Sample:
Mr Tibbles was a very well known, and well liked frog about town, particularly because his magic show was quite the funniest in Lilytown, though Mr Tibbles could never quite understand why the audience would laugh so, but they always wanted him to do encore after encore.
He would never be able to find the rabbit in the hat. He would drop his playing card and forget his spells. Not only was his magic show a muddle, so was he. He could often be seen stepping out on a hot day with his socks on his hands instead of his gloves, and his gloves on his feet instead of his socks, and who would want to wear gloves on a hot day anyway, except of course, muddlesome Mr Tibbles.
He would say “Goodnight!” with a wide beam, when he had meant to say “Good morning!” He would say how utterly terrible it is to meet you when he had meant he was delighted to meet you. No-frog minded, they were all used to Mr Tibbles’ ways, though the events of this particular Summer were to draw more than usual attention to him.
It was the Queen’s Spawning Jubilee, and every house on Lilypad Lane was festooned with flags and banners celebrating her Majesty’s reign. Mr Tibbles house was no exception. Well, actually, that is not strictly true. Whilst all his neighbours flew green and white flags with an emblem representing her Majesty’s crown in the middle, he had put out his Christmas decorations. You see, Mr Tibbles always got things in a muddle. He muddled his clothes, he muddled his words, and on this occasion he had muddled his celebrations.
The Mayor of Lilytown had announced that he would inspect the neighbourhood to ensure that everything was just so, for her Majesty’s visit. This in mind, one of Mr Tibbles neighbours suggested that he might be wise to go into town and buy himself some Spawning flags and put those up instead of his frog lights and tinsel.
“Oh I say no, what a terrible idea, I am not at all grateful to you for mentioning it.” he smiled.
“Not at all, happy shopping!” replied his neighbour, grinning to herself.
Mr Tibbles arrived at the town centre, only to discover that all of the Spawning flags had been sold.
“Oh joy and happiness,” he cried “I suppose I had better go out and do nothing about it.” with that, he headed glumly home. Poor Mr Tibbles, he knew that this would make the mayor absolutely overjoyed and he was right.
The Mayor and Mrs Mayor arrived by their official golden carriage (well it was a very special occasion) to ensure that every home was flying her Majesty’s colours, as she herself was going to be arriving in Lilytown the very next morning.
The Mayor immediately noticed Mr Tibbles house, with it’s frog lights and tinsel and fumed:
“Oh dear, oh dear, what is this!!!! Mr Tibbles I might have guessed.”
The Mayor clapped his hands to his head, turned on his heels and leapt back into his carriage.
“What are we to do?” he wailed, as Mrs Mayor comforted him, “what if he says Goodnight, horrified to meet you to the Queen, TO THE QUEEN!”
“Maybe we should send him on a very long errand,” sniffed Mrs Mayor.
“My dear, you may have just had a marvellous idea there .. After all, it would be just awful if that foolish Mr Tibbles embarrassed us now wouldn’t it!”
Before the Mayor could think about how he was going to deal with Mr Tibbles, he heard a fanfare in the distance.
“It can’t be .. shall we go home dear. I need a soak in the pond and a good long think.”
The fanfare sounded again, this time, the drums could be clearly heard, her Majesty was indeed on her way NOW!!!
The frogs of Lilypad Lane scurried to form a straight line along the foot-pad, and awaited her arrival with a mixture of nervousness and excitement.
The Mayor and Mrs Mayor braced themselves, and ordered their driver take the coach to meet her Majesty as she entered Lilytown.
Mr Tibbles, still a little disheartened by not being able to find the right flags for his house, arrived home to see all his neighbours standing in line.
“My goodness, her Majesty must be leaving, I had better find something untidy to put on.” and with that he hurried inside to change. He emerged a few minutes later, wearing a party hat instead of his bowler, flippers instead of his shoes, and with his trousers held up by his old school tie instead of a belt. The neighbours giggled.
Her Majesty, by this time, had climbed out of her coach, and was already greeting the frogs of Lilypad Lane, with a handshake, a nod and a smile, as is only seemly on these auspicious royal occasions.
As she approached Mr Tibbles house, and Mr Tibbles himself, the Mayor gasped, Mrs Mayor winced, as Mr Tibbles grandly and loudly said:
“Goodnight your Majesty, I am horribly upset to meet you, you are just as ugly as I imagined you to be!”
The Mayor held his breath, Mrs Mayor closed her eyes and wished to be anywhere except here.
Her Majesty seemed unshaken. She gently asked if Mr Tibbles had decorated his house himself, to which he replied:
“Oh no ma’am, I only wanted the worst decorations for you.”
Then she asked if he was the same Mr Tibbles whose magic act was known throughout the realm.
“You see Mr Tibbles, between you and I, I do rather find stately occasions a bore, so starchy. To meet you, and to see your colourful house has been a joy, to see your magic act would be the perfect end to this Spawning celebration. Would you do your rabbit in the hat trick please, for me?”
“You don’t want to see my magic act? Well your Majesty, I am so disgruntled!!!!!!!” he could hardly contain his excitement. To perform to the Queen was indeed a once in a frog-time experience.
In the meantime, Mrs. Mayor had fainted and was being fanned by the Mayor.
The show was a great success. Mr Tibbles forgot his spells, lost the rabbit, dropped his cards, and fell off stage once or twice too. Yet he performed no less than three encores, at her Majesty’s request, he couldn’t quite understand why, because he was sure he could see her crying. Indeed she was, she was crying tears of laughter. She had not had so much fun for well, as long as she could remember really. Being a royal was not at all what it was made out to be. Having fun was definitely not allowed when she was a Princess, certainly not when she became Queen.
She was so delighted that she made Mr Tibbles, Sir Tibbles of Lilytown, Magician by Royal Appointment. This meant that Mr Tibbles could put out his Christmas decorations whenever he liked, and that he was to perform his magic act to all the young royal frogs on special occasions.
Best of all, it meant that the Mayor and Mrs Mayor had to remember to call him Sir, which amused the Queen most of all!!!!!!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------