A Girl Called Blue Read Online Free Page A

little girl. ‘The animals can’t hurt us.’
    They stopped to gaze at deer behind a high wire fence. There were reindeer with big, heavy antlers, thin, nervous gazelles and strange animals called wildebeest, all chewing at the grass and blinking slowly at them. Along the edge of a big lake was a flock of pink flamingoes each balanced on one leg, not even wobbling as the girls from Larch Hill ran noisily past them. Blue was reminded of Sister Monica’s stories of Africa, where all the animals gathered at the water hole when the sun went down.
    Bill led them right to the lion’s den. They don’t look very fierce, thought Blue, until she noticed the hunk of meaty bone that the male lion was eating, his huge mane moving as he tossed the heavy bone back and forth like a little piece of cloth.
    Beside every enclosure was a big sign with information about the animal and a map showing what part of the world it came from. Blue read each one carefully and told Molly all about the animals.
    Blue wrinkled her nose when they went into the reptile house. It was much warmer here. Lizards and scaly things stuck out their tongues at them, some lizards able to hide by changing colour to look like stones and twigs.
    ‘Look, there he is!’ shouted Molly as a lizard darted out his tongue against the glass. There were slimy snakes, a sleepy boa constrictor and a huge crocodile half-hidden under dirty brown water. They could see him blink. Blue told her friends of Sister Monica’s story of the great big basking crocodile that lay hidden in Lake Azura waiting for the chance to snap his jaws and grab at the arm or leg of some unwary swimmer or water carrier. He looked sleepy and rather harmless, the nun had said, but suddenly, with a flip of his tail and a twist of his heavy body he could swim and catch his victim in a few seconds.
    ‘Yuk! Let’s get out of here,’ suggested Lil.
    They were all glad to get back out to the sunshine and fresh air.
    The tall giraffes stretched out their big, long necks to stare at the children over a high fence. Blue looked into their big, gentle eyes, wondering if they wished they were back in Africa.
    Jimmy Mooney asked the elephant keeper if they could come closer to see the elephant.
    ‘Aye, bring them along in,’ he said. ‘Princess won’t hurt them. She’s a gentle giant.’
    Blue couldn’t believe it when she was allowed to stroke the elephant’s skin. It felt rough and hard and the elephant in return touched her with the tip of her long trunk, snuffling at her clothes with curiosity.
    The keeper passed her a piece of what looked like dried-out madeira cake. ‘Hold it still in the palm of your hand and Princess will find it for herself.’
    Blue giggled as the elephant’s trunk curved around suddenly,sniffed at her hand, the hairs tickling her, then grabbed the piece of food and passed it into her mouth. The other kids were all open-mouthed, watching.
    ‘No, no!’ said Lil, shaking her head when the keeper offered to let her have a go.
    There was so much to see and do, Blue was dizzy with it all. The sea lions chased clumsily around the rocks, barking, but moved like sleek machines once they dived in the water. The polar bear looked so hot and sad with his heavy, yellow-white coat and big paws as he paced back and forth on the grey concrete and rocks.
    ‘Poor bear,’ murmured Molly, standing in front of the railings. ‘He’s lonesome.’
    Hot and thirsty, they all gave whoops of joy when Mrs Mooney declared that she was starving and led them into the big restaurant. From the upstairs tables they could still watch the animals and the lake below.
    There were jugs of orange and lemonade ready for them, and waitresses in smart black-and-white uniforms carried out big trays laden with plates of fat sausages and crisp golden chips. It was yummy. Blue dipped her chips in the thick, red tomato sauce, trying not to burn her mouth as she stuffed herself.
    Molly began to cry when she knocked her