With the sun rising over the horizon, Anna and her staff from Hotel Flamingo walked along the coastal path towards the base of Lookout Point, the highest cliff on Animal Boulevard. Ms Fragranti and Alphonso Fastbeak had left earlier to make the steep climb and as they appeared at the top, Anna and the others craned their necks back to watch.
‘They’re really high up,’ said Lemmy.
‘Are you sure this is safe?’ asked T. Bear.
‘Ach! It’s nothing,’ said Madame Le Pig, sniffing. ‘I have jumped from higher, and I don’t have wings.’
At the summit of Lookout Point, Alfonso prepared himself for flight. He zipped up his flight jacket and flipped his goggles down over his eyes.
‘Are you ready, darling?’ asked Ms Fragranti.
‘You bet,’ said Alfonso, and he shuffled closer to the cliff edge. The wind was strong. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with fresh air.
‘We believe in you,’ said Ms Fragranti. ‘But you must also believe in yourself. You are a bird and you can fly.’
‘I’m the best stunt pigeon there has ever been,’ he said.
‘That’s it,’ said Ms Fragranti. ‘You can do this!’
Alfonso stretched out his wings.
‘We’re here for you, darling,’ added Ms Fragranti.
Back down on the ground, Lemmy crossed every finger and toe on every paw.
‘What happens if he crashes again?’ he asked.
‘He won’t,’ said Anna.
‘I’ll catch him if I have to,’ said T. Bear.
They saw Alfonso ready himself, now just a grey blur on the clifftop.
‘There he goes!’ said Anna.
With three big flaps of his wings Alfonso leapt off the ledge. But he didn’t rise up. He dropped down.
‘Good grief!’ said Anna. ‘He’s not flying; he’s falling.’
‘Get your arms ready!’ cried Lemmy.
T. Bear steadied himself, his teeth clenched, paws outstretched.
Despite everything, Alfonso was smiling as he headed at deadly speed towards the ground. He believed in himself, his wings felt strong, and as soon as he could see the faces of the crowd below, he pulled back. His body soared upwards, and with three flaps of his wings he performed a daring loop-the-loop high above Hotel Flamingo.
Lemmy collapsed into T. Bear’s arms.
‘He did it!’ cheered Anna.
Ms Fragranti soared from the cliff and joined Alfonso in the sky. They performed a victory lap together, then flew back down to the ground to huge cheers. Alfonso landed with his signature Impossible Twisting Backflip, proving that it was definitely not impossible.
‘Congratulations!’ said Anna. ‘You did it!’
‘I told you so,’ said Madame Le Pig with a snort.
‘Gee whizz, what a ride,’ said Alfonso, resting his wings on his knees.
‘You made it, darling!’ said Ms Fragranti. ‘You are back to your best.’
‘I really am,’ said Alfonso, wiping his brow, ‘and it’s all thanks to Hotel Flamingo.’
Anna beamed with pride. ‘That’s what we’re here for,’ she said, smiling.
