Little Marie's Birthday Surprise

Little Marie’s Birthday Surprise
- by Rosa

Little Marie ’s parents do not have much money to spend. So Marie has not got many toys. She has one large stuffed tiger, a teddy bear and a doll called Tara. Tara was very old and her arm had broken off. But when she was new she had been beautiful, she used to have a beautiful flowered dress and piggytails, but now the doll did not have a dress anymore and her head was also falling off. But little Marie does not mind. She is very happy with what she has. Marie’s parents read her a bedtime story every night and then they tuck her in and kiss her goodnight.

Little Marie has two big green eyes and two piggytails, every morning her mommy brushes her hair and makes two piggytails, and occasionally only one on top of her head. "You are the prettiest girl in the world" her mommy said. And Marie always believes her mommy. "Do you know what day it is next week?" Marie shook her head and said she didn’t know. "It is your birthday, little Marie, you will turn 6" Marie smiled, when she had turned 5 her teacher and her class had sung for her and at home they had eaten a very large cake. Little Marie smiled. "Do you have wish for your birthday?" asked mommy. Marie though very deep and replied "I would like to have a doll with piggytails and a soft red dress". Her mommy nodded and said "We’ll see, maybe you will get it."

Every night until her birthday Marie thought of her doll, every night she asked her daddy how many days were left until her birthday, until he said: "When you wake tomorrow it’ll be your birthday." Little Marie had trouble sleeping that night. She was so looking forward to her surprise. But she finally dozed of with an enormous smile on her face.

Early that following morning Marie was surprised by her parents. They had silently opened the door of her bedroom and they sung happy birthday to her. Marie threw the sheets off of her and jumped up and down on the bed, she also clapped her hands.
"My littl’ girl is becoming a big girl" daddy said.
"Happy birthday" mommy said "Come on, let’s go to the living room"
Daddy lifted her up from the bed and carried her down the stairs. Daddy put her in a seat at the dinner table and Marie looked around. The room was decorated with big balloons and on the table, right in front of her was an enormous cake with six burning candles.

"Come on" mommy said with an enormous smile: "blow ‘em out".
Marie managed to blow them out all at once.
"This morning we’re having cake or breakfast" mommy said.
She handed one piece of cake to daddy, she put one piece of cake on her own plate and she gave little Marie the largest piece.


After ‘breakfast’ mommy fetched a large box from behind the sofa and Marie’s eyes grew wide. Mommy smiled and said: "Darling, I know you wanted a new doll, but we couldn’t really afford it. So we did something else….." and then mommy handed the enormous package to Marie. Marie grew curious. What could be inside this enormous box? It wasn’t the doll she had wanted…. But this box was enormous!

Carefully Marie opened the box, inside it was a beautiful doll with a red dress and ponytails. She took it out of the box and held it up.
"She is so pretty" little Marie whispered.
"Do you recognise her?" mommy asked carefully.
Marie carefully studied the doll and cried out enthusiastically "But she is just like Tara! My old doll".
Mommy slowly said: "No dear, this is Tara, I have mended her, and I made her a new dress." Little Marie smiled
"You have made her better then?"
Mommy smiled as little Marie kissed her in delight. She showed Tara to daddy and he also thought she was beautiful. Marie was extremely happy, this was the best gift ever, she had her favourite doll back.