Esio Trot by Roald Dahl

Mr Hoppy is a shy old man who lives alone in an apartment, tending to his many plants. For many years, he has had a crush on Mrs Silver, who lives in the flat below his. Mr Hoppy frequently leans over his balcony and exchanges polite conversation with Mrs Silver, but he is too shy to disclose how he feels. Mr Hoppy longs to express his feelings to Mrs Silver, but he can never bring his lips to form the words. Mrs Silver has a small pet tortoise, Alfie, whom she loves very much. One morning, Mrs Silver mentions to Mr Hoppy that even though she has had Alfie for many years, her pet has only grown a tiny bit and has gained only 13 ounces in weight. She confesses that she wishes she knew of some way to make her little Alfie grow into a larger, more dignified tortoise. Mr Hoppy suddenly thinks of a way to give Mrs Silver her wish and win her affection. Mr Hoppy tells Mrs Silver that he — in fact — does know of a way to make a tortoise grow bigger. He writes the following words on a slip of paper, and lowers it down to Mrs Silver: