How The Elephants Got Their Trunks

• Elyssa Wakim, Grade 1, Maronite College Of The Holy Family Parramatta
• Short Story
• 2013

Finalist in the 'Dream Big 2013' competition

Long ago in the Dreamtime, there lived all kinds of different animals, one of which was the elephant. It had big floppy ears, two white pointy tusks, four short wide legs and a small black nose.
One day, while the hungry elephants were looking for food, they saw some zebras also hunting for food.
Suddenly, a thick, long, grey snake slithered in the grass, right in the middle of the zebras and elephants.
One elephant stepped forwards and said to the zebras, “We found this snake first. It is ours!” One zebra replied, “Can we share the snake please? We are very hungry too.”
“No!” Yelled the greedy elephant and he pounced on the snake. The zebra also jumped at the snake. Both the elephant and the zebra had each end of the snake in their mouths. They pulled and pulled until the zebra let go, the elephant fell on its back and the snake got stuck on the elephant’s nose.
The other elephants tried to pull the snake off but it would not move. Instead, when they touched the snake, they all grew trunks as well.
That is how the greedy elephants go their long, thick trunks.