The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me

The Duke says the Duchess’s jewels are worth millions. As a reward, he offers the animals his best feed barn as a place to live, with “Central heating, showers, a kitchen and anything else you desire” (57). All he asks in return is that they keep his windows clean and harvest the estate’s apples and cherries. The Duke also wonders if the Pelican might, now and then, give him a ride in his beak. The Pelican offers to do so at once, but the Duke decides to wait until after tea.

The Giraffe says the animals haven’t eaten in days, but the Duke says food “is no problem around here” (58). The former mentions her difficulty finding the right type of food. The Duke, an expert on African animals, says he identifies her as a Geraneous giraffe who requires the flowers of the tinkle-tinkle tree. He points out his very own grove of the trees; the Giraffe cries out of joy, gallops to the trees, and begins eating.

The Duke tells the Monkey to enjoy the nut trees that grow on the property, especially the walnuts. He points to one such tree, and the Monkey yowls with happiness and begins enjoying walnuts. The Pelican wonders if the Duke might provide a “reasonably fresh” piece of cod or haddock each day. The Duke snorts and points into the distance. The Pelican sees a river. It’s the River Hamp, full of the best salmon in Europe, and is owned by the Duke. Overjoyed, the Pelican flies to the river, dives in, and emerges with a salmon in his beak.

The Duke asks Billy if there’s anything special he wants. Billy admits that he’d love for The Grubber sweets shop to be reopened. The Duke declares that he and Billy will reopen it together, and Billy will become the owner. The Grubber building belongs to the Giraffe, the Pelican, and the Monkey, but they decide to donate it to the Duke, who promptly hires carpenters and builders who rebuild the interior. Each floor is filled with shelves to hold every type of candy. Airplanes fly in sweets—“Gumtwizzlers” and “Plushnuggets” and more—from all over the world. With so many different candies arriving everyday, Billy loses track, but he’s careful to sample every box.

On Grand Opening Day, all candy is free. Reporters and news cameras watch as crowds of children visit The Grubber. Billy brings out bags of candy for each of his three animal friends. To the Duke, he presents “Scarlet Scorchdroppers” from Iceland, guaranteed to keep the eater warm even on the coldest days. The Duke tries one, and smoke pours out of his nose. He loves the candy and takes home a case of them.

Billy gifts the Giraffe with a bag of “Glumptious Globgobblers,” a candy rich with juices. She likes them even more than tinkle-tinkle flowers. The Pelican receives a large bag of “Pishlets,” which help children to whistle; he chews one and promptly begins to sing, being the first pelican to do so. The Monkey receives a bag of “Devil’s Drenchers” that let him breathe fire. The Duke lights a match, and the Monkey’s breath flames upward 20 feet.

Billy must return to his customers, and the animals need to return to Hampshire House, where 100 windows await cleaning. The boy says goodbye to his friends. The Monkey tearfully sings a song that asks Billy to visit often and invites readers to open the book whenever they wish to visit their friends “The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me” (79).