The Elephant's Child

A long time ago, when the world was still very new, there was a Baby Elephant. And he had one very short nose. Just a plain, boot-shaped, bulgy nose.

But he had one big question. And another. And another. And another.

'What does the sun do at night?' he asked. 'What does grass taste like?' 'Why do bees buzz?' 'What does the Crocodile have for dinner?'

Everyone got tired of his questions. 'Shush!' they said. 'Shush, shush, shush!'

But he still wondered about the Crocodile. So he went off to find out.

He walked and walked, all the way to a great grey-green greasy river, until he met a Crocodile lying on the bank. He didn't know it was a Crocodile, because he had never seen one before.

'Excuse me,' said Baby Elephant politely. 'What do you have for dinner?'

The Crocodile smiled a slow, slow, toothy smile. 'Come closer, little one,' he said, 'and I'll whisper.'

Baby Elephant leaned close. SNAP! The Crocodile grabbed his nose.

'Led go!' cried Baby Elephant, through his squashed nose. 'You are hurtig be!'

He pulled. The Crocodile pulled. He pulled. The Crocodile pulled.

And his little nose stretched. And it stretched. And it stretched.

Long. And longer. And LONGER.

At last, POP — the Crocodile let go.

Baby Elephant sat down hard. He looked at his nose. It was very, very, VERY long.

But then a fly buzzed by, and — swoosh! — his new long nose swatted it away.

And when he was thirsty, his new long nose reached down and slurped up water.

And when he was hungry, his new long nose plucked a banana from a tree.

Well then! Baby Elephant loved his new long nose. He went home and showed everybody, and they all wanted one too. So they all went off to the great grey-green greasy river, and asked the Crocodile very politely for a pull.

And that is why every elephant, to this very day, has a long trunk instead of a boot-shaped nose.