Lulu Bell and the Birthday Unicorn (5 page)

Lulu and Molly helped to lay the food out on the feast table. There were steaming sausage rolls and tomato sauce, tiny party pies and, of course, fish bites. A blue platter held sea-grapes, strawberries and sea-watermelon. Another held mermaid-bread topped with blue and green sprinkles.

All the mermaids came to sit around the table. Rosie sat at the head,
on a throne draped in purple velvet.

Gus sat at the other end with his mask still covering half his face. He had two bowls right in front of him. One overflowed with crunchy chocolate crackles. The other held crispy, salty chips.

Jessie and Asha sat on either side of him. Their heads followed the movement of Gus's hand from bowl to mouth and back again.

Gus stuffed two chocolate crackles in his mouth.
‘Mmmm. Dulishus.'

‘Oh, no you don't, Gussie,' said Lulu. She rescued the bowl of chocolate crackles before they all disappeared.

Lulu, Serena and Molly sat down next to Gus to share in the feast.

‘You're right, Gus,' said Molly. ‘These chocolate crackles are really good.'

Suddenly Mum jumped up and ran inside. She came back with a mysterious bulging bag.

‘I nearly forgot,' confessed Mum. Her eyes twinkled with mischief. ‘Here are your royal robes, King Neptune.'

‘Oh, no,' groaned Dad. He stepped backwards with his hands raised. ‘I'm not dressing up.'

‘Come on, Dad,' called Lulu and Rosie together.

‘Please,'
Rosie added, jiggling up and down.

Dad looked around at all the mermaids. He rolled his eyes in mock horror and sighed. ‘Well, all right.'

‘Here you are, Your Highness,' offered Mum.

She pulled a white sheet over his shoulder and fastened it with a safety pin. Then she slipped a long blue cloak around his neck. She had made a white wig and beard from wispy cotton wool. This was topped with a gold cardboard crown.

Last of all, Mum handed him a golden trident made from an old broomstick.

‘Let the feast begin,' thundered King Neptune. He flourished his trident.

Lulu and Rosie giggled with delight. Mum snapped photographs of King
Neptune and Princess Rosie and all the girls in their sparkly costumes.

The girls chattered and laughed and ate. Mum served plastic goblets filled with blue lemonade, with orange ‘fish' bobbing in the bubbles.

‘Mmmmm –
melonade
,' said Gus. ‘Bug Boy like
melonade
.'

Then Mum carried out the unicorn cake. The jelly sea wobbled and joggled, making the paper mermaids dance. The candles flared and sputtered. Everyone sang ‘Happy Birthday' to Rosie.

The tiny unicorn stood proudly on top of the cake. In the garden, Snowy whinnied loudly.

‘Blow out the candles and make a wish, honey bun,' said Mum.

Rosie closed her eyes. She took a big deep breath and blew. The candles
flickered and fizzled. Mum cut up the cake and put a piece in each bowl. Lulu added wobbly blue jelly and vanilla ice-cream.

‘What did you wish for?' asked Molly.

‘I can't tell you or it won't come true,' replied Rosie.

She beamed around the table at all
her friends. Then she looked up at her parents.

‘Thanks, Mum. Thanks, Dad. Thanks for all your help, Molly.'

Then she turned and smiled an extra-big grin at her sister.

‘Thanks for finding me a birthday unicorn, Lulu,' Rosie said. ‘This has been the best birthday party ever!'

Lulu grinned back. She flicked one of her plaits over her shoulder.

‘It was a pleasure, Rosie. Maybe we can get our own snow-white pony to keep in the backyard?'

She looked up hopefully at her parents.

‘No!' cried Mum and Rosie and Molly together.

Dad rubbed his chin, then winked at Lulu.

‘Mmmm,'
he said. ‘Maybe.'

Lulu and her dad exchanged a secret smile.

‘Fantabulous!'
said Lulu.

 

It's a hot day and the Bell family is going for a swim. But when a runaway dog chases a little penguin that is waddling up the beach, Lulu has to leap into action!

 

Is the little penguin hurt? And as if that's not enough for Lulu to worry about, where is Pickles the cat, who's about to have her kittens? Let the search begin!

 

Out now

Lulu Bell and the Birthday Unicorn

Lulu Bell and the Fairy Penguin

Lulu Bell and the Cubby Fort

August 2013

Lulu Bell and the Moon Dragon

August 2013