The Magical Land of Birthdays

by Amirah Kassem

  “Oh!” Mei suddenly exclaimed, interrupting Amirah. She pulled out the map and unrolled it. “Sorry I cut you off! But I thought I remembered seeing a beach on the map. Look, there’s one right here. It’s called Celebration Shore!”

  “Genius!” Amirah’s eyes lit up. “We can have your beachy birthday party there!” she told Olivia. “I’m certain that birthdays never get rained out in the Magical Land of Birthdays.”

  “One question, though,” Elvis said. “How are we going to get to Celebration Shore? It’s really far away according to the map.”

  “That’s a good point,” Mei said thoughtfully as she traced a winding path across the map. “The forest is in the very center of the island, which means a long journey to the beach, which is way off to the east side of the island.”

  Amirah snapped her fingers. “The balloon tree,” she suggested.

  “That’s possible,” Mei said. “But . . . dangerous.”

  “Dangerous? What do you mean?” Olivia asked, her eyes growing wide.

  Mei told Olivia about how they’d traveled by balloon across the river. “Here’s the thing, though,” she said. “That was a pretty short trip—just a few minutes, from one side of the river to the other. To travel by balloon all the way across the Magical Land of Birthdays would take a lot longer. What if one of the balloons popped and dropped us somewhere without a balloon tree? Then we’d have to walk anyway . . . and I don’t think we’d make it before dark.”

  “Does it even get dark in the Magical Land of Birthdays?” Amirah wondered. But no one knew for sure.

  “Here’s another thing that could go wrong. What if the wind blew us in the wrong direction?” Elvis added. “Those balloons were not exactly easy to pilot.”

  “True,” Amirah said. She was still determined to think of another way to get to the beach.

  Then Amirah remembered the whistle in her pocket. She pulled it out and turned it over and over in her hands.

  Just because we can’t hear it doesn’t mean it’s broken, she remembered.

  Cara the Unicorn nudged Amirah’s shoulder. Amirah absentmindedly reached up to stroke Cara’s mane.

  The unicorn nudged her again, more insistently this time. When she nudged Amirah even harder, Amirah almost dropped the whistle.

  “Whoa!” Amirah cried. “Okay, I get it. You’re trying to tell me something. Is it about . . . the whistle?”

  Cara nodded enthusiastically.

  Amirah took a deep breath and put the whistle to her lips. She didn’t know any songs, but she moved her fingers along the small holes as she blew into it. The sweetest melody filled the air. It was like a cross between wind chimes and bird trills and was so beautiful that even after the last note faded, no one spoke.

  For a few moments, nothing happened.

  Then . . .

  Amirah felt it before she heard or saw what was happening. The ground trembled underfoot again, just like it had when the sprinkles had spelled out a secret message for her. Amirah knelt down to see if there was another message to decode.

  Before she spotted any sprinkles, though, she heard the unmistakable sound of hoofbeats galloping toward them.

  More unicorns? Amirah wondered in astonishment as she scrambled to her feet.

  No. Not this time. Cara was the only unicorn in the Magical Land of Birthdays.

  But the B-Buds would soon realize that Cara had three very special friends.

  “Carousel horses!” Olivia shrieked with glee.

  Cara’s friends were the most beautiful horses that Amirah had ever seen. White and silver, dappled gray, glossy black. Their manes were entwined with velvet ribbons and real roses; their bridles gleamed with tiny bells that chimed whenever they moved. Amirah could have gazed upon them for hours.

  Then, as if on cue, the horses knelt before the B-Buds. It was an invitation to mount them and set off for a ride!

  Olivia laughed as a dappled horse adorned with blue roses licked her hand. Amirah and Mei looked at each other and smiled. Olivia’s mood was already brightening—just like the Magical Land of Birthdays, now that the mist was evaporating.

  Then a look of concern passed over Mei’s face. “Hold on,” she said, her forehead wrinkled with worry. “There are four of us . . . and only three of them.”

  Could one carousel horse carry two B-Buds? Maybe. But it seemed like too great a favor to ask. Amirah set her thoughts to spinning once more, trying to think of a new plan, any plan, when something astonishing happened.

