You'd figure if you didn't want a bath in the river, you would take the opportunity to get your face clean when it rained. You'd figure, but you'd figure wrong when Peter Elephant was involved. He hid under giant palm leaves.

 Peter Elephant was doing nothing, which wasn't new, because he always did nothing. He had become very "good" at it, if the word good could be used for the job he did at doing nothing. Some even said he was the King of Lazy.

 Lazy would instantly bring to mind not much activity, and Peter Elephant was so lazy he didn't stand up, walk, take a bath or swat flies around him that mingled in droves.

 Many ignored the elephant and didn't get involved. It was Peter Elephant's life after all, and if he wanted to waste it, who were they to intercede?

 Frankie Wolf couldn't ignore anyone. He was hyper to the point that he got on your nerves. He never stopped talking, was always doing something with his paws and his feet constantly shuffled. Frankie Wolf was one hyper wolf!

 "You should come out into the rain," urged Frankie Wolf to his friend Peter Elephant. "This water is glorious!"

 "I'd get wet," said the elephant.

 "Exactly!" said the wolf. "Have you any soap, by the way?"

 "I don't have any soap," said Peter Elephant watching his friend.

 "No matter, I'll just rub all this water into my fur," said Frankie Wolf. "I must get my armpits, too. Soap would have been the icing on the cake, so to speak."

 Peter Elephant watched the fox dance joyfully in the water. That looked like fun, but it was too much energy to get up.

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 "You need to get a life, Peter Elephant," said the wolf. "You could lose a little weight and move around a bit. You would feel better."

 "Not today ... but thanks for asking," said the elephant sighing.

 "Today could be the first day of a new you, said the wolf.

 "A new me?" asked the elephant, looking down at the old him. A new me sounded like an adventure. "What do I have to do to be a new me?"

 "Have a bath, manicure and get your life together," said the wolf. "Don't stay in a rut!"

 That day Peter Elephant had his first bath in ages. The water turned brown from all the dirt. Frankie Wolf gave Peter Elephant's toes a manicure and talked about things they would do in the following days. Peter Elephant looked forward to each suggestion.

 Winner: Mary Anne Penny, Blockhouse, received a prize for sending in the answer.

 Question about the story: What did Peter Elephant have to do to get his life together?

 Send answers to Storytime, c/o Verna Dunlop, RR#1, Moser River, NS BOJ 2KO or e-mail the answer to the question to vernadunlop@yahoo.com. Prizes will be sent to those sending in the answer.

posted on 05/04/10