In a big forest
lived a
beautiful little
giraffe called
Giralda. Being
very tall and
gangly, she did
not feel
comfortable with
the other
animals of the
forest, thinking
that because she
was different,
they did not
like her.
Then, feeling
slighted,
Giralda tried to
find a way to be
loved and to
have the
attention of all
animals.
One day she was
by a pond
enjoying tasty
leaves she was
picking up at
the nearest
tree, when a
monkey, her
friend, came
leaping from
branch to
branch. Giralda
began to observe
him.
 |
The monkey, with
his little eyes
wide open, saw a
ripe fruit and
decided to pick
it up. As the
fruit was
hanging from a
thinner branch,
the monkey went
closer...
closer...
closer… and,
when he thought
he was close
enough he
reached out to
get it. But at
that instant
there was a
Crack! … The
branch broke and
he fell into the
pond! ...
The giraffe,
which observed
it all, began to
laugh at the wet
monkey. Then she
went to break
the news to a
turtle that
lived nearby,
which in her
turn rolled on
the grass
laughing.
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|
Given the
reaction
received from
the turtle, who
liked the news
and started to
look at her with
more interest,
the giraffe
decided to tell
the fact to the
other animals.
The reaction was
always the same.
Everyone had fun
with the
monkey's
situation, who
did not like to
be a
laughingstock to
his friends.
From that day
on, the little
giraffe began
|
 |
|
observing
the
lives of
all
animals
of the
forest
and then
tell
their
friends
what
happened.
And it
became a
habit. |
So she came to
be known as
Giralda, the
gossip. When
someone wanted
to know the
news, they would
rush and ask the
little giraffe.
And so, with
interest
increasing more
and more, she
had to keep an
eye on the other
animals. She
could not miss
out on anything!
 |
Turns out, one
day, she was so
preoccupied with
monitoring the
lives of others,
that turning her
head to look
here and there,
up and down,
forward and
backward, the
poor thing
suddenly
realized she had
tied a knot on
her own neck!
As she realized
it, the little
giraffe started
crying and
screaming:
- Help! Help!
Someone help me!
I'm choking! …
Such was the fit
of weeping that
all the animals
|
|
that
were
nearby
came to
see the
reason
of all
that
screaming. |
Seeing the
situation of the
giraffe,
however, they
found it very
funny. They
started to
laugh. All
around her, they
commented and
laughed.
At that moment,
the little
giraffe felt in
her own skin
what it is to
serve as a
laughingstock to
others. The same
she had done so
much to her
friends, now
they were doing
to her, laughing
mercilessly at
her plight.
Humbly, she
continued to
plead, with a
heart-rending
cry:
- Please help
me! I gave my
neck a knot and
now I do not
know what to do!
…
Then, tired of
laughing, the
animals stopped,
recognizing that
the giraffe's
situation was
really delicate.
- What can we
do? - asked the
zebra.
But nobody had
any idea! They
were all small
and the
giraffe's neck
was way up high!
Then the owl
wisely
suggested:
- Why not make a
ladder by
climbing on each
other's back?
The animals
approved the
excellent idea!
Promptly, they
made a ladder
with their own
bodies. On top
of all was the
monkey, which
was guiding
Giralda on how
to undo the knot
on her long
neck.
- Turn your head
to that side,
Giralda. Yes!
Now, it goes
underneath.
Good! - he
helped her until
they could
resolve the
situation.
Free of her
predicament, the
little giraffe
thanked all her
friends,
especially the
monkey,
recognizing:
- I know I did
wrong with you,
using your
problems and
difficulties for
gossip. I felt
neglected and,
therefore, acted
that way.
Actually, I just
wanted to have
love and
attention from
you! … Being
big, I felt
different from
everybody! ...
- But we like
you, Giralda! -
said the
leopard, and the
other animals
agreed.
- And as for
being different,
you can see that
none of us looks
like the other
here, and that
is exactly what
makes each one
of us special!
- You are right.
Thank you, my
friends. Now I
know! But I also
know how
difficult it is
to be in the
position of
those who suffer
from people
laughing at
them. When
seeing someone
in trouble,
instead of
helping, I made
it worse with my
comments.
The little
giraffe stopped
talking, looked
at each animal,
and concluded:
- So, I ask you
for forgiveness.
I'll never do it
again. Now, I
promise to help
whenever I can
be useful.
The animals were
happy. They
embraced, and
from that day
on, in that
stretch of the
forest peace and
understanding
reigned.
MEIMEI
Psychographed by
Celia Xavier de
Camargo on
25/10/2011.
