This book belongs to:
By Eleanor Trotman Illustrated by Shu-Ti Liao
When Albemarle woke up, he was hanging from one of the flagpoles outside Brown’s Hotel.
upside-down
He opened his eyes, and was so surprised at his position that he forgot to hold tight with his tail. He landed, with a
bump, on his head.
“Silly monkey,” he muttered as he rubbed his head. “Still, I just know it – today will be a
Very Good Day.”
He leapt to the shoulder of his friend Charlie the Doorman, and tugged on his earlobe. “Today will be a Very Good Day, Charlie,” he said. “Not just any day, but a
Very Good Day.”
Charlie lifted his top hat, and the little monkey hopped onto his head.
“Why’s that, Alby?” he asked as he hid the monkey under his hat. “Will you be joining the guests for
Afternoon Tea?”
Albemarle’s mouth watered at the thought of freshly-baked cakes and a pile of his favourite sandwiches. He was an expert in Afternoon Tea.
always
take tea! What a silly “Tea? I question,” said the little voice inside the hat.
“No, Charlie. Today will be a
Very Good Day because it is… it is… oh dear. I have quite forgotten.”
8
The monkey went very quiet, and was just about to cry when Charlie beckoned to a royal blue Rolls-Royce.
“Get
in, Alby!”
he said, lifting his hat for the monkey.
“I know just what you need for a
Very Good Day. Driver, take this monkey round the corner to Savile Row!”
In a flash, the little monkey had arrived at the best tailors in London.
“You must be
Albemarle!” said the tailor.
“Well, I’ve made suits for princes, presidents and prime ministers, but never for a monkey like you. Just wait till I’ve finished – you’ll be the BEST-DRESSED monkey in all England!” “I knew this would be a
Very Good Day.” said Albemarle.
The tailor worked quickly and expertly, but the little monkey found it very hard to keep still...
especially
...
when the measuring tape tickled under his arms.
When the tailor had finished, he took Albemarle to the mirror. “Now there’s a handsome monkey,” said Albemarle. “I wonder where he got his suit.”
“That’s you,
you silly monkey!” said the tailor.
The shiny blue car drove through Mayfair and past Fortnum & Mason, where they paused to pick up a hamper. “I wonder who that’s for,” mumbled the monkey.
They drove down The Mall and round past Buckingham Palace, where a friendly guard winked at the little monkey.
Albemarle noticed that tourists were starting to take photographs, so he gave them his very best royal wave. “I must look like a
very important monkey,�he thought.
When they pulled up to Brown’s Hotel, Charlie the Doorman came to meet the Rolls-Royce.
“You look smart, Alby,” he said, grinning. “Now then, did you remember why today is a Very Good Day?”
The monkey shook his head. “Follow me, then,” said Charlie, trying very hard not to giggle.
“ You’d better
hurry up or you’ll miss Afternoon Tea.”
When they got to the Piano Room,
full
it was of balloons.
Suddenly, Albemarle remembered.
“
“Of course!
Today is my birthday! What a silly monkey I am.”
The birthday party lasted
long into the night.
The little monkey beat everyone at musical chairs, won several games of pass the parcel, and ate so much cake that he nearly
popped the buttons of his special new suit.
By the end of the evening, he was very tired from all the fun he’d had.
He crawled into the grand piano and curled up in his
favourite spot on the strings. “That was a
Very Good Day,” he mumbled as he drifted off to sleep.
“That
was a Very Good Day indeed.”
ELEANOR TROTMAN Eleanor has been writing stories since she was little. She studied English and French at the University of Oxford, and lives in London, where she enjoys hanging out with Alby the monkey.
SHU-TI LIAO Shu-Ti is an award-winning children’s book illustrator whose work draws on the humour of everyday life. She studied at the Cambridge School of Art, and lives in Taipei, Taiwan, which is famous for its delicious food.
Published by Rocco Forte & Family (Hotel Management) Ltd. 70 Jermyn Street, London, SW1Y 6NY, UK. Š2015 Rocco Forte & Family (Hotel Management) Ltd. This book is a work of fiction. No part of this publication may be reproduced, adapted, distributed, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means without prior permission from Rocco Forte & Family (Hotel Management) Ltd.
roccofortehotels.com