The Giraffe's Short Friend

The Giraffe's Short Friend Ebru Mina TOMURCUK

On the sunny savanna, the grass was warm and the sky was wide. Tallulah the giraffe stood tall, taller than any other animal. Her golden-tan coat was covered in soft brown patches, and her long neck reached up to the highest leaves. She smiled a gentle smile and looked out over the plains. It was a beautiful day to be tall. 1

Down in the short grass, a tiny dik-dik named Pip scurried between the bushes. Pip was barely knee-high to Tallulah, with soft reddish-brown fur and big round eyes. His little horns and large ears twitched at every sound. He wore a tiny blue bead necklace and loved to explore. The savanna was full of small, secret places just his size. 2

One morning, Tallulah and Pip met by a thorn tree. "Hello, little one," said Tallulah. "Hello, tall one," said Pip. They looked at each other and laughed. "You can reach the very top leaves," said Pip. "And you can slip through tiny spaces," said Tallulah. Right then, they became best friends. 3

Every day, the two friends explored the savanna together. Tallulah nibbled leaves from the tallest branches. Pip darted under bushes and through narrow gaps. "I can see for miles!" Tallulah said. "I can see right under this log!" Pip said. They laughed at how different they were. Being different made every day an adventure for the giraffe and the dik-dik. 4

Then one day, a strange thing appeared on the savanna. A loud humming sound came from the old baobab tree. All the animals gathered around, puzzled. "What is that noise?" asked the zebras. "Where is it coming from?" asked the warthogs. Nobody could solve the mystery. The humming went on and on, and the animals grew curious and a little worried. 5

Tallulah stretched her long neck high above the baobab tree. She looked left, then right, then all around. "I see nothing from up here," she said. "The sound is close, but I cannot find it." She squinted her gentle dark eyes. The humming seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. Tallulah felt clumsy and confused. She wanted to help, but her tall view was not enough. 6

Pip scampered around the base of the baobab tree. He peeked under roots and behind rocks. "I hear it too," he said, "but I cannot see it." His big ears swiveled this way and that. He slipped through a narrow gap between two stones. Still, the mystery hummed on. Pip was quick and clever, but his low view was not enough either. 7

The other animals tried to help. The elephants stomped and trumpeted. The monkeys chattered and swung from branches. The birds flew in circles. But nobody could solve the savanna mystery. "It is too high," said the zebras. "It is too low," said the warthogs. The friends looked at each other. "Maybe we need to work together," said Tallulah. 8

Tallulah lifted her head high and scanned the horizon. "I will look from up high," she said. She stretched her long neck and peered into the leaves. Pip crouched down low. "I will peek from down low," he said. He wiggled under a bush and looked at the ground. The humming grew louder. "Do you see anything?" called Tallulah. "Not yet!" squeaked Pip. 9

Tallulah spotted a tiny flash of light near the top of the baobab. "There is something shiny up there!" she called. But she could not see what it was. Pip wriggled closer to the trunk and peered into a small hollow. "And there is something buzzing down here!" he called. But he could not see what it was. They needed both views to solve the mystery. 10

Tallulah lowered her long neck as far as she could. "Pip, climb on my head," she said. "From up there, you can see the shiny thing." Pip carefully climbed up Tallulah's neck and sat between her small ossicones. "I see it!" he cried. "It is a honeycomb!" From high up, Pip could see the golden honeycomb stuck in the branches, buzzing with bees. 11

But the honeycomb was too high for Pip to reach alone. "Now I will help," said Tallulah. She reached her long neck up and gently nudged the honeycomb. It dropped down and landed softly in the grass. The bees buzzed away, happy to find a new home. The humming stopped. "We solved it!" cheered Pip. "Together!" said Tallulah, smiling her gentle smile. 12

All the animals cheered. "The giraffe and the dik-dik solved the mystery!" they shouted. The zebras danced, and the warthogs snorted with joy. "How did you do it?" asked the monkeys. "Tallulah looked high," said Pip, "and I peeked low." "And then we shared what we saw," said Tallulah. The friends smiled at each other. Being different made them a great team. 13

That evening, Tallulah and Pip sat together under the baobab tree. The sun set in a blaze of orange and pink. "You know," said Tallulah, "I am glad you are small." "And I am glad you are tall," said Pip. They laughed. The savanna was quiet and peaceful. Their friendship was not limited by size at all. 14

From that day on, the giraffe and the dik-dik were known as the best of friends. Tallulah reached the high leaves, and Pip slipped through small spaces. When a problem appeared, they looked from up high and down low. Together, they could solve anything. The savanna was full of mysteries, but the two friends were ready for every one.