Emily's Own Elephant
by Philippa Pearce
illustrated by John Lawrence
illustrated by John Lawrence
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00Emily's Own Elephant by Philip R. Pearce Illustrated by John Lawrence
00:17To my daughter Sally whose story this was long ago.
00:21Chapter 1, The Meadow with the Shed Emily lived with her mother and father in
00:26a little house in the corner of a big meadow.
00:30A river ran along one side of the meadow.
00:33Huge trees grew in the meadow.
00:36There were oaks and chestnuts and sycamores and ash trees.
00:41Emily's father used to say, there are far too many trees in the meadow.
00:46Perhaps I should cut some of them down.
00:49His wife said, you haven't enough to do in your spare time.
00:54That's why you want to go cutting trees down.
00:57A big shed stood in the meadow.
01:00It was old, but it was not in ruins.
01:03There were no holes in the roof for the rain to come through.
01:07There were no holes in the walls for the wind to blow through.
01:11The shed was quite empty.
01:14It was not used for anything.
01:17Emily's father said, perhaps I should pull that useless shed down.
01:22Emily's mother said, you haven't enough to do in your spare time.
01:27That's why you want to go pulling sheds down.
01:31Emily said, don't cut the trees down.
01:34Don't pull the shed down.
01:37You never know when we may need trees and an empty shed.
01:41Emily's father promised not to cut down the trees or pull down the shed just yet.
01:47Chapter 2, Emily Visits the Zoo
01:50One day in winter Emily went to London to visit the zoo.
01:54She went with her mother.
01:56They saw all the animals that Emily liked best, the lions, the tigers, the hippos, the
02:03rhinos, the camels, the giraffes, the elephants, the wolves and the panda bear.
02:10Then it was time for tea and they went to the cafeteria.
02:14Emily's mother had a pot of tea and a packet of biscuits and Emily had an ice cream and
02:19a packet of potato crisps.
02:22When they had finished tea, Emily's mother said, it's nearly time to go home.
02:28Is there anything else you very much want to see Emily?
02:32Yes said Emily.
02:33I want to go to the children's zoo.
02:36So they went to the children's zoo.
02:39They saw the rabbits and Emily stroked one.
02:43They watched the chickens hatching out of eggs.
02:46They visited the goats and Emily fed one with a sandwich.
02:51The goat ate the sandwich and then it ate the paper bag and then it tried to eat the
02:55glove on the hand that had held the sandwich and the paper bag.
03:00Then Emily and her mother came to a special enclosure with a baby elephant in it.
03:05It was the nicest elephant that Emily had ever seen.
03:09A keeper was standing by the elephant's enclosure.
03:13Emily asked him.
03:15What is the baby elephant called?
03:18Jumbo said the keeper.
03:20Jumbo, said Emily's mother.
03:23What a nice name.
03:25Now Emily, it's time to go home.
03:28The keeper said to Emily, we are very worried about Jumbo.
03:32Why, said Emily.
03:35Come along Emily said her mother.
03:38The keeper said to Emily, we are worried about Jumbo because he doesn't grow.
03:43He is strong and he is healthy, but he simply won't grow.
03:48He is going to be a miniature elephant.
03:51I didn't know that elephants could be miniature said Emily.
03:55Come along Emily said her mother.
03:58It happens only very very rarely said the keeper.
04:02But it is always very awkward.
04:05The zoo wants only elephants that are elephantine in size.
04:09It can't keep a miniature elephant.
04:12Oh said Emily.
04:14Come along Emily said her mother.
04:17We shall have to find a home for Jumbo said the keeper.
04:21Emily, said Emily's mother very loudly and crossly.
04:25Emily usually did what her mother told her especially as her mother usually told her
04:30to do only sensible things.
04:33So now Emily began to follow her mother out of the children's zoo.
04:38Then Emily stopped.
04:40I am sorry she said to her mother, but we can't go home yet.
04:45I have an important idea.
04:48I must discuss it with the keeper.
04:50I must go back now.
04:53So back they went.
04:55Chapter 3, The Plan.
04:57They went back to the baby elephant's enclosure.
05:01The keeper was still standing there.
05:04He was looking at Jumbo in a worried way.
05:07Emily said, you told us that you would have to find a home for Jumbo.
05:12Yes said the keeper.
05:15We could give him a home said Emily and she looked at her mother.
