You’re probably in shock Indeed so was I when I first heard about them but in actual fact it’s not as shocking as you might think There are a lot of animals out there living their lives pretending to be humans Giraffes who stack shelves in grocery stores pigs who eat popcorn noisily all the way through films in the cinema bulldogs who work outside nightclubs In fact the Bolds next-door neighbor Mr McNumpty is an animal too A grizzly bear And while he and the Bolds have had their differences in the past he’s now firm friends with them and pops over most evenings for a game of dominoes and a couple of pork chops Except for Tuesdays There are no games of dominoes that night because Tuesday nights in the Bolds neat semi-detached house are 4
very special Tuesday nights are Grooming Night You might think this means face masks and manicures but you’d be wrong In fact the Bolds and deaf old Uncle Tony and Miranda the marmoset monkey all sit in a circle scratching rubbing and nibbling each other making sure all the loose fur comes out and any bits of mud or fluff that might be lurking there are removed Not to mention the fleas
Obviously they have to make sure the curtains are drawn and no one peeps in Although we humans sometimes scratch and itch too we aren’t often seen lying on our backs while our mothers nibble at our tummies with sharp teeth or found licking each other’s ears with big long tongues that reach right across our faces to the other ear and beyond Enjoyable and good for the Bolds as this is the activity tickles too so everyone at Number 41 ends up giggling and whooping with laughter This just gets them in the mood to listen to some of Mr Bold’s latest jokes
Or And before long on Tuesday nights in 41 Fairfield Road everyone is rolling on the floor in laughter 7
