HORACE THE HIPPO: CHAPTER 1

Once upon a time there lived a hippo called Horace. He was actually a soft toy but we can't hold that against him. One day, (it was actually on Sunday 31 October 2006) a little girl whom we shall call Daisy (because that is her name and she is now grown up and at university) was playing in the garden of the Bat & Ball. For those of you who don't know the Bat (that's what we call it), it's a pub in a small town by the name of Farnham in Surrey where Daisy was visiting her grandparents, Granmo and Granpo. The Bat has an absolutely splendid garden with a playhouse and Daisy was in the playhouse (or Daisy House as it is known to our family) amusing herself one winter afternoon when she spied a soft toy abandoned in the wet grass.

This is where I had better tell you a bit about Daisy. She is nine year's old and very pretty. She is a very clever girl but not at all big headed. She is an extremely good actress, a very competent dancer and plays a bit on the drums. She is very good at musical composition and a gifted piano player. Oh, and she is a Sheffield Wednesday Supporter as you can see from the picture. But much more important than all this is the fact that she is very kind hearted. And that really is the crux (where it all stems from) of this story. You see Daisy was in a bit of a dilemma (in case you are not sure, that's when you don't know what to do for the best): on the one hand, should she rescue the toy or should she leave him in the garden. Daisy worried that if she rescued him, his owner might come looking for him and be very sad at not finding him, always wondering what could possibly have happened; or, on the other hand, should she leave him out in the cold (it looked like rain which made Daisy feel more uncomfortable about abandoning him) in the hopes that he would be rescued.

Daisy talked this over with her Daddy and explained the situation to Mummy and Granmo and Granpo who all agreed that this definitely was a bit of a dilemma. After discussing the matter, Daisy agreed that she would leave Horace (Granmo called him Horace) in a noticeable place in the garden in the hope that he would be claimed and next time Granpo went to the Bat he would make enquiries.

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