it is jan’s birthday. he is eight years old. he is a very happy little boy.

he has many fine birthday presents.

father gave him a beautiful little toy boat. it has sails on it and it can go very fast.

mother gave him a book. in it is a story of a boy named peter. jan will tell you about it when he reads his book.

katrina gave jan a red cap that she knit herself, and grandmother gave him a beautiful little green and yellow bird in a cage.

jan says, “everybody is so good to me on my birthday.”

o, jan was very happy!

and then in the afternoon, mother asked hilda and bram and karl and kassie to come over. she set the table out in the garden.

in the middle of the table was a big pink birthday cake. it had nuts on the top of it. it was very good. the children all said so. and they knew, for they ate it all!