So it was on one warm spring day that a baby giraffe, whom everyone called Stretch, because his neck seemed to be so very long for the rest of him, stood looking through the park fence. “Oh!” he thought, “if only I could get out there and see what’s over there behind those trees” but look as he might he could not find a way out. Now over on the other side of the park zoo there also lived a baby ostrich. She was not the most beautiful bird in the world for sure since her legs seemed to be much to long for her body. The other animals laughed and called her legs. She so wanted to be able to run as fast as her mother but each time she would try, her legs would get tangled up and send her tumbling on the ground and everyone would laugh and laugh.
Sometimes Stretch and Legs would get together and race around the fence. Soon the other baby animals would join in the fun. There was Ears the baby elephant, Skip the little deer and Ruff the baby buffalo and many others. Over the hills and around the rocks and trees they would go. Oh! It was such fun.
One day while playing near the gate, Stretch noticed a little brown monkey on the other side of the fence where the road lead over the hill to the amusement park. “What’s your name he asked?”
“My name’s Jumpin Jack” he said. “My mom says I can never stay still for even a moment.” With that he scrambled up over the fence and joined the others. It wasn’t long before the Ranger appeared and tried to catch Jumpin Jack to take him back to the Monkey’s home on the other side of the park. Jumpin Jack scrambled back over the fence and raced as fast as he could back to his mom where he sat and laughed at the Ranger, who told him he was being very bad.
Now that didn’t stop Jumpin Jack and the very next day he was back to the fence to see his friends Stretch and Legs. “Jumpin Jack” Stretch said, “I wish I could go over to the amusement park and see all the grand stuff there.”
“I can help you” Jumpin Jack said. “We will get Ears to get the Rangers’ attention and while he is away I will open the agate and away we’ll go.
So they called Ears over to fence, “will you get the Ranger’s attention” they asked, “so we can get through the gate.”
“No problem” replied Ears so he lumbered over to the elephant pond and started to cry as only a baby elephant can. The Ranger run to see what was wrong and quick as a wink, Jumpin Jack opened the gate and away they ran over the hill and down into the amusement park. Oh! Everything was so pretty Stretch thought. The big Ferris wheel and the ponies on the merry-go-round were ever so colorful with their fresh coat of paint just waiting for the children to come back and ride. They raced around all the buildings and peeked inside them and then crossed a wooden bridge. Over on the other side was a wooden fence. Stretch looked over and saw dozens of small animals.
“Who are you?” he asked one little fellow. .
“My name’s Billy”, the little fellow replied, “I am a goat, come on in and play with us.” Quick as a wink Jumpin Jack was over the fence but Stretch and Legs just couldn’t make it. .
“Don’t worry” Jumpin Jack said “I will open the gate for you.” Soon they were all racing around with all the little goats.
Billy liked to climb to the very top of the rock pile just to show off. “See how high I am” he said. But as children sometimes do Stretch came along and could not resist giving Billy a shove and down he rumbled. Billy’s mom was not to happy so she charged out of the goat house and chased Stretch right out of the goat pen. Legs and Jumpin Jack ran to. It wasn’t long before they heard the Ranger coming in his big yellow truck.
“There after us,” Stretch said, “we better run.”
“Just follow me” called Legs as she started running as fast as she could. Now sometimes when legs got running she had trouble getting stopped and to-day was no exception, just as she rounded one corner there in front of her was the big pond. She couldn’t stop and went running right in. Legs could not swim so she sank to the bottom and come up squawking so loudly that the rangers raced to the edge of the pond and waded in to her rescue. Stretch thought it all very funny and was so busy watching Legs he failed to watch where he was going. Alas, he was going under a tree and forgot to duck his head. Bang went his head on the big limb. Poor Stretch fell down on his knees and rubbed his head. Before he could get back on his fee the ranger had him captured and loaded in the big van.
Jumpin Jack had climbed quickly to the top of the tree where he sat chattering and laughing as his two friends were rounded up and loaded on the truck. They looked so funny, Legs all wet and drooping and Stretch with a big bump on his head. Jumpin Jack laughed so hard he forgot to hold on like mom had always told him to do when sitting high in a tree and down he came crashing and lay in a heap on the ground. “Serves you right” said Ranger Tom, “You have been a very bad monkey today, so tomorrow you will have to stay inside all day.”
“Good-bye Jumpin Jack” called Stretch and Legs “be sure to come and see us again.”
“Oh, I’ll be over soon” he promised “and we will go for a really grand tour the next time. I have always wanted to see what’s on the other side of the trees.” So they parted Stretch and Legs back to their mothers in the big field and Jumpin Jack back to his mother in the high tree house.
. Stretch was so tired that as soon as the ranger let them off the truck he raced home to his mother for some lunch and then curled up for a nap. As he drifted off to sleep he dreamt of tomorrow and the trip they would take over the meadow and through the trees. What would they find on the other side, he wondered, as his eyes went closed.