I want a hippopotamus for Christmas Ever since I was a little girl I always wanted a hippo. I asked my mom every Christmas if she could get one. She always said ” If I had a million dollars, and if it was legal. ” Then I would just sigh and move on. But for Christmas she would get me hippo stuff, like hippo clothes, blankets, everything. That is how much I love hippos. Everyone at my school would always say I’m crazy because I loved them so much. Since we were in the sixth grade they thought it was childish, but I thought it was just something that you loved and have good pride in it.
It was fun when we ad to do a report and something or write a story about something, I would always choose hippos and come up with a different story each time. My teacher always said to write about something else, but what else was there to write when you have a hippo as your favorite animal. again. It was christmas time, the best time of the year, and of course the first thing on my list was a hippopotamus. I thought this was the last year I would ask for one my only chance to get one. So I thought this could be the year, my lucky year.
My mom came to wake me up for school, I was so excited because our teacher said we are writing a story to end this term. And I had the best idea ever! So I got to school and of course all of the popular people are standing right in the way and they say ” Look there is the hippo girl! ” I just put my head down and walk on act like it didn’t bother me but it did. I held in my tears and tried not It was that time a year to show any emotion. Our teacher said “It’s time to write our stories. So I got my notebook rapidly and started writing.
My story was about these hippos in Africa and I did some research and I found out that hippos are going extinct and my heart just stopped. It felt like you just lost your favorite toy, or a loved one. So I decided to change up my whole entire story and it was called Save the Hippos! wanted to go to the zoo this weekend and she said “Well| guess we can squeeze it in there. ” We are a regular there, I have my own pass to get in there any time I want. They have three hippos there. There is Blugrea , Blue, Gray, they are all boys.
But Gray is the little runt, he isn’t as big as the other two. But my favorite was Blugrea, he always looked after Gray if something happened to him. Blue was just a big baby all he wanted to do sleep and eat, but he was so cute and chubby. I remember when they first had come to the zoo. I was so excited that they were here. I got to go back in the back and just play with them. They were just little babies. The zoo keeper told me that they were rescued in Africa, Gray has been just a little baby and he was laying right there beside his mom she had gotten shot.
They couldn’t help her, but they could help Gray and they found Blugrea and Blue at the watering hole all alone there was no older hippos in sight. So they took them and then they ended up here. That was when I took a passion for hippos and now I am going to help them. time to go to the zoo. We get there and I scan my pass and tarted running straight to the hippos. When I get there Angie which was the zookeeper, she lets me get back and help her with them because I have a pass and she knows me really well. Me and her share a love of hippos. Anyways, I yelled “Blugrea, Gray, Blue! And they come running here. I started petting on their noses, they love that. I helped Angie feed them. Of course Blue had to get right up in there and push them out of the way and tried eating it all.
But we made sure Gray got some. Blugrea got up there and fought his way. But Gray was younger and I got home and I told my mom I It was finally the weekend and it was maller so it was harder for him. So gave him some extra over to I asked Angie hippos really endangered and she said “Yes unfortunately, we have been looking for a girl hippo so we can reproduce and stop the poaching. | said “What!? Poaching!? ” Angie replied ” Yes people are shooting them for their tusk and a bunch of other stuff. And just for the prize of a big hippo. ” I was so devastated that this was actually happening. It was closing time for the zoo, but I got to stay after a little bit. I was talking to them. About what was happening and that I just needed someone to talk to. I knew they were listening because hey are my best friends. All we needed was some girl hippos, but it was hard to find any because of what is happening. My mom called me and said it’s time to go.
I kissed them all goodbye and Blugrea of course didn’t want me to go like always but he managed. Gray always snuggle at me back and being the little one. Blue was too busy eating but he always came away said gave me a goodbye. When I got home I was so tired. So I When I got up the next morning I wanted to do something to help the hippos. So I did some research on them and I found out that there is only 850 hippos in the world. I was so sad that this was actually appening. We just might lose one of the most majestic creatures in the world. I decided to make a website called go fund the hippos.
