Spots

Here is a story that happened long long ago, when fairytales still happened and the World was flat and the Sun travels across the World from one end of the World to the other.

At this time there lived, at the Edge of the World, a dear little Giraffe. Living at the Edge of the World had its problems. For one thing, Giraffe tended to drop things about - she was never a neat giraffe - and hence her things frequently fall over the Edge of the World. The Edge of the World also happened to be very far away from the Rest of the World and Giraffe never had much visitors. Giraffe also needed a long time to get to the Rest of the World and hence Giraffe was frequently late as well.

Giraffe loved Spots and had always dreamed of having beautiful Spots. In the days when fairytales still happen, spots were difficult to get and were really difficult to maintain well. Some might have one or two random small spots, others might get a few of different colours, yet some might have uneven spots, or worst of all, there were some who could not get any spots at all. But our Giraffe here dreamed of having some really beautiful Spots, quite evenly spaced, and homogeneous in the colouration.

When Giraffe was young and knew nothing about the dangers lurking around the World, Giraffe did not have the spots she had this day (not that Giraffe is very much older now). But Giraffe always wanted Spots. Good, beautiful Spots, not just any spots like the others.

She searched high and low around the World, roaming from the Edge of the World to the Rest of the World. One day, Giraffe found a Lion with the most beautiful spots she has ever seen. Knowing nothing about the dangers of the World, Giraffe gathered up her courage (for she was a shy and sweet little Giraffe, whatever she may appear on the outside), and approached Lion for his secret to beautiful Spots.

Lion indeed had some pretty charming Spots seldom seen in any part of the World. And Lion was proud that Giraffe saw his beautiful Spots and was charmed. So Lion took Giraffe home and showed her how to get beautiful Spots.

Now Lion also saw that Giraffe, being the sweet dear little giraffe she is, could possibly be a good one to boast of his Spots to. Giraffe was loyal and faithful. And Giraffe would work to her death for something she believed in. Giraffe, knowing nothing about the dangers lurking around the World, was trusting and believed the best in everything.

So Lion started showing Giraffe ways to get beautiful Spots. Giraffe listened to every single bit of advice and worked harder than anything. Soon, Giraffe started to have some Spots! At first, they were not very beautiful. Some were bigger, some were smaller, and there were green ones, red ones, even purple ones (Giraffes do not like purple). As Giraffe continued working on the Spots, they got nicer and nicer. Most of them started turning into some shades of brown and they also evened out over whole of Giraffe.

Everytime Giraffe went back to the Edge of the World, she would faithfully carry out the instructions Lion taught her. And everytime Sun passed overhead and saw Giraffe working hard on her Spots.

So it happens like all other things, Giraffe's Spots got more and more beautiful as she faithfully carried out all the instructions Lion gave her. But at some point, there seemed to be a lull in the Spot-growth. Giraffe was perplexed. She did everything faithfully, but there just seemed to be something missing. At the same time, Lion, seeing that Giraffe did not look as beautiful as he expected her to look after all this time, lost his interest in showing Giraffe ways to beautify and maintain Spots.

Now Giraffe started to get confused. Did she do something wrong in her Spot management? Or did she miss out some steps? Or perhaps she was just too stupid to be able to grow beautiful Spots. Poor Giraffe became extremely depressed. So depressed she did not continue maintaining her Spots for a long time.

Years passed. Giraffe, now slightly older and wiser than she was before (not that she is very very much older), longed for beautiful Spots again. This has always been Giraffe's Dream and Dreams do not die in the World during the times when FairyTales still happened.

Giraffe, being older (not too much older though) and wiser now wondered about going back to Lion. Would he be able to show her how to get beautiful Spots? Giraffe, confused, talked to her friend, Weasel. Weasel was a spotless animal, but he liked good Spots too and so was able to give Giraffe some advice. Then Giraffe asked Cow about the secret of her Spots, and she asked Chipmunk, and she asked Pig. She was sad and she was confused.

One day, as Giraffe was out on a stroll around the Edge of the World, she met a Potato. Potato started talking to Giraffe and she was surprised because for one thing, Giraffe never knew Potatoes could talk. And for another, Giraffe never imagined Potato could talk about Spots! So Potato talked and talked and talked and then potato mentioned a certain elusive being in the World at the times when FairyTales still happened, Owl. Potato encouraged Giraffe to look for Owl as Owl perhaps was more experienced in the type of Spots that Giraffe wanted. (Of course, Potato did not exactly put it this way, telling Giraffe that Owl was more experienced, but at this time, Giraffe, being older (not very much older) and wiser, understood).

Giraffe hence packed the few things she might need and set off to find the elusive Owl. After days of walking and wearing her hooves thin, Giraffe finally found Old Oak Tree with a bough cut off. Apparantly, Potato told Giraffe that Owl could be found here. So Giraffe, screwing up all her courage, knocked on the Old Oak Tree. To Giraffe's delight, a little panel opened on the side of Old Oak Tree and Owl invited Giraffe in. Giraffe and Owl had a long chat, and to Giraffe's delight, she could still pursue her dreams of Spot-growing!


Owl said, "Perhaps you should find another one who can teach you other Spot-growing ways"

Giraffe, "I do not know who"

Owl, "Who do you think have nice Spots?"

Giraffe, "I haven't come across many nice Spots"

Owl, "Do you know the Sun?"

Giraffe, "You mean the Sun who rises over the Edge of the World everyday?"

Owl, "Yes, and he has some Spot-growing methods I heard"

Giraffe, "Will the Sun want to show me his Spot-growing methods?"

Owl, "I'm sure he will, I'll help you ask"

So Giraffe went back to her home at the Edge of the World, happy and excited. Owl flew to the Sun and asked about Giraffe and her Spots and Sun said, "Oh, I've seen Giraffe many a time, trying to grow her Spots. I would not mind helping her."

And thus began Giraffe's second attempt at Spot-growing, this time with the Sun. Sun knew Giraffe was a sweet dear little Giraffe who was willing to put in all she had to get beautiful Spots and so the Sun tried his best to help Giraffe. Giraffe was slow at times, and made many many mistakes in the instructions the Sun gave her. But the Sun tried to be patient with her for he knew that Giraffe would hide in her house on the Edge of the World, never to show anyone else her Spots if she felt that she had failed again.

Now Lion happened to hear about Giraffe and her second attempt at getting beautiful Spots. Lion was proud and hurt that Giraffe did not ask for his advice again and so he wanted to sought Giraffe out. Giraffe, however, being the sweet and trusting little Giraffe she was, was keen and eager to let Lion see her new Spots she had grown in the few years of absence.

So it happened that one day, when Giraffe wandered to the Rest of the World and met Lion, Lion asked to see the Spots that Giraffe has gotten. Giraffe, though she knew that her spots were not very beautiful yet, was happy to show Lion all that she has. Now when Lion saw Giraffe's spots, he started telling her, "I think this Spot looks really weird here, oh, and this one is the wrong shade of colour. Oh, you should not crowd too many spots around here, that's ugly."

Poor Giraffe suddenly felt that her Spots were all wrong! Perhaps she should not grow anymore Spots? She does not know. Perhaps Lion meant the best, for he knew how to grow nice Spots too, or did Lion feel upset at Giraffe? Giraffe felt that she had let the Sun down too for he spent so many hours watching over her as she tries to learn the many ways of getting beautiful spots. Giraffe is confused. And Giraffe feels too stupid to continue growing Spots.

And so the story ends here. It is not a story with a happy ending. For Giraffe does not know what to do here. Dreams do not die in the times when FairyTales still happened, but Giraffe is confused. Will Giraffe's Dream live on?