Leopard Smoothie

• Arora Nui Kiddle, Grade y6
• Short Story
• 2016

LEOPARD SMOOTHIE

“Hi Tom,” Mum says as I walk inside.
“Hi mum,” I reply.
“Tom, we need to buy milk.” Mum states.
“But the store is closed,” I remind her.
“Then we’ll go to the market,” She says anxiously.
?“Yeah…well, ok.” I say reluctantly, and we head off in the car.

The thing about the market is that I have never gone because it sounds really dodgy. And it has a weird name. It is called Meerkat Markat.
When we get to the market we go to a cafe called Porky Piner Deli Diner. Mum looks sickly as we read the side of the milk carton together…It reads:
May contain fur. Yuck! I think.
“Let’s go.” I say, and we leave in silence. At home we eat dinner and I drink all the milk, as mum refuses to drink a single drop.

Throughout the night I twist and turn as my skin prickles and twitches. At 3:27 am, I wake up and stretch my back out. Why am I stretching like this? I wonder. Suddenly I start to lick something furry.
“Wait, am I licking myself?” I shriek, but it comes out as a growly purr. Scared, I rush into the bathroom and stare in shock and disbelief at what I see. My jaw drops. “I’M A LEOPARD!” I scream, but all I hear is a startled yowl.
My mum stumbles in and just stops. As I look around, she yelps and runs out of the room. I stagger into the office and write a scribbly note with my paw:


Dear Mum,
I must leave as I have turned into a leopard after drinking that milk. I will be at the Sydney zoo.
Love Tom

I leap out of the window and as Mum sobs uncontrollably.


TWO WEEKS LATER


I am on a boat looking out to the sea, wind on my furry face, staring at Port Jackson emerging from the distance. Life is hard without mum. I have decided to go to the zoo as I have turned into a strong, muscular leopard after drinking some milk from Meerkat Markat Market.

After being a leopard for two weeks I have learnt to speak English again. At the Harbour I jump off the boat and go over to the zoo.
“Hi,” I say to a worker who looks so bewildered I think he might faint. He leads me to the zoo manager and I get a job as zoo mascot.
Long, sad months pass as I become famous in the state, Australia and then the world.

One day a young lady with a matt of curly blond hair and emerald green eyes walks in.
“MUM!” I cry as I bound up to her.
“Oh Tom,” She cries as she hugs me.
“Can we go to Africa mum?” I ask.
“Yes Tom, yes we can.”


One day the following spring mum drops her hair brush into my milk just before I drink it. Can you guess what happens next?