05:19Emily's mother said to the keeper, my daughter is quite right.
05:24We should be delighted to give your little elephant a home.
05:28The keeper said, that's very kind of you, but even a miniature elephant needs a great
05:33deal of space.
05:35Would a big meadow do, asked Emily's mother.
05:39A really big meadow said Emily.
05:42Yes said the keeper, a really big meadow would do.
05:46But even a miniature elephant needs a lot of water to drink and to bathe in and to squirt
05:50around when it plays.
05:53Would a river running by the meadow do?
05:56Emily asked.
05:58Yes said the keeper, a river would do.
06:01But what about when it rains, what about when it rains bucket falls and blows gales.
06:07The little elephant will need shelter then.
06:11Would a shed in the meadow do, asked Emily.
06:14A really big shed said her mother.
06:17It has no holes in the roof or the walls, and it's quite empty.
06:22Yes said the keeper, a really big shed would do.
06:26Then that's settled said Emily's mother.
06:28Wait, said the keeper.
06:31What about when it snows and freezes would your shed be warm enough for a little elephant
06:36then?
06:37No said Emily.
06:39Our shed hasn't a coal fire, it hasn't a gas fire, it hasn't an electric fire.
06:46Wait said Emily's mother.
06:48We could put in central heating.
06:51Wouldn't that be very expensive, said Emily.
06:55It would be worth it said her mother.
06:58It's not often anyone has the chance of a baby elephant that will stay small.
07:04That's settled then said the keeper.
07:07We are very grateful to you.
07:09There's just one more thing.
07:12What is that?
07:14Jumbo will be lonely without any of his friends said the keeper.
07:18Could you take one of his friends as well?
07:22What kind of friend, asked Emily's mother.
07:26His best friend is a baby monkey called Jacko.
07:29He likes climbing.
07:32said the keeper.
07:33Then he can climb all the trees in the meadow said Emily's mother.
07:38Ivy always longed for a little elephant and a monkey said Emily.
07:43When they are old enough said the keeper.
07:46Jumbo and Jacko will come to you in a special zoo van.
07:50Please write your name and address on this paper.
07:54So they did and then they went home.
07:57Chapter 4, Friends in the Meadow.
08:00One Saturday in summer Emily's father was eating toast and marmalade and looking out
08:05of the window.
08:06Suddenly he spoke with his mouth full, there is a big van like a horse box at the gate
08:12into our window.
08:14Two men are driving the van into our meadow.
08:17Now they are opening the van.
08:20Something is coming out.
08:22Oh oh oh.
08:23Emily's father nearly choked on his toast and marmalade.
08:28He said.
08:29There is an elephant in our meadow with a monkey on its back.
08:33Then Emily and her mother told him all about Jumbo and Jacko.
08:38They had been keeping the secret to surprise him.
08:42He was delighted.
08:44He said, we must be sure to have the central heating in the shed before next winter.
08:50I will put it in myself.
08:53That will save expense.
08:55It will also give you something to do in your spare time said his wife.
09:00Then they all went into the meadow with buns for the elephant and bananas for the monkey.
09:06They took a pot of tea for the zoo men and a big plum cake that happened to be in the
09:10house.
09:12There was a slice for everybody and sugar biscuits too and chocolate fingers.
09:17They all had a picnic together in the sunshiny meadow.
09:22Then the zoo men said goodbye and went home.
09:25Emily's mother went indoors to make more buns.
09:29Emily's father went up the village to the public library to borrow a book about central
09:33heating.
09:35Emily was left alone in the meadow with Jumbo and Jacko.
09:39It was very hot so Emily led the way to the river.
09:43Jumbo waded in the cool water and squirted it over his friends.
09:48They loved this.
09:50Then Jacko went racing through the treetops.
09:54He picked armfuls of pink and white blossom from the very tops of the chestnut trees.
10:00It was the biggest and best chestnut blossom that Emily had ever seen.
10:05She made wreaths and garlands and chains of it for Jumbo and Jacko and herself.
10:10Then they began to dance round and round the meadow.
10:14Emily's mother finished baking her buns and came into the meadow to watch.
10:19Emily's father came home with his book on central heating and went into the meadow too.
10:25Emily's father and mother stood and watched and laughed and clapped.
10:29And round and round the meadow danced Emily and her two friends from the zoo.
10:35The end.