Best party in the world!! Story 3

BEST PARTY IN THE WORLD!!
It was about 6 months since Laura, who is now 9 years old, had
discovered that she was able to understand animal language. It happened
when her little cat Liner came home with a badly cut foot and Laura
heard her explain how she had cut it. It was Saturday morning, and what
a Saturday. When Frederick and Arthur had arrived in Three Saints they
hadn't known anyone except Laura and her best friend Delta. Delta is a
small grey Welsh Mountain pony. She is 25 years old and very
wise.
Laura and Delta had started to introduce them to their friends and
then remembered that Frederick and Arthur had wanted a party, when they
were settled in their new home
The four friends had made up their minds that the best way to meet
people and have fun, was to have a party and today was the
day!!!!!
Frederick and Arthur are two little grey squirrels who came to live in
an old oak tree on the common in the village called Three Saints on the
edge of a beautiful valley. They were found by Laura and Delta in the
woods after their house had fallen down and left them with nowhere to
live.
After attempting to introduce them to all their friends, Laura and
Delta remembered that they had agreed to have a party. It was to be
this Saturday. They had asked everyone to bring their favourite food
with them.
Delta had made a list of the friends they had invited and a list of
all the things they were bringing. Just in case there wasn't enough
food for all of them!

Laura was very excited. She had lots of things to do to get ready for
the party. First she got up and dressed, brushed her long brown hair
and ran down to the kitchen. Mum was already there and breakfast was
nearly ready. The smell of bacon and egg was making Laura feel very
hungry as she went to the fridge and poured out a glass of milk.
As she sat down to eat breakfast Mum asked what she was going to do
first.
"Well," said Laura, "I thought I'd make some biscuits. I think I'll
make about fifty!"
"Do you think you'll be able to eat all of them. Are they going to be
round or square?" said Mum smiling.
"Oh Mum." said Laura," I asked you yesterday if I could make them with
those new cookie cutters you've got, the ones with the animals on
them."
"Of course you can, I'd forgotten that you'd asked," said Mum, as she
cleared away the breakfast dishes.
On the farm on the hill where Delta lived with Laura's eldest sister
Jane, her husband Don and their baby Anna, Delta was beginning to
wonder where her breakfast was. Don seemed to be late this morning. He
was usually up very early to feed all the animals.
Just then Delta heard the barn door open and soon Don arrived with
fresh hay. "I'm sorry I'm late Delta", said Don. "One of the new lambs
wasn't well last night and I overslept."

"I was a bit hungry," said Delta, her tummy rumbling "I hope you
haven't forgotten we're having a party today." As Don did not
understand anything that Delta said, he said, "Is Laura coming around
today?"
"Oh yes, it's Saturday Don", said Delta a little concerned.
"Well, I'm not sure what I'll be doing today", Don said
thoughtfully.
"Oh Don, I hope you haven't forgotten THE PARTY for Frederick and
Arthur?" said Delta becoming worried.
As Don did not understand what Delta was saying he said, trying to
hide a smile, "I am sure something special is happening today. I
suppose being up all night with the new lamb hasn't helped my
memory."
Just then Delta heard Jane calling Don for his breakfast. "I'd better
go and feed the other animals quickly or my breakfast will be cold and
horrible!" said Don hurrying
away.
As he left he turned his head and called "I'll clear the barn for your
party after breakfast. Is that O. K?"
Delta shook her head, puzzled that Don had remembered so suddenly. He
had promised to clear the barn for the party, but Delta thought that he
had forgotten they were going to have one at all!!
Oh well," she thought, "human beings are funny creatures!!"
When she had eaten her breakfast Delta went to find the list of people
she had invited to the party and to remind herself of what they were
going to bring.

