A Child's Story

Silly Potamus

© 2007 Rolland G. Smith

Once in a time of great magic on the earth all the animals could talk. There was jabbering here, and jabbering there and each could understand what the other was saying.

The whinny of the horse sounded like, “ let’s go run and play in the meadow.

The Oink of the pig, said, “It’s so much fun to wallow in the mud”.

Every animal could talk back and forth in normal conversation except one. A hippopotamus named Silly. She could talk, but only in rhyme. Sometimes she’d be silent because she didn’t want to be different. When asked, she’d reluctantly say:

“Silly is my Hippo name,

And Potamus is my last

Neither one will bring me fame,

But I am not downcast.

We Hippo’s are a happy lot

Just waddling to and fro.

We Love the water, cold or hot,

But we don’t like the snow”.

Silly had lots of neighbors and friends to help her around her house. Ali, the gator, helped her mow the lawn and do other chores in the vegetable garden.

When they first met, Ali said, “Hi, I’m Ali and we’re neighbors. Let’s be friends too?”

With a big smile, Silly said:

“Call me Silly or call me Sip

If that is what you choose

Try Hippie, Hippo even Hip

And I won’t sing the blues.”

Silly’s and Ali’s friendship grew as they did lots fun things together and helped each other as neighbors do. One day, Ali asked, “Silly how come you talk in a rhyme all the time”?

Silly tried very hard to say the words as plain as she could, but it still came out in rhyme.

“I don’t know why I speak in rhyme

But that’s the way I talk

I know I’m different all the time

Cuz, other’s stare and gawk.”

“I’m big and fat and that is fine

For eating is my fun.

On weeds and seeds I do dine

So I can weigh a ton”.

“And Silly me I like to dance

So Ali holds my hoof.

Despite my weight I like to prance

On floors, but not the roof.

Ali replied, “Silly, we have so much fun together. I know you want to talk straight and I want to help you, so let’s go and ask old man Muskrat, Musky Trusty, the wise one of the water. He knows everything. Maybe he can help you stop rhyming”.

So off they went, down the path, to find Musky Trusty. Silly began to sing.

“We’re friends, we’re friends and as you see

We play and laugh together

We sing a tuneful melody

And be friends forever.

We are, we are, a lot alike

Gators, Hippos, much the same.

We dance, we swim, we hike and bike

And friends we will remain”.

The two danced and sang along the path and waved and smiled at all their creature friends. They had flower friends and tree friends and bug friends.

And as they danced, Ali said, “Silly isn’t it wonderful we live in a place with so many friends, we’re very lucky!”

Silly looked around, grinned in agreement and said,

“Tom Tulip sends me hugs in red,

Pricilla pine in needle green.

The rose sends love in scent widespread

The sky in blues serene.

But most of all I love the light

I get from all our friends.

It helps us all to reunite

As sparkles that are gems”.

Pretty soon, they came upon a small rippling stream and saw the mailbox of Musky Trusty just outside his borrow.

Ali shouted, “Hey, Musky Trusty, are you home? Silly Potomas has a very important question for you”.

Musky Trusty peaked out the window and said, “Hello, Ali and Silly, what’s your important question?”

Silly gulped and said,

Why must I talk in rhyme and fret

When all the others say things straight.

I never learned the alphabet.

Is that why I can’t talk great?

Musky Trusty thought for a moment and then in his wise way he said, “ I don’t think the alphabet is the problem, but I can teach you that very quickly. Would you like to learn it now?”

Ali interrupted and jumped up and down and said to Musky Trusty, “Let me say it, let me say it, please. Silly’s my best friend, let me help.

Musky Trusty said OK go ahead, Ali.

Ali, cleared his throat and recited, A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z.

“Very good”, said Musky Trusty. “Now you try Silly”.

It’s A B C,

D E F G

And H I J

And next is K.

Then follows L

And M will tell

That N will go

Before the O.

It’s P then Q

Then R will do

With S and T

Before UV,

But W

And X thereto

Precede the Y

For Z’s goodbye.

“Wow”! said Musky Trusty, “Silly that was great. You don’t have a problem, you have a gift”.

“Everyone is born with a gift. It can be as simple as a nice smile or a beautiful voice or as complex as the mind in building computers and rocket ships, but everyone has a special gift that’s theirs to share. Silly yours is the joy of rhyme. It makes all of us happy when we hear you speak”.

Silly thought for a moment and said,

“I never thought of rhyme that way

That it could be a gift.

But now I see it’s all okay

When rhyme, as words, uplift.

Musky Trusty, you are wise

And one who’s very smart

We each have gifts before our eyes

That sits within our heart.

Ali too, my trusted friend

Thank you for all you do

My love for you will never end

And that I know is true.

Silly and Ali said goodbye to Musky Trusty and headed back down the path to their homes. They were silent this time as each thought of the wisdom they just heard.

Each of us has a gift. Some gifts are in plain sight and some are hidden, but if we look in our hearts we’ll find them and when we do all the kingdoms of the world share in our happiness.

Have you thought about your special gift lately?