On a sunny day in the jungle, Tina the Tiger and Max the Monkey were sitting under a big tree. They were having a little chat when suddenly Tina’s eyes twinkled. “I’ve just remembered something!” she exclaimed, “Guess whose birthday is coming soon?”
“Who?”
“It’s Polly the Parrot, our good friend. Her birthday is after tomorrow. We must give her a surprise party, Max.”
“Oh, what a great idea, Tina. She’ll be so happy! We must get everything ready in secret.”
Max jumped up excitedly, clapping his hands. “But how are we going to do that?” he asked.
“Let’s call all our friends and ask them to help us. I think they’ll all come in on it,” replied Tina the Tiger.
So they all agreed, and a little later every animal on the jungle came to the meeting. When they heard why they were all called there, they all gave a little cheer. The Elephant said he would get the tent; the Giraffe said she would do the cooking; the Fox said he had some fireworks and would see them all right; the Monkeys offered to do the decorating, and the Lion said he would do the roaring. So everything was arranged.
The day of the party soon came, and in the morning Max was going to Polly’s house to ask her to come to the jungle. But before that he went to the Alice House and asked Tina to lend him a party hat.
“Do I want a party hat?” asked Tina in surprise.
“Of course, you want a party hat. You’ll be the only one at the party without one.”
Then Max put the party hat on his head and went off to Polly’s house. Meantime, the rest of the jungle was all busy putting up the tent, getting things ready for the feast, and doing all the hundred and one little things that had to be done.
“I do hope Polly will like her party,” said one and another from morning till night.
Polly did have a lovely dinner. “Isn’t the jungle jolly today?” she kept saying. “The sun is so bright, the birds are singing, the flowers smell lovely, and everything is so nice and clean.” And she was quite pleased when Max put the pretty party hat on her head.
At four o’clock Polly said she was going home to change her dress, and she set off with Max. When they got near the jungle clearing, Max put his fingers to his lips. “Sh! Now mind Polly,” he whispered, and he peeped into the clearing. It was all in darkness, and then suddenly all his friends jumped out from behind the bushes, and a big board said “Happy Birthday to Polly” in big shining letters.
Then the jungle rang with cheers and shouts, and there was the clothes on fireworks that the fox had prepared, and Polly looked at the big tent, and, of course, at the big feast, and said simply: “It’s too much! How are you all to* like it, Max?” Then she tried to eat a slice of the prettiest cake, but she could not.
“We each want more than one slice,” said Tina, “but what each of us likes best of all is the smile of our happy birthday polly parrot.”
And she nodded with her head to the jungle, the big crowd round the birthday cake reflected the attitude of the jungle, joy of giving is bigger when shared.