Laura had agreed to bring biscuits and sandwiches for the party. Laura
wanted to do as much as she could herself, Mum had offered to help and
Laura had said, 'No thank you, I'm O.K at the moment.' She started by
making the biscuit dough and cutting out the little animals, trying
hard not to cut their heads off!!
Next she put then on a tray and cooked them. They looked pretty good
thought Laura.
The trouble was she had a bit too much flour and it seemed to be
EVERYWHERE!
Laura tried to clear it up but it just seemed that every time she
dusted it up, it settled somewhere else!!
The time was coming when she was going to have to ask for some help.
Just then Mum popped her head around the door. "Oh dear", she said.
"How are things going Laura? Are you alright. Is there anything that I
can do to help?"
"Yes please Mum, can you help me to clear up this flour it won't stay
still!!" Laura sounded rather cross.
"Of course I will, have you got a damp cloth?" said Mum.
"No, I used this dry one to dust it into the bin," sighed Laura "but
it just flies around and goes somewhere else!!"
"It'll be much easier with a damp cloth, Laura, because the flour will
stick to it, just watch," laughed Mum.
Soon Laura and Mum had the kitchen cleared and the cool biscuits put
away in a tin. "I'll do the sandwiches next!", Laura stated.
"What are you going to put in them?" asked Mum.

"I'll use meat paste, chicken, peanut butter, jam and salt and vinegar
crisps!!" said Laura, counting all the delicious items on her
fingers.
"All together?!!" said Mum looking shocked.
"Of course not Mum", laughed Laura. "That wouldn't taste nice at
all!!!!"
Delta stood in her stable, beside the window looking at the list. The
stable was a beautiful old whitewashed building with a bright green
door and a thatched roof. The window looked out onto the farmyard where
Delta could see several of her friends getting ready for the
party.
The farmyard was rectangular in shape with barns on two sides. Between
the barns a wide path led into a field, the path continued through the
field into the woodland behind. Delta's stable stood at the top of the
yard, next to the farmhouse and beside the track that led to Bobby-Dai
Bulls field.
On the fourth side of the yard there was a tractor shed, Toby and
Jades house which Don had made all by himself and the main gate into
the farmyard.
Delta's list was of all the names of the friends coming to the party
and what they had promised to bring.
Laura was bringing biscuits and sandwiches. Frederick &; Arthur had
promised a variety of nuts. Bobby-Dai Bull had promised grass cakes.
Drake &; Webby had promised to bring all their children, ten at the
last count, and a variety of beetles and weeds from the pond.
Delta wondered how Bobby-Dai was going to make the grass cakes. They
sounded very interesting.

Delta had promised to bring hay, straw and pony nuts, she felt a bit
selfish about the pony nuts because she knew that she would be the only
one who would eat them.
'Never mind', she consoled herself. 'There is the hay that smells so
nice and the straw dolls that everyone can play with.'
Delta felt better about that problem now and went back to the task in
hand. The list went on with the names of all the friends invited.
Toby and Jade the two farm dogs had promised to bring some of their
best chunks of meat. 'Urh!' thought Delta, 'How could anyone eat meat?'
They had also promised to bring 'a surprise!'
Moley and his family had promised to bring worms and wear their
sunglasses! Colin, Laura's friend from the farm next door had promised
to bring his getto blaster so they could play games to music! Delta was
a bit worried about that. Sometimes she had heard Colin's music from
her stable. If it was that loud, no-one would be able to hear what was
happening!! Still, perhaps it need not be that loud, thought Delta,
hopefully.
There was a tap on Delta's front door and Don appeared. "I've cleared
the barn for you" he said. "Do you want to come and see if it'll be O.
K?"
Delta had been so busy looking at her list that she had lost all track
of time and hadn't even heard Don go to the barn.
When she got there she was delighted. Not only had Don cleared the
barn, but he had decorated it as well. All round the sides he had put
bales of hay "So you'll all have somewhere to sit between games and
dances", said Don.

From the roof he had hung lots string from the bales of hay Delta had
for breakfast. Some of the string had straw hanging from it and it
created a lovely golden light in the barn!
As Delta left the barn she saw, behind her stable, right at the top of
the field, which was the highest part of the farm, Bobby-Dai Bull.
Bobby-Dai had a lovely red-brown coat with a white face and white
stockings that reached up to his knees.
He moved very quickly to a point just below the skyline. 'What is he
trying to hide?' thought Delta.
Just then Marmaduke and Frank the farm cats called her to inspect
their offerings for the party. 'Freshly gathered', they said!
Delta heard the farmhouse door open and saw Don coming out of the
house. "It's half past one Delta", called Don, as he passed. "What time
does your party start?"
"Three o'clock, I'd better go and get ready. I didn't know it was so
late", said Delta as she hurried to her stable.
Laura was up in her bedroom having trouble with her long hair again!
Somehow, she didn't know how, she had managed to get biscuit dough in
it and she couldn't remove the tangles.
Laura hated asking Mum to brush her hair as it normally got really
tangled when Mum got anywhere near it, but Laura thought it probably
couldn't be any worse than it was now!
"Mum," called Laura, "please could you come and sort out my hair for
me? It's getting late and I'll soon have to leave for the party"

