INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER,

      IN WHICH THE READER MEETS SNOUTIE

      The Snoutie Family – Mama Snoutie, Papa Snoutie, and Little Snoutie – lived in a cozy wooden house at the foot of a tall green hill, on the banks of a small river, close to the edge of the Big Magical Forest.

      Little Snoutie was a dear, comical little creature, who looked like a funny cross between a baby elephant and a piglet. The most incredible thing about his face was his snunk, which was a short trunk that ended in the small button of a snout. It was extremely flexible, and he was always stretching it w-a-a-a-y far out and pulling it w-a-a-a-y back in as he poked at everything he came across. Snoutie used his snunk to dig up sweet potato tubers from the ground and shuck juicy ears of corn, which he loved more than anything.

      Snoutie’s ears looked like the ears of an elephant, but they were softer and covered in a delicate down. He had a thick hide, which was hidden under a short, brown coat of fur. Although Snoutie was born with stripes and spots, these disappeared as he got older, and his fur grew darker and turned rough, just like his Mama’s and Papa’s. Like them, he also had neat little hooves on his paws.

      Snoutie was quite chubby, which often made him seem clumsy and silly, but he was actually very flexible. He was able to jump up very high, and he had no trouble crawling under fallen trees. Papa Snoutie taught Little Snoutie how to swim and how to stand on his hind legs while resting his front legs against the trunk of a tree so that he could reach the green branches more easily. You see, adult Snouties have no problem walking around on their hind legs, but this is harder for the little ones.

      Sometimes Snoutie would get completely lost in his thoughts and dreams. When he was daydreaming about something, he would sit back on his hind legs (even though they look clumsy, it is actually quite easy for all Snouties to sit this way), close his eyes, and stroke his big ears with his front paws, remaining very quiet the whole time. Snoutie also had a very good idea of the things he wanted most in life, and he enjoyed sitting this way and letting bright, lifelike pictures, float before his eyes. He imagined things like a tricycle with a loud horn; an enormous, tasty sponge cake filled with custard; new rakes; and a comfy straw hat for those happy dances through the cornfields with Papa.

      As he grew older, Snoutie started to love collecting ripe berries and fruits. He was already strong enough to lift an enormous pumpkin off the ground and load it into a wagon all by himself. He also liked to spend his time writing happy songs in the garden or the vineyard.