Hippo Wants to Dance

Hippo stamps her big feet on the ground. Dust clouds appear.

Hippo wants to dance.

She jumps up and down on the dusty ground.

THUMP! THUMP!

Shongololo is curled up at Hippo's feet. He shakes his finger disapprovingly.

“You’re getting dirt on me!” says Shongololo, sleeping in the sand.

“Go dance somewhere else.”

Hippo splashes in the river among the bulrushes.

Hippo wants to dance.

She rolls into the river and splashes her arms and legs.

SPLISH! SPLASH!

Kingfisher perches on a branch and shakes water off her feathers.

“You’re making me wet!” says Kingfisher, hunting for her breakfast.

“Go dance somewhere else.”

Hippo stands on the ground and kicks her fat legs in the air.

Hippo wants to dance.

She twirls around and around in a field, kicking her legs up high.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Three Meerkat babies enjoy a bubble bath. Meerkat sticks his nose in the air and waves Hippo away.

“Be careful! You nearly kicked me!” says Meerkat, bathing his babies.

“Go dance somewhere else.”

Hippo happily flops down in a puddle of mud.

Hippo wants to dance.

She flops into a puddle of mud and slides around on her nice big belly.

SQUISH! SQUASH!

Donkey carries buckets of water on his back. They wobble and splash everywhere.

“Why don’t you stop dancing?” asks Donkey, carrying his buckets.

“Why can’t you do something useful instead?”

Hippo sits down dejectedly. Grasshopper stands nearby.

Hippo is sad.

She is too sad to dance.

She sits on a rock and cries. The tears roll down her cheeks and fall on the ground.

As Hippo's tears fall, Grasshopper dances.

HOP! HOP!

Grasshopper hears Hippo’s tears.

He starts dancing around her feet.

PLOP! PLOP!

Hippo and Grasshopper dance together. Hippo is happy again.

Hippo and Grasshopper start to dance, and the other animals come to look …

All the animals dance together.