It was 5 o'clock in the morning when Demeter and Munkustrap were woken by an excited shriek and something small and furry jumping on them. Munkustrap opened one eye. "Good morning, Jemima," he groaned and sat up.
"It's today! It's my Birthday! I've been awake for hours and I thought it was ok to wake you up now," she beamed at her parents.
"Couldn't she have given us another hour of sleep?", Demeter muttered out of the corner of her mouth to Munkustrap. Turning to Jemima she smiled and hugged her. "Happy Birthday, Jem."
"Happy Birthday," Munkustrap lifted her up and carried her out of the den and sat her on a broken chair. "Wait here." He vanished leaving his daughter drumming her paw impatiently. She managed to sit still for about ten seconds before she jumped up and rushed to wake her friends.
"Wake up! Victoria! Pouncival! Electra! Etcetera!" Jemima shook her friends until they woke up. Etcetera was instantly wide awake and grinning and hugging her friend and wishing her a happy birthday. The others were a little slower waking up. Pouncival got up next and yawning he hugged Jemima. "Happy Birthday!"
Victoria snuggled further into her warm blanket and closed her eyes as tight as she could. She lay there for a while but with the other kittens talking and laughing she couldn't sleep so she opened her eyes and yawned. Stretching she got up and wished her best friend a happy birthday while wishing she could have stayed in bed longer.
Electra hadn't been woken by Jemima calling because she was very deeply asleep and it took all her friends shaking her to wake her up. When she was finally up she was as excited as everybody else and cuddled Jemima. "Happy Birthday! I'm sorry I didn't wake up straight away. I was having a lovely dream about hunting mice."
Demeter stuck her head round into the den. "Oh, there you are. What happened to waiting on that chair?", she laughed. The kittens piled outside after her to see a huge breakfast spread out in front of Jemima's chair. There were mice and rats, but there was also salmon, sardines and rabbit and a fish-cake with a candle stuck in it. Somebody had draped some old curtains over the chair and put a cushion on it and there were balloons all over the floor and hanging from the rubbish around the birthday breakfast. Beside the chair there was a stack of present bigger than Jemima was tall, all wrapped in different coloured cloth or in newspaper and some were even wrapped in scraps of actual wrapping paper. Jemima looked at it all with eyes as round as coins.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!", sang Jemima leaping up and down and dancing around her parents.
Munkustrap picked her up and put her back on her chair. It was getting light and the other cats were getting up and coming to wish her a happy birthday. Jemima grinning from ear to ear thanked them all.
When at last everybody was there Demeter stood up. "Let's all sing Happy Birthday now." All the cats sang at the top of their voices and Jemima blushed and giggled.
"Blow out the candle and make a wish!", Etcetera called.
Jemima lent forwards and blew out the candle on her fish-cake. She closed her eyes and wished as hard as she could. "Please, please, please," she thought. She thought if she maybe wished enough it might come true.
"What did you wish for?", Tumblebrutus asked her when she opened her eyes again.
Electra who was sat beside him covered his mouth with her paw. "You can't ask that! If she tells you it won't come true!" Tumblebrutus rolled his eyes.
Jemima took a big bite of her fish-cake and all the others helped themselves to food. "This is amazing,"she whispered to Victoria.
When everybody had finished eating and the remaining food had been cleared away all her friends and family gathered round Jemima. "It's time to open your presents," Jellylorum told her.
"Are they all for me?", Jemima asked in amazement looking at the stack of parcels.
"Of course, Sweetie," Jennyanydots told her and gave her a big hug.
Munkustrap picked up a parcel wrapped in a piece of pink cloth. "This is from us." He handed it to his daughter. "Happy Birthday." Eagerly Jemima tore off the wrapping and pulled out the most beautiful teddy bear she had ever seen. It was a pale baby pink and had a dark pink silk ribbon tide in a bow around it's neck. The fur was fluffy and soft and slightly curly and it had a smile on it's face.
