We keeps the children's birthdays, of course; but him and me--we're too old for such like, as a general rule." "We knew it was his birthday," said Peter, "and we've got some presents for him outside in the perambulator." As the presents were being unpacked, Mrs.Perks gasped.

When they were all unpacked, she surprised and horrified the children by sitting suddenly down on a wooden chair and bursting into tears.
"Oh, don't!" said everybody; "oh, please don't!" And Peter added, perhaps a little impatiently: "What on earth is the matter?
You don't mean to say you don't like it ?" Mrs.Perks only sobbed.

The Perks children, now as shiny-faced as anyone could wish, stood at the wash-house door, and scowled at the intruders.
There was a silence, an awkward silence.
"DON'T you like it ?" said Peter, again, while his sisters patted Mrs.
Perks on the back.
She stopped crying as suddenly as she had begun.
"There, there, don't you mind me.

I'M all right!" she said.

"Like it?
Why, it's a birthday such as Perks never 'ad, not even when 'e was a boy and stayed with his uncle, who was a corn chandler in his own account.
He failed afterwards.