HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOON FRANK ASCHALADDIN PAPERBACKS To Devin One night Bear looked up at the sky and thought , wouldn ’ t it be nice to give the moon a birthday present . But Bear didn ’ t know when the moon ’ s birthday was , or what to get him . So he climbed a tall tree to have a little chat with the moon . “ Hello , Moon ! ” he shouted . But the moon did not reply . Maybe I am too far away , thought Bear , and the moon cannot hear me . So Bear paddled across the river … and hiked through the forest … into the mountains . Now I am much closer to the moon , thought Bear , and again he shouted : “ Hello ! ” This time his own voice echoed off one of the other mountians : “ Hello ! ” Bear got very excited . Oh , boy ! he thought , I ’ m talking to the moon . “ Tell me , ” asked Bear , “ when is your birthday ? ” “ Tell me , when is your birthday ? ” replied the moon . “ Well , it just so happens that my birthday is tomorrow ! ” said Bear . “ Well , it just so happens that my birthday is tomorrow ! ” said the moon . “ What do you want for your birthday ? ” asked Bear . “ What do you want for your birthday ? ” asked the moon . Bear thought for a moment , then he replied : “ I would like a hat . ” “ I would like a hat , ” said the moon . Oh , goody ! Thought Bear , now I know what to get the moon for his birthday . “ Goodbye , ” said Bear . “ Goodbye , ” said the moon . When Bear got home , he dumped all the money out of his piggy bank . Then he want downtown … and bought the moon a beautiful hat . That night he put the hat up in a tree where the moon could find it . Then he waited and watchedwhile the moon slowly crept up through the branches and tried on the hat . “ Hurray ! ” yelled Bear . “ It fits just right ! ” During the night while Bear slept , the hat fell out of the tree . In the morning Bear found the hat on his doorstep . “ So the moon got me a hat , too ! ” exclaimed Bear . He tried it on and it fit perfectly . But just then , the wind blew Bear ’ s hat off his head . He chased after it … but it got away . That night Bear paddled across the river … and hiked through the forest … to talk with the moon . For a long time the moon would not speak to him , so Bear spoke first . “ Hello ! ” he shouted . “ Hello ! ” replied the moon . “ I lost the beautiful hat you gave me , ” said Bear . “ I lost the beautiful hat you gave me , ” said the moon . “ That ’ s okay , I still love you ! ” said Bear . “ That ’ s okay , I still love you ! ” said the moon . “ HAPPY BIRTHDAY ! ” said Bear . “ HAPPY BIRTHDAY ! ” said the moon .