Mischief Makers Day 14: Gingerbread House

All houses made of candy,
come in very handy.
When you get a craving,
just take a little shaving.
Oh!!! Gum drop doors,
fruity floors,
Sugar-coated walls.
Twizzlers hanging from the roof
fruit leathers down the halls!

Pixie giggled as she watched Nim and Lil. “You know, it’s not actually made of candy. Or gingerbread for that matter.”

“And those are not actually the lyrics for Jingle Bells,” said Figgy with a smile.

Nim smiled and pulled out a few more slices of bread. Lil came fluttering to the table with a container of ginger.

“No, but this one will be.” Pixie came around the corner of the fridge with a giant gingerbread house kit. Glitter galloped after her with bags of candy in her antlers, and Barrel trailed behind with gumdrops stuck in his fur.

“Looks like Barrel got into the gumdrop bag,” Figgy said as he scratched the pup’s ears.

“Ta da!” Lil put the jar of ginger on top of the bread house. The joke was complete.

“Now,” said Figgy. “Let’s hide the real one.”

The four friends spent the next hour putting a giant gingerbread house together for the boys to decorate. By the time they were finished, they were covered in icing and Nim was stuck to the table.

“Uh,” said Lil, holding her stomach. “I’m SO full of icing I could burst!”

“Me too,” groaned Pixie.

Figgy disappeared into the refrigerator and came back with a big bottle of maple syrup. “Here’s the perfect cure for stomach aches. It’s Grade B, but beggars can’t be choosers.”

Nim looked at the bottle and let out a horrified yelp. He flew fast at Figgy and knocked it out of Figgy’s hands.

Figgy spluttered. “What did you do that for Nim!?!?”

Nim pointed a shaking finger at the syrup. “Don’t you see what it says on the label?”

Figgy floated to the bottle to get a closer look and turned as green as his hat. “Oh, no. No, no, no. I–I should have looked first.”

“What is it?” called Lil. “What’s the matter with it?”

Nim turned to Lil, his expression grave. “It’s poison.”

The little color left on Lil’s face drained. “Not…”.

“Yes. I’m afraid so. It’s…sugar-free. Sugar-free syrup.”