Ten times Ten

Story Nine: Months

Kamek took out his wand and tapped the board behind him. It was that time again...

Baby Bowser sat on the chair with his arms folded over his chest. "Kameek... I don wanna study. I wanna go ou' and take cook-keys from da Yoshis."

His advisor-slash-tutor-slash-guardian frowned. "Bowser, you have to study. All the kings of the past knew the names of the different months and days! All the Koopa Troopas know those names. All the enemies of the Koopa Kingdom know the the names of the months and days. Do you really want to be the only person who doesn't know January from March?"

The minature ruler pouted. "I jus' don like schooling. Its dull and borin', unlike goin' ou' and takin' cook-keys! Can we go ou' and get cook-keys instea', Kameek?"

Kamek sighed. He would never get Bowser to study at this rate. Unless... "Bowser. We're going out."

The hatchling cheered.

---Later---

The two koopa returned, each with several bags, both of Bowser's filled with Yoshi Cookies while one of Kamek's had been filled with various indigenous plants. Those, he intended to study later that day, if he could get Bowser to learn the names of the twelve months and seven days.

"Bowser..." the magikoopa began as he carefully setted his bags down on the floor. "I think I have figured out a way to help you learn the names of the months and the days." He paused when he heard the the hatchling groan. "Don't worry. I think you'll enjoy this."

Kamek took out twelve cookies from one of the bags. He was setting them down on the table while Bowser climbed onto the chair next to the table. The cookies were of four different types. Kamek had sorted them into groups of three. The first two cookies resembled brown-and-white checkered tiles. The three after them were white and each were shaped like daisies, each one with a dot of jelly on their center. The next three were shaped resmebled yoshi-heads, the three after were simple round rings, and the last cookie was of the same sort as the first two.

"Wha-chya' doin' wit da cook-keys, Kameek?" the curious koopa asked.

"Sorting them. This cookie represents January, the first month in the year." As he said this, he pointed to the very first cookie in the line. "This one is Feburary, next is March, then April, June, July, August, September, October, November, and finally December."

Bowser's eyes followed the magikoopa's finger as he pointed to each of the cookies. He recognized a pattern. "Why are da cook-keys set up in pairs of tree?"

Kamek smiled. "I'm glad you asked. You see, the chocolate and vanilla cookies represent winter. The flower cookies are spring. The Yoshi cookies are summer, and the ring cookies are fall."

"I rememba'! You said dat winta' was when snow falled an' it gets cold. Spring's when da' flowa's grow, summer's when it da sun is hottest, an' fall is when da leaves in da trees change from green to all da colors of da rainbow!"

The magikoopa nodded. "Very good." he said as he took five of the cookies and set them infront of Bowser, who promptly ate them. Kamek then moved the remaining seven around and then lined them up.

"Are dese the days of da week?" Bowser asked. The koopadult simplt nodded.

"The days of the week are as follows: Monday, Tuesday, Wensday, Thurday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday."

"Kameek..." Bowser began. "I taut dat Sunday came before Monday..."

Kamek smiled again. "It really depends on whom you ask. The Mushroom Kingdom's calender lists Sunday before Monday, as does Sarasaland, Bean Bean Kingdom, and Nimbus Land. Other places, such the Koopa Kingdom, Jewelry Land, and Waffle Kingdom, list Monday as the first day of the week. But all in all, pretty much every town, city, or village you go to considers Monday as a weekday and Sunday as part of the weekend."

When Kamek had finished talking, he gave the other seven cookies to Bowser, who gobbled them up in a heartbeat. "Do you understand now?"

Bowser nodded. "Twelve months, four seasons, seven days. Two of da days -Sunday and Saturday- are part of da weeken'."

"Very good."