Esio Trot Book Review

This book basically revolves around the three characters, Mr Hoppy, Mrs Silver and Alfie. This book is written by Roald Dahl. Mr Hoppy is a man who is secretly in love with Mrs Silver who lives just directly below him. Mrs Silver has a pet tortoise called Alfie and Mr Hoppy envious that tortoise so much as Mrs Silver always embraces Alfie that Mr Hoppy wishes to be Alfie.

Mrs Silver loves Alfie so much but she feels that Alfie is a little too small in size. She thinks that Alfie wants to grow up but he is unable to grow up faster and would feel sad when he sees other tortoises that are so much bigger than himself. Alfie has only gained about three ounces for the eleven years Mrs Silver had him. Mr Hoppy then thinks of a brilliant plan to help Mrs Silver as Mrs Silver said that she was willing to be his servant for the rest of her life if he managed to think of a plan to help her.

Mr Hoppy then says that he has a secret which he knew of when he was in North Africa where all the tortoises in England came from. He pens it down and gives it to Mrs Silver. It writes :

ESIO TROT, ESIO TROT,
TEG REGGIB REGGIB!
EMOC NO, ESIO TROT,
WORG PU, FFUP PU, TOOHS PU!
GNIRPS PU, WOLB PU, LLEWS PU!
EGROG! ELZZUG! FFUTS! PLUG!
TUP NO TAF, ESIO TROT, TUP NO TAF!
TEG NO, TEG NO! ELBBOB DOOF!

These are actually words written backwards by Mr Hoppy. It is actually :

TORTOISE, TORTOISE,
GET BIGGER, BIGGER!
COME ON, TORTOISE,
GROW UP, PUFF UP, SHOOT UP!
SPRING UP, BLOW UP, SWELL UP!
GORGE! GUZZLE! STUFF! GULP!
PUT ON FAT, TORTOISE, PUT ON FAT!
GET ON, GET ON! GOBBLE FOOD!

This is actually just a scam-plan devised by Mr Hoppy while he goes to a tortoise shop to buy all kinds of tortoise varying in different sizes. He then replaces Alfie with a tortoise two ounces heavier than Alfie with his tortoise catcher which he uses to reach the Alfie which is directlybelow his balcony to bring him up to his house. Starting from then, he replaces the tortoise in Mrs Silver house with a tortoise two ounces heavier to prevent Mrs Silver from noticing the distinct change in size. Also, the tortoise must have the same shell colour as the previous tortoise. Until the eighth week, Mrs Silver then feels that his tortoise has grown two times bigger and then weighs the tortoise. She then finds out that her tortoise has grown two times bigger and thank Mr Hoppy so much.

But Mrs Silver finds out that Alfie is too big to enter his pet house and then wants Alfie to be smaller, Mr Hoppy then applies the same concept on Mrs Silver. He gives the same coding to Mrs Silver, except that the coding now has the words "Bigger" is replaced by "Smaller". He then quickly replaces the tortoise with a smaller one that has the same shell colour. The tortoise is then able to fit into its pet house.

Mrs Silver then accepts Mr Hoppy and they get married. They then live happily ever after. As for Alfie, he lives with Roberta who took him to her home when she was young. She is now married and has two children of her own. But Alfie still lives with her, finally growing twice his size only after about nineteen years.

The reason I like this book is that this book shows the innocence of a vibrant man who is in love with the his neighbour. It also reflects his wit and shows that he is willing to do anything to gain his crush's love. This brings me back to my childhood and makes me feel nostalgic about the innocent thinking I once had.