We invited guests at our 3rd birthday party to contribute a line or two to a community story starring our very own bookshop. The result was this brilliant tale featuring our Angela Everitt, a naughtly Christmas elf and an amphibious leopard. Thank you to everybody who contributed!
Once upon a time in Clevedon Community Bookshop there was a very special party to celebrate their birthday. There were cakes and music and lots of people came: children, parents and older folk – all of them loved books and were having a lovely time until a dark shape filled the doorway.
Lo and behold it was the naughty Christmas Elf!
Suddenly it began to snow and huge flakes drifted into the house, and Angela got swept away on one!
But as luck would have it, Santa just happened to be flying past on his magic sled, pulled by eight prancing reindeer. He caught Angela, and carried her away to the Royal Oak. “Oh Santa!” said Angela. “Thank you so much! Can I get you a drink?”
“Yes please!” said Santa. “I’ll have a pint of bitter.”
But just as they were about to raise their drinks to their lips, suddenly they heard the sound of very LOUD drumming – it was those North Somerset Samba drummers disturbing the peace! People in the nearby café, having a nice quiet morning coffee, jumped in their seats. Cars stopped, seagulls looked on bemused, and passers-by began to dance to the beat. Quiet Clevedon became non-quiet Clevedon.
At the end of the drummers’ performance one of them glanced out into the Bristol Channel. What was that out there? It sure was big …
Suddenly a LEOPARD that had escaped from Bristol Zoo came towards them!!! (You see, this was the rare kind of giant, amphibious leopard that is native to Clevedonian waters.)
The leopard was a bit cross, because he had just wanted to go to the birthday party. He was a great lover of books – The Tiger Who Came to Tea was a particular favourite. Anyway, he shook off the chilly water and went inside for a cup of tea and some Smarties birthday cake. After eating all the birthday cake the leopard lay down behind the bookshelves for a sleep …
The booksellers didn’t notice him and locked up. But then he started snoring so loudly that everyone in the Royal Oak got scared and ran away. Bravely, with trembling fingers, Angela started to open the bookshop door …
And the first thing she saw was Eric the hungry caterpillar, who was SO fat after eating all the cupcakes, and he was hunting for one green leaf to round off his meal. Then suddenly the leopard came out from behind the shelves. Angela cried out! But then the leopard stood up on his hind paws (which were also webbed, this being an amphibious leopard), and introduced himself very politely. Angela wasn’t afraid any more …
She felt that she would go in search of some Clevedon Rock as she was so near to the sea – sure enough there was the shore, but the rocks were inedible. However she spotted Clevedon Pier. “Aha!” she said. “There may be rock that I can eat …”
So Angela bought some colourful rock and took it back to the bookshop, where she shared it with the book-loving leopard, who decided to become a volunteer. And the naughty Christmas Elf was never seen or heard of again.
THE END