خانواده‌ی من

CHAPTER TWO

My Family

Hi! My name is Jack. I am a boy and I am twelve. I live with my parents in Africa. My parents are scientists. They know a lot about African animals.

I have got a sister. Her name is Jill. She is twenty-three. Jill doesn’t live with us. She lives with her husband, Bill. I don’t like Bill. If Jill wants something, Bill always does it. Sometimes these are very silly or bad things.

One day I am visiting my sister and her husband. We are having coffee when suddenly she says, ‘Bill, I want to have a pet giraffe.’

Bill’s eyes get very big. He hasn’t got a face now, only eyes.

‘Yes, a pet giraffe,’ repeats my sister, ‘it can live in the hall. Our hall is very big.’

Bill’s eyes get normal and he says, ‘OK, dear, I think I can get you a giraffe.’

‘Where do you want to get it?’ I ask him.

‘In the grasslands, of course,’ he answers. ‘We can’t buy a giraffe. We haven’t got much money.’

‘You mustn’t do that!’ I cry. ‘You can have serious problems with the police!’

‘Why? I can find a stray cat or a stray dog in the street. Why can’t I find a stray giraffe?’

I look at Bill. Sometimes he is very silly, and it is all because of my sister.

‘Jack, don’t tell our parents about it,’ Jill asks, ‘please!’ and she smiles at me.

‘I think you can’t hide a giraffe in the house,’ I say. I stand up, say goodbye to them and walk to the door. But suddenly I have an idea.

‘Bill, can you take me with you? I can help you to catch the giraffe.’

‘Great!’ says Bill. ‘Tomorrow at six o’clock in the morning.’

This night I can’t sleep. I am thinking about my bad sister and silly Bill. I am thinking about that poor giraffe, too. Giraffes must live in the grasslands. They are tall, big and strong, and they must walk free! They must have a lot of trees around. They love eating fresh leaves. And if people want to look at them, they can watch a film or go on a safari. It is very wrong to catch giraffes and put them in cages or houses.

Then I am not thinking any-more. I am sleeping.