Hattie by Frida Nilsson

Author:Frida Nilsson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gecko Press
Published: 2019-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

SEVEN YEARS OLD

When they get home from the parent–teacher meeting, Hattie’s mother runs into her room and locks the door. Hattie knows what she’s doing in there.

“Can I come in?” she calls through the keyhole with her syrupy-sweetest voice.

“No!” her mother replies, and Hattie hears the wonderful rustle of wrapping paper. Tomorrow she turns seven years old!

She stands for a while outside the door and whines just like Tacka does.

“I’ll put tape over the keyhole if you don’t go away,” Mama says.

Then Hattie runs away. It’s not even a month since Christmas but she’s already longing for more presents!

At bedtime she lies for hours blinking at the ceiling. It’s made of planks. The round knots look like thousands of flying saucers whizzing around in space. They’re looking for a place to land but they never find one.

Hattie squints. The bed is hot and uncomfortable. Snoopy’s awake too, thinking about her birthday. The floppy head hangs to his belly and the long ears are spread onto the pillow. Hattie lifts one. “What do you think I’ll get for my present?” she whispers.

“Skis,” Snoopy thinks. Because he’s seen her parents smuggling in a very long package. Hattie saw it too. Snoopy’s probably right.

“But what else do you think?” she mumbles and a yawn slips out. “What else could there be?”

Snoopy doesn’t answer. He’s fallen asleep. So Hattie pulls the soft, white body closer. She feels her eyelids become heavy. Snoopy’s fur tickles under her nose. At last she falls asleep too.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you!” Her parents’ voices find their way to her ears. Hattie blinks tiredly, then when she remembers what day it is, she bounces awake and sits up in bed. Snoopy’s been awake for hours. Now they’re in the doorway, her mother and father with all the presents. Papa is carrying a tray with a cloth and flowers. Soon Hattie sits in a pile of presents.

She is given skis exactly as Snoopy thought. They’re thin and racer-quick. A pair of poles comes in the same package. The absolutely best present is the game of Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter with Borka, Lovis, the rumphobs and all. Hattie loves board games! As long as she wins.

In the first class at school everyone stands up, except for Hattie. They sing, “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Hattie, happy birthday to you!” The teacher says, “Hip, hip,” and the class shouts, “hooray!” Hattie sits at her desk and enjoys it.

“I’m first in the class to have my birthday,” she says at morning break. Then Ellen and Karin say that it’s much better to have your birthday in summer because January is so close to Christmas and you’ve already had a whole lot of presents. A birthday in January is all wrong, they think. Hattie looks at the floor.

Then Linda says that it’s good to have your birthday in January. And that Ellen and Karin have big bottoms. And Hattie is happy again!

When Karin and Ellen have run away, Linda puts her hand in her pocket.

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