MN: Do mine ears deceive me, or does our friend The Count have a birthday today?
Nora: Your cold must be feeling better, 'cause you can hear properly.
MN: Yeah, my cold's cleared up...just in time for me to go back to work tomorrow. (grumble grumble, mutter mutter)
Storyteller: Oh, well, life goes on. Now, I have prepared a beautiful chocolate cake in the shape of a bat.
Nora: Oooh, looks delish.
MN: Oh, Storyteller, you were breaking your back over that today. I could have helped with the cake.
Storyteller: No you couldn't, because this morning you were still sneezing and wheezing. Now, do you have your presents?
MN: One book of numerical legends and ghost stories, compiled by Drs. Abacus and Sliderule.
Nora: A castle-shaped music box that plays "I'm Looking Through You."
Storyteller: Excellent. Now let's go wait for Ed and The Count. (picks up cake; MN and Nora follow her out with presents in hand)