The Super Summer Strawberry

Sara was standing in her strawberry patch. It was summer, and that meant it was strawberry season. Sara’s family were farmers and grew delicious fruits and vegetables. Sometimes Sara and her sisters would select the best ones to show at the State Fair.

Sara surveyed the strawberries. They grew in straight rows along the ground: green plants with specks of scarlet sweetness peeking out to suck up the sunshine.  The more sunshine they got, the larger the strawberry plants would grow. As Sara searched, she suddenly stopped short. Something surprising stood out in front of her.

“Suzy! Stacey!” she shouted for her sisters. “Come see!” Her sisters sauntered over from the stable where they had been shoveling straw for the stallion. When they got closer, Sara showed her sisters the sight she saw. There, growing under a leafy vine, was a strawberry the size of a pumpkin.  

“Sweet sugarplums,” said Suzy. “I’ve never seen a strawberry that size.”

Her sister Stacey suggested they submit the strawberry as their selection to the State Fair. “Surely such a significant strawberry should stand out from the competition.” Sara and Suzy agreed. The sisters settled on a scheme to support the fruit as much as possible before the fair.

Every day, one of the sisters would sit with the sizable strawberry and sing soothing songs. Sure enough, the sweet singing did seem to stimulate the strawberry, and its size swelled significantly. In a week, the berry had grown to be as big as a watermelon. After the second week, it was as large as a tractor tire. The siblings squealed at the sight of such a superb specimen. It was time to take their substantial strawberry to the State Fair.  

The sisters shouldered the strawberry and somehow succeeded in shifting it safely onto the back of the pick-up truck. Sara and Suzy sat on either side of the strawberry while Stacey drove.

At the fair, the spectators swarmed the sisters’ stall to see the surprising strawberry.

“Stupendous!” shouted a short shopkeeper.  

“Sensational!” said a shoe salesman.

“Shocking!” screamed a senior citizen, who then fainted.

“Superb!” said the state senator, who was the judge of the competition. “I’ve never seen such a splendid, superior strawberry specimen! It’s symmetrical and stylish. I declare it the Supreme Strawberry of the State Fair!”

The sisters shrieked at their success. The judge pinned the winning blue ribbon on the sweet red fruit. But when the pin touched it, the strawberry suddenly split open and splattered.

The siblings were stunned. Shock fell over the spectators. Strawberry bits sprayed everywhere, even in people’s hair and faces. Someone snickered.

“Such a shame,” said the senator, sadly.

“Don’t be silly,” said Sara, suddenly spirited again. “I have a great idea! There are enough strawberry segments here to make a super strawberry shortcake to share!”

Suzy and Stacey agreed. Swiftly the sisters and the spectators scooped up the strawberry sections and took them to the baker. She mixed the strawberry pieces with fresh cake and whipped cream, and soon everybody was sharing in a spontaneous strawberry social!

“Scrumptious!” said Sara, smiling.