Annie Bear Goes to Germany for her Birthday Party
April 16, 1963
It was a beautiful warm day in springtime when Charlie Bear remembered that his little girl was going to have a birthday very soon. On one of his trips a friend had told him that there was something special about birthdays in Germany. So, he made arrangements with his friend, Mr. Meyer, to take his family to Germany to clebrate Annie’s birthday.
When the big day came, Charlie Bear was waiting for Annie when whe arrived home from school. “Happy Birthday, my little princess!” said Charlie Bear as he took his daughter in his arms and gave her a big birthday kiss. “How would you like to take a trip with me this afternoon — a special one for your birthday?” asked Papa Bear. “Ohhh, Yesss, Where are we going?” asked Annie. “Go get your traveling cap and you’ll see,” answered Papa Charlie Bear.
As soon as both Annie and Papa Charlie Bear had their caps on, they whirled around three times, turned a somersault and there they were — in the living room of Papa Charlie Bear’s German friend. OH!! Annie was so surprised. There in the center of the room was a “birthday table.” Very cautiously Annie went up to it. She asked, “Is it for me?” “Yes,” answered Mr. Meyer, “that’s what is special about the way we celebrate our birthdays here in Germany.”
The table was covered with a white linen cloth. In the middle was a large round cake with real violets and snowdrops decorating it. Annie saw plates of cookies and candies and — then she saw a new doll dressed in a real German rose-colored Dirndel dress — and — another dress just like it that was big enough for Annie herself. There were some games and many pretty birthday cards with pictures of elves, fairies and little children chasing sunbeams in and around the trees in a forest. There was a vase filled with pink tulips, yellow jonquils and white rarcissus. Running among the plates and gifts and cards was a green vine with little purple flowers.
It was all so beautiful Annie wanted to show it to her mother and little brother. When she turned around to ask Papa Bear if they could come to Germany too, there they were — just standing up form their somersaults. “Oh,” said little Charlie Bear. “May I have a piece of cake?” “You just wait ans we’ll all have some, ” answered Mama Bear.
“Why, Annie,” said Mama Bear, “here’s a new dress and it looks as though it were just your size. DO you want to try it on? Maybe you can wear it this afternoon.” “OPh, mama, may I? May I?” answered Annie. “Now go along, little birthday child, get washed and dressed while I help Mre. Meyer.” Little Charlie Bear of course, had to start investigating the new games.
As soon as Annie had put on her new rose-colored Dirndel dress, she ran out to the living room and turned around and around and around to show how big the skirt was. Smiling with pride at his pretty little girl, Papa Bear asked if he could help her to button up the back of the dress and to ties the apron that matched it. (Only instead of having pretty little flowers on a rose-colored background, the apron had rose-colored floweres on a white background._ The apron bow tied in front! “That’s a new idea,”thought Annie. “If it ties in front, I can do it myself!”
As soon as the bow was tied, Annie ran over to the table and got her new doll. “Elsa,” she announced would be nice because she had a friend at home who had come from Germany an that was her name.
Annie and her new doll went outdoors with little Chrlie. Oh how pretty! On once side of the front yar the ground was truly purple with so many violets. On the other side were lots of white snowdrops and the biggest crocusses they had even seen. Annie and little Charlie Bear played outdoors until Moma Bear called them in. They were hardly inside when the doorbell rang. Mrs. Meyer went to the door and welcomed two children, a boy and a girl, with their mother. Each child had a bunch of flowers for Annie. As the little girl handed Annie the flowers, she curtsied and as the boy handed her his flowers, he nodded his head. Annie didn’t know how to courtsey, but she thanked them both very much. Soon other children came with their mothers — each bring flowers, a small gift, or chocolate candy.
Little Charle Bear was just sitting watching his older sister receive all the nice flowers and birthday presents and he wanted to give her something too. Without anyone seeing him, he went outdoors, picked some violets, a few snowdrops and some orange croncusses. Then he rang the front door bell. When Mrs. Meyer answered the bell, little Charlie Bear said, “Is Miss Annie Bear here?” (As though he didn’t know!) Mrs. Meyer took him into the living room and he handed his sister the flowers — with a nod of his head just as he had seen the other children do. Annie took the flowers with a smile and curtsied — at least as good a curtsey as she could and she almost fell over as she bent her knee. (She had watched the other little girls put one foot in back of the other and then bend the knee of the leg they were standing on.)
When all the children had arrived, they sat down around the dining room table for cake — a piece of the nice big round cake that was on Annie’s birthday table — and glasses of real raspberry juice mixed with water. The cake was four layers of sponge cake with lots of white sweet whipped cream between each layer and a round nut of the top of each piece.
After the children had eaten all the cake and had drunk all the raspberry juice and water they wanted, they went out in the yard and played games. Just like in America — hide and seek, tag, and dodge ball.
The sun was starting to go down behind the trees when the German mothers began to get their children ready to leave. As they said “Auf Wiedersehen” (which is “Good Bye” in German), each mother and each child shook hands with Mrs. Meyer, Mr. Meyer, Mrs. Charlie Bear, Mr. Charlie Bear, Annie Bear and little Charlie Bear. Annie Bear did the best curtsey she could each time she shook hands and little Charlie Bear nodded his head every time he shook hands.
When they had all left, Mr. Charlie Bear told the children to get their traveling caps as it was time to go. He thanked his nice German friends very very much for being so kind and generous. Mrs. Charlie Bear also thanked them and invited them to visit the Bear family if they ever traveled to America. Annie curtsied and little Charlie Bear nodded his head as they shook hands, said “Good Bye” and thanked Mr. and Mrs. Meyer.
Annie picked up her new doll. Mrs. Charlie Bear gathered the flowers, and Mr. Charlie Dear put the gifts in a large box. When all was ready, the Bear family put on their traveling caps, whirled around three times, turned a somersault than there they were — back in their own home. Mama Bear put the flowers in the water, Papa Bear put the fits in Annie’s room. Annie sat down to get better acquainted with her doll, “Elsa,” and little Charlie Bear said, “Papa, can we go to Germany again when I have my birthday?” Papa Charlie Bear answered, “That’s not for a long time yet. Now you know what birthdays are like in Germany, perhaps you’d like to go to another country.” “But the people were so nice, papa. Are they as nice in other countries?” “I’m sure they are. Let’s wait and you’ll see.”