The Big Trunk and the Tiny Tiger

Once upon a time, in the middle of a sun-drenched zoo in the heart of the USA, lived two of the unlikeliest best friends you’ve ever seen: Gerald and Blinky.

Gerald was a very large, very wise elephant who enjoyed the simple things in life: a cool bucket of water, a long nap in the shade, and his favorite blue hat. Blinky, on the other hand, was a tiny tabby cat who moved at the speed of light and had eyes so round they looked like two giant marbles.

The Midnight Mission One Tuesday night, while the rest of the zoo was snoring, Blinky had a "Bright Idea." Blinky’s Bright Ideas were famous for being two things: very exciting and very messy.

"Gerald! Wake up!" Blinky hissed, his whiskers twitching with energy. "I saw the zookeepers leave the 'Super-Duper-Automatic-Peanut-Popper' right outside our gate! If we get it, we’ll have snacks for a decade!"

Gerald groaned. He loved snacks, but he also loved his sleep. "Blinky, it’s three in the morning. Even the owls are tired."

"But Gerald," Blinky pleaded, his eyes growing even wider. "Imagine the crunch! The salt! The glory!"

The Big Mistake Gerald gave in. He slowly stood up, his heavy feet going thud, thud, thud across the straw. He reached his long, grey trunk over the fence and grabbed the handle of the big, silver machine.

"On the count of three," Blinky whispered. "One... two... THREE!"

Gerald pulled. But it wasn't a peanut popper. It was the Grand Opening Banner Machine for the zoo's new festival.

Instead of peanuts, a giant WHOOSH filled the air. A massive, bright pink streamer shot out and wrapped around Gerald’s trunk like a birthday present. Then, a hidden camera—set up to catch "fun zoo moments"—snapped a photo with a bright FLASH!

The Morning After The photo you see is that exact moment.

Gerald was frozen in shock, wondering how he ended up tied to a pink ribbon at 3:00 AM. Blinky’s fur stood straight up on end; he was so surprised that he forgot to close his eyes, convinced he had just accidentally turned on a giant neon snake.

The next morning, the zookeepers found them. They didn't get in trouble, though. The zookeepers laughed so hard that they gave Gerald an extra bag of real peanuts and Blinky a saucer of premium milk.

Now, that photo hangs in the Zoo’s Hall of Fame. It’s titled: "The Night the Snacks Fought Back."

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