The Elephant Chases the Tortoise

Elephant was tired of Tortoise's tricks. "I'm going to get you, Tortoise!"
Tortoise ran and jumped in the river, but the Elephant used his trunk to search the riverbed. He grabbed Tortoise.
"That's just a root sticking out in the water!" laughed Tortoise. "You can't catch me."
Elephant believed Tortoise; he let go and reached around again. He caught Tortoise a second time.
"Root!" shouted Tortoise.
Then when Elephant grabbed a root, Tortoise screamed, "Oh! Let me go! You've got me!" But it was only a root.
Elephant got so tired and confused that he gave up.
Tortoise just laughed.


Inspired by: "Sankhambi and the Elephant"  in The Bavenda by Hugh Arthur Stayt, 1931.
Notes: You can read the original story online. Here's how the story started: The Dung-Thief.

5 comments:

  1. Haha that's why I love these trickster tales so much. The elephant suffers for his gullibility whilst the tortoise gets away with is because of his cunning!

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    1. Haha brain is better than brawn isn't it! What a thicko that elephant was!

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  2. Oh the poor Elephant being tricked like that!

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