The Complete Adventures of Curious George (28 page)

The big O

is a big OSTRICH,

and the small o
is a small ostrich, of course.

Ostriches eat odd objects.
One ostrich once had tried to eat a bugle
that belonged to George.

The big P

is a big PENGUIN,

and the small p is a small penguin.

These penguins live near the South Pole.
They use their flappers as paddles.
George knew penguins from the Zoo.

PLOP!

The big Q

is a QUAIL.
QUAILS have short tails.
You must keep QUIET if you want to
watch QUAILS. They are quite shy.

The small q is a quarterback.

A quarterback has to be quick. George was quick. He would qualify for quarterback.

"And now get your football, George," said the man, "it will do you good to play a little before we go on with your letters."

George knew how to play the game. He knew how to carry the ball,

and how to take a three-point stance,

and how to get ready for the kick-off.

He was a fine halfback, too,

and he could make a short pass, or recover a fumble.

"Good game," said the man, "but time's up now: back to the alphabet!"

The big R

is a RABBIT.
Some RABBITS are white with RED eyes.
RABBITS love RADISHES.
George loved RABBITS. He had one as a pet.

The small r

is a rooster.
The rooster crows when the sun rises.
Two roosters will start a rumpus.
They really can get rough.

The big S

is a big SNAIL,

and the small s

is a small snail.
Snails are slow. They sneak into their shells
when they are scared of something.
George thought snails looked silly.