I called Angie and asked her “Can we set up a fundraiser for the hippos at the zoo, to help them and maybe get some more so we can reproduce? ” She said “ That is a great idea! How about we get together and have lunch and talk about it? ” I replied ” Yea that would be great! ” I had my mom ra jn me to steak’n shake because that was our favorite restaurant. I saw Angie and we sat down and started talking about it. She said “That we can publish on our website that we are having a hippo eek called save the hippos, and we can talk about them and state some facts about them and have like some showing each day and you can help.
I was so excited for it, I couldn’t wait! When I got home my mom said “What is this thing your teacher the side. washed up and went to sleep right away. told me about? Some kind of writing assignment? ” I started to panic I have been to busy with whats going on I totally forgot about my paper and it is due tomorrow. I grabbed my computer and started typing fast. I already had a page I just needed about three more to go. It was morning and my mom woke me up to go to school. I guess I had fallen asleep when I was typing. But I looked at my paper and it was finished so everything was good.
I got to school and of course I get called hippo girl when I walk in. I have had enough of this so I went up to him and I said “Do you know what it’s like to get called that everyday? It sucks! And hippos are actually endangered and I am the only person that cares because all you care about is putting me down to make you happier! ” Whew, I am glad I finally got that out. His face was so shocked it felt good to see him like that for once in awhile. I gave my story to my teacher and she loved it she said We might just have to go to this fundraiser. ” I can’t believe it, it was actually one of my stories she liked.
I was so proud it was a pretty happy day for me. When I got home Angie had called me and said ” The zoo won’t let us do it because we don’t have enough money in the budget for it. ” I was so sad that this just happened I wish I could do something about it. So I thought of stuff we can do. The next day I told my teacher that the zoo couldn’t do the thing so she said “Can we do something? ” It was the best idea ever! We announced it to the whole school that we needed volunteers and baked goods, because we are starting a ake sale and car wash at the zoo. We are charging five dollars per car.
And the bake sale we are just guessing at the prices because each is different. It is going to be a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. My teacher was so proud of me that I set all of this up. She said to the class ” Get good night’s rest tonight because we are going to the zoo tomorrow! ” Everyone was so happy and excited for tomorrow. When I got home me and Angie was talking all about it then she said I should get to bed because tomorrow is a big day. didn’t even have to wake me up. That is how excited I was for I woke up ready to go my mom today. My mom came to my school because she baked a lot for the bake sale. I hope other people did too.
And we get to school and everyone looked at like they were happy that they didn’t make fun of me any more. It was going to be a fun day. We loaded up the and headed for the zoo. When we got there they had the whole thing saying ” Save the hippos! ” Angie had did what I told her to do. I was so happy! It looked amazing! They had cleared a spot for the car wash and the bake sale. We got all the stuff out ready to go. While everyone else was doing that I went to go play with Blugrea and Grey and Blue. They were so excited to see me and I was too. I was telling them how I missed them and everything is working out. e had washed so many cars and sold so many cookies and cakes lots of other stuff too.
Everyone was so tired it was almost time to go, because we were running out of bake goods and we couldn’t wash cars because it was cold and getting dark. So we had the grown ups count the money while we got look at the animals. I went to the hippos and told them that we were going to put all of the money to the hippo foundation. They called us back and told us that we raised enough money not counting the money that people just made donations to get a new hippo that s a girl and she is going to have a baby.
It was a miracle that this happened. Angie said “ The new hippo that we are getting will be here on christmas day. It was the best day ever everyone in my class was so happy and then it started snowing couldn’t get any better. We all went home and had a good night sleep. was Christmas Eve! All my family came over, we all had a big dinner. Of course I had my Christmas hippo sweater on. It was the best dinner ever, my mom is a great cook, at least I think. Everyone went home all happy. My mom said “ Get to bed because Santa’s coming! ” I could barely sleep, I was praying that I got my own hippo but I doubt it would happen. as Christmas morning!
My parents were waiting for me out in the living room. There was a small box sitting right in the middle. I grabbed it and then just ripped the wrapping paper off of it it was a box, I opened it and it was a picture of a hippo it wasn’t Blugrea, Grey or Blue. My mom said ” It is the new hippo her name is Sundari, she is yours but she is to stay at the zoo with the others. ” My eyes got so wide and big, and my mouth dropped, I jumped up and gave my mom and dad a huge hug. It was the best Christmas ever! I finally got what I wanted for years and years, it finally came true.
