Rainbow Dash Around the World

by MagicS

Giraffe Glade VI

“And so the giraffe stretches. He reaches high. Higher and higher. Reaching for the leaves. But his neck is still too short.”

“A giraffe with neck longer comes. His neck is not too short. He reaches high, reaches and reaches, the branch comes lower.”

“The first giraffe now reaches again. He reaches and reaches. The leaves are now close enough. He eats.”

“Two giraffes eat leaves together.”

“As it should always be. Giraffe, giraffe, together. Giraffe, giraffe, community.”

“Later another giraffe. His neck too short.’

“And another giraffe. His neck long enough.”

“Two more giraffes eat leaves together.”

“As it should always be.”

---

Rainbow Dash’s glazed over eyes watched as the latest poet left the stage. Then surprisingly there wasn’t another giraffe to come up and the crowd in the Poetry Hall started talking amongst themselves. She blinked and wiped the drool from her mouth. “I-Is it over?”

“Yes. He was the last. The poetry recital for today is over,” He Whose Neck Is Long answered.

Rainbow Dash held back the urge to cheer and scream out in joy.

“It was quite an excellent night of poetry if this one says so. You are quite lucky to have arrived today,” He Whose Neck Is Long said.

“I-I am?” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow at him.

He nodded. “Yes. Truly a great showing. Many exemplary poets were in Dacty today. Would you care to meet any of them? This one is sure they’d love to discuss their poetry with an outsider.”

“No please!” Rainbow Dash quickly held up her hooves and shook her head. “I-I mean… I’m sure they’re tired after reciting their poetry. And they wouldn’t want some doofus who doesn’t know anything about poetry bothering them.”

“This one sees. Then perhaps you would like a tent now. Or to talk to our storyteller?” He Whose Neck Is Long asked.

“I… uh,” Rainbow Dash looked outside the small “windows” of the hall (really just holes in the mud and grass) and saw that while it was almost night it was still way too early for her to sleep. She sighed in defeat. “Yeah, let’s go talk to your storyteller.” She glanced back at him. “Didn’t you have a date with that other giraffe to keep?”

“That one will understand. Duty comes first. The village will remain,” he said. “You wouldn’t have much of an idea of what to do if this one wasn’t here to help you navigate Dacty and our ways. That one will see what this one is doing as a good and necessary thing.”

“Well thanks for helping me out,” Rainbow Dash said. And she did mean it. Even if her brain was fried from the poetry. The giraffes were indeed not an unfriendly folk, just weird. Exactly as Cart had put it.

Other giraffes started walking part the two of them, leaving the long hall since the poetry was done with. She saw a few at the front of the building by the stage talking with some of the poets—something she was thankful to have been able to talk her way out of. Most of the giraffes that walked by again either only vaguely acknowledged her presence with a slight nod or glance or just ignored her completely. Stoic was the word of the day. He Whose Neck Is long waited for the aisle to clear up and he started to leave the hall, with Rainbow buzzing right by his head.

Comments

[redmar]

The storyteller will probably a more interesting person to listen too.

[LunaticBZ]

I hope to hear a story about acai leaves.

[TheCommunistDog]

Thank god.

In today’s chapter: Its Over!!!