The Surprise

One Saturday, when the weather was nice, Emil asked Billy to take him around the neighborhood and show him his favorite places to play.

"We can ride the bicycles to the big open area, where kids like to play," Billy suggested.
"I love riding the bikes," Emil said, "but let's walk this time. Everything goes by so fast on the bike, and I want to see everything."
"That would be fun, too," Billy replied.

The boys set off on foot. Soon they were at the big, open area a few blocks away. "It's really sort of a wilderness (WIHL-der-nes)," Billy said. "People didn't have to plant any of these trees and bushes. Maybe the squirrels did."
They looked at all the pine cones on the ground. Billy picked one up and showed it to Emil.

Billy explained that the squirrels like to eat the seeds from the pine cones. "Mandy says they bury the seeds to hide them to save them for later," he said. "Sometimes they forget where they buried them, so the seeds sprout and turn into trees."
"They should make a map showing where their food is hidden," Emil said.
Both boys laughed.

The boys sat on a big log. "There's a squirrel now," Billy said.

Emil looked to see where Billy was pointing and found a squirrel in one of the tall trees.
"Can you see the squirrel?" Billy asked.

"I don't know if I see it the same way you do, Billy," Emil replied, "but I see a gray, furry animal with a fluffy tail. He's eating something."

"He might be eating one of the seeds from the pine cones," Billy explained, "but Mandy says squirrels also like the berries from these other big trees."

When the squirrel scampered off, Billy showed Emil where he likes to come with a bicycle. There was a big slope.
Emil looked at the steep hill. "When we have snow, this might be good for sledding," he said.

"There are some big holes," Billy said. "They are here and there. I have wondered if someone was looking for buried treasure."
"I think you would need a map," Emil said. "There's no point in just digging holes just anywhere." Billy thought Emil was right.
"Maybe," Emil suggested, "a squirrel thought he buried some seeds here and then kept digging until the hole was this big."
"He should have made a map," Billy agreed.
Billy and Emil tried to imagine a squirrel with a shovel, digging and digging.

Billy and Emil walked on. They came to a large hill of rocks. "Climbing up the rocks is fun," Billy said, "but you have to be careful coming down." The boys climbed up the pile of rocks."

When they reached the top, they sat down.
"Mandy told me these rocks came from a volcano," Billy explained. "They were once melted rock, and it came out of the volcano and ran down the sides. When it cooled, it hardened. Then the rock cracked and broke into pieces that looked like this."
"The rocks are cold now," Emil said.
"That's because that all happened a long time ago," Billy said.
The boys looked at the view. Besides another squirrel, the boys saw some birds.

"What else do you like to do here?" Emil asked as they climbed down carefully.
"Let's go wait on the bench at the end of the runway," Billy said. "Sometimes a plane takes off or comes in to land." 
The boys climbed up on the bench and waited. They had a good view of the runway.

"Only small planes take off and land here," Billy said.
"Like doll planes?" Emil asked.
"No," Billy replied with a smile. "These are people planes, but they just hold maybe four people."
The boys waited and waited. Dolls are good at waiting.

"I'm hungry," Emil said after a while. "Let's go home!"

While the boys were out, the girls were busy in the house.
Mariah was watching out the window. As she gazed out the window, she went over the words to her latest poem to be sure she remembered how it went.

Jolena was busy in the kitchen, keeping an eye on what was in the oven.

Charlotte was tuning and practicing her violin.

Veronika and Mandy were in the workroom with the door closed. There were sounds of rattling paper and soft girl-doll voices coming from the room.

"They're coming back!" Mariah cried suddenly from her place at the window.

Mariah ran and hid behind the bear house.

Jolena hid behind the shoe bench in the front hall.

Charlotte hid behind the couch.

Mandy and Veronika hid by the stairs in the upstairs hall. They looked at each other and tried not to giggle.

The boys came in through the front door. As soon as the door opened, Billy heard a chorus of doll voices shouting "Surprise!" as all the dolls jumped out from their hiding places.
Mariah jumped out from behind the bear house.

Jolena jumped out from  behind the shoe bench in the front hall.

Charlotte jumped out from behind the couch.

Mandy and Veronka peeked out from the upstairs hall.

"Happy birthday, Billy!" they all said at once, and Emil joined in.
Billy was very surprised.

"It's a surprise birthday party for you," Emil told him.
"How exciting," Billy exclaimed. "A party for me? The girls are all dressed up, though, Emil. Let's go change our shirts at least."
"Go and change," Veronika said. "We still have a couple of things to do."

Mandy and Veronika brought a present into the dining room and put it on the doll table. It was a present from all of them, which they had carefully wrapped.

It was a nice party.

Charlotte played "Happy Birthday to You" on her violin while the dolls sang.

Mariah recited her poem about Billy.

Jolena put the cake she had baked on the table. After she lit the candle, she told Billy to make a wish.

"I have everything I want," Billy said. "I have five great sisters and now I have a great brother." Then he thought a moment. "I guess what I will wish for is for all the children reading this story to feel as lucky as I do." Then he blew out the candle.

The dolls agreed that was what all of them wished for.
Billy thought for a moment. "I just realized that Emil was keeping me away from the house!" he said.
"I really did want to see everything," Emil pointed out. "It was fun, and we don't need a map to know where to find home."

"Yes," Billy agreed. "We know where everything is that's important to us."

"What a nice surprise!" Billy exclaimed.

Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia

Note: No dolls were harmed during production of this blog. All dolls shown are Götz Happy Kidz or Classic Kidz. If you like these stories and are willing, please make a donation of any amount to a charity that supports pediatric cancer, such as CURE Childhood Cancer, St. Baldrick's Foundation or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
"The Doll's Storybook" is not affiliated with Gotz Dolls USA Inc. or Götz Puppenmanufaktur International GmbH.
Watch for the next story each Friday afternoon at 2:00 PM Pacific Time.

Squirrel photo by Roberto Lisi on Unsplash.

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Copyright © 2019 by Peggy Stuart