Once upon a time, in a distant savannah, there was an immense magical tree which bore only one fruit per century, and which was so difficult to access that only certain of the most agile animals could access it between its branches.
This fruit, which grew in one night and ripened in a day was the most delicious, precious but inaccessible of the world. It gave whoever ate it wisdom and longevity. extraordinary.
But there was a rule to respect: you had to share the fruit with another animal, otherwise the tree would get angry and no longer produce anything. The fruit of the century therefore grew in these troubled times...
Among the animals that lived near the tree were a parrot and a giraffe. The parrot was a talkative and curious bird, who loved to tell stories and wanted to discover the big world. The giraffe was a tall, elegant and shy lady, who admired the beauty of nature and dreamed of tasting the best flavors of this vast world. They were very different, but they got along well and visited each other often.
One day, the parrot got wind that the magic fruit was going to ripen. He said to the giraffe: - You know, I always wanted to see the world. And you have always wanted to taste the fruit of the tree. Why not do an exchange? I give you the fruit, and you let me ride on your back to go on an adventure, because my short wings prevent me from traveling long distances. The giraffe was surprised by the parrot's proposal. She hesitated for a moment, then accepted.
She actually wanted to discover the taste of the magical fruit, and she told herself that the parrot would quickly return from its trip. The next day, the parrot got up before dawn and went to pick the fruit from the tree, after hours of flying and searching, not without difficulty. He returns at dusk, cut it in half and gave half to the giraffe. Then he climbed on his back and said to him: - Let's go. Take me to see the world. The giraffe obeyed and set off. She crossed the savannah, the mountains, the forests, the deserts, the oceans. She saw wonderful landscapes, strange animals, different cultures.
The parrot was delighted. He commented on everything he saw, he asked questions, he learned things. He felt free and happy. But the giraffe was not happy. She felt tired and sad. She missed her house, her friends, her tree. She didn't dare tell the parrot, who seemed so happy. She hoped he would soon tire of traveling and want to return.
But the parrot did not tire. He always wanted to see more, always further. He even forgot to thank the giraffe, who carried him without complaint. He also forgot the fruit of the tree, which had given him so much wisdom.
One day, they arrived in a big city, where there was a lot of noise, pollution, and violence.
The parrot was fascinated by this spectacle.
He said to the giraffe: - Look, it's incredible. There are so many things to see, to hear, to learn. Let's stay here for a while, shall we? But the giraffe couldn't take it anymore. She said to the parrot: - No, I don't want to. I want to go home. I want to find my savannah, my friends, my tree. I want to live in peace, in harmony with nature. I can't stand this city anymore, which is so noisy, so dirty, so cruel. The parrot was then offended and he replied to the giraffe: - You are ungrateful. You don't know how to appreciate what I offer you. You're narrow-minded, you're boring, and you're a coward. You don't deserve the fruit of the tree. You don't deserve my friendship. And he flew away, leaving the giraffe alone and helpless.
The giraffe felt betrayed, abandoned and humiliated. She didn't know how to get home, she didn't know if she would find her way back. She didn't know if she would see her savannah again, which she missed so much. She wandered for days, weeks, months.
She faced dangers, trials, suffering. She met animals who helped her, who guided her, who consoled her, others who misled her and deceived her. She learned to fend for herself, to defend herself, to respect herself. She grows in courage, in confidence, despite a wisdom already acquired. One day, she finally arrived at the savannah, where she recognized her tree. She asked him for forgiveness for having left him, for having forgotten him, for having disappointed him by not having been able to use his wisdom wisely. She had found her home and his friends. She had also found a new family through her travels.
She had fulfilled her dream, which was to live in peace, in harmony with nature and to have tasted different foods and this delicious magical fruit. As for the parrot, he continued to travel, to see, to learn. But he was never satisfied or happy. He felt alone, empty, bitter. He regretted having left the giraffe, having lost his friendship, having wasted his fruit. He tried to find her, but he never found her. He tried to find the tree, but he never found it. He sought to rediscover the meaning of life, but he never found it.