  Cara the Unicorn, that most enchanting and magical creature, nuzzled Amirah’s face . . . and knelt before her!

  “Problem solved,” Elvis declared. “Come on, B-Buds! It’s time to saddle up!”

  Once the friends had climbed aboard, the magical creatures stood up and began to gallop through the forest, cleverly dodging trees and leaping over stones. Riding a unicorn—a real unicorn—was an honor Amirah had never expected, and an experience she’d never forget. She wrapped her arms around Cara’s neck as Cara galloped out of the clearing, with the carousel horses following her. Her silky mane smelled like birthday cake.

  Amirah didn’t know how long they rode. Soon the forest gave way to fields, fields turned into meadows, and eventually the landscape changed again. The grass lengthened, transforming into tall stalks of sea grass that swayed back and forth in the brisk ocean breeze. Despite the thundering hooves, she could hear another sound—the ocean waves crashing on the shore. She breathed in deeply, expecting to smell the crisp, salty smell of the beach.

  But nothing in the Magical Land of Birthdays was exactly as it seemed. Here, the beach smelled like butter and brown sugar!

  Cara and the carousel horses climbed the crest of the dunes, and at last, the B-Buds could see the beach. They had arrived at Celebration Shore. It was the most beautiful coast Amirah had ever seen. The ocean sparkled in the golden sunshine as waves crashed on the shore in a creamy froth. The sand looked so soft and inviting that Amirah couldn’t wait to kick off her shoes and dance on the beach.

  The B-Buds jumped down from their carousel horses and raced toward the ocean. Amirah paused to stroke Cara’s forehead after dismounting. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Cara nuzzled Amirah’s neck. Amirah knew in that moment that Cara was saying goodbye. She threw her arms around Cara’s neck, breathing in the sweet smell of her mane one last time when it hit her . . . This was just goodbye for now. As she inhaled Cara’s sweet birthday cake smell, Amirah’s head filled with a vision of herself riding Cara again, this time through an unfamiliar landscape that Amirah knew was a part of the Magical Land of Birthdays she had not seen yet. But she would see it someday. She would be back. She was sure of it.

  Amirah released Cara, who gave her one last nuzzle. Then the unicorn galloped toward the ocean, with the carousel horses following behind her. The B-Buds watched as Cara and her friends galloped through the surf, sending sparkling drops of water into the air, until they disappeared into the distance.

  “Come on, B-Buds!” Elvis hollered. “Let’s go!”

  Laughing and shrieking with glee, the B-Buds ran around the beach—all except for Olivia. When Amirah realized that Olivia wasn’t with them, she doubled back to her newest friend.

  “You okay?” Amirah called, worried that perhaps their trip to the beach hadn’t helped Olivia feel better about her special day.

  But when Olivia looked over at her, Amirah noticed a look of wonder on her face. She also noticed that the colors around Olivia were now as vibrant as they were in the rest of the land. Amirah smiled, knowing this meant her B-Bud was no longer feeling sad.

  “Amirah,” Olivia whispered. “That treasure chest . . . It looks just like the one I made for my beach birthday party back home . . .”

  Amirah turned around to see a turquoise treasure chest nestled in the sand. It had gleaming brass hinges and a curved lid. A shiver of anticipation tingled down Amirah’s spine as she wondered what might be inside.

  “Come on,” she
told Olivia. “Let’s open it!”

  The two B-Buds knelt beside the chest and flipped up the latch. Then, together, they eased open the lid.

  Amirah and Olivia both gasped. Somehow, the treasure chest was enormous on the inside, and jam-packed with everything Olivia would need for an indoor mermaid birthday party! There were shimmery drapes for the walls that would make her living room look like it was underwater, streamers that looked like seaweed, a pin-the-tail-on-the-mermaid game. There was even a bubble machine that would send tiny bubbles floating through the air! Best of all, there was a shell-pink party dress made of shimmery fabric that was just Olivia’s size. Amirah knew that her B-Bud would look gorgeous wearing it.

  “This is incredible!” Olivia gasped. “But how will I get all this home for my party?”

  Amirah thought about that for a moment. “I don’t think you’re supposed to bring it home,” she said slowly. “I think you use what’s in the trunk for your party here, and then as inspiration to make your own party at home!”

