Week 7 Storytelling: Ellie's Dream

“Mom! MOOOOOOMMM!!!” screamed Ellie.



“What? What’s wrong honey?” asked Ellie’s mom, Beth.



“I had a bad dream. I really wanted the toy that Hannah had so I gave her all of my lunch money, but then I was starving, and started to shrink into a raisin!”



Ellie’s mom thought for a moment, and then told Ellie that she had a story that she thought would help her.



“Once upon a time there was a little turtle. This turtle was so tired of his neighbor, the elephant, eating all the leftover food in the turtle’s garden.



One day he had an opportunity to trick the elephant! He was sitting in the elephant’s living room, and had brought along some tasty snacks that he knew would entice his foe. In the middle of their meeting he started eating his snacks, and right on cue the elephant asked what he was eating, and if he could possibly share. The turtle told him that he would surely share his snacks, but it would cost him an eye. The elephant happily obliged, thinking that if it cost him his eye then these snacks must really be worth the fuss.



The turtle reached up and took the elephants left eye! The elephant trumpeted with pain, but decided he would sooth his discomfort with his new snacks. They really did the trick!



But he wanted more. So he asked the turtle to give him the rest of the snacks. The turtle said that would be just fine if he would give the turtle his other eye. The elephant decided that was worth it, and so the turtle took his right eye. Again the elephant soothed his pain with the snacks he had been given. “



“You see Ellie the elephant made the same arrangement you did in your dream. He gave up something very valuable, for something that would only please him for a little. Sometimes you have to think of the long-term, and what will be best for you.”



This got Ellie thinking about her actions. She had never thought about the future, and how she would need to plan for it sometimes.

Ellie’s mom told her she was not finished though, and continued her story.



“This arrangement very much pleased the elephant and the turtle. The elephant got his snacks, yet could no longer see to steal his neighbors food. It was a win, win!



….until the morning when the elephant needed to go to market to restock his pantry. He heard many passing, yet could not follow. He called out until finally a little worm took pity on the elephant. He came to ask what the matter was, and the elephant told him that he needed to borrow his eyes for the day. He gave the worm numerous compliments, and the worm was so flattered he decided it would only be right to lend the elephant his eyes.



The next morning the worm sought out the elephant to get his eyes back, but the elephant ignored his requests. This is how the worm ended up without any eyes at all, and the elephant with such small ones. “



“Ellie along with thinking of the future, sometimes you must think of yourself and your limits. It is wonderful to want to help others, but you must also be sure to not commit to too much. Sometimes you will have to say no to people for your own good.”



After the stories Ellie was sleepy again, and went back to bed, but she never forgot the lessons her mother had taught her that night.



Author’s Note: This story was adapted from The Elephant and the Tortoise. I kept most of the story the same, just in a more compact telling. I liked the idea of using it to teach a lesson, because when I read it, it made me think of some things I had learned. If the animals had known these things, they could have avoided all of the misfortunes that happened in the story. I wanted to switch up how I told my stories, so I chose to use a bedtime story for a little girl. It reminded me of one of my favorite movies, “The Princess Bride,” so I decided to try it out!



Bibliography: “The Elephant and The Tortoise” from Folk Stories From Southern Nigeria by Elphinstone Dayrell (1910).