Esio Trot

Mrs Silver had a part-time job. she worked from noon until 5 o'clock every weekday afternoon in  a shop that sold newspapers and sweets. That made things a  lot easier for Mr hoppy. So on that  first exciting afternoon, after he had made sure that  Mrs silver had gone to work, Mr hoppy went out on to his balcony armed with his long metal  pole. He called this his tortoise-catcher . He leaned over the balcony railings  and  lowered the  pole down on to Mrs  silver's balcony below. Alfie was basking in the pale sunlight over to one side. Hello Alfie  Mr Hoppy said. You are about to go for a little ride. He wiggled the tortoise-catcher till it was right above Alfie. He pushed the hand lever so that the claws opened wide. Then he lowered the two claws neatly over Alfie's shells and pulled the lever. The claws closed tightly over the shell like two fingers of a hand. He hauled Alfie up on to his own balcony. It was easy.

 I really liked Mrs Silver the best. She was my favourite character in the book. Great story!