My First Elephant

 

The first time Louis saw the elephant he just did not believe it,

It was too huge and grey and ridiculous.

It wasn’t just the fat head or the flappy ears;

There was just way too much nose for a real animal.

He walked round with that smile on his face which said ‘I know what’s going on here

This is one of your grown up tricks to fool little children.’

 Of course his mum and dad kept on insisting

That it was a real elephant and it was alive,

But they were trying not to smile and

Louis knew that’s what grownups do.

 

Later on they would say: ‘do you remember when…?’

And it would be something like believing in fairies or giants or dragons

But this time Louis was not going to be fooled.

He knew exactly what this ‘elephant’ was:

 This ‘elephant’ was just a giant puppet with two grownups inside it.

It was quite clever he had to admit that,

Because he couldn’t even see the zip!

But he certainly wasn’t

Going to touch its grey wrinkly skin

And there was no way he was going to

Sit on it!

The two men were just waiting for that.

Probably they would make him fall off

And then everyone would start laughing.

 

 

Of course his mum and dad could pretend to touch its skin;

Because they were old and they were part of the trick.

And of course his little sister could sit on top;

Because she was only a baby. 

 

But

Any six year old could see

It Wasn’t Alive

and

It Wasn’t Real.

     

Although later on Louis changed his mind

About the men inside;   

 

There were three.