English Translation
A Giraffe Named Ivan
by Nancy Romero

A funny thing happened yesterday, where I work as a Monorail Guide at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. My passengers and I were riding along on the Monorail, enjoying the sights, when we went around a turn and saw a giraffe named Ivan, standing right next to the fence, leaning over it. Ivan had picked up a shoe, and the shoe was now dangling from Ivan's mouth by the shoestring! Then, Ivan dropped the shoe, just onto the other side of the fence.It looked as though Ivan was now searching for the shoe. I contacted and informed my Lead at Simba Station of this, asking permission to disembark the Monorail so that I could go and get the shoe before Ivan could find it. My Lead radioed back and said okay, but do be careful, and don't get too close to that giraffe. I responded with 10/4. So then, I climbed down the Monorail ladder to the ground, while all my passengers watched closely. So there stood Ivan, right near the fence. It would be very dangerous for me to approach the fence now, since giraffe can swing their heads likeee a wrecking ball. So, what did we do? Well, I stood at a safe distance from Ivan, and I waited. And waited. Ivan and I actually had a staring contest... And then, Ivan turned around, and stared at me over his left shoulder!! After what seemed like five minutes of waiting, success! Ivan the giraffe made his way down a hill; he seemed so stately and grand. Whew! Now I could go run and grab the shoe. When I picked it up, my passengers applauded, and I, suprised, took a dramatic bow. That's the end of my story; smile!