by Amelia Cobb
Mo was mending the broken fence with the help of another zookeeper, Jess, who usually looked after the otters. Mo was holding an armful of wooden boards, and Jess a hammer and a bag of nails. They both waved when they saw Zoe, but Zoe thought that Mo was looking gloomy.
“Mr Pinch must have told him that he wants to send the hippos away, Meep,” Zoe whispered.
She let herself into the enclosure with her special necklace and found Henry rolling around in the mud, looking as happy as ever. The other hippos were snoozing in the sun. It was obvious they hadn’t heard the news yet.
“Hi, Henry,” whispered Zoe, bending down as he jumped up and trotted over to her. “Listen – Meep and I need to tell you something.” Henry snuffled a little, and Zoe continued. “The thing is, Mr Pinch doesn’t think there’s enough room for all the hippos in this enclosure. He wants to send you all far away, to a different zoo!”
Zoe waited nervously to see what the little hippo’s reaction would be. But even on hearing this news, Henry didn’t seem too sad. He put his head on one side, thinking. Then he gave a cheery little snort.
Zoe nodded, smiling in surprise. “That’s true, Henry. You have already had lots of fun at the Rescue Zoo, and the new zoo might be just as lovely.”
Henry added another little grunt and Zoe smiled. “You’re right – at least you’ll still be with your new hippo friends. Henry, you’re always so cheerful, no matter what! Don’t you ever feel sad or worried? You must have had some really difficult times, like when you lost your family, and when you were flown all the way over here to live in a new country?”
Henry thought for a moment, then nodded and gave another little grunt. Zoe smiled at him. “I hadn’t thought about it like that before,” she told him. “All the sad or scary things that happened to you – they led to you coming here. So everything worked out for the best in the end. Maybe that’s what I need to think about having to go away for the summer, and about you and the other hippos leaving. Everything will work out for the best.” She stroked his head. “It’s funny, Henry. Usually I’m the one who helps out an animal at the zoo with a problem, but this time you’ve helped me!”
Henry nudged Zoe’s leg again with his snout and gave a happy little snort, looking very pleased and proud.
“Let’s go and see how Mo is getting on with fixing the fence, shall we?” suggested Zoe.
They walked over to where Mo and Jess were just about to fix the last wooden board in place. Henry watched with interest, then gave a playful little squeal and ducked through the gap still in the fence. Zoe giggled as the funny little hippo darted around the patch of grass and ran around the zookeepers’ legs before Mo managed to guide him back into his enclosure again. “There you go, Henry! We’ve had enough hippos on the loose today,” he chuckled.
As Zoe set off for home, waving goodbye to Mo and Henry, she walked past the empty patch of grassland next to the hippos’ enclosure that Henry had been scampering around a few moments before – and suddenly her eyes went wide. “Meep! We need to find Mum,” she said urgently. “I think I’ve got an idea. It might mean the hippos can stay at the zoo after all!”
Chapter Seven
Helping the Hippos
“Hold on tight, Meep!” said Zoe, and the little lemur clung to her shoulder with his strong fingers. Zoe started running, and didn’t stop until the zoo hospital was in sight. “Mum!” she called as she darted through the door. “Mum, I need to talk to you!”
Lucy was tidying away boxes of different-sized bandages in the store room. “Goodness, Zoe, that’s the second time today you’ve arrived here looking like you’ve just run a race! Is everything OK? How was your last day at school?”
“Mum, listen – I’ve had an idea,” Zoe explained. “Mr Pinch wants to send the hippos away to another zoo because he says their enclosure isn’t big enough for them all, and that’s why they’re causing so much chaos and mess. But there’s a big patch of empty grassland right next to their enclosure! It’s not being used for anything at the moment. If we just moved the fence, we could make that area part of the hippos’ enclosure too. It would be lots bigger! I’m sure it would be big enough for the hippos to stay!”
Lucy looked surprised. “Zoe, that’s such a good idea. I wonder why we’ve never thought of doing that before!” Then her face fell. “The only problem is, Mr Pinch has already arranged for the hippos to be transported to their new home tomorrow. If we’re going to change his mind, we’d need to do it very quickly.”
“Let’s ask some of the other zookeepers to help!” suggested Zoe. “If there are lots of us working together, we’ll be able to move the fence in no time!”
Lucy hesitated, looking a little unsure.
“Please, Mum!” said Zoe. “We can’t let Mr Pinch send the hippos away!”
Lucy looked at Zoe, then smiled, switched on her walkie-talkie and spoke into it. “Come in, all zookeepers!” she said. “We need help with an urgent job at the hippo enclosure. Please meet me and Zoe there in five minutes!”
