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In the bustling savannah of Zambia, there lived a particularly ambitious ostrich named Ollie. While most ostriches were content with their terrestrial lives, Ollie had dreams that soared beyond the clouds. He wanted to fly.

Every day, Ollie would gaze wistfully at the birds swooping effortlessly through the sky, envious of their freedom. One afternoon, while sipping mango juice under a shady acacia tree, Ollie overheard a group of sparrows chattering excitedly about a newly opened pilot school in the nearby human town.

Filled with excitement, Ollie decided that this was his chance. He would enroll in pilot school and learn to fly once and for all. With a backpack full of seeds and a pair of aviator goggles perched precariously on his beak, he waddled off toward his dream.

On the first day of pilot school, Ollie stood out like a sore thumb among the human students. The instructor, Captain Randall, a retired air force pilot with a mustache that looked like it had a life of its own, was taken aback. "Well, I’ve never taught an ostrich before," he chuckled, "but there’s a first time for everything!"

Ollie’s classmates were equally intrigued, and soon, he became the star of the class. He was surprisingly good at ground speed, running circles around his classmates during the runway drills. But when it came to flying, Ollie had a slight disadvantage—he was an ostrich, after all.

Not one to give up, Ollie focused on the simulation classes, becoming an expert in virtual flying. He aced his theory tests and even learned to use the flight controls like a pro. Yet, every actual flying attempt resulted in frantic flapping and a lot of dust but never liftoff.

One fateful day, as Ollie sat dejected near the runway, his friend Lucy the parrot landed beside him. "Why don’t you try gliding first?" she suggested.

Inspired by Lucy's words, Ollie concocted a plan. He climbed onto the highest hill in the area, with Lucy and some other bird friends helping him strap on makeshift wings fashioned from twigs and leaves.

"Ready, Ollie?" Lucy squawked. "Remember, just glide!"

With a deep breath and a heart full of hope, Ollie took a running start and leapt off the hill. To his astonishment, he was gliding! The wind caught his wings, and for a glorious few seconds, Ollie felt the freedom he had longed for.

He landed with a soft thud—not exactly gracefully—but the experience was exhilarating. The entire savannah applauded, and from that day on, Ollie was known not just as an ostrich who wanted to fly, but as the ostrich who dared to try.

And while Ollie never became a pilot in the traditional sense, he never lost his spirit or his dream. He continued to attend pilot school, proving that even the most grounded of creatures could reach for the sky, one glide at a time.