Elspeth Learns How to be a Happy Elephant

I first heard this story from the Rev. Dr. Graham Hardy of St. Stephen's, Sydney some 60 years ago. I have used and adapted it over the years to make it my own and eventually did some drawings. My son Peter has adapted these to a more comical format for this publication. This is a story about a happy young elephant whom I have named Elspeth. As she goes through the jungle Elspeth encounters Alfie the antelope, Poppy the pelican and Clarrie the canary. She sees desirable qualities in each encounter and suddenly these become part of her own life. It is only as she realizes how silly she has become that Elspeth suddenly returns to being herself - a happy young elephant. All around us we see people who may have greater gifts in life than we have. Be that in looks, wealth, talent or skills. As desirable as it may be that we obtain all these skills we simply need to celebrate the special abilities that we already do have and appreciate the gifts that we see in the lives of our friends.