The Picky Puffin Page 4
In fact, the only guest who wasn’t there yet was Piper! The little puffling was tucked up inside her burrow, fast asleep. Zoe couldn’t wait to wake her up and tell her that there was a surprise party, just for her.
“If it’s puffin party time, does that mean I can start eating now?” asked Meep, eyeing the bowl of fruit hopefully. “I’m starving!” Because Meep had spent so long pretending to be picky, he had even more of an appetite than before.
Zoe giggled. “Just a few berries then,” she said. “But I need you to do something for me.”
“What’s that?” asked Meep, stuffing a handful of juicy blueberries in his mouth and reaching for another.
“I want you to make a really special effort to be Piper’s friend and help her enjoy the party,” she explained. “I think you’ll be good at that, Meep. What do you think?”
Meep puffed up his chest proudly. “I can definitely do that, Zoe!”
“Zoe!” called Lucy. “I think it’s time for the guests to come inside, don’t you?”
Zoe nodded. “And when everyone’s ready, we’ll bring out Piper.”
The line of guests streamed inside the enclosure, chatting quietly.
On her shoulder, Meep clapped his tiny paws together excitedly. “Let’s go and get Piper.”
Zoe and Meep made their way over to Piper’s burrow. “Piper, it’s us – Zoe and Meep!” said Zoe, kneeling down and peering inside.
The little puffling was snuggled inside her cosy burrow, fast asleep. As Zoe gently whispered her name, she blinked her eyes open. When she saw Meep, she gave a nervous squeak.
“Piper, I’m sorry I was a bit grumpy before,” chirped Meep. “Will you come out and play?”
Piper looked uncertain.
“Come on, Piper! I’m really good fun, I promise!” Meep hopped up and down on his hind paws, then turned a cartwheel. He crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out cheekily. Zoe giggled at her little friend’s antics, and even Piper squeaked with laughter. Very slowly, the little puffling shuffled out of her burrow. She gave a curious cheep when she saw the party guests.
“Surprise!” Zoe said with a smile. “All these people are here to see you, Piper. It’s a puffin party,” she explained, smiling.
“There’s always lots of tasty food at a party,” added Meep. “That’s the best thing about them, I think.”
“I don’t know,” Zoe said with a grin. “I think the best thing about this party is the special guests.”
Piper gave another curious cheep.
“You want to know who the special guests are?” Zoe replied. “I’ll let Great-Uncle Horace introduce them.”
Zoe and Meep led Piper over to Great-Uncle Horace. “Piper’s ready to meet her special guests,” she told him.
“Excellent!” Great-Uncle Horace replied. Then he walked over to a crate at the side of the enclosure. “Out you come,” he said, lifting the lid.
The crowd gasped as, one by one, five puffins hopped from the crate, flapping their wings.
Piper’s beak fell open in surprise.
“They’ve come to live here,” Zoe explained. “With you.”
Piper began hopping up and down excitedly. When the other puffins saw her they came waddling over. They each took it in turns to nuzzle Piper with their beaks.
“Oh look, it’s like they’re cuddling!” Zoe exclaimed.
Piper chirped something to the other puffins and they followed her over to the burrows.
“Good job you dug so many, eh, Zoe?” Great-Uncle Horace chuckled.
As the other puffins inspected their burrows Piper let out a loud, joyful squeak.
Zoe giggled. “That’s the noisiest we’ve ever heard you, Piper! Now, why don’t you all come and join the party – and maybe try the party tea?”
Piper led the other puffins over to the party guests.
As everyone took pictures of the puffins, Piper gave a happy squeak. Finally Zoe carried her over to the party tea table. “It’s time to eat!” she said. “How about a lovely herring, Piper?”
She held up a fish, but Piper looked a little unsure.
“Go on, Piper,” said Meep. “Eating is one of the best things in the whole world and it’s really easy. Watch.” He tossed a blackberry into his mouth, gobbled it down and rubbed his tummy happily. “Now it’s your turn!”
Zoe beamed as the little puffin copied Meep, opening her beak and gobbling the herring down, and then patting her tummy with her wings! “Brilliant, Piper!” she whispered. “Would you like another?”
“Zoe, I think Piper might even have a bigger appetite than me!” chattered Meep as Piper gulped down three more fish.
As the party guests all laughed and chatted, Zoe grinned. Everything had worked out. She and Meep were best friends again, Piper was happy at last and the Rescue Zoo had not one, but SIX new puffins!
Zoe Parker grinned as she raced down the path. It was Saturday morning at the Rescue Zoo and Zoe was on her way to visit some of her favourite animals. Halfway down the path she stopped at a wooden gate and reached for the pretty silver paw-print charm on her necklace.
This was no ordinary necklace – it opened the door to every single enclosure in the Rescue Zoo! It had been a present from her Great-Uncle Horace, who had built the zoo, and Zoe never took it off. She held the charm against a small panel on the gate and with a quiet click it swung open.
Zoe walked into a warm, wide plain, covered in tall grass and lush trees. Just beyond the gate was the house where the giraffes slept, a tall red-brick building with a high arched doorway. Zoe shaded her eyes from the sunshine and saw the herd gathered at the other end of the enclosure, drinking from a sparkling stream. By the gate stood a wheelbarrow full of fresh straw, and a large garden fork. The giraffe keeper, Frankie, had promised Zoe she could help out this morning, and everything she needed was ready for her!
Zoe grabbed the wheelbarrow and pushed it into the giraffe house. She picked up the fork and began lifting the straw out, spreading it carefully on the ground so that the giraffes would have clean, comfortable bedding that night.
She hummed happily as she worked, enjoying the warm breeze and wondering where her best friend had got to. He had dashed off along the path in front of her that morning, too excited to slow down!
Suddenly the straw in the wheelbarrow started to wriggle. Zoe watched curiously as it shook from side to side. Then a furry little head popped out and a pair of huge, golden eyes blinked cheekily at her.
“Meep!” laughed Zoe. “There you are, you naughty thing!”
With a cheerful chirp, the tiny creature sprang out of the wheelbarrow and climbed up on to Zoe’s shoulder, sending bits of straw everywhere. Meep was a grey mouse lemur. He was very small with a long, curling tail and soft, delicate ears that stuck up in the air. He’d come to the zoo when he was just a baby, and lived with Zoe and her mum in their cottage.
“I wondered where you’d disappeared to, Meep. You’re supposed to be helping me tidy the giraffe enclosure, not making a mess!” Zoe shook her head but couldn’t help smiling. The little lemur was so cute that she could never really tell him off.
As she finished spreading out the straw, Zoe heard a gentle bray behind her and turned around. The youngest member of the giraffe herd, Daisy, had come over to greet them. She was just a few months old but she was still more than twice as tall as Zoe!
Copyright
With special thanks to Natalie Doherty
For Fiona and David.
Congratulations on your wedding, and may all of your puffins be perky!
First published in the UK in 2017 by Nosy Crow Ltd
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Text copyright © Hothouse Fiction, 2017
Illustrations © Sophy Williams, 2017
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