Analysis Of Quotes From 'The Hippo That Jumped'

Jessica Felicetti
10 Malinya Crescent Moorebank
Sydney NSW 2170

The Hippo That Jumped

Written by

Jessica Felicetti

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” - Thomas Alva Edison

- Page 1 –

Henry the hippo was big, fat and round,
With a gigantic belly that dragged on the ground.
He then had a bottom as big as his belly,
And when he wiggled it wobbled like jelly.

- Page 2 –
Because of his size you would think he was slow,
But you’d be surprised at how fast he could go.
He bounded though grass, over rocks he would hurry,
He charged past flamingoes and frightened their flurry.

- Page 3 –
Then when in the water you’d swear he had gills,
His legs

like propellers or winding windmills.
He would fly through the water and make a big splash,
Creating huge waves that would rise and then crash.

- Page 4 –
But although he ran fast and could swim like a fish,
Henry still had one unfulfilled wish.
He wanted to jump like the lively tree frogs,
He had seen in the swamp when they played on the logs.

- Page 5 –
They bounced over pebbles; they vaulted through reeds,
and hopped through the water with wonderful speed.

- Page 6 –

So he tried and he tried to hop, skip and jump,
But he just couldn’t move his gigantic rump.

- Page 7 –
He tried again, and again he would fail,
And then he would cry and scream and would wail;
“I try and I try and all that I find, is that I end up with a sorer behind”.

- Page 8 –

He tried and he tried every day for a week,
But the end of each day just seemed more and more bleak.

- Page 9 –
So at the end of the week he decided to stop,
With his bottom so swollen he felt it might pop.
But as he said, “I give up” he heard someone say,
“I’ve got some advice to lend you today”.

- Page 10 –
He looked over his shoulder and whom should he see?
It was Dr. Mamoo the wise chimpanzee.
“Now I don’t care if you’re sick, sad or dying,
In my books it’s wrong to ever stop

trying”.

- Page 11 –

But Henry just looked at him sadder than ever,
“It’s easy for you to say being so clever”.

But Dr. Mamoo cut him off straight away,
He had something important he needed to say.

- Page 12 –

“Now listen here Henry”, he said with concern,
“Here are some lessons you just have to learn”.
“Number one lesson”, Mamoo then exclaimed,
“Is never lose sight of a goal or an aim”.

-Page 13 –
“Number two lesson”, he said even louder,
“To succeed at anything you hold the power”.

- Page 14 –
“And number three lesson”, said loudest of all,
“Is pick yourself up fall after fall.
No one can tell you when to be beat,
You can only fail when accepting defeat”.

- Page 15 –

And with that final lesson Mamoo made his leave,
Leaving with Henry the tools to believe.
These words had struck Henry with such shock and awe,
He had learnt not to doubt in himself anymore.

- Page 16 –

So from then on when Henry would hit a dead end,
Practice became his very best friend.
Then one day he knew he had practiced enough,
He had confidence, courage and other great stuff.

- Page 17

–

So he calmly walked over to his final test,
Breathing in deeply, he puffed out his chest.
Then running so fast he made the ground quiver,
He leapt on all fours and cleared the whole river.

- Page 18 –
The bewildered hippo looked to the other side,
“I knew I could do that if I tried!”
So if along life’s roads you hit a bump,
Just try to be like the hippo that jumped.

END