The Elephant's Child (Rudyard Kipling)

An audiobook reading of "Just So Stories" by Rudyard Kipling, narrated by Michael Cochrane http://www.cochranevoice.com Music by Slip.stream - "I Would Choose You" - https://slip.stream/tracks/f7cc7158-c... At one time the Elephant did not have a trunk. Instead he has "a blackish, bulgy nose, as big as a boot." The Elephant's Child is curious and always asks questions "about everything that he saw, or heard, or felt, or smelt, or touched." One day the Elephant's Child decides to ask the Crocodile a question. After being ignored he goes to the river, finds the Crocodile, and asks his question. The Crocodile tricks the Elephant's Child into coming close to the river. The Elephant's Child kneels beside the river and the Crocodile bites his "little nose." The Crocodile suggests through closed teeth that today he will eat the Elephant's Child. The Elephant's Child begs the Crocodile to let go of his nose. The Crocodile refuses and the Elephant's Child pulls backward as hard as he can. His nose begins to stretch. The Crocodile writhes in the water and the Elephant's Child pulls away harder and harder. The nose stretches out until it is very long and eventually the Crocodile gives up. The Elephant's Child sits beside the river and hides his sore nose. The Bi-Colored-Python-Rock-Snake suggests that the nose will never return to its original shape. The Elephant's Child eventually learns to use the long powerful stretched-out nose to his advantage. He can swat flies, feed himself, and spray water over his body when the weather is hot. He returns home and shows his new trunk to his family. Eventually they all go to talk to the Crocodile and stretch their own noses. Now every elephant has a long and useful trunk. (Coursehero.com)