The Nazi bombs were landing nearer and nearer to the zoo all the time.
Eric had been to the zoo so many times that even in the dark he knew his way around. In no time at all, he’d found the snack bar, climbed up on to a dustbin and forced a side window open. Next, he slid down inside and fumbled in the darkness to find a jumbo bag of raisins. Tempted though he was to take some sweets for himself, he resisted. Then, using a chair as a stepladder, he climbed up and out through the window, and leaped down on to the dustbin.
CLANG!
Eric glanced at the bag of raisins. There was a tear in it. He must have caught it on the little hook on the window frame. The boy did his best to stop the raisins falling out as he ran back to the gorilla’s cage, bombs dropping all around.
“I got the raisins, Uncle Sid!” he called out, breathless from the running.
The gorilla was still rocking, covering her ears, letting out a sad cry.
“EEEHHH!”
“Have you been eating them?” asked Sid, feeling that the bag was light.
“No, the bag got ripped and I dropped some on the way.”
“A likely story!”
“It’s true!”
The old man turned his attention to the gorilla. “Now, now, Gertrude! Come on, old girl! Your friend has a nice juicy raisin for you!”
Eric took one of the little treats out of the bag and pushed it through the metal bars.
This was the nearest explosion yet. Louder than all the others. They could feel the force of the blast. This bomb must have landed in Regent’s Park. Soil sprayed everywhere, pelting the gorilla.
Poor Gertrude was scared out of her wits. She shrieked and shrieked and shrieked…
“EEEHHH! EEEHHH! EEEHHH!”
…as she leaped about her cage wildly.
“NOOO!” screamed the boy, terrified at what he saw.
Instead of taking the raisin as he’d hoped, the gorilla had bashed her head so hard against the cage that the wire had buckled.
BASH! BASH! BASH!
“Make her stop!” pleaded Eric.
Sid looked as worried as the boy. It was clear the old man had never seen the gorilla acting like this before.
“It’s just a bad storm, Gertrude!” lied the zookeeper.
BASH! BASH! BASH!
“EEEHHH!”
This time Gertrude leaped to the middle of her cage and grabbed on to the rope tied to the metal bars at the top of her enclosure, and yanked with all her might.
“What’s she doing?” cried Eric.
“She’s trying to get out!” replied Sid.
The gorilla wrenched the rope so hard that the roof of her cage tore off from three sides.
TWONK!
Then it toppled into her cage.
KLUNCH!
It landed at an angle, providing a ramp for Gertrude to run up, her huge feet thudding on the metal.
Eric and Sid looked on in a mixture of wonder and horror at the gorilla standing at the top of her cage. She was perfectly silhouetted by the full moon as she beat her chest and let out an almighty howl.
Eric and Sid could feel the heat from the bomb. It must have landed inside the zoo itself. A tall tree in the picnic area exploded into flames.
WHOOF!
The heat was enough to sweep you off your feet.
Eric thought he was going to be burned alive.
The zoo lit up red and orange and yellow as black smoke darkened the sky.
Gertrude leaped down from the top of the cage and landed on the ground with a terrific THUD.
THOMP!
Eric stood frozen in fear as the huge creature lolloped over to him. She stared him right in the face, and he saw a look of terrible sadness in her eyes.
“Don’t scream!” hissed Sid. “And don’t make any sudden movements!”
The boy nodded slowly.
“If we keep still and quiet, then all should be fine…”
Gorillas were so strong they’d been known to tear a man’s arm clean off.
Eric knew that.
But Gertrude was his friend. There had always been this special connection between the pair, even though the bars of the cage had kept them apart.
Until now.
They were now standing nose to nose. He could even feel her warm breath on his face.
Eric felt a strange mixture of joy and fear all at once. But the joy was stronger than the fear, and the boy smiled.
Gertrude loved to copy Eric, so she smiled back, flashing her teeth and those long fangs on each side of her mouth.
As Sid looked on and whispered, “Now be a good girl, Gertrude,” the gorilla puckered up as if to give the boy a kiss. Eric had seen some films with lovey-dovey bits. He’d noticed how the grown-ups often closed their eyes when they kissed. So he did the same.
SPLURT!
But it wasn’t a kiss. It was a raspberry!
PFFFT!”
A big, wet raspberry. For the second time that day, Eric had gorilla spittle all over his face. But he didn’t mind one bit.
“HA! HA! HA!” laughed the boy, and the gorilla joined in too.
“HUH! HUH! HUH!”
“You two!” chuckled Sid. “Now come on, Gertrude, let’s get you back inside what’s left of your cage.”
With that, the man took the gorilla by the hand.
“Say goodnight, Eric,” he said.
“Goodnight, Eric,” repeated the boy. “WAIT! I am Eric!”
“I meant say goodnight to Gertrude, you great bozo!”
“Goodnight, Gertrude!”
“That’s better,” replied Sid, looking up at the sky. Once again, the Luftwaffe planes were nothing more than a distant hum. “Come on, old girl!”
“Let me help!” exclaimed the boy as he took Gertrude by her other hand.
Just then a gunshot rang out.
BANG!
A bullet whizzed just over their heads.
“EEEHHH!” screamed Gertrude.
The gorilla shook the pair from her hands, and they tumbled to the ground.
DOOF! DOOF!
“HUH!”
“EURGH!” they cried as Gertrude raced off into the darkness of the night.
KERTHUMP!
KERTHUMP!
KERTHUMP!