Friends

A hippopotamus named Walter and an egret named Stanley walked together in a field. The hippo munched on grass while the egret nosed around for insects or worms.

The bird raised his head and eyed Walter. “Why do you supposed people call you a hippo for short?” he asked. “Why not a ‘pota’ or a ‘tamus’ or a ‘popo’?”

“Ugh, why do you always ask such silly questions, Stanley?” the hippo snuffed loudly and pushed the bird ever so slightly with his snout. “I don’t mean to be cruel, but at least people know my name. No one knows about egrets. They just call your type ‘birds’.”

“Humph! Is that so?” Stanley stomped away, then stomped back. “Well, sometimes people call you a rhinoceros. People are stupid. What do they care about us?”

Walter smiled. “Oh, when that happens, I find it totally egrettable,” Walter snickered.

Stanley stared at Walter. “You know you’re a complete ‘dippo’, don’t you? Dippo Hippo,” Stanley said, shaking his head.

“Hey, that hurts,” Walter said, and both continued nagging at each other as they walked along until Stanley finally flew off in a huff.

“See you tomorrow,” Walter called and the egret dipped his wing in the affirmative.

Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #311