Bonnie Visits the Zoo

By Eleanor Trotman Illustrated by Shu-Ti Liao

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FRONT EN

By Eleanor Trotman Illustrated by Shu-Ti Liao

Bonnie the baby owl opened her eyes and waited for the clock to strike seven.

Just like every morning, she had woken exactly on time, even though she’d been up late exploring the hotel corridors while everyone slept.

easy

to wake up on time It’s when you live in a clock tower.

She peered through the clock face and saw a bird soaring

high over

Edinburgh Castle.

She sighed and shook her head.

She was only a little owl, and she didn’t know how to fly.

She began the long journey down to breakfast,

ho p p

ing

down the steps of the clock tower and into the top floor of The Balmoral hotel.

8

wish

“I I could fly,” she thought as she waited for the lift.

“It would be so much easier to get down to breakfast.”

p e

Bonnie ho p d across the lobby and over to the front desk, where her friend the receptionist was waiting with her breakfast.

“Good morning!” said the receptionist as she lifted the little owl to the desk.

favourite

today – “It’s your soft-boiled eggs and soldiers.”

Bonnie finished her breakfast and sighed. A single tear rolled down her beak and splashed onto the front desk.

so

tiring walking around all “It’s day long,” she said. “I must be the only bird in the world that can’t fly.”

It was unusual for the little owl to look so sad, especially when she’d just finished breakfast.

“Don’t cry!” said the receptionist. “I know someone in Edinburgh who knows all about flying!

Maybe he can help.”

She bundled the little owl into her handbag, and they ventured out onto Princes Street.

When they got to Edinburgh Zoo, the receptionist whispered something to the zookeeper. He smiled at the little owl, and led them straight to the edge of a giant pool...

Bonnie peeped nervously out of the handbag, then hopped out to look a little closer.

She had never seen anything like it.

“Penguins!” said the receptionist.

“Look, Bonnie – they’re birds just like you!”

iv i n

d

“Brigadier Sir Nils Olav!” called the receptionist.

“There’s somebody here to see you!”

g

The penguins were having fun, into the water and swimming so beautifully that the little owl thought they must be fish, not birds.

tall

A , noble penguin emerged from the water and waddled towards them.

“Hello there, little one,” he said to the owl.

“I don’t believe we’ve met.

I’m Brigadier Sir Nils Olav, Colonel-in-Chief of the Norwegian Royal Guard.”

“I’m Bonnie,” said the little owl.

“What is your trouble, little Bonnie?” said Sir Nils Olav.

“She can’t fly, Sir,” said the receptionist.

“She thinks she’s the only one.”

Bonnie noticed that the noble penguin’s breath smelt like fish. She took a few steps back, and hid behind the recep­t ionist’s ankles.

“Can’t fly, eh? Fancy that!” chuckled Sir Nils Olav. He lifted his wing and pointed to the other penguins.

“We can’t fly either.

We’re very good at marching and we’ve all passed our driving test, but there isn’t a single penguin here that can fly”.

When they got back to The Balmoral hotel, the re­c eptionist took Bonnie to Palm Court to warm up with a nice cup of tea and a scone.

“Now you see, Bonnie,” she said.

“You’re not the only bird in the world that can’t fly. Anyway, when you’re big and your wings have grown, you’ll be able to fly all over Edinburgh!”

Bonnie nearly spat out her tea with surprise.

s

m

d.

The little owl thought for a minute, and then

ile

“Actually, I prefer walking.�

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 at Brown’s hotel.

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. Š2016 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.

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