The story revolves around the shy old man, Mr Hoppy, as he tries to pursue a relationship with his neighbor, Mrs Silver.
Mrs Silver spends her days with her beloved tortoise, Alfie, and sometimes exchanges conversations with Mr Hoppy. One day, she complains to him about why Alfie does not grow bigger. In order to earn her affections, Mr Hoppy pretends to claim to know how to make Alfie grow bigger. He tells her to repeat the magic words:
“ESIO TROT, ESIO TROT,
TEG REGGIB REGGIB,
EMOC NO, ESIO TROT,
WORG PU, FFUP PU, TOOHS PU,
GNIRPS PU, WOLB PU, LLEWS PU!
EGROG! ELZZUG! FFUTS! PLUG,
TUP NO TAF, ESIO TROT, TUP NO TAF,
TEG NO, TEG NO, ELBBOG DOOF.”
Which translates to, “Tortoise, tortoise, get bigger bigger! Come on, tortoise, grow up, puff up, shoot up! Spring up, blow up, swell up! Gorge! Guzzle! Stuff! Gulp! Put on fat, tortoise, put on fat! Get on, get on, gobble food!”.
In order to make the magic a reality, Mr Hoppy buys many turtles of an increasing weight, an every week when Mrs Silver says the magic words, he exchanges the turtles with one weighing a lot more.
However, soon the tortoise weighs 27 ounces and cannot fit through the door. Mrs Silver complains to Mr Hoppy and wishes for the tortoises to become smaller. Indeed, Mr Hoppy then replaces the big turtles with smaller turtles until Mrs Silver is happy again.
Mrs Silver and Mr Hoppy get married at the end, and Alfie the tortoise is adopted by a young girl.
