[ WP ] `` Captain , that 's quite the strange medal that you have there ... '' I sighed deeply . `` Well you see , it all started with a burrito , two elephants , and one very long piece of string ... ''

The day began like any other. I woke promptly to my alarm, got ready, made my way to the office at 9am and worked through the tedious long morning, with a mere 15 minute coffee break at precisely half 11. It went like clockwork. Everything perfectly timed. And perfectly boring. Finally, we reached our precious lunch hour, and as always, I hurried from the building, out into the glorious sunshine beneath a clear blue sky. I hated my job, cramped up in the stuff office. This here in the open air, now this was where I belonged. But a job is a job. 
 
 I headed towards the burrito stand on the corner, where I frequently got my lunch from the friendly old man, then wandered down to the park, perching myself on the bench. One hour of freedom. I leant back, relaxing against the wooden frame, preparing to take a bite from my lunch, my stomach growling in anticipation. 
 
 A flash of grey sneaked over my shoulder, then before I registered it was there, it was gone, along with my burrito. I jumped up and spun around to come face to face with a solid grey wall blocking my path. And, wrapped in its snake-like trunk, my burrito. I almost fainted in shock. An elephant! But how did it get here, and where had it come from, and what should I do with it? The questions flooded through my mind. But I wasn ’ t done with surprises for today. For from behind the elephant ’ s legs emerged a smaller, yet still rather solid baby elephant. 
 
 By this point I had managed to figure they had probably escaped from the zoo, just a few blocks from my work. But the questions was how to get them back there. I watched them, the baby, keeping close to its mother, wrapping its trunk tightly round her tail, and that was when I had my brain wave. Of course. Elephants follow the herd by holding tails! The baby would automatically follow its mother, so my job was simply to get her to follow me. 
 
 I cast around desperately until I finally spotted something. Aha. A long string fluttered in the bushes, tangled in the branches. As swiftly as I could, I extracted the web, length after length, and then painstakingly knotted it into a thick rope. Perfect. Now to see if my plan would work. 
 
 I tucked one end into the back of my trousers and then held it out towards her trunk. Would she catch on? I held my breath, as the seconds ticked by and she eyed me with such an intelligent gaze that I felt sure she must understand me. Then slowly, her trunk unfolded, reaching out to the hastily handmade rope, and looped it in her long wrinkled nose. I set off, slowly at first, but picking up the pace once I was happy she would follow. 
 
 We made quite the spectacle, walking down the city centre road in a bizarre chain, joined trunk to tail. Heads turned, cameras flashed, cars stopped in their tracks. I walked proudly. Past my colleagues who stared at me in bewilderment, their mouths gaping open in bewilderment. And that ’ s when I knew I wouldn ’ t go back to that office. 
 
 The elephants were safely returned to the zoo, and I received this badge in honour of my efforts. The badge of the elephant ’ s tail. But it didn ’ t stop there. Not once since then have I worked indoors, slaving away at paperwork. Those elephants gave me my freedom. I love my role in the animal rescue squad. Captain of the county's animal recue team. I never would have dreamed I could be here before that bizarre day. Mind you, we don ’ t often get so exotic animals as my first adventure with those two grey giants. But I get to do what I love. 
 
 And I wear my badge with pride. Maybe at heart, I too am an elephant. 

