The Tale of the Sad Hippo Who Found Happiness

 

 

The Tale Of The Sad Hippo Who Found Happiness

            Once upon a time, there was a young hippopotamus who lived in a pool in a hot country. Although it was always sunny, he was not a happy hippo. His pool kept filling up with weird objects and he had no idea how they got there. At first he thought it was probably nothing, but then he got a big surprise when something really heavy and metallic nearly hit him on the snout. What the hell is it this time, he thought in confusion, this is a real bummer, nothing is sacred. Either everybody's stupid in this town, or screwed up, or this might even be the work of aliens (though he knew there was no such thing).  He even wondered if those mysteries might be a metaphor....  One especially trying day, when he felt like tearing the place apart, he remembered hearing about other countries, far from the Equator, that were cooler and wetter than his, but where there were people who loved hippos, so he decided to go on a quest to find more meaning and happiness in his life. However, he was afraid to go alone and longed for company. So I must not be hasty, he thought. Fortunately, near his pool lived two brothers and their five friends who had been on such adventures before, so he went to call on them, not knowing whether they would be at home, at work or at play. Good morning, he said, and at first they stood and stared at the strange animal, but when he explained his predicament, they agreed to go along with him just for a change, as they had nothing to do.  To calm his fears, they showed him their loud instruments and their magic garments, covered in stripes, which they said would protect them against evil powers wherever they went. But I don't look good in stripes, said hippo, feeling sad again, I've got a funny face, and my other voice is a grunt. I wish I looked a little better. Don't worry, said his friends, looks aren't everything, just stay close to us and you will be safe.

       After many journeys over the summer by land, sea and air, by slowboat, underground and even bullet train (though not by Aeroflot), the noisy boys arrived in foreign countries where, to hippo's surprise, the people spoke different languages, but all seemed to love singing and dancing. However, this was the calm before the storm, because the people cheered loudly and stamped their feet with all their might when they saw  hippo and his friends. Also to his surprise, he noticed pictures of himself on walls, in stores and on people's shirts (some of them photoshopped), almost as though he was expected. He was totally unaware of the clever propaganda that had led to such popularity. Whoa, thought hippo, this is a little bit like fun! So, they went from city to city, some in cool places, some in warm places, some in rainy places (fortunately hippo was waterproof) and enjoyed great hospitality wherever they went. When I'm with you, he told his companions, you are such a fun bunch of guys that it makes me feel quite giddy, giddy.   All the inhabitants seemed friendly, and the only trials they faced were the busy city streets and the foreign food and how to elude the excitable humans, some of them big boys pretending to be drunk and lots and lots of ladies who seemed to want to grab and kiss him. Thanks but no thanks, he cried, please don't leave me alone with those wacky women! They are so indiscreet! His friends just laughed, because they were used to it. At last, after many tiring adventures, hippo wondered when and how they were getting home because he realised that, for lots of reasons, he missed his irreplaceable warm pool. So, to cries of bon voyage, they set off for home, where hippo  felt so important, like a returning hero. His pool was now clean again too!  He dived in, thinking that he would be content to live here happily ever after, but his head was full of the educational adventures that had made him feel forever young. Although he was glad to be home, he felt like he had just got back from heaven and missed the excitement. He wanted an occupation. It was no longer enough just to dick around in the pool all day and he began to wonder whether his friends would be off on their travels again soon in the future, and hoped that they would take him with them..... That would indeed be a little bit like joy!