Andi and Mother's Birthday

by Danielle Loose (ages 6-9)

Andi looked out over the pasture where her horse, Taffy, and her pony, Coco, were trotting around. It was almost Mother’s birthday, and Andi wanted to do something for her birthday. Andi was looking for flies for Pickles. So Andi looked in the barn, but she saw a hay pile and got distracted. She was going to jump in, but she saw a lot of spiderwebs by the hay pile and called her friend, Riley. He climbed up the ladder and saw the spiders.

“Let’s go ask Mother if I can keep one,” said Andi.

“You go ask her,” said Riley. “I have to gather wood for cook, Andi.”

“Ok,” said Andi.

When she got to the house she asked if she could keep a spider.

“I don’t know Andi,” said Mother. “Maybe if you gathered the eggs the chickens have laid, I will think about it.”

“Ok,” said Andi. And she left the house. “Hmmm, how am I supposed to get the eggs? Henry the Eighth is a mean old rooster.”

Andi asked Mother if she could hold the rooster.

“Sorry, Andi,” said Mother. “I can’t even pick him up! He won’t let me.”

“Ok,” said Andi.

She went up to her room looking for a helmet and saw Melindah folding Andi’s clothes.

“Hi, Andi. Are you looking for something?” Melindah asked.

“Yes, I’m looking for a helmet,” said Andi.

Melindah giggled, “Why do you need a helmet?”

“Mother said if I gathered the eggs, I could have a spider that is in the barn.”

“A spider! Andi you can’t keep a spider!”

“If Mother says I can, I can,” said Andi.

“Why don’t you ride Coco?” asked Melindah. 

“I want to gather eggs,” said Andi. “Can you hold Henry the Eighth?

“I can try,” said Melindah.

“Yay!” said Andi.

Andi and Melindah went to the chicken coop. Melindah walked in, and she picked up the rooster.

“YAY!” yelled Andi.

She walked in, and she got the eggs. But as she took a step out, Melindah’s hand slipped! The rooster fell and started pecking at Andi!

“Andi. give me the eggs!” cried Melindah.

“I can’t!” Andi dropped the eggs and got them all over herself!

Duke, King, and Prince came running and barking at Henry the Eighth, and the rooster ran back in the coop. The dogs started licking Andi.

“Andi, do you want me to take you to the house so Mother can give you a bath?” asked Melindah.

“Yes, please,” said Andi.

“Ok,” said Melindah.

After Mother gave Andi a bath, Andi went outside, and the rooster was missing! Someone did not shut the door to the chicken coop. Andi had let Henry the Eighth escape! Andi was a little glad. Now she could get the eggs. After she had gotten the eggs, she was getting worried, so she ran to the house. She told Mother, Melindah, Justin, Mitch, and Chad. They all went outside looking for the rooster. Justin found him in the barn.

 

“Andi, you can have a spider if you got the eggs. Did you?”

 

“Yes, Mother, I did.”

“Go get a jar and get a spider.”

“Thank you, Mother!” said Andi, and she caught a spider.

When she woke up the next day, she heard Henry the Eighth crowing. Andi put on her overalls and went to breakfast. Mother told Andi to clear off the table. After she did, she went outside to ride Coco. She saw Mitch feeding the cattle.

“Andi, I have some good news! Taffy is now old enough that you can ride her,” Mitch said.

“Really? Yay!” yelled Andi, and she ran to the pasture to ride Taffy.

She saw her friend, Riley, riding his horse, Midnight.

“Hi, Andi! Do you want to ride around the pasture?” Riley asked.

“Sure! Mitch said Taffy is old enough that I can ride her,” she boasted to Riley.

“Ok,” said Riley. “I only have a little while then I have to help cook.”

“Ok,” said Andi.

“Hey, Andi, I found some flies for Pickles,” said Riley.

“Ok,” said Andi. “Let’s go to the pond and look for fish.”

“Ok,” said Riley.

It was dinner time, and Andi was putting Taffy up. After dinner, it was time for Andi to go to bed. When she woke up, it was Saturday. She got out of bed and put on her overalls and went to breakfast. She saw Melindah who told Andi it was Mother’s birthday.

“I am going to knit Mother a sweater,” said Melindah.

“Ok,” said Andi.

They both went to breakfast. Andi and Melindah both ate their pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Then they cleared off the table without being told. And they went to Melindah’s room and Melindah was making a sweater and Andi was making a scarf.

Mother knocked on the door. “Melindah, Andi what are you doing?” she asked.

“You can’t come in! It’s a surprise,” said Andi, and she locked the door,

“Ok,” said Mother.

After they were done, Andi went downstairs looking for two boxes.

“Mother do we have any boxes” asked Andi.

Yes, we do, Andi. Here you go.”

“Thank you, Mother,” said Andi.

After Melindah and Andi had put their gifts in boxes, they went to tell Justin, Chad and Mitch. They all went inside and went to the living room. Mother was reading.

They all yelled, “SURPRISE!!!!! Happy birthday, Mother! Here! Open this from Andi and me, Mother.”

“Thank you, Melindah and Andi!” said Mother.

 The next day, Andi wanted to ride Taffy, so she ran outside to ride. When she got to the barn, she saw Chad cleaning the stalls.

He said, “Andi you are old enough that you can feed Taffy.”  

“How do you feed her?” asked Andi.

“Here. I will show you, Andi. You get the pitchfork and get some hay on it and put it in her stall.

So Andi got the pitchfork and got some hay on it and put it in Taffy’s stall.

“Like that?” asked Andi.

“Yes, good job!” said Chad.