Traditional
|
India

The Elephant Girly-Face

Kind elephant known as Girly-Face is captured by a hunter using deceit but is eventually freed by his loyal herd.
Deception
Friendship
Caution
Jataka Tales - The Elephant Girly-Face
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time, in a deep, lush forest, there lived a big, kind elephant known as Girly-Face because of his gentle and compassionate nature. He was the leader of a large herd of elephants, and he always made sure everyone was safe and well.

One day, a man came into the forest. The man watched Girly-Face from behind the bushes. He noticed how all the other elephants respected their leader and followed him wherever he went. The man was a hunter, and he thought to himself, "This elephant is very powerful. If I could capture him, I could make a lot of money."

So, the man came up with a cunning plan. He pretended to be a kind and caring person, someone who loved animals. He approached Girly-Face slowly, speaking softly and offering him delicious fruits. He visited Girly-Face every day, building trust. The kind elephant, seeing no harm in the man, accepted his friendship.

One day, the man brought a large iron chain with him hidden under the fruits. As he was feeding Girly-Face, he quickly wrapped the chain around the elephant's leg. Girly-Face, surprised, tried to break free, but the chain was too strong. The man laughed and said, "You are mine now, Girly-Face! You will work for me!"

The man took Girly-Face out of the forest and brought him to a village. There, he made the elephant work hard every day, carrying heavy loads and doing tough work. Girly-Face was sad and missed his freedom, but he was too strong and kind-hearted to harm anyone, even to save himself.

Meanwhile, back in the forest, the elephant herd was lost and worried without their leader. They set out in search of Girly-Face, and after a long journey, they finally found him in the village, working hard and looking tired.

Seeing their beloved leader in chains, the elephants became very sad. But then, they decided to help Girly-Face. They approached the village quietly in the middle of the night, and with their combined strength, they broke the chain and freed Girly-Face.

Girly-Face thanked his friends and together, they returned to their forest home. From that day onwards, Girly-Face was even more careful and didn't trust strangers easily, and he lived happily with his herd for the rest of his days.

Once upon a time in a forest that felt like a big, green playground, there lived a super nice elephant named Girly-Face. Why the funny name? Well, he was as kind as your grandma when she gives you extra cookies. Girly-Face was the boss of a big group of elephants, like a playground monitor, but with bigger ears and a trunk.

Now, one day, a sneaky man came tiptoeing into the forest. He peeked out from behind a tree and thought, "Whoa, that elephant is like the king of the playground. If I catch him, I’ll get tons of gold stars... or maybe real gold!"

The man thought he was pretty smart. He walked up to Girly-Face with a big smile and gave him yummy fruits like apples and bananas. "Here, want a snack?" he said. Girly-Face thought the man was nice, so they became snack buddies.

But then, oh-oh, the sneaky man had a trick up his sleeve! One day he brought some fruits, but he also had a big, heavy chain hidden under them. Faster than you can say "banana split," he wrapped the chain around Girly-Face’s leg. "Gotcha! Now you'll have to work for me!"

The man took Girly-Face away to a village where he made him work really, really hard. No fun, no games, just lots of heavy lifting. Poor Girly-Face felt as sad as when it rains on a playdate.

Back in the fun, green forest, the other elephants were super worried. "Where’s Girly-Face? We have to find him!” they said. So off they went, like a team of elephant superheroes. After walking a lot—like, A LOT—they finally found him, looking as tired as a worn-out teddy bear.

Well, the elephants were not going to let that stand! Nope! They sneaked into the village one night, real quiet like ninjas. Then, using their strong trunks and teamwork, snap! They broke the chain and set Girly-Face free.

Girly-Face was so happy, he could almost dance! "Thank you, thank you, thank you! From now on, I’m going to be careful. No more Mr. Nice Elephant to strangers, but always to friends!"

And so, they all marched back to their awesome forest playground, ready for more fun and games. And they all lived happily, snacking on apples and bananas, as best friends do.

Girly-Face, the elephant grand,
Led his herd across the land.
Kind and caring, wise and true,
There was nothing he couldn't do.

Into the forest a stranger strode,
With a crafty grin, his motives showed.
He watched the elephant lead the way,
And thought, "With him, I'll surely have my day."

Pretending to be a friend so kind,
The man tricked Girly-Face, so blind.
With fruits so sweet and words so smooth,
He made the elephant's caution move.

Under fruits, a chain lay hid,
The man wrapped it 'round, just as he did.
"Girly-Face, you’re mine," he chuckled with glee,
"To the village we go, you’ll work for me!"

Heavy loads Girly-Face bore,
His freedom gone, his spirit sore.
Yet he was kind, couldn't cause a fuss,
Even though life had turned so thus.

Back at home, his herd did yearn,
Their leader gone, where would they turn?
They searched for days, through grass and wood,
Until in the village, there he stood.

With heavy hearts, they saw their mate,
Bound in chains, a captive state.
But courage rose, they formed a plan,
To free Girly-Face—that was the clan.

Under moon's soft glow, they came,
Their strength combined, they broke the chain.
"Thank you, friends," said Girly-Face,
Together they left that sorrowful place.

Back to the forest, their hearts light,
Girly-Face learned from that unfortunate plight.
Now cautious of strangers near or far,
He led his herd, their true north star.

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Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think Girly-Face trusted the man, even though he was a stranger?
  2. How did the actions of the man change Girly-Face's life and what did the elephant learn from this experience?
  3. Can you remember a time when you had to be careful about who to trust, like Girly-Face?
  4. What does this story teach us about the importance of being cautious with strangers, even if they seem nice at first?
  5. How can the actions of the elephant herd, when they found Girly-Face in trouble, inspire us to help our friends when they need us?

Fable Quotes

Beware the sweetest fruit, for beneath lies the chains of deceit.
True friends unite, overcoming any obstacle, to free those in chains and restore joy.
Caution guards against the chains of deception, protecting us from the loss of our freedom.
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