Suzanna

“Deal me a wheel”, said Flippity Bob, the rabbit.

“A real wheel?” asked Twotone Tweet, the penguin.

“Not really. I want one on which I can go wheeeee”, said Flippity Bob squinting up at the sweltering summer sun. And dying to feel the cool wind flap his two ears down.

Twotone Tweet looked slightly confused. “So you don’t want a big one? One in which you can take all the itsy-bitsy bunnies in?”

The rabbit thought awhile, twisted his ears into a bow, and then with a snap he said, “No. I want one all to myself.”

The penguin tiredly sat down. He didn’t like customers who didn’t know what they wanted. He chewed a salted fish, and lay down while Flippity Bob twisted his pointy ears and thought about what sort of a wheel he would want.

“See, if I get a big one, Mrs Flippity Bob will yell at me for buying something which I don’t really need.
And, if I get a medium-sized one all the li’l Flippity Bobs will want it for themselves.
So, I should get a teensy weensy one which I can hide under my bed, and take out only when I want to.
It should also get me far away from Mrs Flippity Bob when she starts looking for me to do the household chores.
So, Twotone Tweet, do you have one which fits all this?”

Twotone Tweet woke up with a start, for he’d fallen asleep waiting for Flippity Bob to make up his mind. Twotone Tweet thought for a minute. And then went into his fake igloo and started making something.

Flippity Bob stood outside trying to undo the knot he’d got his ears into.

Twotone Tweet came out with a pair of shoes. Flippity Bob was livid. “I want wheels I can go wheeee on, that are not too big, that are not medium, that are small, that I can hide, that I can have fun on, and which will keep Mrs Flippity Bob away. Not this!! I have this already.”

Twotone Tweet then pointed to the wheels below the shoes. “See these, he said. Isn’t this exactly what you wanted? It’s called roller skates.”

And so the first pair of roller skates were worn by Mr Flippity Bob. And even today, when little children skate around they always show their teeth like old Flippity Bob, the rabbit.




(Poster for kids and moms at the skating rink in Coles Park)