There was once a herd of elephants. Elephants young,
elephants old, elephants tall or fat or thin. Elephants like
this, that or the other, all different but all happy and all the
same colour. All that is except Elmer.
Elmer was different.
Elmer was patchwork.
Elmer was yellow
and orange
and red
and pink
and purple
and blue
and green
and black
and white.
Elmer was not elephant colour.
It was Elmer who kept the elephants happy. Sometimes
he joked with the other elephants. sometimes they joked with
him. But if there was even a little smile, it was usually Elmer
who started it.
One night Elmer couldn't sleep fbr thinking and the think
that he was thinking was that he was tired of being different.
"Whoever heard of a patchwork elephant?'' he thought. "No
wonder they laugh at me." In the morning before the others
were really awake. Elmer slipped quietly away, unnoticed.
As he walked through the jungle Elmer met other animals.
They always said: “Good morning, Elmer.” Each time
Elmer smiled and said: “Good morning.”
After a long walk Elmer found what he was looking for a
large bush. A large bush covered with berries, a large bush
covered with elephant-colourcd berries. Elmer caught hold
of the bush and shook it and shook it so that the berries fell
on the ground.
Once the ground was covered in berries Elmer lay down
and rolled over and over this way and that way and back
again. Then he picked up bunches of berries and rubbed
himself all over covering himself with berry juice until there
wasn't a sign of any yellow, or orange, or red, or pink, or
purple, or blue, or green, or black, or white. When he had
finished Elmer looked like any other elephant.
After that Elmer set off back to the herd. On the way he
passed the other animals again.
This time each one said to him: “Good morning, elephant.”
And each time Elmer smiled and said: “Good morning,”
pleased that he wasn't recognised.
When Elmer rejoined the other elephants they were all
standing quietly. None of them noticed Elmer as he worked
his way to the middle of the herd.
After a while Elmer felt that something was wrong. But
what? He looked around: same old jungle, same old bright
sky, same old rain cloud that came over from time to time
and lastly same old elephants. Elmer looked at them.
The elephants were standing absolutely still. Elmer had
never seen them so serious before.
The more he looked at the serious, silent, still, standing
elephants, the more he wanted to laugh. Finally he could
bear it no longer. He lifted his trunk and at the top of his
voice shouted.
The elephants jumped and fell all ways in surprise. “Oh
my gosh and golly!” they said and then saw Elmer helpless
with laughter.
“Elmer,” they said. “It must be Elmer.” Then the other
elephants laughed too as they had never laughed before.
As they laughed the rain cloud burst and when the rain fell
on Elmer his patchwork started to show again. The elephants
still laughed as Elmer was washed back to normal. “Oh Elmer,”
gasped an old elephant. “You’ve played some good jokes but
this has been the biggest laugh of all. It didn’t take you long to
show your true colours.”
“We must celebrate this day every year,” said another. “This will
be Elmer’s day. All elephants must decorate themselves and Elmer
will decorate himself elephant colour.”
That is exactly what the elephants do. On one day a year they
decorate themselves and parade. On that day if you happen to see an elephant ordinary elephant colour you will know i must be Elmer.
End.