Zoe grinned happily. By the time she and her mum arrived at the hippo enclosure there was a crowd of keepers gathering, with more arriving all the time. Zoe was thrilled to see them all waiting, eager to find out what was going on – especially Mo. Lucy quickly explained Zoe’s plan and there was a buzz of excited chatter.
“That’s a perfect idea. I’ve always thought that empty patch of grass was just wasted space!” Zoe heard Bill, the crocodile keeper, say.
“I’ll fetch the tools we used to fix the fence earlier on!” said Mo, rushing off, while another group ran to find some more wooden planks to use to make the fence longer, and Lucy went to collect a tray of cold drinks for everyone.
During all the commotion, Zoe managed to speak to the hippos.
“We’ve got an idea that might mean you can all stay at the zoo,” she whispered to them, and smiled as their dark eyes lit up. “But it’s really, really important that you all behave while we’re working on it, OK? If there’s any mud or mess, or if the fence gets broken again, then Mr Pinch might still say you’ve got to leave.” She smiled at Henry and added, “Especially you, Henry. Do you think you can do that for me?”
Albert, Rona and Hetty all nodded their huge grey heads, while Henry gave an excited grunt, promising to be good too. Zoe rushed back towards the crowd of zookeepers.
“Can I help?” she called to Mo, eager to be involved. “What can I do?”
Mo thought for a moment. “Why don’t you keep an eye on cheeky little Henry? We’re going to have to pull the fence down so that we can move it, and I don’t want him to escape, especially if Mr Pinch is doing one of his rounds!”
“Sure, I’ll keep an eye on him – but I have a feeling he’ll behave!” Zoe told him, grinning to herself.
Three hours later, everyone stood back to take a look at their handiwork. Zoe couldn’t believe how different the enclosure looked. Beyond the mud bath, where the fence used to be, there was now a big, flat, grassy patch, covered in daisies. The fence had been moved to the very far end of the grass area. As soon as it was finished, Zoe whispered to Henry, giving him permission, and the little hippo eagerly ran straight into the new area and trotted all the way around it, grunting eagerly.
“It’s nearly twice as big!” Zoe heard one of the keepers comment. “The hippos have got so much more space now!”
“There’s so much extra room, we could even make the mud bath bigger!” Mo said to Lucy. “Twice as big, in fact! I bet the hippos would love that!”
Mr Pinch had turned up just as the final wooden post had been hammered into place. At first he had complained loudly about no one asking his permission to do the work, but Lucy had calmly explained to him that they knew how busy he was, and didn’t want to bother him with yet another job. “But you must admit that we’ve solved the problem!” she added, winking at Zoe. “This enclosure is more than big enough for four hippos. Now there’s no reason to send them away. Zoe’s idea worked perfectly!”
Mr Pinch glared at Zoe. “I should have known this was your doing,” he muttered.
Meep, who was sitting on Zoe’s shoulder, stuck his tiny tongue out at Mr Pinch, and the zoo manager spluttered angrily. “That lemur is the cheekiest animal I have ever met,” he snapped, his face pink. “While you’re away from the zoo for the school holidays, young lady, he will be in a cage where he belongs.”
With that he marched off, grumbling again. Zoe hugged Meep tightly. She should have known that Mr Pinch would spoil everything! She had been so pleased about the hippos, and horrid Mr Pinch had just reminded her about her other problem: a summer away from the Rescue Zoo.
“It’s OK, Meep,” she whispered. “Just think positive, like Henry would! Maybe something good will come out of you having to live with the other lemurs and monkeys while I’m away. You might make some really good new friends.”
Meep didn’t look very sure. “I’ll try my best, Zoe,” he began – but then he stopped, his ears pricking up. “Zoe!” he squeaked. “It’s that noise again. The Rescue Zoo bus!”
Zoe listened and heard the familiar rumble in the distance. She looked at Meep, her eyes wide. “But it can’t be, Meep. Great-Uncle Horace set off for the Arctic yesterday morning! He can’t be back already … can he?”
Chapter Eight
Happy Holidays!
As Zoe and Meep rushed to the zoo gates, she saw that it was definitely Great-Uncle Horace’s yellow bus rumbling into the zoo! Great-Uncle Horace honked the horn cheerfully when he saw them, and poked his head through the window.
“Ah, Zoe! I’m back! And you’re just the person I wanted to see!”
He parked the bus and jumped out, with Kiki fluttering out after him.
