The biscuit tree grows at the end of our garden, just next to the compost heap.

When we moved in it was only this high, and I could jump right over it if I wanted to, though mummy kept telling me that if I did I’d bang my head on the fence. So I didn’t. But I could’ve.

-

But look at the biscuit tree now! It’s higher than the fence, it’s higher than daddy! It’s higher than Paul-next-door’s big toy dumper truck!

In a few years, I’ll be able to climb up the biscuit tree to play pirates, and I’ll be able to look over the fence into Paul-next-door’s garden.

-

None of my friends at school believe me when I tell them I’ve got a biscuit tree. They say things like

“Don’t be so stupid!”

and

“Durr! You can’t get biscuit trees!”

and once, Sarah Sarah said

“So? I’ve got a biscuit tree too, and it’s bigger than yours.”

But she must be telling fibs, because our biscuit tree is the Only Biscuit Tree in the whole wide world.

-

Some of my friends from school came round for tea. Tommy, Nicky, Sarah Bean and So-so Jo.

Mum made scrambled eggs, baked beans, and potato waffles. We had pink milk as a special treat.

It was warm and sunny so we all sat outside round the garden table.

My friends didn’t talk about the biscuit tree, but they kept looking round the garden trying to find it. I knew they wanted to see it up close.

-

After tea we played hide-and-seek round the house, and it was great fun because So-so Jo hid behind the pipes in the cleaning cupboard, and no-one could find her for ages and ages. Tommy started to get a bit cross so mummy called her to come out.

Nicky said: “Let’s hide in the garden this time! So-so’s on it!”

So-so Jo started counting and we all ran off to hide.

I ran straight to the biscuit tree, but that was a silly thing to do. It’s big now, but not big enough to hide behind.

I didn’t know where to hide next.

-

Just then Paul-next-door poked his head over the fence.

“Need a hiding place?” he said. I said yes. “Climb up then!” he said.

I tried to climb over the fence but there was nothing to put my feet on. My trainers scraped on the wood. Paul-next-door was leaning over as far as he could, trying to grab my arms, but he couldn’t quite reach me.

“Coming, ready or not!” So-so Jo had finished counting. Where could I hide?

-

She came running out the house and saw me straight away, but instead of shouting my name she slowed down and stopped next to me.

“Is this it? The biscuit tree?” she asked. She was looking at the branches.

Tommy and Sarah Bean came out from behind the holly tree. Nicky’s head appeared behind the compost bin. Paul-next-door was still hanging over the fence.

They were all looking at the biscuit tree.

-

I didn’t want to tell them. I wanted it to be my secret, forever.

But I did want to tell them at the same time. I wanted all my friends to know about the biscuit tree.

I couldn’t decide what to say. I went all red.

Now everyone was looking at me.

I opened my mouth:

“It’s -”

-

“It’s time for a biscuit,” said my mum’s voice, right behind me.

She made everyone jump.

Then everyone spoke at once:

“Is this the biscuit tree?”

“Can we have a biscuit? Please?”

“Where are the biscuits? I can’t see any.”

“Can someone help me get down from this fence?”

Mum was smiling.

She told us all to help Paul-next-door to get down. So-so Jo and Tommy made a base, and Nicky and Sarah Bean climbed on top of them, and Paul-next-door reached down and grabbed their hands and -

WALLOP!

everyone fell down in a big pile at the foot of the biscuit tree. We all laughed. Even though Paul-next-door had some bruises and a cut on his knee, he was laughing too.

And when we stopped laughing, Sarah Bean pointed up and said

“Look!”

Hanging from the biscuit tree was a biscuit, attached to a tiny twig that twinkled like a piece of ribbon.

“Biscuits!”

There were 12 little biscuits dangling from a branch, all of them on shiny ribbon-twigs.

-

And before their mummies and daddies came to take them home, Tommy, Nicky, Sarah Bean, So-so Jo, Paul-next-door, and me all sat down and crunched the fresh biscuits from the biscuit tree.

Mum was there too, but she didn’t have one.

She just watched us. She was smiling.