ch12) later 10.40pm

“OK!” shouts Phil, “it’s time for the jelly and ice cream. Who wants?”
Alliefonts are ice cream loving fools, so everyone at the party leaps up at these words and rushes towards Al, who is standing by the freezer. He opens the door and gasps, “the ice cream has gone!”
Phil turns to the crowd with a thunderous expression on his face.
“Who has eaten ice cream today without asking?” he demands. “It must be someone we know or the ice cream princess would not have taken the sacrifice from our freezer. Own up!!!”

There is nothing to be heard except the sound of shuffling feet and a few nervous coughs. Eventually Zobe steps forwards.
“I’m so sorry,” she says, shakily, “I don’t understand. I don’t know anything about an ice cream princess… But I did eat some ice cream today. It was given to me by an old lady today called Gladys.”

“HOW DARE YOU SPEAK THAT NAME!!!!” cries Phil, but on seeing that her confusion is genuine he tries to explain. “We elephants are the keepers of the ice cream, and the woman of whom you speak is our arch enemy. You are a silly child to be taken in by her.”
He pauses for a moment and his face softens. “But you did not know,” he says, “and you seem sorry now. Do not make the same mistake again.”

He turns away, and without another word Al starts serving up dishes of jelly. No one grumbles, and they sit down together to enjoy the end of the party. The balloons have all gone slightly limp and wrinkly (a bit like the elifants) but no one has really noticed. The sun is still hot and the jelly is wibbling peacefully…