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Harriet the Happy Hippo and Her High-Heeled Shoes
By Blanche Perez, Raquel Rodriguez Trafford Publishing
Copyright © 2014 Blanche Perez
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4907-4763-7
CHAPTER 1
In the quiet town of Woodberry lived a happy hippo named Harriet. Harriet enjoyed dressing up in all kinds of fashion and styles. Two things that made Harriet happy were her high-heeled shoes and eating sandwiches.
Her closet was filled with high-heeled shoes of many shapes and colors. She wore her high-heeled shoes every chance she could — whether she was happy or sad, on days that were good and on days that were bad.
Every morning, Harriet stopped for a sandwich at Ms. Kelli's Deli. On most days, Harriet was the first one in line to order a freshly made sandwich.
But one day at Ms. Kelli's Deli, Harriet ran into Mrs. Burgomaster, the wife of the mayor. Mrs. Burgomaster did not care for Harriet or her high-heeled shoes. She made mean comments loudly to her friends. "Look at Harriet, there with her cankles. You can't see where her calves end and her ankles begin. How she can walk is nothing short of a miracle!"
Harriet didn't know why people made fun of her and her shoes. But Ms. Kelli was always there with a kind word for Harriet. "Don't you listen to them. They're jealous because they wish they could wear something as pretty as you do."
Harriet didn't mind all the gossip and talk. No matter what anyone said, walking in her high-heeled shoes made her feel uplifted and cheerful.
Later that morning, a stiff breeze suddenly blew in from the north. The clouds rolling in were gloomy and dreary. It was odd weather for the town of Woodberry since winter had just ended. Harriet rushed home as fast as she could to take cover.
The air became cold, and the wind blew strong. The sky turned dark, and snow began to fall. Everyone in town was caught completely off guard.
The storm continued through the afternoon. Everyone thought about the children at the school on top of the hill. It was about the time for school to dismiss, but the storm had not let up. The teachers opened the doors and found the wind too strong and the snow falling too hard to let the children go to their homes.
Being stranded at the school wasn't so bad at first. But the storm soon caused the electricity to go out. The entire school became pitch-black. Freezing air started to creep under the windows and doors. The teachers found a few blankets and flashlights. They gathered the children together to keep them warm and safe. Still, the children were cold and scared, and they wanted to go home.
At last, the storm passed. The people of Woodberry came out of their homes to check on the town. The children were still trapped at school. With the snow and ice on the road up the hill, the children could not make it safely home. No one seemed to know what to do.
"Who will help our children trapped in the school?" Parents were asking each other. Saving them seemed such an impossibly huge task.
Outside, one lady tried to climb the hill, but fell with her slippery tennis shoes, sliding down the street.
A sturdy young man said, "I can do anything in my big, bulky boots. Let me try." The young man was unable to get his footing. He slipped and fell into the snow again and again.
Radio and TV reporters arrived at the base of the hill and began to report on the situation. They all asked the same question: "Who can make it up the slippery hill and save the children?"
The mayor was at the scene. "Unfortunately," he said, "we were not prepared for such a storm. Our buses do not have the proper tires to make it up that hill, and our snowplow is not working."
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Harriet the Happy Hippo and Her High-Heeled Shoes by Blanche Perez, Raquel Rodriguez. Copyright © 2014 Blanche Perez. Excerpted by permission of Trafford Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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