking Thunder Cake. She was not afraid of the storm at all.
Para No. 4 (Original Text)
“Child, you come out from under that bed. It’s only thunder you’re hearing,” my grandma said. The air was hot, heavy and damp. A loud clap of thunder shook the house, rattled the windows and made me grab her close. I was so scared that I could barely see what was going on.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma gently asked the child to come out from under the bed and said it was only thunder. The thunder was very loud and scary. The child was so frightened that he held his grandma tightly.
Para No. 5 (Original Text)
“Steady, child,” she cooed. “Unless you let go of me, we won’t be able to make a Thunder Cake today!”
“Thunder Cake?” I stammered as I hugged her even closer.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma spoke gently and told the child to calm down. She said they could not make Thunder Cake if he did not let go of her. The child was surprised and frightened and asked about Thunder Cake while holding her tightly.
Para No. 6 (Original Text)
“Don’t pay attention to that old thunder, except to see how close the storm is getting. When you see the lightning, start counting… really slowly. When you hear the thunder, stop counting. That number is how many miles away the storm is. Understand?” she asked. “We need to know how far away the storm is, so we have time to make the cake and get it into the oven before the storm comes, or it won’t be real Thunder Cake.”
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma explained calmly how to count after lightning to know how far the storm was. She said this would help them know if there was enough time to bake the Thunder Cake before the storm arrived.
Para No. 7 (Original Text)
Her eyes surveyed the black clouds a way off in the distance. Then she strode into the kitchen. Her worn hands pulled a thick book from the shelf above the woodstove.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma looked carefully at the dark clouds far away. Then she went into the kitchen and took out a thick book from the shelf.
Para No. 8 (Original Text)
“Let’s find that recipe, child,” she crowed as she lovingly fingered the grease-stained pages to a creased spot. “Here it is… Thunder Cake!”
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma happily searched through the recipe book. She found the page for Thunder Cake and felt very pleased.
Para No. 9 (Original Text)
She carefully penned the ingredients on a piece of notepaper. “Now let’s gather all the things we’ll need!” she exclaimed as she scurried toward the back door.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma carefully wrote down the ingredients. Then she quickly went to collect everything needed to make the cake.
Para No. 10 (Original Text)
We were by the barn door when a huge bolt of lightning flashed. I started counting, like Grandma told me to, “1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10.” Then the thunder ROARED!
Meaning (Easy Language)
They were standing near the barn when lightning flashed. The child counted numbers as Grandma had taught. After counting, loud thunder was heard.
Para No. 11 (Original Text)
“Ten miles… it’s ten miles away,” Grandma said as she looked at the sky. “About an hour away, I’d say. You’ll have to hurry, child. Gather the eggs carefully,” she said.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma explained that the storm was far away. She said they had some time and told the child to hurry and collect the eggs carefully.
Para No. 12 (Original Text)
Eggs from mean old Nellie Peck Hen. I was scared. I knew she would try to peck me.
Meaning (Easy Language)
The eggs had to be taken from a hen that scared the child. The child was afraid the hen might peck.
Para No. 13 (Original Text)
“I’m here, she won’t hurt you. Just get the eggs,” Grandma said softly.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma spoke gently and assured the child that nothing would happen. She encouraged the child to collect the eggs.
Para No. 14 (Original Text)
I helped myself to some eggs. The lightning flashed again. “1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9,” I counted.
Meaning (Easy Language)
The child gathered the eggs while counting again after seeing lightning.
Para No. 15 (Original Text)
“Nine miles,” Grandma reminded me.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma told the child that the storm was now closer.
Para No. 16 (Original Text)
Milk was next. Milk from old Kick Cow. As Grandma milked her, Kick Cow turned and looked mean, right at me. I was scared. She looked so big.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Next, they needed milk. The child felt scared because the cow looked big and angry.
Para No. 17 (Original Text)
ZIP went the lightning. “1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8,” I counted to myself. BAROOOOOOOM went the thunder.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Lightning flashed again and the child counted. Loud thunder followed soon after.
Para No. 18 (Original Text)
“Eight miles, child,” Grandma croaked.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma said the storm was now even closer.
Para No. 19 (Original Text)
“Now we have to get chocolate and sugar and flour from the dry shed.”
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma said they now needed to collect the remaining items for the cake.
Para No. 20 (Original Text)
I was scared as we walked down the path from the farmhouse through Tangleweed Woods to the dry shed.
Meaning (Easy Language)
The child still felt afraid while walking through the woods to the shed, but continued bravely.
Para No. 21 (Original Text)
Suddenly the lightning slit the sky!
“1-2-3-4-5-6-7” I counted.
BOOOOOM BA-BOOOOOOM, crashed the thunder. It scared me a lot, but I kept walking with Grandma.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Suddenly bright lightning flashed in the sky. The child counted the seconds. Loud thunder followed. The child was scared but continued walking with Grandma bravely.
Para No. 22 (Original Text)
Another jagged edge of lightning flashed as I crept into the dry shed! “1-2-3-4-5-6” I counted.