  “Inspiration?” Olivia repeated. “I’m not sure I follow.”

  “It’s just like decorating a cake,” Amirah said. “You have to use your imagination!”

  Olivia still looked a little confused, so Amirah continued. “You have bubbles at home, right?” Olivia nodded. “Well, put them out at your party. Everyone can blow bubbles to make your living room look like an underwater kingdom!” Amirah took another look in the trunk. “You can hang green streamers to look like seaweed . . . and use glitter markers to decorate a dress to make it shimmery.”

  Amirah paused. “Hmm, what could you make the dress out of though?”

  “I’m actually pretty good at sewing,” Olivia said shyly. “Maybe I can use the material from a sheet to make a dress and then decorate it to look shimmery! Oh, and maybe we can still make sandcastles, but out of graham cracker crumbs, like the sand here!”

  “That’s perfect!” Amirah cheered. “If you just use your imagination, I bet your mermaid birthday party will be the best mermaid party ever!”

  Olivia’s face lit up with a huge smile. “I think you’re right! And you know what? With the rain streaming down the windows, it will really feel like we’re underwater!”

  Amirah giggled. “I love it when everything works out!” she replied.

  “Amirah! Olivia!”

  Elvis’s voice carried faintly across the sand. Despite the sound of the wind and the waves, the excitement in it was unmistakable.

  “Do you think everything is okay?” Olivia asked as she and Amirah stood up.

  “I think it’s better than okay,” Amirah said. “Come on—let’s find out!”

  The girls ran across the sand to join Elvis and Mei at a long table. It reminded Amirah of the birthday party table that they’d discovered in the woods—except this one was filled with brilliant colors, from the tablecloth to the bright balloons that bobbed overhead. There were four chairs and four place settings and—

  “Four cakes?” Amirah gasped.

  Elvis grinned at her. “It’s a B-Bud Birthday Bash!” he exclaimed.

  “My unicorn cake!” Amirah cried with glee. “It looks just like the one we made at home for my party!”

  “Wow, you are a good baker!” Elvis murmured.

  Amirah grinned. “There’s a special surprise inside! Like a piñata!”

  “What?” all three B-Buds asked at the same time.

  “You’ll see when I cut it.” Amirah giggled.

  “That looks exactly like the strawberry shortcake my oba-chan makes,” Mei said, her eyes wide. “How is this even possible?”

  “I’ve never had strawberry shortcake at a birthday party,” Amirah commented. “But what a delicious idea!”

  Mei nodded. “It’s a popular birthday cake at home, in Japan. You can use any fruit you like, but strawberry is my favorite. It’s also sort of a tradition in my family. My oba-chan has made one for my party every single year!”

  “Tell us about your birthday cake,” Amirah encouraged Olivia.

  “It’s this one here,” Olivia said as she reached for a platter that was stacked with towers of triangles. “We call it fairy bread in Australia. It’s not cake, exactly, but it’s what we have for birthdays. You cut bread into triangles and spread some butter on it and then cover it—I mean absolutely cover it—with hundreds and thousands.”

  “Hundreds and thousands of what?” Elvis asked.

  Olivia giggled. “That’s what we call them in Australia,” she explained. “You know. Because there are hundreds and thousands . . .”

  As she took a closer look, Amirah’s eyes widened. “Wait a minute. Are those sprinkles?” she exclaimed. “Fairy bread is covered in sprinkles?”

  “Yes,” Olivia replied. “Hundreds and thousands!”

  “Hundreds and thousands,” Amirah repeated. “I like the sound of that. Sprinkles are better when there are hundreds and thousands of them, after all!”

  Elvis rubbed his hands together with anticipation. “I don’t know if I’m more excited that my B-Buds get to have a piece of my peanut butter and banana birthday cake—or that I get to have a piece!” he joked.

  “I think we all know the answer to that,” Mei teased him.

  As everyone laughed, a swirl of glitter swept over the table. When it disappeared, each special birthday dessert had a flickering candle on top!

  “I think I know what this means,” Amirah said, grinning. “Time for the birthday song!”

  As the B-Buds sang the birthday song together, Amirah’s heart filled with joy. When the last notes of the song drifted away on the ocean breeze, the B-Buds knew it was time to make their birthday wishes.

