Story

The Elephant's Child

15 minAges 7-9

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The story

Introduction

Hello there, little explorers! Have you ever wondered how an elephant got its long, waggly trunk? Well, once upon a time, elephants had very short, stubby noses. But there was one little Elephant's Child, full of 'satiable curtiosity', who just loved to ask questions. Today, we're off on a grand adventure to the great grey-green greasy Limpopo River. Will his curiosity get him into trouble, or lead him to a wonderful discovery? Let's find out!

A Very Curious Elephant

Well, this little Elephant's Child, as we heard, was bursting with questions! He lived in Africa, you see, on the great High and Arid Veldt. It was a lovely, sunny place, but he wasn't always looking at the pretty flowers or playing games. Oh no! His favourite thing to do was ask, ask, ask! He'd waddle up to his tall Auntie Giraffe and say, 'Auntie, what makes your skin so spotty?' Or he'd look at his enormous Uncle Ostrich and ask, 'Uncle, why are your tail-feathers so fluffy?' He even asked his Auntie Hippopotamus, 'Why are your eyes so red all the time?' The other animals would get quite cross with him, huffing and puffing! They'd often give him a good smack with their leathery tails, just to make him be quiet for a bit. But it never worked for long. Then one beautiful morning, he had the biggest question of all. He asked everyone, from his mum to the friendly baboons: 'What does the Crocodile eat for dinner?' Nobody knew, or at least, nobody would tell him!

Journey to the Limpopo

The Elephant's Child felt a little bit sad. No one—not his Mum, Dad, aunties, uncles, or even the baboons—would tell him what the Crocodile ate for dinner. 'Oh dear,' he sighed, his little trunk wiggling. 'I simply must find out!' He walked through the tall, green grass, his feet making soft thuds. He saw a wise old Kolokolo bird on a branch. 'Excuse me, wise Kolokolo Bird,' said the Elephant's Child politely, 'could you tell me what the Crocodile eats for dinner?' The Kolokolo bird fluttered its wings and sang. 'Go to the great greasy Limpopo River,' it chirped, 'and you will find out.' With a nod, the bird flew away. 'The Limpopo River!' exclaimed the Elephant's Child. He'd never heard of it, but if the Kolokolo Bird said so, he'd go. He packed sweet berries in a leaf for snacks, said goodbye to his family, and set off. He walked for a very long time. Past tall trees, colourful flowers, cheeky monkeys, and graceful giraffes. He even carefully avoided a grumpy rhino. His short, stubby trunk wobbled with every step. Tired sometimes, his curiosity burned bright, imagining the Limpopo and what the Crocodile might eat! Finally, he saw it! A wide, winding river, green and muddy, stretched out. Tall reeds swayed, and the air was warm, damp, and earthy. This must be the Limpopo! On the bank, his heart thumped with excitement and a tiny bit of nervousness. He had travelled so far, all by himself! Now, at the mysterious Crocodile's home, what would he find out? What would happen next?

