The Elephant Who Tiptoed

The meadow was green and quiet. Under a big neem tree, baby mouse Chiku was fast asleep. She was curled up on a soft leaf. Her little nose went sniff... sniff... in her dreams.

Along came Gajju the elephant. Thump! Thump! Thump! The ground went wibble, wobble.

Gajju was going to the pond for a cool bath. But Chiku was sleeping right in his path.

He stopped. He lifted his trunk. "Oh-ho," he whispered in his big, rumbly voice. "Chiku is sleeping. I must be very, very quiet."

He took a deep breath. "Tip, tip, tiptoe, Gajju. Soft as a feather."

He lifted one big foot. Now he stood on three. Wibble, wobble! He leaned left. He leaned right. His ears flapped like two big fans. Flap, flap!

He put his foot down. Tip. Very soft. Chiku did not wake up. "Hee hee," Gajju giggled into his trunk. "It is working!"

"Tip, tip, tiptoe, Gajju. Soft as a feather."

He lifted the next foot. But a blade of grass tickled his toes. Tickle, tickle! "Hoo... hoo... hee..." Gajju tried not to laugh. His whole body shook with giggles. His trunk curled up like a spring.

Then a little white flower floated past his nose. Uh-oh. "Aaah... aaah..."

He wiggled his trunk. He scrunched his eyes. And out came the teeniest, tiniest sneeze. "Tchoo!"

Wibble, wobble, FLUMP! Gajju sat right down on the soft grass. His ears flopped. His eyes went wide.

Chiku opened one eye. Then the other. She saw a big elephant sitting in the grass, looking very surprised.

"Hee hee hee!" squeaked Chiku. "Hee hee! What a funny wake-up!"

Gajju laughed too. "Ho ho ho! I was trying to tiptoe. Sorry I woke you, Chiku."

"That was the best wake-up ever," said Chiku. "Can you do it again?"

So Gajju stood up. Together, very softly, they tiptoed to the pond. "Tip, tip, tiptoe..." Big feet and little feet, side by side.

At the pond, the water was cool and still. Gajju gave Chiku a gentle little shower from his trunk. Sprinkle, sprinkle!

Then Chiku curled up on his big, soft ear, and fell asleep again. And Gajju stood still as a hill... and did not move one bit.