Can Tilley Tiger Change?
by
Ann Johnson

Tilley Tiger went to school on her own. She usually walked with her best friend Hillary Hippo, but she had made it quite clear to Tilley Tiger that she didn’t want to be friends any more.

As Tilley walked round the corner of the street, she saw Hillary Hippo walking to school with Piggy Peter.

‘Huh! Who cares that Hillary and Peter are friends? I wouldn’t want to be friends with nasty Hillary and smelly Peter,’ thought Tilley.

 Then she put on the sunglasses her father had given to her for her birthday. She remembered Hillary shouting at her in front of all her friends. But the worst thing was Hillary going over to talk to Piggy Peter (who happened to be the worst dressed person in school, not to mention how fat he was) and she didn’t mind talking to someone who didn’t wear designer clothes, or have a nice neat haircut. ‘Ugh! And he is soooo smelly,’ thought Tilley.

Tilley just couldn’t work it out. She thought that Hillary didn’t like Peter, or Jeremy Giraffe, or Christopher Crocodile, who thought he was the toughest kid in school.

‘Ugh! How could anyone like Piggy Peter?’ thought Tilley. Her mummy had always told her that she should only have friends who dressed smartly and smelled nice and clean. She couldn’t possibly have a friend like Peter….or could she?

No! It didn’t matter how she looked at it, she just couldn’t see herself being friends with someone like that. So, with a deep breath, Tilley Tiger walked straight past Hillary Hippo and Piggy Peter and marched across the playground towards her favourite seat and sat down. Tilley looked over the top of her sunglasses across the playground. She saw all the other children playing games or just chatting to each other. She pulled a face when Gary Goat fell flat on his face and she quietly laughed to herself when she saw that he had ripped his trousers. Lots of children gathered round Gary to help him up. When he got to his feet, he dusted himself down and laughed out loud.

“That’s cool,” he said, “It looks like a pair of designer trousers now.” All of his friends erupted with laughter, and some even patted him on his back.

Tilley sat watching this and thought it would be nice to have such good friends. She pulled off her sunglasses, looked at them, and then placed them carefully into her school bag. With another big gulp of air, she stood up. For a moment, she didn’t think her legs were going to move. She hesitated, and then made her way across the playground to Hillary and Peter.

Peter saw Tilley walking towards them and quietly told Hillary. His eyes widened, because he hated arguments. Hillary slowly looked round and her knees began to shake.

“Hillary?” asked Tilley.
“Yes? What do you want?” asked Hillary in the strongest voice she could find.

“Well, I was wondering if you wanted these.” Tilley delved into her school bag and pulled out her sunglasses.

Hillary realised she was standing there with her mouth open, and promptly closed it. “I, er…I em, I…don’t know what to say,” said Hillary eventually.

“Look, I know I’m not the best friend in the world, but it’s just horrid having no friends at all. I was hoping you would be my best friend again.”

Hillary looked at Peter and then back at Tilley. “There’s one condition.”

“What’s that?” asked Tilley Tiger.

“You have to stop being nasty about all the other children at school…including Peter.”

Peter smiled to himself and felt his cheeks go red when Tilley wrapped her arm around him and said, “What this guy here? Or course he can be our friend too. In fact, anyone can be our friend. We are the bestest friends in the whole school.”

Hillary Hippo shot a stern look at Tilley Tiger. “We don’t have to be the best friends in the whole school. We just has to be really good friends.”

“Oh, yes,” smiled Tilley. “I’m going to be the best friend anyone has ever had.”

All three friends laughed. They all linked arms and walked across the playground.  “I think I’m going to like being friends with you both,” said Piggy Peter just as the bell rang out to tell everyone it was time to start school.

Tilley Tiger actually felt really good….even though she had given her favourite (not to mention, very expensive) pair of sunglasses to one of her new best friends.

 ‘Yes,’ she thought to herself, ‘it’s much better having friends.’

**The End**

Ann Johnson ©2007

Category: Children's Stories

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