Za razliku od svojih vr\u0161njaka iz krda, Slon\u010de Koton\u010de nikako nije uspevalo da nau\u010di da koristi svoju surlu, a ve\u0107 je imalo godinu dana. To i ne bi bilo toliko stra\u0161no da se drugari slonovi nisu ludo zabavljali na ra\u010dun Slon\u010deta i njegove neposlu\u0161ne surle.<\/p>\n
Svaki put kada je Slon\u010de sa ostalim slonovima silazilo na reku da pije vodu, za druge je to izgledalo kao cirkuska predstava po koli\u010dini zabave kojoj su prisustvovali.<\/p>\n
Dok su drugi slonovi pili vodu uz pomo\u0107 surle, prskali se i u\u017eivali, Slon\u010de je to radilo druga\u010dije od svih. Nekako nezgrapno je moralo da se sagne do reke, podi\u017eu\u0107i zadnji deo tela uvis kako bi ustima popio vodu, stvaraju\u0107i zaista zabavnu sliku za druge.<\/p>\n
Sve to je uvek bilo propra\u0107eno ruganjem i zadirkivanjem Slon\u010deta.<\/p>\n
\u201ePogledaj, vidi kako je lako\u201d, zadirkivali bi ga drugi dok su ga prskali vodom iz surli.<\/p>\n
Slon\u010de bi se uvek vra\u0107alo tu\u017eno i razo\u010darano sa reke, pognute glave.<\/p>\n
Slon\u010de je zapravo obo\u017eavalo vodu i kupanje, ali njegova surla o\u010digledno nije. Rado je ostajao dugo u vodi igraju\u0107i se sa mehuri\u0107ima i u\u017eivaju\u0107i u mirisu kupke semena pamuka, zaboravljaju\u0107i na neposlu\u0161nu surlu.<\/p>\n
Posle jo\u0161 jednog ruganja na reci, Slon\u010de je \u010dvrsto odlu\u010dilo da vi\u0161e nikada ne\u0107e biti poni\u017eavano. Svako ve\u010de dok su drugi slonovi spavali, Slon\u010de se iskradalo i kri\u0161om odlazilo na reku da ve\u017eba svoju neposlu\u0161nu surlu.<\/p>\n
Trajalo je to no\u0107ima. Bilo je tu bezbroj poku\u0161aja. Nekada mu se \u010dinilo da je na korak da uspe, sna\u017eno bi usisao vodu surlom i kada bi poku\u0161ao da je popije, zagrcnuo bi se i po\u010deo da ka\u0161lje.<\/p>\n
\u201eKhm, khm, ovo nikako nije zabavno\u201d, govorio je.<\/p>\n
Ipak, nije odustao sve dok jedne ve\u010deri nije po\u010deo da koristi surlu sa takvom lako\u0107om, da nije mogao da poveruje. Imao je utisak kao da se desila magija.<\/p>\n
Sav poletan i uzbu\u0111en, jedva je do\u010dekao dan i odlazak na reku.<\/p>\n
Drugari su ga ponovo podrugljivo izazivali.<\/p>\n
\u201eHajde Slon\u010de, idemo na reku, ti to najvi\u0161e voli\u0161, zar ne?\u201d govorili su.<\/p>\n
Kada su stigli na reku, svi su o\u010dekivali zabavni performans Slon\u010deta i nespretno ispijanje vode.<\/p>\n
Me\u0111utim, Slon\u010de je veselo u\u0161lo u vodu, usisalo surlom vodu pome\u0161anu sa blatom i jednim potezom surle poprskalo blatom sve drugare koji su ga posmatrali na obali.<\/p>\n
Unlike the other young elephants in the herd, little Elephant Koton\u010de simply couldn\u2019t learn how to use his trunk\u2014even though he was already a year old. That wouldn\u2019t have been such a big deal if his elephant friends weren\u2019t having so much fun making jokes about him and his stubborn trunk.<\/p>\n
Every time the little elephant went down to the river with the others to drink water, it looked like a circus show to everyone else because of how entertaining it was for them.<\/p>\n
While the other elephants drank water with their trunks, splashed each other, and enjoyed themselves, the little elephant did it differently from everyone else. Awkwardly, he had to bend down to the river, lifting the back of his body up into the air so he could drink with his mouth\u2014creating a truly funny picture for the others.<\/p>\n
All of it was always followed by teasing and laughing at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, see how easy it is!\u201d the others would mock him, splashing him with water from their trunks.<\/p>\n
The little elephant would always return from the river sad and disappointed, his head hanging low.<\/p>\n
He actually loved water and bathing, but his trunk clearly didn\u2019t. He happily stayed in the water for a long time, playing with bubbles and enjoying the smell of cotton seed bath foam, forgetting all about his disobedient trunk.<\/p>\n
After yet another round of teasing at the river, the little elephant firmly decided that he would never be humiliated again. Every evening, while the other elephants slept, he would sneak away and secretly go to the river to practice using his stubborn trunk.<\/p>\n
It went on for many nights. There were countless attempts. Sometimes it seemed to him that he was just one step away from succeeding\u2014he would suck water into his trunk with all his strength, but when he tried to drink it, he would choke and start coughing.<\/p>\n
\u201cAhem, ahem\u2026 this isn\u2019t fun at all,\u201d he would say.<\/p>\n
Still, he didn\u2019t give up, until one evening he began using his trunk so easily that he couldn\u2019t believe it. It felt as if magic had happened.<\/p>\n
Full of energy and excitement, he could hardly wait for daytime and the trip to the river.<\/p>\n
His friends teased him again.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, little elephant, let\u2019s go to the river\u2014you like it the most, don\u2019t you?\u201d they said.<\/p>\n
When they arrived at the river, everyone expected the little elephant\u2019s funny performance and his clumsy way of drinking.<\/p>\n
But instead, the little elephant happily stepped into the water, sucked up water mixed with mud into his trunk, and with one flick of his trunk, splashed mud all over the friends watching from the shore.<\/p>\n
Before they even realized what was happening, he did it again, and again.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, look how special and a little funny you are now!\u201d cried Elephant Koton\u010de.<\/p>\n
Soon everyone accepted the game, jumped into the river, and took turns splashing each other with mud and water. A real little celebration began, and the little elephant felt like he had been reborn. The fun lasted until late at night, until they all fell asleep exhausted and happy.<\/p>\n
Fun facts about elephants:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n