How the Elephant Got His Trunk

In the High and Far-Off Times, elephants did not have long trunks. They had small, stubby noses, no bigger than a boot. In those days there lived one very curious little Elephant’s Child. He was full of questions, morning, noon, and night.

“What does the crocodile eat for dinner?” he asked one day.

His tall Aunt Ostrich, his tall Uncle Giraffe, his broad Aunt Hippopotamus, and his hairy Uncle Baboon did not like so many questions. They all said, “Hush!” and they smacked him when he asked too much. But the Elephant’s Child was still full of ‘satiable curiosity.

He asked the Kolokolo Bird, “What does the crocodile eat for dinner?”

The Kolokolo Bird said, “Go to the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees, and find out.”

So the Elephant’s Child packed a little bundle. He took a hundred pounds of bananas, a hundred pounds of sugar-cane, and seventeen melons, and he said, “Good-bye, family. I am going to the Limpopo River to learn what the crocodile eats for dinner.”

On his way he met a Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake.

“Have you seen a crocodile?” the Elephant’s Child asked.

“My young friend,” hissed the Snake, “go to the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees, and you will find out. But be careful.”

The Elephant’s Child walked and walked until he came to the river. It looked green and shiny and a little scary. On the bank he saw something that looked very much like a log of wood.

“Excuse me,” said the Elephant’s Child politely, “but have you seen a crocodile in this river?”

The log opened two eyes and winked. “I am the crocodile,” it said sweetly. “Come closer, little one, and I will whisper what I eat for dinner.”

The Elephant’s Child stepped closer. The crocodile snapped! He grabbed the little Elephant’s Child by his small, stubby nose.

“I think,” said the crocodile, “today I will begin with Elephant’s Child!”

“Ow! Let go!” cried the Elephant’s Child. He sat back and pulled and pulled, but the crocodile pulled too. His nose began to stretch. It stretched and stretched and stretched!

Just then the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake slithered up.

“Pull, little one! Pull hard!” hissed the Snake. He wrapped himself around the Elephant’s Child and pulled, while the crocodile pulled from the other side.

They pulled until the Elephant’s Child’s nose grew long and longer and longest—like a rope! At last the crocodile let go with a splash. The Elephant’s Child fell backward with his new, long nose lying in the mud.

“Ow,” he sniffled. “My nose!”

“It is called a trunk,” said the Snake. “It will get well. Keep it cool.”

So the Elephant’s Child sat with his trunk in the water to make it feel better. He waited one day, and then another, and another, while it grew softer and stronger.

“Now,” said the Snake kindly, “try your new trunk. You can pick grass without bending down.” The Elephant’s Child tried, and he could!

“You can pluck melons and peel them too,” said the Snake. The Elephant’s Child tried, and he could!

“You can swat flies, squirt water, lift logs, and trumpet loudly.” The Elephant’s Child tried everything, and he could do it all. He was very pleased.

“Thank you,” he said to the Snake. “I am going home.”

He walked back to his family with his new, long trunk swinging. His aunts and uncles stared.

“What have you done to your nose?” they cried.

“It is a trunk,” said the Elephant’s Child proudly. “And it is very useful.”

When they came to smack him for asking questions, the Elephant’s Child picked up a big branch with his trunk and said, very politely, “Please do not smack me.” Then he lifted dust with his trunk and blew it all around. He swatted flies away. He pulled up grass and shared it. He squirted cool water into his mouth without bending once.

His family blinked and blinked. “A trunk is very handy,” they said.

From that day to this, because of the Elephant’s Child and his ‘satiable curiosity, all elephants have long, strong trunks—good for eating, drinking, washing, working, and trumpeting with joy.