Bobby in Search of a Birthday

Bobby decided that the lady,
Richard's mothers, didn't know the importance of a birthdays, whereas nothing
could be more important. Birthdays brought little boys all the things they had
always wanted, like "glassies" and baseball bats and little pigs. He
knew he wanted the "glassies" and the bat and wasn't quite sure but
that he might want the pigs to help buy an edge-cation when he grew to be as
big as Richard's fathers who said he wished that he had one. 

If he had really lost his
birthdays himself, he might find it as he did the spoon which he lost in the
yard one day. The Supe'tendent made him hunt and hunt for it till he couldn't
see for the water in his eyes. And then, suddenly, he stepped on it when he
wasn't thinking about it and bent it all twisty-like. What if he should step on
his birthdays and bend it just as he had the spoon? He must be very careful
where he stepped. Didn't the Man Who Lets You Play with the Puppy say he would
find his birthdays some time when he was walking along and not thinking about
it? 

He wanted very much to find
his birthdays; so he must be up and about it. He would start at once; he might
find it before night and would show that Richard that he did know where to find
his birthdays. He knew that he could walk ever so far, but was not so sure that
he could keep from thinking about what he was looking for. It was worth trying
anyway. If only he might step on his birthdays! He must be careful though not
to step on it with all his weight and bend it as he did the spoon—it might be
harder to straighten it out. 

He rose and started for the
road. The other children were too busy with their playing to notice him.
Stepping lightly, with eyes fixed on the ground, Bobby trudged out through the
yard into the road. 

So he started out on his
strange quest.