Story Hour
Happy Birthday Danny and Nicker... and ...
Written by Gene B. Williams
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It’s that time of year. Danny knew it, Nicker knew it, and you know it. IT’S BIRTHDAY TIME! At least it is for Danny and Nicker. (Mark it on your calendar. February 12.) They were very happy. Do you remember their Nickazoo Birthday Party? Captain Kazoo was there, and everyone played the “Happy Birthday” song on their kazoos. What a great time! (If you don’t already have a kazoo, you can learn how to make one in Your Page.)
Gordie seemed more grumpy than usual – even for Gordie. He grumbled to himself quietly, “Birthday party – what’s that? Who cares?”
As the birthday party for Danny and Nicker came closer and closer, Gordie became grumpier and grumpier. Finally one day he asked Danny, “What IS a birthday?”
Danny didn’t really know how to answer. “It’s the day you were born. Everyone has a birthday!”
“I don’t have a birthday,” said Gordie sadly. “I don’t know when I was born.”
Can you imagine that? Not knowing what your birthday is? Not even knowing what a birthday party is? Can you imagine???
Danny thought and thought, then he got an idea. “Of course you have a birthday, Gordie. It’s the same as ours.”
Gordie almost smiled. Not quite, but almost. “It is?” he asked.
Danny smiled and said, “It is now!” He put his hand on Gordie’s shell and went on. “I thought you knew. Nicker and I are already planning a birthday party, and YOU are the main guest of honor. We’ll have a cake and presents and … well, everything! It’s all for you, Gordie. This will be Gordie’s Birthday Party!”
“And mine,” Nicker whispered softly.
Gordie went off to his cavern, so very happy, to get himself ready for HIS party. Danny and Nicker got busy to plan it.
“I think I’ll give him a banana for a birthday present,” Danny said. “He loves bananas almost as much a grapes.”
Nicker wasn’t quite so sure about that, mostly because he didn’t know what a banana was. (Sea dragons know many things, but sometimes there are things they don’t know.) “Will it be a boneless banana?” he asked with concern.
Danny tried to not laugh. “I’ll get one from the kitchen and show you.”
Nicker looked at it. Sniffed it. Gave it a lick. “It’s no good, Danny, take it back to the store.” Danny started to explain that to eat a banana first you have to take off the peel. Nicker said, “No, that’s not it. This banana is bent. It’s broken.” Nicker pressed down on the banana to make it straight. It squished and made a mess. “SEE!” he said. “It’s broken!”
Then Nicker got an idea. “Let’s get him a zucchini instead. At least it’s straight, not bent.”
Well … what can I say. It made sense to Nicker.
Danny got an idea of his own. Gordie sure did like zucchini. Straight or bent or round or whatever didn’t matter. Gordie liked zucchini and that made it a good birthday present for a tortoise. Danny remembered when his Nana made a cake from zucchini. Oh, my, was it good!
“Let’s make a zucchini cake for Gordie’s birthday,” Danny suggested. This was a problem, of course. Danny didn’t know how to make a cake of any kind. He’d have to ask his Mom. How could he explain that he wanted her to make a zucchini cake for Gordie? His mom wasn’t so sure about that giant tortoise even living in the yard. He also knew that a tortoise can’t eat cake, not even one made with zucchini. “I’ll tell her that it’s a healthy cake!”
That’s just what happened. She got out the flour and sugar, and grated the zucchini, and began to mix it all together. “Get me the baking dish, Danny,” she said.
Danny knew just which one she meant. She used it to make flat things. “No, Mom, I want a BIRTHDAY cake. Round, with stacked layers. You know. Oh, and I want grape jelly between the layers and carrots on top for candles and a ring of grapes for Gordie around the bottom, and ….”
If you’ve ever had a zucchini cake you know that they are usually flat. But, Danny was determined – and that made Mom determined. So, she got out the regular round cake pans. It wasn’t easy but the cake layers came out of their pans. Danny used a spoon and carefully smeared grape jelly between the layers. It was a bit messy but lots of fun.
Poor Nicker couldn’t help at all. All he could do was watch from a hiding spot – and sniff. Mmm, the wonderful smell of baking cake was wonderful. Every now and then he licked his lips. It smelled so GOOD! Danny’s mother would look around and ask, “What was that sound?” Danny would pretend to smack his own lips and hope that Mom would accept that explanation.
Finally it was topped with some grape frosting. It said, “Happy Birthday.” Set in the top were seven candles, shaped like little carrots. Around the bottom was a ring of grapes. It was a beautiful cake.
Danny’s mother said, “You leave that cake alone! I have to drive to the store to get some milk and ice cream.”
After she left, Nicker came out. He and Danny admired the cake that they weren’t allowed to eat – and that Gordie couldn’t. Gordie was too heavy to lift, so they put the cake down on the floor. (VERY carefully!)
“It’s time to call Gordie,” said Danny. “He sure will be surprised! We have to hurry before Mom gets back. Remember, Nicker … NO TASTING!”
“You can call him on his cell-ery phone,” said Nicker.
Danny didn’t have to. Gordie was grazing in the yard. All he had to do was say, “Gordie, we have a surprise for you.”
Gordie approached slowly. Sadly. As he bumbled through the doorway and into the kitchen, both Danny and Nicker had big smiles. Before Gordie could ask what they wanted and why they were bothering him, Danny took his hands from behind his back. Very quickly he put a party hat on Gordie’s head, then one on Nicker’s head, then one on his own. That’s when Gordie saw the cake.
Now remember. Gordie had never had a birthday party before. He sure didn’t like having a party hat put on his head. But, he stared at the cake, especially at the grapes and carrots. He was happier than he’d ever been before. He stared at the candles on top. He didn’t know what to do until Danny told him, “Gordie, the next thing is to make a wish and blow out the candles.” He put his arm over Gordie’s shell and whispered, “Close your eyes and make a wish, Gordie.”
Nicker said, “Since this is OUR birthday, ALL THREE OF US should blow at the same time.”
“Aren’t the candles supposed to be on fire?” asked Gordie. (He did know a little about birthdays.)
“I can’t light the candles unless Mom or Dad is here,” Danny explained. “We’ll just pretend.
“Ready, set, BLOW.”
All three did. Then all three were quiet for a moment. Each made their own birthday wish.
The door opened. It was Danny’s mother. With a streak of green, Nicker disappeared. Gordie can move fast when he wants to, but not that fast. Besides, he was staring at the cake. And he couldn’t help himself. He was nibbling at the grapes around the bottom.
“What is that tortoise doing in the house??? Why does he have a party hat on his head??? He’s eating grapes from around your birthday cake!!! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE???”
Well … I’ll leave it up to you to figure out how Danny would explain it.
Meanwhile, I’m wondering – and I bet you are, too. Just what WOULD a sulcata tortoise wish for at his first ever birthday party?
AN IMPORTANT NOTE: Gordie really does love zucchini and grapes and carrots – but I would NEVER give a piece of cake like this. If you have a turtle or tortoise, neither should you. This story is just for fun, not for food – at least not food for animals.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE: What DID Gordie wish for? Send your best answers to:
Nicker Stories
18521 E. Queen Creek Road
Suite 105, #603
contact@nickerstories.com
And to make it really special for Gordie – and for Danny and Nicker – send your birthday drawings and colorings to the same place.
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