Golu Grows a Nose

Long ago elephants had no trunk - only a bulgy nose as big as a boot. Golu the baby elephant had a small bulgy nose and was full of questions.

In ancient times elephants possessed only bulgy noses, wiggling but unable to pick things up. Baby Golu shared this nose and annoyed his family with constant questions.

Golu asked the ostrich why she does not fly, the giraffe about spots, the hippo about red eyes, the baboon about melons. None could answer and called him a naughty baby.

He questioned his tall aunt ostrich about flying, his giraffe uncle about spotty skin, his hippopotamus uncle about red eyes, and his baboon uncle about melons. They had no answers and dismissed him as naughty.

The mynah told Golu to go to the great grassy Limpopo river to learn what crocodiles eat. Golu packed sugar canes, bananas and melons and set off.

A mynah in a bush answered his crocodile question indirectly: go to the banks of the great grassy Limpopo and find out. Golu packed provisions, said goodbye, and left though he had never seen a crocodile.

Golu met a python who said nothing but accepted help to coil on a branch again. Golu moved on eating his food.

He asked a python about crocodiles; the python uncoiled silently. Golu politely re-coiled him on the branch and continued, eating sugar canes, bananas and melons.

At the river Golu thought a log was a crocodile. The real crocodile winked, shed tears, and caught Golu by the nose when he bent close to hear a whisper.

On the Limpopo bank a 'log' winked - the crocodile. It invited Golu closer to whisper what it ate, then grabbed his nose declaring a baby elephant would be dinner.

The python told Golu to pull hard. Crocodile and Golu pulled; the python coiled around Golu. The nose stretched five feet before Golu was free.

The python, following quietly, urged Golu to pull hard. Crocodile and elephant tugged; python coiled around Golu's stomach for extra force. The nose stretched painfully to five feet before releasing him.

Golu cooled his nose in the river. A fly stung him - he killed it with his trunk. He plucked grass and slapped mud on his head. The python showed three advantages.

After two days the nose cooled but did not shrink. A fly sting led Golu to kill it with his trunk - advantage one. He plucked grass - advantage two. He scooped mud on his head - advantage three. Grateful, he returned home.