Today, Mimi the mouse is one year old. It is written on the wall of her hole, in tiny grey marks. “I want a cake!” she says, jumping out of bed. “A real cake, with a candleThe little wax stick you light and blow out on your birthday. on top.”
So Mimi takes out her smallest bowl, her smallest whisk and her smallest apron. And she gets to work.
She takes one spoonful of flourThe white powder made from wheat that is used to bake cakes., no more. A mouse does not eat very much, even on her birthday. She adds a drop of milk, a crumbA tiny little piece, so small you can barely see it. of sugar and a tiny piece of butter the size of a pea.
She stirs and stirs and stirs, until both her arms are tired and the batter is perfectly smooth.
The cake bakes inside a thimble set beside the candleThe little wax stick you light and blow out on your birthday.. The hole smells wonderful, and so does the corridor next door. Mimi puts a candle on top. Well, a matchstick, because a real candle would be taller than the house.
All her friends arrive: two mice from the attic, one very late snail, and a rather shy ladybird who stays near the door.
“Happy birthday, Mimi!” They all sing together, slightly out of tune, and the snail is still singing when the others have finished. Then they all blow together. Poof! The light goes out at once and everyone laughs in the dark.
The cake is exactly one mouthful each. A tiny cake shared with friends fills a very big heart.
The end, sweet dreams.
