was hungry so I decided to have a snack.” Sherena sat up. “But when Betsey started making all that noise, it startled me and I tripped over.”
“You wanted a snack at three o’clock in the morning?” Mum said crossly. “Sherena, clean up that mess and go straight back to bed.”
“Betsey, was it you making that racket?” asked Gran’ma Liz.
“I thought Sherena was being kidnapped,” said Betsey. “And I wanted to wake up you and Mum without the kidnappers getting me! So I decided to be a guard dog!”
“Well, you woke us up, all right,” said Gran’ma Liz. “I should think you’ve woken up the whole street as well!”
“I make an excellent guard dog,” Betsey decided. “I know! That’s what I’ll be in class on Monday – the best guard dog in the world.”
“Betsey, I prefer you as a girl,” sniffed Sherena. “Then I wouldn’t have got caught and I could’ve had my snack in peace!”
“Betsey, you can be a guard dog any time you like.” Mum smiled. “I feel very safe knowing that you’re in the house!”
Betsey’s Birthday Surprise
The moment Betsey opened her eyes, she expected wonderful, sun-shiny, brilliant surprises. Well, she got a surprise all right! A nasty surprise. A
horrible
surprise. Everyone had forgotten her birthday!
At first Betsey couldn’t believe it. Botheration! How could everyone have forgotten that today was her birthday?
“Gran’ma Liz, guess what today is?” Betsey asked hopefully.
“Saturday,” said Gran’ma Liz. “Now run along and play, Betsey. I’ve got things to do.”
Betsey decided to give Gran’ma Liz a teeny-tiny clue.
“Gran’ma, haven’t you forgotten something?” Betsey asked. “Something wonderful about the day and
me
.”
If Gran’ma Liz didn’t get it from that then she didn’t deserve to call herself a gran’ma!
“Betsey child, what are you talking about? It’s Saturday. That’s it! End of story! And . . .” Gran’ma Liz slapped her hand against her forehead. “I’d forget my head if it wasn’t glued to my neck! Thanks for reminding me, Betsey. I promised your mum I’d make some of her favourite biscuits for when she comes home from work. I’d better get started.”
“But . . . but . . .” That’s not what Betsey meant at all!
“Do you want to help me?” asked Gran’ma Liz.
No way! Not today of all days. It looked like Gran’ma Liz really
had
forgotten. Betsey wandered out into the back yard. Sherena bowled a cricket ball to Desmond who hit it into the dirt.
“Why the glum face, Betsey?” asked Sherena as she picked up the ball.
“Because today is . . . today is . . .”
“A kind of nothing day,” Sherena said, finishing Betsey’s sentence. “I know exactly what you mean. There’s nothing special going on. There’s nothing to see, nothing to do. And it’s the kind of day when you don’t want to do anything either.”
Betsey really couldn’t believe it. All week she’d reminded everyone that it was her birthday on Saturday and they’d still forgotten. How
could
they? Even May hadn’t sent a card. Betsey felt tears prick at her eyes.
“Sherena, I can’t practise hitting the ball if you don’t throw it to me,” Desmond called out from the other end of the back yard.
“D’you want to stay and play cricket with us?” Sherena asked Betsey. “You can be the wicket keeper if you like.”
“Stuff the wicket keeper!” Betsey snapped.
“Charming!” Sherena raised her eyebrows as Betsey flounced back into the house.
So it was true. They had all forgotten. Maybe Mum hadn’t – but she wasn’t here. But the rest had! There were no cards, no presents. As for a birthday cake? There wasn’t even a birthday sandwich! Betsey would have settled for a birthday biscuit!
“Then I’ll just have to do something on my own!” Betsey muttered.
Yeah! That’s what she’d do. She’d celebrate her own birthday – all by herself. She’d show them all. She needed to
“You wanted a snack at three o’clock in the morning?” Mum said crossly. “Sherena, clean up that mess and go straight back to bed.”
“Betsey, was it you making that racket?” asked Gran’ma Liz.
“I thought Sherena was being kidnapped,” said Betsey. “And I wanted to wake up you and Mum without the kidnappers getting me! So I decided to be a guard dog!”
“Well, you woke us up, all right,” said Gran’ma Liz. “I should think you’ve woken up the whole street as well!”
“I make an excellent guard dog,” Betsey decided. “I know! That’s what I’ll be in class on Monday – the best guard dog in the world.”
“Betsey, I prefer you as a girl,” sniffed Sherena. “Then I wouldn’t have got caught and I could’ve had my snack in peace!”
“Betsey, you can be a guard dog any time you like.” Mum smiled. “I feel very safe knowing that you’re in the house!”
Betsey’s Birthday Surprise
The moment Betsey opened her eyes, she expected wonderful, sun-shiny, brilliant surprises. Well, she got a surprise all right! A nasty surprise. A
horrible
surprise. Everyone had forgotten her birthday!
At first Betsey couldn’t believe it. Botheration! How could everyone have forgotten that today was her birthday?
“Gran’ma Liz, guess what today is?” Betsey asked hopefully.
“Saturday,” said Gran’ma Liz. “Now run along and play, Betsey. I’ve got things to do.”
Betsey decided to give Gran’ma Liz a teeny-tiny clue.
“Gran’ma, haven’t you forgotten something?” Betsey asked. “Something wonderful about the day and
me
.”
If Gran’ma Liz didn’t get it from that then she didn’t deserve to call herself a gran’ma!
“Betsey child, what are you talking about? It’s Saturday. That’s it! End of story! And . . .” Gran’ma Liz slapped her hand against her forehead. “I’d forget my head if it wasn’t glued to my neck! Thanks for reminding me, Betsey. I promised your mum I’d make some of her favourite biscuits for when she comes home from work. I’d better get started.”
“But . . . but . . .” That’s not what Betsey meant at all!
“Do you want to help me?” asked Gran’ma Liz.
No way! Not today of all days. It looked like Gran’ma Liz really
had
forgotten. Betsey wandered out into the back yard. Sherena bowled a cricket ball to Desmond who hit it into the dirt.
“Why the glum face, Betsey?” asked Sherena as she picked up the ball.
“Because today is . . . today is . . .”
“A kind of nothing day,” Sherena said, finishing Betsey’s sentence. “I know exactly what you mean. There’s nothing special going on. There’s nothing to see, nothing to do. And it’s the kind of day when you don’t want to do anything either.”
Betsey really couldn’t believe it. All week she’d reminded everyone that it was her birthday on Saturday and they’d still forgotten. How
could
they? Even May hadn’t sent a card. Betsey felt tears prick at her eyes.
“Sherena, I can’t practise hitting the ball if you don’t throw it to me,” Desmond called out from the other end of the back yard.
“D’you want to stay and play cricket with us?” Sherena asked Betsey. “You can be the wicket keeper if you like.”
“Stuff the wicket keeper!” Betsey snapped.
“Charming!” Sherena raised her eyebrows as Betsey flounced back into the house.
So it was true. They had all forgotten. Maybe Mum hadn’t – but she wasn’t here. But the rest had! There were no cards, no presents. As for a birthday cake? There wasn’t even a birthday sandwich! Betsey would have settled for a birthday biscuit!
“Then I’ll just have to do something on my own!” Betsey muttered.
Yeah! That’s what she’d do. She’d celebrate her own birthday – all by herself. She’d show them all. She needed to
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