Chapter One

Tom was given a gorilla suit for his birthday.He loved it. He wore it everywhere. He even wore it the day Mum and Dad took him to the zoo.

'You'll bake in that,' Dad said.

'waugh!' Tom answered in his gruffest voice. He sounded just like a gorilla. 'Why not Wear ordinary clothes for once?' Mum Pleaded. 'Waugh!' Tom said again, and beat both hands on his chest.

So Mum and Dad gave in and took him as he was. when they reached the zoo, Tom went looking for gorillas. He climbed on a Well, and there they were. A whole family of them. He felt really excited. He started jumping up and down.

'Waugh!' he shouted. 'Waugh-waugh-waugh!' the gorillas answered. Tom jumped higher still. 'Careful!' Dad said. But the warning came too late.

Tom had already slipped. He fell into the gorilla pen. Luckily, a female gorilla was sitting below the wall. He landed right in the middle of her soft furry belly.

'Waugh! she grunted, and gave Tom a lick Then a cuddle. Then tucked him under her arm. 'My baby boy!' Mum shrieked.

'Somebody fetch the keeper!' Dad shouted. The keeper arrived a fer minutes later, with a net

on a long pole. He looked down into the pen. He couldn't see a boy anywhere. just two baby gorillas

romping together on the grass. 'One of those is our Tom,' Dad told him.

'The handsome one' Mum said.

They looked about the same to the keeper. He reached down with the net and scooped one up. 'Waugh!' said the youngster. Mum made a grab for him. 'That's Tom all right. I'd known his gorilla voice anyWhere.' She and took him off home.

Chapter Two

That night at dinner Tom wouldn't take off his gorilla suit. he wouldn't use his knife and fork. He wouldn't eat his meat either. He was only interested in the vegetables. In his pumpkin, cabbage and peas.

He crammed them into his mouth with both hands. Then licked the furry fingers of his gorilla suit. 'I don't know what's got into him,' Mum complained.

He crammed them into his mouth with both hands. Then licked furry fingers of his gorilla suit. 'I don't known what's got into him,' Mum complained.

'He usually hates pumpkin.' Tom crawled across the table and helped himself to his dad's pumpkin.

'Well, he seems to like it now,' Dad said. Tom ate Dad's peas too. He really enjoyed thoyed those. 'Waugh!' he said, and sat Down in Dad's plate.

Next, he hopped across to the fruit-dish on the sideboard.

'Goodness me!' Dsd said. 'I' ve never seen a banana go down as that before.'

The second banana went down even quicker. So did two ripe pears, a bunch of grapes, and a big squishy peach.

Tom was just getting started on a pineapple When Mum snatched it away 'i've had enough of your nonsense,' she said crossly. 'You're not a gorilla. You're a boy.'

Tom showed her what her what he thought of boys. He lay on his back and waggled both feet in the air. That made Mum extra mad. 'There'll be no more gorilla games in this house. Understand?' She pointed towards the stairs. 'It's early to bed for you, my boy!' Tom did as he was told. Well ... kind of. He rolled

head-over-heels across the room. He hopped onto the banisters and stood balanced on one foot. He wobbled up the handrail instead of the stairs. Mum didn't look pleased. Nor did Dad.

Next morning Mum couldn't find Tom anywhere. She searched his bed. She crouched down and peered under the bed. She checked his cupboard. 'Where can he have got to?' she wondered.

She found him at last in the toybox. Fast asleep amongst the board games and Lego. And still in his gorilla suit! 'How many times must I tell you?' she said. 'These silly gorilla games have got to stop.' She handed him his school uniform. 'Now get yourself ready for school.' Tom stard at his uniform. He stared down

at his furry suit. Then he put the uniform on overthe top. When he went downstairs, Mum said, 'Everyone will laugh at you like that.'

Tom showed her he could laugh too. 'Hoo-hoo,' he said. Mum sighed. 'Have it Your own way,' she said. And she took him off to school, gorilla suit and all.

Chapter Four

Tom arrived at school late. The teacher gave him a puzzled look. 'Who's this? A new boy?'

'Waugh!' Tom said. 'Did you say Wel?' the teacher asked. 'I suppose that's short for walter.'

'Waugh!' Tom repeated. 'well, young Wal ,' the tacher said. 'Let's see how good you are at sums.' He held up a stick of chalk. 'if I add another piece of chalk of this one, how many will I have?'

Tom took the chalk and broke it in two. 'Clever boy,' the teacher said. 'Two is the right answer.

But what if I take two away from two? what then?'

Tom put both pieces of chalk in his mouth, chewed them up, and swallowed them.

The teacher beamed. 'Right again. Two from two leaves nothing.' Tom soon showed he was just as good at language. 'What's the opposite of

peace?' the teacher asked the class. 'Waugh!' tom said. 'War it is. And who can tell me what noise owls make?

'Hoo-hoo!' Tom laughed. The teacher patted Tom's furry head. 'I can see you're a very bright lad,' he said. Tom was even better at games. Out in the playground, he turned

somersaults in mid-air. He walked on his hand.s and he balanced a football on his nose.

'I think we should make you class captain,' the teacher said.

All the kids areed.

Chapter Five

There was a message for Mum when she arrived at the school. The principal wanted to see her. 'What's Tom been up to now?' she thought gloomily.

She found him sitting in the principal's study, as furry as ever.

'you must be very proud of young Wal here,' the principal said. 'That's not wal,' Mum said. 'That's my boy Tom.' The principal frowned. 'You're surely mistaken,Madam. His name is Walter. He told as so.'