Chapter 1

“Yum,” a zebra said.

It was nearing suppertime. He began hanging out with a friend of his. The friend looked at him.

“What do you mean by ‘yum’?” his friend asked.

“I love pizza,” he answered.

“There isn’t any pizza around here! You know that,” his friend reminded him.

“I know that. I hope we can find something around here.”

“What kind do you like?” his friend asked.

“Half pepperoni and half onions. I’ve been dreaming about it all afternoon.”

His friend still stared in his direction.

“I think I can share with you.”

“Great idea. Should we order one?”

“Are you crazy? There is no telephone around here! We have legs, not hands! Shall we send someone to order our pizza who has hands and arms?”

“You’re right. Let’s call Stan the Clown.”

“Great idea. Stan the Clown would be happy to do this job for us.”

Their friend is a clown, so all three of them had been friends for less than a year, and all three seemed to get along just fine without any argument. Stan the Clown didn’t entertain in circuses often, but he lived in the zoo as well. Stan the Clown wasn’t too far away from the zebras.

Stan the Clown was about ten to fifteen miles away from the zebras. He heard them calling his name. It didn’t take him very long to approach his friends.

“Is there something wrong?” the Clown asked.

“Yes, there is, Stan! It’s almost dinnertime and we want you to do both of us a favor,” the first zebra answered.

“What’s the favor this time?”

“Well, we agreed on this idea I just came up with. We’ve been dreaming about pizza most of the day. Would you mind calling a pizza parlor and order half onion and half pepperoni?” the first zebra asked.

“Sure. I can do it now if you want.”

“Please do! Clowns ordering pizza!” the second zebra answered, giggling.

The first zebra joined his friend about clowns and pizza.

Stan walked to the nearest pay phone when he reached the building where visitors came to visit the animals. Stan always made sure nobody would ever catch him living in a zoo with a family of zebras. So far it was working. If anyone found out, he would be laughed at, and he didn’t want that this time. He thought living in a zoo was better than living in a circus. Lately he wasn’t needed, so this was why he liked the zoo best.

He was told the pizza would take five to ten minutes to bake. After hanging up the phone, he rejoined his friends.

“Any luck, Stan the Clown?” the second zebra asked.

“Yes, there was. I was told we have to wait five to ten minutes, so that shouldn’t take long for us to wait.”

“Thank you for doing this,” the first zebra told Stan.

“You’re welcome. Does this mean I get any of it?” the Clown asked.

“Sure you can. You’re our friend, so you deserve some as well,” the second zebra said.

“Friends do share, don’t forget,” the first zebra replied.

“Now you’re making me hungry, you too,” he said.

“I’ll be back soon. I have to wait for the pizza delivery boy.”

“Can we come along?” both of the zebras asked in unison.

“Absolutely not! I’ll be laughed at if a clown, two zebras in a zoo ordering pizza for dinner. The delivery boy wouldn’t figure out why a clown like me did such a thing like this.”

“I guess you’re right,” the first zebra said in disappointment.

They watched Stan disappear. It didn’t take Stan very long to return to his friends.

“I was right. I was laughed at from the pizza boy. He thought a clown like me ordering a box of pizza from a zoo was ridiculous. I won’t do this anymore.”

“You don’t have to do it anymore, Stan. We don’t blame you for doing such a thing like this. Like the old saying goes, there’s a first time for everything,” the second zebra said.

“He’s right, Stan. We won’t do this ever again to you.”

“Thanks, guys. Who wants what?” the Clown asked.

“I think I’ll start with the onions,” the first zebra answered.

“I think I’ll try pepperoni,” the other one told their friend.

Stan did just that.

“How are you two enjoying it?” Stan asked a minute later.

“Yum! This is incredibly tasty, just as I thought,” the first zebra answered.

“Me too!” the second one agreed.

“Glad to hear it. Clowns, zebras and pizza sound like a good match to me,” the Clown said.

“We couldn’t argue with you, Stan. This is the best evening we ever had.”

“You two really mean it. I do agree this is a first time for everything.”

Note: I hope you all give this story a laugh. It made me laugh when I wrote it with a friend. I will update my other stories when I can. Enjoy!