Hippos Go Berserk! Trivia Quiz

Answer: on the phone

"One hippo, all alone, / calls two hippos on the phone."

On the first page a somewhat disconsolate hippo is sitting on a grey chair looking at a yellow telephone on a grey table. Through the window we can see that it is starting to get dark outside. On the next page the hippo has cheered up considerably and is chatting into the telephone. The following page shows two hippos sitting next to each other on a green sofa. There is a standard lamp, with a pink shade, at one end of the sofa and a paler green table holding a plant, in a yellow pot, and a blue telephone at the other end. The two hippos are holding the receiver up between them, so that they can both follow the conversation. One hippo is wearing a smart red bow tie, while the other has a pretty little pink flower between her ears.

"Three hippos at the door bring along another four."

This picture shows the first hippo standing on the doorstep welcoming the three hippos who are just arriving. The two hippos from the second picture are peering out of the open window. The four hippos are prancing along behind the three hippos; two are blowing orange horns. They are all wearing party hats, one blue, one yellow, one green and one pink, although the latter seems liable to fall off since it isn't tied on with strings like the other three hats.

Answer: overdressed

"Five hippos come overdressed."

We can see through two windows that several hippos are partying inside the house while the first hippo greets the new arrivals at the doorstep. Three of these hippos are wearing black top hats and blue suits with white bow ties and pink cummerbunds; one of them is carrying a yellow flower. One of the other two has a long mauve dress with a fur collar and a matching broad-brimmed hat. The other is wearing a long pink dress trimmed with white lace at the collar, cuffs and hem, with a paler pink sash; she is carrying a two-tiered iced cake with five lighted candles on top.

Answer: with a guest

"Six hippos show up with a guest."

The first hippo is still standing at the door, but looking somewhat startled by the latest arrivals. They are marching in past a black and white picture, possibly of an ancestor. The 'guest' has pale blue, slightly shaggy fur, a purple nose, two pointy horns and big teeth; he is waving cheerily at the first hippo as he goes past.

Answer: in a sack

"Seven hippos arrive in a sack."

The first hippo is back on the doorstep looking quite excitedly at a large mauve sack which has a pink bow, lined with green, tying it up. The hippo seems quite taken aback when the bow is untied, and seven hippos poke their heads out of the top of the sack.

Answer: in the back

"Eight hippos sneak in the back."

There is a line of eight hippos tiptoeing towards the back door. The first has already reached the top step, and has turned its head in an encouraging fashion to the other seven. The third of these hippos is carrying a purple balloon on a string.

Answer: to work

"Nine hippos come to work."

The first hippo greets the last arrivals on the front doorstep with an obvious expression of relief. Five of the hippos are wearing black dresses with lace sleeves, collars and hems, and frilly white caps on their heads. The other four are wearing black trousers, black bow ties and white jackets.

"ALL THE HIPPOS GO BERSERK!"

One hippo is dancing on the grey table with the yellow telephone. The four hippos are still wearing their party hats and blowing their horns. Two of the male overdressed hippos are looking faintly disapproving. However the third has removed his top hat, and has put his flower into his mouth while doing a headstand in the corner. The two lady hippos who were wearing long coloured dresses are in the thick of things, one is still carrying her cake. The 'guest' has helped to pull the ancestral picture off the wall. The balloon is still being carried by one of the hippos. In the midst of the chaotic party eight of the nine hippos who have come to work are offering round trays of drinks and food; one has apparently removed his waiting attire and is mingling with the other hippos!

"All through the hippo night, hippos play with great delight."

Many hippos can be seen through the six windows of the house, both upstairs and down. One hippo is sitting on the back step, and two hippos are on the balcony over the front door. There is even a hippo dancing on the roof.

"But at the hippo break of day, the hippos all must go away."

Answer: riding east

"Nine hippos and a beast join eight hippos riding east, while"

Eight hippos can bee seen riding in a blue bus labelled 'Greyhip Bus Lines'; one of them is wearing a red cap and driving the bus. The nine waitresses and waiters (all now fully dressed) are standing, with the 'guest' waiting to board the bus, while the first hippo waves them off from the front doorstep.

Answer: quite distressed

"seven hippos moving west leave six hippos quite distressed, and"

The seven hippos are going west with a wagon. Two are wearing brown harnesses and are pulling it; two more are sitting on the front driving them; two more, one wearing a ten gallon hat, are sitting on the side; the seventh is sitting on the back playing a fiddle.

Five of the six hippos are outside the back steps, the sixth is peering out of the adjacent window. All have tears falling from their eyes, and one is clearly yelling, and holding a handkerchief. They are all waving at the seven hippos departing with the wagon.

Answer: headed north

"five hippos then set forth with four hippos headed north."

The first hippo is on the front step waving cheerily to the five overdressed hippos. Presumably the cake has been eaten since the hippo in the pink dress is no longer carrying it. They are heading towards a red helicopter where one hippo is in the pilot's seat and a second can be seen through the window. Two more are standing at the foot of the steps to the helicopter, one is wearing a long blue scarf round its neck.

Answer: go their way

"Three hippos say, "Good day." The last two hippos go their way."

The three hippos are dancing and waving as they set off, watched by the first hippo from the doorstep.

The first hippo looks a bit sad as the last two hippos depart, one riding in a red wheelbarrow pushed by the other one.