Eddy the Elephant

Eddy was a very young elephant so there was much he had yet to learn. One day, Eddy felt sad because all his young animal friends could play instruments that made glorious sounds, while he, it seemed, could not. Try as he might, each note Eddy tried to blow on his friend's instruments, came out flat. Eddy went in search of his Mother. One of the things Eddy had already learned was that his Mother could cheer him up and he longed to be cheered. He found his Mother under a very tall, shading tree, chatting with her friends. “Mother, why is music so pleasing?” asked little Eddy. “Music is a gift,” replied his Mother; “That brings us joy,” said Ms. Zebra; “That eases our spirits,” added Ms. Monkey; “And makes us smile,” finished Ms. Tiger. Eddy did not feel cheered, in fact, he felt even sadder. He began to walk. Eddy thought, “I cannot play an instrument like others, so I must not have the gift of bringing joy, or the ability to ease other’s spirits and make them smile. I must not be of any good to anyone.” Eddy was so busy walking and thinking that he failed to notice the sun was leaving the sky. He even forgot his Mother worried if he was not home by dark. After a while, Eddy became tired. He flopped down by a pond and fell asleep. “Rivet, rivet”, chorused in Eddy’s ears. The constant sound woke him up. Opening one tired eye, Eddy observed the water. He saw frogs sitting on lily pads and lifted his head. He noticed that when a frog's mouth moved, the music, “rivet, rivet” could be heard. Suddenly, Eddy felt a need to move. He heard his own inner-voice telling him to get up and join the melody. Not sure what he would do, Eddy stood, lifted his trunk and blew out of it with as much force as a wee elephant can. He heard a wondrous, trombone-roar that filled the night. Full of excitement, Eddy ran home in search of his Mother. Though Eddy was a baby elephant, he was still quite large and the every tree seemed to shake as he ran. His Mother heard the “clomp, clomp” from his running and began to run herself to meet him. The other female animals sensed the Mother’s relief and became so excited that they also ran to greet Eddy. “Mother, oh, Mother, I am my very own gift of joy. I can ease spirits and bring smiles. I don’t need an instrument. Just listen, Mother, listen”, said Eddy as he lifted his trunk and sounded off another mighty note. “Oh, Eddy, indeed you are, and always have been,” said his happy Mother. All the animals were so excited about Eddy’s discovery that they had a big parade the next morning. Even the frogs came. When the young animal’s marching band went by, Eddy could be seen and heard, sharing the gift of his own special music.