A man goes to the doctor because he's been feeling really ill. The doctor runs some tests and comes back with a diagnosis.
"I'm afraid you have a rare disease called 'Giraffeitis,'" the doctor says.
The man is shocked. "Is it dangerous? Is there a cure?"
The doctor nods grimly. "I'm afraid it's very serious. The only known cure is to go to the zoo and have a giraffe sneeze in your face three times."
The man is horrified at the thought of getting sneezed on by a giraffe, but he's desperate to get better. So he goes to the zoo and stands in front of the giraffe enclosure, waiting for the perfect moment.
After a few minutes, one of the giraffes starts to sniffle, and the man seizes his chance. He rushes over and positions himself directly in front of the giraffe's face.
The giraffe looks at him curiously, then suddenly lets out a huge sneeze. The man is covered in giraffe snot, but he's ecstatic. One sneeze down, two to go.
He waits patiently for the giraffe to sneeze again, but after several hours, it still hasn't happened. The man is getting more and more frustrated, but he refuses to give up.
Finally, after a full day of waiting, the giraffe lets out another massive sneeze. The man is overjoyed and waits for the third and final sneeze.
But after another few hours, the giraffe still hasn't sneezed again. The man is exhausted, covered in snot, and starting to regret his decision. But he's come this far, so he decides to wait it out.
After two full days at the zoo, the giraffe finally sneezes for the third time. The man is thrilled, but also disgusted and exhausted. He races back to the doctor to tell him the good news.
The doctor examines him and confirms that the Giraffeitis is gone. The man is overjoyed and thanks the doctor profusely.
"But I have to ask," the man says. "Why did it have to be a giraffe sneeze? Why couldn't it have been something more pleasant?"
The doctor shrugs. "Hey, it's not my fault you had to go to such great lengths to get rid of your sickness. You wanted a long neck to get better, so you gotta pay the price!"