Kajkanten’s Advent Calendar – Window 12

Krut started muttering about the greatness of glitter, but Berske raised a finger, and the pig fell silent immediately..
“No glitter,” Berske said curtly. “And here’s what we’ll do: we’ll help Grandpa with the Vrångö bread.”

Håkan blinked. “Grandpa?”
“Yes,” said Berske. “He’s out of flour, and the delivery is delayed. He’s standing there cursing the Christmas baking. It’s unacceptable. Come on now!”

Berske marched toward the door, with Krut and Håkan trailing behind. They exchanged a glance—Håkan looked hesitant, while Krut seemed slightly excited.

Outside the barn, Vrångö lay still in the frosty night. Berske sniffed the air.
“It smells of frustration and stress. Not an option on my watch.”

They approached Grandpa’s little house, where a faint light shone through the kitchen window. Grandpa could be seen through the glass, wearing his old apron, tapping on an empty milk can and muttering to himself.

“Discreet and efficient,” said Berske. “No nonsense.” He gave Krut a sharp look.
Krut shrugged. “Glitter is effective too…”

“No,” interrupted Berske. “No glitter.”

With a snapping sound from Berske’s fingers, a large bag of flour appeared on Grandpa’s kitchen counter, neatly placed next to a gingerbread cookie and—much to Berske’s annoyance—a faint trail of glitter.

“Krut!” hissed Berske.

“It just… happened!” whispered the pig, trying to look innocent.

Inside the kitchen, Grandpa turned around and stopped in his tracks, surprised. “What on earth…” He bent down to the bag and chuckled. “Well, well. Miracles do happen. Now, it’s time to bake Vrångö bread!”

Outside, the trio watched from a distance. Håkan smiled, and even Berske seemed a bit pleased.

“Well done,” said Håkan.

Berske nodded briefly. “But no more glitter. Next time, Krut will have to sweep the barn until Midsummer.”

Krut wrinkled his nose. “It’s just a little festive…”

“Shh!” said Berske, starting to walk away.

Håkan and Krut followed behind, while Grandpa’s soft whistling could be heard from the kitchen. It felt as if a small spark of magic had returned to Vrångö.

Oh, how nice that Grandpa got the help he needed so the Vrångö bread could be finished! Vrångöbröd is truly a bit magical in itself, a tradition passed down through generations. It’s baked in a wood-fired oven, and each island in the archipelago has its own recipe. On Vrångö, it’s called “Vrångöbröd,” while on Donsö, it’s known as “Donsökaka.” Here you can see when we joined Gunnel as she baked Vrångöbröd for Christmas!