Geffery the Giraffe

Moscow Zoo was a grand old zoo, full of penguins and pandas, lions and limas, koalas and crocodiles, not to mention hundreds of happy children.
But there was one animal in Moscow Zoo who never smiled. And that was Geoffery the giraffe.

For whilst there were 12 penguins, a pair of panda, six lions, seven limas, half a dozen koalas, and a couple of crocodiles, there was only one giraffe. Too tall to play with the elephants, too slow to play with the monkeys, and far too sensible to play with the kangaroos, geofferey's life was a lonely life.

"Oh dear", he would say, "how hard it is to be so tall, to look down on the world so small." and then he'd chew on a leaf. "What I need is a friend, a friend like me. Just like me. A giraffe. "

Summer turned to autumn and the green leaves turned brown, but nothing changed- no giraffes came, and geoffery was sad.

The sun said goodbye, and the rain turned to snow. The wind brought a chill, and soon it was winter- geoffery was cold. All the other animals huddled and cuddled together to keep warm, but poor geoffery had no one to huddle or cuddle. 

‎"first I was sad, and now I'm sad and cold." and a tear welled in his eye, rolled down his cheek and then fell for a very long time indeed before going 'splash' "sad and cold... and lonely".

Mr Parkovski the zoo keeper happened to be passing. 'splash'. "what's that noise?" he thought to himself. 'splash'. He looked across and saw a little puddle at geoffery's feet.

"Oh dear," thought Mr. Parkovski "cheer up geoffery", he chirped in a friendly manner, but geoffery didn't hear, because he was already drifting off into a deep sleep- dreaming of interesting conversations with equally interesting giraffes. "poor geoffery," thought Mr. Parkovski- I'll have to do something to cheer him up- and he did.

That night Mr. Parkovski was very busy indeed. After he'd said goodnight to the gorillas and given the koalas their cocoa, he got fourteen big balls of wool and began knitting them into a scarf long enough for 20 children- or a single giraffe. 

By the morning it was finisihed- red and white and as stripey as a bee. He took it to Geoffery along with his breakfast. Geoffery was very surprised indeed- it was his birthday until thespring time, and cristmas was still a month or so away, but it is always nice to receive presents, and it cheered him right up. 'Thankyou' said geoffery, and he really really meant it.

That day was one of the best geoffery could ever remember- with his long neck wrapped up in his longer scarf he really did look splendid- and for once it was he, not Terrance the tiger, or Harry the hippo who was the star attraction. Children queued for hours to have their photo taken with that funny giraffe in his funny scarf. But at the end of the day, when all the children had gone home, and Mr. Parkovsky had locked up for the night, geoffery found he felt just as sad as he had the evenign before, if a little warmer.

‎"Comeone bumpkins, cheer up", said a voice from the top of a tree. Geoffery looked up to see Miguel the Monkey swinging dangerously above his head. "would you stop that. You are making me feel quite uneasy" requested Geoffery. "Just trying to cheer you up" replied miguel. "I don't ned cheering up, thankyou', said Geoffery. "Yes you do", said miguel. "you look extremely grumpy. What's the matter?"

And so Geoffery told Miguel exactly what the matter was- how he felt he couldn't really play with the other animals, that he needed another giraffe to talk to, but there were none.

"Look here" said Miguel, "If you're so lonely, why don't you just go and ind another giraffe?"

"What on earth do you mean?" asked Geoffery. "Well, said miguel, your legs are long enough just step over the wall, and off you go.

"But that's not allowed!" exclaimed geoffery.

"Quite. But if you won't be here anymore, then what will it matter?"

Geoffery thought about this for a moment, and decided that miguel did have a point.

"They say Moscow is a very large city. There's bound to be another giraffe around somewhere..." Miguel continued.

"Do you really think so?" Asked Geoffery

"Oh quite. That's why they only need one in the zoo- there are so many wild ones out roaming the streets."

Geoffery thought long and hard about the things that miguel had said. He did seem clever for a monkey.

A little later, when no one was looking, Geoffery poked a foot over the wall. Miguel was right! He could just step over it. How exciting!

And so Geoffery waited until the zoo clock struck twelve times, and mr parkovski's snoring could be heard from his cottage. Geoffery held his breath, closed his eyes, and with a little effort, stepped over the wall and into the street. Geoffery tiptoed down the road as silently as he could, which was quite silent for a giraffe, being careful not to stand on any parked cars as he went. He was quite excited- the city was so big- much bigger than the zoo- but he was also a little disappointed- there was hardly anybody about, and certainly no giraffes.

"Well" thought geoffery to himself, as he yawned, "I suspect they are all fast asleep. And quite right too."

Before long the darkness turned to lightness and the quiet turned to noise, dawn turned to morning, and geoffery found the streets grew busier as throngs of busy people began about their business. And not just people- there were trucks and vans, buses and trams, lorries and cars of all colours, shapes and sizes, revving their engines, honking their horns very importantly indeed.

"How will I cross the road with all of this traffic?" thought Geoffery. Then he saw a man in a funny helmet- he'd seen one of these before, when Miguel the monkey took a lady's camera at the zoo and wouldn't give it back- it was a policeman!. "I know" thought Geoffery, "I'll ask the policeman to help me."

