The Hail that Pounded like Bouncing Koalas A Short Story by Writer Unknown Mildred Cockle had always loved pretty Skegness with its wet, wandering waters. It was a place where she felt sparkly. She was an energetic, special, beer drinker with skinny abs and sticky feet. Her friends saw her as a graceful, glamorous giant. Once, she had even saved a witty injured bird that was stuck in a drain. That's the sort of woman he was.