Eddy, the Young Elephant

Eddy was a very young elephant. There was much Eddy did not know. One day, Eddy felt sad and uncertain. All of his young animal friends had musical ability and played instruments that made glorious sounds, but Eddy, it seemed, could not. Try as he might, Eddy could not make pretty music on any of the instruments. Every note he tried to blow, came out flat.

Eddy went in search of his Mother. One of the things Eddy had learned was that his Mother could cheer him up and he longed to be cheered. He found his Mother in a clearing, chatting with her friends.

“Mother, why is music so pleasing?” asked little Eddy.
“Music is a gift,” replied his Mother;
“That brings us joy,” said Ms. Zebra;
“That eases our spirits,” added Ms. Monkey;
“And makes us smile,” finished Ms. Tiger.

Eddy did not feel cheered, if anything, he felt even sadder. He began to walk. Eddy thought, “I cannot play an instrument like my friends, so I must not have the gift of bringing joy, or the ability to ease other’s spirits and make them smile. I must not be of any good to anyone.”

Eddy walked and thought, he thought and walked. Eddy did not notice that the sun was leaving the sky. Eddy did not think about how worried his Mother must be because he had not returned home. All the walking and thinking made Eddy tired. He laid down by a pond and slept.

“Rivet, rivet, rivet”, chorused in Eddy’s ears and the constant sound woke him up. Sleepily, Eddy observed the water. He saw that each lily pad had a frog sitting on it and that each frog was moving their mouth. Eddy lifted his head. He noticed that when a frog moved his mouth, the music, “rivet, rivet, rivet” could be heard. Eddy felt the need to move. He heard his own inner-voice telling him to get up and join the melody. Standing, Eddy lifted his trunk and without even knowing how, made a wondrous, trombone-roar that filled the coming night.

Eddy was so excited that he began to run home in search of his Mother. Although Eddy was a small elephant, he was still quite large and the very trees seemed to shake as he ran. His Mother heard the “clomp, clomp, clomp” from Eddy’s running and began to run herself to meet him. The other animals sensed the Mother’s relief and became so excited that they also ran to greet Eddy.

“Mother, oh, Mother, I am my own gift, my very own gift of joy, to ease spirits and make others smile. I don’t need an instrument. Just listen, Mother, listen”, and Eddy lifted his trunk to sound off another mighty note.

“Oh, Eddy, indeed you are, and always have been,” said his happy Mother.

All the animals were so excited about Eddy’s discovery that they held a big parade the next morning. When the young animal’s marching band went by, Eddy could be seen and heard, sharing the gift of his own special music.

... CayCay Jennings

April 29, 2016

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