Eventually, he replaced him with one much larger than before.

He then starts swapping different-sized tortoises while pretending Alfie is increasing because of her efforts. Mr Hoppy deceives Mrs Silver by pretending to have invented a magical spell that will make her tortoise, Alfie, grow larger if she follows specific steps, including reciting “Esio Trot”.

Alfie: Mrs Silver’s beloved pet tortoise is the centrepiece of Mr Hoppy’s plan to win her.

Mrs Silver: Mr Hoppy’s neighbour and object of his affection, who owns a tortoise named Alfie that she wishes would grow larger.

Mr Hoppy: The story’s protagonist is a retired bachelor who lives alone in his apartment and secretly loves his neighbour, Mrs Silver.

Loneliness: Mr Hoppy’s life as a retired bachelor living alone in his apartment highlights the theme of loneliness, which drives him to seek companionship with Mrs Silver.

Deception: Another prominent theme in the book is deception, as Mr Hoppy pretends to have invented a magical spell to impress Mrs Silver and gain her affection.

Mr Hoppy’s elaborate scheme to make Alfie grow larger is driven by his desire to win Mrs Silver’s affection, and he ultimately succeeds.

Love: The central theme of “Esio Trot” is love, particularly the lengths people will go to for those they care about.

Themes and Characters In Esio Trot Themes: The story emphasises the power of love and the lengths people will go to for those they care about. In the end, Mr Hoppy reveals his scheme to Mrs Silver, who forgives and agrees to marry him, despite his deception. The plan works, and Mrs Silver falls in love with Mr Hoppy after seeing the growth of her beloved pet.

Mr Hoppy hatches a plan to win Mrs Silver’s affection by pretending to have invented a magical spell that will make Alfie grow larger by reciting a series of words (“Esio Trot”) and switching out the tortoise with progressively larger ones over time. Mrs Silver owns a tortoise named Alfie, whom she loves dearly but wishes would grow bigger. “Esio Trot” is a children’s novel by Roald Dahl that tells the story of Mr Hoppy, a retired bachelor who lives alone in his apartment and secretly loves his neighbour, Mrs Silver.

Mr hoppy esio trot