Happy the Hippo

“You are too heavy,” Chic the Cheetah said.

Happy liked his friends but they made him sad. They took running lessons for PE - and Happy was slower than his friends.

It went badly for Chic, Ginny and Zany. They waved their arms and legs around. They tried their best to swim. But their tries were in vain.

But his strong legs knew what to do. They pushed his body forward. He moved quickly and gracefully!

Then, magic happened at the pool. It was their first day of swimming lessons. Their teachers wanted them to learn swimming.

Once upon a time, there was a hippo. His name was Happy. But he was not happy.

Happy spent his days at the animal care centre. His father and mother did not have time to look after him. They were busy working at the zoo.

Happy found the right way to shine. He was thankful for his big legs. He lived up to his name. From then on, he always played in the water.

Happy was different. When he set foot in the pool, he felt at one with the water. He did not know how to swim.

“Your form is not graceful,” Zany the Zebra said.

“Your legs wear you down,” Ginny the Giraffe said.

Happy the Hippo: Sight Word Book

By cryotosensei For Kaishi

He had three good friends at the centre. They were Chic the Cheetah, Ginny the Giraffe and Zany the Zebra.

Why was he not like his friends? All of them had beautiful thin legs. They could run very fast. He was mad at them.

Happy was a natural "swimmer". His friends and teachers called him “The Underwater Ballerina”. He was glad.

Happy felt bad about his body. He did not like his thick legs.

Name

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