Harry the Higgledy-Piggledy Hosepipe Children’s Story

This story for children is all about Harry and yes, he’s a hosepipe.

It’s not easy being a hosepipe. You’re under a lot of pressure and when you’re not, you feel all floppy and listless.

You’re also tied – fixed to a tap – so you can’t just go wandering off on your own.

If you reach the end of your tether, then that’s where you’ll be. At the end of your tether.

But Harry was a very LONG hosepipe.

In fact, he was so long, he didn’t even know where the tap was or even if it was in the same country.

For all, he knew it could be as far away as Madagascar.

And being so long also caused him a problem. He often ended up in knots.

“Why am I so higgledy-piggledy?” he wondered undoing a granny. “I wish someone could straighten me out?”

“HELP!” called Malcolm the moth, frantically flying around in circles, “CRANKWORTH THE CAT IS STUCK DOWN THE WELL!”

(He was very loud for a moth).

“Oh dear,” thought Harry, “I’d better go and see if I can help,” So gathering up his loops and coils, he tripped and stumbled across the lawn.

“Ding-dong bell, pussy’s down the well!” chorused the House Mites laughing and rolling around on the grass. They didn’t much care for Crankworth, so they thought this was really, really funny!

“It’s NOT funny!” scolded Queenie the quilt, “Poor Crankworth must be scared out of his wits!”

“It’s usually HIM who scares us out of our wits,” retorted the House Mites and carried on laughing even louder.

Queenie peered over the edge of the well as Crankworth looked up forlornly.

“Gosh, it’s a long way down,” she thought.

Poor Crankworth looked so small and helpless.  He also looked very far away.

Harry peered over the edge. “I’ll pop down and take a look,” he volunteered, and Queenie smiled. “Oh”, she said, “You are so brave, so long and so handsome!”

This made Harry feel very brave, long and handsome. “Stand aside,” he said and launched himself into the well.

“I’m very glad to see you,” said Crankworth as Harry neatly dropped down beside him. “I thought I’d never get out.”

“I’ll have you out of here in no time,” said Harry and by going all higgledy-piggledy, he made himself into a loop big enough to fit around Crankworth.

“Haul away!” called Harry.

Everyone pulled – even the House Mites – and slowly Crankworth rose to the surface. Safely back in the garden, he stepped out of the loop and felt rather foolish.

“Thank you. I promise I’ll NEVER to chase anyone ever again,” he said while making sure his making his fingers – his claws that is – were crossed behind his back.

But something was wrong? Harry was going a funny colour. He went from garden green to this-isn’t-good purple. Not only that, he was getting fatter and fatter and fatter.

“I can’t release the pressure! I’m going to explode!” he spluttered.

“The knot’s too tight!” gasped Queenie, “Quick!! We’ve got to find the tap and turn off the water!”

“What? Go all the way to Madagascar?” cried the House Mites.

“No, I’ll find the tap, it can’t be that far away,” said Malcolm flying around in circles, “We’ll go too,” said the House Mites. “And me,” added Queenie.

Everyone disappeared into the undergrowth and followed Harry’s long green hosepipe as it continued to get fatter and fatter.

“Here’s the tap!” called Queenie at last and suddenly, Spencer the spanner, who’d heard all the commotion, appeared right beside her.

CLONK!! With one quick blow, the tap turned off and Harry’s fat body subsided.

“Oh…Thank you!” said Queenie, now more interested in Spencer than she was in Harry, “You’re so strong and so brave and so handsome.”

“Just doing my job,” smiled Spencer.

Harry bounced over and looped out of his knots. He wanted to play higgledy-piggled with Queenie…

But now she only had eyes for Spencer… leaving Harry feeling a bit of a drip.

Poor Harry.

Romance was obviously…. KNOT meant to be.

BoodleBobs, Children story, Harry the hosepipe written & narrated by Jo Kemp

H is for Harry: Harry the Higgledy-Piggledy Hosepipe
It’s not easy being a hosepipe. Most of the time you’re under a lot of pressure and when you’re not, you feel all floppy and listless. You’re also tied – fixed to a tap – so you can’t just go wandering off on your own.

If you reach the end of your tether, then that’s where you’ll be. At the end of your tether.

Harry is always getting himself tied up in knots because he’s VERY higgledy-piggledy but this comes in useful when Crankworth – that very naughty pussy cat – falls down the well. You know the song “Ding dong dell…..pussy’s down the well.”

It’s a good job Queenie is quick thinking and a good job too that Harry can’t wait to prove he’s brave and strong and handsome… handsome? How brave, strong and vain more likely!.

Name Meaning: Harry (short for Henry). The meaning of this name comes from Germany Haima – ‘home’ and ‘Rīk – ‘ruler’). So Harry’s name means home ruler. Harry  on Wikipedia

Who invented the hose? In the 8th Century, the Greeks used solid & flexible hoses as flame throwers at sea. It wasn’t until the 1600s that Dutch inventor/painter Jan van der Heyden used leather stitched together to make the very 1st manufactured flexible hose.

Story Appearances: Harry The Higgledy-Piggledy Hosepipe

This is an audio-only version of Harry’s Cartoon.  Subscribe and hit the bell for notification for the Granny Annie version release.

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