“The right age for them,” the Princess explained. “Haven’t you noticed that they were?”
The Others thought about it for a minute, and decided that they couldn’t very well be different.
“But if they are always going along the same, perhaps they wouldn’t notice their birthdays,” said Phyllisy.
“Indeed, they would,” said the Princess, earnestly. “They’re particularly good about remembering dates and anniversaries and times of the year. And they’d never think of letting a birthday go by without noticing it.”
“Would they have a party?” asked the Kitten.
“They do usually. Do you think it would help you along a little through one of those nine days, to hear about one of them?”
And the Kitten seemed to think it would.
“Whose birthday is it going to be?” asked Pat.
“Andromeda’s, the same year that the Sailor’s Star was stolen; and Orion gave the party. You remember the young meteors that he had planted were just coming up in his garden when Cassiopeia came to tell him what a misfortune had happened? All those same young plants had kept on growing and growing, unusually well, and Orion was as proud of them as a comet with two tails. They promised to be ripe just in time for Andromeda’s birthday, and he said he would like to give the party.”
“To eat them?” asked Pat.