Gerald the selfish giraffe - A story for children and adults - fiction

                                             

Once upon a time there was a little giraffe named Gerald. Gerald was a very shy giraffe, because he looked totally different than all the other giraffes. Gerald was born without spots. His parents noticed that he looked a little different than their other children, but they loved him just as much.  

Everyone at home accepted Gerald for what he was, but when the time came for Gerald to go to school, they ran into a little problem.  Gerald refused to go to school. His parents begged him, and promised him that he would make lots of new friends and that he would learn a lot of new things, but Gerald didn't care. He was not interested in learning anything new, or even to make new friends.  He just wanted to look like all the other giraffes.  

That night, before the first day of school, Gerald packed up all his things and he ran away. He had absolutely no idea where he was going, but he knew he had to find someone that would help him be normal.  

Everyone at home were devastated about Gerald's disappearance. They immediately called a search party but they couldn't find him anywhere. His parents and family members searched for weeks, but Gerald was nowhere to be found.  His mother was so miserable and worried that she refused to eat anything and became very ill. Days became weeks, and weeks became months, but no one could find poor Gerald. No one could explain what happened to the little Giraffe.  It was like he just vanished into thin air.  

Meanwhile, Gerald was on a journey to find the wise owl. The wise owl lived in the dark forest and he had a very long journey ahead of him. He knew that the wise owl would be able to tell him where he could find spots so that he could look the same as all the other giraffes.  

                                                              

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Gerald did not care about anyone that he left behind. He thought only about himself. He was the only one important in his life, and he thought that if he could look the same as all the other giraffes that he would be happy. 

The first animal that Gerald came across on his journey was Selma the snake. He did not know that he was supposed to be scared of snakes, and luckily Selma was not a bad snake.  She told him that he should go and see the wise owl, as the wise owl knows everything.  

Gerald came across many more animals on his long journey, and it took months for him to finally get to the dark forest.  Gerald was afraid to go into the dark forest alone, but he had no support with him, as he left everyone important behind.  He had come this far, so he had to complete his journey alone.    

    

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Everyone that Gerald met in the dark forest told him that he should find the tree in the middle of the forest as that is where the wise owl lived.  He searched and searched and finally he found the tree.  He was so happy that he jumped of joy and he knew that all his problems were solved. He cautiously approached the tree as he did not know what to expect, and there, on one of the highest branches he saw the little owl.  

" Woo-hoo are you?" asked the wise owl.  " I am Gerald the giraffe with no spots, and I have come here to ask you where I can find my spots, so that I look the same as all the other giraffes..."

" Woo-hoo told you that you need spots to be a giraffe?" The wise owl asked. 

"Nobody told me, I just know that I look different that my brothers and sisters and I want to look the same as they do..."

"You-hoo are wrong to think this way.  We are all created differently.  You don't need to look like someone else to be liked. We are all special in our own ways''

The wise owl turned sideways and it was them that Gerald saw that the wise owl was blind.  He felt ashamed because he was so selfish. He realized that everyone already accepted him and he only had to accept himself. He thanked the owl for opening his eyes, and turned around to return home.  

His journey home was much shorter and when he arrived back home, everyone was overjoyed to see him. 

Moral of the story:

Learning to accept yourself is more important than making people accept you.  It's how YOU see yourself that matters.  

                                    

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