The elephant tree - part 1

Late one hot summer evening I was wandering through the woods when I came across a small stream and decided to soak my weary feet in the cool water.  I sat beneath a sprawling Oak tree next to the inviting water.  I removed my shoes and socks uncovering my tired pink toes.

“Ahem” I heard someone say.  I looked, but I could not see anyone.  “Ahem” the voice said again.  “That certainly is not perfume I smell.  In fact I smell a smell that is awfully stale.”  I looked again but still there was no one to see.

  

“I’m sorry” I said.  “I thought I was alone.  Where are you?” 

“Up here,” the voice said. “Above you.”

I looked up to see who that was above me.  I coughed and sputtered, snorted and gagged because I could not believe who I could see in the tree above me.  

Not a word did I say so the voice in the tree above me said, “What is wrong?  Have you never seen an elephant in a tree?”

“Of course not,” I replied.  Elephants do not belong in trees and are never seen in trees”  “Certainly you cannot climb a tree.”  “How did you get in the tree,” I asked?

 

“I put myself here,” he replied. 

 

“How so,” I said.  “I cannot believe that you could put yourself in a tree.”  “But, if you did, why would an elephant want to be in a tree?”

 “I did put myself in this tree and I did so to hide from the little boy that lives over that way,” the elephant replied indignantly pointing through the trees with his trunk.

Then I heard a tiny young voice echoing through the woods, “Oh, Mr. Elephant, where are you?” 

“Shush” the elephant said.

I put my shoes and socks back on my stinky feet and left the two friends to finish their game of hide and seek.

I walked back toward the place I called home.  I came across another part of the little stream and decided that I still needed to soak my weary feet.  I sat on a rock and looked into the tree above just to make sure there wasn't another elephant in a tree.  

I removed my shoes and socks and placed my weary tired feet into the cool water and sat and thought about the elephant in the tree.

No, I thought, you didn't see an elephant in a tree and I convinced myself that was in fact true.  I could not have seen an elephant in a tree.  I was just tired.  I must have fallen asleep and was dreaming.

As I relaxed and my feet began to feel better and then I heard the little boy’s voice again.

“Oh, mister elephant, where are you?’

Oh, no, I thought.  Maybe I wasn't dreaming.

I listened to his searching voice hoping he would go into another direction.  But his voice got closer and stronger.

“Oh mister Elephant, where are you?”

 Then he was upon me and gasped in his surprise to see me dangling my bare feet in the running water.

He paused for a moment and then decided it was okay to speak to me.  I am sure he thought I could be of no harm to him with my bare feet dangling in the water.

“Have you seen an elephant?” he asked.

“As a matter of fact I have,” I replied

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 continued... "The Elephant Tree"...the full story to date...each week a few mor chapters are added or you can read them as they are posted...part 1...part 2 etc