THE ELEPHANT AND THE BOY

When he was but a boy in India…outside he would proceed

where he would sit for hours…and read…and read…and read…

He would always read alone…he did not like a crowd.

Sometimes he would read in silence and other times aloud.

One day as he was reading he noticed out of the corner of his eye

a baby elephant, by himself, innocently strolling by.

The boy kept reading out loud…the elephant seemed to me mesmerized,

and he gently sat down next to the boy…their height now equalized.

The little boy stopped reading and looked into the elephant’s eyes…

“An elephant who likes to read.” He said, “this is a big surprise?”

The elephant shook his head and his eyes began to glisten…

“I do not like to read.” He said.  “But I sure do like to listen.”

So everyday the boy would read…with an inward source of pride

to himself and to his elephant who was seated by his side.

And the boy would look up now and then…sometimes losing his place

just to see the sparkle in his elephant’s eyes and the smile on his face.

And this went on for many years filling each one of them with joy…

And they formed a special friendship…the elephant and the boy.

But little boys grow up up one day and baby elephants too…

Now that each one had a family of their own…their reading time was through…

But one day, walking together, happily they found

his son and his baby elephant…together on the ground….

As they thought how life had come full circle…their happy eyes were glistening

for his little boy was reading…and his baby elephant was listening…