The Fifteenth Character

CHAPTER ONE

Jobs for Today

Every day lots of different people come to Happy Hills because there are lots of exciting things to do.

Sally Brown works at Happy Hills in her holiday. She is a student and she wants to be a teacher.

'I need the money,' she tells her family, 'and it's an interesting job.' But she is always very tired in the evening.

The workers at Happy Hills arrive early in the morning. They all wear clean green trousers and yellow shirts. They must smile a lot and be nice to all the visitors.

Every morning Mr Parry puts a list of Jobs for Today in the workers' canteen. Mr Parry wears different clothes. His shirt is green and his trousers are white, and he wears a red coat with I'm Ken Parry. Can I help you? on his pocket. The visitors call him Ken, but all the workers call him Mr Parry.

Today Sally arrives at Happy Hills at eight o'clock. On her shirt there is a picture of a smiling face and Have a Happy Day in black and red writing. She goes to the canteen and looks for Mr Parry's list.

'What job am I doing today?' Sally thinks. 'Am I making tea, or helping in the children's play house?'

But Sally is wrong. The list says, 'Sally Brown - Connie Cat. Break: eleven o'clock.'

'Oh no!' thinks Sally. Nobody likes wearing the costumes. But at Happy Hills the characters are very important. The visitors like to take photos of their children with Cowboy Joe, Charlie Clown, Baby Blue Eyes, Photo Phil, Big John, Connie Cat, Big Apple, Miss Flower, Edward Elephant and all their friends.

Everybody always asks the same questions, 'Are you very hot in your costume?' and 'How do you eat and drink?'

Edward Elephant has the best job. He has a bag of water under his costume. He can spray the visitors with water. And Photo Phil and Charlie Clown make everybody laugh. But Connie Cat cannot do that. She can only say miaow to the children all day.

Sally looks for her costume. A tall man in a cowboy costume is standing beside her.

'Hullo, Sally,' says the cowboy. 'It's me - William.' William is a student too. He is Sally's friend. 'Which costume are you looking for?'