Then the snake wound himself around the elephant’s legs and helped him pull. They pulled harder than the crocodile, until the elephant’s nose was all out of shape. Then the crocodile let go. The elephant thanked the snake, wrapped his nose in banana leaves and hung it in the river to cool. He sat there for three days waiting for it to shrink, but it grew no shorter. His nose was a real elephant’s trunk.
The elephant found he could use it many ways. He could kill flies, pull grass and carry it to his mouth with it. When he was hot he could get mud and put it on his head. He could pick up things and get fruit from the trees. He could send a noise down his trunk that could be heard far and near. And from that day to this, elephants have long noses, and what is more, they seem to like them that way.
THANKSGIVING
In which we find that the blessings of liberty and prosperity are the true causes of Thanksgiving.
Instead of a make-believe story I am going to tell you a true story about some people who were called “Pilgrims.” Pilgrim means wanderer, and before long you will see why they were given that name.
The Pilgrims lived in England and were ruled by a king who wanted them to do just as he said in everything; he even wanted them to worship God in the same way he did.
The Pilgrims objected to this; they did not think he had any right to interfere with their religion. They thought that every man had a right to worship God in his own way. So they left England and went to Holland. It was a long voyage, and they endured many hardships on the way. The Dutch people were very good to them, but after a while the Pilgrims grew restless. Their children were growing up with a knowledge of the Dutch language and customs only; so once again they made ready for another voyage.
This time they sailed for America. The name of their ship was the Mayflower. The trip was a rough one indeed. Many of the children were sick and many of the fathers and mothers were sick also. But at last they landed on Plymouth Rock in the New World.