Max and Aliida were excited. In two days’ time, it was going to be Aliida’s birthday. She would be SEVEN!!
All sorts of exciting things might happen and Max hoped he was going to be included in them all. But today was the day that Grandma Frances was coming to take Aliida out to buy her birthday present. Max felt sure he would be included in this treat. 

He had a good wash and brushed his fur till it was shiny.                 

He put on his best black shorts and his favourite checked shirt.

 Katie Price, the cat, watched him doing all this. She was sitting up on bed-above, licking her paws and washing behind her ears. Her long, fluffy tail twitched. It always did that before she said something nasty to Max. ‘Yoo -iauow needn’t bother.’ She purred and her pink tongue licked her paw. ‘Yoo-iauow can forget it. She’s going to take Soldier.’

 

Max ignored her. That couldn’t be true, he thought. He was Number One Bear. He carried on sprucing himself up ready for the big outing. He was sure they would go to the Build-a-Bear Shop, he would see some of his old friends, Aliida would choose some new clothes or toys for him and he would once again be the envy of all the sad bears waiting to be chosen and taken home.

 Just before GF was due to arrive, Aliida came into the bedroom. Max stood up tall and waited for her to notice how smart he was looking today. She would be proud to take him out with GF to get her birthday present – which Max was sure would really be something for him!

Then shock, horror! Aliida walked past him and went into the dark corner of the bedroom where there was an untidy pile of heaped-up toys. Sticking out from the pile was the leg and arm of Soldier Bear. Max and Soldier had had a row the day before because Soldier had been marching up and down, swinging his arms, and he had marched right over Max who had been stretched out on the floor, practising his swimming strokes. 

Just as Max’s arms had flailed out, Soldier had tramped heavily on one of them, yelling ‘Left! Right! Left! Right!’.   Max had sprung up, yowling with the pain in his tramped-on paw.    

 ‘I’m sick of you and your stupid soldiering,’ he had yelled.              

‘It’s not stupid. How dare you?’

‘Yes, it is!’

‘No, it isn’t!’

The two bears had growled at each other and Max had given Soldier an almighty push. Soldier had landed in the corner, up against a pile of toys which had teetered and then collapsed on top of him. And that was where he had been lying since yesterday, unable to wriggle out from under the heap.

Aliida bent down and pulled at Soldier’s leg. At first, nothing happened. Then suddenly, it was jerked out of the heap, followed by Soldier’s body, arms and, last of all, his head. The pile of toys shuddered and began to topple. Aliida whisked Soldier away quickly and they just missed being covered in falling toys: dolls, Lego bricks, little cars and houses, dress-ups clothes, books and even bits of jigsaw. What a mess! Max had to jump out of the way too.

 Aliida kicked and pushed all the stuff back into the corner. ‘Now, Soldier, she said. ‘I hope you are feeling like an outing. It’s time you had some clothes. Winter is coming and you will be cold in just your camouflage covering. We’re going out with Grandma Frances today. We’ll get you a nice new outfit.’ She carried Soldier out of the bedroom, leaving Max sitting on the floor. He couldn’t believe his ears!

 He sat sadly on the floor for quite a long time, feeling very sorry for himself and very jealous of Soldier. He heard GF arriving and he heard the three of them going out shortly afterwards. Katy Price jumped down from bed-above, stalked past him and pushed open the bedroom door with her paw. ‘I told you, bearrrr,’ she purred. ‘Told you so, bearrrrrr!’

 The time dragged by but at last he heard them coming back. Aliida came bounding into the bedroom. ‘Look, Max,’ she cried. ‘Look what we got for Soldier. Doesn’t he look handsome? Almost as handsome as you!’

 And there was Soldier, looking terrific in super new trousers, zippy jacket and . . . was that roller skates? Max’s eyes almost fell

out of his head. He and Soldier had been good friends until they had fallen out yesterday and they had often talked about how much they would like to have roller skates. They had promised each other that the next thing they would ask Aliida for, from Build-a-Bear, would be roller skates. They had also promised each other that, if one of them got a pair of skates, he would share them, turn and turnabout, with the other.

 ‘Aliida,’ called Daddy. ‘Come and say goodbye and thank you again to Grandma Frances.’

She went out of the bedroom, leaving the two bears eyeing each other.

 ‘Do you like my new outfit?’ said Soldier, warily.

‘Yes, it’s brilliant,’ said Max, warily.

‘I got the roller skates.’ Soldier was grinning now.

‘I see that.’ Max grinned too. ‘I’m sorry I pushed you under all those toys and left you there.’

‘And I’m sorry I tramped on your paw. I promise I’ll be more careful where I march from now on,’ said Soldier.

‘That’s OK, then. Friends?’ said Max.

‘Friends,’ agreed Soldier. Do you want a shot of my skates?’

‘Yes, please!’ said Max. ‘Come on. Let’s skate together.’

 When Aliida came back into the bedroom, she found the two of them rolling on the floor, laughing their heads off, each wearing one roller skate.