Soon the hair was brushed and Laura was dressed for the party and in
the kitchen putting the biscuits and the sandwiches in a basket.
"Have you got everything you need?" asked Mum.
"Yes, I think so", replied Laura. "Could you help me to carry some of
these things up to the farm please".
"Of course I can, I'm going to see Jane, Anna and Louise, while you are
at the party," said Mum. "Shall I carry the lemonade?"
By the time that Laura got to the farm Delta was ready and waiting for
Laura to arrive. "You are the first", said Delta. "Is Bernie
coming?"
"I'm afraid not, she had to go into town!" stated Laura. "I'm glad I'm
first I should be here when our friends arrive."
Delta nodded her agreement and took Laura into the barn to put the
biscuits, sandwiches and lemonade on the tables that she and Jane had
put ready.
"Wow!" said Laura, "I've never seen the barn look SO nice."
"Yes I know, Don must have spent ages doing it for us," said Delta,
still amazed that she had missed everything that Don had done
earlier.
As the two friends came out of the barn, Frederick and Arthur came
slowly into the farmyard pulling a little red truck that Frederick had
made out of some painted wood
they had found.
"Hello you two", called Laura and Delta.

"Hello" said Frederick and Arthur "We have brought some nuts with us,
we hope they'll be all right."
Next Drake and Webby and their eleven children arrived carrying a
large amount of pond weed and freshwater shrimps. As they had met
Frederick and Arthur when they first arrived in Three Saints, they went
to the barn together to arrange their party food. Delta and Laura heard
shrieks of delight when they saw how nice the barn looked.
Moley and his family arrived with their selection of worms. "I know
Webby's children will help us to eat them!!" said Moley. Moley, as his
name suggests, is a mole. He and his family all have bright, shiny eyes
and luxurious black coats and live somewhere on the common.
Toby and Jade arrived next with their food and 'The surprise' which
turned out to be some very old bones that had been buried in the field
for months. 'Very tasty', said the two dogs.
Marmaduke and Frank, the two cats, Bobby-Dai Bull and Colin where the
only ones still to arrive.
Soon Marmaduke and Frank arrived looking very smart. They'd obviously
brushed their coats until they shone like glass. Marmaduke had a very
dark red tabby coat and Frank's coat was a pale sandy colour, Frank had
a white nose, white chest, four white paws and they both had white tips
to their tails.
"I'm a bit worried about Bobby-Dai bull", said Delta. "I'm sure he was
trying to hide something when I saw him this morning."

Just then Don appeared from behind a pile of hay bales that neither
Laura or Delta had noticed before. "I have a surprise for you", he said
smiling. "I hope you'll all appreciate this, Bobby-Dai Bull has put a
lot of effort into it!!" All the friends rushed to see what Don was
talking about and very soon they were laughing very loudly. You see
Bobby-Dai Bull had built a large grass cake to look just like Laura. "I
like Laura so much," he said, "sometimes I think she is so nice that I
could eat her!!! Now I really can!"
Colin arrived, carrying his ghetto blaster. Delta looked at it with
misgiving. As Laura walked past Delta took her to one side and asked if
she thought Colin would have the music VERY loud!!
Laura tried to assure Delta that the music would only be loud enough
to be heard as otherwise they might wake Anna and then Jane would not
be pleased!!!
Delta felt a bit happier and soon the party started with games and
disco dancing mixed with eating, talking and laughing. It was very
successful and everyone enjoyed themselves
At the end of the party there was NO food or drink left. Even all
Bobby-Dai Bulls cake had gone!!
Laura and Delta said goodbye to all their friends and when they had
thanked them for coming, they helped Don to put the barn tidy
again.
They were both feeling very tired by now and when they had thanked Don
for all his help they both agreed that they would be going to bed early
that night!!

As Laura and Mum walked home talking about the party, Laura noticed
that the clouds were hurrying across the sky. "I hope those clouds
don't mean it's going to rain tomorrow", she yawned.