A story about... An Animal c. 1999/2000 Dan Biemer, Damon Diehl, Rachel Rosenberg, Jack Welch	RACHEL	DAN	DAMON & JACK
				JACK & DAMON
			DAMON	DAN & JACK
				JACK & DAN
			JACK	DAN & DAMON
				DAMON & DAN

This was the recommendation of the koala. What it had to do with flying, Frederick could not say. But often, the koalas had shown wisdom beyond their years after spending the day in the eucalyptus trees. They had a saying -- you always left the tree with more than you brought. Frederick didn't know what this meant either, but the koalas had that sort of affible quality about them that made you want to believe what they said. They obviously weren't in it for prestige (how could you be and still carry around your young in a pouch), and they weren't trying to show off, they just recommended that before Frederick tried anything remotely like flying, he should spend a few hours eating eucalyptus. Frederick wouldn't have dreamt of eating the plant without the koalas' permission, of course, since it clearly fell into their domain. But, being the laid back and generally hospitable folk that they were, the koalas were all smiles when they invited -- no, almost pulled -- Frederick into the eucalyptus grove. 

Frederick sucked in the fragrance through two huge yellow giraffe nostrils, and let the bouquet rumble down his long throat. His leathery tongue made short work of the pointy leaves. As he chewed, he pondered flying. The more he tied to concentrate on it, the less he was able to follow the thread of his own thoughts, but the better he felt. 

Soon, Frederick was sure that he had derived the secret of flight. Running full out with remains of a eucalyptus tree top flailing from the side of his mouth he knew that he was transforming into a winged beast, not seen on Earth since the primitive days. The sprouting wings carried him upward. As he neared the cliffs, he reached far upward with his neck, straining to bring the rest of his body with him. He flapped his new giraffe wings hard and splayed his knobby-kneed legs for balance as the wind took him upward.