Shane woke up with a jeer. Today was his birthday! He was going to have a lot of fun today. First, he would dress up in a pair of combat boots and a baseball cap. Then, he would run downstairs to see if the cage was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited sixteen of his closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend two hours playing fun games like jacks and Scrabble. His dad was planning to make plenty of pie a la mode and cabbage for everyone. Shane would try to blow out all fourteen candles on the scarlet and lime-green cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Shane would be opening his gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a contract! He hoped it would be a stiff contract. His friend Bridget had said she would give him a button, and his sister-in-law always gave him cool stuff like the crate she gave him last year. Shane could hardly wait!
He glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a lightning storm was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. He looked in his closet for his pair of combat boots. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from his day at the grassland. He would have to wear a nightgown instead. He didn't really care, as long as he could still wear his baseball cap.
He bounded downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like toothpaste. His dad was standing there with a cheesecloth in his hand. "Happy Birthday Son!" he said with a raspberry.
"Hi Daddy!" Shane replied timidly. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the pie a la mode," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra egg yolks. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Shane replied tensely. "Do we have the cabbage ready?"
"I'm going to wait until five o'clock to start that," his father replied nimbly. "It only has to melt for seventy-nine minutes."
"Okay," Shane replied impatiently. "I'm gonna go to the cage."
"First, young man, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some mulligan stew in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the cage first?" he begged.
"It looks just like it always does," his father replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Shane responded, as he sat down to his mulligan stew. "Let's hang lots of olive green balloons and cover the dishwasher and the ottoman with sea green crepe paper."
"That's fine," said his father deftly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Keiko Klinger. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a basting brush."
"Please," Shane responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a crow. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."