  Amirah knew exactly what she wanted to wish for. She closed her eyes as she got ready to blow out her candle. Around the table, she could sense that the other B-Buds were doing the same. She took a deep breath and blew hard. When Amirah opened her eyes again, there was no flame on her candle. Just a plume of smoke twirling into the air.

  “Remember, don’t tell anyone what you wished for,” Amirah said. “Otherwise, it won’t come true.”

  Elvis was already cutting big slices of his peanut butter and banana cake and passing them around.

  Amirah waited for Elvis to finish and then picked up a knife next to her special cake. “B-Buds! Watch this!” she cried.

  Everyone gathered around as Amirah carefully sliced into the unicorn cake. When she lifted up the first piece, a waterfall of sprinkles—hundreds and thousands!—cascaded out of the cake, spilling over the table. As the B-Buds gasped in delight, Amirah beamed. The unicorn cake was as wonderful as she had imagined it would be!

  After the B-Buds shared their special birthday cakes, after they laughed themselves silly, after they played birthday games for hours on the sandy shore, the sun started to set. The sky was a swirl of cotton-candy colors: pink and blue and purple. Though the first stars hadn’t appeared yet, Amirah had a sudden, surprising longing.

  She wanted to go home.

  Home to her family, home to her friends, home to her birthday party with everyone she loved.

  “I didn’t think I’d ever want to leave the Magical Land of Birthdays,” she said. “But . . .”

  “Me too,” Mei said.

  “My dad always plays the birthday song on his harmonica,” Elvis said. “I’d hate to miss it.”

  Amirah smiled at him. Then she turned to Olivia. “What about you?” she asked.

  Olivia nodded vigorously. “Yes! I’ve got to hurry home!” she exclaimed. “There’s so much to do for my party—crush up all those graham crackers to make sand, hang the streamers to look like seaweed, make my mermaid dress . . .”

  “And make fairy bread with lots of hundreds and thousands,” Amirah added.

  “Of course. Can’t forget the hundreds and thousands,” Olivia said with a grin.

  “I know we need to get back,” Mei began. “But I’m really going to miss you all. You’re my B-Buds!”

  “We c
ome from four different countries, spread all over the world,” Elvis said. “How will we ever see each other again?”

  Olivia’s smile began to fade. “I don’t want to say goodbye forever,” she said. “I don’t want this adventure to end.”

  “B-Buds! What are you talking about?” Amirah asked in disbelief. “This isn’t the end! And it’s definitely not goodbye forever. It’s just . . . for now.”

  “How do you know for sure?” asked Elvis.

  Amirah threw her arms out wide. “You don’t think we’ll be back?” she asked him. “After I visited the Magical Land of Birthdays in my dream, and spent the most special day of the year here—our birthday—with my B-Buds? I just know we’ll be back!”

  “That’s no guarantee, though,” Elvis replied.

  “Here’s my guarantee,” Amirah said, thinking fast. She pulled the container of sprinkles out of her pocket. “Sprinkles—or hundreds and thousands—for everyone!”

  “Why?” asked Mei.

  “Because sprinkles are magic—just like this place,” Amirah said. “Just like birthdays. Besides, they helped me get here today . . . and I have this funny feeling that they might help all of you too. Now, hold out your hands.”

  The B-Buds held out their palms. Amirah started with Mei and poured some sprinkles into her hand. Strangely, only purple sprinkles poured out of the vial.

  “My favorite color!” Mei said, pleased.

  “That’s never happened before,” Amirah said, staring at the container. Then she moved on to Elvis. When she shook the sprinkle vial, only green ones appeared in his hand.

  “Let me guess,” she began. “Green is your favorite color?”

  “Right!” he replied.

  Amirah laughed. “See what I mean?” she said as she turned to Olivia. “Sprinkles are magic!”

  This time, when Amirah put sprinkles into Olivia’s hands, only blue ones appeared.

  “Magic,” Olivia agreed.

  “Birthday magic got us here,” Amirah told the B-Buds. “And birthday magic will bring us back. I promise.”

  Her friends looked so relieved that Amirah smiled even bigger.