diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e871e84..85939f4 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 *~
 *.swp
 zig-cache/
+answers/
diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index d7e09de..916f1a7 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -236,6 +236,14 @@ const exercises = [_]Exercise{
         .output = "Elephant A. Elephant B. Elephant C.",
         .hint = "Oh no! We forgot Elephant B!",
     },
+    .{
+        .main_file = "45_optionals.zig",
+        .output = "The Ultimate Answer: 42.",
+    },
+    // optional fields (elephant tail - no longer need circular)
+    // super-simple struct method
+    // use struct method for elephant tails
+    // quiz: add elephant trunk (like tail)!
 };
 
 /// Check the zig version to make sure it can compile the examples properly.
diff --git a/exercises/45_optionals.zig b/exercises/45_optionals.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..815ba75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/exercises/45_optionals.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+//
+// Sometimes you know that a variable might hold a value or
+// it might not. Zig has a neat way of expressing this idea
+// called Optionals. An optional type just has a '?' like this:
+//
+//     var foo: ?u32 = 10;
+//
+// Now foo can store a u32 integer OR null (a value storing
+// the cosmic horror of a value NOT EXISTING!)
+//
+//     foo = null;
+//
+//     if (foo == null) beginScreaming();
+//
+// Before we can use the optional value as the non-null type
+// (a u32 integer in this case), we need to guarantee that it
+// isn't null. One way to do this is to THREATEN IT with the
+// "orelse" statement.
+//
+//     var bar = foo orelse 2;
+//
+// Here, bar will either equal the u32 integer value stored in
+// foo, or it will equal 2 if foo was null.
+//
+const std = @import("std");
+
+pub fn main() void {
+    const result = deepThought();
+
+    // Please threaten the result so that answer is either the
+    // integer value from deepThought() OR the number 42:
+    var answer: u8 = result;
+
+    std.debug.print("The Ultimate Answer: {}.\n",.{answer});
+}
+
+fn deepThought() ?u8 {
+    // It seems Deep Thought's output has declined in quality.
+    // But we'll leave this as-is. Sorry Deep Thought.
+    return null;
+}
+//
+// Blast from the past:
+//
+// Optionals are a lot like error union types which can either
+// hold a value or an error. Likewise, the orelse statement is
+// like the catch statement used to "unwrap" a value or supply
+// a default value:
+//
+//    var maybe_bad: Error!u32 = Error.Evil;
+//    var number: u32 = maybe_bad catch 0;
+//
diff --git a/patches/45_optionals.patch b/patches/45_optionals.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c945b5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patches/45_optionals.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+32c32
+<     var answer: u8 = result;
+---
+>     var answer: u8 = result orelse 42;
diff --git a/patches/README.md b/patches/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09fecbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patches/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# The ziglings/patches Directory
+
+This is how ziglings is tested.
+
+The patches fix the broken exercises so that they work again.
+
+No peeking! :-)
+
+(Further tooling and explanation goes here.)