This is leap year. It happens every four years. February has twenty-nine days in a leap year. Persons born on the 29th are younger than other persons their age. They get fewer gifts with a birthday every four years. They graduate from high school when they are four-and-a-half. Then they are confused. "What will I do with the rest of my life? I can't drive or join the service or get married! I am only four-and-a-half. Mom and Dad I have made a big decision. I am going to stay home until my sixteenth birthday. Do you mind?" "Yes! Yes! we mind! If we are living we will be in our nineties! It is all a bad mistake!". "My being born is a mistake? Dad, I am only four-and-a-half and so I don't think I can deal with this. The birthday thing was enough!" Someone else made an awful mistake."
Flashback: The calendar committee has finished their work. It has taken years and years; however they didn't know that for there was no calendar. It did seem a long time. Some of the committee members died. They have studied the sun and moon and stars and the vernal equinox. They have aligned the stars and built a place they called stonewall. Later it would be known as stonehedge. The calendar is ready for the world. They have even gotten a camel stable to be their sponsor. An artist draws a picture of a lovely camel girl standing out in front of the stable. But there is a problem: George Galileo the math genius has discovered an extra day! The calendar is worthless with this day. It is only needed every four years, but it is absolutely necessary." Add an extra day someone. Hey, February looks good. It only has twenty-eight days. Let's put it in February! " "Great! but the calendar is printed and ready to go. We can't add it now." "You won't have to dummy! Only once every four years! This is not one of those years!" So,the calendar was born. Happy birthday, all you kiddies out there. You say you are only twenty? You look eighty to me! Hard life, I guess."
