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Take a deep, relaxing breath, snuggled down and listen carefully to this tale about an elephant who thought he was invisible. Do you think he was really invisible? Let’s read the story and find out.
Eric the elephant was standing at the edge of the jungle when he saw a shooting star. “I’ll make a wish,” he said. “If I were you, I wish to be invisible,” said Tommy the Tiger, who was camouflaged in the tall grass. “You’re so big. Hunters can easily see you and catch you. “What a wonderful idea,” said Eric, as he wished: “Oh, shooting star, if you can hear me, make me vanish and disappear.” But he could still see his trunk when he looked down. “My wish hasn’t come true,” he sighed
Just then, Tommy decided to play a trick. “Where are you? I can hear your voice, but I can’t see you!” He cried. “Really?” Eric chuckled. “I must be invisible after all!” And the next morning he stomped through the jungle imagining himself as transparent as the air.
“Hello. Can you see me?” He asked everyone he met. Tommy had warned them all not to spoil his trick, so even though the monkeys could see Eric, they chuckled and said, “we can’t see you. You’re invisible.” Then they swung away through the trees, laughing at how silly Eric had been. Eric, though, was delighted with his magic disguise. “Can you see me?” He asked the parents. “See who?” They squawked. “There’s nobody there!” Then they flew away, shrieking with laughter.
“Amazing! I’ll be safe from any hunters,” said Eric. Then he saw a little mouse. “Hello down there. Can you see me?” Elsa the mouse scurried away – she knew Tommy would be furious if she spoiled his trick, but she didn’t want to lie to Eric. And later that day, as she was nibbling a berry, Elsa spotted elephant hunters coming through the jungle, carrying a big net. “Quick!” She called to a passing parrot. “Fly fast! Warn Eric is not invisible!” “No way!” said the parrot I’m scared of Tommy.”
“Swing quickly to Eric,” she begged a monkey, but the monkey cried, “I can’t do that, Tommy will be angry!” “But the hunters will catch Eric!” Elsa squeaked as she ran through the undergrowth. Then she saw the big elephant standing in a clearing, the jungle creatures still chuckling in the branches above. “Run, Eric! Hunters are coming!” She cried.
Eric smiled. “I’m safe! I’m invisible. Everyone says so.” Elsa scurried along his trunk and pulled up his enormous year “You’re not invisible!” she said. “Tony the Tiger played a trick. Now run before the hunters throw their net” Eric was confused, but hearing the panic in the little mouse’s voice, he turned quickly and thundered away.
That night Elsa lay relaxing on Eric’s shoulder, staring at the starry sky. “Thank you, little friend,” Eric said to Elsa. “I was silly to believe I was actually invisible. And foolish to trust Tommy. If you hadn’t been brave enough to tell the truth, the hunters would have caught me.”
“It’s Tommy who needs to be brave now!” said Elsa, spotting the Tiger’s shadow in the long grass. “He should be brave enough to come out and apologize.” “Quite right!” chorused the parrots and the monkeys from their resting places in the treetops.
“Alright! Alright! I’m sorry!” mumbled Tommy. And he slunk off, wishing that he
could disappear…
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