HOME | DD

Description
If you're having trouble making out the small words, the ones on the pacifier say, "Feed Me and I Will Let You Sleep" while the words on the note from Santa Claus say, "To Gayla. Enjoy...and Good Luck! You're gonna need a whole lot of it. With Love, Santa. P.S. Catchy tune, but next time sing about something much more smaller."

Most of you are aware of the Popular Holiday Novelty Song by Gayla Peevy who at the age of ten did get a real live Hippo for the Holidays thanks to the Support of The Oklahoma City Zoo, which at that time was without a hippopotamus. In 1953 (the same year this song was released), they started fundraising campaign to "buy a hippo for Gayla". The fund raised $3,000 (equivalent to US$29,019 in 2020), and Little Matilda, a calf, was purchased and given to Peevy, and later donated to the Zoo (a wise idea since a lot of us are aware of the consequences of having an actual hippo in your home. It's reality.). She lived a long happy life of almost 50 years.

I drew this picture because I also like the alternate idea of Santa being the one who had actually brought Little Matilda to Gayla on Christmas Eve (like in the song). And that he figured it might be best to bring a Baby Hippo to her home so Gayla would have an easier time taking care of Little Matilda. I hope you like her and Happy Holidays.

Description
If you're having trouble making out the small words, the ones on the pacifier say, "Feed Me and I Will Let You Sleep" while the words on the note from Santa Claus say, "To Gayla. Enjoy...and Good Luck! You're gonna need a whole lot of it. With Love, Santa. P.S. Catchy tune, but next time sing about something much more smaller."

Most of you are aware of the Popular Holiday Novelty Song by Gayla Peevy who at the age of ten did get a real live Hippo for the Holidays thanks to the Support of The Oklahoma City Zoo, which at that time was without a hippopotamus. In 1953 (the same year this song was released), they started fundraising campaign to "buy a hippo for Gayla". The fund raised $3,000 (equivalent to US$29,019 in 2020), and Little Matilda, a calf, was purchased and given to Peevy, and later donated to the Zoo (a wise idea since a lot of us are aware of the consequences of having an actual hippo in your home. It's reality.). She lived a long happy life of almost 50 years.

I drew this picture because I also like the alternate idea of Santa being the one who had actually brought Little Matilda to Gayla on Christmas Eve (like in the song). And that he figured it might be best to bring a Baby Hippo to her home so Gayla would have an easier time taking care of Little Matilda. I hope you like her and Happy Holidays.