Ruth Quayle
Julia Christians
First published in the UK in 2022 by Nosy Crow Ltd The Crow’s Nest, 14 Baden Place, Crosby Row, London SE1 1YW
Nosy Crow Eireann Ltd, 44 Orchard Grove, Kenmare, Co Kerry V93 FY22, Ireland
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ISBN: 978 1 83994 047 7
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Text © Ruth Quayle, 2022
Illustrations © Julia Christians, 2022
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Magnificent Mabel and the Very Bad Birthday
August 25th is my favourite day of the year because it is my birthday.
On my birthday I love opening my presents in bed, I
love blowing out the candles on my birthday cake, and I love not having to unload the dishwasher (because when it is your birthday your parents don’t force you to work).
My birthday makes me SO happy.
But there is one thing about birthdays that does not make me happy and that is . . .
. . . parties.
Like, for instance, at Harry Cox’s birthday party he had a bouncy castle in the shape of a spaceship but I couldn’t fly to the moon because Harry Cox and Jordi Bhogal kept landing on me.
On Florence Carter’s birthday she invited everybody in Class One to feed the newborn calves at her farm but we had to take turns and the problem with taking turns is that I was always last. At parties there are too many
people and there are also a lot of rules.
This year I told Dad that I did not want to have a big party for my birthday.
“I’ll just have a small one with you and Mum and Meg,” I said.
Dad looked pleased about this and Mum said a small party was fine with her too. She said,
“We don’t need the whole of Class One to have fun!” and then they both looked at each other and giggled.
And for once I did not mind them giggling about me because I was so glad I didn’t have to have a big party. I thought, now I can enjoy my birthday without anyone ruining it. I couldn’t wait. But I HAD to wait because the
problem with having a birthday on August 25th is that it is last.
Everybody in Class One has a birthday before me.
I explained this tragic situation to my family. I said, “Why does my birthday take longer than everybody else’s?”
“Mabel,” said Dad.
“Everybody’s birthday takes the same amount of time to come
around. All birthdays take a year.”
“Dad,” I replied, VERY patiently. “That is not the whole truth. In my class, September birthdays are first. That is what Edward Silitoe says and Edward Silitoe is a brainbox.
Edward Silitoe’s birthday is on September 4th.”
And before Dad could argue
with me I went upstairs to my bedroom. Luckily Meg followed me up to my bedroom and even more luckily she offered to help me make a birthday countdown.
She drew lots of red boxes on a big piece of white paper and at the top she wrote MABEL’S
BIRTHDAY COUNTDOWN in multicoloured letters.