A brown octopus wearing a pink and white apron around his waist and a pink pig wearing a yellow jacket are waving in front of a blue sky with white clouds.
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Airmail Short Story & Audiobook Series: Episode 1 - Ice Cream Octopus

Solly Hogg, the lone pig in an all-bird delivery service needs to make a good impression. All he must do is get his customer’s ice cream across town on a hot summer day on a unicycle!

Read myself

Ice Cream Octopus

The pig on the one-wheeled, metal-winged flapicycle pumped his short legs to pick up speed. The wings squeaked and flapped, almost - but not quite - lifting him off the ground as he pedalled up Pickle Street.

A pink pig dressed in a yellow high-vis vest, green scarf and helmet peddling on top of a one wheels unicycle with wings attached to the wheels. Behind him is a tall building with a sign readin 'FlapOn'

This, my friends, is Solomon Hogg, or 'Solly,' if you like. Solly just started his new job for FlapOn™, an all-bird special delivery company. That’s right. All birds. Now, yes, a pig is not a bird. So how did he land such a job? With lots of determination, a little bit of charm, and a certain influential pelican for an uncle. Oh, hold on. Solly’s phone is ringing in his pocket. 

Solly on the phone to Rivington.

“Solly Hogg, flying pig at your service!” 

“Solly, I need you back here after you’ve delivered to the Rhino Diner. Rivington Seagull has sprained his wing. You’ll need to take his beach delivery today.” Remember that uncle we mentioned? That’s who was on the other end of the phone – Webster the Pelican, Solly’s boss.

“Golly. I hope Rivington’s okay. I’m coming back now.” Solly pedalled his flapicycle even faster.

Soon, in the top floor headquarters of the FlapOn™ delivery company, Solly was carefully cramming a large, round tub of ice cream inside his backpack.

Solly is packing his backpack with a brown box. He is looking up a the large white seagull, Rivington. They are surrounded by lots of boxes stacked tall and there are three world clocks on the wall showing different time zones.

“The sand and pebbles around the Choctopus Ice Cream stand might give your flapicycle a bit of trouble,” said Webster, “so be careful and be quick!” The pelican paced the floor and puffed his corn cob pipe. “Choctopus is a long-time customer, and I would hate to lose his business.”

“Don’t worry, Webster,” Solly reassured his uncle. “I will prove that it wasn't silly of you to hire a pig for your all-bird delivery business.”

“Not silly at all,” Solly said to himself as he rode his flapicycle under a cloudless summer sky along Hedge Street. But just then, what should he hear but a *POP! * and then a hissing sound. Yes, it was coming from the one tyre of his flapicycle.  A rusty nail was now sticking right into the tread. Solly looked at his wristwatch.

Solly is looking at his unicycle tyre which has a nail sticking out of it.

“Oh, pistachios! My tyre repair kit is at the bottom of my backpack.” Solly took the ice cream tub out of his backpack and set it on the warm pavement to reach the repair kit. The hot sun beat down on him as he patched his tyre and puffed it back up to size with his little hoof-held pump.

Solly is pumping the tyre using a little foot pump. His unicycle is leaning on his blue backpack and the brown boxes are on the floor. The sun is shining down on them and steam is coming off the boxes.

He wiped his brow, stuffed the tub back into his backpack and rode only another couple of streets when he heard a familiar honking horn and dinging bells. Solly skidded to a stop as the railway crossing bars lowered in front of him. With clickety-clacks, a train began rolling by. A long train. 

“Winkin’ walnuts!” Solly looked at his wristwatch again. He just had to get to Choctopus in time. He nervously counted the train carriages as they rumbled past in the bright sunshine. 

Solly is facing towards a train crossing where there is a red light shining and the barriers are down. Solly is holding his flapicycle and his backpack is on the floor.

“Oh, boy. One hundred and seventeen carriages!” With the last carriage finally past, Solly walked across the warm tracks and remounted his flapicycle. Animals along the beach strip raised their phones to film the pink pig on a winged unicycle squeaking past. 

“Hope there’ll be a nice downhill stretch so I can make up for lost time and finally get my flapicycle off the ground.” Solly rounded the curve. Indeed - there was a hill. Very steep. Uphill. Solly grunted and pumped his short pig legs and began slowly ascending the hilly road. Suddenly, he heard the screech of tyres! He saw Tom Toad's butter truck swerve for a tiny rabbit in the road, tip over and spill its load of thousands of sticks of butter. 

“Barking butternuts!” Solly’s eyes bugged.

The hot road was now golden from the quickly melting butter. Solly pedalled, but his tyre spun in place. Then he slipped, fell forward, and landed right on his snout. *HONK!*

There is a sleep road, at the top in the distance, there is an overturned truck which is spilling yellow liquid down the hill. The pig, his unicycle and the backpack are near the bottom of the hill, covered in the butter.

The pig slid slowly back down the buttery hill along with his flapicycle and backpack. With grunts and some energetic wiggling through the slippery butter, Solly just managed to squirm his way to the side of the road. Instead of getting back on the flapicycle, he decided to dash down to the beach while dragging his backpack and flapicycle behind him. 

“Aha! I see the ice cream stand. Here I come, Choctopus!” Barely balancing on his buttery hooves, Solly picked up the pace. 

