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The Longest Night


We all stood on the platform looking at the hippopotamus. We had thought it was a baby pig, grunt grunt squeak squeak type thing. I gave a little laugh, which sounded a little forced because it was.

The guard was surprised we did not know a Woozzlsky Pig was a hippo so we explained that we did not work at the zoo, we only agreed to collect the animal it because Mr Pepperday had to go to his sisters wedding at Buxton.

To our surprise the guard ask who she was marrying. Joe Pogerry I informed him of Pogerry Pies whos dad owns a shop in Opengate Road.

" Well bugger me." said the guard. " No wonder she kept turning me down. I must remember to kick his van next time I see it."

Joe was looking at the hippo and wondered how heavy it was, the guard looked at his papers and said it was fifteen hundredweight.

Me, Joe and the bicycle did not weigh half that we would never hold it if it tried to make a run for it. The guard ask us where our van was, we told him we did not have a van, we were going to walk it. The guard was rather surprised again that we were going to walk a big hippo.

We had to admit we thought it was just a little pig squeak squeak honk honk type pig. We stood on the platform pondering the situation for a little while, there was a shout from the engine.

Ohy.! hurry up there, the driver leaned out of the cab, he shouted that the mail train is due through in fifteen minutes and he had got to clear the line. The guard looked at his watch then at us and told us to get the hippo out of the waggon.

Me and Joe walked up the ramp into the wagon. I noticed a thick rope holding the hippo to the side of the wagon. So far so good but it was still laying down, slowly I untied the end of the rope held it. I gave Joe part of the rope to hold as well. Slowly and ever so gently we pulled on the rope, the hippopotamus lifted his head and looked at us. Then it yawned. We looked into the open mouth, it was a long way down there. The hippo put his head back down, pulling both me and Joe over throwing us into the straw.

The driver who had joined the guard on the platform was watching all this and told us to stop playing about. We got up and gave a mighty heave on the rope, the hippo never moved an inch. I shouted to the guard and driver on the platform that it was no good just standing there if thy wanted it out the waggon they would have to give us a hand. We all pulled on the rope but the hippo did not want to move.

The stoker who had come down from the engine to find out where the driver had gone ask what was going on. We told him we were trying to move the hippo.

"Oh that's easy." said the stoker and disappeared.

He came back a few moments later with his shovel and to our amazement he went to the back of the hippo and swung his shovel to give the hippo a thwack.

" No don't." screamed Joe.

Me, Joe the driver and the guard ran as fast as we could down the ramp out of the wagon just as the stokers shovel come down on the hippos backside.

We stood pressed against the side of the wagon waiting for the hippo to come stampeding out, it didn't. I looked round the open door into the wagon. The hippo with a sleepy expression on his face wandered slowly out and down the ramp.

" There you are, he's all yours." said the stoker.



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Short Story Series - From the book - The Zoo Keepers Daughter © Tony on the Moon