Ella and King Alfred's Burnt Cakes

We've been in the UK now for 6 weeks...and that's how long it has taken for Ella to acquire the local lingo of which she is quite proud of! Her British accent isn't Ella's only new trend -  there is the slight obsession with uno after learning how to play it on the plane on the way over as well as a skipping phase brought home from school. Slight problem with the skipping is the inability to practice - not enough room inside the house and then the 2 flights of stairs between us and the ground plus the rainy weather makes the outdoors less than ideal.

I thought one of the main roles as a parent was to teach our children things. However as time goes past I realise they are here to teach us a thing or two - like patience, negotiation skills....Anyway on asking Ella last week what she learnt at Forest School, we were given a reply about King Alfred's Burnt Cakes. Andy and I both glanced at each other confused. Ella said they were black things that grow on trees. Thank goodness for google!

Turns out that King Albert's Burnt Cakes are hard, semi-spherical black lumps, usually about 3 - 4cm in diameter, which grow on ash or beech trees and are a type of fungus! Their appearance are much like a burnt cake. Now King Alfred at various points in time ruled most of southern England during 870's and spent lots of time fighting the vikings. Legend has it that during one war, he fled from the Danes and sought shelter at a peasants home in the forest. While resting next to the fire, the King was asked by the peasant to look after the cakes that were baking. However preoccupied with his own thoughts and problems, the King forgot about the cakes. Subsequently the peasant returned to find smoke billowing out and the cakes burnt!