Gerald the giraffe was a very polite giraffe, but also a very worried giraffe. He lived in a sunny savanna with lots of tall acacia trees, filled with the most delicious, bright green leaves. The problem was, Gerald was still growing! He wasn’t quite as tall as the other giraffes, and the best leaves were always just a little bit out of reach.
Every day, Gerald would stretch and stretch his long neck, trying to nibble the tastiest leaves. He’d wobble on his long legs, reaching as high as he could, but they always seemed to be just a little further away. He’d sigh and eat the leaves lower down, which were still good, but not *quite* as yummy.
One afternoon, Gerald was feeling particularly glum. His friend, Penelope the zebra, trotted over. “What’s wrong, Gerald?” she asked, flicking her striped tail. Gerald explained his problem. “I just can’t reach the best leaves! I’m not tall enough.”
Penelope smiled. “But Gerald, you’re growing taller every day! And even if you can’t reach them *today*, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to tomorrow. You just need to keep trying, and believe in yourself.”
Gerald thought about what Penelope said. He *was* getting taller. He remembered how just last week, a leaf that was too high was now easily within reach. He took a deep breath and stretched again, this time picturing himself reaching the very top of the tree. He imagined the sweet, juicy taste of the leaves.
He stretched and stretched, and this time… he got a little bit closer! He wiggled his neck, and with one final push, he snagged a big, beautiful leaf! It was the most delicious leaf he had ever tasted.
“I did it!” Gerald exclaimed, happily munching. Penelope cheered. “See? I told you! You just needed to believe in yourself and keep trying.”
From that day on, Gerald still stretched and reached, but he didn’t worry so much. He knew that even if he couldn’t reach something right away, with a little perseverance and a positive attitude, he could achieve anything. And sometimes, he even asked his taller giraffe friends for a little help, which was a very polite thing to do.
As the sun began to set, painting the savanna in warm colors, Gerald and Penelope shared a quiet moment, enjoying the peaceful evening. Gerald knew that even though growing took time, the best things in life were worth reaching for. And with a full tummy and a happy heart, he drifted off to sleep, dreaming of even taller trees and even juicier leaves.