The pair didn’t have long. It was now mid-morning, and even though Eric was supposed to be at school there was something infinitely more important to do than algebra.

Saving his best friend from certain death.

“Every secret military operation needs a code name,” began the old soldier. “HUSH was one I remember from the First World War. What shall we call ours?”

Eric thought for a moment. “Bananas!”

“You what?”

“CODE NAME BANANAS!”

The old man wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t have a better idea. “Well, I suppose Gertrude does like bananas.”

“And what we are trying to do is BANANAS!”

“You are right there! Let’s get to work!”

First, Sid ordered the boy to fetch some paper and pencils from a drawer. Then the pair began sketching out a giant map of the zoo from memory. Together they could remember every pathway and animal enclosure. Next, they pinned the map to the wall. Now they had a view of all the exits and entrances, and, of course, the location of the gorilla’s cage.

As the animals trotted back into the kitchen one by one, having been fed, Sid and Eric used the map to dream up a number of plans to rescue Gertrude, each one wilder than the last.

What seemed like hours had passed, and the pair still didn’t have a plan. It wasn’t until Eric was idly staring out of the window that an idea finally hit him. Like most great ideas it was so BONKERS it was BRILLIANT!

“BINGO!” exclaimed Eric.

“BINGO! BONGO! What are you on about, boy?” asked Sid.

“I’ve got it!”

“Got what?”

“The plan!”

Sid clattered over to the window to see what the boy was staring at in the sky.

CLINK! CLANK! CLUNK!

“You don’t mean we use a…?” began the old man.

“YES!
           A barrage balloon!”