The Crocodile's Secret

The Elephant's Child padded a little closer to the great green Limpopo. The water was dark and still, reflecting the big, blue African sky like a polished looking-glass. He dipped his little trunk-that-was-no-trunk, just a small, bendy nose, into the cool water. Nothing. No crocodile. Perhaps he'd made a mistake? Perhaps the kind Kolokolo Bird had been teasing him? Then, a ripple. Just a tiny one, like a little fish had jumped. But then, a much bigger ripple, right in front of him! The water began to churn, and two bumpy, mossy things slowly rose from the depths. They looked like old, green stones, but with a sudden blink, he realised they were eyes! Big, yellowy-brown eyes, blinking slowly. And then, a long, flat head, with a huge, toothy smile, broke the surface. It was the Crocodile. The Crocodile didn't say anything at first. It just floated there, perfectly still, its eyes fixed on the Elephant's Child. Its skin was leathery and bumpy, like an old handbag, and it looked very, very ancient. A little shiver ran down the Elephant's Child's spine, but his curiosity was much, much bigger than his fear. He had come all this way, after all! "Excuse me, Mr. Crocodile?" he squeaked, his little voice barely louder than the buzzing of the flies. "Could you possibly tell me what you have for dinner?" The Crocodile didn't move a muscle, but a low, rumbling sound came from deep in its throat. It wasn't quite a growl, more like the sound of a big lorry engine starting up. "Come closer, little one," it whispered, its voice like dry leaves rustling. "Come closer, and I will whisper the secret to you." Now, the Elephant's Child was a very curious little fellow, but he wasn't silly. He knew that crocodiles sometimes ate things that weren't leaves or fruit. He remembered what the kind Kolokolo Bird had told him about crocodiles. But the Crocodile's voice was so soft, so inviting, like a warm blanket on a chilly morning. And he *really* wanted to know the secret. So, very, very slowly, one tiny foot after another, he tiptoed to the very edge of the Limpopo River. He leaned forward, his little nose twitching with anticipation, trying to hear the secret. The Crocodile's eyes seemed to twinkle, like mischief in the dark. "Closer," hissed the Crocodile, a little louder this time. "A little bit closer, so I can whisper it right into your ear." The Elephant's Child stretched his tiny nose forward, just a little further. He was so excited, he almost forgot his fear. And then, SNAP! The Crocodile's enormous jaws opened wide, showing rows and rows of sharp, white teeth, like tiny daggers! And before the Elephant's Child could even gasp, his little nose was caught! The Crocodile had him! It wasn't a secret about dinner, it was *him* for dinner! "Ouch!" cried the Elephant's Child, tears springing to his eyes. He pulled and he pulled, with all his might. The Crocodile pulled too, with all *its* might, trying to drag him into the murky water. It was a terrible tug-of-war! The Elephant's Child felt like his nose was going to stretch right off his face! Just then, slithering out of the thick, green reeds, came the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake. He had been watching the whole thing, quite wisely, from a safe distance. He saw the Elephant's Child in trouble and knew he had to help. "Hold on, little friend!" hissed the Python. "Pull hard! Pull very, very hard!" The Python wrapped his strong, scaly body around the Elephant's Child's back legs, digging his tail into the ground for extra grip. "Now, PULL!" he commanded. So the Elephant's Child pulled, and the Python pulled, and the Crocodile pulled. *Pull! Pull! Pull!* The river bank was muddy, and everyone was getting very messy. The Elephant's Child's little nose stretched longer and longer and longer. It felt like a piece of chewing gum being pulled and pulled until it was a super-long string! He felt it getting thinner, too, and all wobbly. But he didn't give up! He remembered his curiosity, and now, his determination. He *would not* be a crocodile's dinner! Finally, with a tremendous, squishy *POP!* the Crocodile let go! It had pulled so hard, and the Elephant's Child had pulled so hard, that the Crocodile simply couldn't hold on any longer. It tumbled backwards into the water with a huge splash, and disappeared into the depths, grumpy and hungry. The Elephant's Child sat down with a thud, breathless. He looked at his nose. It wasn't a little nose anymore! Oh dear, no! It was long and floppy and about five feet long, like a big, grey sausage! He tried to wiggle it, and it wiggled! He tried to pick up a pebble, and it just flopped about uselessly. "Oh, what have I done?" he sniffled. "My nose is all wrong! It's too long! How will I ever eat my lovely melons again? Or give my mum a proper cuddle?" The Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake unwound himself, a little dizzy from all the pulling. "Give it time, little one," he said kindly. "Give it time." He stayed with the Elephant's Child for a few days, teaching him how to swing his new long nose from side to side to cool himself, and how to spray water over his back. It was a bit like learning to use a brand new arm or leg! The Elephant's Child tried very hard to get used to his new, long nose, which he now called a 'trunk'. It felt very strange indeed. He could feel things with the very tip of it, almost like having an extra finger! But he still didn't quite understand its true magic. Not yet. He waved goodbye to the helpful Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake, who slithered off to find a sunny rock for a nap. The Elephant's Child looked at his reflection in the still water of the Limpopo. His new trunk looked very funny indeed. But something told him that this wasn't the end of the story. Not at all.