“I don’t understand,” Zoe said, running up to give him a hug. “You only just left for the research project. Aren’t you supposed to be there for six whole weeks?”
Great-Uncle Horace smiled and nodded. “There was a change of plan, my dear. Ah, here’s your mum now. Lucy, would you like to tell Zoe the news?”
Zoe looked at her mum nervously. She wasn’t sure she wanted more news, after the last time! But Lucy was beaming.
“Zoe, you’re not going to have to go to Auntie Edna’s after all,” she explained, and Zoe felt her heart leap. “When I rang Great-Uncle Horace to tell him that I had decided to join the trip but that it meant you would have to leave the zoo for the summer, Great-Uncle Horace decided straight away that he didn’t want to go.”
Zoe stared at Great-Uncle Horace. “But won’t you be sad to miss it?” she asked.
Great-Uncle Horace beamed. “Zoe, I’ve travelled all around the world. I’ve visited the Arctic lots of times. But do you know something? I realised I would much rather spend the summer here, with my favourite great-niece! I’m happy to come back to the Rescue Zoo. And when your mum explained what was happening with the hippos, that was even more reason to come straight home,” he added, looking serious. “I’d better go and have a little talk with Percy Pinch. He might be in charge of the zoo while I’m away, but no one sends Rescue Zoo animals away – ever! When an animal comes to the Rescue Zoo, they have a home here for life. Although we do need to work out what to do about the hippos’ enclosure, if it’s not big enough…”
“You don’t need to worry about that, Great-Uncle Horace!” Zoe said. “I had an idea! Do you remember the patch of empty grass that was next to the hippo enclosure? Well, Mo and all the other zookeepers helped us to move the fence, so that the grassland is part of the enclosure now. It’s made the hippos’ home much bigger! It looks brilliant,” she added proudly.
Great-Uncle Horace beamed. “Wonderful!” he exclaimed. “That was very quick thinking! Thank you, Zoe. I can’t wait to see it. In fact, why don’t we go there now, so you can show me?”
They all set off for the hippo enclosure together and Zoe found she couldn’t help skipping along, she was so excited about how things had turned out. “So … I’m really staying here for the summer?” she asked. She almost couldn’t believe it. Suddenly her head was racing with ideas. “I’m going to see Henry and the other hippos every single day. And I’m desperate to play with Gertie’s baby. And now that Ruby the macaw’s poorly wing is properly healed, I’ll go and watch her practise her flying. And—”
Great-Uncle Horace chuckled. “You’re going to be very busy, my dear!”
When they reached the lovely new hippo enclosure, Henry rushed straight over to greet them. He thought Zoe must be coming to say goodbye for the summer, but when Great-Uncle Horace and Lucy went off to inspect the new fencing and discuss making the mud bath and pool bigger, Zoe managed to whisper her good news to the little hippo.
“Henry, I don’t have to go away for the holidays after all! There’s been a change of plan!” she explained, and giggled as Henry’s tail wagged excitedly.
Great-Uncle Horace was astonished at how much bigger the space now was. “This is fantastic!” he exclaimed, walking around and spreading his arms out wide. “Zoe, your clever idea has transformed the hippos’ home!”
Meep jumped into Zoe’s arms for a hug. “Zoe, I’m so happy that we’ll both get to spend the holidays together,” he squeaked. “And I’m happy that the hippos won’t have to go away. And I’m very happy that Mr Pinch didn’t get his own way,” he added mischievously.
“I’m happy too, Meep,” said Zoe, smiling. “The Rescue Zoo feels like an especially happy place, now that Henry lives here. He was right – things have all worked out for the best in the end!”
“I’m glad Henry came to live here as well,” chattered Meep eagerly. “I wonder what the next new animal to come to the Rescue Zoo will be?”
“I’m not sure, Meep,” said Zoe, cuddling her little friend. “But whatever it is, I can’t wait to find out!”
Copyright
With special thanks to Natalie Doherty
For Jack X
ZOE’S RESCUE ZOO: THE HAPPY HIPPO
First published in the UK in 2016 by Nosy Crow Ltd
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London, SE1 1QR, UK
This ebook edition first published 2016
Nosy Crow and associated logos are trademarks and / or registered trademarks of Nosy Crow Ltd
Text © Hothouse Fiction, 2016
Cover photography © Sophy Williams 2016
The rights of Hothouse Fiction and Sophy Williams to be identified as the author and illustrator respectively of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
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This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, incidents and dialogues are products of the author's imagination or are used fictiously. Any resemblence to actual people, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
ISBN: 978 0 85763 603 4
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