Right before Christmas, Aunt Madge was called away to tend to her ill husband, leaving the four Parlins and Cliffords alone. "May I¿cook the dinners, and not ask Mrs. Fixfax?" begged Prudy.¿"Because I really do know a great deal, Aunt Madge. You'd be surprised!¿I¿can cook cake, and pie, and biscuit, and three kinds of pudding. Please, this once, let me manage things just as I¿want to." "Just as we want to, you mean,"¿said Dotty. "I¿can make gingerbread as well as you can." "And I¿shaked a table-cloth once,"¿put in Flyaway. Aunt Madge only smiled at this.