A Bad Day at the Zoo

 

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  A Bad Day at the Zoo

It was supposed to be a perfect day at the zoo. The sun shone, a cool breeze ruffled the leaves, and little Lily bounced with excitement. But perfection has a way of unraveling faster than a rogue shoelace.

Disaster struck first at the rhino enclosure. Fiona the rhinoceros, usually a picture of calm, was having a terrible case of the grumbles. Her horn, usually a source of pride, kept snagging on the enrichment toys the zookeepers had thoughtfully placed. Lily, wide-eyed, watched as Fiona tossed a hay bale with a frustrated snort, sending twigs scattering.

Next came the bighorn sheep exhibit. Here, too, horns were the source of the trouble. Two rams, Bartholomew and Bernard, were locked in an epic head-to-head battle for dominance. The clash of their horns echoed through the enclosure, sending a flock of pigeons scattering in a flurry of feathers. Lily, who'd been hoping to see a bighorn sheep lick a rock (as depicted in her favorite animal book), whimpered.

Things weren't much better at the African buffalo enclosure. Beatrice, a normally placid buffalo with impressive fused horns, was having a staring contest with a rather slow tourist who refused to move from the prime viewing spot. The tension was palpable. Beatrice snorted, the tourist blinked, and Lily whimpered again.

At the Saiga antelope enclosure, Lily perked up. Maybe, just maybe, things would be different here. But no such luck. Ivan, the lone Saiga antelope, was having a terrible case of horn-related stage fright. The moment he saw the crowd gathering, he retreated behind a rock, his impressive spiraled horns glinting briefly in the sunlight. Disappointment settled over Lily like a heavy cloud.

Finally, at the Ibex exhibit, a glimmer of hope. The majestic mountain goat, with his long, graceful horns, was peacefully munching on leaves. Lily sighed in relief. But then, disaster struck one last time. A rogue soccer ball, kicked over the fence by an overenthusiastic toddler, landed right at the Ibex's hooves. Startled, the Ibex leaped back, scraping its horn painfully on the rock face.

Lily's face crumpled. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Mommy," she choked out, "Is the zoo broken?"

Her mother knelt down, a comforting smile on her face. "Not broken, sweetie," she explained. "Just a bit of a hornswoggled day." Lily didn't understand the word, but the gentle tone calmed her. Maybe the zoo wasn't perfect, but it sure was full of surprises. And who knows, maybe tomorrow, Fiona the rhino would have a fantastic day, expertly navigating her enrichment toys with her impressive horn.