"Something's Wrong with the Elephant"
In the very heart of the jungle, where the sun's rays peeked through the thick green canopy, the animals were always full of life. The monkeys swung from tree to tree, chattering and laughing as they played tag among the vines.
The parrots fluttered their colourful wings, squawking jokes that made the other birds chuckle. The frogs leapt from lily pad to lily pad, playing hopscotch on the river, while the zebras raced each other across the open grasslands. Even the tortoises, slow and steady, found joy in their slow-motion games of hide and seek.
But one day, as the toucan was perched high on a branch, observing all the fun, he noticed the elephant standing alone, away from the playful splashing of his friends.
The toucan tilted his head, his bright beak catching the light. "Something's wrong with the elephant," he muttered, and then flew off to share his concern with the others.
The toucan flapped his wings and landed on a branch where the monkeys were hanging upside down, laughing as usual. "Hey, have you seen the elephant today?" the toucan asked. "He’s not playing with the others, and he’s not even smiling!"
The monkeys paused in their swinging, glancing at each other. They climbed down and scurried over to the river, where they found the elephant standing quietly, his back turned to the noisy jungle.
One of the monkeys, the youngest and most curious, approached the elephant. “Hey, Mr. Elephant, is something wrong? You’re not playing with us today!”
The elephant slowly turned his large head, his eyes gentle and wise. “There’s nothing wrong,” he rumbled softly. “I’m just enjoying the river...”
“But you’re not smiling,” another monkey pointed out. “We thought you might be sad.”
The elephant let out a deep, rumbling laugh that sounded like distant thunder. “Just because I’m not smiling doesn’t mean I’m sad. You see, little ones, I’ve been here in this jungle a long time. I’ve played in the river, splashed water with my friends, and joined in all the fun. But today, I wanted to enjoy the quiet and listen to the sound of the water flowing. It makes me happy. Sometimes, I love to play with you all, and other times, I like to stand quietly and enjoy the peace.”
The monkeys scratched their heads, thinking about what the elephant had said.
“Being a part of this jungle means being yourself, whether you’re loud and playful or quiet and calm. We don’t need to worry about what others are doing or how they’re feeling every minute. What’s important is that we all respect each other’s way of being.”
The monkeys smiled and looked around at their jungle home: the parrots with their silly jokes, the zebras racing each other, the tortoises moving at their own pace—they were all happy.
The toucan smiled too, his concern now eased. “You’re right, Mr. Elephant. We all enjoy life in our jungle.”
And as the sun dipped low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the jungle, the elephant stood by the river with a quiet smile on his face.
