Daniel's Birthday Surprise

Poor Daniel the fieldmouse was glum.

It was approaching his birthday, which he should have been excited about, but somehow he wasn't.

He had the snuffles, and a cough, and a cold, and he couldn't stop sneezing. In fact, poor Daniel was a very unhappy field mouse indeed.

And to make it worse, his mother wouldn't let him leave their mouse-hole to play with his friends.

But it was just a day before his birthday. And Daniel had had great plans.

He had hoped that he and his friends, some of the other fieldmice, Casper, the rabbit who lived nearby and the two hedgehog twins, Toby and Eddie, would all go on a wonderful adventure to the next meadow and take with them a special birthday picnic.

But it wasn't to be.

Daniel had to stay put and get better, rest and sleep.

But he tossed and turned, and turned and tossed, and with his sneezing and snuffling, he kept waking himself up.

He really did feel glum, and felt so miserable that he wouldn't be able to enjoy his birthday. He couldn't go out to play with his friends and couldn't have a picnic in the meadow next to his home.

Daniel's friends had been looking forward to his birthday too. They always enjoyed a good picnic. So they got together and scratched their heads, and they sat and thought - how can we make it special for Daniel?

And suddenly, Casper, the rabbit, jumped up in excitement.

"I know", he said, "If we can't go out for a picnic, then we'll simply bring the picnic indoors to Daniel".

Yes that was it! And everyone else agreed that it would be a very good idea indeed.

The fieldmice decided they would make a big birthday cake. The hedgehogs decided they would collect pine cones, as Daniel loved to nibble on those, and make sandwiches, and Casper would make cup cakes and bring carrot juice.

They were all getting very excited.

The day of Daniel's birthday dawned, and snuffly Daniel sniffled, "Oh, I wish I could go out and have fun."

Daniel's mother kissed him on the top of his head and told him that each day was full of surprises and you never knew what each day would bring.

And at that moment, there was a rappety-rap at the door, and in came Casper, the other field mice, and Eddie and Toby carrying a huge box and singing 'Happy Birthday to Daniel'.

Daniel's glumness suddenly disappeared and he smiled a big happy smile.

Casper put the box down in front of Daniel and Daniel unwrapped it and peered inside.

He couldn't believe his eyes. There packed up amongst pine cones was the best picnic he had ever seen.

His mother spread out a cloth on the ground and fetched plates and glasses.

For Daniel this was just the best feast ever. There was a huge iced cake, with 3 candles, parsley and thyme sandwiches and iced chocolate cup cakes.

They all tucked into the feast. Yes, this really was a great Birthday.

They all chatted and ate, and played games, and chatted some more, and then in the middle of their chatting they heard a strange noise coming from a corner of the mouse-hole.

ZZZzzzz...zzzz...zzzz.....

They all turned to where the noise was coming from, and do you know... it was Daniel who had just fallen asleep on the edge of the picnic cloth. But on his face he wore such a big contented smile.

It had been such an exciting day for the little field mouse and the best Birthday he could have wished for...
 

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