Dismissed and Determined

Pinky stood on tiptoe, her square little body practically vibrating with excitement. Her arms, like perfectly formed little pink sausages, jiggled at her sides. She’d spent weeks, no, *months*, dreaming up the most spectacular creatures the world had ever seen. But today was the day! Today, she was going to show them to Mr. Grumbles, the zookeeper. He was the keeper of all the animals, after all, so he was the *perfect* person to share her new animal ideas with. She clutched a rolled-up scroll, tied with a bright red ribbon, to her chest. It contained drawings, detailed descriptions, and even sound effects for her very first invention: the Giggling Grumbo.

“Right then, Mr. Grumbles!” Pinky chirped, bouncing into the zookeeper’s office. The office smelled faintly of hay and old socks, and Mr. Grumbles, a man whose face seemed permanently stuck in a frown, peered at her over a pile of dusty ledgers.

“What is it now, Pinky?” he sighed, his voice like gravel tumbling down a hill. “Can’t you see I’m busy counting the stripes on the zebras? It’s very important work.”