The first cake she made she gave to her Father.
He ate it all up. Then he said, "Honorable daughter, the cake is the very best I ever had of the kind. I am sure your honorable brother would like one too."
The Japanese are so very polite that they often call each other "honorable" in that way. They even call things that they use "honorable," too!
So Take said very politely, "Honorable Brother, would you like one of my poor cakes?"
It would be impolite in Japan to call anything good that you had made yourself. It would seem like praising your own work. That was why Take called them "my poor cakes."
"I should like a cake very much," Taro said.
Take poured out the batter. She watched it carefully, to be sure it did not burn. When it was just brown enough she gave it to Taro.
Taro ate it all up. Then he said to Take, "Honorable Sister, I should like to eat six."
The Father laughed. "If you stay here to eat six cakes, we shall not see the dolls' garden," he said. "Take must have one cake for herself, and then we will go on."
Take baked a cake for herself and ate it She called it a "poor" cake aloud, but inside she thought it was the very best cake that any one ever made!