Mangu the Elephant Who Could (really!) Fly

Here is a (really short) story that came out the other day, a collaboration between Aneesh, Ananya and myself.  I was working with Ananya on her school work. Unbeknownst to us, Aneesh was busy doing some art work. After some coaxing and cajoling he showed us his work. Aneesh convinced me that he had not drawn helicopter-like blades on top of the elephant's head, that they were trees.

Acknowledgements: Ananya provided the facts about what makes birds fly, Aneesh the picture below, while I pulled out an old riddle from my childhood days and did the 'integration'.

Mangu the Elephant Who Could (really!) Fly

Once upon a time, in a jungle far, far away lived an elephant named Mangu. He was of a very joyful disposition, ever willing with a smile, always helping other fellow creatures in the jungle. One day, he was talking to his friend, a talkative bird named Yakity-Yak.

“Yakity, how do you fly?” as innocent and naive a question as one can expect from a five year old elephant.

“Mangu, there are special things that birds have that help us fly. I have wings and feathers, a tail, a streamlined body, strong muscles, light and hollow bones, that help me. All I have to do is to flap my wings hard and I can fly up in the air”, responded the all-knowing Yakity.

“Hmm..I think I have an idea that will help me fly”, said Mangu with a look that was all-knowing yet revealed nothing.

The next morning, at the crack of dawn, he trudged up to the top of the mountain from where he could see things far, far away.  From there, he climbed up to the top of the tallest tree he could find. Then he sat on a leaf and waited for his friend the wind to blow. When the wind blew, the leaf broke free from the tree, flew up into the air carrying with it a joyfully squealing Mangu!

The End