Geoffery put on his best voice. "Excuse me, Mr. Policeman, could you be so kind as to advise me how to cross the road".
"Use the zebra crossing, sir" Advised the policeman.
Goeffery was confused. "You don't seen to understand- I am not a zebra- not even close- I, am a giraffe."

"I don't care if you're a flying fish with three ears" replied the policeman, rudely, "use the zebra crossing like everybody else.

And Geoffery did, although he felt a little absurd.

Geoffery huffed and puffed his way all through the city- he passed old churches, and new shops, crumbling little houses and massive shiny towers. The city was extremely interesting, noted Geoffery, but there really didn't seem to be too many giraffes about at all. Indeed, it did appear that he was the only one.

With great disappointment Geoffery noticed that he was back by the same rude policeman who had advised him earlier. He'd walked in a huge circle all through the city, and come back to exactly where he'd started.

"Excuse me" asked Geoffery, "Would you be so kind as to advise me where I might find a giraffe?"
"A giraffe?" answered the policeman- "well, you might try the zoo."
"no" said geoffery- I can assure you there are no giraffes in the zoo".

"Oh dear". Replied the policeman, who didn't have any other ideas. Not wanting to look stupid, he made something up quickly on the spot. "Why don't you try the school?" He suggested, pointing towards the school.

"Oh, what a good Idea!" exclaimed Geoffery 'Thankyou so much." And off he went.

When geoffery got to the school gates many of the children were surprised to see a giraffe- but not valia- for only the previous evening had she written a letter to father christmas, asking for nothing less than a giraffe for Christmas. And here he was!

"Hello" said Geoffery as he approached.
"Hello" said Valia. "My name is Valia- can we be friends?"
"Certainly." replied Geoffery "My name is Geoffery. Very please to meet you . Please, could you be so kind to tell me where I meight find another giraffe?"
"Certainly!" replied valia- "come on, I'll show you!" Suddenly geoffery was very glad that children are so clever.

Valia jumped on Geoffery's back and rode him down the street. "left!" she called out "right!" she called out. "left...no, right!" she called out. They stopped at red traffic lights, and went through green, and Geoffery was really rahter releaved when Valia declared 'we are here!' and led him inside a very big building indeed...

"over here!" called valia.
"I say, said geoffery, ducking to avoid the ceiling. "this looks like a toyshop!"
"Of course it does, silly...and here are the giraffes!"

Geoffery began to smile. Then he began to giggle, then he began to chuckle, and then, before he could help it, he was roaring with laughter, in that peculiar way giraffes are fond of. There they were- giraffes- Hundreds and hundreds of giraffes- hundreds and hundreds of toy giraffes!

"Oh dear". Said Valia, as Geoffery laughed- aren't these the giraffes you are looking for?"
"No no no," replied Geoffery- "they are wonderful, but I want to find a real giraffe."
"Oh," said Valia- "you won't find a real giraffe in Moscow- apart from the zoo, the only real giraffes here are on the telly- they live in Africa"
"Oh." said Geoffery. "That sounds a long long way away indeed." "It is", replied Valia. "Nearly as far as the moon!" she whispered.
"Well" said Geoffery- I suppose I'd better be getting back to the zoo- that's where I live."
"And I'd better get back to school", replied Valia. Suddenly Valia looked confused. She looked left. She looked right- but she didn't know how to get back! "Oh no!" Said valia, "we're lost!"

‎"Oh no" said geoffery, who was beginning to get hungry, "Then I'll never find my way home." "And I'll get in trouble from the teacher" said valia, a tear in her eye. Geoffery began to shiver with cold. "Oh, it's so chilly. What are we going to do..."

"Look at your scarf!" Said Valia. "It's come undone."

"Undone?" exclaimed Geoffery. "How?"
"I don't know" said Valia, "but if we follow the wool, it will be sure to lead us back to where we started! I am sure!".

"What a brilliant idea", exclaimed Geoffery, and for the second time that day, was so glad children are as clever as they are.

And so they went right then left then left then right, back over a zebra crossing or too, stopping at red lights, going through green, until they were back at the school gates. "Well", said Geoffery- It was very nice meeting you Be sure to ome and visit me on saturday at the zoo!"
"Oh I will" promised Valia. "That and every other Saturday too!"
"Splendid." smiled Geoffery. "Cheerio." and so they parted, the best of friends.

Geoffery continued to follow his wool, and it led him all the way back to the zoo walls. By this time all the busy people were busy trying to get home and the streets were busier then they had been all day, and Geoffery was quite glad to begoing home too!. With one last effort, Geoffery stepped over the wall, and back into his courtyard. And what a surprise! There standing in the courtyard was mister parkovski. And standing next to mister parkovski was a very fine looking giraffe indeed.

"Good afternoon", Geoffery introduced himself to the other giraffe. "I am Geoffery."
"Good heavens!" exclaimed Mr Parkovski. "what on earth are you doing here?"
"In case you'd forgotten", explained Geoffery, "I happen to live here."
"We thought you weren't coming back Geoffery- so we got another giraffe- meet Geraldine."
"very pleased to meet you geraldine."
"Likewise geoffery".

And from that day onwards, Geoffery was the happiest giraffe in the world. He always had someone to talk to, always had someone to play with, someone to share a particularly tasty leaf with, and above all, someone to climb over the wall with, when mister parkovski and the other animals had all gone to sleep.

Indeed the shadows of two giraffes are often seen dancing through the streets of moscow on fine, dry nights.