Lesson Eleven: “A Royal Visit”

The Serengeti was beaming in that post-rain kind of way. Its dusty plains shimmered with new life, and orange blooms perfumed the breeze as it drifted along the savanna, like notes along the staff.

Standing tall, Queen Sofia gazed wistfully at the land she had always known.

“I can’t believe I’m finally leaving,” she said, in a whisper.

“Don’t you mean we?” said her twin sister, Zaziwe, as she playfully nudged Sofia. “You’re not going on this field trip alone. There's no way I'm staying behind to listen to those other Giraffes grumble, especially since they think visiting the neighboring kingdoms a silly endeavour.”

Sofia sighed. The heavy memory of their murmured protests lingered in her soul.

“What makes you think you’re better than us?”

“You’d rather chase clouds than keep tradition?”

"Don't look now, but you've left wisdom in the dust."

“They don’t understand,” Sofia said. “It’s not that we don’t love this place. The warm pink sunsets at dusk, elephants rumbling across distances in low song, our people's late-night chats… it’s etched in our bones. But if we’re to be Queens someday, isn't it important to form relationships with our neighboring kingdoms?”

Zaziwe smirked. "I, for one, would love to understand the joy of missing home.”

The girls paused, lost in thought. Zaziwe broke the silence.

"We'll whatever they say, we're going. And I know just the way to celebrate. How about one last round of "Can you spot it?" Zaziwe raised her eyes in playful hope.

"Alright, I'm game. Let's see if you can top my high score! To the lookout!" Sofia and Zaziwe raced toward a misty perch at Naabi Hill.

"You first, I bet you can't spot..."

But Sofia’s eyes had already locked onto something strange. A red parachute plummeting to earth.

“Can they safely land in water? Because that’s where it’s headed!” Zazi grabbed her sister and galloped down the massive mountain towards the Grumeti River.

The red fabric billowed atop the treacherous waters as if intending to dive for secrets within its buried pools. "That's bizarre, there's no one here." Sofia looked for signs of its rider. The marsh gave no clues. But that's when Sofia spotted it, a pouch attached to the parachute's harness.

Zaziwe leapt at the pouch before the waters pulled it under. "Let's see what we have here!" she mumbled. Inside was a single black rock and a folded note.

"I can't read it,¨ she said as she handed the note to Sofia. "You're the linguist. What does it say?" asked Zazi.

Sofia’s eyes scanned a crumpled leaflet. Her breath caught.

“It’s an SOS. From King Mateo’s kingdom. Their animals have vanished and they need help finding them.”

The sisters looked at each other. Maybe, their spotting skills weren’t just for fun.

By the time they arrived home, Sofia’s heart was pounding—not from the run, but from nerves.

“What if Father says no?” she whispered, not daring to say aloud what the girls both hoped for.

King Baruti stood expectantly on the veranda of his bungalow. His long giraffe lashes fluttered as they approached. He smiled warmly at his daughters, his life’s joy.

“Father, look what we found today," said Sofia as she passed him the invitation.

King Baruti's soft eyes turned sharp as he read the message. "What does this have to do with you girls?" Then softening his voice, he said, "Your place is here. With your people. And with me. There’s still much for you to learn.”

“But Father, we know enough. And it’s our duty to help those in need. You taught us this long ago. You also taught us the importance of immersing ourselves in other cultures via travel. Going to King Mateo allows us to do both things - expand our horizons and serve others.”

King Baruti’s loving gaze grew cloudy with emotion. of course they were ready. It was he that was unprepared for this moment. Behind Sofia's thick lashes rested her mother’s courage. And in Zaziwe's impatience he could sense his own spirit of adventure. It was time, he must let them go. After a long silence, he nodded. The girls faces lit up. They could go.

By sunrise, the sisters were packed. The entire village gathered to see them off.

King Baruti held their hooves in his. “You will experience all manner of joy, and sorrow too,” King Baruti said, “Embrace it. But never forget your value and place in our kingdom. You are the great Queens of the Serengeti. And we will await your return.”

With one last hug, Sofia and Zaziwe turned toward lands unknown.

They journeyed far—across desert stretches, lush forests, and winding rivers. They tasted new foods, learned new songs, and shared stories over campfires with creatures from distant lands. Eventually, they reached the icy mountains bordering the Kingdom of Tribeca.

Their wool scarves whipped in the wind as frost clung to their lashes.

“Why is it so cold?” Zaziwe muttered through chattering teeth.

Sofia squinted into the distance. “There it is! The castle!”

Have you ever seen two giraffes in red scarves tiptoe down an icy mountain? Not many have. But as they made their strange and cautious descent, the girls failed to notice something in the distance. Someone was watching them.

“Ring the bell!” shouted the Royal Porter from his castle parapet. “Royals are coming!”

The castle buzzed with excitement. King Mateo dashed up to the tallest tower, binoculars in hand, hoping—ne wishing it to be his parents. But instead, he was met with a dazzling vision. The ever-graceful Giraffe Queens of Serengeti.

A knock echoed through the hall.

“Queen Sofia and Queen Zaziwe,” Wilbur the butler announced.

King Korben greeted them with a bow. “Welcome! Please, come inside, you must meet everyone.”

King Mateo stepped forward. “Your Majesties, to what do we owe the pleasure?”

“We received your SOS,” Sofia said. “And came as quickly as we could.”

Zaziwe, already bored with the conversation, let her eyes wander to the castle garden where animals were gathered around a large checkered board. There was a game in progress.

“Though it seems we have interrupted you." Sofia turned toward the cozy garden scene. "It looks similar to a game we play in the Serengeti, called chess.”

"You mean, we didn't invent this?"

"Oh, surely not. Although it does appear you've developed your own version. May we join?"

“Absolutely. In fact, we have two very special squares left to fill—D1 and D8—they're yours.”

The sisters took their places.

“Ah, good,” said Zaziwe, “We also use addresses. It makes spotting easier.”

“Spotting?” Korben asked.

“We play a game within the game,” Sofia explained. “We spot things—patterns, surprises, threats. Nothing escapes our eyes.”

“Brilliant,” Mateo said. “We’ve never used the board like that before.”

The players took their places, and Mateo began explaining the rules and the way each piece uniquely moved, captured, and defended their teammates.

“We like your version,” said Zaziwe. “Especially those sneaky Knights! Jumping around the board in stealth mode? We see you, Knights. We see you.”

The crowd laughed.

“What about you two?” Mateo asked. “What are your special moves?”

The Queens exchanged a glance and smiled.

“We’ll show you.”

Gracefully, they darted across the board full of grace, speed, and force. With the help of their long necks, long-range sight, and patience, the girls captured their opponent's players with ease.

The board fell silent in awe.

“You’re… incredible,” Mateo said. “You can move in all directions!”

“Forward, backward, sideways, diagonal,” Sofia replied. “As Queens, it is our duty, both in real life and in this game, to protect the King and the kingdom.”

“And with our long legs and eagle eyes,” Zaziwe added, “we can cover great distances in a single turn.”

Mateo beamed with excitement. “Perfect. Let’s play! One Queen per side please, to keep things fair.”

And so, the Queen sisters took their places and began to play.

Would you like to meet our Queens? Let’s move them around the board and see how many pieces they can capture.