A Brand New Trunk

The Elephant's Child gazed at his reflection in the shimmering Limpopo, a ripple of water distorting his new, peculiar face. His nose, once a neat, stubby little thing, was now a long, grey, wriggly tube. It drooped and swayed, looking quite silly, he thought. What on earth was he to do with *this*? He tried to wiggle it, and it wiggled back! He tried to sniff a bright yellow water-lily, but his new nose got all tangled up. He tried to pick up a shiny, smooth pebble from the bank, but the long, floppy thing just slipped and slid. "Oh dear," he mumbled to himself, "this isn't very helpful at all." He felt a bit wobbly and confused. Just then, a long, green tree python, who had been lazily coiled around a branch overhanging the river, uncurled a little and peered down. "Well, well, well," hissed the python, his voice like rustling leaves. "What have we here? A nose that's grown so long, it looks like a hosepipe!" The python chuckled, a dry, snaky sound. The Elephant's Child felt a flush of embarrassment spread over his grey skin. "It's not a hosepipe!" he declared, though he wasn't entirely sure what it was. "The Bi-Coloured Python-Rock-Snake pulled it!" "Did he now?" said the python, lowering his head a little further. "And what good is it, pray tell, this... *extension*?" The Elephant's Child sighed. "I don't know! I can't pick up pebbles, I can't sniff flowers properly, and it keeps getting in the way!" He tried to scratch his ear with it, but the trunk just flapped clumsily. "It's all quite a bother, really." The python watched him for a moment, his golden eyes unblinking. "Perhaps," he hissed, "you're just not *trying* hard enough. Or perhaps you're trying the wrong things." "What do you mean?" asked the Elephant's Child, his curiosity piqued once more, despite his current predicament. "Look around you," suggested the python. "What do *you* usually do with your nose?" "I sniff," said the Elephant's Child. "And I spray water sometimes, but not very far." "Try sniffing then," encouraged the python. "And try spraying water." So, the Elephant's Child took a deep breath. He pointed his new, long nose at a bright red berry hanging from a bush. He sniffed, and to his surprise, he could smell it much, much better than before! The scent of the juicy berry travelled right up his long trunk, clear and strong. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "I can smell it perfectly!" Then, he remembered the water. He dipped the end of his trunk into the Limpopo. It slurped up the water! He lifted his trunk, and then, with a mighty sneeze-like sound, he blew! A powerful jet of water shot out, splashing the python right on the nose! "Good gracious!" spluttered the python, shaking his head. "A bit of a surprise, that! But rather effective, wouldn't you say?" The Elephant's Child giggled, a proper, joyful giggle. "I sprayed you!" he cried, delighted. "I can spray water much further now!" He filled his trunk again and sprayed a little tree, then a big rock, then even a cheeky little monkey who had been watching from a distance. The monkey squeaked and scampered away. This was fun! He spent the rest of the afternoon practising. He discovered he could fill his trunk with water and then cool himself down on a hot day by spraying it all over his back. He learned that he could pick the juiciest leaves from the very tops of the tallest trees, leaves that no other elephant could reach! He even found that he could use his trunk to gather big bundles of grass and push them into his mouth, making meal times much easier. And when a particularly annoying fly buzzed around his ear, he found he could swat it away with a flick of his new, powerful trunk! It was like having an extra arm, one that could smell and drink and spray! Slowly but surely, the Elephant's Child began to understand that his 'silly' long nose wasn't silly at all. It was actually rather marvellous. He could do so many new things! He felt a little bit proud. He waved his trunk like a flag and decided it was time to go home and show his family. He trekked back through the bush, his long trunk swaying from side to side, feeling much more confident now. When he finally arrived back at the grey-green greasy Limpopo River, his family were all there, drinking. They looked up, their eyes wide as saucers, as he approached. "Goodness gracious me!" trumpeted his mother, nearly dropping her bunch of grass. "What on earth has happened to your nose, dear boy? It's grown ever so long!" His Auntie the Tallest Elephant tried to pull it, just like she always did, but this time, the Elephant's Child held firm. "Don't!" he said, with a little grunt. "It's strong now!" His Uncle the Elephant with the Purple Eyes and the Red-and-Yellow Markings said, "He looks ridiculous! A great long floppy thing! He'll never be able to eat!" "Oh no, Uncle!" said the Elephant's Child, feeling very pleased with himself. "Watch this!" He dipped the end of his trunk into the river, slurped up a great amount of water, and then, with a mighty 'WHOOSH!', he sprayed his Uncle the Elephant right in the face! His uncle staggered back, spluttering and shaking his head. Then, the Elephant's Child stretched his trunk high, higher than any of the grown-up elephants could reach, and plucked a cluster of the sweetest, juiciest red berries from the very top of a tall tree. He offered them to his mother. "See, Mummy? It's much better than before!" All the other elephants watched, utterly astonished. They had never seen anything like it. One by one, they began to think, "Hmm, perhaps a long nose isn't such a bad idea after all." Some of them even tried to stretch their own short, stubby noses, hoping they might grow longer, too! From that day on, the Elephant's Child was no longer just the 'Satiable Elephant' with a perpetually curious nose. He was the cleverest elephant of all, with a brand new, magnificent trunk that could do truly amazing things. And so, all the other elephants, seeing how useful his new trunk was, went down to the Limpopo River, and with the help of the Bi-Coloured Python-Rock-Snake, they all got their noses pulled into long, magnificent trunks. And that, my dears, is how all elephants came to have their trunks. But it all started with one very curious Elephant's Child, and his journey to the great, grey-green, greasy Limpopo River. A curious adventure indeed.

Outro

What a truly curious adventure that was! We hope you enjoyed joining the Elephant’s Child on his journey to the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River. Thank you for listening along with us today. If you have any thoughts or ideas, please do let Sonacasts know – we always love hearing from you! Now, perhaps you’ll imagine your own amazing adventures, or listen to another exciting tale. Until next time, goodbye!