One day, Carolina the giraffe received an invitation from her best friend Giorgino the cat who had a shiny black fur coat and lived in Manhattan.
Even though Carolina knew that it was a long journey to New York, she also knew that she wasn’t going to miss it for the world. And so, shortly thereafter she found herself for the first time in the Big Apple!
The big city felt so different from her home in Africa, and at first Carolina felt disoriented.
To help her feel more at home, Giorgino invited Carolina to his friend Sket the Mouse’s birthday party.
Sket had invited all of New York’s most interesting animals: art gallery owners, food critics, and established professionals.
Carolina was very surprised to discover that a mouse had so many friends and above all that he was such good friends with a cat, but you know… anything is possible in New York!!
Sket the Mouse, however, had warned Giorgino that a tall giraffe like Carolina would barely be able to fit in her loft, hidden in the basement of one of New York’s most famous skyscrapers.
But Giorgino wouldn’t give up: he thought for a bit and ultimately decided to bring Carolina with him anyway.
The two arrived on Sket’s doorstep dressed to the nines!
But alas, standing in Sket’s entranceway, it became immediately clear to the two friends that because of her long neck, Carolina wouldn’t fit inside.
So then what? Giorgino wasn’t about to leave Carolina outside all alone; she was already embarrassed enough!
And so, he checked with Sket and the two devised a plan so as not to deprive Carolina of the opportunity to experience the electrifying atmosphere of a true New York party! Sket and Giorgino took a very long string of tiny lights and colored wreaths and wrapped it around Carolina from her neck straight down to her hooves.
So she could also hear the music, Sket and Giorgino gave Carolina big headphones that covered her ears. Finally, Carolina felt included in the party and began to dance non-stop in front of the door.
Slowly but surely, all of the other guests arrived… but that wasn’t all! The lights around Carolina’s neck ended up attracting other animals as well.
And so, just like that, a huge crowd of invited guests and newcomers gathered around Carolina for the party, almost to the point where she was intimidated by the group.
But it was in that moment that Carolina, having overcome her initial embarrassment, had one of her most brilliant ideas.
She called out to the animals at the party and all together they inflated a huge slide that ran down Carolina’s neck straight into Sket’s living room pool filled with foam. Within seconds, the gathering turned into an unforgettable party!
The animals didn’t stopped slipping and sliding all night!!
What a joy for Carolina! She never could have imagined that even in a foreign land, so far from her Africa, she would have felt at home. And it was all thanks to her best friends!