Solly is rushing up a beach carrying the flapicycle and backpack. Sweat is dripping off him and he looks tired.

Stanley 'Choctopus' Charles was on the beach, nervously pacing on two tentacles. Another four arms were planted firmly on his hips, and with the final two he held his head. When he heard someone calling his name from a distance, he moved one arm to shade his eyes and saw a pink pig dragging an odd, winged unicycle down the beach.

“Choctopus, sir! I’m here! Your ice cream delivery is here!” Solly said, panting as he plopped the backpack down onto the white bench next to the ice cream stand.

“I made it just in time, didn’t I?”

“I was expecting the seagull,” the brown octopus said.

“Rivington sprained his wing. I’m Solomon Hogg and I assure you, I’m just as quick on my flapicycle.”

A brown octopus holding scoops and cones in multiple hands speaks to Solly. The octopus is wearing a pink and white stripey hat and apron.

The octopus eyed the odd-looking contraption and laughed.
“No matter, I guess. You’re here now.” Choctopus was ready to serve his first customers of the day. He had ice cream scoops at the end of two of his arms and held cones in two others. “As long as it’s still - GASP!” Having lifted the lid off the ice cream tub, Choctopus saw nothing but cold, sloshing, brown liquid. 

“My ice cream!” The octopus shrieked and all his arms flopped to the ground.

The octopus looks shocked, his tentacles are all in different directions dropping things as he looks down at the boxes on the floor. Solly looks concerned behind him.

Unlike the ice cream, Solly stood frozen. Ashamed and not knowing what to do, he could only blink at the cold brown liquid while the sign on the post read in big black letters: ICE CREAM CONES. FIFTY PENCE. 

Solly looked up when he heard a great gaggle of excited customers heading across the beach toward the ice cream stand.  Seeing the crowd, Choctopus’s mouth melted into a huge frown and his eyes welled up with tears. “What am I going to do?!” he said.

But meanwhile, Solly’s nose was twitching and his scalp was tingling as he looked from the crowd of customers to the ice cream stand and then back to the tub of chocolate-y liquid. Losing no time, he seized a black marker from his backpack, scribbled on the back of the sign, then spun it around to face the crowd just as they arrived.  

Solly and the octopus are standing either side of the ice cream stand happily holding up cups of chocolate liquid. The crowd look happy.

The sign now read: CHOCOLATE MILK, FIFTY PENCE. The thirsty crowd cheered happily and waved their money. The octopus smiled with relief. With one of his arms he wiped away his tears and with another, he handed Solly a cup of cool, sweet chocolate milk, before turning to serve his many happy customers.

The End

More episodes
Airmail Episode 2 China Shop Animated Cover. A brown bull sniffs a package Solly the pig is holding.
Airmail E2 - China Shop 6+

Mr Bull has ordered a parcel to his china shop. Will it arrive safely?

  • 10 mins
Airmail Episode 3 Sheep Salon Animated Cover. Solly shakes a package at a green glowing sheep in glasses.
Airmail E3 - Sheep Salon 6+

There's been a delivery mix-up wreaking havoc at the hairdressers.

  • 9 mins
Airmail Episode 4 The Pollen Parcel Animated Cover. Bees are attached to a chair making it float as, Solly the pig watches.
Airmail E4 - The Pollen Parcel6+

Solly gets himself into trouble with the bees during a special delivery.

  • 9 mins
Airmail Episode 5 Wish Upon A Starling Animated Cover. Solly is sat in a puddle of brown liquid and covered head to toe.
Airmail E5 - Wish Upon Starling 6+

Solly's flapicycle starts malfunctioning after he wins star-employee.

  • 9 mins
Airmail Episode 6 Tight Rope Animated Cover. Solly hangs off a rope looking scared.
Airmail E6 - Tight Rope 6+

Solly must cross a tightrope to deliver Ms Sloth’s fragile tea set.

  • 8 mins
Airmail Episode 7 UnBEARable Animated Cover. A bear in a tip hat catches a present as Solly the pig watches.
Airmail E7 - UnBEARable6+

A customer is demanding more than a busy delivery-pig can offer.

  • 9 mins
Airmail Episode 8 Flying Squirrel Cape Animated Cover. Solly the pig falls through the air. He is wearing a parachute.
Airmail E8 - Flying Squirrel Cape6+

Solly takes some inspiration from a flying children's TV character.

  • 9 mins
Airmail Episode 9 Pig In A Blanket Animated Cover. Solly the pig is shaking with snot running out of his nose.
Airmail E9 - Pig In A Blanket6+

Solly is under the weather and brain fog is hampering his deliveries.

  • 13 mins
Airmail Episode 10 Animated Cover
Airmail E10 - No Bones About It6+

When Solly mixes up his deliveries, it threatens his job and the future of science.

  • 12 mins

Benefits of reading Airmail - Ice Cream Octopus

This short story covers themes of belonging, family, hardship, hard work, identity, journey, kindness, problem solving and responsibility. This story can be read to kids in their early ages and is a great way to start a bedtime routine. It can also be read by children themselves. We recommend children with a reading age of 6 - 10 years old for this story.

Who are the main characters in Airmail - Ice Cream Octopus?

The main character in all of the Airmail series stories is Solly the pig. In this animal story and specifically episode 1 there are plenty of animal characters such as an octopus, pelican, rabbit and a seagull.