Brilliant by Roddy Doyle

jumpy-jumpy.”
    Kevin’s wife tried to smile. She loved Kevin, but she was very depressed.
    â€œPoor Kevin.”
    â€œNo, no,” said Kevin. “Rich Kevin! Expensive Kevin!”
    The kids dashed past. Kevin looked back at the wall and shouted one last time. “Go get him, kiddos!”
    â€œWho said that?” said Gloria.
    She saw the top of a meerkat’s head—
    â€œâ€™Twas meeeee!”
    She saw the little head for just a second. Then he dropped back down to the grass of his enclosure. But she heard him again. They all did.
    â€œI wish you successssss!”
    None of them stopped running, but all of them were amazed. She’d heard it before, but Gloria only now really understood. It dawned on her, and on the rest of the kids, just as the sun began to rise over Dublin.
    â€œAll the animals can talk!”
    The meerkat, behind them, confirmed it.
    â€œYesss!” he shouted. “I never stop!”
    He jumped again and tried to grab the top of the wall.
    â€œCome back to bed, Kevin,” said his wife.
    â€œI want to go with the kiddos!”
    â€œYou have a job here,” said his wife.
    â€œBut, my love!” said Kevin. “That Black Dog has made your life a misery! He has tormented you! He has filled you up with big unhappiness!”
    He jumped again.
    â€œStay with me, Kevin,” said his wife. “The children will defeat the Black Dog.”
    â€œBut—!”
    â€œAnd your job here is important,” said Kevin’s wife.
    â€œChildren love meerkats. Especially you.”
    Kevin stopped jumping.
    â€œOnly because they think I was in
The Lion King
,” he said.
    The kids were near the gate of the zoo. The air was full of the animals’ messages. The grunts and chirps had become good luck wishes and shouts of encouragement.
    â€œCatch him!”
    â€œBop him!”
    â€œBite his bum!”
    It was brighter now, dawn, and the birds all around the park were working hard.
    â€œCheep, cheep! Cheaper, cheaper!”
    â€œAre you not afraid of the daylight, Ernie?” asked Raymond.
    â€œNo way,” said Ernie. “That’s only an oul’ myth.”
    â€œThe Black Dog’s afraid, though. Isn’t he?”
    â€œMaybe,” said Ernie. “But I’m not convinced.”
    â€œWhy not?” said Gloria.
    â€œDunno,” said Ernie. “I can’t work it out.”
    â€œMore than just
brilliant
,” said Raymond.
    â€œYeah,” said Ernie. “It has to be. My dog, like—Fang. The only word he’s afraid of is
bath
.”
    The zoo was open. There was a man, one of the zookeepers, opening the gate. He was yawning when he heard a noise and saw the huge gang of kids running straight at him. And his yawn became a silent scream.
    Ernie stopped in front of him and showed him his fangs.

    â€œSay your prayers, bud,” said Ernie. “And wash your neck.”
    Then he ran after Raymond and Gloria. He shouted back at the zookeeper. “I’ll be back.”
    The zookeeper held onto the gate—and his neck. He thought he was going to faint.
    â€œHere, Mister,” said Paddy. “Do we have to pay to get out?”
    The zookeeper had breath left for one word. “No.”
    â€œSeeyeh, so,” said Paddy, and he kept running.
    Alice was beside him. She thought it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. She wanted to tell Paddy that, but she needed all her breath to keep up.

    The kids all ran past the zookeeper.
    They were gone.
    Early-morning life seemed to be back to normal, although the animals inside were making a lot more noise than usual. All sorts of grunts and yaps and howls and barks and chatter. The zookeeper would go in now and shout at them.
    But the kids—the sight and the sound of all those kids, their excitement. It had reminded the zookeeper of something. He remembered now. He used to sing to the animals every morning. Before the