"It's amazing!", Jemima breathed and threw herself round Demeter's neck hugging and kissing her, then she grabbed her father and hugged him too. "I love it! Thank you so much!"
Bombalurina got up next and gave Jemima a present wrapped in an old scarf. "There you go, Jem," she smiled. Unwinding the scarf Jemima found a patchwork blanket folded inside.
"Thank you! I love it too," the little kitten beamed and laughing cuddled Bombalurina.
Rumpleteazer tapped Jemima on the shoulder and held out something wrapped in red tissue paper. "We 'ope yer like it," she said and grinned as Jemima took the gift and pulled the paper off. Inside was a necklace of beautiful green stones that shone as they caught the light.
"It's just...," Jemima was lost for words,"Thank you!"
Mungojerrie looked awkward at being thanked. "It's nuffink," he muttered but Rumpleteazer grinned clearly pleased with herself. "Yor welcome."
Next it was her friends' turn to give her a present. Together they had all collected all the treats and sweets they could find and put them in a basket with a ribbon round it. Jemima thanked them all. She couldn't believe all the thinks people were giving her. It was the most amazing birthday ever. She couldn't stop smiling.
Everybody had got her a present. Cassandra gave her a silver comb, Skimble gave her a gold watch, Admetus had found a fleece cushion for her, Tumblebrutus gave her a cuddly toy cat, Mistoffelees gave her a jack-in-the-box that magicaly became a different animal whenever in jumped out, Jennyanydots had knitted a scarf for her, Coricopat and Tantomile gave her a collar covered in tiny silver moons, the list of gifts went on for ever Jemima thought.
"Now," announced Old Deuteronomy,"We are all going to play some games." He smiled at the excitement on the young cats' faces.
They started their party games with sleeping lions. Mungojerrie and Plato were the last two still left in but Plato won because Mungojerrie cheated by blowing in Plato's ear to try and make him move and was disqualified. Then they played pass the parcel, truth or dare, musical chairs, squeak piggy squeak and spin the bottle. Jemima won at musical chairs but she suspected Mistoffelees, who came second, of letting her win on purpose.
Then it was time for dinner and all the cats sat down to enjoy a delicious roast dinner, supplied by Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. As they sat down to eat Pouncival came up to Jemima and asked to talk to her. Demeter, who she was talking to, smiled at Pouncival and walked off to sit beside Munkustrap and whisper in his ear glancing over at the two kittens as she spoke.
Pouncival shuffled his feet and looking embarrassed avoided Jemima's eye. "What is it, Pounce?", she asked when he didn't say anything.
"Well, I wanted to talk to you but I don't know how to start...," he stopped again.
"It's me,"laughed Jemima,"You can tell me anything."
"I really...I really like you,"Pouncival blurted out and looked away blushing.
Jemima grinned at him,"I really like you too. You don't have to look so awkward." She lent forward and kissed him on the cheek. Pouncival brightened up and beamed happily.
"You do?", he asked,"I've liked you for ages but I never knew how to tell you."
"I've liked you for ages too." They smiled at each other. "Let's go and get some food." They two kittens walked back over to join the others together and sat whispering together all meal.
After the food Old Deuteronomy got up again and announced that there would now be dancing and all the cats leapt to their feet enthusiastically to dance.
"Would you like to dance with me?", Pouncival asked Jemima and when she nodded they whirled of through the Junkyard.
Jennyanydots who was sat watching them dance sniffed and dabbed away a tear. "They're growing up," she said to Skimble and lent her head on his shoulder. Skimble nodded and snuggled up to her.
It was almost midnight when the cats all crept into their dens totally exhausted. Munkustrap carried Jemima to bed and tucked a blanket round her. "Good night and Happy Birthday," he whispered in her ear and kissed her on the top of the head. Pouncival curled up beside her, rested his head on her paws and fell asleep straight away with a huge smile on his face.
Before she fell asleep Jemima thought about her amazing birthday, all the presents, the food, the dancing and the games. She had never been so happy before. She looked down at the sleeping Pouncival and thought as she dropped off at last:"My wish came true!"