Hugo unscrewed the bottle’s lid and took out the rolled-up note, which was tied with a thin green ribbon.
“Hmm, this looks fancier than usual,” Hugo said as he untied the ribbon and rolled out the note. It said:
You are cordially invited to Boone’s birthday party. (Don’t worry, there won’t be any other Humans there besides me and Grandma!)
Place: Boone’s House
Day: Today
Time: Noon, just in time for lunch and birthday cake
Boone
Hugo looked up at Gigi. “A Human birthday party!” he exclaimed. “Do you think it will be different from a Sasquatch birthday party?”
Gigi considered. “Well, I would guess that they don’t pull out three hairs from your chin for good luck,” she said.
“Probably not. Boone doesn’t have any hair on his chin,” Hugo said. “But do you think he’ll get to be King for a Day?”
When a young Sasquatch has a birthday, he or she wears a Birthday Crown, which makes them King or Queen for a Day. That means they can do whatever they want to do for the whole day.
“I’ve read lots of books about Humans, but I’ve never read about Humans having Birthday Crowns,” Gigi said.
“That’s too bad. Being King for a Day is the best part of a birthday.”
“I do think Humans get presents, though, like we do,” Gigi said.
“Oh.” Hugo thought. “I wonder what present I should give him.”
“You could make him a little book of word puzzles,” Gigi suggested. “Like the one I made for you on your last birthday.”
“I could do that . . .” Hugo pretended to think about this, but that book of puzzles was now in a box at the bottom of his closet. “Hmm, maybe he’d rather have something else instead.”
“Well, what does he like?” Gigi asked.
“He likes cryptids.”
“You can’t give him a cryptid,” Gigi said.
“No,” Hugo agreed. He looked around his room for other ideas and spotted a clickity-clack under his bed.
In case you don’t know, a clickity-clack is a piece of string with a walnut on either end. Holes are made in each walnut for the string to go through. You pick up the string in the middle and bob it up and down to make the walnuts clack against each other.
“Maybe I could make him a clickity-clack,” Hugo said.
“Too noisy.” Gigi winced.
Hugo thought some more.
“Wait! I know what I’ll give him!” he cried out. “And it’s definitely something he doesn’t already have!”
When he told Gigi what it was, she had to admit that it was a good present, even if it wasn’t a book of word puzzles. Hugo spent the next hour making Boone’s birthday gift, with Gigi’s help. When they finished, they both agreed it was the absolute most perfect present for Boone. They had just begun to wrap it when the door swung open and Hugo’s sister, Winnie, burst in.
“QUICK! HIDE!” Winnie shrieked. “WIDDERSHINS CAVERN IS BEING INVADED!”
