Five Birthday Parties and a Best Friend

Barnaby Button was a very happy-go-lucky badger. He loved parties, especially birthday parties! But Barnaby also loved being free. He liked wandering through the woods, collecting shiny stones, and doing exactly what he pleased. He never thought much about having a best friend. Then came the summer of the Five Birthday Parties.

The first party was for Fiona Fox, who loved to juggle. Barnaby was amazed by her speedy paws and the way she tossed berries into the air. He met a shy little mouse named Millie, who was hiding behind a mushroom. Barnaby shared his berry-flavored juice with her, and Millie giggled, revealing a tiny, pointy tooth. The second party was for Oliver Owl, a wise creature who lived in the tallest tree. Oliver told incredible stories of the stars, and Barnaby, Millie, and Fiona all listened, captivated. The third party was for Penelope Penguin, who had travelled all the way from the south to spend the summer in the forest. She slipped and slid on a big leaf, and Barnaby, Millie and Fiona all laughed so hard their tummies hurt.

After Penelope's party, Barnaby started to notice something was different. He didn't just think about shiny stones, he wondered if Millie would like to help him collect them. At the fourth party, belonging to Ronnie Rabbit, Barnaby accidentally knocked over a tower of carrot cakes. He felt terrible until Millie and Fiona helped him rebuild it, and they all got icing on their noses. Finally, the fifth party was Barnaby’s own birthday! He was so surprised that his friends, Fiona, Millie, Oliver, and Penelope all helped to put the party together. He realized that all the fun from the last four parties could never compare to the joy of celebrating with these friends he’d found. He finally understood that having friends was much more wonderful than doing everything alone. From that day on, Barnaby wasn't just a happy badger, he was a happy badger with a group of best friends, and that was the best party of all.