Bombalurina squinted into the morning sun. Her mind still drowsy, but bodily awake, she stood up and stretched her paws out in front of her. She crawled out of her den and, blinking, wondered to herself what day it was (she never could remember that sort of thing, after all, it changes every morning) and whether or not any toms were awake yet. Looking around at the sunlit Junkyard, she eyed Cassandra strutting alone across the centre for a bath in a particularly warm-looking patch of sunlight. Normally Bombalurina wasn't the best of friends with the queen, but seeing as Cassandra had done nothing to upset her yet that morning Bomba padded sleepily over toward her. She sat down beside Cassandra and addressed her casually.

"'Morning, Cass. What day is it today, d'you know?"

Cassandra eyed her haughtily; she disliked being interrupted, especially from a bath. "Today's Sunday," she offered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Bombalurina watched her own tail curl about her knees. "Oh."

There was what Cassandra considered to be an awkward and unintelligent pause. She searched to fill it. "I believe it is also Asparagus' birthday today."

Bombalurina stretched her forepaws again. "Oh, s'that so?"

Cassandra sniffed, there was obviously no carrying an intelligent conversation with the scarlet queen. "Yes," she stressed, "It is. It was the same day last year, and now it's come again."

"Oh." Bomba scanned the Junkyard again, rats, still no toms awake. "I don't see how you remember those. Dates, and such. I can never keep track."

Cassandra was liking the inattentive Bombalurina less all the time. "Somecats are intelligent enough to keep track of these things. My humans have a calendar and th-"

"Wait, Asparagus' birthday?" Bomba interrupted, frowning. "Doesn't that mean we should get him... a present or something?"

Cassandra thought for a moment. "Well, yes. I suppose we should. That's what humans do on birthdays."

Bomba stood up, her drowsiness clearing with the prospect of something to do all day. "C'mon, let's go find him a present." She bounded off eagerly. Cassandra followed, looking back longingly at her sun-patch.

Bombalurina hadn't got far when she came almost nose-to-nose with Jemima, who blinked, but otherwise didn't appear to have been startled.

"Hello, Bomba, what's the hurry?" Jemima hadn't seen any toms in the direction Bombalurina had been running, which was enough to make anycat wonder what the hurry was.

"Today is Asparagus' birthday," the scarlet queen announced. "We're finding him a birthday present."

"Whoa!" A yelp and skidding sounds announced the Pouncival tumbling after Jemima. He leapt up and brushed himself off next to the pretty queen. "Gussy's having a birthday?"

"Today," nodded Bombalurina. Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"Can I get him a present too?"

"Of course you may," Cassandra said hastily. She wanted to move things along, and hated it when cats had to repeat themselves.

"Can I get him one too?" Mistoffelees bounded up lithely beside Pouncival. He grinned, Asparagus was his favourite out of all the older toms.

"Yes," sighed Cassandra. She wondered whether every Jellicle under Heaviside would soon be running to ask the same question.

"Fantastic!" Misto performed a little spin of excitement in the air.

"Come on," Pouncival urged. "Let's make it a surprise!"

The small party plodded on toward the gates of the Junkyard, Pouncival pranced and Mistoffelees strutted, both vying for Jemima's attention. Jemima giggled and pretended not to notice either of them. When they all arrived at the 'Yard entrance the sat down for a quick conference.

"Right." Cassandra stood up, deciding to take charge. After all, it was she who remembered what day it was. "Let's split up to look for presents for Asparagus."

"I'll look around my house," suggested Jemima.

"I'll search mine too," decided Bombalurina.

"Good idea," Cassandra told the wide-eyed kitten. "And I as well, my humans are bound to have something."

"I'll be about the Junkyard," volunteered Pouncival, already looking like he knew where to start.

"Can I look with Pounce?" Misto scooted over toward him.

"Certainly. Are we all ready, then?"

They all nodded in agreement. Pounce and Misto shot off eagerly without awaiting further words. Cassandra was slightly miffed, but carried on.

"Alright, let's be sure to meet back here by the afternoon so we can all see what we've got. Then we can all go and surprise him together."

"Alright." Jemima pattered off toward her humans' house. Bomba turned and left for her own house.

Cassandra, satisfied, made ready to leave for her humans' house as well, but not before finishing her bath.