“But he did teach us many clever things, didn’t he, Mouse?” Young Elephant said eventually, “and he told us lots of wonderful stories that we will always remember, won’t we, Mouse?”
“He did all that, Young Elephant, and we will always remember that,” Mouse agreed. Then the two of them went back to their friends. Everybody could see that Young Elephant was feeling a little bit better now.
~~**~~
“Come along!” Young Elephant invited his friends. Mouse, Monkey, Meerkat and Young Giraffe were standing in a little circle around Young Elephant. The morning was still cool and the day was clear and beautiful.
“Where are we going?” Meerkat asked.
“What are we going to do there?” Monkey was curious.
“Doesn’t matter where you’re going,” Young Giraffe declared. “We are going with you!” The five friends set off into the veld.
“Now, this is what I’d like us to do today!” Young Elephant said once they were away from all the other animals. Even though none of the other animals were close enough to hear him, he whispered quietly to his friends. When he was done, and they understood, they all looked up and grinned.
“Yes, let’s go do that!” Meerkat ran ahead, with Monkey close behind. Mouse hitched a ride with Young Elephant, on his head, as he always did.
It took the friends most of the day, but eventually Monkey called:
“Here it is!” he was very excited. “I’m sure it is the right one!” The others ran quickly, to see what Monkey wanted to show them.
“It looks like the right one,” Meerkat looked up, squinting so that he could see properly.
“It is the right one!” Young Giraffe declared. “I remember it now!” They stood around it in a circle. They wanted to make sure that it was the right one. Nobody moved, and they all stood very quietly.
“Let me try it out then,” Young Elephant whispered. He stepped closer. Then he turned around, and he leaned in. It was a perfect fit, exactly as Old Elephant said it would be. Young Elephant smiled. The old tree was smooth and polished from all the years that Old Elephant had used it.
“I love to have my back scratched!” Young Elephant laughed in delight, as he scratched his back on Old Elephant’s favorite rubbing tree.
~~**~~
“I won’t call you Young Elephant anymore.” Mouse declared as the five friends walked back home. Young Elephant didn’t understand.
“What are you talking about, Mouse?” he asked. “You are my friend. Why won’t you call me Young Elephant?”
“You are a big elephant now!” Mouse said.
“But what will you call me, then?” Young Elephant was not really sure what to say. Mouse was his best friend, and now his best friend did not want to call him by his name!
“You are now Elephant,” Mouse said solemnly. “From now on I will call you Elephant.”
“Yes, you are a big elephant now,” agreed the others. “From now on we will all call you Elephant.”
“Thank you, my friends,” said Elephant, and together they walked back home.
The End
###
Other Books by Salome Byleveldt
African Fable Series:
How Giraffe came to be at the Pyramids
How Ostrich came to climb Kilimanjaro
How Hyena came to cross the Namib
What’s the matter with Elephant?
Author’s Page
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