CRACKLE, CRACKLE BOOOOOOOM, KA-BOOOOOM, the thunder bellowed. It was dark and I was scared.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Lightning flashed again as the child slowly entered the shed. Thunder made very loud noises. It was dark, and the child felt frightened.
Para No. 23 (Original Text)
“I’m here, child,” Grandma said softly from the doorway. “Hurry now, we haven’t got much time. We’ve got everything but the secret ingredients.”
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma gently assured the child that she was there. She said they must hurry and collect the special ingredients quickly.
Para No. 24 (Original Text)
“Three over-ripe tomatoes and some strawberries,” Grandma whispered as she squinted at the list.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma quietly read the list and said they needed tomatoes and strawberries.
Para No. 25 (Original Text)
I climbed up high on the trellis. The ground looked a long way down. I was scared.
Meaning (Easy Language)
The child climbed high to get the tomatoes. Looking down from above made the child feel afraid.
Para No. 26 (Original Text)
“I’m here, child,” she said. Her voice was steady and soft. “You won’t fall.”
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma spoke calmly and encouraged the child. She promised that the child would be safe.
Para No. 27 (Original Text)
I reached for three luscious tomatoes while she picked strawberries. Lightning again! “1-2-3-4-5” I counted.
KA-BANG BOOOOOOOOAROOOOM, the thunder growled.
Meaning (Easy Language)
The child picked tomatoes while Grandma picked strawberries. Lightning and thunder came again, but the child kept counting and continued working.
Para No. 28 (Original Text)
We hurried back to the house and the warm kitchen and we measured the ingredients. I poured them into the mixing bowl while Grandma mixed. I churned butter for the frosting and melted chocolate. Finally, we poured the batter into the cake pans and put them into the oven together.
Meaning (Easy Language)
They rushed back to the house and started baking. The child and Grandma worked together to mix everything and put the cake into the oven.
Para No. 29 (Original Text)
Lightning lit the kitchen!
I only counted to three and the thunder rumbled and crashed.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Lightning flashed very close to the house. Thunder followed quickly, showing the storm was very near.
Para No. 30 (Original Text)
“Three miles away,” Grandma said, “and the cake is in the oven. We made it!”
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma said the storm was close, but they had finished baking in time. They were happy and proud that they succeeded.
Para No. 31 (Original Text)
“We’ll have a real Thunder Cake!”
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma happily said that they would really have a Thunder Cake.
Para No. 32 (Original Text)
As we waited for the cake, Grandma looked out of the window for a long time. “Why, you aren’t afraid of thunder. You’re too brave!” she said as she looked right at me.
Meaning (Easy Language)
While waiting for the cake, Grandma watched the storm. She told the child that he was not afraid anymore and called him brave.
Para No. 33 (Original Text)
“I’m not brave, Grandma,” I said. “I was under the bed! Remember?”
Meaning (Easy Language)
The child said he was not brave because he had been hiding under the bed earlier.
Para No. 34 (Original Text)
“But you got out from under it,” she answered, “and you got eggs from mean old Nellie Peck Hen, you got milk from old Kick Cow, you went through Tangleweed Woods to the dry shed, you climbed the trellis in the barnyard. Only a very brave person could have done all these things!”
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma explained that the child did many scary things during the storm. She said only a brave person could do all that.
Para No. 35 (Original Text)
I thought and thought as the storm rumbled closer. She was right. I was brave!
Meaning (Easy Language)
The child realized that Grandma was right and felt proud that he was brave.
Para No. 36 (Original Text)
“Brave people can’t be afraid of a sound, child,” she said as we spread out the tablecloth and set the table. When we were done, we hurried into the kitchen to take the cake out of the oven. After the cake had cooled, we frosted it.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma said brave people do not fear sounds. They prepared the table, took the cake out, and decorated it with icing.
Para No. 37 (Original Text)
Just then the lightning flashed, and this time it lit the whole sky.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Lightning flashed brightly and lit up the entire sky.
Para No. 38 (Original Text)
Even before the last flash had faded, the thunder ROLLED, BOOOOOMED, CRASHED, and BBBBAAAARRRRROOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMED just above us. The storm was here!
Meaning (Easy Language)
Very loud thunder followed the lightning. The storm had fully arrived.
Para No. 39 (Original Text)
“Perfect,” Grandma cooed, “just perfect.” She beamed as she added the last strawberry to the glistening chocolate frosting on top of our Thunder Cake.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Grandma felt very happy. She finished decorating the cake and smiled proudly.
Para No. 40 (Original Text)
As rain poured down on our roof, Grandma cut a wedge for each of us. She poured us steaming cups of tea from the samovar.
Meaning (Easy Language)
While it rained heavily, Grandma served cake and hot tea to both of them.
Para No. 41 (Original Text)
When the thunder roared above us so hard it shook the windows and rattled the dishes in the cupboards, we just smiled and ate our Thunder Cake. From that time on, I never feared the voice of thunder again.
Meaning (Easy Language)
Even though thunder was very loud, the child was no longer afraid. From that day, thunder never scared him again.