The following is an African Fable that Nathan wrote for school.  I think you’ll enjoy it.

There are many animals that are friends on the earth, like the hippos and the birds, and the zebras and buffalos. However, the elephants and the monkeys are not good friends at all. Those two animals have hated each other from the beginning of time. Every day they would insult each other like nothing else mattered. Sometimes Monkey would say to Elephant as they passed by.

 “Move over there is no room for you in this forest!”This would hurt the Elephant deeply, but he did not let these words get to him instead he would simply try to step on him.

After a few nights, Elephant came up with some insults of his own, and he couldn’t wait to try them the next morning. When Elephant saw Monkey he ran right up to him and started yelling “Hey you little tick you’re so small that you … uh … uh.”

 Unfortunately he forgot his wonderful comeback.

“Ha-ha! You big head, can’t even think right you stupid giant!” Slightly embarrassed, Elephant walked away trying to remember is barbs.

The next day, Elephant remembered his insult and rushed straight to Monkey’s house and yelled through the front door. “Hey you little tick you’re so small that not even the best hawk eyes could spot you!”

Though it wasn’t the best barb in the world, Monkey was distressed that Elephant could make up an insult. In his anger, Monkey began to jump on Elephant’s back. Elephant tried to shake him off, but Monkey just fell on Elephant’s nose, Monkey began to pull on it, and it stretched to be eight feet long. Elephant was shocked but he used his new nose to hit Monkey into the trees, Surprised, Monkey stayed up there forever in fear that Elephant would hit him again. To this very day elephants noses stayed elongated, and monkeys live up in the trees.

By: Nate Ziegelbaur