The savanna was very big and very golden. In the middle of the soft grass lived a little elephant. This little elephant had big, floppy ears that went flap, flap, flap. He had a long, wiggly trunk that went wiggle, wiggle, wiggle. He had four big feet that went thump, thump, thump. Every morning, the little elephant woke up and felt the warm sun on his grey back. The sun felt like a big, warm hug from the sky. He was a very happy little elephant, and he loved to play in the tall, tickly grass with his family.
One bright morning, the little elephant was walking to the blue water hole. He liked the water. It was cool and wet. But as he walked, he heard a very small sound. It was not a big sound like a lion's roar. It was not a loud sound like a monkey's chatter. It was a tiny, sad sound. Cheep, cheep, cheep. The little elephant stopped his big feet. He moved his big ears to listen. He looked down into the green grass near a large, dusty rock. There, he saw a tiny blue bird sitting very still.
The tiny blue bird looked very sad. Her nest had fallen out of the acacia tree and was lying on the ground. The little elephant looked at the bird, and then he looked at the fallen nest. He saw that the bird’s wings were shaking. He felt a soft, quiet feeling in his heart. He thought about how he would feel if his own bed was gone. He felt a little bit sad too, just because the bird was sad. He wanted to help his tiny friend feel better. This was a big, kind feeling inside his chest.
The little elephant moved very slowly so he would not be scary. He was very big, and the bird was very small. He reached down with his long, wiggly trunk. He was very, very gentle. He picked up the soft nest made of grass and feathers. He lifted it up, up, up. He placed the nest back onto a flat, safe branch of the acacia tree. He used his trunk to pat the nest down so it would stay put. Now the home was safe and high away from the itchy grass.
Next, the little elephant lowered his trunk to the ground right in front of the tiny bird. He made his trunk very still, like a little grey bridge. The tiny bird looked at the elephant’s kind eyes. The bird hopped onto the trunk. The little elephant felt the tiny, tickly toes of the bird. He slowly lifted the bird up to the tree. The bird hopped back into her warm nest and let out a happy song. Chirp, chirp, tweet! The bird was not sad anymore. The bird was happy and safe in her home.
The little elephant felt a wonderful glow inside. It was a warm feeling, like drinking sweet water on a hot day. He realized that even though he was a big elephant and the bird was a tiny bird, they could be friends. He understood how the bird felt, and that made him a very good helper. He wiggled his trunk and flapped his ears. He was happy because he had shared his kindness. Helping a friend was the best part of his whole morning.
As the day went on, the sun began to go down. The sky turned a pretty pink and a soft orange. The little elephant walked back to his mama. He told her about the tiny bird and the fallen nest. His mama used her big trunk to stroke his head. She was very happy that her little elephant had such a big, kind heart. The savanna began to get quiet. The tall grass stopped tickling, and the wind whispered a soft song through the trees. It was time for all the animals to rest their heads.
The little elephant found a soft spot in the dry grass. He tucked his trunk in close. He felt the warmth of his family all around him. He looked up and saw the tiny blue bird sleeping in her nest high in the tree. The stars began to blink in the dark blue sky, looking like tiny sparkling diamonds. The little elephant closed his eyes. He felt safe. He felt loved. He felt very, very sleepy. The big, wide world was a kind place to be. Goodnight, little elephant. Goodnight, savanna.
