The Elephant and the Snake

There was once a young elephant named Elly who lived in a forest with her herd. Elly was curious and adventurous, always eager to explore new places and learn new things. She loved to play with her friends and make new ones.

One day, Elly wandered away from her herd, following a trail of colorful flowers. She came across a clearing where she saw a shiny object lying on the ground. It was a snake, coiled up and sunbathing. Elly had never seen a snake before, and she was fascinated by its scaly skin and forked tongue.

“Hello, there,” Elly said, approaching the snake. “What are you?”

The snake opened its eyes and saw Elly. It was a cobra, venomous and cunning. It sensed an opportunity to have some fun at Elly’s expense.

“I am a friend,” the snake said, smiling. “And you are?”

“I am Elly, an elephant,” Elly said, proudly. “I live in the forest with my herd.”

“An elephant, eh?” the snake said, pretending to be impressed. “You are very big and strong. But do you know what I am?”

“No, I don’t,” Elly said, innocently. “Please tell me.”

“I am a magic rope,” the snake said, lying. “I can do amazing things. Do you want to see?”

Elly nodded, excited. She loved magic.

“Okay, then,” the snake said. “Pick me up and swing me around. You will see something wonderful.”

Elly trusted the snake and did as it said. She picked up the snake by its tail and swung it around. The snake felt a rush of adrenaline as it flew through the air. It waited for the right moment and then bit Elly on her trunk.

Elly screamed in pain and dropped the snake. She felt a burning sensation in her trunk and saw blood dripping from the wound. She realized she had been tricked by the snake.

“You are not a magic rope,” Elly said, angrily. “You are a snake, a mean and nasty snake. Why did you do that?”

The snake laughed, cruelly. “Because I can,” it said. “Because I am a snake, and you are a foolish elephant. You should have known better than to trust me.”

Elly felt dizzy and weak. She knew the snake’s venom was spreading in her body. She needed help. She ran back to her herd, calling for her mother.

Her mother heard her cries and came to her rescue. She saw Elly’s wound and recognized the snake’s bite. She knew she had to act fast. She used her trunk to suck out the venom from Elly’s trunk and spit it out. She then applied some mud on the wound to stop the bleeding.

She hugged Elly and comforted her. “Don’t worry, my child,” she said. “You will be fine. I am here for you.”

Elly felt relieved and grateful. She thanked her mother and apologized for wandering away. She learned a valuable lesson that day: not to trust strangers, especially snakes.

The snake, meanwhile, slithered away, looking for another victim. It did not care about the harm it had done. It was a snake, after all, and that was its nature.