Hilda is a jigsaw hippopotamus. She has four pieces. A head, a body and two legs. She is played with, and looked after by a little girl named Claire.

Hilda lives on top of a shelf, next to some books, in Claire's bedroom. The bookshelf is right beside a big window that overlooks a beautiful park. Hilda can see out through the window and watch the birds in the trees.

One sunny morning, Hilda was, as usual, standing on her shelf and looking out of the window. She could see lots of people walking in the park and she knew that by lunchtime there would be some people having picnic lunches on the green grass.

Birds were singing to each other and Hilda saw two happy puppies playing with a bright red ball. It was indeed a lovely day.

Sometimes Claire took Hilda to the park, and all the other children took Hilda apart and then tried to fit all the pieces back together. Most could do the puzzle, but some couldn't.

Claire was at kindergarten this morning and wouldn't be home until lunchtime. Maybe they would go to the park this afternoon, Hilda thought.

Suddenly a strong wind started to blow and come through the bedroom window. It blew the curtains up in the air and Hilda thought they might blow away.

"Oh dear," she said. "I hope that wind doesn't get any stronger."

But it did. It blew very hard and then it started to rain as well.

"I wish Claire had shut the window before she had gone out this morning," thought Hilda.

The strong wind was making Hilda rock backwards and forwards on her shelf. Then, in the middle of a rock forward, the wind gave an extra blow and blew Hilda right off the shelf and onto the floor.

Luckily there was a mat where she landed so she didn't get hurt, but all her pieces came apart and they were all over the bedroom floor.

"Oh dear, Oh dear," said Hilda. "What will I do?"
There was a loud noise in the hall outside the bedroom. Hilda knew that noise. It was the vacuum cleaner, and Claire's mother would be in here soon to clean the floor.

"Oh dear, I had better find my pieces and put myself back together before Claire's mother sucks up any of my bits." Hilda thought.

Hilda found her body and fitted it to her head. Then she saw her left leg and put that in it's right place. But she couldn't see her other leg. She looked everywhere and couldn't find it. The vacuum cleaner was at the door to the bedroom now.

"Oh hurry, Hilda," said Hilda to herself.

Claire's mother was in the bedroom now and cleaning the mat that Hilda was lying on.

Suddenly there was the sound of footsteps in the hall. It was Claire, and Hilda heard her tell her mother that she had been able to come home early because of the bad storm.

Claire saw Hilda on the mat and noticed that one of her pieces was missing.

"Oh dear," said Claire. "Mother, have you seen Hilda's missing piece? It's her right leg."

Claire's mother turned the vacuum cleaner off.

"No I haven't. I hope I didn't suck it up in the vacuum cleaner." said Claire's mother. "The wind must have blown Hilda off the shelf. Have a look under the bed."

Claire looked under her bed and there was the lost piece of the jigsaw. She put Hilda's right leg back in place and stood her on her shelf.

"There you are Hilda, all back together again," said Claire.

I think you had better close the window before you go out next time, don't you Claire?", said Claire's mother.

"Yes," said Claire. "That is a good idea."

Hilda thought that it sounded like a good idea too.