IMAGINATION CAN BE BETTER THAN REALITY

Sergei picked up the plastic cover of the cake and sniffed it appreciativly, then recalled, "We used to always pick these up and smell them when we'd find them."  Just as my heart began to weep for the little orphan who had to smell the box, rather than ever get the cake, he commented, "They don't really taste as good as we thought they did," 

I supposed that since he smelled the containers of Russian cakes - perhaps they did.  ?