¹     What do you think of when you hear about fruitcakes? Do you think of a crazy friend or maybe an odd, cheek-pinching aunt? A fruit cake can mean a strange person. It can also be a tasty Christmas treat. It is a dense cake that has dried or candied fruit in it.
 
²     These cakes have been made for a long time. Ancient Romans made them. They used pine nuts and raisins. They added these to a barley mash. The cake was shaped like a ring. Soldiers ate them. It gave them energy between battles. Soldiers still get fruitcakes. One soldier had a cake for 40 years! He had forgotten about it. He did not know what to do with the old cake. He said he did not want to eat it. He did not want to share it, either.

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