This is a collaborative story written from the schools participating in the "Zarafa's suitcase" eTwinning project.

Preview audio:

storyj.mp/ab5qnhqbq3mb

Once upon a time, deep in Egypt, the pasha ordered Mustafa to find and capture a giraffe. He was going to send the giraffe as a gift to king Charles of France, so that he would help him and not Greeks to the war.

Mustafa was travelling for days,

until he found Zarafa, a beautiful giraffe eating some tree leaves.

Mustafa tricked Zarafa and captured her.

He led Zarafa to Alexandria's Harbor, where a ship was waiting.

Zarafa travelled to France with a ship. Also cows were travelling with her so as to drink milk every day. She was kept in the hold of the ship and her head was appearing because she had a long neck.

After overwintering in Marseille, to rest and acclimatize to her new surroundings, fearing the dangers of transporting her to Paris around the Iberian peninsula and up the Atlantic coast of France, it was decided that the next leg of her journey to Paris would be on foot. They even made for her a yellow coat and boots!!!!!

Mustafa tied her neck with a rope and the long walk for Paris begun. Zarafa was scared and sad.

As the long walk begun people came to the side of the road to look at this tall animal. It was the first time they had ever seen such a creature.

People looked at her strangely because she had such a long neck, so tall legs and her color was very nice. She was so beautiful.

But Zarafa also looked around her with curiosity. Everything was so strange. The people who were so different the people in Africa. Even the animals were different.

All she wanted and dreamed was to be back in the African savanna, were she could eat leaves from the trees and enjoy the hot sun. Oh how she missed her home!

After the long walk, the cold and all those curious people who arrived at the palace in Paris, Zarafa didn't know what will happen next and felt unhappy and homesick.

The walk to Paris took 41 days and during her trip she was called The Beautiful Animal of the King (le bel animal du roi).