Jennings gets up early in the morning and remembers.It is his birthday! Jennings looks at the bed where Darbishire is sleeping.Darbishire is his best friend though Jennings is quick and Darbishire is slow in a all he does.
"Get up,Darbishire, get up!"
"Why?" Darbishire opens his eyes.
"It's my birthday today!"
"Oh,yes.Many happy returns of the day,"says Darbishire and closes his eyes.
"Oh, get up,Darbi.Let's go and meet the postman.I am sure I'll get a birthday gift from my parents. Get up quickly!"
"I am coming," says Darbishire sleepily.
The bell rings, and all the boys get up.
"I say you don't know what day it is today," says Jennings.
"It's Friday,"Venables answer."It's Friday and on Fridays we have
fish for breakfast.
It's Friday and we are going to have fish for breakfast. We usually have fish for breakfast on Fridays."
"Yes, but what else?" asked Jennings.
"What else? Tea with milk."
"No, I don't mean that. It's my birthday."
"Many happy returns," said Atkinson
"We are going to have a birthday cake today, aren't we" said Venables.
"Certainly," said Jennings. "My mother is sending me a wonderful cake. I'm going to the hall to see if the postman is coming."
But when Jennings ran up to the door, it opened and the teacher on duty came into the dormitory. It was Mr Wilkins.
Mr Wilkins was a large and strong man. He could be pleasant when he wanted to, but he was not a patient man and he did not understand why the boys of twelve could not behave like teachers, for example.
"Why are you making that noise, Jennings?" asked Mr Wilkins. "And why have you already dressed? You know very well that pupils must not get up before the bell."
"Yes, of course. But I hurried to the hall to see..."
"You know well," repeated Mr Wilkins, "that you must stay in bed till the bell rings. Very well, you will stay in class during football this afternoon and do some work for me"
"Yes, sir," said Jennings, but to himself he said: "Boys who have birthdays in the holidays don't know how happy they are."
"Please, sir! Mr Wilkins, sir!" It was Darbishire with one sock on and the other in his hand.
"What's the matter, Darbishire? Hurry up!" said Mr Wilkins.
"It's Jennings' birthday today, sir, and he wanted to go down to the hall to meet the postman."
"Oh! Well, if it's his birthday... Well, let's forget about it."
Mr Wilkins looked angrily at those boys who were not celebrating a birthday that morning and left the dormitory.
"Thank you, Darbi," said Jennings. "It was very nice of you to tell Old Wilkie that it was my birthday. I didn't want to stay in class during football on my birthday
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