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Author:  Louis Slobodkin Copyright Date:  1948 Publisher:  Macmillan Pagination:  36 p.

HUSTLE and BUSTLE Were two happy Hippopotamuses Who lived in the Zoo. They were very good friends— VERY, VERY, VERY GOOD FRIENDS!           Almost every day we walked to the Zoo           To visit the good friends Hustle and Bustle.           We walked all through the Zoo           Past the Lions, the Tigers, the Monkeys and the Elephants.           But ONE day when we came to Hustle’s and Bustle’s cages           They were sitting FAR APART!

Their friendship was over!       They really seemed angry with each other!       We ran to tell the Zoo-keeper.       He had been so busy feeding the Seals       He had not noticed, and he was surprised       To see how sad and very unfriendly       Hustle and Bustle had become.

The Zoo-keeper ran to tell the Park Commissioner.           He was so busy planting trees—he had not noticed           How unfriendly the good friends had become.           The Commissioner went with us to tell the Chief of Police.           Because we all know that when good friends           Become unfriendly—there’s usually trouble.           The Chief buttoned his great coat           And we all walked back to the Zoo           To see what we could do.           But we could do nothing!           The Chief said, “Now, now, Hustle” and “Now, Bustle”           But they would not listen. They were too angry.

At last we went to see the MAYOR! And his Honor, the Mayor, talked it over With the Councilmen. And everyone worried About the good friends, Hustle and Bustle. We lived in a friendly city Where everyone was friends with everyone else Or they had to move away. We all loved Hustle and Bustle And we knew we would miss them if they moved away.

A Town Meeting was called at the Zoo And everyone came. The sun was setting And it was getting dark. Our Mayor made a speech about Friendship It began “Please be friends because—” And we all felt very unhappy. We all cried a little. We could not help it Because it was all so sad. The Police Band played a sad song Called “Never forget the forget-me-nots!” Tears gathered in the eyes of Hustle and overflowed At the Mayor’s sad speech and the sad music. And tears gathered in the eyes of Bustle. And soon they were crying very hard. And they cried so hard their tears overflowed And flooded down on all of us! We ran for higher ground— To keep from being swept away by the river of tears That came from Hustle’s and Bustle’s cages. As we looked back, we saw in the dim light That Hustle and Bustle were walking Towards each other VERY SL-O-OWLY! Would they fight? We all asked ourselves. BUT THEY DID NOT FIGHT! They both lay down with their noses touching once more Just the way they had always touched noses When they had been good friends. Then we wiped our tears and all went home. The next day we hurried to the Zoo And we did not stop anywhere along the way. We raced quickly past the cages Where the Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and the Elephants lived To get to Hustle’s and Bustle’s cages. Yes, they were very Good Friends again! VERY, VERY, VERY, GOOD FRIENDS! And we never found out why they had been unfriendly Because they never told anyone. And we never asked them. Perhaps this sometimes happens To all Good Friends And they don’t know why. But Hustle and Bustle were never unfriendly again And we all lived happily ever after.

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