Egg O was sitting in a crumpled. disconsolate heap outside the Miss Faucet School of Tap and Singing. All his dreams had faded. In front of him was a battered top hat into which passers by had hurled one or two coins. Occasionally he looked up and sang a few sad, heart rending songs but mostly he gazed sorrowfully at the ground. He was,in short, a broken egg.

So when the letter from Doll Splinter fluttered from the sky to land at his feet he was rather pleased and it prompted him to write a swift reply.

Dear Doll Splinter, he wrote, tap dancing is not what it is cracked up to be.In fact, for a handsome egg ,with  talent and potential, it is frankly beneath me, like my feet. I am now ready to embark on the Next Big Thing although of course it is at present a Big Secret.  I am still a marvellous singer and making a lot of money but I intend to give it all away to The Needy and look forward to seeing you too, with or without the chocolate cake.

And here Egg O paused to throw a coin from the hat at a passing bird.

Then with a flourish he signed his name at the bottom of the letter and waited for the wind to whisk it away.

He  was beginning to feel full of himself again.