In a savanna full of happy and colorful animals, there lived a giraffe named Lola. Although she was tall and elegant like all giraffes, Lola had a secret: she was very afraid of being up high. Yes, her, who with her long neck could see beyond the trees, didn’t even dare to look down.
“How is it possible for a giraffe to be afraid of heights?” Lola wondered as she slowly walked through the meadow.
The other animals always admired her height. Zebras would ask her to help them reach the highest leaves on the trees, and monkeys would play on her neck as if it were a swing. But every time someone mentioned how wonderful it must be to have such an incredible view, Lola would lower her head and pretend to search for something on the ground.
One day, while walking near the river, she heard a small but determined voice.
“Hello, giraffe! Can you help me?”
Lola turned her head and saw a little mouse named Elias. He was standing next to a very tall tree, trying to reach a fruit hanging from a branch almost at the very top.
“I need that fruit for my sister, who is sick,” Elias explained. “But I can’t reach it.”
Lola swallowed hard. The fruit was so high that she would have to stretch her entire neck to get it. And that meant… looking down!
“I… I don’t know if I can do it,” Lola murmured.
Elias looked at her in surprise.
“Why not? You’re the tallest one here!”
Lola sighed and admitted:
“I’m afraid of heights. I don’t like looking down when I’m so high up.”
The little mouse smiled sweetly.
“You don’t have to look down, Lola. Just focus on what’s above. Think about how special it is to be able to help others from where no one else can reach.”
Elias’ words made Lola think. Maybe he was right. She took a deep breath, slowly raised her long neck, and began stretching it toward the fruit. At first, she felt a nervous flutter in her stomach, but she kept going. When she finally reached the fruit with her lips, she let out a sigh of relief.
“I did it!” she exclaimed excitedly.
Elias clapped enthusiastically.
“You’re amazing, Lola! Thank you for trying.”
From that day on, Lola started to feel different. She no longer avoided using her height to help others. Of course, she still felt a little fear sometimes, but she remembered what Elias had told her: “Focus on what you can do, not on what scares you.”
Soon, she became the hero of the savanna. She helped elephants find fruits hidden in the highest branches, guided lost zebras by showing them the way from her privileged vantage point, and although she was still shy about her height, she learned to accept it as something unique and special.
One night, while gazing at the stars, Lola thought about how much she had changed. Before, she had been afraid to even look up, but now she enjoyed the most beautiful view of the entire savanna.
And so, Lola discovered that sometimes our greatest fear can become our greatest strength—it just takes the first step.
End. 🦒
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