JumpyMoo

Once upon a time, deep in a meadow where the clover grew taller than anyone expected and fireflies blinked like tiny lanterns, there lived a very unusual cow. She wasn't content to simply moo and munch and swish her tail like the others. No — from the moment she was born, JumpyMoo would look up at the silver moon hanging above the hills and feel the most tremendous, ticklish urge in her hooves. She just *knew* she was meant to leap.

On the night of the first full moon of spring, when the sky was so clear you could count every crater, JumpyMoo took the longest run-up anyone in the meadow had ever seen. Her hooves thundered through the soft grass, her ears flew back, and then — with the most spectacular, wobbly, joyful bounce the world had ever witnessed — she sailed right up and *over* the moon. The stars cheered. The moon itself let out a low, warm glow, as if it was blushing. And when JumpyMoo came tumbling back down, she landed in a meadow that glimmered with that same beautiful, bright green light she'd carried back with her from the sky.

That moonlit green — a fresh, grassy, electric sort of green, like spring leaves backlit by sunshine — became part of her forever. She glows with it even now, that cheerful shade that sits somewhere between a lime and a lucky clover field, fizzing with the kind of colour that makes your eyes feel happy just looking at it.

The most magical thing of all, though, is what JumpyMoo is made of. When she came back down from the moon, she wasn't quite solid anymore — the moonbeams had done something wonderfully strange to her. She became soft and clear and jiggly, like the world's most satisfying jelly, smooth and cool against your palm and almost see-through, so that light passes right through her body and makes her glow. Squeeze her gently and she squishes between your fingers with the most delicious, calming give. Let go, and she bounces right back, perfectly herself — just like she always does.

JumpyMoo has the personality of someone who has seen the whole world from above and come back laughing. She's bouncy and bold and a little bit wobbly, always encouraging anyone who is nervous to take a deep breath and have a go. She makes friends immediately, because there is nothing intimidating about a see-through green jelly cow who once jumped over the moon and thought it was the best fun she'd ever had. She giggles easily, stumbles cheerfully, and gets back up every single time.

One afternoon, a small child named Bea was sitting on the floor feeling very stuck — her tower of building blocks kept tumbling down and she was ready to give up entirely. JumpyMoo sat on the carpet nearby, catching the light, and Bea picked her up without really thinking. She squeezed JumpyMoo once, twice, three times — that cool, squishy, endlessly satisfying squidge — and something in Bea's chest unknotted. She took a slow breath, set JumpyMoo down gently, and started building again. This time, the tower reached all the way to the windowsill.

That's the secret power of JumpyMoo. She reminds you, just through the simple pleasure of being held, that things can be soft and still be strong, wobbly and still be wonderful. A squeeze of her jelly-cool sides and the tension just drains right out of you, replaced by something quieter and braver — the same feeling JumpyMoo herself had, standing in that dark meadow, looking up at the enormous moon and deciding to jump anyway.

People love JumpyMoo because she is proof that the most delightful things in life are a little bit unexpected — a cow made of moonlight jelly, glowing spring green, who jumped over the impossible and came back bouncier than ever. Hold her in your hands, feel her squish and shimmer, and for just a moment, you'll believe you could do something extraordinary too.