The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me

The window-washing crew suddenly stops moving. The Giraffe backs away slowly, and whispers to the Duke that a burglar with a gun is ransacking the room with an open window on the third floor. The Duke realizes it’s the Duchess’s room, where valuable jewels are kept. He cries, “Call the police! Summon the army! Bring up the cannon! Charge with the Light Brigade!” (45).

The Pelican dumps his washing water and flies through the open window, then flies back out and lands next to the Duke, the burglar trapped inside his beak. The Duke pulls a sword from his walking cane, and tells the Pelican to open his beak so he can run the burglar through. The Pelican refuses, and the Giraffe reminds the Duke that the burglar has a gun and might shoot them. The Duke doesn’t care, but suddenly, a loud bang erupts from the Pelican, and the Duke changes his mind and decides the bird should keep his beak closed.

The Giraffe tells the Pelican to shake his head to prevent the burglar from shooting his pistol. The Pelican shakes so hard that his head becomes a blur.