The town mayor, Sir Percival Platypus the eighteenth, had only recently taken up the position after his father, Sir Percival Platypus the seventeenth had retired. The Platypus family held the office as a hereditary position and had done so for as long as any of the towns’ folk could remember.
Sir Percival was walking to his office bright and early one morning and encountered Mrs Wilma Wombat on her way to the bus stop. She seemed to be out of breath. “My dear Mrs Wombat, whatever is the matter?” he called. “Well if you must know, Mayor Platypus, it’s the bus. It did not come by this morning and now Iâ€TMm late.” and she hurried on about her business.
A short way down the road on his way to the mayor’s office he again came across one of his town’s folk in a bit of a hurry. He said a hearty, “Good morning to you Master Echidna. What causes you to hurry this morning?” Edgar Echidna, Eddie Echidna’s son replied, “Good morning Mayor Platypus. I am late for school. The bus did not come and now I have to run.”
Sir Percival pondered on this a moment and could not think why the bus had not come. People all around him hustled and bustled, running and rushing to and fro. He could not understand it, this was not usual for Numbat Flats to be in such a muddle.
He walked on to his office and as he entered he saw that Miss Cassandra Cassowary had not arrived for work. He started to worry that something was very wrong indeed and hurried into his office. On climbing onto his chair and reaching for the first of his chores he noticed a note he had stuck there some days before.
It said, “Percival Platypus the eighteenth formerly resigns from the position of town bus driver to take on the role of Mayor due to the retirement of Sir Percival Platypus the seventeenth from that position. P.S. Do not forget to appoint a new bus driver.”
Feeling rather embarrassed, Sir Percival Platypus remembered that he had not appointed a new bus driver and so today, the first day of the working week, everyone was late. Sir Percival ran out of his office and right across town, he went right up to Warren Wombat and asked, “Mr Wombat, I would like to ask you to take on the position of town bus driver. Would you be prepared to do that?”
Warren replied that indeed he would and reminded Sir Percival that he would need to appoint a new maintenance engineer to ensure that the town storm drains remained clean and clear. Sir Percival said he would write himself a note. What do you think happened to that new engineer?
Related story: The Town Of Numbat Flats
