The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me facts for kids
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me is a fun children's book from 1985, written by the famous author Roald Dahl and drawn by Quentin Blake. The story is about a young boy named Billy. He meets a giraffe, a pelican, and a monkey who have a very unusual job: they are window cleaners! The word "Pelly" in the title is a nickname for the pelican. And the "me" in the title? That's the monkey! He sings a special song where he always says, "the giraffe and the pelly and me."
Contents
What's the Story About?
The whole story is told by Billy himself. Billy has always dreamed of owning his very own sweet shop. There's an old, empty building nearby called The Grubber, which used to be a sweet shop. Billy hopes to make it his one day.
The Ladderless Window-Cleaning Company
One day, Billy finds that The Grubber has been fixed up! It's now the main office for a company called The Ladderless Window-Cleaning Company. Billy soon meets the amazing workers:
- A Giraffe with a neck that can stretch super long.
- A Pelican, or "Pelly," who has a very flexible top beak.
- A Monkey who loves to sing and dance.
Billy quickly becomes friends with these three unique animals.
A Big Job for the Team
The animals have just arrived in England and are finding it hard to get the right food. The Pelican needs fish, especially his favorite salmon. The Monkey loves walnuts. And the Giraffe, who is a "Generous Giraffe," can only eat pink and purple flowers from a special "tinkle-tinkle tree."
Billy and his new animal friends team up when they get an important letter. The Duke of Hampshire wants them to clean all 677 windows of his huge home, Hampshire House!
Catching a Sneaky Thief
When they arrive at Hampshire House, everything goes smoothly at first. But while cleaning the windows of the Duchess's bedroom, the Giraffe and the Monkey spot something shocking. A burglar is trying to steal the Duchess's valuable jewels!
The Pelican quickly flies into action. He swoops down and catches the burglar, holding him tight in his big beak. The burglar tries to shoot his way out, but the Pelican holds on! Soon, the police arrive and arrest the thief. The Chief of Police says the burglar is "The Cobra," one of the most dangerous thieves in the world.
Happy Endings for Everyone
As a thank you for getting the Duchess's jewels back, the Duke invites The Ladderless Window-Cleaning Company to live on his huge estate. They will be his personal helpers! This is wonderful news for the animals. The Duke owns the only tinkle-tinkle tree plantation in England. He also has thousands of walnut trees and a giant river full of salmon. This means all three hungry animals have found their perfect home and plenty of food!
Billy's dreams also come true. Since the Giraffe, Pelican, and Monkey no longer need The Grubber building, the Duke helps Billy fix it up. It becomes the most amazing sweet shop for miles around! The story ends with Billy happily running his shop, and The Ladderless Window-Cleaning Company continues their work.
Billy gives special gifts to his new friends:
- To the Giraffe, a bag of "Glumptious Globgobblers."
- To the Monkey, a bag of "Devil’s Drenchers."
- To the Pelican, a bag of "Pishlets."
- And even to the Duke, a bag of "Scarlet Scorchdroppers."
Before leaving, the Monkey sings a little song to Billy, ending the story on a happy note.
Connections to Other Roald Dahl Books
When Billy reopens The Grubber as his sweet shop, he chooses to sell sweets made by the famous Willy Wonka company. Willy Wonka is a well-known character from Dahl's earlier books, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.
Editions of the Book
