“Happy birthday to you, you were born in the Zoo, with the monkeys and the donkeys and the big kangaroo!” sang my brother Michael and his friend Tom, running into the kitchen.
I sat on a stair. Mummy said I was born in a hospital. But a Zoo sounded much more exciting.
“Hello Katy,” said a deep voice.
“Hello,” I said in a little voice because I didn’t know the big gorilla talking to me.
“My name is Toadj,” said the gorilla.
“Was I born here?” I asked. “Is this where I belong?”
Toadj looked around his big enclosure. “Not here, I don’t think. You’re not large enough. Shall we try the money pen?”
“Hello Katy,” said a monkey with a smile. “Would you like to play with us?”
“Yes please,” I said.
“Let’s swing on these branches by our tails.”
“I don’t have a tail.”
“Oh,” said the monkey, looking sad. “You don’t belong here then.”
“Never mind,” said Toadj. “Let’s pop over to the elephant house.”
“Hello Katy,” said an enormous grey elephant, flapping her big grey ears. “Do you want to play with little Ellie?”
“Yes please,” I said.
Ellie came running up on her short, fat legs. “Shall we play ball with our trunks?” she smiled.
“I don’t have a trunk,” I said sadly.
“Well, you don’t belong here then,” said Ellie. “Try the hippo house. And if you get dirty, come back and I’ll use my trunk to give you a shower.”
“Come on Katy,” said Toadj.
“Hello Katy. Would you like to wallow in some mud?” said a huge hippo with a really ginormous head. I couldn’t see his body – it was hidden under all the mud!
“Yes please,” I said, and jumped into the slippery mud. It was warm and gooey and felt wonderful. But it got deeper and deeper. “Help me Toadj!” I shouted, as the mud came right up to my neck.
Toadj reached in and pulled me out.
“You’re too wee Katy,” said the hippo. “You don’t belong here.”
Toadj led me back to the elephant house, where Ellie gave me a cold shower so I was nice and clean again.
Toadj scratched his head. “Shall we try the lion’s den?”
“HELLOOO KATYYY,” roared the daddy lion with the big hairy mane. “Why not come and wrestle with my son Leo?”
“Okay,” I said nervously.
Leo was like a big kitten with enormous paws. We rolled around and around. It was great fun. “Let’s see who can roar the loudest,” said Leo, and he let out an amazing ROAARRRR that made the trees rattle and the ground shake.
I had a go. “Roar,” I said.
“That’s no good,” said Leo in a disappointed voice. “If you can’t roar like a lion, then you don’t belong here.”
“Don’t worry Katy, let’s visit the giraffes,” said Toadj.
“Hello Katy,” said a voice from way up in the sky.
“Hello,” I shouted up. “Can I play here?”
“My little boy Gerry would love a new playmate,” said the tall giraffe. “He’s over there.”
Gerry had long, wobbly legs and was much taller than me. But it didn’t hurt my neck too much to look up to talk to him.
“Shall we nibble some leaves from these trees?” asked Gerry.
“I can’t reach that high,” I said sadly. “And I don’t eat leaves.”
“You’re not much fun then,” said Gerry. “You don’t belong here.”
Toadj took my hand. “You’re tired Katy,” he said kindly. “Come back to my cage and have a rest.” So we went back to Toadj’s house and I sat beside him, my head falling against his big, soft shoulder and closed my eyes.
“There you are Katy,” said a voice I loved. “Snoozing during your party?” It was Mummy, and I could tell she was smiling. “I see you’ve found another present.” I opened my eyes and she was standing on the stairs below me, looking at the toy gorilla I held in my arms. He was very big, very furry and very soft.
“I was going to give him to you later, but I see he found you first,” Mummy said, reaching up to me. “Come and blow out your candles.”
I held tight to the gorilla as I took Mummy’s hand. “Mummy, do I belong here?” I asked.
“This is your home, darling Katy,” said my Mummy, bending over and giving me a hug and a big kiss. “We are your family. Of course you belong here.” She smiled. “What are you going to call your new gorilla?”
“Toadj,” I said. “He knew where I belonged all along.”
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